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On this day, March 28, 1942, Japanese-American lawyer Minoru Yasui (1916-1986) violated a military curfew in Portland, Oregon, and demanded to be arrested after he was refused enlistment to fight for the US. He was one of the few Japanese Americans who fought laws that directly targeted Japanese Americans or Japanese immigrants following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 2015 he was among 17 people awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom.

Also on this day March 28, 1939, the front page of the Eugene Register-Guard blared the headline: "Mighty Oregon Scramble Ohio State to Take Hoop Title of All America," right under a declaration that the Spanish War had ended, of course.




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Paul Moore for Clackamas Co. Sheriff Fund Raiser
Friday, April 5, 2024 at 6:10 pm
$50.00, deluxe grazing buffet, Silent Auction, live entertainment
Tumwater Ballroom The Museum of the Oregon Territory 211 Tumwater Dr. Oregon City



Hood River County GOP's Second Annual Lincoln Dinner
Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Hood River County GOP's Second Annual Lincoln Dinner 5pm-9pm
Hood River, OR



Dorchester Conference 2024
Friday, April 26, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Dorchester Conference 2024 April 26th-28th
Welches, Oregon



Memorial Day
Monday, May 27, 2024 at 11:00 am
Memorial Day
A federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving.



Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 12:00 am
Juneteenth
Celebrated on the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when in the wake of the American Civil War, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas.



Independence Day
Thursday, July 4, 2024 at 11:59 pm
Independence Day
USA



Linn Laughs LIVE with Adam Corolla
Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Linn Laughs LIVE with Adam Corolla 5pm-9pm
Albany, OR


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Governor Calls Third Special Session
This will be a regular special session, not a catastrophic

Governor Kate Brown will convene a Special Session of the Oregon Legislature at 8:00am Monday, December 21, 2020, to address Oregonians’ most pressing needs given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which have only been compounded by Oregon’s horrific wildfires. The Governor is asking the legislature to consider both critical policies and $800 million in relief to support Oregonians during a one-day special session on COVID-19 and wildfires.

“Oregonians are making tremendous sacrifices to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Governor Brown. “While the risk reduction measures we have put in place are working to slow the spread, many Oregon families are struggling with unemployment, housing, food insecurity, and paying their bills — and those most impacted are the same people who are often left behind, including rural, Black, Indigenous, Latino/Latina/Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Tribal communities.

“I continue to call on Congress to pass another robust coronavirus relief bill to bring support to the American people. But these calls have not yet been heeded. It is clear that states must act on their own to provide a bridge until federal help arrives. This is why I am calling on legislators from both sides of the aisle to come together in the best interests of the state.

“We must protect Oregonians now, as we face some of our hardest days, whether by getting critical resources into the hands of those most in need, keeping a roof over people’s heads, or recognizing the incredible toll of this virus on our small businesses and restaurants. Oregon must act to bridge the gap as we continue to wait to see federal relief. I thank legislators for their work in addressing these critical issues next week, and I look forward to our progress.”

Republicans are calling for supports for businesses, schools and the health care system.

Included in the Governor’s budget priorities is aid for tenants and landlords, funding for vaccine distribution and contact tracing, wildfire prevention and community preparedness, and support for reopening schools.

To help ensure a healthy and safe environment for conducting session, legislative officials are consulting the state epidemiologist, Dr. Dean Sidelinger.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-12-15 07:39:17Last Update: 2020-12-15 08:43:35



COVID Recession Impacts State Revenue
Long-term future is unknown

Despite a government-lockdown-driven COVID recession, Oregon's Treasurer is projecting strong general fund and lottery revenues over the next nine-year period. It's not known how dependent these revenue projections are on the influx of federal money. According to the report from the State Debt Policy Advisory Commission, the December revenue forecast permits the issuance of $1.139 billion general fund backed debt in 2019-21 biennium.

Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read said in a letter to Governor Brown and the Legislature, "In addition to the human costs, the pandemic has dramatically affected our economy, leading to financial uncertainty and commensurate challenges to the State’s budget in both the current and upcoming biennia. This makes long-term funding plans more difficult for important State and local government capital projects."

The debt capacity has a target of using 5% or less of state revenue to do debt service, and at that rate, the state will be able to issue over a billion dollars in debt during the next biennium.

