Posted inSalem

Five reasons I’m irked by City of Salem’s US Bank tree-cutting decision

After reading more closely the City of Salem document dated March 12, 2013, non-pithily titled "Background, Findings and Decision regarding the removal of the State Street Trees (302 State Street S: Ladd and Bush Building -- US Bank)," my initial opinion expressed yesterday hasn't changed: My wife and I are long-time land use activists. We've been involved in quite a few land use decisions at the Marion County level. We're familiar with ordinances, findings of fact, hearing officers, and, yes, how public officials are swayed by "political" considerations -- using that word in a broad sense. After a first reading…
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Posted inSalem

Read flawed decision by Salem officials to remove US Bank trees

Today I received a PDF file of the City of Salem Public Works decision that allowed US Bank to cut down five large beautiful Japanese Zelkova trees that have graced State Street in downtown. Download US Bank State Street Trees decision I'll have more to say about the report in tomorrow's blog post. Read it yourself, and I think you'll agree with me that this seems like a pre-determined "kill the trees" decision in desperate search of flimsy facts/ordinance interpretations to justify it. My wife and I are long-time land use activists. We've been involved in quite a few land…
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Posted inSalem

More about how US Bank needlessly killed five downtown Salem trees

Losing five large beautiful trees in downtown Salem is bad enough. How this travesty occurred is equally disturbing. The full story remains to be fleshed leafed out.  (The chapters so far are described in previous blog posts, here, here, and here.) Still, during the past week I've gotten a pretty good feel for how the needless tree-killing came about. One of my reputable sources is my wife, who spoke with a US Bank manager about why the bank wanted the trees to be removed. She didn't get the name of the manager, who was a man. What we do know,…
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Posted inSalem

How U.S. Bank got to cut down five beautiful downtown Salem trees

Today I got an excellent comment on my blog post, "U.S. Bank kills large downtown trees. Don't bank with them."  It's the best explanation that I've seen so far about how this (one of five trees that has been, or will be, needlessly cut down by U.S. Bank)... Became this... The story of how this happened is disturbing. I'll talk more about what this sorry tale says about Salem politics and Chamber of Commerce influence-peddling in a following post.  Here's the comment from Cherry City Blogger, with a few misspellings, typos, and links cleaned up for easier reading. If you…
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Posted inSalem

U.S. Bank kills large downtown trees. Don’t bank with them.

Yesterday the U.S. Bank tree killing spree began in Salem, Oregon. Three of five large Japanese Zelkovas, which have beautified downtown Salem for about fifty years, were cut down for no good reason. The other two trees are on the chopping block. Innocents, their only crime being that some U.S. Bank executive didn't like them, they await their turn to be changed from this... To this... I was disturbed about this two days ago when I wrote "Downtown trees destroyed: shame on U.S. Bank and City of Salem." That was before the trees were cut down. Today I visited the…
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Posted inSalem

Downtown trees destroyed: shame on U.S. Bank and City of Salem

Who doesn't love trees? Well, yesterday and today the Statesman Journal ran stories about two Salem entities which don't: U.S. Bank and the City of Salem. (photo by me and my iPhone; taken this afternoon while trees are still standing) Tuesday some tree lovers protested the decision to allow U.S. Bank to remove five beautiful trees that grace the street in front of the downtown Ladd and Bush branch. A city decision to permit the removal of five Japanese Zelkova trees on the north side of the Ladd and Bush branch of U.S. Bank prompted protest Tuesday at Commercial and…
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Posted inPhilosophy

Nature shows that perceptions are more lively than ideas

Ah, my first blog post title inspired by David Hume, a philosopher whom I've only admired through the admiration of others, not directly through his writings. Until recently. Today I read Hume's ideas about the liveliness of sensual, emotional, and willful "impressions," which he contrasts with less lively "ideas."  Rings true to me. I just got back from a late afternoon dog walk. The two family canines and I meandered along a path that leads across a creek, through some woods, and around a small lake. I always feel restored and rejuvenated when I go on this walk. Because I'm…
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Posted inSalem

Salem’s Minto Island Pedestrian Bridge/Trail looks like a winner

I'm a frequent critic of the town I've lived in or near for 36 years, Salem. Us cynical old-timers like to call it, So-Lame. Compared to Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, Ashland, Bend, and other Oregon cities with a lot more creativity, energy, coolness, and vision. But yesterday I attended a meeting of the Salem City Club where speakers brought us up to date on the status of the long-planned bridge from the downtown Salem riverfront to Minto Brown Island. Annie Gorski, project manager for the City of Salem, showed slides of what the bridge will look like. Way cool! Something I…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Sustainability

Leave cougars alone, Oregon legislators. Kill HB 2624 instead.

Here we go again. Another session of the Oregon legislature; another misguided attempt to undo the voter's banning (twice!) of using dogs to hunt cougars. And once again, legislation in search of a problem to justify it. House Bill 2624, introduced by Rep. Brian Clem of Salem, would let counties out of the statewide ban if voters in a county approved this. Yet nobody has ever been killed by a cougar in Oregon. Cougar complaints are declining.  Opponents called the bills unnecessary because complaints of cougar encounters are down while cougar kills are up, according to state statistics. They said…
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Posted inSalem

Why can’t Salem have ONE organic vegan restaurant like this?

