OPINION To underline the complexity of the debate around public lands, think about two local issues. Smith Rock is the first. Smith Rock is overcrowded, and many have proposed increasing fees and even capping the number of visitors as ways to control the populations—not always because they’re concerned about the conservation of the area, but […]
Editorial
Posted inOpinion
Investing in infill is a better effort than more SDCs
L ast week at the Bend City Council meeting, Councilor Bill Moseley floated the idea of an additional targeted system development charge, aimed at developers building in the areas inside the new Urban Growth Boundary expansion that will need new infrastructure, including roads. The city is in need of funds to develop many of the […]
Posted inOpinion
Like Wards, City Council Pay is an Equity Issue
A lot has been said—and continues to be said—about the notion of establishing wards within the city of Bend, allowing voters to elect city councilors who would represent their geographic region in the city. (To hear more about our proposed 3 or 4 ward system, read this week’s piece on changing the charter.) We support […]
Posted inOpinion
You, too, play a role in winter snow removal
Excited yet?
T his week, officials from the City of Bend’s Streets and Operations Department presented its Snow and Ice Management Plan to the City Council. Those who complained during last year’s heavy snowfall season will be pleased to know that a reconfiguring of the shifts among the Streets Department staff is projected to result in a […]
Posted inOpinion
The City is Walking the Walk on SDCs. Parks Should, Too
A t its Oct. 18 meeting, the Bend City Council also voted 6-0 in favor of allowing for exemptions of System Development Charges—those fees levied to developers to offset the cost of streets, water and other infrastructure that comes along with a new development—for “deed restricted Affordable Housing Projects.” As we’ve outlined before, the City […]
Posted inOpinion
Bridge Over Troubled Water
How the far right acts as a “bridge phenomenon” for white supremacists
I n his tax speech in Pennsylvania this month, President Trump gave a shout out to “The great Jeffrey Lord.”He went on to explain that Lord “was on fake news CNN for a long time. He was one of my few sources of truth.” CNN severed ties with Lord after he tweeted “sieg heil,” a […]
Posted inOpinion
Why did Local Oregon Legislators Oppose New Distracted Driving Laws?
We dissect why Knute Buehler voted no.
Nearly every week, an alert like this comes into our newsroom from a local law enforcement agency: “…The preliminary investigation revealed that a black 2007 Audi sedan was traveling northbound when for unknown reasons it crossed over the centerline. The Audi collided head-on in the southbound lane…” Why do vehicles “cross over the centerline?” As […]
Posted inOpinion
State of Emergency: The prospect of a failed real estate transaction, #inBend
D uring the Sept. 20 Bend City Council meeting, councilors sent a clear message to the community about one thing: When a real estate transaction hangs in the balance, our City Council will step up to declare an emergency to right the wrong—no matter what that might look like to those struggling to keep a […]
Posted inOpinion
Some people have transportation options. Others don’t have “options” at all
A mong the things that can be said about the foibles of humanity, one thing seems to be true: We don’t always choose the things that are good for us. When given a choice, most kids would choose the cookie over the vegetable—even in spite of a parent’s passionate arguments about the many benefits of […]
Posted inOpinion
Music is a business, too. Don’t treat it different from other businesses.
Our opinion on the noise ordinance
Ah, the gentle sound of commerce. It’s 3 am and your windows are open. There it is again—that familiar sound of a freight train, blasting its horn as it passes through Bend. You roll over, toss a pillow over your head and try to ignore the “gentle” sounds of commerce. It’s 7 am and you’ve […]
