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Glass_I's comments:
on Winter Depression
My wife is from California & I am from Idaho.
We have found that using melatonin at bedtime has significantly reduced the winter-blues here in the Willamette valley.
What has the doctor's results been so far?
- Glass-I (Beaverton)
posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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on The Congressional Races
I urge people to vote for Wu.
He is a low-key person who is very adept at his job.
He & his office helped us with Social Security.
He performed as a rep should in the way they should.
The outcome saved us from medical bankruptcy !
Vote Wu !
R Jones (Beaverton)
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Philosophy of Taxes & Spending
Scott --
Well put!
Especially, "Taxes will always feel authoritarian, because they are in essence a tariff on life."
But what are we as individuals getting in return in these United States?
-- Russ J (Beaverton)
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Philosophy of Taxes & Spending
I believe part of the reason that business people feel 'taxed-to-death' is simply because of the number of different taxes they must pay at different times. Add on to this the complexity of some of the taxes, and it's no wonder business owners feel 'taxed-to-death.' The reporting requirements would quickly overwhelm anyone, and I think working people like myself simply forget this.
Ive always felt there should be progressive taxation. That is, those who have benefitted most from the economic system should have no qualms contributing a greater purportion of their income to support the system that helped create their opportunity to make wealth for themselves. Making it simpler to do so would certainly make business people feel less 'taxed-to-death'.
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Candidate Conversation: Chris Dudley
Please ask Mr. Dudley why Washington, which has higher taxes than Oregon, continuely outpaces Oregon in job creation & company growth. It also could be noted that President Clinton raised taxes and the US experienced its largest period of job & business growth since the 1960s, plus he left office with the country in surplus.
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Candidate Conversation: 5th District
April --
Scott Bruun is pulling a "Bill O'reilly" on you !!!
He's got nothing 'real' to offer or say, so he's talking over anyone else who might use rational reasoning!
Stop him !!!
Ask him for details about his solutions.
Where does his info come from.
About taxes: So who's supposed to pay for government.
I just hope his ridiculous answers reveal him to be the 'empty suit' he is. Finance by outsiders, filled with their ideas inappropriate for Oregonians.
- Russ J (Beaverton)
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on How Religion and Politics Intersect
Greetings -
'Faith-based' services are symptomatic of Americans not being willing to pay taxes for the services they expect from their government.
Any association between religion & the governement is antithetical to the first ammendment.
The present association is government compromising its obligation to remain absolutely secular in its services to the populace in order to avoid raising taxes to support such services.
It must be stopped, as the governement cannot continue to compromise its secular status.
Where will 'faith-based' services stop? Road-buiding? Tax form processing?
- Russ J (Beaverton)
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Measure 75: Wood Village Casino
Measure 75 serves as a excellent example of the bastardization of the citizen-driven initiative process.
As I understand it, the citizen initiative process is intended to give voters an opportunity to do the things that citizen's felt their state representatives are unable or unwilling to accomplish.
Measure 75, however it got on the ballot, clearly demonstrates how a narrowly focused, self-serving interest can hijack the process purely for their personal gain.
- R Jones (Beaverton)
posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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on RX: Health Care Costs
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The one thing that voters won’t stand for is inaction. Most people will support a person who stands for and supports a difficult decision no matters how unpopular.
I am VERY dissatisfied with the Democrats. They are unable commit to health care reform, regardless of the evidence supporting the absolute need for dramatic changes. Unfortunately, the screaming, irrational right frightened the Democrats from doing what is right and necessary.
How is it that an obvious GOP puppet president can lead us into an irrational, illegal war in Iraq, with lies, and the Democrats cannot pass rational, necessary health care reform when 62% of all bankruptcies in the U.S. are medical bankruptcies and ¾ of those bankruptcies had health insurance (See: www.law.harvard.edu/news/2005/02/03_bankruptcy.php ).
“For-profit” medical insurance companies are morally duplicitous institutions. They cannot cover medical care, and maximize returns for their shareholders. To me this is an obvious dichotomy that is not part of the health care reform debate.
