Oregon House Bill 786-- a continuing series of how Oregon is dealing with high unemployment

office of the speaker Dave Hunt

Senate Bill 786, the Oregon workplace religious freedom act, passed the Oregon House on a 38-21 vote on Friday. The act ensures that Oregon businesses will be able to practice their religion freely by requiring employers to provide accommodation for religious believes provided that it does not impose "undue hardships" on the businesses.

The bill is now waiting Governor Ted tax-and-gouge-me's signature

when I see how much Salem is really working so hard to save our economy, it just brings tears to my eyes or is that just my allergies.

on a serious note, I'm sure with all good intentions over this bill... I can already think of a few things that may be placed to challenge. For example, the siesta, halloween is considered a holiday by some, a legal holiday with a day off? Could claim it's a religion.

Hunt claims that this is designed not to "place undue hardship on employers, but to make sure that all businesses know clearly what the responsibilities are when employees as for religious accommodations."

A simple solution is the equivalent to removing the cars off the road for 11 years

Times online --

Professor Steven Chu, a Nobel prize-winning physicist appointed by the Obama administrations energy Secretary, speaking at the opening of the St. James Palace Nobel Laureate Symposium, claims that it would be possible to cut carbon emissions to the equivalent of taking ALL the world's cars off the road for 11 years.

His suggestion... paint the roads and the roofs white.

The theory is that the brighter services would reflect up to 80% of the sunlight back into space.

"Now, you smile, but he’s done a calculation, and if you take all the buildings and make their roofs white and if you make the pavement more of a concrete type of colour rather than a black type of colour, and you do this uniformly . . . it’s the equivalent of reducing the carbon emissions due to all the cars on the road for 11 years"

I wonder if sleepy Ted is not going to run down to the Home Depot and start painting everything from green to white?

Would we want this system?

Camera grid to log number plates
By Richard Bilton
Special correspondent, BBC News


Closer to home, I wonder just who is behind all those cameras plastered around town anyways.

Maybe they should be marked?

state lawmakers figure that you can afford an extra $121 a year in transportation costs

KGW --
State lawmakers unanimously approved a $300 million per year transportation package funded through the increase in gas tax, registration, title and license plate fees, which will mean that the typical Oregon household will pay an additional $121.50 per year or an average of $10 per month extra.

"The costs for the public are not that big," said state Rep. Terry Beyer, a Springfield Democrat and one of the plan's chief architects. But "the benefits for the public are immense."

the money would be divided up so that the counties will receive just under $82 million and the cities just under $55 million. They'll have discretion on how to use the money (yeah, more bike paths and other pet projects) although, it will all go back into transportation in some form or another.

"These jobs are also going to show up in some of the hardest-hit parts of Oregon," said Senate President Peter Courtney at a press conference before the vote. "We're just moments away from a remarkable time in which we will define ourselves as a state legislature."

"This is a transportation package that doesn't grow government," said Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Hillsboro. "These are tax increases that don't grow government. These are tax increases that grow the economy."

"The Republican Party will take a real, hard look at it, but I think the bottom line is it sounds like a mistake to me," Bob Tiernan, chairman of the state's Republican Party said after the committee vote. "I think it's inappropriate. It's the wrong time to raise any taxes."

it looks like Bob Tiernan is the only one that has a head on his shoulders.
Yes, $10 a month may not seem like much to some people, but it's a lot of money to me.
I know someone who's been out of work for over a year and their unemployment has ran out, so as a result, they also lost their home.

We need to start putting money back into this economy not into the hands of the government.

and if we don't start getting our priorities straight now, things are only going to get worse.

AND ADDING MORE TAXES AND MAKING THE COST OF LIVING MORE COSTLY IS NOT THE SOLUTION!

don't give that money back to the owners... give it to the state!

The Oregonian --
The Senate gave final passage to a bill that would require owners of self storage buildings who sell property left in a storage bins to recover past rent to give money from the sales of unclaimed store property to the state.

