Posted inCity Council National politics

Salem City Council declares federal immigration enforcement emergency

Yesterday, December 1, the City Council approved a resolution with a lengthy title: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SALEM RECOGNIZING THAT A STATE OF EMERGENCY EXISTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND SETTING FORTH ACTIONS THE CITY SHOULD TAKE TO ADDRESS SUCH IMPACTS. It passed 6-3, with Mayor Hoy and Councilors Gwyn and Matthews voting against it. I guess they are fine with the Trump administration trampling on constitutional rights and striking fear in hard-working migrants whose only "crime" is that they entered the United States without documentation in search of a…
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Posted inDonald Trump National politics

Trump’s racism is on full display. Actually, immigrants are more law-abiding than native-born Americans.

It's a tragedy that two National Guard soldiers were critically injured (one has died) by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan refugee who served with the CIA prior to the withdrawal of United States forces in 2021 following an agreement Trump made with the Taliban to have the withdrawal happen. UPDATE: An AP story, "Subject in National Guard attack struggled with 'dark isolation' as community raised concerns," makes clear that Lakanwal suffered from mental health problems. There's no evidence so far that he was radicalized to become a terrorist as the Trump administration is claiming. Excerpt: The Afghan man accused of shooting…
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Posted inDonald Trump National politics

It’s sad that two National Guard soldiers were shot in D.C. But let’s remember what else is sad.

Today two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot and critically injured by a gunman in Washington, D.C. A Politico story says: A gunman opened fire Wednesday on two National Guard soldiers just blocks from the White House, critically wounding members of a force brought to Washington as part of President Donald Trump’s deployment of troops to American cities to fight crime. The two members of the West Virginia National Guard were on an afternoon patrol when they were shot in what Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called a “targeted” attack. ...The gunman, whose name was not released, came…
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Posted inDonald Trump National politics

Trump threatens Democratic lawmakers with death for urging military not to follow illegal orders

We're in desperate times when the American president -- sadly, it's Donald Trump -- says that reminding members of the military that they aren't required to follow illegal orders is seditious behavior, punishable by death. Well, more accurately, this is how Trump put it in his all caps fashion: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!" Here's the video that set Trump off into an authoritarian rage. I find it totally acceptable, since the lawmakers are simply restating a provision in the code of military justice. But Trump clearly wants to make the United States military into his own private army. That's…
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Posted inDonald Trump

Trump excuses Jamal Khashoggi’s gruesome murder by Saudi Arabia ruler. Beyond disgusting.

Given all the crap that Trump spews out of his lying mouth every day, it takes something especially disgusting to make my Trumpian Outrage Meter rise into the red alert zone.               That happened to me today when Trump not only failed to condemn the horrific 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi (shown above) at the order of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- who Trump was meeting with at the White House -- he excused the killing in an inexcusable fashion. This is how a Washington Post editorial about Trump's…
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Posted inCity Club City of Salem Julie Hoy

City Manager Namburi and Mayor Hoy said nothing interesting at Salem City Club

Disappointing. Boring. Uninteresting. I could add more negative adjectives, but those do a good job of describing my reaction to what City Manager Krishna Namburi and Mayor Julie Hoy had to say at last Friday's City Club program. In short, not much of anything. The first line of the email I got from the City Club plugging the program captured my attention. So I decided to attend. Salem City Club is pleased to have Mayor Julie Hoy and City Manager Krishna Namburi address the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the city as we move forward in interesting times. In…
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Posted inDonald Trump National politics

If Trump did nothing wrong, why is he so eager to keep the Epstein files hidden?

