Sound Off

Property Taxes up again

clueless — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:56:26 GMT

Property values are down 15-25% in the region , yet property taxes are going up. This is yet another example of Government which is supposed to be "of the people and for the people", really only being out for itself, and more specifically out for the bureaucrats that work in it. Do they really think the majority of society believes they have "our best interests at heart" ? Any thinking person, of course, realizes their interests lie in preserving their Golden Parachutes which include full benefits for life, 80% pensions etc...This is ,of course, ignoring the fact these people are overpaid by at least 30% in Lane County. Perhaps the most insulting aspect is when they try to placate us by saying things like "we are not taking pay increases this year", to which my response is , "Great, neither are any of the other 70,000 unemployed workers in Lane County".

This injustice and ruling class mentality has to stop ! We need to inform these people the Gravy Train needs to come to an end, sooner rather than later.

Working Fire Extinguishers

badgerrr — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:35:18 GMT

A background story to start. Few years ago, my wife encountered a desperate fellow alongside the road. She could see his rig was starting to burn under the hood, and the guy was getting a little frantic. But I was sure to buy a brand new extinguisher for her rig, when we bought the car. She retrieved the tool from it's special place and handed it to the happy victim. He pulled the pin, pointed and ......NOTHING..... To keep a long story from getting even longer. The guy lost his car. I took care that we would have that unused extinguisher (and paid the money) for just such things - but when we needed it......nothin'!!!!

There's the old saw, "Oh you need to relentlessly check your fire extinguisher every day" or "change them out every other week" or "spend half your life in prayer that it will work when you need it." But we all know the only thing this "advice" creates is an excuse for someone to say "I told you so" when failure occurs, cause in the real world this stuff won't happen.

What we need is a viable fire fighting tool that works when we need it. Even if it is not nearly as effective as a functioning fire extinguisher (which we won't have in all likelyhood). It would be REAL nice if compressed air was NOT involved (unless we pump up in the field)

In the Old Daze there were little glass balls filled with Carbon Tetracloride or little pump up squirt extinguishers loaded with the aforementioned. Is the best thing we can do today carrying a box of baking soda?

Phone Books: Who Needs Them?

duckman1984 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:27:42 GMT

Recently its come to my attention that I rarely ever use a phone book at home. If I need to look up a business address or telephone number it's much easier to fire up my web browser of choice and do a quick query online. Almost every time I've ever had to look up a government number in the front of the book it's always been a royal pain that takes up more of my time then searching online.

Now that I've addressed the inconvenience of phone books, has anyone noticed how much paper is being used to produce these things? Not to mention the energy use involved. I presume gasoline is used to help deliver these hefty books to my front door. What a waste. Every time I see a phone book on my doorstep I lift the heavy monstrosity from my doorstep and I heave it into a recycle bin.

One more thing before I go. If you want to try and opt out of receiving a phone book delivered to your door you have to call a number depending on which phone book company it is be it Yellow Pages, Dex, AT&T etc. the number can be different.

Phone books are spam for your doorstep you see it and you want it gone.

4J School District Freak Show

clueless — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:25:15 GMT

Someone please Clue (pun intended) me in.:

Since when is it the 4J School District Charter to indoctrinate Students into the subject of "Transgendered" "Cross Dressing" ? Let's just pretend for a moment I am neutral on the subject (which of course I am not), and I want to make the argument that it is not in the 4J School District Charter to be influencing social behavior and attitudes, They are to be teaching facts, (and this is of course ignoring the lies they currently present as facts).

Is 2+2 =4 and The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog, not exciting or "progressive” enough for these people ? High School illiteracy rates are at record levels and drug abuse in the late teen early twenty something age range in this God Forsaken County are at record levels. Has anybody asked these idiots that run the 4J School District why this is ? Maybe it is because kids are graduating with little to no confidence that comes from an education, they have no clue that they possess the skills to be a Doctor, Scientist an Engineer or some other career that can actually make a contribution to our society in a meaningful way, instead they are indoctrinated into "accepting" “everyone as they are”. And who is kidding who, who cares if they don't accept people as they are. I don't receive low life drug addicts, child molesters, or sexual deviants into my circle of friends either.

