Last Thursday morning, Sen. Jeff Merkley dropped by the Source offices—cowboy boots and all. We were impressed. During our endorsement interview last fall, when Sen. Merkley was campaigning for re-election, we were lukewarm about the senator and his knowledge about Bend and what issues are pertinent to the region. At that time, he spoke in […]
Politics
Posted inNews
READ: Gov. Kate Brown’s Inaugural Speech
Gov. Kate Brown was sworn in this morning in Salem, following the resignation of Gov. John Kitzhber. Learn more about the new governor here and here. Then read the full text of her inaugural speech below. – – – – – Governors Roberts and Kulongoski, tribal leaders, Speaker Kotek, President Courtney, honored colleagues, good morning. […]
Posted inNews
Tell Us How You Really Feel: Gov. John Kitzhaber
As speculation about Gov. John Kitzhaber’s possible resignation reaches fever pitch, with publications and politicians alike calling for his departure, we want to know what you think. Should the governor resign, or hold tight until the investigations against him reach a conclusion? Chime in with our poll and share your thoughts in the comments. Do […]
Posted inNews
Attorney Withdraws Second Lawsuit Challenging Councilor Roats’ Election
Local attorney Charlie Ringo has dropped his most recent lawsuit objecting to the way the City of Bend addressed the questions around Councilor Casey Roats’ qualifications to serve. It was his second suit challenging the election the candidate in the four-way race for Council Seat 6, whose campaign was marked by questions about his residency […]
Posted inNews
Independent Party of Oregon achieves major party status
The Independent Party of Oregon has become the first major party in the state, outside of the Democratic and Republican parties, Secretary of State Kate Brown announced today. As of February 2, the state determined that the party had reached the necessary threshold to qualify—membership exceeding 5 percent of the state’s population. As a major […]
Posted inNews
Are You My Mayor?
Jim Clinton plans to revisit the way Bend elects its mayor
In Bend, the mayor is not the boss of the City. He has no more authority than his fellow city councilors and, in many ways, it is the city manager who steers the ship (and receives pay commensurate with that weighty task). And yet, the mayor serves as a figurehead, a symbol of authority, and […]
Posted inNews
Tell Us How You Really Feel: Electing Bend’s Mayor
As you may or may not know, Bend’s mayor is not elected by voters, but rather appointed by his or her fellow city councilors. We’ll be exploring the question of how we elect the Mayor in the upcoming issue, but in the meantime, we want to know: What do you think? Are you content with […]
Posted inNews
Class is in Session
Freshman Rep. Knute Buehler says he’s ready to work
In preparation for his first term in Salem as the representative for Oregon’s House District 54, Knute Buehler found an apartment to stay in for the six-month legislative session, attended orientation meetings, and has made new friends. “I feel like I’m going to college again,” the freshman representative says over coffee and an ocean roll. […]
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Top 5 Lessons from the Campaign Trail
1: Be likeable: Studies show what we all intuitively know—politicians stand a better chance of being elected if they are likeable (having good hair helps). While likeability may seem like a superfluous and irrelevant quality, good people skills play a vital role in political leadership. You can’t bring people to the table if no one […]
Posted inOpinion
Letters 11/4-11/11
IN REPLY TO “RESIDENT FILES LAWSUIT SEEKING TO PREVENT ELECTION OF CASEY ROATS TO BEND CITY COUNCIL“ Good! Living in Bend is the most basic requirement we should have for a city councilor. If you’ve lived outside of the city for a year, it shouldn’t be much to ask, that you wait until you’ve been […]
