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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
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Dumpster Fires in Eugene
Man Arrested for Arson

A portable bathroom in Eugene, Oregon was reported on fire on July 30 at 3:25 a.m. located near West 7th Aly and Lawrence. The structure was up against the building, Growler Guys, 472 W. 7th Avenue.

A caller heard an explosion near W. 7th Aly. Callers reported the fire was going up the building and onto power poles. Eugene Springfield Fire responded and gained access to the building.

Meanwhile, there were other fires being reported in the area, including two additional fully-involved dumpster fires started at apartments in the area reported at 3:58 a.m. Eugene Police was responding during these calls as well.

Community members and Eugene Springfield Fire were providing tips regarding subjects in the area as police searched.

Eugene Police took a person into custody at 4:24 a.m. and he was identified as Daniel David Moore, who had a warrant. He was taken to the Lane County Jail on charges of Arson in the Second Degree, five counts of Reckless Burning, Menacing, Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-07-30 11:44:31Last Update: 2021-07-30 12:07:11



Prineville Mayor Announces for US Senate
Jason Beebe will run in the Republican primary hoping to meet Ron Wyden in the Fall

Jason Beebe, the Mayor of Prineville and an Iraq War veteran has announced his candidacy for United States Senate for the seat currently held by Ron Wyden.

"The battle for the future of our republic has to start from the ballot box. We have real problems that President Biden is making worse, the only way to fix that is in Congress. What if, Oregon surprised the country and we reject the extreme leftist policy of Ron Wyden for a patriot, a warrior, a true neighbor?

"We need to send someone through the primary that can give Wyden a real fight. We need someone that will bring true values that every American and every Oregonian shares.

"Border security, strong national defense, pro-life, 2nd amendment rights and strong protection for our liberty, and a government that needs to get the hell out of the way versus shutting down our economies locally and nationally."

Beebe is married with five children ranging in age from mid 20's and younger twins. He has worked as a data center contractor.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-30 08:10:34Last Update: 2021-07-30 08:49:06



Kate Brown to Align K-12 Mask Guidance with CDC Recommendations
Requires masks indoors for K-12 schools statewide

Governor Kate Brown has directed the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education to create a rule to require masks indoors for K-12 schools statewide for the 2021-22 school year, in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recently updated guidance, and based on the spread of the Delta variant.

“The science and data are clear: the Delta variant is in our communities, and it is more contagious,” said Governor Brown. “My priority is to ensure our kids are able to safely return to full-time in-person learning this fall, five days per week and with minimal disruptions. With many children still ineligible to be vaccinated, masks are an effective way to help keep our kids safe in the classroom, the learning environment we know serves them best.

She continued, “In the meantime, as we ask Oregonians statewide to mask up in public indoor spaces, we will continue working hard to vaccinate more people so we can finally beat this virus once and for all. Vaccines remain the most effective and best way to protect ourselves and our families.”

Critics are noting the lack of precise scientific considerations in such a statewide mandate, considering also that school children have been found to not be "super-spreaders" of the disease. Critics also wonder if the Kate Brown administration simply has trouble letting go of governmental powers it has acquired during the era of COVID-19 restrictions.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-07-29 15:27:30Last Update: 2021-07-29 15:42:07



Project Turnkey Buys Motels For Homeless
Intended to Reduce Homelessness in Oregon

Homelessness has been an increasing topic when so many were left homeless from wildfires last summer.

The Oregon Legislature created Project Turnkey as a program to reduce homelessness by acquiring motels and hotels to serve as temporary housing. In November 2020, the Oregon Legislature allocated $65 million initially for Project Turnkey. An additional $9.7 million was allocated in late June 2021 to fund additional projects. Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) was selected to administer funds with guidance from an Advisory Committee of state, local, and community stakeholders.

Project Turnkey has generally been seen as a success to some, but other House legislators were concerned that the rollout didn’t go as smooth as it could have, and suggested that if the program is to continue long term, that the Oregon Community Foundation might not be best suited to administer it.

