Poverty in Oregon food stamps, welfare, Medicaid reliance by county

Nearly five years after the Great Recession officially ended, more than one in five Oregonians continues to rely on food stamps, and nearly 17 percent live in poverty. Rural Oregon counties continue to fare the worst, with food stamps and Medicaid rates exceeding 30 percent in Jefferson and Josephine counties. In some timber-reliant counties, the poverty rate exceeds 20 percent. The Oregonian mapped state and county unemployment, poverty, food stamps, welfare and Medicaid rates using January 2014 numbers from the Oregon Department of Human Services. The figures show slight improvements from last summer, when The Oregonian last mapped poverty by county. But it's clear that the state continues to struggle and that rural Oregon continues to be left behind in the recovery.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/pove....html

What's Portland's most crime-ridden bus line?

What is the Portland area’s most crime-ridden bus line? What TriMet park-and-rides do auto thieves target the most? Where are transit riders least likely to be a crime victim? The bus route with the most reported crimes was the No. 72 (Killingsworth/82nd Avenue). There were 44 reported incidents, including 14 assaults, eight robberies, one sex offense (involving masturbation) and eight thefts. Police were busiest at the Gateway Transit Center, the scene of 48 reported crimes. Twenty of those involved auto thefts or car break-ins at the park-and-ride garage. The only part of the TriMet system where crime went up in 2013 was along the Green Line between Gateway and Clackamas Town Center. Along that section of track, 48 crimes were reported in 2012 while 52 were reported in 2013. Most of that increase was recorded at stations along Interstate 205. Actually, only the Lents and Holgate stations, serving two of Portland's high-crime areas, showed upticks.
www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2014/04/wha....html

Poll Kitzhaber 3% from Losing Race!

National poll puts Gov. Kitzhaber within 3% of defeat by challenger Rep. Dennis Richardson
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon PAC. A nationally recognized political & public affairs polling firm, Harper Polling, recently released an Oregon poll showing incumbent Governor John Kitzhaber within 3% of losing his seat to challenger Rep. Dennis Richardson. The poll puts Gov. Kitzhaber at 46%, and Rep,. Dennis Richardson at 43%. A full 11% were undecided. The poll represents a tidal wave of discontent for Governor Kitzhaber and a winning chance for challenger Rep. Dennis Richardson.
oregoncatalyst.com/27320-poll-kitzhaber-3-losing-r...alyst)

Oregon DMV may be the nation's worst!!

If you’ve ever walked out of an Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicles Services office muttering,"Oregon DMV is the worst,” you weren’t exaggerating, according to a new national survey. www.dmv.com, a startup that aims to"ease the stress and annoyance of dealing with the DMV,” compiled a list of the country's best and worst state motor-vehicle agencies. Oregon came in dead last.
www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2014/04/ore....html

More than one-third of Top 50 PERS recipients are retired educators!!

Most of those are retired college professors, primarily from fields such as math, science and engineering. But four of Oregon's Top 25 PERS pensions go to retirees who worked in K-12 education, including retired Lake Oswego Superintendent Bill Korach, former Portland Public Schools human resources director Steve Goldschmidt and retired Beaverton Superintendent Jerry Colonna. You can see the whole list, obtained by Oregonian investigative reporter Ted Sickinger, in a searchable database by The Oregonian and OregonLive.
www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2014/04/mor....html

Steve Novick Yanking Endorsement of Fellow Commissioner Dan Saltzman's Re-election

Portland City Commissioner Steve Novick is furious over comments his fellow Commissioner Dan Saltzman made to WW this week questioning whether the Portland Bureau of Transportation needs a new street maintenance fee. WW reported Wednesday in Murmurs that Saltzman and Commissioner Nick Fish are opposed to bypassing voters to create a $12-a-month street fee on households and even higher taxes on businesses. Saltzman went further, questioning whether PBOT needed the money at all."I’m not absolutely convinced we need the street maintenance fee,” Saltzman said."The Transportation Bureau seems to be falling all over themselves to subsidize a bike-share program. If we have dollars to subsidize bike share, why don’t we have dollars to put in sidewalks and fix up our roads?” www.wweek.com/portland/blog-31538-city_commissione....html

Ed McNamara Portlands Urban Renewal Advisor, is Leaving City Hall

Ed McNamara, the mayor's policy director overseeing the Portland Development Commission, says he will return in June to his private development company, Turtle Island Development LLC. (more on Turtle Island later). The Oregonian reported this morning that Hales will bring his new urban-renewal plan—including the elimination of a Portland State University "education district"—to the City Council next week. McNamara led the mayor's efforts to double down on urban renewal in Old Town/Chinatown and in Lents. The city has spent $96 million on reviving the East Portland neighborhood of Lents, and now wants to invest as much as another $55 million over the next five years. www.wweek.com/portland/blog-31545-ed_mcnamara_mayo....html

Oregon marijuana legalization campaign receives $100,000 from George Soros!!

