Health Options Digest
May 1, 2005
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week In Review
David Rodriguez -- who is NOT a member of CHOICES -- decided to drop his appeal to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) against PeaceHealth's RiverBend development. Perhaps he recognized, as CHOICES did some time ago, that LUBA was unlikely to see concerns about potential flooding as sufficient legal grounds to overturn the project. Whether or not there is actually is a serious risk of flood won't be determined in a court of law but only by the flow of time (and the McKenzie River).
As a result of the withdrawal, PeaceHealth is free to begin work on a new hospital in just a few weeks. PeaceHealth hopes to open the doors of the new hospital at RiverBend in just 2-1/2 years.
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center just turned 50 years old.
We said something stupid last week when we suggested that a utility tax to fund the operation of a new Springfield jail would be a tax on criminals who use cell phones. Obviously, it is the public who is safer because of a jail that should be paying. So are cell phone users more likely to be victims of crimes? We still don't get it. And neither does The Register-Guard, which is urging repeal of the utility tax.
Gasoline prices and the temperature of the planet are both rising, the latter partly because Americans consume far more oil per person than just about anywhere else in the world. Governor Kulongoski, in a rare but welcome courageous stand, is wanting Oregon to follow California's lead in unilaterally limiting greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. But some legislators are wanting to pass House Resolution 3 to "declare that state agencies should not adopt controls of greenhouse gas emissions unless required by state or federal law." Funny how some people who didn't need to wait for proof of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq before attacking now want to wait for proof of massive global warming before acting. Perhaps they think it is better for a small number of Americans to sacrifice their lives over there than for a lot of Americans to make small sacrifices over here.
Speaking of weirdness in Salem, Steve Duin opined in Sunday's Oregonian that the Senate Democrats are the "biggest wimps on the planet." Well, not all senators. But we know a couple who wanted to change state transportation rules so that PeaceHealth could build a hospital in downtown Eugene. You see, some folks in Salem claimed -- mistakenly -- that the reason PeaceHealth is moving to the Gateway area is because the roads would become too congested if they stayed close to the University of Oregon campus, which is why PeaceHealth is moving to the uncongested roads near the Interstate-5/Beltline interchange and the Gateway Mall.
Speaking of the Gateway area, the Springfield News reports that it has a higher than average rate of crime. Maybe there should be a tax on the Gateway area to pay for operating a new jail?
Coburg might or might not have a crime problem, but it does have a problem continuing to issue speeding tickets along Interstate-5 to fund its police and other city operations. Coburg voters will decide in a couple weeks whether they want to tax themselves more to pay for around-the-clock police protection.
And Measure 37 was recently a featured topic on both National Public Radio and Oregon Public Broadcasting radio. You can listen online.
Looking Ahead
On Tuesday at the LandWatch Lane County annual meeting, a panel will discuss the uncertainty surrounding Measure 37.
On Thursday, Community Health Centers of Lane County and Head Start of Lane County, in partnership with Lane County Safe Kids Chapter, are hosting a health and enrollment fair to honor Cover the Uninsured Week and Safe Kids Week. The event is part of Cover the Uninsured Week, May 1-8.
On Friday, the Eugene Planning Commission and City Council will take a bus tour of potential mixed-use centers. We think this is the new name for what used to be called "nodal development." RiverBend and parts of Glenwood might be developed as mixed-use centers.
Friday is also the deadline to apply for a position on the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) board of directors. Among other things, LRAPA is working to promote the use of cleaner burning fuels for motor vehicles -- a good thing when you live in the downwind end of a valley surrounded by hills and the planet is warming up.
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Tuesday, May 3 -- LandWatch Lane County: Annual Meeting
| Eugene Weekly | April 28, 2005 |
The uncertainty surrounding Measure 37 will be one of the main topics on the agenda of the annual meeting of LandWatch Lane County at 7 pm Tuesday, May 3 at the Bascom/Tykeson Conference Room at the Eugene Public Library. The meeting is the largest public event of the year for an organization that does most of its work behind the scenes, collaborating with other environmental groups and lobbying for conservation of farm and forest lands.
Talking about the contentious Measure 37 will be John Davidson, legal director for the Constitutional Law Foundation; Jim Just, executive director of Goal One Coalition; and Carrie MacLaren, staff attorney for 1000 Friends of Oregon.
