Opinion
Posted inOpinion

Oregon's Land Use Laws Needed a Little Loosening

There are no black-and-white solutions to issues as important as housing
by The Source Editorial Board

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 […]

Posted inOpinion

Power Rate Increase, Say What?!?

Oregon PUC Should Decide on Proposed Rate Hike Sooner Rather Than Later
by The Source Editorial Board

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 […]

Posted inOpinion

Letters to the Editor 02/29/2024

by The Source Staff

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 […]

Posted inOpinion

Letters to the Editor 02/22/2024

by The Source Staff

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 […]

Posted inOpinion

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
by The Source Editorial Board

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 […]

Posted inOpinion

Letters to the Editor 02/15/2024

by The Source Staff

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 […]

Posted inOpinion

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
by The Source Editorial Board

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 […]

Posted inOpinion

Letters to the Editor 02/08/2024

by The Source Staff

Guest Opinion: Why aren’t we making our streets safer and more affordable? The logic is simple: wide roads encourage speeding, and fast streets are unsafe for people in and outside of vehicles. Higher speeds give drivers less time to react, require more time for the vehicles to slow down or stop and increase risk of […]

Posted inOpinion

The Legislative Walkout Brigade Has One More Chance to Do the Right Thing

If those senators didn’t show up for their own benefit, knowing they’d risk being disqualified, what’s to say they’re going to play nice for the benefit of the rest of us?
by The Source Editorial Board

Cue the music, pop the champagne, because after a host of headlines and opinion pieces about legislative walkouts and subsequent legal challenges, the Oregon legislators who refused to do the people’s business in the Oregon State Legislative Assembly have officially been disqualified by the state Supreme Court. Last week, the court agreed with the decision […]

Posted inOpinion

Letters to the Editor 02/01/2024

by The Source Staff

Corrections: In the Jan. 25 story, “Winter Wonders: Caring for Winter Hummingbirds,” the author recommended a 4:1 sugar-to-water ratio for hummingbird food; that was incorrect. It’s “water to sugar.” In the Jan. 25 story, “Dinner at the Hook & Plow,” the author mentioned eating swordfish. It was sturgeon. We regret the errors. Guest Opinion: Telling […]

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