An Oregon group backing a marijuana legalization initiative has received a $100,000 contribution from Drug Policy Action, a group that was a key backer of a similar legalization campaign in Washington in 2010. The New York-based group -- which is the political arm of the Drug Policy Alliance -- is closely tied to billionaire George Soros, a philanthropist and currency trader who has reportedly spent some $80 million over the last two decades on efforts to legalize marijuana. Drug Policy Action spent nearly $1.8 million on the Washington campaign and officials from the group helped shape the measure to make it more appealing. New Approach Oregon, which has just started collecting signatures for its proposed ballot measure, has also sought to craft an initiative that would appeal to voters who don't themselves use marijuana. Drug Policy Action last year gave $60,000 to the group.
www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2014/04/oregon_....html

Openly gay judge, Michael McShane, Overseeing Same-Sex Marriage in Oregon

Starting next week, the spotlight on the status of gay marriage in America will shift to the Eugene courtroom of U.S. District Judge Michael McShane – who finds himself in an unusual position. Unlike the five federal judges who have struck down laws prohibiting same-sex marriages in other states in recent months, McShane won't have anyone in the courtroom defending Oregon's constitutional ban when he holds oral arguments Wednesday. And, unlike the other judges, McShane also happens to be one of just nine openly gay members of the federal judiciary, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Backers of a gay marriage initiative are even asking McShane to rule by May 23 so that they don't have to take their fight to the November ballot. McShane, citing the sensitivity of the case, declined to be interviewed for this story.
www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2014/04/gay_mar....html

Randy Harvey Ph.D. J.D. Messages That Matter!!

Dr. Randy J. Harvey aka "Fat Daddy" is the 2004 World Champion of Public Speaking worked with me the other day. His inspiration and skills are beyond compare. He knows what it takes to capture the heart and the mind of an audience of ten thousand or a jury of 12, the keys to communication are the same, Speak from your heart and the world will listen. He is my trainer and mentor. I only hope I am half the spaeaker Dr. Harvey is before I appear on Straight Talk!

Legislators OK Hiring 113 Child Welfare Workers At DHS

Oregon legislators on Friday approved hiring 113 child welfare workers, an effort they said is needed to help prevent abuses such as those that recently came to light."What is going on there is a direct result of a lack of funding,” said Sen. Alan Bates, D-Medford."There were such huge caseloads that there was no way in the world they could follow what is going on properly in some areas.” Bates was referirng to recent lawsuits filed against the Department of Human Services for negligence. The state budget includes $10.7 million more from the tax-supported general fund, and $20.4 million more overall, for 113 more child-welfare positions. That’s about 85 full-time workers, according to a budget report. Erin Kelly-Siel from the DHS did not respond to a request for comment on those numbers Friday.
There are approximately 8,700 Oregon children in foster care and each one spends about 457 days in foster care, according to DHS’ website.
www.opb.org/news/article/legislators-ok-hiring-113...t-dhs

Programs Aim At Keeping Kids In Stable Homes

The reason most of these children are in foster care is because their parents are drug addicts. I like to try the simplest solution first. Let's keep these illegal drugs out of Oregon which is actually easy to do and costs a whole lot less than to keep expanding the Department of Human Services (DHS). First step is to keep from giving these cartel members Oregon Drivers Licenses. Kids in Oregon are twice as likely as children nationwide to be placed in foster care. And child advocates say that’s a problem. Mainly because national statistics on the success of foster kids aren’t good — a quarter have been homeless at least once by age 23, and almost half have been on food stamps by the same age. This spring, there was an opening celebration at Bridge Meadows in Portland. It’s a new housing complex where families pay less rent if they agree to adopt three children. And older people, like Linda Komanecky, also move in nearby. They also get a reduction in rent if they agree to volunteer at least 10 hours a week helping adoptive families.
www.opb.org/news/article/programs-aim-keeping-kids...homes

Oregonians Face 16th Highest State And Local Tax Burden In Nation As A Share Of Income!!

