Month: October 2022

Here's one more reason to vote for Deb Patterson (D) rather than Raquel Moore-Green (R) in their Senate District 10 race. (I've cited other reasons in a previous blog post.) Deb Patterson Oregon's Senate has been targeted by national Republicans as a top priority for a GOP takeover. So says a July CBS News Story. The main Republican committee for state legislative races aims to flip four more state chambers from Democratic control, seizing on widespread frustration with Democrats' handling of the economy, as inflation reached a new 40-year high on Wednesday. The Republican State Leadership Committee (RLSC) has added Maine's…

Recently I tried to jump-start the discussion at the beginning of a meeting of like-minded liberals on a pleasant Saturday afternoon.  "In the upcoming election, what outcome would make you the most unhappy? For me, it would be Republican Christine Drazan being elected Oregon governor, because she'd take our state backwards in so many ways." I still feel that way, though I had to agree with someone that the Democrats losing control of the U.S. Senate would be dreadful also.  Tina Kotek (D), Betsy Johnson (Unaffiliated), Christine Drazan (R) But Drazan coming out on top over Democrat Tina Kotek still…

I put my Oregon ballot in the mail today. It felt good to vote. Ever since I was eligible to do so, I haven't missed voting in any election. Per usual, I voted for every Democratic candidate because I believe more strongly in what Democrats stand for, than in what Republicans do. But this year there was an extra reason for me to fill in the box next to people belonging to the Democratic party: I'm deeply worried about Republicans wanting to subvert our democracy. That's never happened before in my 50+ years of voting.  Until 2022, Oregon and the…

I'm not sure how fans of Paul Evans and Dan Farrington will take this, but it's what popped into my mind when a fellow Salem City Club member asked what I thought of the noon-time debate between the House District 20 candidates today. I said, "It was like watching a debate between two slices of white bread." Not that there's anything wrong with white bread. I just prefer whole wheat, because it has a more interesting flavor. Paul Evans (D) and Dan Farrington (R) Neither candidate showed a lot of energy or enthusiasm. Now, I'm not sure whether this was…

Soon ballots will be mailed to Oregon voters. When you consider the statewide ballot measures, my advice is: vote YES on all four.  This is why I believe each deserves to pass.  Measure 111 amends the state constitution to require the state to ensure affordable health care access. The state must balance health care funding against funding for schools and other essential services. Courts must respect that balance. So it isn't a blank check for Oregon to go wild on health care spending. The measure simply sets forth a laudable goal: people should be able to get health care at…

I'm often a verbose guy. But sometimes it only takes a few words to express how I feel. Here they are. Today our monthly Salon discussion group met. At one point we talked about how back in the times after I moved to Oregon in 1971, there were moderate Oregon Republicans worth voting for. Governor Tom McCall. Senators Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood. Others who I can't remember. But those days are gone. These days virtually every Republican politician has to bow at the altar of Donald Trump or they can't win a GOP primary. So if you see a…