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Jeff, for what it's worth...

Trash dumping have changed... though I was a surface guy (RM1/DP1(SW)USN, Ret) and don't know what goes on with reactor coolant.

It's important to note, that all the statments being made by navy guys here, myself included are HISTORICAL DATA.   During the 20 years I was in, there were huge changes that will astound a lot of guys who finished their honourable service prior to 1990:

1. Not every thing is dumped, most of the time trash is held on board.

2. As wierd as it sounds, the navy uses WATER BASED PAINT on ships.  Inside, outside, etc.

3. the navy has a very anal-retentive program for hazardous material which acounts for all the greases, cleaners and other potentially toxic stuff.  the goal of this is to keep it out of the ocean.

Just imagine if when you went to the store if you not only had to pay for your pine sol, but you had to sign paperwork before you left the store stating that you understood the first aid, proper use and storage of your pine sol, but also had to return the un-used portion and sign more paper work. 

And yes, regular bathroom cleaners in the navy are considered hazerdous, I'm not exaggerating.  All this has totally "upped" the navy from being clean, in a fresh paint and dust free kinda way to a non-poluting kind of way.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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BiospherePreservation you said: "Our government AND our military is too big!"  I agree with you, however prior to the Regan draw down of the military we didn't need "ethically and morally challenged" firms like "Blackwater" to provide security for our country's operations over seas.  

I say that the military is the less expensive and lesser of that sort of Evil.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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In response to caller Gregs' statements about dumping trash...

In 1983 when I first joined the navy, we dumped that sort of stuff overboard... in 2003 when i retired, the only thing we dumped overboard in the 50-100 mile zone was galley waste, and it had to be in paper bags (which was an amazingly messy way to do it).  Past the 100 mile zone we could dump "sinkable" trash, like metal.  All plastics, hazardous waste (a lot of which seemed pretty benign to me) and "un sinkable" trash was held on board until the ship pulled into port.

I'm not out to defend the navy, but I will say that Greg's information on dumping trash is WAY outdated.  I can't speak as to what or how submarines discharge secondary cooling 'waste'?

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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Interesting topic.  As retired navy, I noticed that the pamplet carefully leaves out two topics I'd like to know more about:

1. Why aren't the current trainining ranges adequet?

2. What are the navy's plans for clean up of mines and munitions?

It's a careful balancing act, do we allow the people who are directly defending the country have what they say they need just because the ask for it, or do we hold them accountable for what they mess up?

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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The last place any one should ask for working without pay is teaching! Haven't we nickle and dimed the education system to death already? 

At least put the choice of pay cut or days without pay to the teachers and let them choose.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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What a heated topic!  So maybe some reality check questions should be put on the ballot for a vote.  Like the removal of invasive species, management of native species.  Why not the introduction of Wolves?  

And BTW... An annual "Forest Service Pass is" $36.  that's for one car, so maybe the question should be: who should bear the cost for public land use:

-the cattle rancher who animals are there a large number of days?

-the hiker or backpacker who is there for a few days, and may leave less of an impact?

Perhaps the biggest "logical disconnect" that I heard was that the Rancher said that grazing cattle on public land wasn't profitible but it's "what we do".  I'm wondering if it doesn't turn a prophet, is it then a hobby?  The men in my family were traditionally blacksmiths, so does that mean that I should expect some kind of stipend to smith?  

Mostly what I want to know as someone who hikes, mountain bikes and eats beef what do I get out of beef grazed on public land?  If it "doesn't turn a prophet" or if it "cheaper to graze on private land" for the rancher, then I'm supporting an un-sustainable buisness model.  Is  the beef sold in Oregon?  Or am I supporting some kind of "High-end" gentlman rancher selling his beef on the internet?

posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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I'm still behind Sam 100%!

For two reasons:
1) It really shouldn't matter what goes on in private between consenting adults.
2) No law was broken.

If your a rational person, the real question to ask is: "Do you feel that Sam Adams is the best person to do the job?"

If you're a conservative, moral person the question might be "Is my life free of sin that I have the obligation to cast the first stone?"

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
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HI! I'm actually headed out the door to work, but I wanted to put some food for thought up because this subject is so near and dear to me. I flip-flop between being overweight and obese (as defined by being 26% body fat or more) and it's a constant struggle. I work out 5 or 6 times a week and average 4500 calories a week being burned at the gym, but my problem is avoiding the constant barrage of sweet and fatty foods. I don't buy them but especially with the holidays, friends, family and neighbors have dropped of goodies. As far as the idea that i contribute to global warming because it takes me more gas to get around, I'd have to ask "where do i put the gas in my bicycle?" that's just a load of bollocks.

