Fast Times At Portlnd Public High Schools!!

This week's Willamette Week reports that: Portland Public Schools created an eight -period class day; "limited most students to seven class periods spread over two days" and that now fewer than half of high school students attend class for a full day. This sounds almost too crazy to be true. More importantly, it sounds to me like a fact that might finally wake up Portlanders to the truth that their Democratic leadership has destroyed the schools. Does anyone have children in Portland public high schools who can comment on this? by James Buchal.
www.wweek.com/portland/article-21455-fast_times_at....html

Clackamas County Commissioners Demand I-205 Diversion Estimates

The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners wrote Gov. John Kitzhaber today with a warning: If they don't get good estimates on how tolling the Columbia River Crossing might affect Interstate 205, they'll officially oppose the project. The letter (PDF), dated today, says the commissioners have asked Kitzhaber three times in five years for how tolling Interstate 5 would affect I-205 and "have failed to release satisfactory answers." As WW reported, consultants CDM Smith have been preparing an investment grade analysis for tolling the $2.7 billion CRC. Emails obtained by WW show that state officials have long known that tolls on I5 would fill I-205 to capacity. The Oregonian reported last week that the commissioners were likely to send a "letter with teeth" regarding the proposed Oregon-only Interstate 5 project to replace bridges into Washington state, expand interchanges on both sides of the river and extend MAX lines to Vancouver.
www.wweek.com/portland/blog-30867-clackamas_county....html

October Chaos for Cover Oregon!!

Three weeks after launch, Oregon’s online health insurance exchange Cover Oregon hasn’t enrolled a single person. $82 million has been spent on a website which has received more than 430,000 visits and 3.7 million page views, and yet still cannot process applications. One would think functioning websites wouldn’t be too much to ask for the official ObamaCare rollout, the date of which was the focus of both national and statewide awareness campaigns. October’s online chaos seems to bode ill for the future of Americans’ health care experiences. Hopefully, people will rethink having increased centralized government control over a health care system which comprises nearly one-fifth of the U.S. economy.
oregoncatalyst.com/25349-october-chaos-cover-orego...alyst)

Damascus Voters Could Dismantle Government!!

Damascus residents voted to become a city in 2004. That was two years after the Metro regional government included Damascus in the largest urban growth boundary expansion in state history. Those two changes meant a new Damascus city council had to draft a long-term plan for how the city would grow. Chris Hawes says regional plans to develop Damascus were flawed from the beginning. He says building city neighborhoods across the rocky hills and valleys of Damascus is so expensive, that it might never happen. And that makes city property taxes unnecessary. Dissolving the city would save taxpayers money, he argues. "The net would be a $2.53 per thousand of assessed value savings, which is about $600 or so for a house that’s assessed at $200,000.”"Metro needs to be dealt with,” says Anderson. "The city is going to be better able to deal with it. If we go back to county control, then we’re just relying on the county commissioners to make some of the decisions that we’ve already stepped through, and are we going to be happy with the people who are going to run the plan process at the county.”
www.opb.org/news/article/damascus-voters-could-dis...ment-

Bob’s Red Mill will open a new distribution center in Clackamas next year!!

Glad The Retail Store is staying in Milwaukie. Love their breakfasts!! Bob’s Red Mill will open a new distribution center in Clackamas next year, the company announced Tuesday. In the past few years, Bob's Red Mill has registered double-digit growth, according to company spokeswoman Ashley Sherrick. The new 125,000-square-foot facility, with more than 30 loading docks, a railway connection and enough space to house 11,000 pallets, will help meet projected growth over the next five years, Sherrick said.
www.oregonlive.com/milwaukie/index.ssf/2013/10/bob...fault

Why Marriage Matters!!

A wealth of examples have been identified by legal scholars who have pointed out the conflicts that will arise between the rights of people who sincerely disagree with homosexual marriage, and the rights of homosexual couples to demand that the state enforce gay marriage whether people support it or not. These conflicts can result in people losing their jobs, professionals be stripped of their professional licenses or being fined by the state, and churches losing their tax exemptions. Most troubling is the impact on children, particularly as the public schools begin the process of indoctrinating them on the subject of homosexual marriage.
www.protectmarriageoregon.com/why-marriage-matters

Port exit may mean costly shipping for Oregon firms!!

