2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I can see both sides of the issue, but from my experience I would strongly advocate for maintaining a tight control on the UGB. I am from Douglas County, Georgia, where, in the seventies, there were still creeks and cow pastures and woods to romp around in. When Atlanta's population exploded in the mid/late eighties and early nineties, there were virtually no controls set on development, and the suburbs quickly became some of the ugliest sprawl in the nation. Unregulated growth all too often means large areas prepared for development - trees razed, ground leveled, parking lots put in - that remain empty because expected population centers located elsewhere. Now there are empty and half-empty strip malls for miles in every direction, acres and acres of deforested but undeveloped land, five lane roads where the two lane would have been fine, hastily and cheaply erected subdivisions that seem to sag and rot after only twenty years. Developers rush in to make a fortune, build fast food franchises and cheap housing, and leave with their money. It does not always translate to the population. Please don't let this happen to Portland. Develop up and in, not down and out.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
view in context

I don't see why this is any of our business. The press is looking for scandal, and forced the issue. Lying is never good, and I wish he had just put it out of the way then, but it wasn't my decision to make, and people do crazy things to win an election, or not to lose one. If Sam didn't break the law, then let him get to work. If he broke the law, prosecute. Sheesh. Yellow journalists.

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
view in context

Thank you for this conversation.

Of course, religion in politics is nothing new, but I too desire the SECULAR office of President to be just that - SECULAR. As it became more and more apparent that Obama was pandering to religious factions, I sent a note to his campaign to that effect. I received no reply, of course ( they must be awful busy over there ).

Whether or not Christianity, and Protestant at that, is by far the majority choice of religion in America, the President represents everyone, Athiest, Baptist, Muslim, and everyone in between.

The American government was designed to be SECULAR. There is a separation between church and state for very good reasons. It's sad to see a waning power like the USA slide into such a deranged state of political nonsense.

I'm voting for Chuck D.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
view in context

I don't understand the fight against "invasive species." Humans move, humans carry flora and fauna with them, purposefully or unknowingly. The only way to stop a mixture of species from moving around the world is to stop humans from moving around the world, and I don't think that's going to happen.

posted 5 years ago
view in context