The latest study from the Tax Foundation shows that Oregonians spend more of their incomes on taxes than Americans as an average and shoulder the 16th highest [out of 50] state and local tax burden in the nation, including one of the highest income tax rates in the nation. In recent legislative sessions, House Republicans have put forth measures to provide tax relief to all Oregonians including middle-class and working families, low-income seniors, farmers, businesses and students.
taxfoundation.org/article/2014-state-business-tax-...index

School Choice in Oregon Under Attack!!

By Chana Cox, Ph.D School Choice in. Here in Oregon, Governor Kitzhaber and the current democratically controlled state legislature have launched a similar campaign to close and charter schools in Oregon. Taken together House Bill 4127 and Senate Bill 1538 will effectively eliminate school choice in this state except for those parents who are wealthy enough to afford private schools. In Oregon Under Attack! Over the last decade New York City has become the home of some spectacularly successful inner city publicly funded charter schools. School administrators like Geoffrey Canada and Eva Moskowitz, public inner city charter schools Success Academies, Harlem Childrens’ Zone, and the KIPP schools graduate over 90% of their students almost all of whom go on to college. These schools admit by lottery and there are tens of thousands of New York children on waiting lists. Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York teachers unions have launched a campaign to destroy these charters. It is noteworthy that Senate Bill 1538 was drafted by the Portland Public School District which has consistently erected barriers to school choice in Portland.
nw-connection.com/blog1/category/opinion

Divided Damascus Reveals METRO’s Flaws

By Les Poole: Fortunately there is ample information available that gives us insight as to how Damascus became a land-use battleground, and why regional governments should not have authority over our counties for planning decisions. The Damascus divide should become a test case for modifying some interpretations of the Oregon Land Use Plan. Approved in 1973, Senate Bill 100 was never intended to become a holy grail for regional planning and control. The battle that’s pitted neighbor against neighbor in Damascus has become common elsewhere in the region, and each battle includes METRO as a major participant. In 2002 METRO proudly added thousands of acres to the Urban Growth Boundary, an action that should have been administered by Clackamas County. Unfortunately METRO was in control, and unreasonable expectations for Damascus became the order of the day. Damascus has survived the disincorporation effort, and eventually it will become a city that is prepared for the inevitable growth that is bulging along its western boundary. In May of 2014 we expect to see one or more comprehensive plans on the ballot.
nw-connection.com/blog1/category/opinion/page/3

Keep Calling for Parental Rights!!

Last week we asked you to call your congressman and encourage him or her to support the Parental Rights Amendment by becoming a cosponsor of HJRes. 50. But the House is scheduled to launch a two-week spring recess on Friday. So for the next two days we need to redouble our efforts. Please take a moment and call your congressman again, urging support for HJRes. 50, the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
You can find your congressman’s contact information by clicking on your state at parentalrights.org/states. Or you can ask for their office by name through the Capitol Switchboard, 202-224-3121.
If you don’t know what to say, you can find a sample message in last week’s newsletter available online here.
www.parentalrights.org/index.asp?SEC={5595B4A8-8BF...1429}

Oregon's Marijuana Shops Tighten Rules

Marijuana Shops Regulated By The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) You Know The Ones that Oversaw Cover Oregon!!
Anybody but me see anything wrong with this? A state license also affords dispensaries some protection by making infractions of state rules a civil matter rather than a crime, Bullock said. Allegations arose under the old system that some pot shops were illegally selling marijuana. The new rules make it legal for dispensaries to pay growers for their product and receive payment from their customers directly. But sales will be scrutinized. The regulations say a shop must document operating costs, to include"costs of transferring, handling, securing, insuring, testing, packaging and processing … and the cost of supplies, utilities and rent or mortgage.” But the amount the "patient" buys is not tracked.. So, a person can go from one head shop to another buying the maximum 24 ounces!!
www.opb.org/news/article/oregons-marijuana-shops-t...rules

Kitzhaber Off To Big Fundraising Lead In Oregon Governor's Race

Incumbent Democrat John Kitzhaber has staked out a sizeable lead over likely Republican challenger Dennis Richardson. Kitzhaber has already brought in roughly four times as much cash at Richardson. In addition to that, his contributors are signing much bigger checks. The two candidates have yet to face off in a debate and neither campaign has started airing ads. But you can expect to hear Richardson highlighting Kitzhaber’s role in the state’s struggling health insurance exchange, Cover Oregon. The governor says he’s taking steps to get the exchange back on track. In fact, some of his biggest checks have come from the healthcare industry. Sure, if I owned MODA, or Kaiser I'd be giving Dr. Kitz large sums of money too. Not to mention All The Money From Out-Of-State Unions!! The left says Republicans are the Big Money Party. Not in Kitzhabers Case!!
www.opb.org/news/article/npr-kitzhaber-off-to-big-...-race

