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Emily Harris's comments:
on How Religion and Politics Intersect
That's funny you picked up on that phrase - we did talk about exactly how I phrased that question on the air. I asked "what does it matter" what Jesus thinks about a government? Tom rephrased as "who cares" and I reiterated what I actually said. A bit of a difference, in tone and motivation, perhaps.
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Question Time
Thanks for the transport question including all the context! We don't have plans at the moment with the other candidates for governor.
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Global Trade in the Northwest
Thanks Penny. They were spam, they're gone now.
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Let 'er Buck: The Pendleton Round-Up
Balance, blinders, information, advocacy – I could talk about these things for hours. I have found I often learn something when I go deep inside someone else's world for a little while.
For a peek into my world, here's the backstory on some of the behind the scenes craziness today!
posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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on Fighting Fire
Tom, thank you for the eloquent pictures you paint. Earlier in this thread Jacob also mentioned the fuel build up from fire suppression policies contributing to future fires. We touched on this in a past program about thinning forests; we'll certainly will keep it in mind for a deeper future look.
Thanks, Emily
posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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on What's in a Name
Tom and Riposte - Thank you for posting and listening. I just want to say I'll miss Dave a ton, perhaps more than anyone. I hope we will in fact be able to keep doing what he has done so well – and what scottmil, as usual, so eloquently describes.
As far as the sound of my voice and the sound of the show overall – of course we listen and care. I have learned over time that some people love my voice and style, some people hate it, and I'm a lot more proud of some shows than others. My hope each hour is to get the most insight possible from our many different guests, callers, and online contributors. You all do so much to help make the show and site what it is.
Thank you.
Emily
posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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on Lewis & Clark's New President
hi - just wanted to say I hear you all and I do appreciate the feedback. Some days go better than others! Do feel free to keep input coming.
cheers, Emily
posted 2 years, 9 months ago
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on Million Dollar Ideas?
Air dates are always posted at the top of the post. This show will be on Friday, July 9, live at 9 AM with a repeat broadcast at 9 PM.
posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on No-Fly List
Maybe proceedure is the wrong word. I'm not sure what else to call it. Homeland Security calls it the "redress inquiry program." They say:
The Department of Homeland Security's Travel Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) is a single point of contact for individuals who have inquiries or seek resolution regarding difficulties they experienced during their travel screening at transportation hubs--like airports and train stations--or while crossing U.S. borders. These could include:
- denied or delayed airline boarding
- denied or delayed entry into and exit from the U.S. at a port of entry or border checkpoint
- continuously referred to additional (secondary) screening
Here is that link:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/customer/redress/index.shtm
As we heard today, a main focus of the ALCU lawsuit is that attempts to resolve problems with the list are secret and not working, certainly for the plaintiffs.
Thank you,
Emily
posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on Cleaning up the Gulf
Hi Susan - Looks like you've got a good start on your own! I googled "oil spill help" and one of the first things that came up was this USA Today article from early May with several organizations listed. I can't vouch for any, but it may be what you're looking for.
best, Emily
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
More from Dallas Fridley:
The wind industry is still new - and right now we are seeing primarily
the construction impacts. From a job and payroll standpoint the
construction impact is huge but also transitory. I'll point you to the
Employment Department's green job study here which shows all
green jobs accounted for 3 percent of Oregon's private, state government and local government employment in 2008.
Here is a link to the American Wind Energy Association's inventory of
wind energy projects by state.You can pick existing projects or those under construction - it looks like the Washington has about the same number as Oregon.
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
From Dallas Fridley, Regional economist for the Oregon Employement Department:
Not every county is going to show a big job impact from
agriculture. It is also important to look at self employment - which
largely defines the ag sector in Gilliam, Sherman and Wheeler counties.
Beyond jobs in the fields agriculture supports others - for instance, in
Hood River County the pear crop is sent to packing houses where it will be sorted and packed for cold storage and later sold - these firms are in wholesale trade. Wasco County processes its cherries (Oregon Cherry Growers) and those jobs represent a large chunk of its total
manufacturing.
Payments to land owners by the wind industry are not counted in agriculture, they are lease payments so basically a real
estate transaction.
Tourism isn't an easy sector to measure - for a variety of reasons.
