On Monday, April 11, Republican gubernatorial candidate Reed Christensen suffered a major stroke that required hospitalization. Due to this medical setback Reed will be dropping his campaign for governor. Due to the nearness of the election, the Secretary of State office has indicated that ballots and the Voter's Pamphlet have already been printed and Reed will therefore be unavoidably on the ballot.

In a press release from the Oregon Republican Party, Reed made the following statement:

“I have been very blessed that this second stroke in two years has also not affected my speech or cognitive ability. But it is clear that my health is not strong enough for Oregonians to depend on. It has been my great privilege to meet so many good people on the campaign trail and I give special thanks to my campaign volunteers.”

“I have been very impressed with all of the Republican candidates I have met and see a love of Oregon as the root of their desire to run. I wish them all the best on the campaign trail in these final weeks.”

Reed will continue to champion election integrity and the idea that all Republican should be be a united opposition party to reject corruptible vote by mail this November election. He will continue to post videos and position papers on that topic at his “SavetheKid.com” website.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-04-14 21:47:44

Editor's note: This article was poorly sourced and has been retracted. If you'd like a copy of the article, contact us at editor@northwestobserver.com
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Post Date: 2022-04-14 10:17:51

Last Update: 2022-04-15 10:49:07

As crime rates increase both locally and nationally, one of the major focuses this election season will be how elected officials voted on legislation having to do with law enforcement. In the summer of 2020, in the wake of the death of George Floyd, there was tremendous pressure in the Oregon Legislature to move legislation that placed increased scrutiny and legislation on police, with little regard to its impact on crime or police morale.

Those who were in the legislature during the first special session held in June of 2020 cast votes on a variety of these legislative proposals.

Three gubernatorial candidates were in the Legislature at the time. Of course, Tina Kotek (D-Portland) was the House Speaker at the time and she not only voted for all of these proposals, but sponsored them as well. Her counterpart in the House across the aisle, Representative Christine Drazan (R-Canby) also voted for each proposal. Independent candidate for Governor Senator Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) withstood the pressure better, voting no on two of the proposals and being excused from another for a 50% yes rating.

Two of the candidates in the newly created 6th Congressional District voted on this legislation also. Interestingly, former McMinnville Police Chief and State Representative Ron Noble (R-McMinnville) did not, as they say, "back the blue," voting for each piece of legislation and was a co-sponsor of many. Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego) not only voted for each piece of legislation, she sponsored all but one.

Bill	Christine Drazan	Tina Kotek	Betsy Johnson	Andrea Salinas	Ron Noble	Summary
HB 4205	Y	Y*	E	Y	Y	Requires police officer or reserve officer to intervene to prevent or stop another officer engaged in certain misconduct
HB 4201	Y	Y*	Y	Y*	Y*	Establishes Joint Committee on Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform
HB 4203	Y	Y*	Y	Y*	Y*	Provides that peace officer may not use force that impedes normal breathing or circulation of blood of another person by applying pressure on throat or neck, unless peace officer may use deadly physical force.
HB 4207	Y	Y*	Y	Y*	Y*	Directs Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to establish public statewide online database of suspensions and revocations of certifications of police officers.
HB 4208	Y	Y*	N	Y*	Y*	Prohibits law enforcement agencies from using tear gas for purposes of crowd control except in circumstances constituting riot.
HB 4210	Y	Y*	N	Y*	Y	Repeals driving privilege suspension and eliminates imposition of driving privilege restrictions for failure to pay fine.
HB 4301	Y	Y*	Y	Y*	Y	Provides that peace officer or corrections officer may not use force that impedes normal breathing or circulation of blood of another person by applying pressure on throat or neck except in specified circumstances.
*Bill Sponsor

During the session, it was hard to find a dissenting voice. Yamhill County Sheriff Tim Svenson gave testimony that offered some resistence. "While the speed at which these measures were crafted and this special session is moving quickly, there are pieces of these measures that may have unintended consequences. We would ask, that if unintended consequences are discovered, we be allowed to suggest adjustments to policy in future sessions."


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-04-14 06:04:34

Last Update: 2022-04-14 03:40:04

The Oregon Forest & Industries Council have released a groundbreaking report from national accounting firm Ernst & Young detailing the total tax burden on the private forest sector in Oregon.

Presented to the Government Issues Committee of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce this morning, the report’s primary finding concludes the Oregon forest sector pays more than one-and-a-half times more on average than other Oregon businesses.

