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