This County is finished - Our major employers are leaving the area, State, County and City budgets are falling as hard as the stock market, and we have only seen the beginning of the trials to come (wait until the 4 trillion dollar deficits begin to come home to roost) and in the meantime guess what George Russell and his merry band of "Educators" are teaching the next generation? But how to "accept" perverts as social equals.

Think your pension and Golden Parachute is etched in stone George ? You and your cronies gotta another thing comin !

UO Ultimate Frisbie Team denied National Competition

Neddo50 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:34:14 GMT

I am a fully clad 59 year old Oregonian for 31 years. UO must send this team to Nationals and not deny them a once in a lifetime opportunity. Eugene police gave an escort to nude bikers. Some schools have annual nude runs. UO football and basketball players are not held to this arbitrary standard. Occasionally they are arrested for assault (once even rape). We did not deprive the team their competition - we must insist that team go to nationals and reprimand them some more appropriate way. Please, Eugene, speak up.

Valley River Center : The next Bankruptcy ???

clueless — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:01:38 GMT

http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/16/news/companies/general_growth_bankruptcy.reut/index.htm

When Sports Authority and Macys blow out of Valley River Center it will be a ghost town. Maybe High Priestess Tattoo's can open a shop there and KMTR can report it as the Top Story.

Actually the Tattoo shops would probably do pretty well over there, their "clienttelle" fits right in.

Valley River Center: A place for suicidal maniacs (and thieves and hoodlums)

clueless — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:19:16 GMT

Did anybody happen to catch the news last night about the guy who killed himself in the Valley River Center Theatre ? I did not see the news and was wondering if it was even reported on, I did not see it on the KMTR site. It is buried on page 3 of the local section here:

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/updates/11296248-46/story.csp

Not only is the Mall being cased by thieves, but is now favored by those who want to "off" themselves while watching their favorite Hollywood fantasy. KMTR and the Guard obviously did not want to scare any of their remaining "consumers" away so they decided to bury the story. This a prime example over $$$ suppressing the news as much of the KMTR's and Register Guard's ad revenue, no doubt, comes from mall merchants.

It is a sad state of affairs, but hey, don't worry dear Consumer, come out and spend you hard earned dollars on useless junk made in Communist China, and if you get really lucky you just might get to witness a theft, violent crime or who knows what !!!

Eugene School District Salaries

clueless — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:58:13 GMT

I just read in the Guard that Eugene School District Superintendant Tom Henry is retiring and was being paid a salary of $188,000. I have no idea what his pension is but I am sure it is around 50k per year for life. The other two people who are not being replaced were making $162,000 and $127,000 respectively.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME ? SCHOOL DISTRICT WORKERS IN EUGENE OREGON ARE MAKING UPWARDS OF 125K PER YEAR ???

I could not believe what I read. These people can't even do their jobs and they are being paid that kind of money. This is madness and this ruling class mentality needs to end here and now. These people are fleecing the people of this country and it needs to stop ...Their pensions should be revoked and they should have to face the same circumstances the people who paid their salaries for 30 years have to face.

I hire people for a fortune 50 company and these people are being paid well over twice what they should be.

Enjoy your retirement Tom...WE earned it.

Someone really needs to note that these clowns can wipe 500k out of the budget at the bat of an eye, I am sure they will not even notice anything missing...Does anyone else see anything wrong with that picture ???

Education and student loans

Spanky — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 05:48:42 GMT

I recently read that it costs more for the federal government to administer the student loan program (and carry the money) than it would cost to just give the money away. Isn't that amazing? It's a combination of the cost of carrying the huge debt for a long time with little or no interest accrual, the long term for repayment and, as usual, the massive federal administrative machine necessary to evaluate, monitor and track people and payments.

