Posted inCity Council Steve Powers

City Manager Powers lying about Climate Action Plan

Infuriating. That's the least profane word I can come up with to describe how Steve Powers, Salem's City Manager, is acting toward a Climate Action Plan that is one of the City Council's priorities, yet Powers is doing his best to kill. Steve Powers In a staff report for Monday's City Council meeting, where the budget for the next fiscal year will be discussed, Powers describes the Climate Action Plan in a way that shows he is either astoundingly clueless about what it is, or he is deliberately lying.Download City of Salem Budget Supplemental Report Given what follows, lying seems…
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Posted inJobs Oregon politics

I hope the Clean Energy Jobs Bill makes me pay more at the pump

We Oregonians aren't paying enough for the gasoline that fuels our cars and trucks. Hopefully Oregon's Clean Energy Jobs Bill, also known as cap and trade, will pass in this legislative session and increase the state gasoline tax to a level that comes a heck of a lot closer to reflecting the long-term costs of the carbon pollution that is fueling global warming to increasingly dangerous levels. A recent story in the Portland Oregonian has some good news on this front: Almost three quarters of the revenues expected from the bill would come from increases in transportation fuel prices. The…
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Posted inProgressive Salem Salem-Keizer school district

School board election losses dismaying to progressives

About three weeks ago I was deeply upset when each of the Salem-Keizer school board candidates endorsed by Progressive Salem lost to conservative candidates. And not by a little. Marty Heyen defeated Raul Marquez 53% to 47%. Satya Chandragiri defeated David Salinas 52% to 48%. Danielle Bethell defeated Chuck Lee 54% to 46%. Sure, turnout was just 20% of registered voters. But it's hard for progressives like me to look upon the result of the May 21 Special District Election as anything but an ass-kicking by conservatives. I'm not sure why this happened. It's easier for me to come up…
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Posted inCity Council City of Salem

Salem’s city officials ignore danger of global warming

Salem can be a deeply irritating place to live when a comparison to other cities in Oregon screams Salem sucks!  A notable example is how Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, and other cities all have climate action plans aimed at reducing greenhouse gas polllution, while Salem doesn't. Because of the leadership of the current progressive majority on the City Council, a draft greenhouse gas inventory for the Salem area has been developed, though.  Recently Tracy Loew of the Statesman Journal wrote a great story, "Salem's per capita tailpipe emissions highest among biggest Oregon cities." (title of online version) Here's how it starts…
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Posted inDowntown Salem Main Street Association

Salem could have a real downtown association soon

There's some great news in the May issue of the Salem Cherry Pits free newsletter (previously known as Downtown Cherry Pits; see here and here for past issues). There's an effort underway to form a real downtown association. Currently several groups claim to represent downtown, notably the Salem Main Street Association.  But as I've written about several times, that association -- referred to in Salem Cherry Pits as the Salem Lame Street Association  -- in no way represents downtown businesses and property owners. See: Salem Main Street Association is a failureHere's some problems with the Salem Main Street Association The…
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Posted inCity of Salem Peter Fernandez

Salem Public Works Director doubts science of climate change

A few days ago our local chapter of 350.org, 350 Salem OR, called out Peter Fernandez, the Public Works director of the City of Salem, for appearing to doubt the reality of human-caused climate change that is causing our one and only Earth to warm dramatically and dangerously. When 350 Salem OR said it is "very troubling" that Peter Fernandez is unwilling to embrace the clear scientific consensus that climate change is happening, we humans are causing it, and reducing carbon emissions is a necessity, that's an understatement. Fernandez oversees Public Works, which probably is the largest department in the City…
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Posted inCarole Smith Downtown Homeless

A perspective on how homeless people are hurting downtown

I've said it before, and I want to say it again: We've got to get over a reluctance to talk honestly about downtown's homeless problem. It's possible to both (1) feel compassion toward homeless people and (2) feel bad about how homeless people are making downtown Salem less pleasant for visitors, residents, and business owners. Downtown Court Street in the morning Yesterday Carole Smith, who lives downtown and owns property there, sent me the message I've shared below.   In an email to the Salem City Council, Smith describes how a prospective tenant backed out of signing a lease because…
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Posted inCity of Salem