“By looking at a variety of publicly available tax and economic data sources for fiscal year 2019, we concluded the tax burden on Oregon’s forest industry is greater than other Oregon industries, including the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, and is one-and-a-half times greater than the overall total Oregon business tax burden,” said Caroline Sallee, project lead on the report and Senior Manager with Ernst & Young LLP’s Quantitative Economics and Statistics Group.

Ernst & Young’s report is the first time a comprehensive analysis has looked at the aggregate forest industry tax burden and comes at a time when the Oregon Legislature is considering legislation that would further increase taxes on the sector.

“Our intuition told us this had to be the worst possible time to further increase taxes on businesses, and on the forest sector in particular,” said Todd Payne, Chairman of the Oregon Forest & Industries Council’s Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer for Seneca Family of Companies. “We’ve just suffered the worst wildfire season in history – private forestland owners lost over 400,000 acres in the Labor Day fires and we are actively working to restore and replant those lands at significant costs. Many of our rural communities are suffering multiple extreme hardships as they struggle to rebuild post-fire while the global pandemic and business shutdowns are taking enormous tolls. This report unequivocally concludes our sector already pays more than its fair share in taxes and it vindicated our sense that additional tax increases are motivated more by philosophical differences about forest management than they are by any sense of tax equity.”

The report calculated the total tax burden by aggregating all taxes paid by the sector, including property taxes, income taxes, small tract forestland taxes, corporate income and excise taxes, fire assessments and privilege taxes.

All told, in 2019 the forest sector contributed over $142 million to state tax coffers.

“Given the report’s findings, we now know that legislation under consideration in the 2021 legislative session would effectively double the total taxes currently paid by the forest sector,” said Adrian Miller, Chair of the Oregon Forest & Industries Council’s Tax Committee and Director of Public Affairs for Rayonier. “That would increase the forest sector’s effective aggregate tax rate to nearly three times more than other Oregon businesses pay. At a time when the latest state revenue forecast indicates the Legislature has nearly $800 million more to work with this session than it originally thought and has billions of dollars in reserves, doubling the tax burden on the forest sector seems unnecessary.”

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As the number one softwood lumber and plywood producer in the nation, Oregon’s forest sector is one of the state’s cornerstone industries and serves as the economic backbone for many rural counties.

Lane County, where the report was unveiled, combined with neighboring Douglas county are often considered the wood basket of the United States as the two counties together encompass over a quarter of the state’s annual timber harvest.

Over 80 percent of this timber is harvested from privately owned forestlands.

“When the Chamber was first made aware of this study, we were thrilled at the opportunity to bring the project lead in front of our Government Issues Committee,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, President and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. “In Lane County alone, the forest sector provides over 7,000 jobs that pay, on average, 130 percent of the county annual wage. Eighty-five percent of Lane county is forested, and we are home to nearly 30 primary wood products manufacturing facilities. This study is the first time we’ve seen information like this put together and underscores that the health of the forest sector has a direct bearing on our local economies.”

Ernst & Young was commissioned by the Oregon Forest & Industries Council to complete the report at the end of 2020, after reviewing prior work done by the firm.

Oregon Business and Industry commissioned Ernst & Young in 2020 to quantify the impact of recently enacted state tax programs on the total tax burden borne by Oregon businesses. That report concluded in the past few years, the Oregon Legislature has increased the tax burden on businesses by 41 percent.

“We never before had reason to commission an exercise like this until we saw legislation introduced that attempted to change the forest tax program in Oregon,” said Miller. “We felt to have a reasonable conversation about that we needed to first establish a baseline for what the sector currently contributes to state taxes. We selected Ernst & Young from among several leading regional and national economics firms largely because of the experience they – and Ms. Sallee, in particular – had in analyzing the impact of diverse state and local taxation programs on businesses, both in Oregon and across the United States.”


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-04-13 10:54:14

Last Update: 2022-04-13 18:30:30

Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker have now told representatives of the Willamette National Forest that they have major concerns that unless the U.S. Forest Service makes major policy changes when it comes to timber harvesting, forest floor fuel loads and firefighting priorities, western Oregon will likely experience more massive fires in coming years.

Willamette National Forest Supervisors Dave Warnack and Deputy Supervisor Duane Bishop provided the commissioners with information about plans for fire recovery, fire preparedness and opening public access.

Warnack said the Willamette National Forest will receive $78 million to be used for fire recovery programs on 200,000 acres that burned in 2020 and 2021. He said that federal funds often must be spent within a one- to three-year time period, but this money does not come with those strings attached.

