Spanning the State--almost post-shingles edition

I'm still gritting through my shingles affliction. I spoke with the doctor on Friday and he said I should expect to hurt for at least four more days. Ugh. But the rash seems to be clearing up somewhat and I can muddle along without pain meds through to mid afternoon until it gets to be really bothersome. So maybe by mid-week I'll be back to my regular ornery self.

So with coffee in one hand and a bottle of hydrocodone in the other...its time to Span the State!


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The nattering nabobs who litter the editorial page of the O seem to have gone all Sybil on us. This morning's piece opining the corosive ills of money in the political system appear to be placed on the pages by someone wanting serious campaign finance reform. But when serious campaign finance reform was enacted in the Portland City Council campaign, they stomped their feet like a toddler who was refused their favorite toy. Sally Field was almost as compelling.

On June 18, the Episcopal Church selected the first woman to be the head of their organization. The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori began her career as an assistant professor in the religious studies department at Oregon State University. During her graduate studies at OSU, Jefferts Schori became a member of the Good Samartian church and considers the congregation crucial to her development as a minister. Today at 4:00PM, she'll be speaking at that very church.

The Source takes a whack at the TABOR spending trap. I hope the folks in Bend actually read it.

A wealthy developer in Eugene spurns the old chestnut of Reaganomics:

In 2004 - the latest year for which data are available - the top 9 percent of earners - those with $90,000 or more in federal adjusted gross income, or "taxable income" - paid 48 percent of the total amount of state income tax collected in Lane County. Put another way, those 12,000 filers - out of a total of 140,000 filers in the county - paid almost half of the state income tax payments made from the county.

Developer Steve Lee of Eugene is at the top of that top bracket. He said the county tax would take $2,500 to $3,500 from him annually, and he said he would pay it readily because he feels an obligation to give back to the community that has helped him succeed.

Another Oregon community rallies around a family who lost a loved one in Iraq.

Minutemen are polluting Cornelius. If these guys are so bent out of shape about illegals taking jobs from American citizens, why aren't they harassing the employers? The short sighted attacks on people coming here in an effort to survive is not only stupid--its counterproductive.

Our friend Charlie Burr works for Goobernor Ted. Both TJ and myself really like and respect Charlie. But I think the folks in LaGrande have a point for Charlie to consider. It doesn't make a lot of sense to hold a public meeting on roadless areas and logging without having time set aside for public comment at the meeting. Yeah, its time consuming. Yeah, its probably tedious as hell. But it would go along way to sowing some good will in these communities. Ted could certainly use some of that.

A circuit court judge in Crook County has struck down an ordinance that would allow transferability of development rights under Measure 37.