Previously, owners of storage buildings have been allowed to put a lien on the property when renters fail to pay, and then sell that property to collect the unpaid rent and then give what is left over back to the renter.

Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton, called the bill "atrocious," a "money grab" by the state.

"The state goes in and cherry picks these and pockets the money," he said. "This is a bad bill."

Sen. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Beaverton, said laws require other unclaimed property, such as money abandoned in safety deposit boxes, to be turned over to the state, and the same practice should apply to storage buildings.

... for the state, by the state and of the state

Oregon House OKs ban the sale of automatic dishwasher soap

The Oregonian--
Wednesday, the Legislature gave final approval to a bill similar to Washington state's bill to cut down algae promoting phosphorus after a debate that featured references to desperate housewives, detergent scofflaws and Oregon's runaway geese population.

Senate Bill 631 bans the sale of residential dishwasher soaps with more than 0.5% phosphorus content by July 1, 2010 had already passed the Senate, cleared the House by a vote of 47-13.

Rep. Matt Wingard, R-Wilsonville, held up a news story that said people in Spokane, which adopted earlier restrictions on soap, now drive to Idaho to get dish detergent "because the detergent that is available in their state is no longer cleaning their dishes."

Twelve other states have also adopted similar restrictions.

Responding to a comment by Rep. Bill Garrard, R-Klamath Falls being bombarded by numerous e-mails from unhappy housewives.Rep. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, noted that men also do dishes.

Rep. Mike Schaufler, D-Happy Valley, referring to an earlier bill bemoaning the state's overpopulation of geese, quipped: "I say we get the housewives and househusbands out of the kitchen and start shooting some geese."

sigh
well, let's not make the same mistake that we did after Kulongoski changed over the counter drugs to prescription drugs and now the medication is either too expensive or no longer available in Oregon. In other words, it's time to stock up on automatic dishwashing soap.
So unless they're going to put a quota on how many boxes somebody can buy, I guess I'll go out and buy a crate of my favorite soap before it's too late.

Gads, what morons!

Oh yeah, and what about the states 12.0% unemployment? Oh, that's not important right now.

Springfield forced to raise sewer and storm rates to by 14% EACH or face the rath of the Feds

Register Guard--

Springfield's City Council voted Monday night in favor of increasing local storm and waste water fees by 14%, this will raise local water rates $2.08 a month average, and local stormwater fees will increase by $1.21 per month average.

The reason for the increase is from a hard deadline from a EPA order that mandates improvements to prevent nine city sewers from overflowing during major storms.

"Our citizens are being hit hard, but I want to point out this is really a separation of needs and wants,” Councilor Joe Pishioneri said. “I don’t want to be a part of taxation. … But you folks have to understand, the city needs to have these things done or there will be significant consequences.”

With one in seven out of work, the city councilors were at dismay about raising fees in this recession.

"Mayor Sid Leiken said that if the city ignored the Jan. 1 deadline to improve some of its sewers, the cost to taxpayers in legal fees and fines could be two- to three-times greater than any rate increase.

I can't fault the city council for the increase given the circumstances, however, I do foresee more brown lawns this year then last year.

This is becoming the future of America

Robin's Commentary--

Job Announcement:

Description: Auto Parts Delivery Driver Needed (Company name withheld)
REQUIREMENTS:

* 18 years or older
* Valid license and an insurable driving record (no more than two moving violations within the past three years, and no drug or alcohol related violations within the past three years)

PREFERRED: Fluency in English and Spanish

JOB DUTIES:
* Drive the commercial delivery vehicle to and from specific destinations
* Perform various other duties as assigned

Language skill requirement or preference: Able to speak Spanish preferred. Able to read Spanish preferred. Able to write Spanish preferred.

Well, that leaves me out, guess I'll have to go back home to my own country to find a job where they speak English... oh, wait. I am home!

The federal government is spending $2.6 million to encourage China's prostitutes to drink less

Fox news

The National Institutes of Health is funding a 5-year study in China's Guangxi province to make sure prostitutes in a tourist town there are drinking responsibly.
That's the goal of a five-year study, bankrolled by the National Institutes of Health, designed to help lower HIV infections among China's "female sex workers," who are referred to in the study as "FSWs."

