The Source Editorial Board
Posted inOpinion

Are County Districts a Solution in Search of a Problem?

Before the county commission expands to five, the public may have a chance to weigh in on a five-district map. But are districts really needed?
by The Source Editorial Board

If there’s anything that gets people fired up in politics, it’s the topic of where to draw the lines that separate one voting bloc from another. In Texas right now, it’s a fight that may wind its way to the Supreme Court. In Deschutes County, it’s shaping up to be a bitter battle. For the […]

Posted inOpinion

As the Battles Over Public Funds Commence, We Need an Equitable Process

Local governments are already stepping up to fill gaps created by SNAP, health care cuts. The public should weigh in about where the dollars go.
by The Source Editorial Board

With the end of the federal government shutdown, the roughly 757,000 people in Oregon who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits could breathe a sigh of relief. Food would be on the table as winter sets in. There might even be enough to give thanks at Thanksgiving. But that relief is temporary. The federal government […]

Posted inOpinion

The Redmond Managed Camp Cleared a Funding Hurdle. Can It Clear the Toughest One?

When it comes to helping the unhoused, service providers are a sticking point
by The Source Editorial Board

If you were in Central Oregon before the pandemic, you would have seen a very different landscape as it pertains to the people living unsheltered. People camped in the junipers and overstayed their allotted time on public lands. Tent encampments were still visible. But what did not exist as it does now: The breadth of […]

Posted inOpinion

If Feeding the Hungry Isn’t Big Government’s Role, Show Us Whose Role It Is

As nonprofits struggle to fill the gaps left from federal funding cuts, individuals are supposed to step in. Are you?
by The Source Editorial Board

As we write this, one in eight Americans is living in an existential limbo. Monday was the deadline for the Trump Administration to say whether it would follow the rule of law and comply with a judge’s order to release emergency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — a lifeline for a vast contingent […]

Posted inOpinion

One Good Turn Deserves Another

One developer helping the homeless shouldn’t get this much attention.
by The Source Editorial Board

It’s not a secret, and it’s nothing new: Central Oregon has too few homes for the people who already live here — not to mention the ones who keep coming — and the housing we do have is expensive. On this page, over the years we’ve advocated for all sorts of solutions: for governments to […]

Posted inOpinion

Supportive Housing is a Lifeline. The Public Deserves Strong Oversight of How It’s Going.

Residents at Bend’s Cleveland Commons facility say drugs and other issues are challenging their ability to stay sober and move forward with their lives
by The Source Editorial Board

A recent investigation published in the Source revealed the complications and conundrums that can come up when trying to offer stability to those for whom instability has been the norm. At the start of this year, the region’s housing authority opened the first supportive housing community east of the Cascades, aimed at providing not just […]

Posted inEditorial

With Health Insurance Costs Set to Rise, Deschutes County Will Remain ‘Poverty with a View’

Health insurance is already expensive. Add it to the list of mounting expenses in one of Oregon’s most unaffordable locales.
by The Source Editorial Board

Amid a government shutdown and growing economic uncertainty, one thing is sure: Health insurance — already expensive — is going to get a lot more spendy in the coming year. Part of that is inflation, but another part of it has to do with the tax credits that have helped keep health insurance relatively affordable […]

Posted inEditorial

The Jokes About a Portland Deployment Were Funny. The Cost of War on American Cities Isn’t.

In a time when the national debt is soaring, what happened to the conservative deficit hawks?
by The Source Editorial Board

Throughout the week, comedians both national and local have been having a lot of fun with the notion of sending National Guard troops into Portland to protect the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building from the few dozen demonstrators who have gathered there. Jokes about a need for troops to address shortages of oat milk, or […]

Posted inEditorial

The Performing Arts Have Value. Can Central Oregon Find Creative Solutions to Fund a Center?

In turbulent times, the arts still matter.
by The Source Editorial Board

In tumultuous political times such as we are seeing right now, nonprofits tend to be among the first entities to see the impact. When federal funds run short, as they are now, basic needs begin to go unmet. Kids go to school hungry. People of all ages skip out on necessary health care, and on […]

Posted inOpinion

Will More Cameras Make Bend Safer for Drivers and Pedestrians?

With a new red light camera system, new concerns around the potential for abuse
by The Source Editorial Board

This week, the Bend City Council approved a vendor for its new red light camera system, giving authorities another way to enforce speeding violations and other infractions in the city. With Bend growing and pedestrian deaths continuing to climb in the United States, it seems like a helpful tool for law enforcement — but that […]

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