Salem water getting $40 million ozone treatment system

Yesterday the Salem City Club learned how officials at the City of Salem are planning to prevent a repeat of last year's horrendous toxic algae infestation in the water supply. Horrendous, because city officials delayed notifying people about the cyanotoxins that had entered the water supply following a toxic algae bloom in Detroit Lake. This led to a lot of anxiety among both vulnerable populations and the rest of the citizenry that largely could have been avoided with more transparency from city staff. City Manager Steve Powers was appropriately contrite in his opening remarks, before he introduced the speakers who…
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Posted inKate Brown Oregon politics

Gov. Brown makes Oregon an anti-vaxx paradise

A few days ago I wrote "Oregon Dems surrender to Republicans like scared little mice." Now I'm even more irritated at what Governor Kate Brown and her spineless cronies in the state legislature (notably Sen. Peter Courtney and Rep. Tina Kotek) did -- needlessly killing much-needed bills to enhance vaccination rates and control guns in a misguided effort to entice Senate Republicans to end their short walkout, which denied a quorum in the Senate. I'll let excerpts from some newspaper stories do the explaining for why this was such a bad idea. I've boldfaced parts for emphasis. (1) Nigel Jaquiss'…
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Posted inOregon politics

Oregon Dems surrender to Republicans like scared little mice

Disgusting. Horrible. Shameful. Those are the non-profane words I can use to describe how Governor Brown, Senate President Courtney, and House Speaker Kotek caved in to the walkout of Senate Republicans without putting up any fight at all. That walkout prevented the Senate from having a quorum, so no business could be accomplished. According to a Salem Reporter story, "Tough  choices, closed door deals result in Senate returning to business," Courtney didn't want to do what Wisconsin governor Scott Walker reportedly did in 2011 when Democratic legislators walked out: use the state police to bring them back. Courtney has been…
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Posted inCity of Salem Comprehensive Plan Cycling

Salem Comprehensive Plan update needs a dose of pizazz

First off, it's been a long time since I used "pizazz" in my writing. The word dates from 1935-40, and is out of fashion, but it seemed absolutely perfect to describe what I found missing in last Wednesday's meeting where progress on an update to the Salem Area Comprehensive Plan was discussed by City of Salem staff and hired consultants. This photo of the beginning of the "Our Salem" open house in the Court Street Christian Church captures the non-electricity of the gathering, which attracted about 30-40 people.  Sure, it was a warm sunny day, so sitting inside from 6-8…
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Posted in2020 election Donald Trump National politics

We’re in a constitutional crisis. Yet Dems shouldn’t impeach.

A little while ago I watched the House Judiciary Committee vote to hold the Attorney General of the United States, William Barr, in contempt of Congress. This is only the second time in our nation's history that an A.G. has gotten a contempt citation. It's a big deal. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the chair of the committee, just told reporters that we're now in a constitutional crisis.  The Trump administration is refusing to honor every subpoena Congress issues. The Trump administration refuses to allow Robert Mueller to testify about the report he issued into Russian interference with the 2016 election, how…
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Posted in2019 election Salem-Keizer school district

Oregon Right to Life behind deceptive Marty Heyen postcard

If you got this postcard in the mail, don't be fooled by the Women's Leadership Coalition name in the return address. Actually that group is an Oregon Right to Life organization. Below you'll find proof of this. So keep this deception in mind when you cast your ballot in the May 21 Salem-Keizer School Board election. Heyen is running against Raul Marquez, a much better candidate who isn't beholden to a special interest like Oregon Right to Life. Here's how I know Oregon Right to Life is behind this postcard. It didn't require much sleuthing. The return address -- P.O.…
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Posted inUncategorized