Researchers will visit 100 houses of "ill repute" for the purposes of "collecting data" on 700 prostitutes, and 150 pimps and madams.

The project comes thanks to a grant from the NIH's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which is also funding a $400,000 study of bars in Buenos Aires to find out why gay men engage in risky sexual behavior while drunk -- and just what can be done about it.

you can apply for this job at...

Governor Ted "tax-and-gouge-me" on the current economic situation

Sleepy Ted "tax-and-gouge-me": "...there is no escaping the fact that we have lost thousands of manufacturing jobs – and some of these jobs are not coming back. "

Governor Ted Kulongoski governor's website

Oregon Governor sleepy Ted "tax-and-gouge-me" Kulongoski was speaking at the city club of Portland May 15, 2009 about Oregon's current unemployment and budget situations.

Here are a few highlights of that speech...

"The first thing we have to do is speak the truth. And the truth is this: We have a jobs emergency in Oregon. Over the last four months, this state has been shedding jobs at an alarming rate."

and you figured that out when?

"To the people of Oregon – especially the thousands who have lost their jobs – I can report that your state government, in partnership with the private sector, remains committed to creating jobs during this economic crisis. "

we're committed with the private sector to continue to raise taxes in order to help with our governmental economic downfall... oh yes, and help the citizens too.

"I am confident that our investments in renewable energy and green technology will grow our state’s economy if we use this economic downturn as an opportunity to make the right policy choices."

"the right policy choices"... does that include the bankruptcy of Oregon? Of course, as businesses leave and people can no longer afford to stay in Oregon, I guess that there will be nobody around to create those nasty greenhouse gases. oh, and what about greenhouse gases from trees? {Encyclopedia.com}

"We must also acknowledge that some parts of our state are hurting more than other parts. So as far as I’m concerned – this recession will not be over anywhere in Oregon until it is over everywhere in Oregon."

WE are already aware of that Teddy. WE have already cut back on our budget and stopped buying unnecessary items. You know those little things that as Obama said, "spreads the wealth..." and furthers the economic growth in our society that citizens are able to do when they have more money in their pockets.

"Oregon has always been more than the sum of our economic statistics. We are a resilient people, in a place of beauty, at a time of trial and hope. And I always put my money on hope and optimism. "

hope and optimism don't pay the bills

"The place to start is with jobs. President Roosevelt gave hope to millions of unemployed Americans when he created the Civilian Conservation Corps and other jobs programs. We need to take the same kind of immediate action in Oregon. "

that's true... Roosevelt had a good idea and it did accomplish what he set out to do,however, as with all things that seemed to work, not unexpectedly the US Supreme Court on May 27, 1935 determined that the CCC was unconstitutional. {Wikipedia} the same as child labor laws no longer allows children to work in the fields to make extra spending money, which also in turn helps farmers.

Emergency jobs program:... more than a lifeline for workers.

" The Oregon Food Bank will sponsor up to 1,000 jobs throughout the state. Thousands of other Oregonians will be employed by community groups to clear trails, repair campsites, clean up watersheds, and thin underbrush in our forests. And still more will go to work for human service agencies and organizations. "

... all those jobs that Americans won't do
so Teddy, what are we going to do about all this?

" Oregon state government can no longer be all things to all people. That’s why I am asking the Legislature to suspend a wide variety of agencies, boards and commissions.

These include: The Board of Occupational Therapy, the Board of Massage Therapists, the Consumer Advisory Council, the Commission for the Blind, the Board of Licensed Dietitians, and the Advocacy Commissions – among others. "

ooohh... this just brings chills up my spine... of course, remember, this is the same government that wanted to hire a Klingon translator for those who do not speak English.{link} and {link}

" My other three priorities are: Transportation, health care for all Oregon children, and progress toward a green energy future.

The question is: How do we pay for these priorities? "

I can fill up a whole page answering that one...