A major shipping company’s decision to withdraw from the Port of Portland by January 2014 means local exporters will face higher transportation costs to move their products overseas, including processed foods and timber. South Korea-based Hanjin Shipping Co. announced Oct. 18 it will no longer carry containers out of Portland’s Terminal 6 due to rising handling charges and sagging longshore labor productivity. Value-added agricultural products like processed potatoes and onions are all shipped by container. If Hanjin leaves, Eastern Oregon exporters would have to pay more to truck containers to Seattle or Tacoma, which cost between $500 and $1,000 per container the last time ships were diverted in summer 2012."(Hanjin) is a significant loss to ports on the Columbia and Snake river systems,” River. Kim B. Puzey, general manager at the Port of Umatilla said."We are down to very little service now, almost nonexistent compared to what we had. Everyone here is having to make transportation adjustments that are significant to their bottom line.”
www.statesmanjournal.com/viewart/20131028/NEWS/310...firms

Columbia River Crossing Interim legislative committee appointed!!

House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney appointed a 24-member legislative committee to hold hearings on a revived Columbia River Crossing plan Friday. No date has been set for hearings, but the two Democratic leaders of the Legislature and Gov. John Kitzhaber agree that hearings should be forthcoming. Oregon Sen. Bruce Starr (left), R-Hillsboro, talks with Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, as the legislature wound down in July. Starr and Johnson are key votes in the Oregon Senate on transportation issues. Johnson says she wants more information before she votes on the Columbia River Crossing. The bridge project faltered in the summer when the Washington Senate refused to allocated $450 million for the bi-state plan. Since then, Oregon leaders have devised a scaled back, Oregon-led project that could move forward with only Oregon’s $450 million allocation.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/colu...river

Gov. Kitzhaber undermining rights of parents!!

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, who has said he'll announce his decision on seeking a second term by the end of this month, got some advice from Nike: Just Do It. Kitzhaber, who served two terms from 1995-2003 before returning to office in 2011, has said he's wrestling with whether to seek another term given his age -- he's 66 -- and the time he has to spend with his son, a high school sophomore. What about those of us who are not Lucky enough to spend time with Our Sons Due To The Kitzhaber Administration. If anyone should understand the fraud, abuse, corruption, and incompetance in the DHS and family court system it would be Gov. Kitzhaber. Yet, he remains silent on the biggest civil rights violations in Our History. My advice would be to bow out Governor. You have your PERS. You have your son. You don't want to deal with undermining the rights of parents (Oregon Watchdog). I would take your money and Run.

Cover Oregon still no enrollment; feds delay penalty deadline

Officials for Oregon's health insurance exchange on Thursday reported some progress, but acknowledged a major fix to the problem-plagued site may not happen this month as hoped.The website still has not enrolled anyone. Cover Oregon also released some statistics, after previously denying them to reporters: - So far, 4,260 paper applications to determine eligibility for assistance have been received. Also, agents and application assisters have created 2,459 electronic customer accounts so they can check eligibility for financial assistance once problems with the website are fixed. That's a total of 6,719 applications. Since some represent families, the applications represented approximately 11,500 Oregonians, officials said. In other news, the Obama administration gave six more weeks to individual consumers who otherwise faced a penalty if they didn't finish applying for coverage by Feb. 15, allowing it to be processed by March 15. Now they must finish applying by coverage by March 31 to avoid a penalty, according to Kaiser Health News.
www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2013/10/cover_...river

Surprising facts about local property tax!!

Portland spends 126 percent of what it collects in property taxes on public safety such as police officers and firefighters. To fill the gap and pay for other services, cities must rely on fees and other revenue. Oregonians started getting property tax bills last week and sticker shock came free with most envelopes. City councils across the state must ask voters to approve tax rate increases. Tax bills do go up based on increases in property value (generally limited to a 3 percent increase each year). There are plenty of other surprising aspects of Oregon’s property tax system, however, and a new report from the League of Oregon Cities highlights some particularly interesting ones. If you’re confused about where your property tax dollars might be going, you can start with the League’s report which is posted online. Still want more? You can read the comprehensive financial reports for your city online.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/surp...river

Cover Oregon's tax credit confusion!!

