I’d Like to Get Paid for Not Working
I’ve been inspired by the lack of leadership that fled Salem last week. Republican legislators have secreted themselves to undisclosed locations, out of state but not out of mind. “It’s not about...
View ArticleFixing Salem Truancies
It was almost dark in a quasi-industrial neighborhood not far from the university. The doorway under the stairs seemed lonely from lack of use. A bare bulb was covered with cobwebs and a little moss....
View ArticleOregon has Elected to be a Leader
Oregon was the first state to dismantle its polling places and conduct every election exclusively by mail. It was not a partisan issue. The Republican-controlled state legislature passed a bill to...
View Article“Civil War” Ends in Oregon — Tell the Supreme Court
Oregon never meant for its Civil War sport rivalries to be taken seriously. The games, yes, but the name, no. Only Oregonians can keep a straight face when pondering whether Ducks or Beavers are more...
View ArticleWhat Else Might Spread Like Wildfire This Summer?
Think of the current public health crisis as lightning, seen quickly from a distant source. Then there’s a pause. The thunder clap of economic disaster has only begun to roll our way. Bankruptcies,...
View ArticlePortlanders Bring Quirk Against Quell
Portland is on the national stage these days. Depending on your preferred news sources, this literal street theater can be viewed as a tragedy or a comedy. A closer examination shows a combination of...
View ArticleRebuild Stronger with Sidewalks and Sewers
It’s an accepted public service trope to promise a devastated community that it will be built back stronger. Slogans are easy. Rebuilding is hard. How can we build back the McKenzie River communities...
View ArticleTrump is Transactional, and So Are We
It should surprise no one that Trump secretly believes that soldiers are “losers” and “suckers,” according to reports printed this week in The Atlantic. Jeffrey Goldberg’s reporting has since been...
View ArticleGoodbye, Tiny Blue Spot
A friend texted me at 11:39 that Monday night, asking if I was staying in my Blue River tiny house. I wasn’t, but I got more warning than my neighbors upriver received. They escaped shortly after...
View ArticleWhat Caused the Wildfire?
Jackson County hired a consulting firm to study how agencies prepared for and responded to the Almeda Fire in southern Oregon. No similar outside analysis of the Holiday Farm Fire has been announced....
View ArticleSociety benefits by vaccinating teachers
Only Oregon and Idaho have prioritized teachers for COVID-19 vaccinations. This should be a point of pride. Instead, Republican lawmakers used it as a pretense to boycott their work in Salem and angry...
View ArticleDoes a falling tree make a sound?
It’s been seven months since the Holiday Farm wildfire. If you’ve visited or passed Blue River in the past month or two, you probably noticed trees festooned with pale blue dots. Those trees are...
View ArticleHow the other filibuster ended
Much ink has been spilled over the last few months about whether Democrats might bring to an end the Senate’s filibuster tradition. Keep in mind that it is nothing more than a tradition. Filibusters...
View ArticleFinish the vaccine race with an Oregon kick
In the endurance race to vaccinate as many Oregonians as possible, Governor Kate Brown has been using a “sit and kick” strategy. We’ve allowed others to keep the lead while we wait for the best...
View ArticleGreater Idaho: Thinking it Through
Oregon’s most sparsely populated counties would like to secede from Oregon and join Idaho, where liberals don’t dominate state politics. I can hardly wait to find out what I think about such a plan....
View ArticleCongress Ignores its Own Experts
Sen. Ron Wyden shouldn’t be surprised if he gets a call from Rep. Peter DeFazio, warning him not to work too hard on the upcoming $3.5 trillion Build Back Better reconciliation package. DeFazio has...
View ArticleRenaming Oregon’s Rivalry Game
The Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers this weekend for their 125th rivalry football game. Both university presidents agreed to stop calling it the Civil War — a moniker not suitable for a...
View ArticleOregonians Lack Key Tool to Fight COVID-19
Sometimes it’s difficult to notice something you don’t have. You never had it before, so what’s the difference? You begin to want it only after you see others who have it. That’s not always envy,...
View ArticleSimply Resolving Kristof’s Residency Controversy
Nick Kristof is still running for governor of Oregon. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan declared him to be disqualified last week, shortly after three of her predecessors stated that they would have...
View ArticleCan Kristof Disrupt Oregon for the Better?
Nick Kristof encountered disruption often in his globetrotting career. But can he create a favorable disruption from the status quo for Oregon as its next governor? Our meeting at a nearby coffee shop...
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