Portland State University will spend $6.4 million on faculty raises, hopes to net good will

Under a new contract tentatively agreed to Sunday, Portland State University will give its faculty $6.4 million worth of raises over the next year and a half, officials said Monday. That is $2.8 million more than the university had said it could afford in its March 7 "final offer," so the university will have to spend more from savings than it planned and "continue to sharpen our pencils" to look for efficiencies or other savings, President Wim Wiewel said Monday. The new contract, which still must be voted on by the faculty union's roughly 900 members, will largely give the union what is sought during 11 months of negotiations, including more multi-year contracts for non-tenure-track instructors, an end to faculty pay below $40,000 and no change in the union's say over procedural rules for tenure decisions. Raises will not be nearly as large as the union had requested but about three times as large as the administration's initial offer. Must be Nice Everyone I know has Not had a Pay Increase in Over SEVEN Years!! Think I need to join a Union! www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2014/04/por...rpt-1

Pharmacists in politics

State legislators with pharmacy backgrounds shape health care policy
Although no pharmacists are in Congress, 46 pharmacists currently serve in state legislatures across the country. The November elections may bring as many as 12 new pharmacists to their state legislature; 6 pharmacists are running in 4 of the 25 states now without pharmacist legislators.
Of those pharmacists now in office, some had served in government or leadership positions related to pharmacy before their election—state boards of pharmacy, various pharmacy-related committees, and similar groups. Others, however, were new to leadership when elected. A majority, 36, are Republicans; 10 are Democrats.
www.pharmacist.com/pharmacists-politics-0

Heroin use rises in Oregon, mirrors national trend

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Some states, including Oregon, are reporting a rise in heroin use as many addicts shift from more costly and harder-to-get prescription opiates to this cheaper alternative. In the early 2000s, Oregon's problems with heroin use were well-documented. Heroin overdoses in the Portland, Ore., area accounted for nearly as many deaths among young and middle-aged men as cancer or heart disease in 2000. When residents began to turn to prescription pills, heroin deaths dropped. But for those seeking treatment, the percent of heroin users is back up to levels not seen since the 1990s. And the population getting treated is younger than it's ever been. By 2012, that age group was 10 percent of the heroin-treatment population. Last year, 11.6 percent of all heroin addicts seeking treatment in Oregon were younger than 25.
www.kgw.com/news/local/Heroin-use-rises-in-Oregon-....html

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. Vote James Buchal For Congress!
www.wweek.com/portland/article-21174-muddy_waters.....html

Energy-Efficiency Myths of Commuter Rail

Advocates of rail transit tend to argue that we need trains because they are more energy-efficient than buses or cars. Unfortunately, that’s only true in some cases. According to a new report by the Federal Railroad Administration, the average energy consumed by all commuter rail systems in America during 2011 was 2,923 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per passenger-mile. But the commuter line operated by TriMet (WES) was close to the bottom: WES consumed 5,961 BTU per passenger-mile, more than twice the national average. Nonetheless, TriMet management is"all-in” on more commuter rail. In its proposed FY 15 budget, the agency plans to purchase two additional rail vehicles at a total cost of $8.5 million. None of those costs will be paid by the privileged few who ride WES; debt service will be paid by taxpayers for the next 20 years. It’s a cliché but still true: In government, nothing succeeds like failure.
oregoncatalyst.com/27150-energyefficiency-myths-co....html

It's time to admit the failure of Cover Oregon and protect the taxpayers from further losses

Report: it will take $45M and almost two years to ‘fix’ Cover Oregon. That’s under current conditions (keep the database, keep current vendor Oracle), at least according to the Deloitte Development report that the state of Oregon commissioned on how to get from under the horrible state exchange disaster inflicted on Oregon by Governor John Kitzhaber and his fellow Democrats. Reading the report, it looks like Deloitte’s recommendation would be that Oregon simply cut Cover Oregon loose and join the federal exchange. As the Oregonian noted: Oregon could hook up to the federal exchange far sooner and for a fraction of the cost, according to the report obtained by The Oregonian. A hybrid solution mixing the federal exchange and an unfinished Oracle-based small-business section of the exchange would also be faster than sticking with the current plan, as well as cheaper.
www.redstate.com/2014/04/05/cover-oregon-john-kitz...hange

Politicast with Hannah and Anna on the best and worst in politics

Good news for the Oregon Department of Corrections. Violent crime is down thus reducing the expected growth of the inmate population. Also, the magic eight ball makes a prediction. This week Statesman Journal politics reporters Hannah Hoffman and Anna Staver discuss who's having the best and worst week. Vic Gilliam and the Oregon Department of Corrections make the list.
www.statesmanjournal.com/viewart/20140404/STATE/30...itics

Oregon Has Some Serious Problems and It Is Time For Some Serious Leadership!

