The past year has both challenged our understanding of who we are and tested our ability to love our neighbors. On the national stage, acts of violence and fear-based politics created painful rifts between communities, eroding trust and breeding hatred. On the flip side, tragedies like the terrorist attacks in Paris, Charleston, and San Bernardino, […]
Editorial
Posted inOpinion
The Slipper 12/23-12/30
Reclaiming the River To say that water is the lifeblood of Central Oregon is an understatement. So it’s understandable that any threat—real or perceived—to people’s ability to use water in the ways they are accustomed to meets with resistance. But water is not an unlimited resource and, as demands on that resource increase it’s imperative […]
Posted inOpinion
The Boot 12/16-12/23
No Dam Deal Sometimes, compromise is a good and necessary thing. But an outcome that leaves all but a few parties dissatisfied does not an effective compromise make. Rep. Greg Walden’s draft legislation purporting to approve the contentious Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement is a prime example of a false compromise. Under the guise of getting […]
Posted inOpinion
The Slipper 12/9-12/16
Pay Together City Council took the first decisive step toward keeping Bend’s roads from falling into a deepening state of disrepair at its last meeting by voting to put a fuel tax on the March 2016 ballot. It was not a unanimous vote. Councilors Victor Chudowsky and Casey Roats voted against the tax measure, ultimately […]
Posted inOpinion
The Boot 12/2-12/9
Dig Me Out
As Bend’s City Council prepares to push for a fuel tax on the ballot to maintain the city’s crumbling roads, smartly arguing that those who use the roads ought to share the burden for their upkeep, we’d like to see a similar principle applied to sidewalks. No, we’re not talking about residents and business owners […]
Posted inOpinion
The Boot 11/25-12/2
Don’t Give In
Every time a terrorist group that aligns itself with Islam attacks, we see a backlash against the peaceful Muslim majority. And while the most recent acts of terrorism occurred in “far away lands,” their aftershocks can be felt even in Central Oregon. Following the attacks in Paris, governors of multiple states came out with statements […]
Posted inOpinion
The Slipper 11/18-11/25
Fueling the Future There’s no such thing as free lunch. That doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to get our metaphorical lunch. Rather, it reminds us that everything has a cost. It’s a relevant lesson as the City prepares to hold a public meeting about street funding on Nov. 30. The Street Maintenance Funding Committee—who […]
Posted inOpinion
The Boot 11/11-11/18
Oregon Needs Sunshine Oregon is in the news for another failing score, but this time, it’s not our educational system—it’s the whole state government. According to a recent data-driven assessment by the Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity, Oregon earns an F for government accountability and transparency. And while the top-ranked state, Alaska, only […]
Posted inOpinion
The Slipper 11/4-11/11
The Promise of Growing Pains The process of revising Bend’s Urban Growth Boundary expansion proposal has been slow, but as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. And it is starting to look like that will be the case. While there’s no way around the fact that planning for future growth is […]
Posted inOpinion
The Slipper 10/28-11/4
Drastic Times Call for Radical Measures By Source Staff Portland has been in the news a lot lately for its struggles with affordable housing. And while there’s no magic trick to finding a sufficient quantity of housing middle and low-income folks can afford, the city has taken steps recently to address its housing shortage that […]