Also on the agenda is a talk on "The Sorcery of Property Line Adjustments." The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, call 741-3625 or e-mail hopsbran@aol.com
Thursday, May 5 -- Health Enrollment Fair
4:30-6:30 pm, Riverstone Clinic, 1640 G St., Springfield
Community Health Centers of Lane County and Head Start of Lane County, in partnership with Lane County Safe Kids Chapter, are hosting a health and enrollment fair to honor Cover the Uninsured Week and Safe Kids Week. During the Safe and Healthy Cinco de Mayo health and enrollment fair, children and families will have the opportunity to visit several booths and receive the following free services: Vision Screenings Hearing Screenings Blood Pressure Checks Blood Glucose Checks Dental Prevention Services for children Safe Kids Information Booth Health Insurance enrollment assistance (OHP/FHIAP enrollment) Booth Head Start Booth (Assistance with applications for eligible children) Bicycle Helmets for children Car Seat Safety Information and referrals to Car Seat Clinics. There will be snacks, refreshments, children's activities and prizes!
For more information, contact: Valerie Haynes,747-2425, vhaynes@head-start.lane.or.us
Friday, May 6 -- Eugene Planning Commission and City Council: Tour of Mixed Use Centers
8:30 am, Eugene Hilton Hotel, 66 E. 6th Ave., Lobby
1. Bus Tour of Potential Mixed Use Centers. This special meeting is a mobile tour with the City Council, Planning Commission, Lane Transit Board of Directors, press, and other invited guests. Space may not be available for the public. A map of the tour route will be available prior to the tour, and may be obtained by calling 682-5113.
Contact: Allen Lowe, 682-5113, allen.d.lowe@ci.eugene.or.us
Wednesday, May 11 -- Lane County: Public Hearing on Road Projects
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | April 29, 2005 |
Lane County residents can comment on the county's five-year capital improvement program at a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. May 11 in the Commissioners' Conference Room, Public Service Building, 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene.
The program covers road and bridge rehabilitation or reconstruction, new road and bridge construction, and safety improvements such as the installation of traffic signals or the realignment of intersections.
Written comments must be received by May 11, and should be sent to Mike Pattle, CIP coordinator, Lane County Public Works Department, 3040 N. Delta Highway, Eugene, OR 97408.
After the public hearing, the commissioners will review and adopt the program. For more information, call Pattle at 682-6949.
Saturday, June 25 -- McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center: 50th Birthday Party
| McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center | |
10 am to 2 pm
Everyone is invited to celebrate 50 years of extraordinary care with McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center.
Join us for hospital tours, prize drawings, birthday cake, free health screenings and more. See our latest technology and remodeled spaces. Learn about new services. Take a walk down memory lane with McKenzie-Willamette. Meet employees and volunteers who have provided "extraordinary care" to our community for the past five decades. Help us make our big FIVE-0 a party worth remembering!
Opportunities
LRAPA Applicants Needed
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | May 1, 2005 |
The city is looking for a representative for the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority.
LRAPA issues permits to firms that discharge chemicals into the air, and monitors air quality.
The candidate for the LRAPA board is to be nominated by Mayor Kitty Piercy and approved by the City Council.
The board member would attend LRAPA meetings in Springfield at noon on the second Tuesday of each month, and an occasional special meeting.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday.
For more information, call Mary Walston in the city manager's office, 682-5406.
LRAPA Board Seat Created
| Eugene Weekly | April 28, 2005 |
Care about the air (see cover story last week)? Here's a chance to get proactive. Due the growth of Eugene's population, the city is seeking applicants for a new position on the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) Board of Directors. Mayor Kitty Piercy will nominate a candidate and submit the nomination to the City Council for approval. Applications are due by 5 pm Friday, May 6. Mail or deliver applications to the City Manager's Office, room 105, 777 Pearl Street, or fax to 682-5414. For more info, visit www.ci.eugene.or.usor contact Mary Walston at 682-5406, mary.f.walston@ci.eugene.or.us
City of Eugene Seeks Applicants for Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority Board
| City of Eugene | April 19, 2005 |
The City of Eugene is seeking applicants for a new position on the board of directors for the Lane Regional Area Pollution Authority (LRAPA). LRAPA is the intergovernmental agency that strives to protect public health, community well being, and the environment as a leader and advocate for the improvement and maintenance of air quality in Lane County.
There are currently seven members on the board of directors. Due to the increase in population in the City of Eugene, a new citizen at-large representative will join the board of directors. Other members of the board include elected officials from the City of Eugene, City of Springfield, Lane County, City of Oakridge and several at-large citizen members.
Meetings of the board of directors are held on the second Tuesday of each month at noon.
Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy will nominate a candidate and submit her nomination to the City Council for approval.
