Posted inMeasure 37 Salem Sustainability

Circuit Court reverses Marion County commissioners

Last Friday our rural south Salem neighborhood got some great news: in Marion County Circuit Court Judge Nely Johnson reversed the Marion County Board of Commissioners' approval of Ridge View Estates, a 217 acre, 43 lot Measure 37 subdivision on Liberty Road. Read all about it in our press release. Download Willamette Valley Farmland Protected - Final-1 Judge Johnson issued an oral opinion, asking the attorneys for our neighborhood's Keep Our Water Safe committee (Ralph Bloemers of the Crag Law Center and Sean Malone, a Eugene attorney) to prepare Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. These should be finalized…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Lessons of Salem’s Courthouse Square debacle

Who says nothing interesting ever happens in Salem (Oregon)? Well, I do, a lot. But ever since it was reported that recently constructed Courthouse Square -- a building that houses most county offices, along with the downtown transit mall -- is in serious danger of falling down, things have been popping in the local newspaper. Today the Statesman Journal ran a bunch of stories and opinion pieces about this debacle. The $34 million building, which takes up an entire block, is being vacated as quickly as possible. It might not be repairable. Yet it opened just ten years ago, in…
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Posted inSalem

Photos of 2010 Salem Hoopla

There's something deeply enjoyable about parking my Burgman 650 scooter a few blocks from the Salem Hoopla three-on-three basketball tournament (largest event in Oregon), buying an icy Jamba Juice at one of the food booths, and then watching young guys/gals run around the many courts in 94 degree heat while I stand (preferably in the shade) with my iPhone 4's camera in hand. I love the energetic, music-pounding, youthful atmosphere. And it's good to see people at the state capitol arguing about bad foul calls rather than bickering over partisan politics. Appropriately, basketball courts stretch down Court Street for a…
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Posted inSalem

Photos of the (controversial) 2010 Salem Art Fair

Ah, it's good to see people in sleepy Salem (Oregon) throw off their lethargy and get fired up over a controversial social issue: whether the Salem Art Association did the right thing in putting up a fence around the 2010 Art Fair and charging a $5 admission fee ($7 for all three days). Debate over the undeniably ugly chain link fence in public Bush Park, the fee, and a steadily declining percentage of local artists at this increasingly high-quality juried fair has raged in the Salem Statesman Journal, culminating in a front page story today. Download Salem Art Fair articleMy…
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Posted inSalem

Images of 2010 Salem World Beat Festival

Yesterday was warm and sunny here in Oregon. But I was still kind of sick from a mildly feverish flu/cold my granddaughter had gifted me during a recent visit. Still, I couldn't resist firing up my scooter and heading to the Salem World Beat Festival. This is my second-favorite local summer event, getting bested out only by the Salem Art Fair. It was healing to catch my first glimpse of the main stage Amphitheater in the Riverfront Park. Seeing people having a good time listening to the Incendio (world guitar fusion) band made me feel better. As did watching an…
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Posted inSalem

Sign lies: Trader Joe’s not coming to Keizer

Yesterday there was a lot of excited buzzing in normally sleepy Salem after the Statesman Journal ran a front page story about a sign going up at Keizer Station listing Trader Joe's as a retailer. Download SJ Trader Joe's storySure, the story quoted a Keizer Station representative who said that the sign company screwed up, and there wasn't any deal with Trader Joe's. But I, like lots of other people, figured that this was an attempt to cover up the premature divulging of Trader Joe's imminent arrival in the Salem area.Unfortunately, it looks like the Salem curse -- which keeps…
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Posted inSalem

Salem’s curse continues: riverfront development stalls

I've lived in and near Salem (Oregon) since 1977. That's thirty-three years of exposure to a city whose lifeblood is blah. I'm hoping that just as researchers have found that caloric restriction extends life, so does urban excitement deprivation.Glancing at the front page of the Statesman Journal today, I was disturbed -- but not all that surprised -- to see that the Salem Curse continues. A promising effort to convert the downtown riverfront area into a mixed use development has stalled. Download Salem Riverfront project stallsSo now, instead of staring at ugly Boise Cascade industrial buildings, we'll be treated to…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

No, I’m not going to “get over” Measure 24-292 defeat

Today Blue Oregon, our marvelous state's numero uno progressive blog, published a Guest Column by yours truly: "Marion County charter change loses, but isn't lost." A commenter took the all caps typographic approach favored by right-wingers, saying "YOU LOST, GET OVER IT!" My response:Michael, why should I (or any other supporter of the Measure) "get over it"? If a basketball team loses 77-23, are they supposed to give up the sport? Or do they practice harder, find a different game plan, and expect to win next time?And if the other team played dirty, they'll take steps to be sure the…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Opponent’s lies keep Marion County charter change alive

Some elections put an issue to rest; others keep it alive. I'm betting that last Tuesday's defeat of Marion County's Measure 24-292, a citizen initiative to reform county government, will turn out to be a great example of how a loss will turn into victory.Today's opinion piece by Dick Hughes, editorial page editor of the Salem Statesman Journal, points to a reason why. In "These Oregon candidates should be honored -- or ashamed" he gave out a Worst campaign award. Download Statesman Journal Worst Campaign awardWorst CampaignThe anti-Measure 24-292 "Protect Public Safety" misinformation.The Marion County charter amendment had nothing to…
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Posted inSalem

