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TOL Our Town
- A tumblr site dedicated to the people and places that make up Oregon and Southwest Washington.
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roboturkey's comments:
on Cambodia Stories
this edition of TOL is very compelling radio. My heart goes out to your guests. Their stories are moving.
In the corniest and most sincere way, the stories make me very grateful for having lived a relatively care-free life in America. Any possible gripe or complaint I could have is dwarfed by these stories.
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
As a cyclist who enjoys the annual Portland Bridge pedal, where the bridges and connecting streets are cleared of cars to allow bikes to enjoy the city street, I think that is a really good urban vision.
No cars. Delivery trucks are OK on regulated routes. Only bikes and buses otherwise. Why not?
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
You seem bitter about whatever your job/commuting situation is. You can start cycling at whatever age, and whatever circumstances you have. If you did not engineer your home-to-job situation in a way that can support a cycle commute, then start using a bike on weekends for grocery shopping, fitness riding, or going to church. Just get on the bike whenever you can. you will find that the more you ride the more routes you figure out how to ride.
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
Bikes = vehicles. Stay on the streets.
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
I used my Surly LHT to get to a meeting this morning 5 miles from my home. I used rain gear and proper lights. The ride was weather challenging, but not hazardous. The bike lanes are going to be on the roads in fair weather and foul. If you commit to use a bike, don't wimp out in the rain.
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
I ride very carefully, anticipating the stupidity and chaos of normal urban driving, and try to obey traffic laws, including intersection signs and signals. I have been cycling as a form of active transportation in Boulder and the Vancouver/Portland metro area since 1977. Cycling is getting safer and more accepted through growing numbers of riders.
I do not believe safety is a right. Each cyclist needs to feel as if they are totally responsible for their own safety. Being on hard pavement is dangerous sometimes even without cars. A cyclist uses forces and skills for transportation that are different from those a car driver uses. As the skills develope, the responsibility to use them in a safe way remains the business of the person on a bike.
With the attitude that as a cyclist I am responsible for my own welfare, I can watch the distracted fat idiots in the iron cages with some wary amusement.
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
nice idea.
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
note that "driving as a sport" or as a form of recreation is so imbedded in the advertising and lore of our car culture that we do not even notice it. If you are going to try to "weed out" sport cyclists, I suggest that you also weed out all the motorists just "out for a drive" or posing as being cool in their pimped out rolling boom boxes.
I would say that on most urban roads, 30% of the motorists are not just "getting from A to B".
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on Bike Plan 2030
The wise expenditure of money on roads is an essential function of good government. Better bike lanes and fostering a "bicycle friendly" transportation system benefits everybody, including iron cagers (car drivers). Cyclists in this area are truly leading the way to a healthier future and a better metro area.
I have noticed better and bettter bicycle infrastructure in Clark County, which I believe is very much a side-benefit of Portland raising the standard for bicycle friendly streets and intersections. This morning in the pouring rain I was able to safely attend an early meeting - using bike lane streets and safe bicycle racks, a ten mile round trip that did not take appreciably more time than if I had used my iron cage. I could leave the auto at home, saving whatever cost that represents in carbon and wear and tear on the streets.
Once a person begins to explore using active transportation and the existing public transportation system for travel, the practicality of even our developing metro network becomes apparent. Bicycle transportation makes sense on many levels, from person health to urban live-ability.
That said, there is defintiely a car-bike culture clash, mostly the fault of iron cage drivers who cannot or will not tolerate any sharing of "their" roads. This is comical until it impacts the safety of cyclists. The court system will eventually take care of the bike cyclists' right to safe travel on public roads, if only through the increasingly elightened liability holdings against iron cagers who injure cyclists.
posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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on As We Are: Child Free
Those who choose not to have children, by self-definition, make the right choice. Many of the people who do have children should have, objectively, chosen another path.
Those of us who chose to have children and who have seen their offspring grow, thrive, and launch lives of their own, have some essential knowledge about life that those who choose no children will never have. that knowledge is just different from the life experiences of those who do not know beans about children or parenting because of their total lack of experience.
As to various social benefits and support for families and children, is there a better use of public money and power than to help the next generation be healthy, educated, and capable? I think not.
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on Rx: Individual Mandates
you just invented unemployment insurance
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on Rx: Individual Mandates
the 10th amendment will not trump the commerce clause or Congress' general power to provide for the "general welfare" of the people. There is a federal interest in providing for uniform national health insurance and there will be no problem in finding Congressional authority to pass laws in this area. There are already many federal health-related laws and regs that are far more intrusive to invidual choice than madated health insurance.
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on Rx: Individual Mandates
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.
Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution. It seems that this, plus the generally reserved power to provide for the "general welfare" of the people is more than enough authority for a mandate that costs individual citizens' money. Congress can levy taxes and duties under the commerce clause, also.
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on Rx: Individual Mandates
why can't Medicare just be expanded to the entire US population?
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on Rx: Individual Mandates
Very muddy conversation so far. The guest on now is incomprehensible.
What exactly is the focus here?
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on No Place to Call Home: Chronic Homelessness
In the guest's opinion, does any American city provide a really good model for homeless services?
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on The Inner Lives of Boys
How about inviting some high achieivng individuals to discuss this?
As an ex-boy who has raised three sons (present at birth, fulll involvement through childhood, teen years, and successful college educations) I have found that there is no "masculine ideal", only the daily challenges met with intelligence and vigorous enthusiasm.
Success for boys comes with intense effort and mental engagement. If it is a sport, or an academic endeavor, or an artistic project, or individual project of any description, the key to self estem is INVOLVEMENT. Choose something and invest the time and effort to fully engage. If a boy does this he will find guidance, mentors, friends, and ultimately himself.
Being a boy is fundamentally undefinable and ambiguous. There are kids having great childhoods and kids having very crummy childhoods. Such has always been the case and always will be the case.
posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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on As We Are: Sex Workers
the guest has a very sad story. What is her take on all the craigslist ads? DO online prostitutes make more than streetwalking call girls? Just curious.
How did the guest protect her health in this notoriously dangerous profession?
posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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on The Benefits of Unemployment
Perhaps EH can work a bit to focus on whatever the topic is here. I am confused over what the point of this discussion is. Obviously the job market is horrible for people out of work. Also obvious is the fact that the state and the feds have no extra money. What are we trying to explore here?
There isn't any relief coming for the unemployed from government sources. The cupboard is bare and Oregon state government cannot print money. Although one empathizes with Tom, how can government unemployment payments be any part of the solution? He needs employment. Also probably a different skill set.
Ask him what his plan is. What is his horizon over the next 3 to 5 years?
posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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on Soccer City, USA?
sorry. When I hear financial guys trying to guarantee a "sure thing" I have to believe that they are either lying or selling.
This is a ridiculous project to ask for public funds in this climate.
posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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