Project Turnkey increased the state’s supply of emergent housing by 20 percent through acquisitions of shelter properties in 19 Oregon communities across 13 counties. Each Project Turnkey operation is locally created and operated by local government and/or nonprofit community partners, and each is designed to meet the needs of its community’s populations, ranging from fire survivors to domestic violence survivors to Veterans and also to people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Long term, most units supposedly will be converted to transitional or permanent supportive housing, and some will remain shelters. Most Turnkey projects plan on paying for operation costs through a combination of state and federal resources and fundraising dollars.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

“Often, government says ‘We know the solution.’ In truth, the community living the experience and walking through it daily know best what is needed,” said Will Miller, Government Affairs Manager, Native American Youth and Family Center, and Project Turnkey Advisory Committee member.

Oregon Community Foundation offers support for Oregon’s housing needs along a continuum — from shelter to supportive housing to affordable housing to equitable home ownership — through a variety of tools, including research, grants, advocacy, and low-interest loans. OCF’s administration of Project Turnkey is one example of an approach launched to help more Oregonians find stable, affordable housing.

Outside of Portland, Eugene may have the next biggest issue with homeless camps. When City of Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis was asked if Project Turnkey had reduced the street camps, she replied, “We don’t have enough experience with Project Turnkey to know. On the face of it, it is an excellent way to stabilize people who want and need shelter and services. The folks who are disaffected from society and unwilling to change their transient lifestyle are much harder to persuade to move into any kind of shelter or managed site – and I don’t imagine hotels are any better for them than any number of other options, but I could be wrong. They really present our biggest problem.”

It seems that the street campers create the most buzz with their unsightly make-shift shelters, unclean habits, and concern for their warmth in winter. The question remains, when it gets towards freezing this winter, will Turnkey hotel and motels shelter this segment of homeless that prefer camping outdoors?

The Project Turnkey Community Advisory Committee will officially conclude the project with a review of insights and key lessons in a comprehensive report that OCF will deliver to the Oregon Legislature in early August, 2021.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-07-29 14:58:37Last Update: 2021-07-29 15:21:23



Pulliam Wants a Home for Vandalized Statues
Offers to relocate statues in the city of Sandy

Sandy Mayor and Oregon Gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam has announced that he wants to make Sandy the new home to the statues of three American presidents that were horribly vandalized and torn down by violent rioters in Portland last year.

In a press release containing an eight minute video link, the mayor flanked by city councilors Laurie Smallwood and Carl Exner, said

The destruction of our cherished monuments was heartbreaking to watch, but what’s even more frustrating is the City of Portland’s acquiescence to the left-wing mob. City leaders refused to refurbish these statues and put them back up on display. An unconscionable decision.

Statues are chiseled from rock for a reason. They are there to remind us of where we came from, not where we are. They should inform with inspiration the great things accomplished, and welcome discussion of the great things done since.

That is why on Monday I will meet with Sandy City Council to make Sandy a sanctuary for memorials that represent the best of Oregon and American ideals.

Venerating our history allows us to celebrate the things that should be celebrated, like American exceptionalism and liberty. It also allows us to learn from our past in order to foster a better future. I will fight to bring these statues to their new home in Sandy where they will stand for generations to come.

If you agree that our freedom in America is under attack as long as the cancel mob is able to destroy statues of our nation’s heroes and silence speech that they don’t agree with.

Pulliam specifically referenced the statues of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-28 13:49:00Last Update: 2021-07-28 14:06:01



Pressure on Small Business Grows
This is really just continued income confiscation

Recent attacks on small business reveal more than just ignorance on the part of those removing tax incentives for owners making over $400k annually. Why set the arbitrary level of annual income at $400k?

Small business owners do different things with their income. They don’t all buy luxury second homes as lawmakers playing the class envy card are claiming. Most reinvest in their companies. They care for their employees and hope a family member may go into the business someday. They reinvest if for no other reason than to stay competitive or be swallowed up. Their reinvestment plans are as individual as there are companies. The reinvestment may be a few thousand or many millions. Guess what, small businesses are not all alike.