Treasurer Read points out the uncertainty in the economy as well as the uncertainty of federal aid. "For these reasons, we continue to advise caution and patience when planning for capital projects," Read added.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-12-14 21:18:19Last Update: 2020-12-14 22:09:40



Pfizer Vaccine Approved
Western governors say it’s OK to take the vaccine

Oregon, Washington and Nevada joined California’s COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup in October, which has worked concurrently and independently to review the FDA’s actions related to COVID-19 vaccinations. The Workgroup completed their concurrent and thorough review of the federal process and has confirmed the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. The Workgroup panel is made up of nationally acclaimed scientists with expertise in immunization and public health. It has been pointed out that the workgroup is more political than scientific -- a way for governors of blue states to show their distrust of the Trump administration.

“With recommendations from the FDA, CDC, and, now, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, Oregonians can rest assured that some of the best doctors, scientists, and immunologists in the world have reviewed the data and affirmed that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and effective,” said Governor Kate Brown. “We will work as quickly as possible to deliver vaccines to the public, starting with frontline health care workers and those who have been hardest hit by COVID-19. Please keep doing your part to keep your family and loved ones safe—wear a mask, stay home when you are sick, and avoid gatherings. Together, we can do this. Hope is on the way.”

With a 95% effective rate for the vaccine and a 99.9% survival rate, the public has a choice.

There is a lot of concern regarding the content of the vaccine. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use synthetic ingredients (mRNA) that contains information about the coronavirus’s signature spike protein. It is not a proven technology, but said not to alter human DNA in any way. Still, with all this extra review, the public still does not know the full content of the vaccine. MIT Technology Review asked experts. There are the obvious ingredients, but concluded that Pfizer is holding back a little. “The spike gene sequence can be tweaked in small ways for better performance, by means that include swapping letters. We don’t think Pfizer has said exactly what sequence it is using, or what modified nucleosides. That means the content of the shot may not be 100% public.” At the end of the day, Pfizer flat-out says, “no microchips.”

So what should we expect? CDC website states in its COVID-19 information page that they don’t know how long immunity will last from a vaccine. “It’s conceivable that the vaccines provide long-lasting protection, or fade away in under a year and require a booster.”

The Pfizer vaccine should be a choice, but is this announcement more to do with a catastrophic disaster special session to put its mark on every Oregonian?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-12-14 08:38:31Last Update: 2020-12-14 22:15:52



Violence Creates Redevelopment Opportunity
Riot damage seems to track opportunity zones

In the aftermath of the violence this summer, the city of Minneapolis mapped out the redevelopment business opportunity zones and overlaid the buildings burnt out by Antifa. They were shocked that it matched perfectly. Some wanted to know how many Antifa and Black Lives Matter agents are deep state provocateurs. To some observers, it was clear to them that they were hired to tear down America.

According to Wikipedia, Catherine Austin Fitts is an American investment banker and former public official who served as United States Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Housing during the Presidency of George H.W. Bush. She has widely written and commented on the subject of public spending and has alleged several large scale instances of government fraud. She founded an investment advisory firm named Solari, which also produces a blog analyzing public policy.

Motivated, the Solari Team mapped Portland from May to October 7, 2020, for the correlation between riot damage and the tax-attractive Opportunity Zones. They found that “a tremendous amount of effort was spent on destroying the downtown area bounded on the West: by the 405, North: by West Burnside, East: Willamette River and South: SW Clay where a high concentration of Justice and Police facilities were.”

Even though riots happened repeatedly in the same areas in Portland, the damage was very devastating. The majority of the riot damage was in Opportunity Zones, however, there was stray violent areas outside of opportunity zones. Most of that damage was targeted at law enforcement structures, coordinated with defund police protests. Small Business property damage was rampant costing businesses $30 million, which doesn’t include the destruction to city property, cleaning graffiti off monuments and buildings, and replacing or restoring monuments.

Governor Brown’s order to keep businesses shutdown only makes it more difficult for destroyed businesses to be rebuilt, unless they aren’t intended too. Portland’s economic development agency intends to deliver on its promise of equitable development made in 2013. The city plans for the Central Commercial Zone between Old Town Chinatown and the Pearl District will include at least 720 affordable housing units, small business opportunities, new parks, public art and a cycle track within the neighborhood. What other plans are on the drawing board that will utilize the destroyed businesses?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-12-13 21:26:24Last Update: 2020-12-13 21:40:38



Auto Theft Suspect Attempts to Swim Columbia River
Treated at hospital for hypothermia

On December 12, 2020 an officer from the Portland North Precinct was in the area of Northeast Cornfoot Road and Northeast Alderwood Road when he observed a green 1997 Subaru Legacy parked in a westbound lane facing eastbound. The officer ran the plate and learned the vehicle was stolen.

