Jamie McLeod Skinner for CD-5 I have known Jamie McLeod Skinner since 2020 when I was the full-time (volunteer) Bend office manager for her Congressional District 2 campaign. That was a great vantage point for seeing how she interacted with staff and other volunteers, chatting with her, and learning about her experience and values. I […]
Opinion
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The Pros and Cons of Recently Passed Bills in the Legislature
The Oregon state legislative session wrapped up last week, and compared to past years that were mired by walkouts, it’s fair to say that a lot got done
The Oregon state legislative session wrapped up last week, and compared to past years that were mired by walkouts, it’s fair to say that a lot got done. And while some legislation, such as the reform of Measure 110, got a lot of the attention, a couple bills were also noteworthy, including a bill to […]
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Letters to the Editor 03/07/2024
Correction: Last week’s story, “Over Bend’s Dead Bodies” was incorrectly labeled as News. It should have been labeled as Commentary. We regret the error. Guest Opinion: Ongoing Concentration of Poverty in Bend We are a group of concerned neighbors trying to shine a light on the issue of Economic Segregation in Bend. City of Bend […]
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Oregon's Land Use Laws Needed a Little Loosening
There are no black-and-white solutions to issues as important as housing
Among state policies, two things have made Oregon make national headlines in recent decades: One, of course, is Measure 110 and its attempt at a new path for drug decriminalization and treatment – a measure that got something of a reversal this week when legislators passed HB 4002. The other policy that has made Oregon […]
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Power Rate Increase, Say What?!?
Oregon PUC Should Decide on Proposed Rate Hike Sooner Rather Than Later
If you’re feeling the pain from the hike in rates for Pacific Power customers that went into effect in January, you’re not alone. The 12.9% rate increase that went into effect Jan. 10 is already causing some pain in the pocketbook for those who heat their home with electricity. But that could be just the […]
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Letters to the Editor 02/29/2024
Guest Opinion: End the Suffering in Gaza The Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and City Council’s letter regarding the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza was a courageous move. The letter urged Oregon’s lawmakers and President Biden, to intervene to ease the dire situation in Gaza. We, Central Oregon for a Free Palestine, are dedicated to a ceasefire […]
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Letters to the Editor 02/22/2024
Misinformation To justify imposing the “Transportation Utility Fee” on all Bend residents and businesses, the City of Bend has consistently stated that “gas tax revenue is declining.” This is the Oregon Highway Fund that supplies about a third of Bend’s Street Operations budget. BUT the 10/2023 ODOT “City and County Apportionment forecast” CLEARLY shows that […]
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With Affordable Housing, Why Are Deschutes County and the City of Bend Ignoring the Low-Hanging Fruit?
Over the past several years, state and local governments have spent a lot of time, energy and money trying to solve Oregon’s massive shortfall of housing
Over the past several years, state and local governments have spent a lot of time, energy and money trying to solve Oregon’s massive shortfall of housing. “Oregon needs to develop more than 550,000 new housing units across income levels to accommodate 20 years of population growth and account for current underproduction,” read a June 2023 […]
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Letters to the Editor 02/15/2024
Guest Opinion: Expanding Commissioners Years ago, while working as a reporter in Oregon, I was tasked with covering the county commissioners. At the time, I had very little understanding of who the county commissioners were or what their jobs entailed. Like a lot of voters, I trusted that these public servants were doing their best […]
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On Homelessness, Major Strides in Kotek’s First Year
Oregonians got what they asked for when they hired Tina Kotek to make good on her campaign promises
The pandemic years — and the ones just after — are a time we will remember for the rest of our lives. Between the rapid shift in lifestyles — the shutdowns and restrictions, and the isolation and uncertainty, the advent of COVID-19 was history in the making. And then there was the aftermath — the […]
