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mydogatemyemail's comments:

on Measure 60: Teacher Pay

At face value, the idea of basing a teacher's pay upon performance sounds like a wonderful idea; however, it does not take into account that states like Oregon have one of the fastest growing rates of non-native English speaking immigrants to our state who are placed into mainstream classrooms. These students perform poorly on exams, fail classes, and create a false measure of the teacher's ability to perform his or her job.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
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on Cops, Laws and Videotape

The federal courts have ruled on this issue numerous times. Each time, the ruling has been the same: individuals have a Constitutional right to film, photograph, or record anyone who is located in a public place such as on the street. They have gone further to say that since police are public employees that the public is especially permitted to photograph them in the course of their duties. The only restriction the courts have place on photographing police is that you may not physically interfere with the arrest or cross a police line when filming.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
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on Student Debt

I totally agree with you. I also think that it is unrealistic to base a student's "need" for college based on the income of the student's parents. I've had quite a few friends over the years who's parents made a great deal of money, but they refused to pay for their children's college educations. These students were not eligible for financial aid until they were in their mid-twenties and had been living on their own for over six years. This is really an unfair part of the aid problem that no one wants to address: parents who refuse to contribute to children's college financial needs.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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on Student Debt

I've got to point out that the caller who just said that he and his partner have a combined income of $75K a year and "that's nothing" income wise is suffering from the need of a reality check. He is making well-above the national income level for a couple in America. If he isn't able to make $75K work for him and considers it "nothing," then he really needs to reassess where he is spending his money.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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on Student Debt

I graduated from a private college in 1989 owing $100K in student debt which I successfully paid-off ten years later in 1999. Last year, I received a letter from the US Dept of Education claiming I owed just under $300 in debt from my student loan. They claimed that I missed my "final payment of $50" with $250 in added "fees" for collection. Luckily, I kept my paperwork indicating that I had successfully paid off my loan, but it took the involvement of a US Senator's office to force the Dept of Education to even examine my paperwork to correct the error. What was the source of the problem? The bank from which I received my student loan changed ownership three times since my loan was paid, and the "computer showed" that I still owed one payment, and the Dept of Education said that their computer information is the ONLY DOCUMENTATION they are required to provide to prove you owe on a loan. So, my advice, keep your student loan paperwork beyond the 7 years you're instructed to keep it -- keep it at least 20 years.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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on The Race Has Just Begun

Look, this is one overriding reason why Obama cannot choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate: Bill Clinton. Bill has overshadowed her entire campaign. People have come out to meet him and not her. Bill has been the one to deliver her biggest talking points not herself. A White House with Hillary as VP would be overshadowed by Bill, and this would not be good for an Obama White House nor the American people.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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on The Employment Boom

As a 40 year old with boomer parents, I've got to say that I resent the hypocrisy of the boomer generation. They were full of socially conscious ideals in the 1960's and 1970's that they completely abandoned in the 1980's for money. Little of this money made in the 1980's was put aside for retirement spent to satisfy instant gratification. They went from a generation of "free love" instant gratification to a generation of "free spending" with putting the burden of their retirement on their children and grandchildren. I see it as a very selfish and hypocritical generation.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on The Employment Boom

I am curious to see what the impact will be on society when college bound teenagers who have typically worked part time jobs at restaurants, retailers, etc. to save for school find that they cannot find such jobs because they are being held by elderly baby boomers needing to work these same jobs just to make ends meet.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on The Employment Boom

Take a deep breath Anne! You're gonna pop a blood vessel! :-) I'm kidding. I understand your assertion that it is "your money" that you've paid into Social Security, however the statistics bear out that most people in the baby boomer age group will live longer and collect many times the amount of money they've paid into the program: leaving the question of who is going to pay for that extra money boomers will be collecting. The population and economy will not be able to sustain these over payments to boomers.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on The Employment Boom

Jmarcw, I would agree with you that this is happening, however I would say that the main reason it is happening is greed: the companies can pay younger workers a much lower salary. Companies today demand complete and total loyalty from employees forcing them to sign non-competitive agreements and running background checks on employees as low on the totem pole as janitors yet these same companies offer little to no loyalty to the employees who have dedicated decades of service to the same companies.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on The Employment Boom

The answer is simple: solient green.

I'm kidding. I think that it is awesome that we've got such an active group of people reaching their golden years -- probably one of the most active in history. I think that in Oregon we've got a very well educated and progressive group of baby boomers reaching their senior years; however, I think that other regions of the country won't be so lucky having to deal with a senior population that has not planned for this time in their lives.

