Jeb Bladine: Legislature showing 'tyranny of majority'
Oregon Democrats hold 18 seats in the Senate and 38 in the House; thus the supermajorities needed to raise taxes on their own. But that’s just the beginning. At least with taxes, uncertainties cross ...
Mark Floyd: Warming taking a toll on Oregon
The changing climate is having a significant impact on Oregon, a new report concludes, with the state growing progressively warmer, experiencing more severe wildfires and undergoing a shift ...
Justus Armstrong: Expanded rail service not cost effective
The Oregon Department of Transportation recently published its Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Oregon Passenger Rail Project, which plans to expand and improve passenger rail service ...
Jeb Bladine: A 400-word corner of ‘new’ Viewpoints
“Change,” wrote Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “is the only constant.” Former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli added, “Change is inevitable.” Today, proving ...
Corena Killian: A new era for waste starts in our schools
Every day, I walk my daughter to school. Every day, we pass a residential construction site where litter is rampant. Food and beverage waste is dumped on the ground. Small plastic scraps of packaging ...
Tom Henderson: Politicians hate to see their own reflections
Poor U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She has developed a severe case of eisoptrophobia. It was only a matter of time, I suppose. And yet she seemed so young and confident. So, you know, together.I ...
Jeb Bladine: Lessons needed for SAT Generation
The “Covington Controversy” at last week’s March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. is a teachable moment if people can absorb the lesson. A much-viewed encounter involved members of ...
Jeb Bladine: A generation that transcends gender
Generations keep coming and going ... they evolve, get named and, ultimately, are judged by history. Youngest members of the G.I. Generation — dubbed “The Greatest Generation” by Tom ...
Robert Porath: What’s in them thar hills anyway?
Pass the basalt! In a recent column in Roots to Roofs, a special section of the News-Register, my wife and I teamed up to write about the stream crossing our property. It’s officially called Soap ...
Randy Stapilus: Majority Democrats harboring big ambitions
One decade ago, following the 2008 general election, something unusual happened with the Oregon Legislative Assembly — one party gained control of both chambers with supermajority numbers. Democrats ...
Jeb Bladine: Facts and fantasy of childhood games
For whatever reason, my mind recently turned to childhood days of neighborhood softball games. We had detailed rules for “work-up” baseball that treated everyone equally as they moved through ...
Mark Davis: Creating more affordable housing
What is affordable housing? The most of common definition stems from the guideline against spending more than 30 percent of your income on housing — rent or house payment plus utilities. This means ...
Jeb Bladine: Yet another idea about resolutions
It’s resolution time in America. Some people try to eliminate bad habits; others pledge to adopt positive practices. Resolutions such as “I’m going to lose weight” require both ...
Casey Kulla: County can help us all address climate change
Over the course of my campaign for county commissioner, I was asked regularly, “What is the greatest challenge facing Yamhill County?” While we face many complex challenges today, including ...
Jeb Bladine: Local life stories fill a wide-reaching list
Our 2018 newspaper pages told life stories about hundreds of local people who died this year. They touched the lives of untold thousands, far and wide; as always, it was a memorable trip through the decades ...