The officer attempted to stop the vehicle at which point the vehicle accelerated. For the safety of the public, the officer did not attempt to pursue or catch up to the vehicle.

An officer from another agency advised dispatch he observed the vehicle driving northbound in the southbound lanes on Northeast 82nd Ave through the Northeast Alderwood Road intersection toward Northeast Airport way, running the red light.

The Portland Police Bureau Air Support Unit located the vehicle traveling eastbound on Northeast Airport Way at speeds as high as 100 MPH, while surfing through traffic and not being pursued by police vehicles. The vehicle then drove onto a pedestrian/bike path leading from Northeast Airport Way to Northeast Marine Drive. The vehicle drove down a gravel road near the riverbank and stopped. The Police Air Support Unit reported seeing a subject exit the vehicle and begin to unload it. As patrol cars arrived in the area the suspect fled on foot.

The suspect ran toward the riverbank and entered the water (outdoor temperature was 42 degrees with 10 to 15 MPH winds). The suspect attempted to swim toward the middle of the river. Officers contacted the suspect who eventually exited the water and was placed in custody.

The suspect was identified as 23 year-old Trevon Wade Gilliand. It was determined Gilliand would need to be treated at a hospital for possible hypothermia. Gilliand was issued a citation for Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle, Attempt to Elude, and Reckless Driving.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-12-13 15:33:28Last Update: 2020-12-13 17:34:23



Unemployment Benefit Overpayments May Be Considered in Special Session
Expanding fraud control

Expanding permissible uses of amounts in the Oregon Employment Department Special Fraud Control Fund will be looked in Oregon's third legislative session, if it happens. The bill that would take on this issue would be a bill proposed for the Oregon Legislature in the form of Legislative Concept 24 and it would also include legislation concerning the payment of the costs associated with the federal Lost Wages Assistance program.

This bill would provide for methods of collection from debtor of reimbursements to Federal Emergency Management Agency for benefit over-payments required under the Lost Wages Assistance program.

LC24 provides the following details:
--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-12-13 14:28:32Last Update: 2020-12-13 19:31:13



PERS Report Released
This study doesn’t account for the unfunded liability

Oregon’s Public Employees Retirement System released its study findings on retiree benefits paid in 2019. PERS covers approximately 95% of public workers in Oregon including all state and school district employees and most local government employees.

The study analyzed how PERS benefits paid to Oregon retirees impacts Oregon’s economy. Oregon PERS paid approximately $4.11 billion in benefits to PERS retirees living in Oregon in 2019. The $4.11 billion in annual benefit payments multiply to $4.33 billion in economic value to Oregon when the full financial impact of these dollars when spent in local communities. These benefit payments sustained an estimated 33,402 local jobs, and added approximately $1.29 billion in wages to Oregon’s economy. Additionally, the state of Oregon collected an estimated $234.9 million in income taxes on PERS retiree benefits during 2019.

Funding for these benefits came mostly from investment earnings on contributions previously paid by members and public employers. Investment income has provided 74.4% of total pension revenues since 1970. Member contributions have accounted for 4.4%, with employer contributions providing 21.1% of pension revenues over the past 49 years.

These retirees spent a significant portion of this money on goods and services in Oregon, which helped support local businesses. These businesses then purchased goods, in part, from other local vendors, adding to the Oregon workforce and economy. This study quantifies the total effect of these benefit payments on Oregon’s economy, based on three factors: Depending on who you ask, the PERS deficit is between $26 to $50 billion that is needed over the next couple of decades to pay pensions. The issue is that the employer contributions are going towards current benefit payments and not reserves. Increase in Investment earnings reduces the obligation. Investments earnings increased in 2019 by $6,981 million, which was more than enough to cover increased payments, and 2020 is on track to do the same.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-12-12 20:59:41Last Update: 2020-12-12 22:38:11



Limited Liability of Schools During COVID Proposed
To be voted on in third special session

Legislative Concept 2330 will likely soon be voted on in the third special session of the 2020 Oregon legislature. Insiders say it will be declared a "Catastrophic Special Session" by Governor Kate Brown.