Applications must be submitted by 5:00p.m. Friday, May 6, 2005. Applicants may be interviewed by Mayor Piercy. The appointment is planned for the council agenda of May 23, 2005.
Applications may be mailed, faxed, or delivered in person to:
City Manager's Office
Room 105
777 Pearl Street
Eugene, OR 97401
Fax: 682-5414
Information is available at the City Manager's Office, Room 105, City Hall or via the Internet at www.ci.eugene.or.us . For additional information contact Mary Walston, City Manager's Office, 682-5406, mary.f.walston@ci.eugene.or.us
Commissioners have an opening on health panel
| The Register-Guard | April 17, 2005 |
The Lane County Board of Commissioners seeks applicants for the health advisory committee, which makes recommendations on matters of public health, planning, policy development, control measures, funding, public education and advocacy.
The term is four years. The deadline to apply is May 27. Applications are available in the Board of Commissioners' Office, Public Service Building, 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene. To request an application by mail, call 682-4207.
For more information, call 682-4035.
PeaceHealth
Activist drops protest against RiverBend
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | April 27, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Saying it's "just not worth the headache," activist David Rodriguez announced on Tuesday that he's dropping his appeal against building the RiverBend regional medical center next to the McKenzie River.
That means PeaceHealth is free of its last legal obstacle to constructing its $350 million complex; ground preparation at the site could begin next month. (more...)
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Hospital Turns 50; So Does Baby Leo
By Serena Markstrom
The Register-Guard | May 1, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Almost every time McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center acknowledges a milestone, Leo Howard gets a call from a reporter. That's because he was the first baby born there.
This time it's the hospital's 50th birthday; his will come Tuesday. (more...)
Letter -- Big developments avoid taxes
By Peter Alilunas, Eugene
The Register-Guard | April 30, 2005 |
I was quite surprised to see Russ Brink's April 21 guest viewpoint, "Hospital on EWEB site will be a boon to downtown," make reference to the millions of new tax dollars a hospital on the Eugene Water & Electric Board site would bring to Eugene.
Corporate tax dollars? In Eugene? I must say I was initially quite confused; I had assumed large-scale developments in this city didn't have to bother with taxes! Maybe the McKenzie-Willamette people should talk to Hynix's lawyers before they have to make some pesky financial contribution to our community.
Health Care
Local supporters of 'Cover the Uninsured Week,' May 1-8, Call for Action
By Ellen Pinney, (503) 380-3288
Oregon Health Action Campaign (OHAC) | April 27, 2005 |
Working But Uninsured: Nearly 293,000 Employed Oregonians Uninsured And Unable To Get Medical Care
Salem, Oregon -- A new study analyzing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that a significant number of working Americans in every state do not have health care coverage, including nearly 293,000 in Oregon. Nationally, at least 20 million working adults do not have coverage. In 8 states, at least one in five working adults is uninsured. In 39 other states, including Oregon, at least one working adult in every 10 does not have health care coverage. Oregon ranks ninth among states with the highest rates of uninsured residents among working adults. The report further reveals that in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, between one-fourth and one-half of all uninsured adults were unable to see a doctor when needed in the past year because of cost, including nearly 214,000 uninsured adults in Oregon.
"Characteristics of the Uninsured: A View from the States" was released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) during a kickoff event for Cover the Uninsured Week, the largest nonpartisan campaign in history to focus attention on the need to secure reliable, affordable health coverage for all Americans. Some of the most influential organizations in the country, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO, are cosponsoring the Week, which occurs from May 1-8. Supported by nine former Surgeons General and Health and Human Services Secretaries appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents, the effort is co-chaired by Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Noah Wyle, star of the TV drama "ER," serves as the campaign's national spokesperson.
The findings were released locally by the Oregon Health Action Campaign, a coalition of organizations and individuals working to empower the consumer voice in the development of health systems that give all people access to the care they need, when they need it, from providers of their choice at an affordable cost.
"The myth that the uninsured can get the care they need is dispelled by this study," said Ellen Pinney, Director of the Oregon Health Action Campaign. "The uninsured are clearly not getting necessary medical care, and they are suffering adverse health outcomes as a result. This is a problem in Oregon and it is a problem nationwide. In Oregon we are adding our voice to all those throughout the nation who will be calling for reliable and affordable health coverage for all Americans during Cover the Uninsured Week."