My daughter stuck a (figurative) knife in my heart today. Well, make that in my stomach.  I'd just finished five miles of longboard land paddling at Minto Brown Island Park here in Salem, Oregon. I was pleasantly tired. Also, not-so-pleasantly hungry.  Checking my iPhone, I saw that Celeste, who lives in Studio City, California, had sent me a text message. We've been talking about us coming down for a visit. Guess she wanted to entice me and my wife, health-conscious vegetarians that we are. Just discovered a new veggie restaurant in the valley you guys will love! I asked what…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Oregon should restrict those who want to restrict abortions

The crazier conservative-leaning states become, the happier I am to be an Oregonian. My state isn't perfect, that's for sure, but by and large it hits the right balance when it comes to personal freedom and social responsibility. Case in point: Oregon is the only state that hasn't limited a woman's access to abortion services. Repeat, only state. This chart makes my green, moist, fern-infested heart beat with pride (I live in western Oregon; eastern Oregon has a different climate). There Oregon is, way down at the bottom, showing zero on the type of abortion restrictions. Take that, Washington state…
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Posted inScience Sustainability

Human-caused global warming continues as predicted

Thankfully, the influence of global warming deniers appears to be shrinking steadily. Reality has a way of weeding out those who fail to respect it. Even though this can take a while, truthful facts win out in the end. But fossil fuel industry-funded deniers, aided and abetted by anti-science media outlets like Fox News, continue to distort the disturbing truth of how humans are warming the Earth's climate much more rapidly than nature has ever done it on her/its own. For example, when I briefly channel surf onto right-wing talk radio, fairly frequently I hear that "global warming has stopped."…
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Posted inHome life

Skin biopsy unleashes my inner anxious Woody Allen

I can't recall what Woody Allen movie this scene was in, but the image has stuck in my mind. Allen's neurotic character is worried about some health problem that his over-anxious mind has convinced him is deadly serious. After a visit to his doctor, where he gets good news about his condition, Allen skips down the sidewalk happily saying "I'm not going to die! I'm not going to die!" Then he stops, get a worried expression on his face, and intones... "Yet." This closely mirrors my psychological state after I went in for a yearly dermatological exam last Monday. The…
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Posted inHumor

Jim Carrey makes fun of Charlton Heston’s “Cold Dead Hand”

What's not to like about this Funny or Die video, "Cold Dead Hand with Jim Carrey"? We get to see Carrey make fun of... Charlton Heston. Gun nuts who compensate for a small male sex organ with big firearms. Theologically challenged Christians who somehow believe that God embraces those who cling to their guns rather than love, faith, charity, and all that weenie Jesus'y stuff. Best of all, Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity hate this video. That means most reasonable Americans with a sense of humor will like it. (Watch the video on Funny or Die if you get an…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Disturbing graphs of U.S. health care prices compared to other countries

Just about six more months. Until I'm eligible for Medicare. The part of the United States health care system that works the most efficiently and effectively. Because prices are regulated. I can hardly wait. Today Ezra Klein shared "21 graphs that show America's health care prices are ludicrous." For sure. It's bizarre that Congressional Republicans like Paul Ryan want to make our absurdly expensive health care system even more centered on the largely unregulated  private insurance system that is bankrupting our country. Compared to other industrialized countries we're paying way more for health care, and getting less health benefits. Conservatives…
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Posted inSalem

Vision for Salem’s riverfront development to be shown April 1

I'm not a big fan of how plans for Salem's downtown riverfront have devolved from a classy, creative, cool mixed use development to rental apartments and a medical rehabilitation facility. Nonetheless, I'd go to what seems to be a "sales job" for what's being called the Riverfront Park Community if the day and time didn't conflict with my Monday Tai Chi class.  It's Monday, April 1, 5:00 pm at the Carousel. Refreshments! I hope someone else will attend the gathering, then tell their tale. Here's info about it. I'm interested in learning more about what's planned for the old Boise…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Why marijuana laws should be left to the states

As officials in Washington and Colorado proceed with plans to sell state-regulated marijuana, they're nervously looking over their shoulders at Attorney General Eric Holder, wondering how the Justice Department is going to handle a seeming conflict between federal law (pot is illegal) and their state laws (pot is legal). An op-ed in the Los Angeles Times does a good job of explaining why there really isn't much of a conflict between the states and the feds here. The authors should know what they're talking about. Erwin Chemerinsky is dean of the UC Irvine School of Law. Allen Hopper is criminal justice and drug…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Nate Silver says Oregon has only 5% chance of beating Louisville

Uh, oh. Prediction guru Nate Silver doesn't give the Oregon basketball team much of a chance at beating top seed Louisville in their Sweet 16 matchup. Odds of winning the 2013 NCAA championship are much less, .06% (in boldface). Oregon (up to 0.06 percent from 0.01 percent) Those who complained that Oregon was underseeded have plenty of evidence in the form of wins against No. 5-seeded Oklahoma State and No. 4-seeded St. Louis. However, the Ducks’ punishment from the bracket makers is not over, as they’ll have to travel across the country to face the No. 1 overall seed, Louisville; the…
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Posted inHome life

Irritating: United Airlines’ constantly changing ticket prices

My wife was seriously angry at United Airlines. But she did a pretty good job of keeping her cool when she talked with a customer service representative late on a Saturday night. "I've just spent several days planning a family reunion. Tonight I finally figured out the best United Flights to take between Portland, Oregon and Lexington, Kentucky. I'm using frequent flyer miles to go one way, and will be paying cash for a ticket the other way. It was tough to find a flight where I could use the frequent flyer miles, because you have so many restrictions on…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Senate Democrats need to fix the stupid filibuster

I'm a cranky Democrat today. This headline in the Los Angeles Times deeply irks me: "Obama court pick withdraws, thwarted by Republicans in Senate." As does the quote from Obama I'll include in the story excerpt. Former New York state attorney Caitlin Halligan, President Obama’s choice for the U.S. Court of Appeals here, withdrew her name Friday, defeated by the Republican minority in the Senate. Halligan’s withdrawal is the latest example of how the GOP has employed the filibuster rule not only to block major legislation, but routine presidential appointments as well. The D.C. Circuit decides significant challenges to federal regulations,…
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