He said key goals are public safety/access, infrastructure repair, reforestation; restoration, natural resource surveys, and cultural resource surveys.

“We want to work closely with our partners to understand your needs,” Warnack said. “We are asking for your help and participation. We have an open mind about what that would look like.”

Board Chair Nyquist said he has not been happy with the Forest Service for a long time. He said that in the 1970s, there were 64 mills in Linn County and now there are very few.

“Housing was affordable and now it’s not,” Nyquist said. “People weren’t fearing forest fires and now they have real concerns.”

He believes increasing wildfire issues can be traced to the late 1980s when timber sales were reduced significantly due to the Northern Spotted Owl being listing as a threatened or endangered species. He said forests grow about 2.7% per year and if timber sales do not meet or exceed that, the amount of standing fuels and on the ground increases significantly and creates a huge fire threat that worsens every succeeding year.

Nyquist said while the federal funding is welcome,“We don’t need grants, we need chainsaws.”

Warnack said the new U.S. Forest Service chief came from California and is well versed in the escalation of massive wildfires.

“He understands the impact of wildfires on both resources and communities,” Warnack said. “He believes in staying out front of wildfires by reducing fuels through thinning.”

Warnack said the plan is to identify places where major fires could be stopped before they ever occur by hardening processes, such as timber reduction, etc. That process is already occurring on the Sweet Home Ranger District under the direction of Ranger Nikki Swanson.

Commissioner Sprenger said that in 2008 and 2009, when she was a State Representative, she viewed several timber stewardship projects and while they looked “very pretty, like a park” they produced very few logs for local mills.

“We need a whole lot more harvesting,” Sprenger said.

Commissioner Tucker was especially concerned about access to overhead aircraft — planes and helicopters.

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“We have lost planes, helicopters,” Tucker said. “What have we added?”

Bishop said that planes tend to be more effective on flatland fires and that air assets are distributed on a national level and vary as fire season moves by region.

He also questioned the Forest Services policies concerning fighting fires in wilderness areas. He said fire- fighters need to be able to use chainsaws and other equipment to contain or put out fires before they become massive like the 400,000 acre fire that engulfed the Santiam Canyon on Labor Day 2020.

Bishop said the Forest Service has a 98% forest fire containment rating and until recent years, the largest fire in Oregon was less than 50,000 acres.

He said that weather patterns are changing and fire season that used to be four to six weeks long, may now stretch out to four or five months.

“That 2% is the issue,” Commissioner Sprenger said. “I implore your agency to change its policies to be more aggressive in fighting fires and increasing timber harvesting and fuels reduction.”

Commissioner Nyquist encouraged the Forest Service to operate more like the McDonald-Dunn Forest in Benton County.

“It is one of my favorites places on earth,” Nyquist said. “Why can’t we do that? Balance timber production and harvesting, reduce fire risk and provide public access?”

Bishop said the Forest Service is governed by the North-west Forest Plan which was enacted in 1994 under then President Bill Clinton.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-04-13 09:35:04

Last Update: 2022-04-13 16:04:22

The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, under the direction of Chair Tootie Smith, has prioritized focusing on housing and sheltering in Clackamas County for several years, as evidenced by the overarching Performance Clackamas strategic plan, the many programs and services that Clackamas County offers in this area, and continual actions to fund such services.

The document outlines 13 values that the county and its service providers should strive for when providing related services. These are grouped in three categories: providing lasting and effective programs and services; creating equitable housing solutions and housing access; and providing robust community engagement opportunities.

Last April, the board approved a similar values document on Proposed Transportation Funding Solutions for the Interstate System in the Portland Metropolitan Area. That document has been referenced many times in public settings since its inception, as it clearly articulates the board’s values and explicitly states their belief that tolling or congestion pricing on I-205 will have a disproportionate and detrimental effect on Clackamas residents, businesses, and visitors.

Clackamas County keenly focuses on the well-being of all our families and communities. Continual investments made in affordable housing and sheltering, and providing supportive services to those in need, are key to keeping our communities safe, healthy and prosperous.

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Lifting people out of homelessness, expanding access to affordable housing, and maximizing service impacts are critical to an overarching goal of the Board of County Commissioners: to alleviate poverty and ensure the safety, health, and security of our residents. Clackamas County has identified the following values to guide housing-related programs.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-04-12 15:47:27

Last Update: 2022-04-12 16:35:43

Applications are being accepted for multiple permanent positions supporting recreation programs on the Oregon Coast.

