TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalHundreds gather for gun rights rally near Oregon State Capitol
Approximately 300 people gathered at The Oregon World War II Memorial near the Oregon State Capitol for a pro-second amendment rally Saturday morning, as part of a nationwide effort organized by The National Constitutional Coalition of Patriotic Americans.
The rally comes just weeks after the nationwide March for Our Lives protest, where students, teachers and community members took to the streets demanding stricter gun laws to combat gun violence. More than 3,000 people attended the Salem event on March 24.
“We join those of you who have marched and cried out for answers and solutions, we all want the same thing: no one to die at the hands of a bad person.” Kevin Conzo, the founder of Good Guys With Guns, Oregon, told the crowd.
Conzo was the first speaker of the day, and said the purpose of their grassroots organization is simple: "Good guys with guns stop the bad ones."
Read more: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2018/04/14/second-amendment-gun-rights-rally-oregon-salem-capitol/517678002/
Suspended Marion County Judge Vance Day faces upcoming criminal trial
Embattled Judge Vance Day is scheduled to stand trial April 17 on felony gun and official misconduct charges — the latest in a series of events that have left him suspended from the bench and stripped of power.
Day, who was appointed to the Marion County bench in 2011 by Gov. John Kitzhaber and elected to a six-year term in 2012, has long been in the public eye for his sometimes controversial actions, including refusing to marry same-sex couples, allowing a felon to handle a firearm and hanging an art display with a portrait of Adolf Hitler at the courthouse.
Day's 14-day trial will focus solely on the gun charges. Day insists the criminal charges are retaliation for his religious beliefs. But prosecutors maintain the indictment wasn't spurred by political or religious differences; it is because Day broke the law.
The criminal charges arose from Day's out-of-court conduct with Brian Shehan, a former Navy SEAL who participated in the Veteran's Treatment Court that Day presided over.
Read more: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/13/suspended-marion-county-judge-vance-day-faces-upcoming-criminal-trial/503011002/
Now I understand why the Oregon PERS has financial problems
Oregon’s updated public pension roll has a new top beneficiary: Joe Robertson, the former president of Oregon Health & Science University.
Robertson, who retired last September, will receive a starting annual state pension of $913,335, or more than $76,000 a month. That comfortably supplants both his former OHSU colleague, neurosurgeon Johnny Delashaw and former University of Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti, who currently receive $684,944 and $558,690, respectively, from the state’s Public Employees Retirement System.
But there’s a new name with a strong local connection among the top 10 PERS beneficiaries: Mary Spilde, the longtime leader of Lane Community College who retired last May.
Spilde is receiving an annual pension of $309,437, the new database shows, after a 16-year run as LCC president and 36½ years in Oregon public higher education.
Read more: http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/36645022-75/ex-lcc-president-joins-pers-elite.html.csp
I have to wonder if the pension system is too generous when the former employees take home more after retirement than they earned while working.
Apple warns employees to stop leaking information, leaked memo says
Apple warned employees to stop leaking internal information on future plans and raised the specter of potential legal action and criminal charges, one of the most-aggressive moves by the world's largest technology company to control information about its activities.
The Cupertino, California-based company said in a lengthy memo posted to its internal blog that it "caught 29 leakers," last year and noted that 12 of those were arrested. "These people not only lose their jobs, they can face extreme difficulty finding employment elsewhere," Apple added. The company declined to comment on Friday.
Apple outlined situations in which information was leaked to the media, including a meeting earlier this year where Apple's software engineering head Craig Federighi told employees that some planned iPhone software features would be delayed. Apple also cited a yet-to-be-released software package that revealed details about the unreleased iPhone X and new Apple Watch.
Leaked information about a new product can negatively impact sales of current models, give rivals more time to begin on a competitive response, and lead to fewer sales when the new product launches, according to the memo. "We want the chance to tell our customers why the product is great, and not have that done poorly by someone else," Greg Joswiak, an Apple product marketing executive, said in the memo.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/04/apple_warns_employees_to_stop.html
Secret drug raid by feds backfires in Portland: 'Someone could have been killed'
The harrowing confrontation terrorized Riley and turned a spotlight on a controversial ploy used by agents in drug cases to smoke out suspected traffickers. Oregon surprisingly is No. 2 in the nation in requesting what are known as delayed-notice search warrants.
The “sneak-and-peek” warrants, as they’re more commonly called, allow investigators to search a house, car, computer, other property or item, seize evidence and not tell anyone until much later. That differs from the typical search warrant, which requires police to provide immediate notice to property owners.
