Opinion
Posted inOpinion

The Public Wasn’t Willing to Flock Around

Bendites came out against Flock cameras and potentially problematic surveillance
by The Source Editorial Board

First it was the invitation to the public to add their personal surveillance cameras to the network of cameras that can be automatically (or manually) accessed by law enforcement. Then it was red light cameras. And this summer, police in Bend added yet another tool ostensibly meant to monitor criminal behavior: Flock cameras installed along the highway. At […]

Posted inOpinion

When It Comes to Power, Taxes and Jobs, Data Centers are Not Winners for Oregonians

State regulators just announced a one-dollar reduction in power bills for Pacific Power customers. That is not enough to win over the public about the problems data centers present.
by The Source Editorial Board

On the last day of 2025, the Oregon Public Utilities Commission sent out a press release announcing a welcome event: Customers of Pacific Power would see their power bills reduced in the new year. With recent rate increases making our power bills 50% more now than they were in 2020, hearing about a rate decrease […]

Posted inOpinion

What We Learned from Oregon’s New Audit of Measure 110

After three successive audits, health officials still don’t know whether the drug treatment program is working. Officials at OHA say they’re working on it.
by The Source Editorial Board

In 2020, Oregon voters put a lot of stock in Measure 110 — the groundbreaking citizen initiative that made the state the first in the nation to decriminalize user amounts of drugs. The decriminalization portion of Measure 110 was rolled back by the legislature in 2024 — but the part of Measure 110 that took […]

Posted inOpinion

E-Bikes are Coming to Bend Area Trails. It Seemed Only a Matter of Time.

With a new user group comes a new opportunity to support local trail maintenance and education
by The Source Editorial Board

When e-bikes began to enter the mountain bike scene, trail users were concerned. Getting out into the forest in this way was inherently an activity that required committment — and anyway, wouldn’t those fast new bikes ruin the trails, and add more congestion in our already crowded network? Those were just some of the assumptions […]

Posted inOpinion

Creative Options for Reducing Parking, Traffic Welcome

Pray for snow, because the ways to get to the mountain are growing
by The Source Editorial Board

If you recall last year’s snow-riding season, you might remember it as a time of icy roads and traffic headaches. During the pandemic, more people began to recreate in the area west of Bend. The pace continued long after the quarantine period ended. That’s good for people’s well-being, but it’s been not so great for […]

Posted inOpinion

A Gas Tax Repeal Could Be Looming, But Oregonians Will Feel the Effects Right Away

Next year, voters may get a chance to weigh in on funding for ODOT. But the current repeal petition will put the brakes on road maintenance far sooner.
by The Source Editorial Board

From the flurry of activity that has been happening around the proposed gas tax referendum, it’s clear that many Oregonians have strong feelings about the issue of raising fees on car registrations and raising the state gas tax by 6 cents. Partisan historians are calling the effort “unprecedented.” Some are going out of their way […]

Posted inOpinion

Are County Districts a Solution in Search of a Problem?

Before the county commission expands to five, the public may have a chance to weigh in on a five-district map. But are districts really needed?
by The Source Editorial Board

If there’s anything that gets people fired up in politics, it’s the topic of where to draw the lines that separate one voting bloc from another. In Texas right now, it’s a fight that may wind its way to the Supreme Court. In Deschutes County, it’s shaping up to be a bitter battle. For the […]

Posted inOpinion

As the Battles Over Public Funds Commence, We Need an Equitable Process

Local governments are already stepping up to fill gaps created by SNAP, health care cuts. The public should weigh in about where the dollars go.
by The Source Editorial Board

With the end of the federal government shutdown, the roughly 757,000 people in Oregon who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits could breathe a sigh of relief. Food would be on the table as winter sets in. There might even be enough to give thanks at Thanksgiving. But that relief is temporary. The federal government […]

Posted inOpinion

The Redmond Managed Camp Cleared a Funding Hurdle. Can It Clear the Toughest One?

When it comes to helping the unhoused, service providers are a sticking point
by The Source Editorial Board

If you were in Central Oregon before the pandemic, you would have seen a very different landscape as it pertains to the people living unsheltered. People camped in the junipers and overstayed their allotted time on public lands. Tent encampments were still visible. But what did not exist as it does now: The breadth of […]

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