Positions range from entry-level jobs helping manage off-highway vehicle recreation at the Oregon Dunes and Sand Lake recreation areas to supervisory positions overseeing trails and recreation programs for the Hebo and Central Coast ranger districts.

Due to a large number of recreation positions to be filled throughout the Forest Service simultaneously, many similar positions from other locations are lumped into a small number of job announcements on USAJobs.gov.

Applicants interested in the positions listed on the employment page are encouraged to reach out to the local point of contact listed to learn more about the position.

To apply, applicants will need to identify the job announcement that matches the job series and grade of the target position listed on the employment page.

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After Human Resources does their initial screening, applicants will be asked to select the locations and tour of duty (full time or seasonal) they would like to be considered for.

Applicants interested in the jobs on the Siuslaw National Forest, will need to note the location identified (Reedsport or Hebo, OR) and select that during the application process. A financial relocation incentive may be offered; government housing is not available.

The application window is April 6 – 19, 2022, yet may close earlier if the national target number of applications is met. Job seekers are encouraged to apply early.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-04-11 18:20:20

Last Update: 2022-04-11 18:32:28

On Tuesday, April 5, the Washington County Board of Commissioners established the Advisory Council on Racial Equity (ACRE), a new advisory Council to the Board and department directors.

The formation of the Council, as called for in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) resolution of February 2020, is intended to support the advancement of equity, diversity and inclusion best practices and outcomes.

In four planning meetings held in partnership with the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (OEICE), the ACRE Charter was co-created by diverse Washington County community leaders with supposed deep equity expertise.

These partners include representatives from the following organizations:

• Adelante Mujeres
• APANO Communities United Fund
• Asian Health & Service Center
• Bienestar
• Centro Cultural
• Coalition of Communities of Color
• Fair Housing Council of Oregon
• Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce
• Latino Network
• Muslim Educational Trust
• National Association of Minority Contractors
• Native American Rehabilitation Association
• Oregon Child Development Coalition
• Oregon Metro
• Professional Business Development Group
• SAGE Metro Portland and Friendly House Inc.
• SOAR Immigration Legal Services
• Unite Oregon

As stated in the charter, the purpose of ACRE is threefold:

• Advance equity, diversity and inclusion outcomes by way of advising on the County’s planning, policies, legislative work, budgeting and programming.
• Empower Washington County equity leaders, especially those from communities most impacted by racial inequities, to provide advisement to the Washington County Board of Commissioners.
• Ensure that needs and priorities of communities most impacted by racial inequities are centered in County policies and operations.

Maria Caballero Rubio, Executive Director of Centro Cultural, shared her optimism for continued advancement of equity and inclusion by the County and ACRE. “Having participated in the Leading with Race research project by the Coalition of Communities of Color in 2016-2018, and conducted forums to get community input for the Equity Resolution, I am very excited that the County is moving forward. Thank you to Chair Harrington for moving this along.”

Another community partner, Wajdi Said representing Muslim Educational Trust, emphasized the importance of the Council’s work.

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It has been stated that their next steps include recruitment of members for the Advisory Council on Racial Equity and then Board approval of the membership roster in June, prior to the first ACRE meeting scheduled for July.

Members will supposedly include a mix of representatives of community-based organizations and at-large community members, representing racial equity expertise, as well as geographic and demographic diversity.

The County has launched it's recruitment for this advisory Council and encourages all who are interested to apply. Applications can be located on the Boards and Commissions web page. For more information you can email the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-04-10 11:13:57

Last Update: 2022-04-10 21:59:11

According to their website, Reimagine Oregon are a group of Black-led organizations, Black individual activists and protest organizers who advocate for radical political goals.

They claim on their website that in 2020 they developed a two-year plan to begin dismantling systemic racism in Oregon.

They also want to defund and vilify the police and reduce prosecution of violent criminals.

The gas-lighting about systemic racism will likely continue to be used, however,they were instrumental in influencing the destructive policies that Portland, Multnomah and some neighboring jurisdictions have implemented which have led to increases in crime.

According to their website, they have a number of elected politicians who have agreed to push their agenda items aggressively. Among those politicaians are Governor Kate Brown, Tina Kotek, Representative Julie Fahey (D-Eugene), Representative Karin Power (D-Portland), Representative Akasha Lawrence Spence (D-Portland), Representative Janelle Bynum (D-Clackamas), Senator Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego), Senator Lew Frederick (D-Portland), Senator James Manning (D-Eugene), Senator Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward (D-Portland), Senator Michael Dembrow (D-Portland), and Shemia Fagan, Oregon's Secretary of State.

