Have you ever heard of the NIMBY effect? It stands for Not In My Backyard, and applies to opposition against any kind of less-than-totally-desirable entity being built or housed near where you live--nuclear waste, prisons, hog farms, commuter trains...
...commuter trains? What's so bad about those? Well, apparently for some living along the path of the new WES commuter rail line from Wilsonville to Beaverton, the positives of having a major transportation mode placed near their homes are outweighed by the heedless decision to, y'know, make sure nobody gets run over by a train because they didn't hear it.
Yes, despite the tracks having been there long before most of the houses, and despite trains going by using their diesel horns on a regular basis, there is now a great outcry about the noise of the horns coming from WES trains. Are there more trains going by now than before? Yes. Is it a pretty damned loud horn? Well, yeah. That's on purpose. But should it have been a surprise that trains use horns when they go through a crossing? Doubtful.
Part of the issue is that the trains are run by Western and Pacific, and the switches are jointly their responsibility, ODOT's, and the federal Rail Administration's, but the entity catching all the flack is the City of Tualatin.
It is apparently possible to mitigate the noise using better switching technology...but the price tag is about $5 million more than Tualatin has to spare these days: $5 million. That might be hard enough for some citizens to hear (pun intended), but what really seems to be chapping their hides is that the City recently floated bonds for a $50 million rec center. Nevermind that one typically doesn't go out and pay for local rail improvements (for rails you don't own) on the back of the City's bond portfolio, or that in the end it really wasn't their responsibility at all; if you live near the tracks I guess quieter mornings are worth more than enhanced recreational facilities for an entire city.
Maybe this is actually an example of PIMBY--Please in My Backyard (would you put the noise inhibiting system in)--but while the outrage seems a little hysterical and disproportionate, I can understand the abrupt shock of discovering that you'll be getting 5:30 AM wakeup calls each weekday from now on.
After December's severe weather fiasco and more recently the noisy after-effects of the WES launch, it seems that TriMet is always long on excuses but short on solutions to the problems that they create ("Train horn wake-up call unwelcome in Tualatin," Feb. 11).
Besides the loss of livability that I might be forced to endure if I lived in Tualatin, I would be significantly concerned about the potential loss of resale value of my home as a result of the WES noise.
Without a solution, this amounts to an illegal "taking" of a substantial amount of my property value by a government agency and I wouldn't hesitate to file a lawsuit demanding either compensation or (more preferably) elimination of the noise. DAVID GAFFNEY Hillsboro
Leaving aside for a moment the unsubstantiated, speculative and frankly nutty thesis--that somehow this represents a "taking" of property under the eminent domain clause of the Constitution, and that the loss in value from the horn isn't more than outweighed by the value gain from having, uh, A COMMUTER RAIL LINE RIGHT NEAR YOUR HOUSE, I have to wonder...why the hell does David Gaffney, Hillsboro resident, care? Is Mr. Gaffney a professional gadfly, a complainer for hire, a carping consultant?
This might be the first documented case of budding NIYBYism...Not In Your Backyard. Oh yeah? Well, I don't think I like the idea of Hillsboro annexing all those unincorporated "land islands," either. And I'm mad as hell about it! Where's my special "letter to the editor" pen, and my "I'm with stupid" T-shirt? Ah, there they are...
This interview and article in the Oregonian about Loaded Orygun happened entirely while I was gone, except for the event that precipiated it. I discussed at some length what happened when I tried to sit in on a Lake Oswego Council executive (ie, closed) session, as a member of the media. (Short answer: they said no.) It was a sidebar to the much bigger story that the same Council delayed their implementation of the sewer replacement project, but I thought it was interesting in its own right.
So did The O's Yuxing Zheng, someone who clearly has not been infected by the paper's malaise--she was in the audience while I pled my case before Council (and subsequently admitted into the Exec that followed), but noted that they seemed totally caught unawares--thus the headline "Blogger befuddles city by seeking media role." I think she deserves credit for actually using her nose and getting the story past an editor, making her own assignments and getting them published. That's all too rare in a world where Murdoch runs the Journal, so kudos there. (She must be new.)
Considering that she talked to me over a ratty AT&T cell line while I was somewhere in southern Idaho between Twin Falls and the border, she did a pretty good job of reporting what I actually said--which is now kind of a problem, because something I suggested to "resolve" the issue really isn't the way to go about it at all, and yet for once I may be taken seriously and inadvertantly spur its occurrence. The irony would hurt too bad, so let's not have that.
The Oregonian issued its Senate District 23 endorsement on Saturday, noting the dearth of races with more than one name on the ballot.
I received the news in an early-morning phone call from Avel Gordly herself, pleased by the Oregonian Editorial Board’s validation and affirmation of my qualifications to serve as her successor in the Oregon Senate.