For government to decide how best to use the income for millions of self-employed with one size fits all rules is ridiculous. Reinvestment for someone at the lowest income level and the highest income level may be equally risky. The economy depends on taking a risk with innovation. Why penalize just one income level? Lawmakers favoring this legislation for the most part are the ones who have never been employers. Some may know a lot about selling to government, but what’s their experience working in the free market? Often revealing is where their campaign contributions come from.

This is really just continued income confiscation. Tax and spend legislators shift their focus to different targets each session. Large Corporations learn to adjust to tax rules. Small businesses not so much. Plus, if you add up all the millions of small businesses to tax you can confiscate equal or greater funds for government spending than could be gained with another assault on large corporations. Regulations and fees are a way for the unelected to raise additional government revenue.

Oregon’s senior Senator has finally arrived. He is chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Not surprisingly, lobbyists shower most of their donations on committee chairs. Ron Wyden is famous for visiting each of Oregon’s counties each year, even Wheeler County with less than 2000 people. That’s good optics for the Senator who has lived on the affluent upper east side of Manhattan for decades. He is releasing a bill that will increase taxes on small business owners. Of course he has never signed the front of a paycheck in his life. He only knows what lobbyists tell him. Harming small business, the engine of our economy, must not go unnoticed.

In Oregon we had a similar and equally misguided event with the passage of SB 139. It will remove about $30 million from the private economy each year with government centric advocacy replacing reinvestment for economic growth of the private sector. Oregon’s Grand Bargain under Kitzhaber raised taxes on the large Corporations and did no harm to small business. If that was good policy, why suddenly turn the tables and go after the small businesses?


--Tom Hammer

Post Date: 2021-07-28 09:33:16Last Update: 2021-07-28 10:10:34



OHA Now Recommending Mask Use Indoors
Regardless of vaccination status

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is now recommending mask use in all indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status, and some critics are pointing out that Governor Brown may issue a new statewide mandate in the near future.

OHA issued the following statement on July 27th:

In responses to a large jump in cases and hospitalizations and new national guidance calling for masking measures to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant, the Oregon Health Authority today is recommending universal mask use in public indoor settings throughout the state to protect Oregonians from COVID-19.

“Today’s reported sharp rise in cases and hospitalizations in Oregon are sobering reminders that the pandemic is not over, especially for Oregonians who remain unvaccinated,” said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state epidemiologist and state health officer.

“The highly contagious Delta variant has increased tenfold in the past two weeks in Oregon, and it is now estimated to be associated with 80% of the new cases in Oregon. The use of face masks provides significant protection for individuals who are unvaccinated as well as an additional level protection from a small but known risk of infection by the virus for persons who have already been vaccinated.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who are vaccinated with currently available vaccines are protected from the virus and the circulating variants, including the Delta variant that is now seen in the majority of Oregon’s new cases.

OHA’s recommendation aligns with the CDC’s new guidance issued today that everyone, including fully vaccinated persons, wear a mask in public indoor settings. OHA’s recommendation applies statewide, and not just areas with higher infections and high transmission, as cases have increased across the state in recent weeks due to the Delta variant.

OHA is continuing to call on local community and public health leaders, and businesses, to encourage vaccination and masking to prevent new outbreaks in areas of substantial and high transmission.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-27 17:27:00Last Update: 2021-07-27 20:51:21



Brown Mandates Renewable Energy by 2040
Suggests climate change is racist

Governor Kate Brown has signed into law a controversial energy bill package. She did so July 27th, at 11:15 a.m. at Daimler Truck North America and Portland General Electric’s Electric Island commercial vehicle charging center in Portland.

House Bill 2021 sets the most aggressive timeline in the country for moving to 100% renewable electricity sources, by 2040.

House Bill 2021, House Bill 2165, House Bill 2475, and House Bill 3141 were also passed allegedly to "center the needs of Oregon’s most vulnerable communities".

“With these policies, we will create jobs", said Governor Brown. “We will reduce carbon emissions. And, we will make sure the economic, environmental, and health benefits of our energy economy reach all Oregonians, especially those who have been disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution."

She continued, “I have continued to make climate action an urgent priority as Oregon continues to grapple with repeated climate disasters, the impacts of which are felt disproportionately by Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, communities of color, low income, and rural communities."