I can’t wait to sign my family up for one of the new Cover Oregon health insurance exchange plans. But even if we could sign up — and three weeks into its operation, the exchange is still not accepting applications — Cover Oregon’s confusion over how to determine income and eligibility for tax credits makes one wonder if they can ever get ObamaCare working. But perhaps Cover Oregon’s oddest misstep is that nowhere on the application is the term"MAGI” (or"modified adjusted gross income”) even mentioned — despite the fact that that it’s the law of the land in determining self-employed income eligibility under ObamaCare. By David Kline.
www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/10/a_cas...river

Tina Kotek goes to Hollywood!!

While some states are re-examining and even reeling back some film production incentives, Oregon lawmakers this year expanded theirs. Critics say the incentives mostly go to deep-pocketed production companies and that competition between states to land movies and shows is a race to the bottom. Yet another legal way for Dems to use our tax dollars to fund their campaigns. During this year’s regular legislative session, House Speaker Tina Kotek (D) voted for more Oregon tax breaks for Hollywood – increasing the fund for tax rebates by $4 million – from $6 million to $10 million. Now it’s time to collect on her cut of the $4 million. Today, Speaker Kotek is headed to Hollywood for a big shindig/fundraiser with the stars. She’ll be joined by the California Speaker of the House – also a Democrat. They’ll be hobnobbing with celebrities at the exclusive W Hollywood hotel – downing champagne and caviar, and chuckling about Speaker Kotek’s duplicity at supporting tax breaks for her Hollywood chums/ATMs after she and her Democratic colleagues demonized tax credits and deductions all session long as"giveaways for the rich”.
oregoncatalyst.com/25317-tina-kotek-hollywood.html...alyst)

Gov. Kitzhaber undermining rights of parents!!

Governor Kitzhaber has put himself in charge of Oregon’s Education System and Oregon’s healthcare network: the Oregon Health Authority. As a result of this double take-over, there is a Triple Threat to our children and their families. That threat includes the Network of School Based Health Centers (SBHCs); the grades K-12 Comprehensive Sexuality Education Standards that the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) promotes; and the Annual Adolescent Sexuality Conference in Seaside (ASC). And what makes this Triple Threat even more unreasonable is that the governor is using our money to pay for it!
oregoncatalyst.com/25291-gov-kitzhaber-undermining....html

Oregon Castle Doctrine Grab your pen. Sign the petition, share this post.

This is one of the most important petition initiatives to support by signing and sharing among Oregonians.
As it stands, right now, an intruder (or his family) could sue you if you defend your home or business. You may not be charged as a criminal, but you could be sued for financial 'damages'.
Oregon Castle Doctrine • If someone is trying to break into your home or office, you ought to be able to use whatever force is necessary to stop the intruder, without having to worry about being sued afterwards. At least 35 states do have such laws, and it is high time for Oregon to do the same.
www.facebook.com/oregoncastledoctrineact

Health Care Town Hall October 16, 630-8pm 10301 NE Glisan St.

Folks, please make a note of this important townhall meeting to be held this Wednesday evening regarding the Oregon Health Care Plan hosted by Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer. She will also be joined by Sen. Jackie Dingfelder and Rep. Michael Dembrow. One of the agenda items is to explore a"Single Payer” system. Is this a nudge or a push? We need to fill this event with conservative minded people that support individual choice and privacy with their healthcare. That don’t want"Navigators” and the IRS in the middle of their personal health matters and finances. Let’s use this opportunity to educate others about the concerns with Obama Care and to glean more information about the Oregon Health Care Plan. Sen. Jackie Dingfelder, Rep. Michael Dembrow and Alissa Keny-Guyer will be joined by Dr. Bruce Goldberg, director of the Oregon Health Authority Director, and David Barenberg from Cover Oregon, Oregon's new Health Insurance Exchange program. Rep. Keny-Guyer is the Vice Chair of the House Health Care Committee, she is delighted to see how these health initiatives are already starting to lower the cost of health care AND improve the health of our citizens. Please bring your questions and comments and make your voices heard. As always, respectfully and peacefully.

creatingentertainment.com

Creating Entertainment is your "go to" place for everyone to search for and discover the latest events and nightclubs around the area in a simple convenient manner. It is to provide a range of services from music, photography to video editing and everything in between. If you want to discover local nightclub events, a place to relax and lounge around with friends, or even new clothing lines, then this is the place to look. We provide full descriptions for each business and event advertised, along with pictures and social media links, all you have to do is read and click for more info! www.creatingentertainment.com

Is there a job for every unemployed Oregonian?