Three journalists talk about the Oregon Legislature

"Journalism is a public service, like being a fireman or policeman." I heartily agreed with what one of the three journalists shown below said at today's Salem City Club program, The Oregon Legislature Through the Eyes of Journalists." (From left to right: Aubrey Wieber of the Salem Reporter; Connor Radnovich of the Statesman Journal; Claire Withycombe of the East Oregonian and Salem Reporter -- who was filling in for Hillary Borrud of the Oregonian, whose editor called her away at the last moment for some other duty.) Before I  talk about the substance of what Wieber, Radnovich, and Withycombe said, I…
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Posted inDonald Trump National politics

Here’s the most shocking thing Barr said today

If you like the prospect of the United States becoming a banana republic dictatorship where the rule of law doesn't apply to the Supreme Leader, you'll applaud Attorney General William Barr's trumpian display of arrogance, bad faith, and misleading testimony today at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. But being part of the majority of Americans who want our democracy to remain intact, I found one statement by Barr rose to the top of the OMG! I can't believe the head of the Justice Department just said that! pile, which was teetering precariously by the end of the hearing, the crap…
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Posted inSalem Health

Dispute between Regence and Salem Health features two unlikable combatants

I'm a Regence Medicare Advantage member, so have been following the dispute between Regence and Salem Health with considerable interest. But if I wasn't aware of it before, a full page Regence ad in last Sunday's Statesman Journal (April 21) made the contract impasse difficult to miss. Heck, it was two-thirds the length of our dog! The headline said, "Salem Health is asking for a bigger raise than you can afford." And down at the bottom, "Salem Health is demanding  a double-digit increase that you can't afford." Well, maybe.  Right now I'm not going to believe what Regence says, nor…
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Posted inCity Council City of Salem

City Council stops “Big Weed” book removal at library. For now.

Well, a few days ago the title of my blog post was a bit off. I said "Final skirmish at hand in Salem Library 'Battle of the Books.'" But at last night's City Council meeting, a motion proposed by Councilor Chris Hoy passed unanimously. It puts the so-called Big Weed book removal effort on hold until the end of June, most likely. Here's how the leader of the Big Weed opposition, Jim Scheppke, put it in an email he sent out today. Dear Library Supporters: Last night the City Council voted not to resume the Big Weed for a couple…
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Posted inCity Council City of Salem

Final skirmish at hand in Salem Library “Battle of the Books”

Back in November 2018 Jim Scheppke issued a battle cry to book lovers: the decimation of the Salem Public Library's print collection must be met with fierce resistance. See here, here, and here for my blog post reports about the first stages of the war against Library Director Sarah Strahl's efforts to implement what later became known as the Big Weed. Since, I've followed the exploits of Scheppke and his band of outraged library users with much admiration. They've been both relentless and reasonable in their efforts to understand why Strahl and her compliant Library Advisory Board feel it's OK…
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Posted in2020 election Donald Trump National politics

After drenching myself in Mueller report coverage, here’s my take on it

For a political junkie like me, today's non-stop coverage of William Barr's embarrassingly awful press conference and subsequent analysis of the redacted Mueller report has felt like taking a really long hot shower that leaves you both blissfully exhausted and pleasantly energized. I've read the tweets. I've looked over Washington Post and New York Times stories. I've listened to much of what MSNBC had to offer, while fast forwarding through repetitive or uninteresting parts. I've scanned some of the report. Here's what leaps out at me after the initial coverage of the lengthy Mueller report. Barr should be impeached. Likely…
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Posted in2019 election Salem-Keizer school district

Oregon Right to Life trying to take over Salem-Keizer school board

Students should be able to learn without anti-abortion zealots interfering with their education. But that's the plan of Oregon Right to Life: take control of the Salem-Keizer school board in the May 21, 2019 election. Three of the seven current school board members are backed by Oregon Right to Life: Kathy Goss, Jesse Lippold, and Marty Heyen. The photo above was in a 2017 blog post where Oregon Right to Life bragged about the election of Goss and Lippold, saying: Pro-life voices on school boards are important for several reasons. Not only do school board members affect education policy, they become…
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