Hundreds of public events will take place from coast to coast during Cover the Uninsured Week, with events taking place in every state and the District of Columbia. In Portland, a community forum on the uninsured will be held in addition to several campus events and health and enrollment fairs. In Lane County, 100% Access, a United Way Health Care Initiative, will be holding a working summit May 2nd during which participants will explore a number of opportunities for improving access to health services. The effort brings together diverse national, state, and community organizations to tell the nation's leaders that health coverage for all must be a top priority. Specific events are designed to help uninsured individuals get services and provide information to small business owners who are finding it difficult to provide health insurance for their employees.
Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) joined in today's event to launch the Week. Their bipartisan "Health Care that Works for All Americans" Act passed Congress last year. It calls for convening a national discussion on health care through multiple community meetings and online discussions, followed by hearings in Congress on the views of the American people.
"Cover the Uninsured Week is a non-partisan effort to discuss this issue in America's neighborhoods," said Sen. Hatch. "Some in Washington spend too much time blaming each other for this problem, but the American people want us to work together to solve it. That is why Senator Wyden and I reached across the aisle to establish a national discussion."
"Uniting Americans to call for change is the first step toward getting real action from Washington," said Sen. Wyden. "Efforts like Cover the Uninsured Week help more Americans understand how tough it is for individuals and families to be without health care coverage, and how that impacts our communities, our health care system and our economy. Working together across the aisle and across the country is the only way to build a health care system that will work for everyone."
The report released today was prepared for RWJF by researchers at the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, located at the University of Minnesota. Additional findings, of surveyed adults ages 18-64, include:
* The problem is pervasive among workers in every state. States with the highest rates of uninsured residents among employed adults include Texas (27 percent), New Mexico (23 percent), Louisiana (23 percent), Florida (22 percent), Montana (21 percent), Oklahoma (21 percent), Nevada (20 percent), and Arkansas (20 percent). States with the lowest uninsured rates among employed adults include Minnesota (7 percent), Hawaii (9 percent), and Delaware and the District of Columbia (9 percent). In Oregon the rate is more than 19 percent. In Washington the rate is more than 14 percent.
* Uninsured adults are unable to see a doctor when needed. Nationally, 41 percent of uninsured adults report being unable to see a doctor when needed in the past 12 months due to cost, compared to just nine percent of adults who have coverage. In Oregon, 43 percent of uninsured adults report being unable to see a doctor when needed in the past 12 months due to cost, compared to nearly 10 percent of adults who have coverage.
* Uninsured adults are less likely to have a personal doctor or health care provider. Nationally, 56 percent of adults without health care coverage say they do not have a personal doctor or health care provider, compared with just 16 percent of people with coverage. In Oregon, nearly 58 percent of adults without health care coverage say they do not have a personal doctor or health care provider, compared with more than 17 percent of people with coverage.
* Adults who are uninsured are much more likely to report being in poor or fair health than are adults who are insured. Nationally, one in five uninsured adults (20 percent) say their health is fair or poor, compared with nearly one in nine adults with health coverage (12 percent). In Oregon, nearly one in four uninsured adults (more than 24 percent) say their health is fair or poor, compared with nearly one in eight adults with health coverage (nearly 12 percent).
The report uses data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey (BRFSS). The BRFSS is a national telephone survey of preventive and health risk behaviors. It is administered in all 50 states and D.C. to adults 18 years of age and older.
Cover the Uninsured Week has grown considerably since the campaign was first introduced in 2003. Nearly 250 national organizations and 2,500 local organizations have participated in planning the Week's events. Hundreds of health and enrollment fairs provide screenings and information to those without coverage. Business seminars provide opportunities for small business owners to discuss ways to provide affordable health plans for their employees. Special coverage-oriented educational forums take place on campuses nationwide before, during, and after the Week. Rabbis, pastors, priests, and imams throughout the nation will be talking about this issue and getting congregants involved in efforts to help people who are uninsured. Press conferences are planned in cities across the country, assembling diverse groups of local leaders to demonstrate community support for action on the issue and to release new research.
"Cover the Uninsured Week provides momentum and mobilization that will ultimately result in actions that benefit the millions of Americans who live without health coverage," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Too many families suffer, and too many lives are lost because our nation has not taken action to address this problem. As a nation, and as individuals, we can either let 45 million of our neighbors live without health coverage, or we can come together and do something about it."
In addition to RWJF, Cover the Uninsured Week is being organized nationally by a diverse group of organizations representing some of the most influential organizations in the United States: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Leadership Council, American Medical Association, National Medical Association, American Nurses Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, Catholic Health Association of the United States, Families USA, AARP, The United Way of America, National Council of La Raza, The California Endowment, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
To view the state-by-state research report, locate Cover the Uninsured Week activities, or download materials in English or Spanish, log on http://www.covertheuninsuredweek.org/.