Here's my idea: Let's use that money to provide free in-state college education for anybody who graduates high school with a "B" average, maintains at least a "B" average through college, and graduates in four years. We'd keep more of our best students in state, we'd provide stable funding for our universities, and we'd keep more of our Oregon money in Oregon. Most importantly, our kids would be getting out of college without a crippling debt-load. Today it's common for students graduating in medicine/law/engineering/architecture, etc to have student loan burdens of $60,000 to well over $100,000 - and that's a terrible burden that prevents them from taking low-paying government jobs and jobs in rural areas. We'd ALL be better off if we could give them a leg up and keep them near home.

Here's the biggest thing: Look what first-class, cheap education did for California from the 60s through the 80s. Californians built an incredible education system that was cheap - and I believe it had a lot to do with California becoming an anormous economic power in the decades that followed.

Our public education in Oregon is expensive and mediocre. We were recently told that it's going to cost us the same to send our kids to Ivy League as it would cost to send them to UO or OSU, because our schools have become so expensive, and the Ivy league schools will pay the difference once the "parental obligation" is met . (So our total required contribution is almost the same.) That sure wasn't the case when I went to UO, but then in-state tuition then was only about $250 per term ;-)

Why FIVE Commissioners?

horsey — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:41:48 GMT

Why not just three?

Commissioner Sorenson doesn't ever come to work unless he can be on TV (meetings), so there must not be much to do. Why not cut back to just three of them?

The county has lost about 400 employees since the 1970s, but they have gained two commissioners. It wont make much difference, but it would save a couple hundred thousand that could be spent on public health or something else of value to the people of Lane County. It certainly couldn't be spent on anything of LESS value to the citizens.

Valley River Center: A haven for Thieves and Hoodlums, Bye Bye Gottschalks !!!

clueless — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:38:54 GMT

I find it quite ironic that just four days after sending this letter, one of the Mall's "Anchor Stores" is going BK...

FYI: Sports Authority's days are most likely numbered as well, they will be having severe problems before the end of 2009, and it would not surprise me to see Macy's begin to close locations as well.

March 26, 2009

Valley River Center Management Office

293 Valley River Center Drive

Eugene OR 97401

To Whom It May Concern,

On Monday March 23 2009, at approximately 12pm, I parked and locked my bicycle in the racks with a 3/8 inch cable lock near the West entrance (near Gottschalks) of the Mall. I entered the store, went directly to Sports Authority to look at some portable basketball equipment I was interested in, was in the mall for approximately 20 minutes, and upon leaving I discovered my bicycle was stolen.

Needless to say I was shocked that this could occur in such a short period of time, and upon further consideration I have several questions.

1. Why is there no security surveillance equipment or signs in the area?

2. Why is there no signs posted alerting customers of the potential dangers ?

Valley River Center is obviously being “cased” by thieves, and I refuse to believe this to be an isolated incident. I also do not believe it to be a quantum leap for me to assume Mall Management fears that by alerting customers and/or installing security cameras and/or signs warning thieves, that this would destroy or jeopardize the false image the mall has portrayed as being a “family friendly environment“ into what it really is, which is a haven for thieves and hoodlums that prey on legitimate consumers.

In case you hadn’t noticed “American Consumerism” is in a dire situation at present and the days of “shopping till you drop” are over. Paying customers just may be a bit more of a valuable commodity in the future and you can rest assured Valley River Center or its merchants will not receive another penny from my household.

Regards,

Name Withheld

Eugene OR

Cc: KMTR News Director

KEZI News Director

KVAL News Director

Eugene Register Guard News Director

Public Trust

Mike T — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:06:46 GMT

At a recent Board of County Commissioners meeting (probably on 10/22) Steve Schriver, a hired consultant, deliverd a report that was critical of the BCC. He had interviewed the BCC and many agency heads to obtain the questions he used in his survey and then interviewed 19 neighborhood organization leaders. The report came back with a conclusion that the public does not trust the BCC. Since I do not trust the BCC, I immediately bought into the conclusion and started considering systemic causes and remedys. People I know in Linn, Benton and Douglas counties do not seem to have this problem. They tell me they elect their commissioners on a county wide basis. So what would the pros and cons be if we retained the districts but allowed a county-wide vote?