The Oregonian stated: “…Sean Cruz, who has served as (Senator) Gordly's legislative aide and chief of staff for the past five years…is qualified for the job. He knows the issues that are important in the district, and he certainly knows how things get done in the Legislature. Most notably, he persuaded Gordly to push legislation, called ‘Aaron's Law,’ that gives families tools to punish parents for the crime of child abduction. “
While the Oregonian gave its official endorsement to my opponent, I appreciate very sincerely their conclusion that I am qualified for the job. Fantastic!
What this means is that Senate District 23 alone offers Portland voters an opportunity to choose between two well-qualified candidates.
It is the only race in town, so far as the Oregon Senate goes….
Yet there have been no meaningful public forums or debates regarding this race, with only 30 days left until ballots are due.
Immigration will certainly be a front-line issue in the 2009 legislature. Anti-immigrant ads are already appearing on television. The race-baiting is out in the open in Mike Erickson’s ads.
Yet there has been no public discussion of immigration issues in any legislative race, or how the candidates might address racial and ethnic minority concerns through their office.
Senate District 23, the most diverse district in the state, ought to draw a discussion about this, ought to attract some attention from someone…anyone?
More on this later, much more…. Right now, I’m going to take Rex for a walk, tell him about how cool it is to find yourself qualified to serve in the Oregon Senate printed in your morning paper.
Hey, remember back when the short session ended and The O branded Jeff Merkley the Big Loser of the entire thing? Why did they do that? Because he made a significant attempt to push through a specific piece of legislation (some thinking in a bid to create a campaign point), and failed--creating some hard feelings in the process. The campaign didn't think that was very fair, but it was their risk--it didn't become law even with all the advantages, and he pissed people off in the process. Who else should The O have given it to, politically?
The Supreme Court ruled this week that the Oregon Lottery is not required to maximize state profits while it creates a "reasonable rate of return" for retailers that offer video poker. This ruling overturned a 2006 decision by the Court of Appeals. It also disappointed advocates hoping the courts would order the state to favor children and salmon over bar owners.
"I think the precedent is terrible," says Steve Novick, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate and longtime watchdog of Oregon's gambling system.
A little history: Business owners that operate lottery machines for the state get to keep a percentage of the net proceeds. These percentages were set at a time when fewer people gambled. Over time, the games became addictive for players and more lucrative for retailers. Retailers started making a killing under the old commission rates of about 32 percent.
The Oregon Lottery tried to keep up with this shifting business reality by lowering the rate to about 28 percent in 2004. Then in the budget crisis of 2005, Gov. Ted Kulongoski decided to allow electronic slot machines -- known as the "crack cocaine" of video gaming. Lottery leaders lowered the average commission for retailers with slot machines to about 25 percent. [emph mine]
They do everything they can to avoid bringing up the fact that, beyond just happening to ask Steve his opinion on this, he was the guy who led the fight to lower those commissions they speak of. But they know who it was; that's why they quoted Steve.
So to recap:
Jeff Merkley: Big opportunity handed to him by Ben Westlund, resulting in diluted, failed bill and dispirited supporters, angered colleagues in Senate
Steve Novick: Big opportunity, undertaken by choice on behalf of Oregon schools, coalition built and successful, guy Oregonian calls to talk about getting the job done.
Steve Novick: who you call when traditional methods don't seem to be getting it done.
Even The O knows, if they won't admit it outright, But they know.
It's one thing when a clear partisan like myself engages in a series of narrowly focused and consistent critiques against the other candidate; I suppose many have come to expect that from me (and I aims to deliver, boss). I certainly don't try to be unfair, and I think I do a pretty good job taking on Merkley's record and campaign without being personally disparaging. Disrespectful, yah--disparaging, no.
And perhaps if Merkley weren't running such a really, really bad campaign so far, and taking specifically disparaging potshots at Novick in the process, I wouldn't find myself putting together another article today on just how bad it's getting for them. That said, I recognize that as someone with a pretty healthy bias built in, I will not serve as a widely-utilized source of objective information about the race.
When the state paper of record starts poking and jabbing at you for days in a row, however, I think you gotta take note. I've noticed no particular bias in this race on the part of The Oregonian, beyond what seems to be a fairly common media predisposition towards Steve's more quotable nature--so if they've turned on him, they've done so suddenly. But for the last couple of days, they certainly have not been kind to the courtly House Speaker.