Jerry Cohen -- Cuts to Medicaid would be a disaster for elderly, kids
By Jerry Cohen
The Springfield News | April 27, 2005 |
There's a battle being fought in Washington, D.C., over cutting federal funding for Medicaid. For Oregonians, Medicaid dollars support Oregon's long-term care system and the Oregon Health Plan.
Why should we care?
The reason is simple. Cuts to Medicaid hurt Oregonians. (more...)
Medicaid cuts will leave the poor adrift
By Stephanie Simon
Los Angeles Times | April 25, 2005 |
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Hundreds of thousands of poor people across the nation will lose their state-subsidized health insurance in the coming months as legislators scramble to hold down the enormous -- and ever-escalating -- cost of Medicaid.
Here in impoverished southeast Missouri, nurses at a family health clinic stash away drug samples for patients they know won't be able to afford their prescriptions after their coverage is eliminated this summer. Doctors try to comfort waitresses, sales clerks and others who soon will lose coverage for medical, dental and mental health care. (more...)
Paul Krugman -- A Private Obsession
By Paul Krugman
The New York Times | April 29, 2005 |
American health care is unique among advanced countries in its heavy reliance on the private sector. It's also uniquely inefficient. We spend far more per person on health care than any other country, yet many Americans lack health insurance and don't receive essential care.
This week yet another report emphasized just how bad a job the American system does at providing basic health care. A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimates that 20 million working Americans are uninsured; in Texas, which has the worst record, more than 30 percent of the adults under 65 have no insurance.
And lack of insurance leads to inadequate medical attention. Over a 12-month period, 41 percent of the uninsured were unable to see a doctor when needed because of cost; 56 percent had no personal doctor or health care provider.
Our system is desperately in need of reform. Yet it will be very hard to get useful reform, for two reasons: vested interests and ideology. (more...)
Nearby Developments
Editorial -- Measure 20-104: Yes: City should find different way to pay for jail
| The Register-Guard | May 1, 2005 |
Supporters of Springfield's new utility tax say the May 17 vote on whether to repeal it is really a vote on whether or not to build a city jail.
They're wrong. It's not a vote on whether to build a municipal jail. Repealing the tax won't stop Springfield from dealing with the city's high property crime rate and the revolving door at the Lane County Jail. Voters settled that last November when they approved construction of a $28.6 million public safety complex that includes a 100-bed jail. Measure 20-104 gives city residents a chance to decide whether the city's new utility tax is the right way to pay for a major portion of jail operating costs.
The City Council is prudent to be thinking now about ways to pay for jail operations, even though the facility won't open for at least three years. But the utility tax is not the answer. The council still has plenty of time to come back with a different funding mechanism that will be a better fit for this important project. (more...)
Development Report: Military complex on the march
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | April 26, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Construction is under way on the approximately $32 million Lane County Armed Forces Reserve Center complex on Pierce Parkway northeast of Marcola Road and 31st Street. (more...)
Inside Royal Caribbean
WICHITA, Kansas -- When Royal Caribbean finally anchors a customer service center in Springfield what will it look like? And what kind of employer will the Miami-based company be? We set sail to find the answers on a visit to the company's Wichita, Kansas call center. (more...)
City considers adopting 'green' building standards
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 28, 2005 |
If the city of Eugene wants to promote sustainable development, it should practice what it preaches, city officials decided Wednesday.
Mayor Kitty Piercy and the City Council responded eagerly to the idea by city staff to develop environmentally friendly building standards for renovating and constructing city-owned buildings. (more...)
Hynix Breaks Capped, Maybe
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | April 28, 2005 |
The Eugene City Council voted 7-1 April 20 for an enterprise zone program that could give Hynix another $120 million in tax breaks if it completes planned expansions.
But the council did potentially limit the program by voting 4-4 with mayor Kitty Piercy breaking the tie for a per-job cap on future tax breaks.
The cap could substantially reduce the tax give-away. Hynix has received a total of $50 million in tax breaks, or about $50,000 for each job at its plant. But a lot remains uncertain. (more...)
Transportation
Glenwood businessman's ad campaign targets Lane Transit System
By Ben Raymond Lode
The Springfield News | April 29, 2005 |
Last month, Springfield-area residents looking through The Money Saver got an eyeful of a Glenwood man's feelings about the county's bus service.
It came in the form of a full-page ad on page 4.
"Lane county residents!" it shouted, in giant black type. "Now you too can own a piece of local art history!"