Money and Debt, What is it Really

Cassandra — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:15:09 GMT

Have you ever wondered what money really is? Have you thought about why it is so easy to borrow money via banks and credit cards?

Below is a link to a 5 part video, (kind of like power point), that will walk you through what money and debt really is... This is good for adults that have worked hard for many years, and older children that are just entering the work force and the world of money and debt... I hope it helps you understand, why, many people say they feel like slaves... It's because they are, their senses are not fooling them... Enjoy!

http://www.notjustnotes.ws/howbanksrobyou.htm

Common Sense

LKilburn — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:34:56 GMT

What is the problem with people today? My daddy told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed by until today, I read his obituary. Please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance. For Common Sense had served us all so well for so many generations.

Obituary
Common Sense
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adult s, not children are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a class mate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.
He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

--
Most importantly....
"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance as if nobody's watching

Jumped in my own neighborhood

james3374 — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:32:43 GMT

Copied and pasted from my blog:

Tues night I went to bed about 9 pm, knowing that I had to get up at 5 am to for work the next two days. About 11:30 pm I woke up to fireworks going off just down the street.

I got dressed, grabbed my flashlight and headed out the door. I figured it was likely a juvenile delinquent and I was just going to collar him and take him to his parents' house.

I walked down the street and three young men stood up on their front steps and one of them yelled out to me, "What the hell are you looking at?" I looked over at them and yelled back, "I'm looking at you". All three men started running at me at this. I heard feet scuffling behind me and saw 2 or three more men running at me in the dark from another house. I turned back in time to crack the first guy with my flashlight before getting overwhelmed.

I woke up some time later with no memory of the event. Someone had found me laying face up in the middle of the road in a pool of my own blood. They tried to rouse me and asked me where I lived; I was told that I just kept asking where I was. My next memory was waking up in the ambulance and trying to answer more questions from the paramedics. My mouth was filled with blood and I wanted to spit, but was already in the lobby, so I swallowed it all rather than choke on it.

Once in the ER I was informed of my injuries. Both of my eyes were black; my left one swollen shut. I had three lacerations on my face and some on the back of my head, a red footprint on my forehead, lacerations inside my mouth, and an Xray revealed that my jaw was fractured in two places. I had crusted dry blood in all of my facial orifices and hair.

Several friends showed up, despite the fact that I was going to lay low until I got out (word traveles fast about this kind of stuff) while I was in the hospital. It wasn't the most dignified scenerio to be recieving alot of attention, but was actually a very good reminder as to just how blessed and fortunate I am to have so many quality people in my life who really care about me. I had so many calls and visits in that 2.5 days.

I made sure my puppy was taken care of and that my work recieved notice that I wouldn't be there. Now that my jaw is wired shut and I've been released from Sacred Heart, I'm hanging out with Steve and Sherry for a couple of days. They have a couple of dogs that get along well with Masa and I know he'll get fed. Sherry's good with a blender, which is what I'll be eating from for a while.

I went to the detective's office today and picked out a couple of pictures of guys that were involved. I really hope the law can take care of this adequately. Yesterday, after getting released, I had my pistol in my waistband and was knocking on doors in the area where it happened and started asking questions, hoping to get some names.

I'm curious to see how this turns out in the long run. It takes some pretty cowardly men to team up on an individual and work him over while unconcious and helpless. Depending on how my jaw heals, I may have to retire from MMA competition all together.

