Oregon reaches new 23 year unemployment high

Oregon Live

Oregon seasonally adjusted unemployment rate hit a 23 year high of 9% in December breaking a previous record of 9.1% in April of 1995.

This could boost Oregon's unemployment rate from being the fifth worst in the nation to the third worst in the nation according to democrats in the Oregon senate.

"We have good reason to believe that federal dollars are on the way that will increase our capacity to help out-of-work Oregonians," said Sen. Diane Rosenbaum of Portland. She chairs the Senate Commerce and Workforce Development Committee.

let's keep those talks about raising taxes coming governor!

Oregon once again in the top five list - unemployment.

bureau of labor statistics

Robins Commentary -

Being a lifelong Oregonian, one of the things that we've always been proud of was being "first" or a leader. While it appears that we're becoming a leader in something else that I'm not proud of, Oregon's 8.1% unemployment. The top five in the nation.

How did we get there? I have a theory…

"See no evil - hear no evil - speak no evil" when it comes to the needs of the people of Oregon.

The news is full of items like, " we're losing tax revenue for this project or that project and therefore we need to raise more taxes."

Apparently they think that being an Oregonian means that we are all actually very wealthy with huge amounts of reserve cash that we're just hoarding from the government. How selfish of us! I mean really.

Our elected " representatives" that "we" voted into office to represent our best interests still seen in my opinion to be failing us. And we allow it!

I cite a recent example when the lane county commissioners decided that our vote was an inconvenience to them when they decided to enact the gas tax that the voters had voted down. They were very surprised when a large number of people got together and said, "no more!"

And that's what it's gonna take to get the message through otherwise, pet projects like Ted "tax and gouge me" Kulongoski's VARIABLE PER MILE TAX as an example will become a reality along with toll bridges, emissions taxes, CARBON TAXES and anything else their wild imagination can come up with to get money from us. Trust me it won't stop.

I don't know what little world that some of these representatives and our governor live in, currently not the real world, but apparently it takes sending more messages like the one we did in Lane County.

It is a fact that in economic down times, tax cuts help the economy (and government income) more than tax increases.

In short, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee and put some money back into the consumer's pockets or we will be heading for repeat of the great depression.

Two well known actors die

LaTimes
Ricardo Montalban a known for his role in "fantasy island" and "Khan Noonien Singh" in both a 1967 star trek episode and in star trek two, "the wrath of Khan" just to name a few, died Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home with complications related to age. He was 88.


BBC News
Patrick McGoohan who was best known for his role as "The Prisoner" died in Los Angeles after a short illness. He was 80.

Bilingual language to be taught at El Camino del Rio elementary school in Eugene

The Register Guard--

On Wednesday, the Eugene school board cleared the way for ordering new books and training its staff at El Camino del Rio or to the rest of us known as River Road elementary school in Eugene.

The program would effect all three kindergarten classes and two of the three 1st grade classes. The immersion program which has been a long time coming according to Principal Paco Furlan, will offer instructions in both languages [English and Spanish] with core subjects. Half the day being taught in Spanish and the other have being taught in English.

The goal according to Furlan, is to roll out one more grade level at a time in subsequent years until the program is statewide.

I have several problems with this… First in being, that English is the primary language still in the United States and if it wasn't for the huge influx of the illegal aliens primarily Spanish speaking, this would not even be an issue.

Secondly, if I wanted my child to learn a second language… (which I have no problems with) I want it to be a language of my or my child's choice.

Thirdly, is this another sign of things to come? I mean, the State Of Oregon already pays 5% more if you speak Spanish and they do not to my knowledge at least pay anymore if you are bilingual in Vietnamese, Japanese, etc.

So where does it end? How many jobs have you been qualified for in Oregon but are unable to obtain because you do not speak Spanish? I'm seeing more and more with no signs of it slowing down.

Should cars have automatic speed limiters?

BBC News

For the last couple years, the State of Oregon has been researching a new method of collecting road taxes by adding a GPS device to your car to track the miles traveled between fill ups and thereby making the tax payable at the pump.

Well, in addition to tracking your mileage, what is the next step for vehicle GPS Systems?

How about an automated speed limiter preventing you from exceeding the posted speed limit?

They're working on it!

Research on this type of car is currently being done overseas, and according to new report, a speed limiting devise could help save lives, cut carbon emissions[and reduce your carbon tax]. The System Works by comparing the current GPS location of a vehicle with an onboard map of the area. If the system determines that the current speed of the car is in excess of the posted speed limit, the system will override drivers control and reduce the throttle and apply brakes if necessary. The operator or driver of the car does have the option [currently] to override the system if necessary.

Speed limit in devices are nothing new and are becoming more common in commercial vehicles.
in my opinion, having a system that takes away control from the driver is dangerous. For example, how many times during a normal road trip do you have to speed up to avoid a collision? The other issue, is freedom and control.

As technology advances… How much "control" how we're going to give up for the illusion of safety?

Kulongoski [and Congress ] trying to pursue "per mile" GPS gas tax

Democrat Herald

In an effort to make up for vehicles getting better gas mileage and for the lack of income (tax) that they produce, Kulongoski has filed for the 2009 legislative session a plan that he recommends as "a path to transition away from the gas tax as the central funding source for transportation."

What the governor is referring to is the Office of Innovative Partnerships and Alternative Funding "Road User Fee Task Force" or RUFTF {link}, a system which would be installed in every vehicle to replace the current gas tax system.

