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Can you explain the "emptiness"?

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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Forget about the fact that the national average cost of healthcare is $12,000. Nevermind the fact that McCain's $5000 credit will raise your taxable income by $5000. Your McCain "advisor" is failing to to mention or doesn't understand that under McCain's Healthcare plan, He will tax your healthcare benifits for the first time ever. This is unacceptable and should be addressed by the moderator.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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At best, This is overprotective coddling. It is teaching these children that the world revolves around them and their personal timetables. Simply, This is not how the world works.

This is overbearing, selfish, and it will only stunt these children as they enter the workforce.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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The NIE on Iran explicitly states that Iran is not actively seeking a nuclear weapons. You guest is sabre rattling and you are accepting his argument without any direct challenge to his assertions that they are deveolping or persuing nuclear weapons. Once again the media, this program included, are not addressing and refuting the radical assertions of the war mongering right.
Shame on you.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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The last caller said that urban centers strip the rural regions of resources, such as water. Her solution to this was to file a fast track claim to build an urban development in the middle of farm land? If she is so concerned about the preservation of farm land why the heck would she petition the governemnt to increase density in these areas? Won't this only add to her stated problems of straining rural resources? Her logic just doesn't add up.

Further more, the problem with development in rural areas of Oregon is that they are being built in unincorportated areas. These developments require large investments from near by municipalities to run utilities and social services(fire/police) to these areas. The cities also have to expand transportation for the increase in traffic that accompanies an increase in density. My point is that unicorporated areas don't pay municipal taxes so the near by cities aren't recieving an increase in tax revenue to pay for development demanded by these subdivisions. Basically, These developments only add to the already strained budgets of rural Oregon.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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Why does a new facility even need to be constructed? Wapato is a treatment facility that is unused and for pennies on the dollar (vs. new construction costs) could acommodate the special needs of these offenders. Any thoughts?

posted 5 years ago
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Good Morning Sam,

Why did you feel it was ok to bypass city law in renaming Portland Blvd. and (almost)Interstate Ave.?

17.93.010 Criteria For Renaming a City Street.

Follow up, Wouldn't naming the renovated Bus Mall after Rosa Parks make more sense?

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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It's called OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING for a reason.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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All I am hearing is talk about minority gang activity. Can your guests address white gang activity as well. Also, I have noticed a rise in graffiti, which isn't always gang related, but rather for artistic purposes. I have seen a huge increase of this in inner NE and SE portland, where alot of the transplants are moving. I heard the people who do this type of graffiti are 18-24 year old white males. Can you're guests address this topic as well.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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The newly passed measure for the November Ballot and its counterpart, the Kevin Mannix prison sentencing bill are both ridiculous. The ballot measure is a responsive measure only created to lessen the cost of the Mannix Bill which will cost 1 billion dollars in the first 4 years not counting the costs of building more jails to handle the increase in prisoners. Multnomah Co. can't even open Wapato let alone operate it. With the double majority taxation increase rule making it harder to create the revenue and Oregon predicting a slower economy for the next couple years, where is all this money going to come from?


Kudos on talking about simple opinion on whether the session was good, instead of addressing actual bills they passed this last session. Bills that will effect all Oregonians. In a forum were you're interviewing two important Oregon legislator, you would think you would address some actual subject matter. Way to really attack the issues.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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These tricks for issuing loans to lower income families and individuals are reminicent to the low income housing scandal in the 70's and early 80's that involved FHA and HUD. Does you guest see any similarities and similar solutions?

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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Here, Here!

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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Mortgage brokers are at fault for making scrupulous loans, but we should not discount the responsibility that lies with the signer of the loan. They were taking out ARM loans, which were no money down, after 2 years, ballooning interest rates and a 5 year pre payment penalty. I find that many borrowers wanted to make a quick buck flipping a house within that two year period.

I see these forclosures as a good thing because housing prices that are over inflated will come down to a more manageable level. This will spur home ownership that is sound, instead of one built on speculation. You can't buy a house with no money down. We all know, things that appear to good to be true usually are and nothing in life comes for free. These people have learned a hard but valuable lesson. It is one that every american should learn, and that is to live within our economic means.

Sure it sucks people are losing their homes, but I don't feel sorry for someone who has over extended themselves to simply "keep up with the Jones'." Maybe they shouldn't have tried to buy a house they can't afford or maybe the borrowers should have read or had a lawyer read the terms of the contract.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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Primaries are for political parties to select who they want to run for president. I don't think independents should even have a say in who my political party selects because they are not a member.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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In respose to your guests last comments...Small states and rural areas indeed have a voice. Its called the electoral process. Thats what it was set up for. The candidates are already going where the populations are. The amount of delegates awarded is calculated by population. Wouldn't this be an accurate inference. I respect your guests opinion, but he seems a bit misguided.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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The Republic party has dumbed down the political process so much so that we are now bound to headlines, catchphrases, and soundbytes. They have ingrained into modern American politics the idea that to have values you must be a Republican. Conversly, if you are a Democrat you do not have values let alone vote with them. It is the subtle and subliminal attacks that now improperly define what Democrats are.
Logic and the weight of facts have no place in our current political dialogue and that is unfortunate. The facts are on our side and if democrats can frame or actually debate facts instead of spin and opinion we will do very well.
Secondly, the debate process is frustrating. It is not a public process anymore. Why is our corporations and mass media outlets funding, running and deciding who can participate in our debating process. This along with paid punditry only narrow the scope of topics discussed and subsequently frames an election to which best suits the funder, not Americans.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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I am for same sex marriage. I take a little different tact then others here. I don't think that the state should be involved in any issues of marriage. I mean no seperate taxations for the married, no state approval or registration, and no other legal benifits for couples period. As far as care issues or other rights of care issues, the loved one could be given power of attorney, right? If the federal government and the state aren't involved and a church sees it fit to marry same sex couples, whats the problem.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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To you or not, scientifically speaking there is a link between chromosomal disorders and age of mothers.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117121518.htm

There is also an easy to read graphic showing a substantial statistical increase in any chromosomal disorder as a womans age of pregnancy increases

http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp094.cfm

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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I remember learning about the risk for mental/physical diseases and disabilities increase when the age of a pregnant woman increases. Does Oregon have a disproportionate amount of older women getting pregnant compared to the rest of the country and might this be why we have a higher rate of autism?

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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Your guest stated earlier that our manufacturing sector will be helped by a weak dollar. Americans have seen a cost of living increase and a decrease in the standard of living so if our economy is based on consumer spending and many manufacturers have outsourced jobs, how does a weak dollar help?

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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