Oregon doesn't have a sales tax - and neighboring Washington communities do. A grocery store can have tourism related sales - but local incomes represent a bigger chunk of its sales. Likewise, eating and drinking places depend upon the tourism season for a big part of their annual sales - but they wouldn't survive without local diners. There is a good resource available for quantifying travel impacts in Oregon and its counties thanks to the annual reports prepared by Dean Runyan and Assoc. Here is a link.
The tax issue is difficult to answer. I recall that the historic
Columbia Gorge Hotel recently sold last year for about $4-million. Hood River County has about 16 lodging facilities (not counting vacation homes) - and 553 farms with 26,952 acres (avg = 49 acres). I'll guess agriculture brings in more local tax revenue.
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
Heard back from Dallas Fridley! Please see below his comments on how to measure the economic impact of agriculture v. tourism v. wind in Oregon, and the economic impact of wind energy development in Washington. His email was slightly edited for the web. - Emily
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
Just talked to Tony Wendel, a colleague of Dallas at the Oregon Employment Department. (Dallas is on vacation and may be able to add to this thread next week.) To look at agriculture and tourism, here's what Mr. Wendel said: In 2009, in Hood River County, the estimated average annual employment in agriculture was 2380 jobs. (Interestingly, it's an estimate because the Employment Department only gets hard data from farms with a payroll higher than $20,000 per quarter.) In lesiure/hospitality, it was 1751 jobs. That's not tourism straight up; it would include non-tourism business and tourism's impact is felt in other sectors as well.
In Wasco County, the jobs numbers were 1740 for ag and 1156 for leisure/hospitality. In Sherman County, it was 140 for ag and 131 for leisure.
Of course, jobs are only one measure of economic impact. There's also income generated by those jobs, sales and revenue of businesses, how much is paid to local governments in taxes or fees, and probably many more important factors.
Maybe some lingering questions from this program are how windmills impact the scenery and wildlife in the Gorge — and will that have an economic impact?
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
Hi stoppropagandism,
I'm not sure it's imminent that wind power will be a major part of the Gorge economy. The show is part of our series on Oregon's rural economy. It asks what part of the economy wind is at the moment and brings up some of the challenges wind development faces.
I know there are many people organized to oppose massive wind farms, and I know there have been projects pulled. I'm also getting the sense some people, even involved in that work, may feel frustrated and perhaps powerless by what seems like an overwhelming trend to build windmills. What do you think?
About the three years, Think Out Loud has been on the air 2 1/2 years. I grew up in Portland, left for college, and returned as a young adult. I moved away in the mid-90s for work and came back in late 2007. The depth of conversation on this show is always better when people with personal experience and deep knowledge over time add what they know.
Thank you for doing that,
Emily
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
Responding to concenedres - thank you for your generous offer! I have visited Hood River many times over the years, as a child and young adult here and since I've returned. I've tried my hand at windsurfing, I've enjoyed the restaurants, I've taken the train up Mt. Hood, and I've participated in the Gorge Games. As I mentioned above, I'm going to ask Dallas Fridley, the regional economist from the Oregon Employment Division, to respond to the comments about the role of tourism in the Gorge economy.
Your description of the lights reminds me of a time I was driving, late, on a small, unfamiliar road in Germany. I came around a corner and was surrounded by red lights. I had no idea what they were, and I was kind of freaked out and very confused. A construction site in the sky? Aliens? Finally I heard the noise of the blades turning (it was kind of a lop, lop, as I remember; it was not very windy) and figured out what it was.
A lot of people seem to feel those lights are more unsightly than the turbines themselves. Do you?
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
I was also surprised when Dallas Fridley, a regional economist for the Oregon Employment Division, downplayed tourism as an economic driver. I'm going to ask him to respond here as well.
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
The link to the show is up now. Look at the bottom of the post. Or just click here.
Thanks,
Emily
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on What Wind Means for the Gorge
Hi stoppropagandism,
We taped the show Thursday night with the guests listed and a wonderful audience in The Dalles. It'll be up and available to listen to here shortly. Take a listen and let us know what you think.
Thanks,
Emily
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on New Police Chief
Cheryl - I am sorry you felt playing the music was in bad taste. I wasn't sure how it would go over, but playing guitar is something the new police chief loves to do and I thought it was a little bit fun to hear. And I will confirm our guests were laughing. I don't know if they would say they were snickering. Dave and I were not.
Good point on civilian and citizen. Thank you.
Emily
posted 3 years ago
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