The delayed warrants mean agents can avoid tipping off suspects and jeopardizing an investigation, while potentially provoking them into revealing drug suppliers or other connections when it appears someone has stolen their cache.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/04/secret_drug_raid_by_feds_backf.html
Brown Signs Bill Boosting Childcare Enforcement
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has finalized a two-part push for quicker enforcement and harsher penalties for childcare facilities that break state law.
Brown signed a bill Friday allowing the state to take action sooner, and levy stiffer punishment, against both licensed and illegal childcare facilities that break state law. The bill follows a request from Brown and approved by the Legislature for $2 million in new funding to add staff, dedicated to safety and quality issues, at the state Early Learning Division, and to test for lead in drinking water at small childcare facilities.
The bill allows the state to impose conditions on a childcare facility's license, and to establish a system of penalties that stiffen for subsequent violations, among other clauses.
The measure takes full effect Sept. 30.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oregon/articles/2018-04-13/brown-signs-bill-boosting-childcare-enforcement
(short article)
National Popular Voter Backer John Koza Really Doesnt Want Senate President Peter Courtney Re-Elect
National Popular Voter Backer John Koza Really Doesn’t Want Senate President Peter Courtney Re-ElectedJohn Koza's company, Scientific Games, revolutionized state lotteries in this country in the 1970s and 1980s, making Koza a wealthy man.
Today, Koza spends his time and energy promoting the adoption of the National Popular Vote, which would scrap the Electoral College in favor of a system in which the presidential candidate who gets the most votes wins. (If the system Koza favors had been in place in 2000, Al Gore would have defeated George W. Bush and Hilary Clinton would have defeated Donald J. Trump in 2016).
To change the voting system, backers of the National Popular Vote need their idea to win approval in states totaling 270 electoral votes. So far, 11 states, including California and Washington have approved the concept. Those states account for 165 electoral votes.
The Oregon House has passed a National Popular Vote bill four times but the concept has never cleared the Senate, over which Senate President Courtney (D-Salem), the state's longest legislator, has presided since 2003.
Read moire: http://www.wweek.com/news/2018/04/14/national-popular-voter-backer-john-koza-really-doesnt-want-senate-president-peter-courtney-re-elected/
State Sen. Rod Monroe Faces Something Rare: Two Credible Challengers in a Democratic Primary
On a recent wet Thursday, Shemia Fagan's red raincoat was so drenched that her campaign sticker kept slipping off.
But the former two-term state representative trudged on in the rain. She carried a water-filled CamelBak pack, three protein shakes and a raw carrot (no stopping for lunch) up Northeast 128th Avenue.
At each door, she delivered a pitch: "I'm running for office because of our housing crisis," she said. "So many people are talking about getting priced out of their homes, and rents are on the rise. My mom was homeless right here in East Portland for much of my childhood, so I approach the crisis not just as numbers on the page but affecting real people and real families."
That plea is resonating. Across this Oregon Senate district at the eastern edge of Portland, green-and-blue Fagan signs pop out—even on the lawn next door to the home of one of her opponents, incumbent Sen. Rod Monroe (D-East Portland).
Read more: http://www.wweek.com/news/city/2018/04/10/state-sen-rod-monroe-faces-something-rare-two-credible-challengers-in-a-democratic-primary/
Your pets are cute, and dirty too. Here's what to do about it.
Spring is here and along with all the other spring cleaning items, it’s time to clean Fido and Mitten's areas as well.
Don't worry, it's not that bad.
Check out these eight tips for pet owners, courtesy of Bend Pet Express.
Sanitize your pet’s food storage areas. Oils from pet food left in storage containers can cause issues for cats and dogs. The blog said it’s best to clean containers each time you refill them, or simply leave food in its original packaging within the container.
Go through your pet’s toys. Slobbery dogs, and cats that wander through their litter boxes don’t have the cleanest mouths or paws. The blog recommends cleaning rubber toys on the top rack of the dishwasher using vinegar—don’t worry, the smell will go away—and tossing any damaged toys. For soft toys, just throw them in the dryer to get rid of dust mites.
Read more: https://www.bendsource.com/bend/your-pets-are-cute-and-dirty-too/Content?oid=5560548
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan halts streetcar expansion project as costs jump past $200M
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has stopped all work on the city’s downtown streetcar expansion and will join with the city attorney to investigate the management of the project.
A preliminary review of the streetcar project, which Durkan requested last week, found that costs have risen once again. What several years ago was a $150 million project became a $177 million project and is now estimated to be more than $200 million.
“There are too many questions about the true costs of this project and the risks to taxpayers, which is why we must put the brakes on this project,” Durkan said in a statement.
The streetcar expansion along First Avenue is now facing a potential shortfall of more than $23 million, according to the mayor’s office.
Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-mayor-jenny-durkan-halts-streetcar-expansion-project-as-costs-jump-to-200m/
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
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