Even if every private employer with an open job in Oregon filled the position, there would still be a considerable number of unemployed Oregonians — at least that was the case this summer. That was the finding of the Oregon Employment Department's summer Job Vacancy Survey. In July, there were 157,300 unemployed Oregonians and 42,900 private-sector job openings. That pencils out to about 4 unemployed residents for every one job.
www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/2013/10/is-there....html

Why Is Right to Work Right for Oregon?

Since the U.S. Supreme Court Beck decision in 1988, no American must join a union to hold a job. But in 26 states, including Oregon, workers still have to pay union dues. The plaintiff in that historic court case, Harry Beck, is now an Oregonian. He recently told Cascade that"Beck Rights are not enough. No one should be forced to pay dues to a union they choose not to join.” Come join Steve Buckstein to discuss this situation, and what Oregonians can do now to grant workers more employee choice. Cascade Policy Institute
Cost:Free Noon October 16, 2013 Cascade Policy Institute 4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd. Suite 103 Portland, Or. 97225
Sponsored By O'Donnell, Clark, and Crew.

The governor condemnes a proposed "right to work" initiative!

The people Oregonians elect to make laws, their legislators and the governor, enjoy an uncomfortable relationship with the initiative process, which allows citizens and interest groups to take proposed laws directly to voters. This natural tension is on full display these days, as Gov. John Kitzhaber plays whack-a-mole with a slew of proposed measures that predict a battle between business and labor interests in November 2014. The governor has been trying to convince those involved to stand down, because a business-labor spat will make tax reform – the governor's next big project – even harder to pull off than it would be normally. In true whack-a-mole fashion, however, two more proposed initiatives popped up recently despite the governor's efforts. Both are the work of public employee unions, and both respond to proposed initiatives that would make it more difficult for them to collect money. Kitzhaber might prevail eventually, but at the moment there's plenty of posturing and uncertainty. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. The state's powerful unions are worried by the possibility that voters will allow public employees to choose how to spend their wages. Jill Gibson Odell, co-sponsor of the right to work proposal.
www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/10/initi...river

Health Care Town Hall October 16, 630-8pm 10301 NE Glisan St.

Folks, please make a note of this important townhall meeting to be held this Wednesday evening regarding the Oregon Health Care Plan hosted by Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer. She will also be joined by Sen. Jackie Dingfelder and Rep. Michael Dembrow. One of the agenda items is to explore a"Single Payer” system (see 3rd paragraph from the end). Is this a nudge or a push? We need to fill this event with conservative minded people that support individual choice and privacy with their healthcare. That don’t want"Navigators” and the IRS in the middle of their personal health matters and finances. Let’s use this opportunity to educate others about the concerns with Obama Care and to glean more information about the Oregon Health Care Plan. Sen. Jackie Dingfelder, Rep. Michael Dembrow and Alissa Keny-Guyer will be joined by Dr. Bruce Goldberg, director of the Oregon Health Authority Director, and David Barenberg from Cover Oregon, Oregon's new Health Insurance Exchange program. Sen. Dingfelder, Rep. Dembrow and I will also mention legislation we have worked on to promote other ways to improve health and health care access, through exploring a SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM, promoting access to healthy food, limiting toxic exposure, and reaching out to under-served populations. Rep. Keny-Guyer is the Vice Chair of the House Health Care Committee, she is delighted to see how these health initiatives are already starting to lower the cost of health care AND improve the health of our citizens.
Please bring your questions and comments and make your voices heard. As always, respectfully and peacefully.
Carla Pletka, President Oregon 912 Project