For only $45,000, the ad satirically proclaimed, you could buy a replica of the art tower recently installed at Lane Transit District's new downtown Springfield station -- a bargain, the ad added, at "twice the price."
"Can't afford it?" the ad continued. "Buy it anyway. Local small business will pay for it." (more...)
Highway freight-route bill gets Senate OK
| The Register-Guard | April 29, 2005 |
SALEM -- The McKenzie Highway and a stretch of Highway 101 north from Florence would avoid official designations as freight routes under a bill passed Wednesday in the Senate.
The ban wouldn't prevent trucks from using those stretches of highway. But it would move those two roadways off high-priority lists for modernization projects that could foster freight traffic by widening traffic lanes or requiring frontage roads that keep driveways off the main highway.
As expected, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 20-4 vote; it now goes to the House.
The bill affects a section of Oregon 126 that runs from the eastern city limits of Springfield east to the intersection with U.S. 20 near Santiam Pass. The section of U.S. 101 affected by the bill runs from Florence north to the U.S. 26 junction north of Cannon Beach.
Senate passes bill to ban highway "freight routes"
By Janie Har
The Oregonian | April 28, 2005 |
SALEM -- The Oregon Senate approved a bill Wednesday banning parts of U.S. 101 and Oregon 126 east of Springfield from being designated as "freight routes."
Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, said Senate Bill 566 would not chase trucks off the routes but would allow towns on those stretches to build main streets friendly to tourists and other pedestrians.
The bill would not necessarily prevent a separate effort by the truck lobby or the Oregon Department of Transportation to preserve the width, vertical height and number of highway lanes -- which could restrict local officials' ability to build wider sidewalks or on-street parking that can take away navigating room for trucks.
Another bill, sponsored by the Oregon Trucking Associations, which would preserve those technical features is in the Senate Transportation Committee.
SB 566 would apply to Oregon 126 from the eastern limits of Springfield to U.S. 20; and to U.S. 101 from Florence to the U.S. 26 junction north of Cannon Beach.
The Senate approved the bill, 20-4. It heads to the House.
Governor vows to get tough on auto emissions standards
| The Associated Press | April 27, 2005 |
SALEM -- Gov. Ted Kulongoski plans to bypass the Legislature to ensure that Oregon adopts California's tougher auto pollution standards.
Kulongoski has said he wants Oregon to get tough on global warming, arguing that promoting renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be good for the state's economy. (more...)
Jeff Scheick -- Construction projects make roads safer, put private sector to work
By Jeff Scheick
The Register-Guard | April 25, 2005 |
Maintaining our highways and keeping freight routes free of detours are ways of stimulating the local economy and enhancing the state's well-being. The Oregon Department of Transportation is doing that and more in the Eugene-Springfield area. (more...)
Ports, rail plan starts chugging
The governor tries to get Oregon onboard a $100 million proposal for non-highway projects, but some say it's not nearly enough
By Janie Har
The Oregonian | April 20, 2005 |
Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants to borrow $100 million to improve airports, rail connections and other transportation hubs across the state as a follow-up to the multibillion-dollar road construction plan legislators approved two years ago.
The Democratic governor campaigned Tuesday in Portland for what he calls an unprecedented investment in non-highway needs crucial to the state's economy. The money from lottery-backed bonds would create jobs, he said, and possibly bring passenger buses to rural towns and allow smaller ports to increase shipping.
"Rail, air and marine are not competitors with our highway system -- they are interconnected with our roads, bridges and highways -- and ConnectOregon is an important investment we can make to strengthen our ability to compete in a global market," Kulongoski said in pitching his plan before scores of officials in the Brooklyn rail yard in Southeast Portland.
But some local governments say the amount is paltry compared with the $2.5 billion legislators raised to fix bridges and highways and is an example of Oregon's inability to tackle long-standing transportation problems. (more...)
Other News
Gateway hit with crime wave: Features that make it such a success also attract crooks
By Stacy D. Stumbo
The Springfield News | April 27, 2005 |
To the casual observer, it looks like a nice neighborhood. Ideal for singles and families who work in Springfield or commute to Eugene.
Crammed with restaurants, movie theaters and grocery stores, and conveniently located off Beltline Road, the Gateway Street area has a lot to offer.
But with its wide-open expanses of parking lots and convenient access to freeways running three directions, it's got a lot to offer criminals too. (more...)