The GPS-based system would basically track miles driven within the state of Oregon. The per mile tax rate would be based on the location, time of day and congestion. The tax itself would be paid at the time of fill-up.

Vehicles that are not equipped with the GPS device would pay a penalty of two cents per gallon under Kulongoski proposal.

as you recall, I have been against this project from its beginning. Not only will it cost drivers more in the long run as per the current system of paying per gallon, this system is also a variable tax system. Additionally, since we seem to be in cooperation with Washington and California, there is nothing that says that the system will only be active in Oregon.

For more information on the project and its intricate details... please refer to the following link {link}

Follow-up article…

Oregon is among a growing number of states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the distance they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles... Congress is talking about it, too. A congressional commission has envisioned a system similar to the prototype Oregon tested in 2006-07.{Edmonton Sun}

Though the GPS devices did not track the cars’ locations in great detail, they could determine when a driver had left certain zones, such as the state of Oregon. They also kept track of the time the driving was done, so a premium could be charged for rush-hour mileage.{the Argus Observer}

See!

and lets not forget "Toll Roads too"

Star Trek's Majel Barrett Roddenberry dies at 76

BBC News

Majel Barrett Roddenberry, voice of the Star Trek's computer and wife of Star Treks creator Gene Roddenberry, died of leukemia at her home in Los Angeles Thursday.

Roddenberry's first appearance on the show was the character known as "Number One" in the original pilot under Captain Christopher Pike's command, to be later recast as Nurse Christine Chapel when the show was relaunched in 1966.

She is survived by her son Eugene Roddenberry Jr.

DMV to verify immigration status for ODL and ID cards.

KGW --

The Oregon department of transportation will begin verifying immigration status for driver's license applications or identification cards at it's offices beginning January 1, 2009 using a Federal Dept of Homeland Security program called SAVE, which stands for systematic alien verification for entitlements.

Additionally, the state will not issue driving privileges or ID cards to outlook and whose immigration status cannot verified. However, temporary licenses may be issued to applicants that meet all other Oregon driver's license requirements in order to allow time to resolve the problem.

Really! Care to bet that this won't last long.

Honest, it's law enforcement, not revenue enhancement!

Registerguard
The Springfield City Council was split over whether or not to approve $114,000 project to install "tattletale" lights on the back of traffic lights. The lights which can be seen from safe distance allow officers to determine the state of the traffic light as the driver passes through the intersection.

“They allow law enforcement to more accurately, more objectively enforce the laws,” said Pishioneri, who is a Lane County Sheriff’s deputy. “Many traffic stops do not result in a ticket, but a conversation of safety. It’s not a ‘gotcha’ — it’s a ‘hello.’ ”

Photo courtesy of Lane Controls

The "tattletale" light is designed to indicate the red phase of the signal. It is attached normally to the back of the traffic light itself so that officers can see the status of the light from a safe distance.

“I don’t want officers sitting at the five or six intersections where we’re going to have tattletale lights,” Ralston said. “I’m all for public safety and making our roads safer. But some people might consider this revenue generation.”

Leiken along with Councilors Christine Lundberg, John Woodrow and Dave Ralston voted against the combined projects, stating that the city needs to be "very prudent right now."

“To me, these are almost luxury lights, for lack of a better word,” he said. These lights will be a good thing in the future ... but as we’re going through these budget issues right now, I don’t think its a prudent time to delve into this.” said Leiken

once again the city a Springfield makes me proud. While I will agree that this can be considered "revenue enhancement", at the majority of intersections, I would think this would be unnecessary. At most four way intersections, the traffic light in the opposite direction is normally synced together.
Photo courtesy of Lane Controls

Ted "tax and gouge me" Kulongoski just does not get it… Were broke!

the Oregonian


Robins Commentary

Well, the great governor of Oregon is at it again! It is bad enough that Oregon is suffering from massive layoffs, and until recently the high cost of fuel [which we're still recovering from], and the housing crisis, just to name a few, that sleepy Ted would actually have the nerve to suggest a tax increase.

The "excuse" for the increases is the one billion dollar road, bridge and rail project. The governor indicated that this project would create 2100 jobs a year for the first five years. The governor feels that since it worked for President Roosevelt during the great depression, that it would work in the 21st century for Oregon.

Oh yes, and there that the little issue that the Oregon falls $1.3 billion short of maintaining state highways according to state estimates.

Now for the nitty gritty… How to pay for such a project. The governor has suggested the following…

a 2¢ per gallon gas tax hike, which would increase the 24¢ per gallon tax to 26¢. The gas tax itself has not been raised since 1993. (there's a reason for that)

More than doubling the annual fees for car title and registration from $27.00 to $81.00 a year. "Oregon has among the lowest registration fees in the nation, [and their is something wrong with that?] and the increased fees would be the plans largest source of money."

Title fees would double to $110 dollars a year.

Increase in the tobacco tax by 2 1/2¢, and take $16,000,000 in lottery money.

[why not… We're all wealthy]

And the one that we should fight big time, one of the governor's pet project is putting a GPS tracking system in your car solely for the purpose of collecting taxes, based on the time and the miles that you drive. The tax would be collected at the pump during fill up. And if you think taxes are hard to get rid of now… Just wait until this variable tax becomes a reality.

In my opinion, now's the time to start cutting taxes, not raising them.