Gov. Kitzhaber eyes divisive ballot measures

Gov. John Kitzhaber is negotiating to keep two sets of inflammatory initiatives from becoming ballot measures in 2014 so they don’t threaten his plans to reform the state’s tax system in 2015. One set of three initiatives would effectively turn Oregon into a"right to work” state. They would apply only to public employment, but public unions are larger and more well organized in Oregon than private sector unions. The other two would forbid the state from collecting union dues or political donations through members’ paychecks, which would make it hard to collect dues at all. The other set of initiatives would raise taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals. They were all filed by Patrick Green, long-time executive director of Our Oregon, a coalition of left-leaning groups, including nearly all Oregon’s prominent unions.
www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20131013/NEWS/310...eck=1

Restricting honest consumers hasn't reduced meth abuse in Oregon!!

It seems that despite the best efforts of Oregon policy makers and law enforcement, methamphetamine (meth) abuse continues to ravage the Beaver State. Recent media coverage, including an Oregonian special report, has unveiled a newer, darker side of the Oregon drug scene: Mexican drug cartels trafficking meth into our state. In the past, they were on the fringe; more meth was produced locally. That has changed. They are now the dominant supplier. And the meth problem has become less predictable, more expensive, harder to spot and generally more violent. The infiltration of drug cartels is the logical outcome of the state's steady decline in local meth production. Since 2005, Oregon, along with surrounding Washington and California, began to see a drastic drop in the number of meth labs busted in the state. The vast majority of Oregon's decline in meth production took place prior to the passage of any prescription law. The fallacy of the Oregon experience has lived on long enough. It is time for policymakers across the country to understand that Oregon's prescription law for pseudoephedrine has failed to achieve its goals. Meanwhile, honest Oregonians who simply want to buy effective cold medicine over the counter have been forced to suffer due to tight restrictions on their personal freedoms.
www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/10/guest...river

ODOT hires managers' children for summer jobs

Managers at the Oregon Department of Transportation arranged temporary agency jobs for their children this year despite state rules that prohibit nepotism in hiring and the use of an official position to obtain financial gain for a relative. At least eight children of employees secured temporary jobs for two to six months making between $11.33 and $15.27 an hour, most within the Transportation Department's information systems and technology units, according to records requested by The Oregonian. ODOT's situation sounds, at the least, like a violation of the spirit of state rules, said John Dienhart, director of the Center for Business Ethics at Seattle University's Albers School of Business. They included the daughter of Ron Winterrowd, the manager of information systems at ODOT; the son of Dave Ringeisen, the manager of the department's transportation data section; and the son of Lynn Cartwright, a project delivery manager in the information systems department who retired in 2012 and is now collecting a pension of $91,000 a year, while working 20 hours a week at her old job.
www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/10/odot...river

Ugly moment of truth for Bonneville Power Administration!

It would be difficult to overstate the significance to the Northwest of last week's flaming attack by the federal Department of Energy upon this region's key broker of cheap electricity, the Bonneville Power Administration. In so many words, the DOE's Office of the Inspector General declared BPA to be a rogue DOE unit that defies federal law and then lies about it. The immediate subject is the exclusion from BPA's hiring process of military veterans, who deservedly won support when Congress told federal agencies years ago to give to veterans every best chance at winning the next government job. Federal investigators found BPA went so far as to redefine job qualifications and repost jobs after reviewing candidates to eliminate veterans and others among them. Facing federal review, BPA then apparently tried to hide its practices by removing documents from its own files.
www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/10/its_t...river

Oregon Iron Works sues CRC over mitigation payment

Oregon Iron Works is suing the Oregon Department of Transportation over the value of a mitigation agreement it reached with the state and Washington over the height of the Columbia River Crossing. Under the agreement, Oregon Iron Works was pledged $11.8 million under the mitigation plan. Greenberry Industrial was pledged $24.8 million and Thompson Metal Fab was pledged $49.8 million. The agreements were made in order to mitigate for potential economic impacts to the companies, whose products could not be barged below the 116-foot proposed height of the replacement bridge.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/oreg...river

CRC faces political hurdles ahead of Oregon special session!