Salem’s Clockworks Cafe stimulates my Steampunk soul

And I didn't even know I had one! A Steampunk soul, that is. But I must, since I enjoyed my day-after-grand-opening visit (Saturday) to Salem's newest coffeehouse -- Clockworks Cafe and Cultural Center, which is in the old Blue Pepper location on Commercial Street. Steampunk, for all of those old fogies who aren't as hip to what's happening as this 61 year old is (hey, I rode my big Burgman 650 scooter to the cafe, way trendy), has something to do with mixing old and new. OK, I'm vague as to what it is. But I was familiar enough with the…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Chuck Adams likely behind deceptive Measure 24-292 letter

Today the leading political blog in our great state, Blue Oregon, published a post that I submitted last night: "GOP flack Chuck Adams sleazes up Marion County charter change campaign."I'm pretty proud of sleazes up. Already Google has the Blue Oregon post as the first hit for this term, which hopefully will go viral as an action word for what sleazes do.It came to me in an intuitive flash as I was trying to think of a way to describe the highly deceptive letter that was signed by Walt Beglau (Marion County District Attorney) and mailed to county voters last…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Marion County District Attorney Walt Beglau skates on thin ethical ice

Whether it passes or fails, a Marion County citizen initiative which got on the May ballot after almost 6,000 citizens signed petitions to improve county government, has served one important purpose:We've learned how far the existing power structure in Marion County is willing to stretch ethical bounds in order to keep the political system running along in its dysfunctional special-interest-favoring way.A few weeks ago a neighbor gave me a "No on Measure 24-292" letter that had been sent out by two Salem Chamber of Commerce bigwigs: CEO Mike McLaran and board member Dick Withnell, who owns several car dealerships. It…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Marion County commissioner plays the “you lie!” card

Republicans are strangely fond of calling people they disagree with liars. I say "strangely," because Republican politicians certainly are as prone to lying as their more progressive counterparts.Yet rather than debate the merits of a policy issue, their tendency is to resort to ad hominem name-calling -- which fans the flames of our already incendiary public discourse.Today, in a front page story, the Statesman Journal reported that Marion County (Oregon) commissioner Sam Brentano considers the people who are backing citizen initiative 24-292 to be "liars."Brentano and the two other commissioners, Janet Carlson and Patti Milne, have spoken against the home…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Taxes and Marion County charter change: no worries

Opponents of Measure 24-292, the Marion County (Oregon) charter change, have been using scare tactics in an effort to preserve the county government status quo. I guess they think government is working so wonderfully, we, the people, shouldn't try to improve it. Well, polls show that most citizens want more control over government. They're tired of politicians working for special interests, rather than the general good.One of the be scared! approaches of some No on 24-292 folks is to claim that the Measure will lead to increased taxes. On page 27 of the Marion County Voter Pamphlet that came in…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Marion County charter change: desperation breeds deception

Wow! When ordinary people try to make the government that their taxes pay for work better, the big money guys who profit from the status quo get frantic.In the Salem Statesman Journal today there was another bunch of desperate untruths from Dick Withnell, a Salem Chamber of Commerce board member -- adding to the stack in a letter that I debunked recently.The business interests opposing improvements to county government must be super-scared of Measure 24-292, a citizen initiative to be voted on in May that would enlarge the Board of Commissioners from three to five members and elect commissioners by…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

“No on Measure 24-292” letter is full of untruths

Here's another good reason (in addition to those I've written about here, and here) for Marion County, Oregon residents to vote Yes on Measure 24-292 next month: Big-business opponents of the citizen initiative are so afraid they'll lose their insider lobbying connections with the county commissioners, they're willing to spread Big Time untruths about what the Measure will do. Measure 24-292 gives ordinary people more control over county government, and promotes better decisions by the county commissioners. It changes the Marion County charter in positive ways, including: -- Adding two members to the Commission, for a total of five, bringing…
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Posted inSalem

Facts and fictions about Marion County charter change

The Salem (Oregon) Chamber of Commerce and a member of its Executive Committee, Mark Shipman, need to get their facts straight. People are tired of organizations, politicians, and lobbyists who will say anything to defeat a proposal that benefits the general public rather than special interests. The Chamber opposes a citizen initiative that would increase the number of Marion County commissioners from three to five, elect them by district, and change the county charter to "home rule." (For more info, check out Have a Voice Everyone.) After reading a list of the Chamber's objections to Marion County Measure 24-292, which…
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Posted inSalem

Why Salem sucks compared to Portland

One of the favorite activities of people who live in Salem (Oregon) is asking ourselves, "What's wrong with this town?" My wife and I have a Salem address, though we're outside the city limits, so we're entitled to engage in this ongoing question that lacks a precise answer. Here's my current contribution to coming to grips with Why does Salem suck? I'm moved to write about this subject because I just got back from a visit to Portland's Bridgeport Village, a mere 45 minutes driving time from our home -- yet light years distant in terms of energy, interest, positive vibe,…
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Posted inSalem

Why Marion County government needs improving

Last night I spent a surprisingly enjoyable two hours at a debate about the pros and cons of a proposed Marion County (Oregon) home rule charter, which would enlarge the Board of Commissioners from three to five and make other changes to county government.Have a Voice Everyone describes what this is all about. We in Marion County will vote on Ballot Measure 24-292 in May. I think it's a great idea. But I'm sure the large audience at the debate included many people on both sides of the issue. The questions submitted in writing to the three panelists certainly reflected that.…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Pushy progressive joins coffee shop conversation

I hope it was a sign of the times in the West Salem Starbucks this afternoon. I'm tired of the Democrats in Congress passively putting up with Republican lies. If it's true what Obama said during his campaign, We are the change we have been waiting for, then what interrupted my coffee house debate with a long-time conservative friend is a positive omen.We were avidly discussing the current state of national politics. I'd taken serious exception to my friend calling Obama a socialist. "That's just a word," I said. "What has he done specifically that could be called socialist? I…
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