The bill intends to limit the liability of school districts, public charter schools, education service districts and community colleges for certain claims arising during COVID-19 emergency period.

The Emergency Clause would be attached to the bill upon it's passage, rendering it effective immediately.

The bill also provides that a person engaged in activities on school district property that are not operated by a school district may not bring a claim against the school district for damages related to COVID-19 infection.

This legislation seems to indicate and clear the way for schools potentially reopening in Oregon.

Language in LC 2330 points out that the immunity provided by this does not apply to reckless, wanton or intentional misconduct.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-12-12 18:14:07Last Update: 2020-12-12 20:09:41



Washington County Offers Housing Provider Relief
Targets multifamily affordable rental housing for BIPOC

Washington County is offering an expedited application process to assist owners of multifamily affordable rental housing projects located in the County that have been impacted by the loss of rental revenue associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this funding is to provide relief to housing providers, provide relief to tenants who have not been able to fulfill their rental obligations due to the pandemic, and to stabilize subsidized housing projects so that they can continue fulfilling the mission of providing quality housing to Washington County households with modest incomes.

For a property to be eligible, it must be located in Washington County, consist of five to 300 units, have deed restrictions enforcing an affordability period of fifteen years or more, and there is a demonstrated net loss in rental income due to the Covid-19 pandemic from March 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020 once other assistance has been applied to offset the loss.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit and for-profit entities and the Housing Authority of Washington County. Applicants may submit applications for multiple properties. If the property owner is a Limited Partnership, the applicant must be the Managing General Partner or an equivalent. In the case that the Housing Authority may be a Special Limited Partner for the purpose of tax exemption only, the Housing Authority may not be the applicant.

Properties serving the following populations disproportionately impacted by inequities exacerbated by COVID-19 will be prioritized: Funds received through this program must be applied toward back-due rent, and the payments must be credited to the accounts of tenants who are behind in their rent. Properly documented modifications related to COVID-19 and occurring March 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020, may receive secondary consideration if sufficient funds are available. Decisions regarding awards for modifications and delayed maintenance and repair costs will be made at the sole discretion of the County and are dependent upon eligibility and funding availability.

Since tenants do not have to provide documentation of a COVID-19 related reason for not paying rent, it's not clear how housing providers are able to identify losses as COVID related.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-12-12 15:23:27Last Update: 2020-12-12 15:41:37



Oregon Legislative Concept Highlights Emergency Powers
Allows extending emergencies by any amount of time

Legislative Concept 247 is about to be considered in a ever more likely third special session of the year for the Oregon state legislature. Among the details of this proposal are durational limits for states of emergency declared by the State of Oregon under certain statutes. The bill also provides that the Legislative Assembly may also extend states of emergency by joint resolution.

Other details in the bill include: The governor's emergency powers are also clarified in the bill:
--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-12-12 13:53:55Last Update: 2020-12-13 10:19:32



Oregonians Are Irate, and Losing Patience
Local Government steps up, to provide remedy and relief

Josephine County Commissioners passed resolution 2020-039 last week to provide a level of protection to resident business owners, after Oregon Governor Kate Brown delegated authority to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to enforce executive orders, in what started, as a two week freeze. The resolution is to stand as prima facie evidence of good faith, in the event a business is cited for being open, and called to appear before an administrative hearing. The County also created a letter of good faith for business owners to use in an administrative hearing, should they need it.

In Governor Brown's new proposal for the 2021-2023 budget given to the Oregon Legislature, very little is slated for appropriation to small business owner's, who have arguably, been hit hardest since lockdowns began. Instead, Brown's proposed budget focuses on expanding infrastructure, public works, and bigger government, which equals large union contracts. Conversely, the budget for helping the private sector i.e landlords, rental owners, and small business owner's is tiny in relation, and focused on equity, for minority owned or run businesses. Whatever the intentions for lockdowns, the outcome is shaping up to be a massive redistribution of power and wealth away from the already shrinking middle, and lower classes. Brown's budget proposal far exceeds projected revenue for the State of Oregon,heavily reliant upon spending Federal dollars, yet to be agreed upon, or even passed by Congress.

Oregonians are losing faith in Government, as despair has often turned to ire, and unrest. However, the news of Josephine County's resolution, has created a new wave of hope through the State. Now, Another County has stepped up, proposing a similar resolution this week. The new Yamhill County resolution shares the same goal of providing a level of protection to businesses and a message of hope.