Need help w a crime police won't help

bigjuan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:31:43 GMT

about 3 weeks ago my husband and I came home to find my best friends ex husband had broken into our house. My best friend had moved the week before out of state.
We pulled into our driveway to find him on our front steps with our stuff in his hands. He threw down the stuff and threatened both of us in our driveway. My husband called 911 while all this way going on. he sped off in his car and returned about 10 minutes later and just sat if front of our driveway in his car. We called the police a again. About an hour later they showed up, took pictures of our broken door and statement.
They called him and told him to stop. that was all
now today i ran into this person again- he threatened me and said
"your stupid cause you'll never know when i'll show up again"
called the detective in charge of the case nothing he could do since he never said " i'll beat you up"
and today the DA will not follow up on the case- even though we had two witnesses that saw him on our step with our stuff
what should i do?
Bigjuan

Glorifying Illegal Activity

blindpig — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:02:32 GMT

Hey KMTR news,...let's do a story on the removal of a cross, placed at a location, where a young man, probably intoxicated, runs from the police, and kills himself, failing to negotiate a corner. You initially make the stupid statement, that he "was wearing a helmet,"and then a couple of days later, you don't even bother to mention that he was breaking the law. You seemed to be more concerned with the sorrow that his friend(s?)displayed. There is a photo of the young man, giving the obligatory "Hang Loose bro" hand sign, holding what is probably a cocktail, and giving the Gene Simmons tongue job....while his friends talk about how they'll celebrate his life/death, with BBQ's, parties, etc.....I wonder which one of these geniuses will be next....Shame on KMTR for promoting the illegal root of this whole story, (you certainly didn't discourage it), and I couldn't help noticing that Marc Mullens was a little uncomfortable.

Squatters, their Enforcers, Lovers,...and a new Truck Stop???

Panspartner — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:08:27 GMT

Did the owners of the newly refurbished and renovated building over here take out a new camping and truck stop permit with the city? Perhaps, with a couple of booze bins so close by, and so much business late at night up and down the street--you never know when single a drag race is going to occur even if its just one dilly-dalli-0-o-o-o...ing

Hey! B.O., how bout a little *do-de-de-do* our way to take care of folks like this, then we won't be so "bitter", and we won't need to "cling to our guns", or rely on our "religion" or our "traditions", and we be less likely to take out our "frustrations" and be so "anti-immigrant" and "anti-trade" sentimental; and we won't "feel left behind,"

Do you really need so many offices in the state? H.C. hasn't got so many and is doin fine, pretty much (and J.M. hasn't even looked at us)--if the "good ole boys"--would stop playin "old-time politics"...but then that's the only way to win this, right? Change? Change what? The way of doin things? Not if you can win. But gettin back to this hand-out thing...how bout it...you got some extra *do-de-de-do*...can you check with madame Oprah...she's just "Given" it away...got a few takers around here...loads of them...

But what happen's when squatter's stay on premises, B.O. for a period of time and the owner's of that land do nothing about it? What if the city police are aware, but say they can't do anything even if there is tresspassing going on...and they bring in their own enforcer's to protect them from neighbors? What about the rights of an earner who's payin their share and someone gets to use the same facilities for free, because their neighbor let's them, (while their at work)...because they feel sorry for them? [Rhetorical questions] Squatter's never are able to pay back the amout they use in water and the heat used to make it hot...because they can't calculate it...I know I can't figure it out comepletely...and I 'm not too stupid when it comes to numbers (and in numerous other areas)...REALLY! Oh yea! How bout havin these "bleedin heart's" you seen on TV invite them into their own homes and get all our "homeless folks" they're discussing, off the streets. I know of at least one social worker and his wife who stiffed the State for 10,000+ (till they got caught and had to find a way to pay it back, but they knew how, because they figure out through learning the system), so why is it so hard to invite them into their homes and personally find them gainful employment? Other's have done it...talk, talk, talk...grant writing, grant wrinting, grant writing,....complainin', and hand-wringin, and so on...

If Murther can get his pork, than by gum, so can weeeeeeee...

Panspartner

Pay for the Privilege?