Basically, after reading the transcript of the speech, I felt like I just got through talking to a used car salesman trying to sell me an old Desoto.

Crossing the Harlow road round-about -- Don't walk, RUN!

Register Guard

If you think that driving round that roundabout at Hayden Bridge and Pioneer Park way, try walking across it, and despite the fact that it is a law that vehicles must stop for pedestrians entering the street, some people are finding it very difficult.

Now, Dennis Shine, 75,a retired community college professor and fellow members of the county Senior and Disabled Services Committee are calling on the city to do something to make the roundabout safe and accessible for all cyclists and pedestrians, especially those with limited mobility.

“Our job is to point out to them that this is a serious situation and a possible violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” which requires that public facilities be available to everyone, Shine said. “What you saw today is a serious threat.”

Roundabouts were designed for cars, and so far no pedestrians or cyclist have been hurt trying to cross the street. However, Shine says it’s only a matter of time.

Roundabouts are designed with cars in mind, to accommodate a smooth flow of vehicle traffic — adding stops defeats their purpose, said City Councilor Christine Lundberg, .

“We can be very creative at the city, but this is going to be a very tough one to figure out how to deal with,” she said.

The problems for pedestrians at roundabouts are twofold, said Lundberg, who has often voiced concern and criticism about their use.

“One, you’re assuming that pedestrians have the ability to gauge traffic, and two, that they are going to pick moments when that traffic is not flowing,” which in a roundabout isn’t often, she said. “Traffic doesn’t see you.”

One suggestion would be to add pedestrian-activated lights to the roundabout signaling cars to stop, this would require eight lights at about $100,000 to $150,000.

The whole idea of a "well constructed" roundabout is to maintain the "study flow of traffic" through an intersection.

adding a traffic light would not only defeat the purpose the of roundabout, but make it more dangerous because cars have a lot of things that they have to focus on to "safely" navigate through the intersection.

Personally, I have always thought that this roundabout was a really bad idea, because it is too small to handle the amount of traffic that is being fed in to it.

Roundabouts work in other countries because they are larger in size, and people are used to driving through them.

oh, then there is that little detail of how is the EmX going to get through the roundabout. are they going to add another special lane or a traffic control device to stop traffic, again defeating the main idea of a roundabout?

Another interesting fact from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety..

16 | What types of intersections may not be good candidates for roundabouts?

Roundabouts are not appropriate everywhere. Intersections that may not be good candidates include those with topographic or site constraints that limit the ability to provide appropriate geometry, those with highly unbalanced traffic flows (that is, very high traffic volumes on the main street and very light traffic on the side street), and isolated intersections in a network of traffic signals.

Let's do it right, return it to a traffic light controlled intersection and get away from these dumb trends of roundabouts.

House Bill 2186 ...regulations to reduce aerodynamic draft on heavy-duty trucks ...

The Oregonian

Governor Ted tax-and-gouge-me, The Oregon League of Conservation Voters and other environmental groups considered it a significant win on the passing of House Bill 2186 by 32-28 which would direct the state Department of environmental quality to adopt requirements to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by setting low carbon fuel standards and adopting regulations to reduce aerodynamic draft on heavy-duty trucks and maintain energy efficient tire pressure on cars and trucks.

Oregonians spend $2 billion a year on fuel and virtually all of that money leaves the state, said Rep. Ben Cannon, a Portland Democrat who carried the bill on the floor. "This is about transitioning Oregon to a clean, affordable, locally produced source of energy."

Opponents of the bill such as classic car and hot rod hobbyists were especially worried that the state would start dictating the kind of tires or aftermarket parts that they can buy.

Rep. Mike Schaufler said he has stood at the feet of receding glaciers and does not dispute that climate change is real. But the Happy Valley Democrat added: "If we go too far and have a negative impact on our economy, what are we doing?"

Also opposing the bill was Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Trucking Association, Oregon Forest Industries Council and Associated Oregon Industries.

Rep. Bob Jenson, R-Pendleton introduced a bill to reduce the state speed limits back to 55 miles an hour. [Fortunately] it did not even get a hearing.

this environmental stuff is really getting out of hand...
so now the state police is going to pull over large vehicles if they do not consider them "aerodynamic enough"?