City Council pushes for more citizen input
The council's "neighborhood initiative" goal, already in progress, will attempt to increase involvement of neighborhood associations
By Meghann M. Cuniff, Senior News Reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | April 29, 2005 |
The voices of Eugene neighborhood associations may become louder and stronger as city officials work on ways to increase neighborhood involvement in the Eugene political scene and to give more citizens a say in the city's decision-making processes.
The Eugene City Council recently listed neighborhood improvement as one of its priorities, and Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy said one of her big interests is making neighborhood meetings a place where all citizens feel welcome to engage in dialogue about happenings around the city. (more...)
Levy to decide fate of Coburg police
By Karen McCowan
The Register-Guard | April 28, 2005 |
COBURG -- A low-key election on an operating levy will decide the fate of a police department that has generated statewide controversy -- including two legislative attempts to rein in its aggressive ticketing of Interstate 5 drivers. (more...)
Council off on a quest for new leader
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | April 27, 2005 |
Filling City Manager Mike Kelly's shoes is going to take some time and expertise, prompting city staff to recommend the use of an executive-search firm.
Bill Spiry, city director of human services, said city staff could perform the search, but it is a time-intensive process. If a search uses city resources it could impact human resources services or lengthen the recruitment process.
Spiry said the city doesn't perform searches for high profile positions very often, so it doesn't have the expertise. And, he said, it's one of the most important decisions the council will make. (more...)
Speedy admirers plug Pappas for city manager slot
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | April 30, 2005 |
As Springfield residents gear up for the May 17 election, in which they'll decide the fate of a municipal utility tax and elect three school board members, a quieter kind of politicking is going on at City Hall.
The moment that City Manager Mike Kelly announced his impending retirement -- actually, make that well before Kelly put the word out publicly -- letters started arriving at City Hall supporting Assistant City Manager Cynthia Pappas for Kelly's job.
Apparently, a few Pappas supporters got the word in advance of Kelly's April 21 announcement. (more...)
Kidsports sliding into deficit: Former Mayor Torrey is given task of making big save
By Diane Dietz
The Register-Guard | April 28, 2005 |
Without major change, Eugene's homegrown children's sports program will drop into a $482,000 hole by Aug. 1.
That's according to former Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey, who took on the job of trying to save the nonprofit Kidsports, which provides basketball, football, baseball and soccer seasons to 16,600 Lane County children a year.
The shortfall arose because of the agency's less-than-prudent budgeting under previous directors, Torrey said. (more...)
Our mighty McKenzie: The river that runs through Springfield has something for everyone -- including quite a bit for the whitewater adventurer
By Melinda Allan, Springfield News correspondent
The Springfield News | April 27, 2005 |
The McKenzie River springs nearly full-sized from its headwaters -- Clear Lake, near the Santiam Pass -- and meets up with the Willamette River at Springfield.
It's one of the most beautiful streams in the Northwest. Clear, clean water reflects and enhances the turquoise of a summer day's sky to an unbelievably rich blue -- a shade impossible to duplicate, much less describe.
Situated entirely in Lane County from headwaters to mouth, the McKenzie flows right through Springfield's backyard. (more...)
Steve Duin -- Senate D's: Biggest wimps on the planet
By Steve Duin
The Oregonian | May 1, 2005 |
So, let's review: Six months after a Democratic landslide, six months after being handed an overwhelming majority in the Oregon Senate, six months after being wreathed in a glorious victory bouquet by the Oregon voters, the 18 Senate Democrats have accomplished what exactly?
They blew up Les AuCoin's nomination to the Forestry Board.
They've made House Speaker Karen Minnis look like the second coming of Newt Gingrich.
In a foie gras frenzy, they've made the world a safer place for ducks and geese.
They've signed on as lapdogs for Nike, made a royal mess of plans for a public purchase of PGE and kept the school doors open for anyone with a concealed weapons permit.
"I got a gun safety bill, a good strong bill, through a Republican Senate," says Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland. "And I was unable to get any gun safety bill through a Democratic Senate. I think that speaks for itself."
Undoubtedly. But let's say it out loud:
If the Senate Democrats were groundhogs, winter would last forever. (more...)
Measure 37
Legal War Brews in Oregon over Land Use Rights
By Jeff Brady
National Public Radio | April 26, 2005 |
There's a new challenge to Oregon laws aimed at controlling suburban development. Voters recently approved a measure that requires the state to compensate landowners who aren't allowed to develop their property or appeal restrictions on use of their land. (more...)
Yamhill County Tackles First Measure 37 Claims
| Oregon Public Broadcasting | April 27, 2005 |
PORTLAND -- It's been almost five months since Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 37. The initiative begins with the words governments must pay landowners if regulations reduce property value.