Do you remember the good old days--I dunno, Thanksgiving?--when the Merkley campaign considered themselves the only "realistic" candidacy in the Senate primary? Which is to say that they didn't really perceive themselves as being in a primary, so much as an extended battle against Gordon Smith. That continued with the dismissive "can't take yes for an answer" response the day after New Year's, regarding those same debates featuring Jeff and the Unrealistics. The lumping of Novick in with two guys who didn't even show up to debate--Pavel Goberman, for heaven's sake--was similar disrespect. (Why does Jeff Merkley keep ruining Steve's holidays? Send a facebook gift next time Jeff, OK?)
Whether it's the slowly lumbering giant of professional consultancy or simply an awareness that Plan A has not been successful at vaulting them over the competition, they're not dismissing and smiling condescendingly at invisible Steve Novick anymore:
Merkley campaign spokesman Matt Canter called the two snippets evidence of how Novick treats his own party. He "disparaged Barack Obama," Canter said, and "brags about support for Ralph Nader," who has been hard on Democratic presidential candidates in the past.
"Novick appears to attack Democrats at will," Canter said.
Jake Weigler, Novick's campaign manager, said Novick did indeed wrestle with his decision to support Obama after John Edwards dropped out. "If Jeff Merkley thinks his fellow Democrats should be put beyond reproach, we look forward to that debate."
On Nader, Weigler said Novick thought the consumer maverick ran a good counterpoint campaign in 1996. "In 2000, he was a strong supporter of Al Gore."
Well now, let's start with the first question: whose story is this? Obviously the Merkley campaign gave Harry Esteve at The O the offending passage from Steve's LTE in 1998; he published shortly after six last evening. Kevin Kamberg of Preemptive Karma, a seriously invested Merkley supporter, had this same quote shortly after noon yesterday. It certainly would be an extraordinarily coincidental Google search--if you could find that on Google. I'm fairly sure it required a hard copy or film search to get it. Let's assume at a minimum Merkley fed both Kamberg and Esteve (among others, surely)...is Kamberg's function to peddle Merkley's oppo research? Or was it his all along, passed to Merkley and then to Esteve? Point being--all that, for...this?
Once again the ONA, OMA, Work Drug Free Oregon, Self Insurers, Drug Rehab and others seek to rob Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens from working because they are registered in a controversial health care program, the OMMP.
The assertions by these groups are not scientific and without evidence to support their “what-ifs”. If they are successful in their efforts, Oregon workers will suffer the consequence of unemployment and more people will be forced into using public assistance programs.
Oregonians made it clear Tuesday: A property rights initiative approved three years ago went too far. Believing that development claims spawned by Measure 37 threatened the state's farms and forests, voters rolled it back by passing passing Measure 49 with more than 64 percent of the vote.
Measure 49 supporters cheered and applauded when the first results were posted at a campaign party at McMenamin's Kennedy School in Northeast Portland. "This is a real relief," said Bruce Chapin, a hazelnut farmer and head of the Oregon Farm Bureau. "It's nice to see some positive news for a change."
The outcome drastically scales back development allowed under Measure 37, approved by voters in 2004.
Land use experts said 42 percent of Measure 37 claimants filed to build one to three homes. They predicted other claimants will reduce their development projects to fit within the "express lane" definition and avoid having to prove a property value loss.
The third avenue is for those who have spent sufficient money or done enough work on their projects to be considered legally "vested." They would be allowed to finish their development, even if it went beyond the scope of what's otherwise allowed under Measure 49. Attorneys say it's a murky area of the law, however, and judges may be asked to rule on some cases.
Dave Hunnicutt, president of the property rights group Oregonians in Action, said the vote will generate a new round of court fights as frustrated landowners sort through their options.
A resounding blow for shared commitment and preservation about what is best in Oregon. Thank goodness.
Update, 9:30p, from KGW--
Measure 49 was passing with 60.8 percent in favor after 60 percent of the projected vote was counted. Results followed a clear geographical split, with urban counties favoring it and many rural counties opposing it.
I've got a large bucket near the keyboard in case I start to get the heaves as I type this, but I simply must finish this writing session. One has to commemorate rare moments, like the passing of familiar but sporadic comets. I'm still a little dazed at the unusual intervention into one of the progressive community's more seminal discussions, but here goes.
I agree with what David Reinhard says in Sunday's O, about Clinton/Obama having a certain similarity to Merkley/Novick {stifle.} I think his reasoning is mostly sound {burp} and helpfully objective {gurgle} coming from someone with no dog in the fight, although you can still smell the snark and the bemused condescension he treats it with.
What's most interesting is that unlike his many columns where he seems to have ripped pages from the GOP Fax Wurlitzer and rearranged the paragraphs under his byline, this one has to be all from the brain of Reinhard. And whereas many in the blogosphere seem to think that Novick has played into the GOP's sloppy attempt to play gotcha with Merkley, Reinhard actually gets it:
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