Panspartner — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:26:45 GMT

Last time a candidate came to town, the "Rats", and "Trolls" came out to sun themselves against the "last business to stand" 's fence here--(who have themselves, left to the outer fringes of the city, as the the other business did quite awhile ago...to ,outside if this ward)--and the open area between it and our children, and their safe walk to the market (the same one that often time sells to...depending on the age of who is working the shift... the "Rats" and "Trolls" that plague our area). Much of the time still they are seen by the corner of the market phone just waiting...someone will help them...and their continuing addiction--helping them to put one more nail in their coffin; or better yet! give to the panhandler on the street--who may or may not be a real person in need--who will go and buy their "white-lightning" and "lung-buster"...instead of something healthy to eat for themselves or for their other--much less really work for it (when panhandling became legal years ago...did anyone know that CA would get tough with its welfare system, sending people swarming up here overloading it like they did CA's?), Loitering itself use to be a call-able offense... of course then you get the pat answer to a call to such "persons" on these type of premises, that the city doesn't even know who owns it, but they can sure tax someone for IT!!! Meaning EVERYONE, if they cannot find the true owner...

Also...

With 1.5mil. reportedly spent a day on B.'s campaign, shouldn't the money be spent on security--especially the cost of extra security--be footed by the campaign machine? Or do our sister cities get it? Are they more savvy then us? A real coup, yessery! We can sure afford it! They take advantage of the lack of patrol's in the area...the lack of coverage they know is going to be not around...(or will Popess Oprah shell out for it from her treasury...or has she already max'd out her campaign credit card for B.??? Can she "GIVE" through her new enterprise? Can Chambers help her through the maze...stay tuned...)

...and even some "squirrelly=squirrel's" in the area with the spring fever brewing on their brains (same as the Rats and Trolls--only they can get in with coverage? down the street), have decided to strain their protected rights under the Constitution of...what? The USA...? State of Oregon? ACLU? Hmmmm...how bout the one of personal and moral courtesy...oh...pardon me...momma and pappy never taught you about such things? My mistake.

I know it's important to have elections and it's real nice of them folks to stop by...but...it's cost'n us somethin fierce...

Rats, Trolls, Squirrels...a few Snakes comin to roost in the parking lot at dusk and during the night, UP and DOWN the PATH-A-WAY, doin thier business.. all distructive, and not just a "little illegal", to the neighborhoods... Elections? Oh yea...it's that time of the year, isn't it?

But, sleep well, Mistress Mayor and Warden's/Councilor's/Commissioner's/Reps./et.all! I'm sure your neighborhoods are well looked after...and your special intrests on tract...just the way you want/like them...

Panspartner

Real or a "transient" police plant?

Panspartner — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:09:45 GMT

Just called on a "supposed" transient who was drinking and walking up and down on the front pavement of a building that has just been renovated and the fence around it taken down. Once the police officer got there the "transient" pulled out a camcorder and was videotaping the officer while the officer checked the transients bike...while the transient was on private property and was seen drinking in and around the parking lot and walking up and down the front of the building. This building has just been redone. Just today it had some checking of its insides. It is about ready to be rented...by one of the community credit banking businesses. fo If this was a "real" transient, how can he afford a camcorder when me and mine as a salaried worker cannot?

It looked as though this is a plant. This person has been seen in this area r some time, going up and down and around, looking like a transient. I believe this person is someone who is collecting info. Perhaps someone for the so-called "homeless" transients" who have been harrassed by the neighbors in the area. This is a feeling gotten when panspartner has called regular help and the tone had changed. It appears that there is a well put-together collective towards seeking info against those who are trying to clean the area out of drug dealers, yearly transients (ones who are so familiar they could take out an address number and be taxed for it), speeding (have had so many accidents in the area already, but not much news on them), drunks, graffitti, junkies, and Fagenite's (and Fagenite wanna-be's who instuct our children on how to steal from the local markets or how to buy them drink because they've been banned from the markets).

Difficult too, when there are so few police to answer the calls when made, but more aggrevating, is when someone else decides whether your call is important enough to be put at the top of the "list". Sometimes it would be helpful for a person and place to be created where they know how to
"listen" before they start asking questions... Sure. Some people will just run off at the mouth, but some of us have thought about what is necessary to say before calling...perhaps if just listening...we know the drill. By now, we've had to call enough times.

