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I think casinos are a bad idea for many different reasons, but lets consider this impact.  If building a casino is such a great idea, why not build the casino in Lake Oswego where Mr. Rossman lives? Or West Linn? Or another neighborhood of higher priced homes?  This would show the classic "NIMBY" (Not In My Backyard) syndrome that is common with big corporations.  Sure, they will say, "well the cost of land is more expensive in these areas", well, why do you think that is?  They don't have a casino or a Wallmart, or a Fred Myers in the heart of their quiet bedroom communities.

People of lower income status always have to bear the cost of large corporations control over supply and demand, and now you want to feed on the vice of gambling by coyly covering it with features like a water park?  That is so far removed from the public good.

Well, at least if this casino measure passes, other folks in Lake Oswego won't have much difficulty buying up the property around Wood Village, since you know the property values around this complex will further plummet.

posted 1 year, 8 months ago
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Great Topic!

Okay, so I have both a lawn and "edibles" in my yard.  The edibles include raised beds of berries and veggies, 5 different fruit trees, bulbs and flowers of many kinds, and native types of grass that require very little if any extra watering beside our liquid sunshine, and require no extra fertilizer due to the grass species, and require no chemicals to kill weeds because my whole yard has correct soil structure that is a vibrant eco-system teeming with worms, bugs, and many types of micro-organisms that would be otherwise killed by chemicals. 

I laugh at how silly it is that most lawns in my neighborhood (newer homes being buildt especially) that utilize grass species like Kentucky Blue Grass, and Annual Ryegrass that require tons of extra fertilizer, tons of water, tons of mowing, and tons of chemicals to keep weeds suppressed.  It's so reckless, when you could buy grass seeds that I buy, that are 100% Oregon grown, like Creeping Red Fescue, Chewings Fescue, and Buffalo Turf Grass.

Also, most of the plants that we refer to as weeds were living in our backyards long before we decided to build a house there, and by simply using chemicals you have to continue to use chemicals to keep them suppressed, or otherwise the weeds will simply pop back up once there is no other plant competing with them.

It really comes down to the same things that injure our national conscience: too much consumerism, too much vanity, and too much ignorance to learn how to make a better decision for both one's yard, and one's environment.  Oh, you won't find any gas mower in my yard, I enjoy the workout and the better cut of a push mower! 

posted 2 years, 1 month ago
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