The Source Editorial Board
Posted inOpinion

With a Rushed Ending, This Legislative Session Was Not a Win for Oregonians

Slamming bills through the Senate is not our idea of success
by The Source Editorial Board

Many people in Oregon breathed a sigh of relief when, after an excruciating, record-breaking six weeks, Republicans in the state Senate returned to the floor, establishing a needed quorum and allowing votes on the floor to continue once again. After saying for weeks that Republicans would only return on the final day of the legislative […]

Posted inOpinion

Facing Legislative Walkouts, Unions Offered Hope for Critical Workers

Union membership can and does impact people’s lives
by The Source Editorial Board

A crisis was averted this month when the local members of the Oregon Nurses Association reached an agreement with St. Charles Health System, giving nurses a big raise over the life of their contracts and ensuring they’re compensated when they miss meal and rest breaks. St. Charles remained Bend’s largest employer in Economic Development for Central […]

Posted inOpinion

We Need to Address White Supremacy

Continuing to allow white supremacy a place in Central Oregon is a threat to the economic, cultural and spiritual growth of the entire region
by The Source Editorial Board

Two racially charged incidents inside the same week show us that while Central Oregon is changing demographically and culturally in the direction of more diversity and inclusion, not everyone is happy about it and not everyone is on board. Oregon’s long history of Black exclusion laws and its quest for a “white utopia” might seem […]

Posted inOpinion

This is Not the Way to Help Those Experiencing Homelessness

The number of people who don’t have a proper place to live is skyrocketing, and disorder at the Homeless Office isn’t helping.
by The Source Editorial Board

Ask the average person in Central Oregon what the most pressing issues we face here are, and chances are that they’ll include housing and homelessness in their answers. With staggering rent increases and plenty of inflation, the number of people who don’t have a proper place to live is skyrocketing. It’s a problem so great […]

Posted inOpinion

Are Voting Zones a Fair System?

May elections prove low voting turnout
by The Source Editorial Board

May elections are always an interesting ride. Candidates, voting advocacy groups and newspaper editorial boards like ours spend plenty of energy on candidates and measures, and then, when voting time comes around, so few vote. Even in years when there’s no presidential election, voter turnout in a November election is far higher than in May. […]

Posted inOpinion

Is This Really What Republicans Wanted?

As of Monday, 127 bills sit and wait for a vote due to absence of Oregon Republican senators
by The Source Editorial Board

As of Monday, 127 bills were sitting in the Oregon state Senate awaiting a vote. It seems the majority of them will die where they sit due to the continued absence of a group of Republican (and one former Republican, now independent) senators. With Bend’s own state senator, Sen. Tim Knopp, part of the cadre […]

Posted inOpinion

In Other States, Legislators Have Gotten Expelled for a Lot Less than Walking Out

Here in Oregon, expelling legislators for their views is not our jam
by The Source Editorial Board

Everyone loves an underdog story – that classic tale of the little guy, by sheer will and determination, overcoming an obstacle that would seem impossible to the average person. And while the legislators who have now exceeded the number of unexcused absences allowed under Oregon’s Constitution might see themselves as the heroes of a story […]

Posted inOpinion

Oregonians Overwhelmingly Voted to End Legislative Walkouts, but They’re Happening Once Again

So far, the 10 absent legislators have shown that their own personal views on an issue mean more than the principle of representative democracy.
by The Source Editorial Board

What a month it’s been in Oregon politics. Deep into the legislative session, and just shy of the May 16 election, Oregon’s elected leaders are giving us all something to think about. The resignation of Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and the search for a person to formally replace her has introduced a measure of […]

Posted inOpinion

Vote Harmon, Berry for Redmond Park & Recreation ▶ [With Video]

May 2023 Election Endorsements: Redmond Area Park & Recreation Pos. 4 & 5
by The Source Editorial Board

With the passage of the bond measure that will usher in a new recreation center for Redmond, residents in the Hub City have a lot to look forward to. That said, the fact that the same set of voters didn’t support the levy that would have covered operating costs of said rec center mean the […]

Posted inOpinion

Vote Barnes Dholakia, Chadwick, Tatom for Bend-La Pine School board ▶ [With Video]

May 2023 Election Endorsements for BLPS school board Zones 5, 6, 7
by The Source Editorial Board

Over the past two months we’ve reached out to candidates, invited them in for interviews, listened to their ideas and then produced videos of our interviews, all in the name of helping the voters of Central Oregon make informed decisions in the May 16 election. In the case of the three open seats on the […]

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