Oregon lawmakers are considering reviving the once-dead Columbia River Crossing in a special session later this month. They’re looking to barrel ahead on a $2.7 billion Oregon-led plan that relies heavily on tolls, cutting interchanges in Washington out after that state’s lawmakers bailed on a plan this summer to kick in $450 million. In addition, $107.8 million already spent by Oregon and Washington count toward the financing plan. An additional $86.4 million pledged to three companies to make up for the proposed bridge’s shorter 116-foot clearance has yet to be funded.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/colu...river

Oregonians should bar driver cards for illegal immigrants!

Friends its not just those folks South of our border. It is everyone that are already here. Cartel members, AL Qaeda, Hezbollah, and the
Muslim Brotherhood to name a few. Last week, culminating five months of effort by hundreds of volunteers, the group Protect Oregon Driver Licenses presented more than 70,000 voters' signatures to the secretary of state's office. What those signatures will do: assure a place on next year's ballot for a referendum measure to repeal Senate Bill 833, the state law passed in May that grants "driver cards" to illegal immigrants. Why did my compatriots and I undertake this effort? Because SB833 undercuts federal efforts to regulate immigration, unemployed Oregonians' hopes of finding jobs and police and sheriffs' work to interdict drugs said Richard F. LaMountain.
www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/10/orego...river

Oregon counterfeiter nailed bills all had same serial number!

Dietrich happens to be a supervisor at the Oregon Department of Revenue. Michael Wayne Dietrich, of Keizer, was taken into custody at his house. He was charged with 52 counts of first-degree forgery and possession of forged money. A tip to would-be counterfeiters: Think about changing the serial numbers on your bogus bills. That’s what tripped up a Salem-area man, who was arrested Thursday and faces prison for printing and passing counterfeit twenty- and fifty-dollar bills.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/oreg...river

Oregon concealed handgun licenses Permits surge 22 percent since January!

In Oregon, about one in 15 adults is now licensed to carry a concealed handgun, up from one in 22 adults in 2010. The surge has been particularly strong this year. The number of concealed handgun licenses issued in Oregon increased 22.7 percent during the first six months of 2013, according to Oregon State Police figures. The increase was similar across the Portland area: 22.9 in Clackamas County, 23.8 percent in Washington County, 26.2 percent in Multnomah County. Hayes has a lot of company. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Public Safety Training Center & Indoor Shooting Range serves as county's processing center for concealed handgun licenses and is one of the most heavily used shooting venues in the Portland area. Interest in handgun training has been so strong that the range has had a hard time keeping ammunition in stock, especially the most popular calibers, such as what Hayes uses.
www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2013/...ments

Parents Want To Raise Their Children Not Visit Them!

'Taken into Custody' exposes the greatest and most destructive civil rights abuse in America today. Family courts and Soviet-style bureaucracies trample basic civil liberties, entering homes uninvited and taking away people's children at will, then throwing the parents into jail without any form of due process, much less a trial. Read more...www.stephenbaskerville.net/default

Oregon grand bargain K-12 money unlikely to hit this school year!

In selling the need for a legislative special session to boost education funding, Gov. John Kitzhaber said if lawmakers acted quickly, they could funnel money into classrooms this school year. But a late amendment to the school funding bill that passed during this week’s three-day session dumped all $100 million into next school year. That means districts short on reserve funds probably won’t add school days or hire teachers until next school year. But the House Democrats who tacked on the amendment have an angle: They hope that by pushing the money into next school year, K-12 funding will have a higher established standard when lawmakers convene in 2015 to set the next state budget. Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, said the goal was to make sure school districts invested the money in adding back days and teachers instead of one-time expenditures.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/gran....html


https://chumly.com/n/1fa015e

Who qualifies for Oregon's new business tax cut 2013 special session

As part of the"grand bargain,” the Oregon Legislature adopted a new tax cut for some business owners last week during a three-day special session. The complicated new law that will take effect in the 2015 tax year, giving owners of limited liability companies, partnerships and"S corporations” new, lower tax rates. First, the income can’t be"passive,” a tax distinction that aims to differentiate shareholders from owners who are actively employed by their business. In other words, only business owners who work for their business or draw a salary from their business are eligible and shareholders who just get checks don't. Second, the business must have at least one non-investor employee.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/find...river

Defund Obama Care!