Panspartner.

Black Friday

Lynn8 — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 07:03:20 GMT

Everyone knows the madness of Black Friday… So why…..why…. must some people complain so loudly?

Did they not know the lines would be long? Did they not know that those drastically reduced items are usually sold out to the Black Friday pro’s who get up at 2am to be the first to get them? Come on… What did you expect?

Those who brave the madness of Black Friday know exactly what to expect. They enjoy the festive decorations and the annoying holiday music. They have store-tag down to an art. Splitting up between stores and keeping in touch via cell phones to get all the best deals before the clock strikes 11am takes meticulous planning. They respect the fact that store personal showed up for work at a ridiculous retail hour and still managed to keep their smiles during it all. I personally didn’t get everything I set out to purchase. I was even over charged on some items, which was gladly credited back to me. But I didn’t complain. Black Friday is the start of the Holiday Season. It’s supposed to be festive, and exciting. Not a time to complain to everyone in line that will listen to you. Really…. When you get to that point, It’s time to do your shopping on line or just go home and take a nap. Because next time I just might smack you.. With a friendly holiday smile of course

The holidays are what you make them.

Happy Holiday

Counter productive Auto features

badgerrr — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:14:44 GMT

As the years go by, our technology gets increasingly sophisticated. We now have the ability to do things MUCH better than we were able to do in years gone by.

So why is it that newer automobile designs are, generally, increasingly worse? This doesn't make sense! Who ARE these people coming up with this? Lemme just start this off with a list of common devolutions in modern vehicles today.

Bumper Farings/Cozys : The idea of a bumper is pretty simple and straight forward. A tough bar mounted for and aft to protect the rig from low impact dings - keeping repair expenses down . Also, the bumper is a surface to mount accoutrements like bike racks and hitches. How does it make sense to put an expensive piece of moulded plastic over this thing to negate all these advantages?!!! Grandmaw might knit us a useless cozy to place over our toasters when not in use; but we can just throw these away. These "Bumper Cozys" are not designed to do this. It is a useless, expensive burden that should not have to be tolerated.

Infinity of Useless Alarms: After after buying a 2006 Matrix, I found I was continually bombarded by alarms that would distract me to the point of being a danger on the road. It would even scream at me if I had failed to seat belt in a bag of groceries, I was so unfourtunate as to put in the passenger seat.

No Rain Gutters: We had long possessed the technology to correct the problem of rain coming into passenger compartments thru windows. Rain gutters were on horse drawn carriages in the 15th century. But now, it appears, the auto industry has bought into the idea of climate change. Apparently it no longer rains in the 21st Century cause vehicles no longer have rain gutters! Or is it that it has become fashionable to never roll ones windows down? Hello?

No Tie downs: Did people stop putting things in pick-up beds that can roll around or blow out? Did people stop car topping boats, ladders, mattresses, plyboard? We must have, because we no longer put any kind of tie downs on our rigs. This is true even with trucks;....cars?....forget it.

This is just a short list. I'll probably be back to add to this as time permits. Anyone else have any additions?

Parking Lot Obstacle Course

badgerrr — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 23:49:44 GMT

Seems like Cities just loooove to make annoying ordinances. Can't seem to get enough of them, in fact. Here's a refreshing notion. Let's make one that will actually HELP both local businesses and their customers? That ordinace would...

....Prohibit places of business from planting weeds, shrubs, bloody trees in their parking lots. Also, the lots would be prohibited from placing cement barriers everywhere - forcing pedestrians out in front of moving automobiles.

This ordinance would....

(1) Increase the number of parking spaces in the lots, providing an increased asset to the business - especially at peak shopping periods.

(2) Make the lots a safer place for customers walking to and from their rigs.

Recently, I, myself was almost thumped by a car in the Costco parking lot. Shrubs and a tree prohibited me from seeing an oncoming sedan, until I had just about stepped in front of it. Lately, our parking lots are getting awful cutesy....but inefficient, frustrating, and dangerous.