It seems some county commissioners have also pledged support, such as Clackamas County Commissioner Paul Savas and Commissioner Sonya Fischer.

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Although apparently Savas has requested that they update their website, and so far receiving no response from them to do so.

Clackamas County Commissioners voted on March 29th 3-1 to withdraw any support. Commissioner Sonya Fischer maintained her support of the radical group by voting no.

Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington and Commissioner Pam Treece have pledged support as well. You can see them participating, along with Oregon Governor Kate Brown, in the 2020 Reimagine Oregon Press Conference.

"It's disconcerting that some Commissioners give little thought to lending the credibility of their titles and offices to groups who actively work against the public interest," said Mark Johnson, who is running for Clackamas County Commissioner to replace Paul Savas. "Even a cursory look at Reimagine Oregon reveals it is closely linked to the madness of Portland's '2020 Summer of Love.' The desire to vilify and cripple law enforcement is central to their stated mission. I don't understand why retaining any affiliation with this organization was even a debate."


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-04-10 08:31:54

Last Update: 2022-04-10 13:11:24

“In 100 days, Oregon will welcome the world as we host the World Athletics Championships for the first time ever in the United States. We are excited, and we are ready," said Oregon Governor Kate Brown on the upcoming international event.

“This extraordinary event will bring thousands upon thousands of global visitors to our state, giving Oregon an incredible opportunity to showcase our amazing small businesses and hospitality industry, world famous food scene, and beautiful outdoors.

“I look forward to welcoming Team USA and the many athletes, coaches, and fans who will flock to our state for Oregon22. Here in Oregon, we have a rich history in track and field -- the sport is ingrained in our culture and hearts, making it even more special that we get to host the championships for the first time on U.S. soil this summer.

“I encourage all Oregonians to join me in celebrating this official countdown to Oregon22, and join us as we get ready to welcome the world and celebrate the talent and diversity of this remarkable sport.”

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The 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships will be held at the reimagined Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, and will be delivered in partnership with Oregon22 LLC and USA Track & Field. It is the first time the competition will take place in the United States, with 2,000 world-renowned athletes from over 200 nations expected to compete July 15-24, 2022. An estimated 200,000 spectators from across the globe are expected to visit Oregon for this prestigious event.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-04-09 13:17:00

Last Update: 2022-04-09 13:26:15

Gresham, Oregon is in the midst of hiring for seasonal Public Utility Worker positions that support Gresham’s Operations Center.

However, with over thirty positions to fill and given the state of the current labor market, the City has struggled to get applicants.

In an attempt to overcome these challenges, the City is taking a creative approach to support recruiting efforts.

Members of Gresham’s Homeless Services Team will be taking copies of applications with them and helping those they encounter to apply for the open seasonal public utility worker positions.

“Gresham’s Homeless Services Team connects people experiencing homelessness with the resources they need including employment,” said Community Services Manager Jessica Harper. “Some of our staff have lived experience with homelessness and for them, getting a reliable, well-paying job was one of the main things that propelled them off the streets and into stable housing. I am excited that these seasonal Public Utility Worker positions may offer that same opportunity to someone experiencing homelessness in Gresham today.”

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The Gresham Homeless Services Team consists of three specialists who interact with approximately fifteen to twenty people every day.

The team says it is intentional about connecting people with the resources they need whether it be shelter or employment opportunities. They say they are proud of the teams for continuously finding innovative solutions that benefit the entire community.

• Pay for Public Utility Worker positions is $19.27 per hour.
• Positions begin in May and continue for up to six months.
• Public Utility Workers work in Gresham’s Operation Center supporting wastewater, water, parks, storm water, and transportation divisions.

--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-04-08 22:12:09

Last Update: 2022-04-08 22:32:29

Deschutes County is seeking volunteers from the Sisters area who are interested in serving on the County's Planning Commission. Applications will be accepted through Friday, April 29, at 5 p.m.

The Planning Commission reviews land use policy and zoning regulations and makes recommendations to the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. Members are the official citizen involvement committee on land use planning for the unincorporated area of the County, providing a forum for community input.

There is one vacancy on the Planning Commission for a Sisters area member. The Sisters area member will serve a full term from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026.

Planning Commissioners are not paid for their time and serve for four year terms.

The Planning Commission meets at the Deschutes Services Center (1300 NW Wall Street) in Bend, on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. Additional meetings and locations throughout the County may be required.

Residents who are interested in serving are invited to submit a brief application and letter of interest. To learn more and apply, see their website.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-04-08 09:45:44