From Jim Noble:
I get so frustrated when I hear the media talking about Obamacare. What you are not hearing is. If you are a low income family you will get a full or partial subsidies as a "Tax Credit". Which means, for a full tax year you have to come up with a monthly bill for that $200-$800.00 plus! (depends how big your family is) insurance premium every month and then when you file your taxes if you don't "owe" you will get your "Tax Credit". If you're low income how do you afford that? This is a hidden fact you are not hearing and this is the reason that low income families don't have health insurance now and now you are going to get fined if you don't do it! People this a going to be a huge trainwreck waiting to happen. Please share this and get the facts out there. You are not hearing this from the government or the media.

A Graphic View of Poverty in Oregon!

Poverty continues to engulf too many Oregonians, and the latest data show things aren't getting any better. The Great Recession officially ended in June of 2009. Unfortunately, after more than two years of anemic economic recovery, poverty in Oregon was still worse in 2012 than at the depth of that recession. -OCPP Oreon Center for Public Policy because Facts Matter!
Last Friday Wall Street Journal editor James Taranto tackled head on several of the feminist 'myths' about children and poverty. Pointing out how children in the care of their fathers are less likely to end up on welfare roles.
Nearly 100 years ago in correspondence to friends Albert Einstein complained of being alienated from his children by his estranged wife. Kids need both parents; past, present and future.
www.ocpp.org/2013/09/19/graphic-view-poverty-orego...regon

The Value Of A Home!

Foster care in the news: "... it is impossible to address the foster care problem without tackling broader issues of Our Corrupt Family Court's, drug abuse, sexual abuse, and poverty." Thanks to all of you who braved the rain last night to come celebrate the Foster Youth Bill of Rights (SB123) with us! It was a really special event and we were so excited to hear from guest speaker Lynn Tiede (from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative) about the impact of positive youth development programs like Oregon Foster Youth Connection on building resilience in the adolescent brain. "No young person is a lost cause," she said. We couldn't agree more! Thanks also to our youth speakers Sam and Deedee. You guys rocked! Last Friday Wall Street Journal editor James Taranto tackled head on several of the feminist 'myths' about children and poverty. Pointing out how children in the care of their fathers are less likely to end up on welfare roles.
online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788732330850457....html
www.npr.org/2013/09/22/225148325/foster-care-in-am...homes

Kitzhaber Calls For Special Session on The CRC For October 15th! Any Takers?

As if $2 Billion Dollars in new revenue form this last session was not enough. The 2013 special session raised $244 million in proposed new taxes! Gov. John Kitzhaber got his way, and now some big changes could be coming to Oregonians' pocketbooks. Taxpayers currently may claim a $183 exemption credit for themselves and each dependent. Under the proposal, the credit would be eliminated for individuals earning more than $100,000 or couples earning more than $200,000. It's a small change, but eliminating credits for dependents means it would impact large families most, said Rep. Vicki Berger R-Salem. "If we don't do something about it it's just going to increase exponentially," said Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland. "As with any deal, it's a sausage-making process," said Rep. Jules Bailey, D-Portland. Life is Like A Box of Chocolates; You Never Know What You Are Going To Get. Except with a Special Session for The CRC we know exactly what we will get! "A go-it-alone plan isn't in Oregon's best interest." OMG CRC WTF ??
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/2013...river

Rep. Earl Blumenauer wants to cut Willamette Superfund costs!

Muddy Waters! Rep. Earl Blumenauer's wife works for the company paying the bills for the clean-up. Blumenauer rarely—if ever—publicly acknowledges the conflict of interest he has on the Portland Harbor debate: His wife, Margaret D. Kirkpatrick, is senior vice president and general counsel for NW Natural. The utility last year awarded her $769,080 in total compensation—including salary, bonuses and other benefits—and her NW Natural stock holdings are valued at $347,000. NW Natural owns two polluted industrial properties along the Willamette River where it buried tar left over from gas plants that stopped operating in 1956. The company’s most recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shows its liability for the Superfund cleanup is at least $43 million. Blumenauer says his wife’s financial stake in NW Natural has not affected his position.
www.wweek.com/portland/article-21174-muddy_waters.....html

Oregon Republicans Cave On Grand Bargain!