A recording of that bill signing —with an American Sign Language simulcast—will be available for the public on YouTube. A copy of the Governor's prepared remarks from the bill signing is available here. Photos of the event can be found here.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-07-27 14:57:10Last Update: 2021-07-27 15:38:52



A Season of Subsidies for Electric Vehicles
These programs need an exit strategy

For some, Electric Vehicles are the future, able to be powered by non-fossil fuels. For others, they are a fairy tale that will never pencil out, create fiscal inequity and cause more problems than they solve. The Oregon Legislature has been creating a regime of subsidy and regulation to support these modes of transportation, led by Eugene Democrat Representative Marty Wilde.

During the recently concluded session, HB 2290, introduced by Representative Marty Wilde (D-Eugene) which requires State Parks and Recreation Department to allow for installation and service of public electric vehicle charging stations in parking spaces that are part of facilities of state park system. It also, authorizes the Oregon Public Utility Commission to allow electric companies to recover costs from retail electricity consumers for prudent infrastructure measures to support transportation electrification.

The Legislature also passed HB 2165 which requires electric companies that make sales of electricity to 25,000 or more retail electricity consumers to collect an amount from all retail electricity consumers, to be expended to support transportation electrification pursuant to plan accepted by Public Utility Commission. It authorizes the commission to allow electric companies to recover costs from retail electricity consumers for prudent infrastructure measures to support transportation electrification if certain criteria are met. The bill was requested by Governor Kate Brown.

Rachel Dawson of Cascade Policy Institute opposed the bill, saying, "Utilities should not be allowed to use ratepayer funds to own and operate electric vehicle chargers, nor should they be allowed to recover costs for electric vehicle infrastructure measures from all ratepayers." She makes the point that,

"Low-income ratepayers and those living in rural areas should not be subsidizing infrastructure or vehicle rebates for those living in more urban areas with the means to purchase an EV on their own dime. This bill will force everyone to pay for a luxury service that very few will use.

"Perhaps instead we should follow in Kentucky’s footsteps. Kentucky utilities are allowed to build and operate EV infrastructure, but only customers who use them are charged for the service. Utilities recoup costs by charging customers a small hourly fee. Electricity customers who do not and will not utilize this infrastructure should not pay for its implementation."

On the regulation front, the Legislature also passed HB 2180, introduced by Representatives Marty Wilde (D-Eugene) and David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford). which requires the Department of Consumer and Business Services to amend state building code to require that new construction include provisions for electrical service capacity for specified percentage of parking spaces -- even allowing a municipality to adopt local percentage of parking space requirements higher than state building code requirements. The code amendments will become effective on July 1, 2022.

While these are some of the larger requirements and regulations just from the last legislative session, the steady annual drip of these proposals is a hallmark of each legislative session. If the environmentalists and the electric car enthusiasts get their way and more and more cars become electric, sooner or later, the subsidies will become overbearing. Perhaps it's time to develop an exit strategy.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-26 21:23:59Last Update: 2021-07-26 22:35:45



Oregon to Spend on Mental Health Following Drug Decriminalization
Responsive to people of color and people of lived experience

Oregon will soon be spending at least $350 million to try to address behavioral health problems across the state. This may be considered an insincere effort to truly fix the problem according to some observers who criticize some of Oregon's latest political moves, including the recent decriminalization of all drugs in the state.

HB 2086 is awaiting Governor Kate Brown's signature. The legislation would supposedly work to coordinate mental health care systems around the state of Oregon, and it seems to also implement some collectivist notions based on skin color.

HB 2086 will appropriate public money to do the following: This bill, HB 2086, was drafted at the request of Governor Kate Brown for Oregon Health Authority, along with a declared emergency, which makes the law effective upon passage.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-07-26 12:33:27Last Update: 2021-07-26 20:42:23



Environmental Commission Concludes Meeting
The DEQ is celebrating a bloated budget and “environmental justice”

The Environmental Quality Commission -- the board that oversees the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, directed by Richard Whitman, met for the first time since the close of the 2021 Legislative session and at times, their meeting seemed to be a celebration of their "gains" during the session.