I don't think that the problem of filling jobs left vacant by boomers will hurt Oregon as we have a glut of educated workers struggling to find employment in Portland with more moving here every month. The retirement of these boomers will be a welcomed gift to Oregon.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on The Democratic Party's On

I can admit that I am not a happy Democratic Party member living in Oregon because there doesn't appear to be any accountability for our elected party leaders in Oregon. Let me explain, having one party in power means that when politicians don't reply to constituent inquires or requests for help, then there is not a secondary party to turn to for assistance; and, with one party ruling the roost, there isn't a second party around to investigate instances of fraud and abuse of power. I live in downtown Portland, and my district's state legislators do NOT respond to constituent letters or faxes forcing myself and my neighbors instead to contact the state House speaker or state party leaders when we need help, and state leaders won't call out these lackadaisical legislators for fear of them loosing the next election to another political party.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on Girlfriends from the Battlefield

Considering that those working as translators with American forces and American independent contractors (such as Blackwater) are among the most well educated and familiar with the democratic process Iraqis in that nation, aren't we harming the redevelopment of that nation by bringing these translators to the USA instead of encouraging them to engage themselves in the Iraqi political and education system to improve conditions in that nation? This just seems to be contradictory to the rebuilding process of the Iraqi nation to me.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on Obama and Race in Oregon

Racism and prejudice are continuing problems in Oregon and America, but today's guests have made some broad FALSE generalizations that discredit the true and valid points made. For example, saying that White people are NEVER asked about their nationality, saying that there are NO people of color who are on television news programs as hosts or behind the scenes in production, etc. These statements are boldly false, and these lies completely discredit the legitimate statements on racism that she does make.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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on Obama and Race in Oregon

I was a bit taken back by the guest be offended by anyone asking about her heritage also. Such occasions are perfect chance to educate those around us.

This woman is crazy, "You wouldn't ask a white person what their nationality was..." This is false. This is a common question even among white people: is your family from Ireland, Russia, Germany, etc. These questions are COMMON PLACE. She obviously has a chip on her shoulder.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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on Obama and Race in Oregon

As a Caucasian American, I find it interesting how many minorities have come up to me making racist comments about people of other races. For example, I spent 2004-2006 living on Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, TX before returning home to Oregon, and I had to deal on a regular basis with local people of Mexican descent in El Paso complaining to me about the number of African American soldiers from the base. I found the Mexican population in El Paso to be among the most racially biased people against African Americans that I have ever met in my entire life both in America and abroad. They assumed that because I was Caucasian that I would accept their racist comments without offense. When I was in Chicago, I was exposed to a broader spectrum of the Hispanic population, and I did not see this level of prejudice against African Americans, but among the Hispanic population that I met in El Paso it was profound. Having now returned to Oregon (specifically Portland), I've found that the Hispanics that I have met in our region of Mexican descent are as equally prejudiced as those I met in El Paso while those of a Caribbean background are not prejudiced. I think that this was evident in the Texas primary when so many Texans of Mexican descent refused to vote for Obama for being of African descent. Yet, these same Mexican Americans / Mexican immigrants expect and demand respect for their heritage and racial background. I really think this hypocrisy needs to be addressed when discussing race. White America has progressed in its treatment of non-whites, however the large influx of minorities from Mexico has been contributing to racial tensions in America in my opinion due to their prejudice against non-Hispanics.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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on Snitching on Dad

What I am hearing from the guests is that politicians don't want to directly tackle this issue because of the potential fallout from elderly voters at the ballot box with no real regard for public safety.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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on Snitching on Dad

I agree with you, however the problem is that the elderly vote in a greater percentage than the general public. Elderly political groups have fought frequent testing tooth and nail because they realize that a larger portion of the elderly would not pass such exams. Politicians don't have the guts to pass such legislation for fear of facing the elderly at the ballot box.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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on Snitching on Dad

I agree with you, however, your drug example is a bad one because that is exactly what police in Oregon do when you report a suspected drug dealer. Given example, the man who paid his taxes in Southern Oregon last month, his cash smelled like weed, the clerk reported this to the police, they got a warrant, and they entered his home.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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on Snitching on Dad

Vehicle registration is a public record. You take the license plate down to the DMV, filled out a form, pay a small fee, and they will give you the data.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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