In a struggling economy, and as Oregon is one of the more expensive states for trucks in the nation, and now they want to add thousands of dollars more costs on the trucking industry.

The nation's requirement for emissions standards which requires semi-trucks manufactured [I cannot remember the year] to have a regeneration system added to the exhaust, which is not cheap. Other states with their anti-idling laws have already required the addition of auxiliary power units (APU), again at the expense of the trucking industry.
The above requirements, have already forced some of the smaller companies and owner operators out of business.

So again, on the surface these idiots in Salem are not really looking at the BIG picture and in actuality are causing more harm than good.

Trucks are the lifeblood of our nation... and a highly regulated industry. As a friend of mine has told me, "want to go broke... by a truck."

QUIT SPENDING! You're ruining the environment! Says Kulongoski

New York Times

Oregon Governor Ted "tax-and-gouge-me" Kulongoski believes that Americans should scale back their consumerism because he feels that it's hurting the environment.

“There’s a lifestyle issue involved in this, about our penchant for consumerism and consumption,” he said, while discussing his support for a state emissions cap-and-trade scheme during a recent interview in Portland.

“Other than taxes,” he added, “the hardest thing I find to talk with my constituents and my citizens about is about changing lifestyles.” He singled out the car companies for their production of sport-utility vehicles.

Kulongoski, claims he became passionate about combating climate change after a son, a geologist began sitting in pages of research about the problem.
Capping carbon and making the transition from fossil fuels is going to cost people money, especially in the economic downturn such as Oregon's 12.1% unemployment, which is the second highest in the nation.

“The environmental predilections in a state like Oregon cost money and constrain decisions, the governor continued, and “you are going to have to do some things you don’t like.”

... like losing your home and not being able to buy medications because you can't find a job?

Sleepy Ted must really be smiling ear to ear about all the businesses that have closed within the last year in the state of Oregon.

But hey, if you don't have a job, you can't drive, you don't have any money to spend and you're not going to create all those nasty pollutants.

a lender controlled shutdown device for your car as a requirement for your car loan...

ABC news

Elliot Munoz of St. Louis, Mo. knows that he better not be late on his car payment, or his car will not run thanks to a device that has been installed in his vehicle that will remind him that his monthly payment is due. If he is late on his payment, the car will automatically be disabled.

Munoz is part of a small group of drivers whose car loans are becoming attached with a digital leash.

"When you get near to your payment, it starts flashing red," Munoz, a steelworker said. "You might be busy, but you get in and you see light flashing red and it catches your eye."

one of the theories behind the usage of the device is unlike a mortgage, financing a car is a greater risk than a mortgage simply because it's easier to hide a vehicle from the repo man then it would be somebody's house.

"They own the car and if people aren't paying for it, they want the car back," said Jack Nerad, market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "Borrowers are very frequently pretty resourceful at keeping cars away from lenders, even if they haven't paid for them."

Dom DeLuise died at the age of 75

Actor and comedian Dom DeLuise, who starred in films including Blazing Saddles and Cannonball Run, has died at the age of 75 in his sleep at a hospital in Los Angeles on Monday night following a long illness

businesses: welcome to Oregon... not!

House Business and Labor Committee debated HB 2429 a bill that would force businesses operating under Oregon's enterprise zone program to pay higher prevailing wages on privately financed projects.

Representative Kevin Cameron of Salem warned that the bill would send a message that Oregon is closed for business, in response, Representative Mike Schaufler of Happy Valley stated...

"I want jobs in this state more than anybody and I fought as hard or harder than anybody to make that clear... if someone wants to invest in this state... they're going to have to pay a family wage to invest here... they're going to help us pay for the services that we all need and demand in this state... and I am tired of giving them a hand out... and if they don't want to do that they can go somewhere else... I just cannot say it strongly enough!"

Democrats kill the job creation bill, and later, argue that new taxes and government spending are the only solutions for job growth