The three day special session ended Wednesday. There is nothing we did this week that couldn't have waited until the February regular session when these issues could have gone through the regular committee process. Why would a state legislator oppose the Governors"Grand Bargain” when my small businesses would save thousands of dollars in taxes from its tax cuts? Is it because Republicans are caving on their principles and joining Democrats in raising taxes on the poor and elderly? Or, is it because it would give a boost to Governor Kitzhaber’s expected re-election campaign? Actually it is neither. It’s because it doesn’t solve the PERS problem that is robbing teachers from classrooms, taking cops and firefighters off the streets and causing criminals to be released, all of which hurts Oregonians. This back room deal only kicks the can down the road. This is especially true when you consider that Democrats and their union bosses are counting on Oregon judges, (enrolled in PERS) throwing out the savings in this deal, leaving the damage to Oregonians continuing into the future.
I fear Republicans will have settled for a few crumbs from the table while allowing Governor Kitzhaber and the Democrats to escape blame for the PERS disaster. So HB3601 passed after Speaker Kotek broke several Dems arms to get the vote to pass the net tax increase bill. 10 Republicans voted in favor of this bill and here are their names. Davis, Esquivel, Gilliam, Huffman, Johnson, McLane, Parrish, Smith, Thompson, and Weidner. Shame On You ALL!! Republicans gave Democrats cover on PERS and raising taxes on the poor and elderly, and nothing will change in the minds of the voters and Republicans will have missed their chance to bring long term change to Oregon’s politics because they stood on their principles. PERS is a long term problem that requires a long term political solution which will only be possible when voters figure out that they must elect judges, legislators and governors who solve the problem for the good of Oregon. Republicans helping pass a"Grand Bargain” will not make that a reality.
oregoncatalyst.com/25037-oppose-grand-bargain.html...alyst)

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SIGNS UN ANTI-GUN TREATY

As you know, the Obama administration signed onto the anti-gun"UN Small Arms Treaty.” Every knowledgeable pro-gun source has declared this is a blatant attack on our rights and sovereignty. Republicans in the Senate have vowed that this treaty will not be ratified, but as we have seen, the Obama machine is more than happy to ignore the law and the will of the people to implement its agenda. This is certainly a dangerous development. Oregon has two of the most anti-gun Senators in the country. No doubt they are eager to move forward with this liberty crushing"treaty.” Still they need to hear from you. Please contact Wyden and Merkley and demand that they vote against any ratification of the UN Small Arms Treaty.
www.wyden.senate.gov/contact
www.merkley.senate.gov/contact

##2A #UNTreaty #AntiGun #Wyden #Merkley #NRA #OFF


https://chumly.com/n/1f6e288

Terry Emmert Brings Arena Football To Portland!

Thank You Terry Emmert of Emmert International for bringing Arena football to Portland, Oregon ! Also, Thank You for all the work you do to help Our Youth and Children in Our State. Terry, I Tip My Hat To You Tim McMenamin For Oregon .

Why I oppose Kitzhaber's Grand Bargain

The current PERS unfunded liability is likely much higher than the state’s estimate of 14 Billion dollars according to a new report from State Budget Solutions (a think tank) which shows it as high as 75 Billion dollars. When the Federal Reserve stops printing money and the stock market declines, the PERS unfunded liability grows even larger, just like what happened in 2008.
oregoncatalyst.com/25037-oppose-grand-bargain.html...alyst)

From Cave Junction ranch and lab, Art Robinson provides voice for Oregon GOP

CAVE JUNCTION--As a $2 million mass spectrometer quietly analyzes urine samples in the lab next to his office, Art Robinson holds forth in a professorial tone honed from his years as a research chemist. The new chairman of the Oregon Republican Party expounds at length about the complex device, insisting he's really just a scientist who was reluctantly dragged into politics. In 1988, Laurelee died suddenly of a rare form of acute pancreatitis at age 43. He was left with six children, aged 17 months to 12 years. Robinson continued their home-schooling in a converted shed, adopting what he described as a system of self-learning, albeit with some stern limits. Among them: no sugar and no TV.
www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/09/from_ca...37582