Mr. Kevin Swipies asserts, "Liberals Have No Answers.
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Local Economics Deserve a Deeper Discussion
[Re: Deschutes County’s Economy (Guest Comm., 7-2)] The economic commentary seemed aimed at appeasing conservative skeptics of land use regulation. I support the basic arguments,
[Re: Deschutes County's Economy (Guest Comm., 7-2)] The economic commentary seemed aimed at appeasing conservative skeptics of land use regulation.
Posted inOpinion
The Height of Hypocrisy
A person’s sense of right and wrong is unknown, even to themselves, until the moment that person can gain something by being a low-life lying
A person's sense of right and wrong is unknown, even to themselves, until the moment that person can gain something by being a low-life lying creep. At such moments, the only thing you have going for you-the only stake in your corner-is your simple and unvarnished sense that certain things are just wrong.
Posted inOpinion
Wyden’s “Health Care Reform” Turkey
For many years, the relationship between organized labor and Ron Wyden has looked like a match made in heaven. Lately, though, labor has been doing
For many years, the relationship between organized labor and Ron Wyden has looked like a match made in heaven. Lately, though, labor has been doing everything short of throwing the kitchen knives at Oregon's senior senator.
The reason is Wyden's health care plan, which he's calling the "Healthy Americans Act." Unions, such as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), think Wyden's plan would squander the opportunity to enact meaningful reform of our pathetic health care system.
We agree.
On a website it's put up (stopwydenshealthtax.com), AFSCME calls Wyden's idea a "health tax." That's a rhetorical gimmick, sort of like conservatives calling the estate tax "the death tax." But while Wyden's plan wouldn't literally tax health, it would tax health care benefits. And that – especially in a time of falling wages and rising layoffs – is not the way to go.
Posted inOpinion
Up In Smoke: Satan’s houseguests, Palin’s plans, and more celebrity deathwatch
The author has been sent on the road to discover a lost country formerly known as America. He is reporting from Black Butte, urinating on
The author has been sent on the road to discover a lost country formerly known as America. He is reporting from Black Butte, urinating on ashes, trying to make a puddle that resembles Jacko, on assignment for Or-Bust.com and The Source Weekly.
Hell Is Getting Crowded
In yet another sign that Satan will have to expand Hades soon, Robert McNamara died on Monday at age 93. The "whiz kid" who JFK invited to destroy a generation of Americans, McNamara oversaw the Vietnam War for both JFK and LBJ, later writing in his autobiography that it was all a mistake. Thanks, Bob. Oh, it gets better - McNamara's resume is guaranteed to impress Beelzebub: Analyzing the efficiency of U.S. firebombing missions in World War II (for which McNamara received rank of Lieutenant Colonel); afterward he joined Ford (his sole qualification being that he read an article on the company in Life magazine - no lie) where he killed the Edsel, tried to terminate the Lincoln line, and championed the forgettable Ford Falcon sedan. As Secretary of Defense from 1961-1968, McNamara increased our "limited warfare" capabilities by drafting teenagers to defend a country they didn't know anything about, under the guise of preventing "the steady erosion of the Free World through limited wars." Seriously, if you want to both understand and be fully baffled by this man, rent "The Fog of War." Dick Cheney may attend McNamara's funeral; if not, no one will.
Posted inOpinion
Economics Versus Deschutes County’s Land-Use Planning
Except for only very few readers, here’s a sentence that will prompt yawns: On Wednesday July 15, the Deschutes County Commission plans to hold a
Except for only very few readers, here's a sentence that will prompt yawns: On Wednesday July 15, the Deschutes County Commission plans to hold a public meeting on a proposed amendment to the County's land-use code allowing commercial wedding events on parcels designated for Exclusive Farm Use. Yawns all around, perhaps, but we three economists think that on this issue, the County is doing neither the right thing nor the thing right. And we think these two wrongs matter.
Some context helps. The Deschutes County Commissioners are nearing the end of the period for public comment on their update of the County's comprehensive, land-use plan. Coincidentally, they're nearing the end of their deliberations on the commercial wedding-events matter. What bothers us about both the big thing-the update of the comprehensive plan-and the deceptively little thing-the amendment to allow more commercial enterprises on EFU land-is that the County's land-use planning proceeds as if economics isn't relevant. In the March 12 meeting of Deschutes County's Planning Commission, for example, Planning Commissioner Chris Brown, addressing the commercial wedding-events issue, argued that economics has no bearing on land-use issues. Incredible.
Posted inOpinion
Liberals Have No Answers
While I am quite certain that The Source is a “left leaning” publication (I don’t think I have ever seen a conservative article), it is
While I am quite certain that The Source is a "left leaning" publication (I don't think I have ever seen a conservative article), it is the reason why I am never "shocked" at what I see there. In a recent article one of your "columnists" made a "compassionate" comment about wishing a microwave would go off just as Dick Cheney was passing by, obviously wishing Cheney would die.
Posted inOpinion
The Shadow Knows
Legendary rock-and-roller Link Wray released an intriguing song in 1964 called “The Shadow Knows.” It is notable for its guitar instrumental and its singular lyric
Legendary rock-and-roller Link Wray released an intriguing song in 1964 called "The Shadow Knows." It is notable for its guitar instrumental and its singular lyric followed by sinister laughter.
Posted inOpinion
Legalize It!
I am writing this letter in concern over the consideration of legalizing and taxing marijuana in Oregon. I must say that I am having trouble
I am writing this letter in concern over the consideration of legalizing and taxing marijuana in Oregon. I must say that I am having trouble finding information regarding this subject but I know that the vote is taking place in 2010.
Posted inOpinion
Paddle Boards Don’t Belong On McKenzie
No! No! No! You don’t tell people they can take their stand-up paddle boards to the upper McKenzie “Going With The Flow” (Outdoors 6/25/09).
No! No! No! You don't tell people they can take their stand-up paddle boards to the upper McKenzie "Going With The Flow" (Outdoors 6/25/09). First, this section of river flows at 40 feet per mile or greater-the Deschutes in Bend is more like 10 fpm.