The Yamhill County resolution differs only slightly from the Josephine County Resolution, and addresses flawed PCR tests being used to justify business closures. It also addresses the death certificate rule change implemented March 24th via a new ICD code adapted by the National Vital Statistics System, which records presumptive COVID-19 deaths with confirmed cases, diagnosed with the same flawed PCR test. The new Yamhill Resolution is accompanied by a packet of information, including studies, court rulings, and even a recent executive order by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, calling for the full disclosure of PCR cycle thresholds, and false negative and positive test numbers to be disclosed immediately.

Another very important piece of information in the supporting documents, comes from Oregon's own Douglas County Health's Dr. Dannenhoffer, who confirms that the PCR test being used in Oregon is made by manufacturer Thermo Fisher, and using a 39-40 PCR cycle Threshold. To put this into perspective Dr. Fauci has stated "the PCR COVID test is useless and misleading when the test is run at 35 cycles or higher."

Yamhill County Commissioner, and Vice-Chair Mary Starrett, stated in the meeting that she's not the only commissioner receiving daily correspondence, and pleadings for help. In a phone call after the meeting, Commissioner Starrett shares with Northwest Observer, exactly what she's been reading from county residents "People are going broke as their businesses bleed out. Their kids are losing their mooring, failing in what's left of their schools, and they're ending their lives. We're losing people to drug overdoses and those in recovery are relapsing. Sadly, our elders are slowly dying from loneliness and despair, despite studies showing that lockdowns don't work! Meanwhile routine screenings and medical care is being placed on hold, or pushed out, further jeopardizing the health and well being of our community. Corporate food chains are open on every street corner, while the neighborhood restaurants we love are forced out of business. These arbitrary shutdowns have no basis in fact."

The Yamhill County Resolution has been set aside until next week, to allow time for all Commissioners to properly read through the document packet, and a representative of the Oregon Health Authority can be present. Dr. Henry Ealy was reported to have been waiting on hold, to support the resolution. Dr. Ealy is the lead author and researcher of a peer reviewed study addressing the critical changes to the death certificate reporting titled "Ethics in Science and Technology".

Dr. Henry Ealy tells Northwest Observer he will be back next week to weigh in, and present the findings of his research team.

Before the meeting was adjourned Yamhill County had already received 21 comments, and emails regarding the resolution. For more information on either resolution, the packet of supporting documents, or to watch the live hearings, all information can be found on the individual County Website.


--Breeauna Sagdal

Post Date: 2020-12-11 11:33:33Last Update: 2020-12-12 08:04:58



Brown Appoints Seeley as Vaccine Czar
Will oversee Covid vaccine distribution in Oregon

Governor Kate Brown has announced the appointment of Connie Seeley as Special Advisor for COVID-19 Vaccination Implementation, effective Friday, December 11. In the role, Seeley will serve as a senior advisor to the Governor on COVID-19 issues, with a focus on directing the implementation of Oregon’s vaccine distribution and public communications plans, as well as coordinating efforts across state government, and with local, state, and federal partners.

Seeley had previously worked as a legislative director for Kate Brown in the state legislature.

“I appreciate Connie’s willingness to step up for the critical task of ensuring that COVID-19 vaccines are available and distributed across the state as rapidly as possible,” said Governor Brown. “She has the expertise in health care and governmental relations to help coordinate this vast and important vaccination campaign, making sure that COVID-19 vaccinations are equitably available to everyone in Oregon, particularly to historically-underserved communities that have felt the disproportionate impact of this pandemic and existing health disparities––including Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, and Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and Oregonians of color.”

Seeley is joining the Governor’s Office on temporary assignment through an intergovernmental agreement with her current employer, Oregon Health & Science University. She has over 20 years of experience in the public sector, including organizational governance, administration, governmental relations, public affairs, and crisis communications. She is the chief administrative officer, executive vice president, and chief of staff of OHSU, where she has worked since 2010. She also has 13 years of experience working in the Oregon Legislature. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon.

Seeley joins the Governor’s health policy team, which includes Linda Roman, Health Policy Advisor, Jackie Yerby, Policy Advisor for Health Care Licensing and Behavioral Health, and Tina Edlund, Health Care Finance Advisor.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-12-11 11:09:32Last Update: 2020-12-11 20:07:24



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