If someone is innocent, they have every reason to want as much information as possible made public about a suspected offense. As the saying goes, the truth will set you free. Epstein and Trump But Donald Trump is doing the exact opposite when it comes to the Epstein files. That doesn't prove Trump was guilty of sexually abusing underage girls, as Epstein and his female accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, did. It sure raises questions that demand answers, though. Since a discharge petition that would force a vote on a House bill compelling the Justice Department to release files relating to the…
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Posted inNational politics

Initially irate, now I’m OK with Democrats giving up on government shutdown

This would have been a very different blog post if I'd written it last night, after I heard that eight Senate Democrats had agreed to vote with Republicans to end the longest government shutdown ever. I was so irritated, I felt like changing my party designation from Democrat to unaffiliated. After all, just a day before I'd written a post called "Democrats need to continue shutdown as long as it takes to get Obamacare subsidies." I didn't believe that post would have any effect on what was going on in Washington D.C. But I figured that the shutdown would continue…
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Posted inDonald Trump National politics

Democrats need to continue shutdown as long as it takes to get Obamacare subsidies

I'm not a fan of government shutdowns. Hardly anyone is. But along with lots of other Democrats, I want my party to stand strong on not reopening the federal government until Trump and his fellow Republicans commit to an ironclad guarantee that expiring subsidies to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, will be put into law for the next ten years at an estimated cost of $350 billion, or $35 billion a year. That's $5 billion less a year than the Trump administration just paid to prop up the Argentinian currency. In the big scheme of things, it isn't much…
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Posted inJulie Hoy Vanessa Nordyke

Mayor Julie Hoy lied about not wanting City Manager Stahley gone. That’s her third lie about Stahley.

Salem Mayor Julie Hoy must have a desire to follow in Donald Trump's lying footsteps. That's a difficult task, given Trump's almost constant battle against the truth, but Hoy is showing that when it comes to spouting political falsehoods, she deserves the title of Mayor Liar. These are the lies Hoy has inflicted upon the public in regard to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission conclusion that she violated Oregon's public meeting law in her quest to have City Manager Keith Stahley forced to resign last February. Lie #1: Hoy claimed that in her illegal private conversations with members of the…
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Posted inNational politics

Democrats score major victories in today’s elections. I feel great!

Turning on the television to watch election returns tonight, I had a bit of PTSD, since the last time I did that in November 2024, Trump beat Harris and I was hugely depressed. But things turned out perfectly for Democrats this time. I couldn't have asked for a better mood elevator. A CNBC headline sums the evening up. A Politico sidebar conveyed the good news. Democrats kicked butt in every important race. Also, in less important races, given what I heard reported about other election results. Somewhat strangely, the race I was most interested in, because it was one Republicans…
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Posted inJulie Hoy

Check out demobrats podcast where we talk about Mayor Hoy’s ethics violation and other juicy subjects

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being part of a demobrats podcast episode, "The Mayor, In the Office, With the Ballot Measure." You can listen to it by either clicking on that link, or via this embedded player. Virginia Stapleton and Victoria Schaaf, the demobrats duo who have a pleasing repartee (hardly ever get to use that word, but it beautifully fits how they converse together) offered up this description of the episode. Hopefully this is the last time we have to talk about this (fingers crossed). In this episode, Brian Hines, an avid writer and community member who filed…
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Posted inDonald Trump

Trump fits narcissistic personality disorder diagnosis perfectly (no big surprise)

Donald Trump is a despicable human being and the worst president in the history of the United States. But that description doesn't fully capture all of his flaws. That's why we need to turn to psychiatric nomenclature in order to better understand why Trump is so dangerous to the United States and the world. One step in that direction was made clear by an article in the September 27, 2025 issue of New Scientist: The Truth About Narcissists: How to Handle Them, and Can They Change? Here's a PDF file. The truth about narcissists: How to handle them, and can they…
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Posted inDonald Trump

Seven reasons why Trump’s destruction of White House East Wing enrages me

I'm used to being irritated by Trump. That's to be expected when the worst president in American history almost daily challenges his own record for worst'ness. But there's something about his destruction of the East Wing of the White House so a $350 million ballroom can take its place that has pushed my irritation to new heights of outrage. Here's why, in no particular order. (1) The gigantic ballroom is an architectural travesty. It will be almost twice as large as the entire White House was when the East Wing was standing. This rendering shows how the ballroom will overpower…
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Posted inCitizen involvement Donald Trump