But if the past winter and spring have demonstrated anything, it's that voters should not expect cash payments from governments. Instead, municipalities dare leaning toward loosening offending regulations.
In recent months, Oregonians have seen a number of developments. 1000 Friends of Oregon filed a lawsuit claiming the measure splits the state into haves and have-nots ; the Attorney General filed a legal opinion saying that just because the government lets you build houses, it doesn't mean you can sell them. And there's been some legislative effort, too.
But mostly local governments have been charting their own path toward implementing the measure. As counties go through the claims' process, they're learning that they've only just scratched the surface of all the Measure 37 uncertainties. (more...)
Commissioners to review three Measure 37 claims
By Les Gehrett
The (Albany) Democrat-Herald | April 26, 2005 |
Three Measure 37 claims will be reviewed by the Linn County Board of Commissioners Wednesday.
But the commissioners have not yet set a date for a decision on a case that will set their policy on inherited property. (more...)
Jefferson County issues Measure 37 waivers
By Keith Chu
The (Bend) Bulletin | April 28, 2005 |
MADRAS -- The Jefferson County Commission issued Central Oregon's first Measure 37 land-use waivers on Wednesday -- including claims that could allow owners to build two subdivisions totaling 220 homes on rural farmland.
Neighboring farmers said the developments could force them to restrict their operations or go out of business. Property owners said the commission's decision was only the start of what could be a long fight to reap a rich harvest by subdividing their land. (more...)
Gorge panel wants court's take on Measure 37
Hoping to head off property claims, commissioners seek a ruling on whether the law pertains to the scenic area
By Matthew Preusch
The Oregonian | April 26, 2005 |
The Columbia River Gorge Commission has asked a state court to decide whether Measure 37 applies in the federally protected scenic area.
Earlier this year, two landowners in the scenic area asked Hood River County for waivers under the new property-rights law to subdivide their lots.
That triggered a debate about whether gorge landowners can use Measure 37 to circumvent strict land-use regulations that counties adopted under the 1986 federal law that created the 85-mile scenic area along the Oregon-Washington border.
The commission hopes a declaratory ruling by a judge will pre-empt a prolonged legal battle over individual claims. The request was filed in Hood River County Circuit Court. (more...)
Washington County meets first Measure 37 claims
The Fergusson family's request is the first of the more than 100 officials expect to hear in the next few months
By Richard Colby
The Oregonian | April 29, 2005 |
HILLSBORO -- Robert Fergusson's family has owned the 7.8-acre triangular lot on Southwest Lukas Road, three miles south of Hillsboro, since the 1930s when his grandfather bought the place from the original homesteader.
For years, Fergusson and his mother, Mildred, have wanted to subdivide the agriculture-zoned parcel into four lots so the family can build new homes for Robert Fergusson's two sons, Tom and Richard, and daughter, Tamara Van Steenburgh.
But Washington County's current zoning prohibits parcels smaller than five acres, effectively stopping the Fergussons' quest.
Enter Measure 37, approved by 60 percent of Oregon's voters last November.
The measure allows property owners to seek financial compensation from state or local governments if restrictions enacted after the owners bought their property reduce its value. Or jurisdictions can waive the restrictions, allowing the property owner to ignore the restrictions.
On Tuesday, the Fergussons' application to exempt their property from the zoning restriction becomes the first of 100 or more such claims county commissioners expect to hear and decide over the next few months.
A positive ruling could lead to the Fergussons building on the land within a few months (more...)
County opens ears to Measure 37 claims
By Doug Browning
The (Hillsboro) Argus | April 28, 2005 |
Washington County commissioners begin hearing their first claims based on Measure 37 during their weekly meeting next Tuesday, May 3. (more...)
Woodburn denies first Measure 37 claim
By John Gervais
The Woodburn Independent | April 27, 2005 |
It was a long night for members of the Woodburn City Council as they turned down their first Ballot Measure 37 land use planning waiver/claim, then began deliberation on changes to the city's urban growth boundary.
Based on the recommendation of Community Development Director Jim Mulder, the council unanimously rejected their first claim, stating that the applicant "has not demonstrated how a city land use regulation has restricted his use of private real property."
At least once person was vehement in his opposition to the council's decision. (more...)
County amends Measure 37 process
By Ezra Casteel
The (Lincoln City) News Guard | April 27, 2005 |
After following Measure 37 claims throughout the state, the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners unanimously amended its procedure for dealing with claims to include an administrative hearing.
County Counsel Wayne Belmont said the debate about whether hearings should take place for claims is one of the major issues statewide. (more...)