For starters, their over-half-billion budget increased by 26.2% over the previous biennium -- certainly enough to keep pace with inflation and population growth. They will be adding over 39 new positions, a significant increase.

They noted the passage of SCR 17 which makes the claim that "environmental and climate solutions must address structural socioeconomic inequalities built by a history of economic and social inequality" and that "frontline communities are Black, Native American, Indigenous and People of Color communities and immigrant and low-income communities that historically and presently experience the brunt of health, economic and ecological impacts and have been made more vulnerable to the consequences of climate change because of these factors."

During the meeting the Commission looked forward to the next legislative session in which they could further increase staff to address issues of environmental justice, as well as the creation of a mapping tool -- presumably to identify areas in which people of color are being impacted by environmental issues.

In other items, the Commission heard a presentation on the implementation of diesel emissions standards enacted by HB 2007, which passed in 2019. This bill is focused on the tri-county area and will certainly have an impact on business and prices as it goes into effect.

Interestingly, the Commission was presented with the concept of "exporting" emissions -- the idea is that even when we don't produce the emissions through our industry, we are responsible for emissions created in other states or nations that produce them to meet our demand. It doesn't seem to include the offset that our large forests produce by consuming and sequestering the carbon produced by other states and nations.

The commission also heard a presentation on the State of the Environment which emphasized the progress being made on brownfields cleanups, diesel emissions, and greenhouse gasses.




--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-25 14:09:39Last Update: 2021-07-25 14:44:28



Use of Force Workgroup Offers Recommendations
The Portland Citizens’ Review Committee Looks at Riots

The Citizen Review Committee’s Crowd Control and Use of Force workgroup, chaired by former Portland City Council candidate Candace Avalos, has released their final report and recommendations after reviewing the riots of a year ago and the actions of the Portland Police Bureau.

The 44-page report, entitled Portland Protests 2020: Citizen Review Committee Summary and Recommendations claims "that Portland Police engaged in aggressive crowd control measures that left many individuals with lasting injuries and trauma. The data also described police who targeted journalists, legal observers, and medics."

During the riots, many cases of persons wearing identification as "Press" or "Medic" were shown to be false and apparently merely an attempt to evade police action.

Among the detailed findings of the report were descriptions of misuse of chemical crowd control measures by the police:

Some community members felt that police made riot declarations arbitrarily as a means to justify the use of tear gas, and that the involvement of personnel from other agencies (e.g., federal marshals) effectively circumvented legal restrictions on the use of tear gas that had been put in place to protect health and safety. Others reported that the public could not be familiar with some of the equipment and/or weapons used by police, nor know whether police employed them legally or appropriately. Community members expressed concerns that police deployed tear gas and impact weapons indiscriminately in large crowds containing only a small number of agitators, contributing to a sense that PPB officers attacked and injured citizens to protect property or to retaliate. Some community members described being targeted, suffering injury by this equipment, and being subject to the unjustified use of force as “traumatizing.” A number of forum participants observed the widespread use of dangerous equipment to unacceptably impact bystanders, children, area residents, houseless individuals, and demonstrators who were engaged in legal activity.

The report contrasted what they saw as different treatment of left-wing groups as opposed to right-wing groups, though right-wing groups had engaged in fewer acts of violence and property destruction over the 170 day course of the riots.

PPB’s disparate responses to Black Lives Matter protests versus armed “alt-right” marches and interactions with Proud Boys emerged as the most common bias-related observation. Community members perceived that PPB officers had “jovial” interactions with armed right-wing groups and noted the closure of the Hawthorne Bridge to allow a group led by Proud Boys to march across. Community members also noted that police allowed Proud Boys to store weapons, including firearms, on the roof of a downtown building in anticipation of a clash between protesters and counter-protesters. Forum participants juxtaposed these interactions with what they described as PPB’s negative and often violent response to Black Lives Matter actions and counter-protests to right-wing actions.




--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-25 12:34:56Last Update: 2021-10-10 16:00:20



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