Team Tim McMenamin For Oregon met at The SkyBox Sports Pub for a Meet and Greet Sunday.
We put together information for future invites and literature for Our next Governor Dennis Richardson and the next Sate Representative for House District 41, Tim McMenamin. The district includes Sellwood, Moreland, Errol Heights, Milwaukie, and Oak Grove. The feedback we have recieved to finally have a pro-business, less government regulation and taxation legislature has been overwhelming. Also of concern to our friends and neighbors in HD 41 is less government intrusion into their lives. Representative Richardson and I look forward to lively debates with our opponents and the defense of their failed policies and laws.

Oregon Has Some Serious Problems and It Is Time For Some Serious Leadership!

Team Tim McMenamin For Oregon met at Lew's Drive In for a Meet and Greet Saturday. Among some of the folks
that stopped by was my Milwukie High School buddy Steve MacGregor. We put together information for future invites and literature for Our next Governor Dennis Richardson and the next Sate Representative for House District 41, Tim McMenamin. House District 41 includes Sellwood, Moreland, Errol Heights, Milwaukie, and Oak Grove. The feedback we have recieved to finally have a pro-business, less government regulation and taxation legislature has been overwhelming. Also of concern to our friends and neighbors in HD 41 is less government intrusion into their lives. Representative Richardson and I look forward to lively debates with our opponents and the defense of their failed policies and laws.

Would you refuse to patronize a store whose owner has beliefs you don’t agree with?

Another controversy has erupted over a Sellwood-Moreland business, this one over the owner’s views on gays and same-sex marriage. Located on a busy block near Southeast Milwaukie Avenue and Bybee Boulevard, the store is taking the place of a former antique shop. Remodeling has been under way for months, and anticipation of what appears to be a new, high-end place to buy food has been building. Recently, neighbors found Facebook postings by owner Chauncy Childs that brought them up short. She wrote a long post about her opposition to same-sex marriage, complaining that"a tiny minority is dictating a change of our social structure.” She said she believes that gay marriage is wrong because it is the start of a slippery slope that could eventually lead to pedophilia and bigamy. But she said those are her private religious beliefs and don’t reflect how the store will operate.
www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/04/owne...river

Welch Allyn moves ahead on layoffs 84 workers get pink slips!!

Welch Allyn makes digital and diagnostic items for the global health care industry. It employs nearly 2,500 workers in 26 countries. Welch Allyn Inc. is following through on its plans to lay off the majority of its Beaverton workers. The company will begin laying off 84 workers May 30 as it cuts the Beaverton operations from 270 employees to 110. Welch Allyn had announced the moves in 2012. Welch Allyn makes digital and diagnostic items for the global health care industry. It employs nearly 2,500 workers in 26 countries.
www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2014/04/....html

Poll Shows City Looking at $12-a-Home Street Fee to Fund Transportation Bureau

Would you support the City of Portland adopting a $12 a month fee on households to fund transportation maintenance and safety measures? If you live in Portland you may have received an automated telephone call asking about measures to increase transportation funding for the Portland Bureau of Transportation. One question not asked: What if City Council passes the new fee without a public vote? Circumventing voters is one option being looked at by Novick and Hales. Both the $8 and $12 fees could be legally passed by City Council without going to the ballot. That bugs Jason Williams of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon, which regularly challenges tax increases on the ballot.
www.wweek.com/portland/blog-31444-poll_shows_city_....html

Oregon gas prices now 11th most expensive in U.S. !!