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
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I'm betting that a lot of the Smug East Coasters moved out here, just like Californians because Oregon was "So Cheap". Now they complain that they don't have the services that they grew up with in their, overcrowded and overtaxed states. The flip side of lower cost of living is the fact that the state and the city don't hold your hand every step of the way.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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Dolce!

As a Native Oregonian, I say you're welcome to stay, you have the right attitude. As far as staying gracious to transplants, well, maybe it's the coffee, the beer and the mild year 'round weather. Besides, enough rainy days will cause californians to leave. Obviously Midwesterners and East Coasters are made of much sterner stuff. I'm sure they'll be able to handle the next massive volcano explosion or the "big one" with aplomb ;)

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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I Laugh at all the comments from "recently transplanted' Oregonians, the person from New Jersy kind of hit it by posting his friends' comment about using a sales tax to buy some snow ploughs. The snow's just an occasional thing here, we don't have to budget for a winter of snow and that's reflected in our relatively low cost of living. So if you folks from Hartford, Buffalo, Cleavland or wherever back east can't deal with our Cultural Snow Panic, you're welcome to hop in your Suburbans and head east.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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Amen to what you said!

posted 4 years, 6 months ago
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Whether you think the initiative process is right or wrong depends on your view of what government should be. Mine is that government needs to be kept small and weak so that is the servant of the people. So to extrapolate that philosophy to the initiative process, I'd have to say that the two big problems are the wording of ballot measures both on the ballot and in the Voters' pamphlet. I think as a state Oregon needs to move more towards a complete citizens' democracy and eventually move from having a "legislature" to a small group of non-partisans who's job is solely to write ballot measures for us to write upon.

Several times I've heard that we should let state legislators do the work because they are qualified. Aside from gathering signatures on a petition to get their name on a ballot and enough votes to get them in the office what are the prerequisites for legislative service? A BA in political science? a week long training session after they are elected?

posted 4 years, 6 months ago
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The gentleman who responded that "Native Americans managed forests through fire" is mostly wrong. Some did, some didn't. In some places, like the Willamette Valley, Native Americans did use fire to manage forests, in other places they didn't. If all Native Americans had manage all forest through fire, how does he explain the pictures from the 19th century that document tree stumps 30 or 40 feet in diameter. I think it takes rather longer than 200 years for trees to get that big.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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Thank you OPB for bringing this issue to light! Our jury and trial always seems to be slightly mysterious to me. Listening to day I've learned a lot as i thought that all juries had to be unanimous, and it's not the case. What I find interesting is even though changing the system like Emilie quoted has a snowball's chance in a very hot place, Mr. Bronson seems to think that the subject isn't news worthy. I think he's wrong, and Mr Bronson, if you are reading or hear this, my question to you is why do you feel the need to keep this discussion "under the table" or "behind closed doors"?

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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I refrain from flying whenever I can, it's been years since I've flown, not because of the cost, but because o the service. Of course, I'm sure that Noah, the gentleman from Portland/San Francisco who commutes to california for work wouldn't agree as evidently, he flys back and forth every week. I make no apologies for someone who lives to that kind of excess, and has to pay through the nose to fly to work, actually it's the people that drive the big SUVs and have a life style where they need to fly back and forth to work that make me look forward to $5 or $6 a gallon gas. Oh, and BTW, Noah, I'll think about you everytime I ride my bike to work, and every month when spend my $50 for my modest driving habit.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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This so obviously one of those great urban-rural divide questions. In much the same way that someone who wants to develop their farm into a subdivision can't see why they shouldn't have every last right to do so, I can't see why shouldn't have the right to marry or "civil union up" with whomever I want. Maybe we should pull together as Oregonians and respect all the rights of everybody in the state.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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In reply to the complaint about the close cabins at Stub Stewart... The Hike in spots are great, if you don't want to be looking through your neighbours' windows try those spots, they are awesome, each one has a nice flat spot and a picnic table, and access to a pit toilet. Who could ask for more?

posted 5 years ago
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I don't understand what it's like to live in some place like Fossil and I'm sure a lot of people who grew up in Fossil don't understand what it's like to live in Portland. How about we all drop this imaginary need to "understand" and just accept there's different issues and get to working on making the state work for all it's residents?

posted 5 years ago
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A question: One of the candidates said that "there needs to be a 'robust GI bill' funded" for troop transitions. Actually, there is the "Montgomery GI Bill" which funds education. I'd like to know if he's aware of this and what he would do to improve it.

posted 5 years ago
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