Photos and videos of No Kings rally in Salem, Oregon

Yesterday I joined at least 6,000 other people for a No Kings rally near the state capitol here in Salem. We protested Trump's authoritarianism and inhumane policies. The rally was energizing. Also, highly positive, fun, and entertaining. It felt great to be among so many people who felt the same way about Trump's destructive actions in his second try as president: disgusted and shocked, yet optimistic about our nation's future if we stand together and resist Trump's efforts to turn our democracy into an autocracy. Here's photos that I took, followed by several brief videos. Lots of blow-up animals. Zero…
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Posted inDonald Trump Humor National politics

Me and my senior citizen Marxist, Antifa, Hamas-loving friends will enjoy the No Kings rally tomorrow

I'm really looking forward to attending the No Kings rally here in Salem, Oregon tomorrow. But I'm confused about what Republicans have been calling the Hate America rally. It sure seems like me and my senior citizen friends love America. However, since President Trump is known for never lying, being even more honest than George Washington, who lied about chopping down a cherry tree (some say this is a myth, but that's another bit of fake news), naturally I assume that Republican leaders are just as truthful as Trump. [Note: some people may hear what Trump said at a press…
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Posted inChris Hoy Julie Hoy

Must watch City Council videos: Chris Hoy and two other people call out Mayor Julie Hoy for her lies

Speaking truth to power. It's not just a cliche. It was on full display at last Monday's City Council meeting when former Mayor Chris Hoy and two other people stood at the public comment podium, looked directly at current Mayor Julie Hoy, and called her out for the lies she told in the course of violating Oregon's ethics law that governs public officials. Lie #1 was Mayor Hoy telling the City Council president, Linda Nishioka, that after she'd spoken with all but one of the city councilors in private conversations that  are prohibited by the Public Meetings Law, a majority…
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Posted inCity Council Julie Hoy

At ethics commission meeting, Mayor Julie Hoy denies lying, which almost certainly is another lie

Salem Mayor Julie Hoy is digging herself deeper into an unethical hole. Yesterday Hoy claimed at a meeting of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission that contrary to the finding of a commission investigator, she never told City Council President Linda Nishioka that after speaking privately with members of the council, a majority wanted City Manager Keith Stahley to resign. Joe Siess of the Salem Reporter wrote in a story, Ethics commission finds Salem Mayor Julie Hoy, 5 councilors broke public meetings law: Hoy and Nishioka each disputed the other’s version of events during the commission meeting. Nishioka has repeatedly said…
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Posted inDonald Trump National politics

Trump memo on domestic terrorism singles out common beliefs as indicators of terrorism

Today the Justice Department came up with another sham indictment of people on Trump's enemies list. Letitia James, New York's Attorney General, was indicted for the non-crime of stating on a mortgage document that it was for a second home, then later renting the house out. The only way this is a crime is if prosecutors can prove that James intended to rent the house at the time she signed the document, because obviously people rent out second homes all the time. Since James can't be called by the prosecution as a witness, this is another instance of illegal selective…
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Posted in2026 election Julie Hoy Vanessa Nordyke

Given Julie Hoy’s serious lie, her future as Salem’s mayor seems bleak

Four days ago I wrote a blog post about how Salem Mayor Julie Hoy lied to the city council president, Linda Nishioka, about how Hoy had supposedly learned that a majority of the council wanted the City Manager, Keith Stahley, to resign. After Nishioka passed that falsehood on to Stahley, he resigned -- setting in motion a fiasco that culminated in a recently-concluded investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. The investigation found that instead of a majority, five, of the city council members wanting Stahley to resign, actually just one did: Mayor Hoy herself. Yesterday I talked about Hoy's…
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