The bad: Pump prices are still climbing – and the gap separating this spring from last spring is closing fast. In Oregon, the average was up four cents to $3.67, making it the 11th most expensive gas in the U.S. Four months ago, it was ranked 24th. The Oregon average is also in the range where prices may top out this spring -- between about $3.65 and $3.85 a gallon.
www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2014/04/ore....html

Oregon food stamps, welfare numbers rose after long-term unemployment aid ended

SALEM -- The number of Oregonians relying on welfare and food stamps rose slightly in January after long-term unemployment benefits ended in December. The increases illustrate the almost immediate impact local families felt after the federal unemployment benefits ran out, pushing families already living on the margins into welfare. "What they are, in almost all the cases we looked at, would be a single mom and she's on (food stamps), and she's getting unemployment," Porter said. "When her unemployment exhausts, she has no income and is eligible for TANF. They're already a client, so they're very quick to respond to losing that income." About 92,500 Oregonians relied on TANF in January, about 2,000 more than than in December. At its peak in February 2013, TANF helped about 99,000 Oregonians. About 796,200 Oregonians -- one in five residents -- relied on food stamps in January, up about 4,000 from December.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/oreg....html

Cover Oregon to decide whether to fix website or adopt federal exchange

Cover Oregon’s now-infamous website failed to work on Oct. 1, when people were supposed to be able to enroll for health insurance online. It won’t be fully functional by the current Monday deadline, so the board’s next task is to guarantee a working website by Nov. 15, the day people can start to enroll in plans for 2015. The Cover Oregon board will decide in two weeks whether to adopt the federal health insurance exchange website or hire a new contractor to fix the existing site, officials told the Legislative Oversight Committee on Tuesday. The details of the proposals have not been worked out, including cost, the manpower needed to implement each solution, how the project would be managed or the requirements for the new contract. The report to the committee offered a third solution as well — piggy-backing on another state’s system — but Rep. Jim Thompson, R-Dallas, said it appeared most likely the board would choose between the federal exchange and using a new vendor.
www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20140326/NEWS/303...hange

66 candidates have applied to become Cover Oregon leader

Sixty-six candidates have applied for the Cover Oregon executive director position left vacant by Rocky King, consultants from an executive recruitment firm said today. Dennis and Marissa Karras, a father-daughter duo at Karras Consulting, updated the search committee today in Portland. Of the 66 candidates, 11 have been interviewed so far. Thirty-one are from Oregon, 34 are from out of state and one has applied from Israel. Friday is the initial deadline for applications, but the firm says it won’t stop taking applications.
www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20140313/UPDATE/1...13014
https://chumly.com/n/249207a

Governors group, including Kitzhaber, seeking new extension of federal tax credit for wind farms

A group of governors including Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber wrote to congressional leaders Monday urging them to approve a multi-year extension of the federal production tax credit for wind farms as soon as possible. FEDERAL WELFARE BY ANY NAME IS STILL WELFARE. Kitzhaber was chairman of the Governor's Wind Energy Coalition last year, which includes 23 states. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee will chair the coalition next year. Margi Hoffman, a policy advisor for Kitzhaber, says the wind industry has invested some $9 billion in Oregon, though the state's wind energy boom has cooled off in the last two years. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore and now chair of the Senate Finance Committee, will likely play a key role in the PTC debate. He is expected to move this week or next to revive a package of tax breaks – known collectively as tax extenders - that expired at the end of last year. Wyden declined to comment on the package Monday, but said its no secret that he's been a big supporter of the PTC in the past.

PGE takes breather on new power plants until it figures out how to replace Boardman

PGE's action plan includes a series of pilot programs and experiments that will help it determine how to replace the Boardman coal plant, the utility's largest source of electricity, which closes in 2020. The utility has a growing dependence on natural gas to meet demand, leaving customers more exposed to what has historically been very volatile fuel prices. PGE has been spending heavily on new resources to backfill a long-standing generation shortfall that's being exacerbated by the expiration of long-term hydroelectric contracts between now and 2018. The utility is also adding wind energy to comply with state renewable energy mandates. It's the utility's largest set of capital expenditures since it invested in its now- shuttered Trojan nuclear plant. Ratepayers will begin seeing the impact of those investments in rates next year with RATE INCREASES!!
www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/03/pge_....html

Oregon Drops Proposed Ban on Treats Laced With Marijuana

The Oregon Health Authority had threatened to be a buzzkill when it came to medical marijuana dispensaries selling candies, cakes and cookies and other munchies seasoned with pot. But according to the Associated Press, the agency has backed off that proposal, instead focusing a ban on any products that might entice minors. That means nothing brightly colored or formed in the shape of animals, toys or candies. The rules also require marijuana products to be sold in child-proof containers free of cartoons or bright colors.
www.wweek.com/portland/blog-31438-oregon_drops_pro....html