A national health-care exchange that includes a public option is a good starting point. The next, necessary step is a single-payer system like that of Japan, Germany or the U.K..
posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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on Rx: Individual Mandates
I absolutely agree wih you, empkae. There is a cognitive dissonance with health 'insurance'. The arguement must be re-framed. The fact that for-profit health insurance companies are morally-duplicitous institutions must be drilled into people heads. By their very nature they cannot trully 'insure' people, all-the-while maximizing their profits for their stockholders.
Russ J., in Beaverton
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on Rx: Individual Mandates
I think the problem with expanding Medicare is because it pretty much pays for everything. It lacks a consistent cost containment system. Perhaps, medicare using evidence-based criteria would work.
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on Rx: Individual Mandates
I am all for mandating health insurance, but under one condition. There must be a robust public option.
Russ J, in Beaverton
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on Jobless Recovery
Greetings -
I am hesistant to use the Oregon I-Match job skills. I doubt its effectiveness and doubt its ability to match my skill-set accurately to an appropriate job.
Please ask your guest how I-Match works and how effective its been proven to be.
Regards,
- Russ J from Beaverton OR
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on Referendum Signatures
A petition is not a vote. A peitition is an endorsement of an idea or concept. It is imperitive that those who endorse an idea or concept be identified. The signers are endorsers therefore their identity should be freely published so that those for or against the idea or concept can measure those who support it via casual relationship to good friends.
- Russ from Beaverton, OR
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on Rx: Role of Employers
There is a fundamental dicotamy between 'for profit' insurance companies and 'product' they provide. It cannot provide a 'quality' product and still make a profit. In addition, morally, isn't it just wrong to profit off other's misery?
A single-payer system with centralized record's system (like all other industrialized countries) IS the only solution. Why are we trying to recreate the wheel?
A employer-based system has proven itself not to work. Why? Today, a person only works an average of three years for any company. Everytime, you change companies, you change medical insurers. The constant changing from insurer to insurer, with all the requisite inclusions & exclusions, itself, is a huge cost.
One cost not being discussed is the cost to the employee if you get REALLY sick. Not only are you a patient trying to discover why you are sick and get well, you're having to manage the slough of bills that come in your mailbox. A single-payer system resolves this.
Regards,
Russ J
posted 3 years, 10 months ago
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on Life After Special Ed
My 24 year old stepson is Autistic and a marvel. He completed a regular high school diploma at Pacific Academy -- A day treatment center & high school in Beaverton. The last two years as a member of National Honor Soceity. At the end of this quarter at PCC, he'll have all his prerequisites for university enrollment.
Pacific Academy provided my stepson a highly structured environment in which he thrived. He progressed intellectually and socially at a normal rate, graduating at 18. The services were all there during high school. It has taken seven years to complete his prerequisites because of the lack of support within the system. There are no services after high school, and here in the US there is no social agency to serve citizens with special needs. They are cut adrift and it is left to the family to insure the individual progresses. Needlesstosay, most families are not up to this task. My son is most fortunate.
My son has two, college educated parents, with his mother at home. She has tirelessly worked with him enabling him to stay on target to become a productive member of soceity.
posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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on The Benefits of Unemployment
Robin Quon -
Why does Oregon calculate benefits by W2 wages and not Gross Wages? The calculation excludes "Fringe Benefits". I do not understand how something I paid for out oof my gross wages can be considered a "Fringe Benefit".
posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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on A Route to Rural Broadband?
I believe WIMAX is the solution for rural connectivity.
My parents live in small (22,000 pop.) town in Northern Idaho. The city and surrounding farms & ranches are all served by a small local ISP's WIMAX network. The cost-per-megabit is equivalent to what I pay in Portland for cable broadband.
Perhaps, a not-for-profit corporation should be formed to assist rural communities in setting-up and managing their own WIMAX networks at little, or no cost to the residents.
posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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