Affordable housing crisis demands united rent and wage action
Another newspaper recently opined: “Portland has a housing problem ... There are too few apartments, and the units that are available rent for more than local incomes can support. Rents have climbed ...
Protesters need to go home so real narrative can be told
We often preach the importance of controlling the narrative. Many times, we see individuals or agencies suppress information out of concern for the public’s reaction. But more often than ...
We do students a disservice letting them miss class time
Standardized testing is a prime predictor of future academic performance, and thus the likelihood of eventual high school graduation. Early on, it gives educators a good idea who’s going to make ...
Lively debate had all year in Readers Forum
More than 200 letters were printed in these pages in 2015. Dozens of topics were addressed, mostly local, with opinions on national and international issues sprinkled throughout. Organizing the topics ...
Give and receive with year-end donations
Once the merriment of the Christmas season begins to wind down, we turn our attention to the new year. But before that clock strikes midnight on January 1, it’s most advantageous to make some year-end ...
A seasonal dream of Christmas year-round
The importance of Christmas in American society cannot be underrated in many realms, from religious to commercial, from personal to family. Christmas is an annual bustle that brings both great beauty ...
$15 minimum wage best tested in big cities before statewide rule
There’s been much ado lately about Oregon’s minimum wage. The group 15 Now PDX is pushing a ballot measure to increase the state’s minimum wage, currently the nation’s second highest ...
State's open records law a lot less open these days
In the wake of Watergate, which culminated in Richard Nixon’s ignominious resignation, Oregon was among an array of states rushing to enact open records legislation. Transparency in government reached ...
Is the writing on the wall for the Riverbend Landfill?
The promise of low-cost and long-term disposal rates is the most meaningful feature McMinnville’s Riverbend Landfill has to offer this community. Take that off the table, and what do you have? ...
Sensitivity of homeless stories challenging for all involved
Writers and editors are trained to present the news in a just-the-facts fashion, without becoming personal. And few if any issues challenge that ability more than homelessness. We often receive ...
Philanthropy remains vital aspect of the holiday season
If scenes of Black Friday’s riotous crowds dampened your spirit just a bit, hopefully the following Giving Tuesday lifted it back up. A global movement started in 2012, the unofficial holiday, usually ...
PERS still on collision course with little hope on the horizon
On Feb. 27, 2001, The Associated Press warned, “A new analysis shows taxpayers may have to pay billions of dollars over the next 40 years to cover shortfalls in Oregon’s retirement plan for ...
Put priority on securing funding to purchase Newberg corridor
The Newberg-Dundee Bypass is poised to become a high priority corridor in the eyes of the federal government. That fact could prove significant in garnering funding for phases two and three of the bypass, ...
Corporate tax hike measure poorly crafted, badly flawed
From our perspective, there’s not much to like and a lot to dislike about Initiative Petition 28, a corporate tax hike headed for the November 2016 ballot. But taxes on the other guy always prove ...
Exchange with Latino community needs to proceed on multiple fronts
Yamhill County’s Latino population is disenfranchised in many ways, a situation not uncommon for a population consisting mostly of first- and second-generation immigrants. Better understanding between ...
