Congressional Endorsement
I am saddened with your endorsement for CD-5. You have glowing remarks for McLeod Skinner, yet you endorse Bynum who is slinging mud and insinuations against a fellow Democrat. Jamie has the honesty and integrity for my support and vote.
—James Scott
I am an avid and appreciative reader of the Source. However, your endorsement for Congressional District 5 was a surprise and massive disappointment to me.
I have worked for decades supporting persons victimized by intimate partner violence and sexual assault. In 2019 Janelle Bynum was the ONLY State legislator to vote NO twice on a bill to extend the civil statute of limitations on sexual abuse reporting from two years to seven. Advocates understand, and survivors have made clear, why they need time to develop the strength to confront their abusers. Bynum disregarded heart rendering public testimony, instead saying that an extension was just another way to “get” a predator — an unacceptable and extreme stance.
You lauded McLeod-Skinner’s qualifications, record of public service, refusal of PAC money and the hard work she has put in over previous campaigns to deeply understand and thereby well serve our District, yet you endorsed Bynum. Bynum’s ownership of four McDonald franchises does not even approximate the depth of experience McLeod- Skinner will bring to Congress.
In failing to endorse Jamie, you have aligned with national entities like the DCCC (who I hold responsible for McLeod-Skinner’s general election loss in 2020 in backing the Democrat Jamie defeated in that primary), out of state corporate PACs and fear-based power brokers.
I join the majority in CD5 who adamantly want to replace MAGA Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Jamie’s unequivocal positions on civil and legal rights makes her the more reliable and electable champion for Oregon values.
— Connie Peterson
Merry Go Round
Here we go again, on the local “Merry go Round” of local politicians, leaving their volunteer/paid positions in midterm to pursue lucrative financial positions within their respective organizations.
This time it is Melissa Barnes Dholakia, Chair of the Bend-La Pine Schools board, leaving in her second term for a job as Deputy Superintendent of the Bend La-Pine School District, with a starting salary of $170,542 per year.
Barnes Dholakia, has some likely germaine educational experience, but she leaves early her position that will now be filled again, by appointment from her fellow Board members.
In recent studies, Oregon has a very high percentage of elected politicians especially in Baker County, who leave their positions early like Barnes Dholakia, and leave the hand picking of their successors, by their remaining Board members and thus again bypassing the voters.
Currently the Bend-La Pine Schools board has no apparent conservative/center right members and no Hispanics and likely will not for the foreseeable future.
The Board should add a high school senior, in a Ex Officio position, to serve in a one-year rotating District High School schedule, to add an unrepresented and important community perspective, that is badly needed.
Patrons of the District should immediately raise their voices and demand to be heard on this important decision.
—Brian M Douglass
RE: No to Bend-La Pine Schools Levy. Letters, 5/1
As Summit High school juniors and members of the student newspaper, we’d like to respond to your letter to the editor and correct some of your misconceptions.
To address your first point, it wasn’t Bend-La Pine Schools alone that approved the Jackstraw development tax exemption. This process requires endorsement from multiple tax jurisdictions, including Deschutes County and Bend Park and Recreation District. Therefore, the levy isn’t a result of one tax exemption but rather a product of historical underfunding and renewed need.
Decreased enrollment means decreased funding from the state that isn’t necessarily proportional to the number of students the district lost. Additionally, expiring COVID relief and other funding only exacerbates the issue.
Your claim that “teachers, in comparison to year-round full-time workers, are quite well compensated” is entirely misguided. Teachers have higher qualifications and greater responsibility than the average year-round worker yet in Oregon they receive less than what the National Education Association considers minimum living wage (“income needed for family of one adult and one child to have a modest but adequate standard of living”).
As students, we can attest to the fact that teachers work more than six hours a day. They arrive early and stay late. Additionally, they’re grading and planning for their next classes outside of school hours. It is simply wrong to say that teachers’ jobs are easy.
But all of this is besides the point; the funds raised by the levy isn’t even earmarked for teacher wages. This money will go to Career Technical Education classes, reducing/maintaining class sizes by hiring more teachers, improving student support systems, expanding class and academic offerings and more.
The Israeli-Palestinian war is irrelevant to the levy. Restricting school funding on the basis of various district leaders’ positions only punishes the students. By voting yes on the levy, our community’s youth can receive a quality education, allowing them to become informed and involved citizens on such topics.
— Dailey Arnold, Summit High School junior and Pinnacle news editor
— Josephine Hall, Summit High School junior and Pinnacle news editor
Letter of
the Week:
Letter of the Week to these two high school students – not because I am endorsing their opinions per se, but for being young people who are engaged in the political process in our community. Come on by for your gift cards to Palate – one for each of you!
—Nicole Vulcan
This article appears in Source Weekly May 16, 2024.
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ITEM: The May 13 Bend Bulletin reports, “Mainstream Democrats PAC, controlled by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, supports Bynum and has reserved more than $770,000 worth of ad time to attack McLeod-Skinner.”
ITEM: In March, statewide and local news media failed to investigate a well-sourced report that the pro-Netanyahu Democratic Majority For Israel PAC (DMFI) threatened McLeod-Skinner with $120,ooo in attack ads if she were to publicly endorse a ceasefire in Gaza.
ITEM: A Feb. 26, 2023, article in The Intercept by Ryan Grim identifies Mainstream Democrats and DMFI as “effectively the same organization, operating out of the same office and employing the same consultants . . . DMFI has also funneled at least $500,000 to Mainstream Democrats PAC.”
Jamie McLeod-Skinner has not (yet) called for a ceasefire, however her campaign has said, “Jamie believes in supporting a secure peace that protects Jewish and Palestinian civilians. She believes our government must demand that US weapons are NOT used to harm civilians, especially children. Jamie is the only candidate in this race who has stated that a red line should be drawn for the Netanyahu government, and aid conditioned if it is crossed. Jamie has also called for humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
About Gaza, Janelle Bynum has said nothing. Her silence has been bought by out of state dark money.