Set-up

hendinor — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 07:58:23 GMT

Can you say set-up! The Pee Wee Red Skins were setup not to be able to play at the championship at Autzen statuim. Supposedly, we had an ineligible player play in Sunday’s game. But this young man has been playing all season and no other team has said anything about him until Sunday, which decide who got to go to the statuim. The team mom from the Linn-Benton cowboys, whom we had already played once this season on Sept 16 and she had no complaints then, said he was too old and couldn’t play. The Sheldon rep was standing there and said “no its fine the book is signed off by Pop Warner” so she signed off on the books saying he could play. I know you are thinking how I know this, well because I was standing right there. So the start of the 2^nd quarter into the game the Willamette area rep came over and told us he couldn’t play so we pulled him from the game. From what I have been told they went through the right channels at the beginning of the season because we knew he was 13 to make sure that it was ok but now Pop Warner is going back on this telling us that we didn’t. They are the ones that put him on this team in the first place.

The board members had a meeting tonight, Nov 5, 2007 about the game we played on Sunday. The Cowboys are claiming that the young man made a bunch of touchdown during the time he was on the field and he was a big part of why they lost. The young man touched the ball once during the game and it was at kick off he kicked the ball to the cowboys. If the cowboys had a problem since the last game then why didn’t they go through the proper channels, area rep and board of directors, instead waiting until the game had started? So the board decides that we have to forfeit the game on Sunday and not play for the championship.

Pop Warner claims

Objectives

To encourage and increase youth participation in football, cheerleading and dance.
To ensure a safe and positive playing environment for all participants.
To instill life-long values of teamwork, dedication and a superior work ethic in the classroom and on the playing field.

I’m sorry to say that I haven’t seen these objectives from them at all. I want to know why the kids are being punished for something that Pop Warner ok. And all the other teams we played ok it or they would have said something sooner. I think that this was the only way that the Linn-bent cowboys could win. They sure aren’t teaching their kids anything but sportsmanship. I know this because my son told one of the players good game and he just gave him a dirty look and shrugged it off. If my son would have done that he would have got one hell of a tongue lashing from me. Pop Warner boast about Team work how is it that a 90lb kid made that much of a difference.

I know that my son will be devastated about not being able to go to the championship they had a perfect season. I know that my son will not be playing for Pop Warner ever again and that I will tell everyone I know that the Pop Warner isn’t worth anyone’s time or energy. My family and I are done with Pop Warner and their politics. I will be pursuing other steps to make sure that this doesn’t go unnoticed.

1775 PATRIOT in 2007

Cassandra — Tue, 29 May 2007 04:40:39 GMT

THE 1775 PATRIOT IN 2007

By: Devvy
May 28, 2007

"It is Kissinger's belief, according to his aides, that by controlling food, one can control people, and by controlling energy, especially oil, one can control nations and their financial systems. By placing food and oil under international control along with the world's monetary system, Kissinger is convinced a loosely knit world government operating, under the frame-work of the United Nations can become a reality before 1980." --Gary Allen

One of the most often asked questions to me in e-mails is: What will it take to wake up my family or friends? Why do Americans care so little for their freedom that they refuse to even consider the truth about the mechanisms in play destroying this republic? Here's how I see it and it's not a pretty picture.

True, we have a nation of approximately 300 million people; close to 20 million here illegally. However, a large percentage of that 300 million are children, so that lowers the number of adult age Americans. In 2004, there were roughly 215,694,000 'voting age' Americans. We have a growing segment of the population who spend their days sick and dying. My heart fills with compassion for the human condition and those who are sick and dying through no fault of their own; their days are filled with meds and misery. I know that millions of Americans are the victims of consuming food and drink products that have been killing our people for decades. I speak of aspartame and fluoride as just two; my columns on these are many (see In Progress here.) Deadly chemicals rain down from our skies daily and despite proof of that statement, not one elected public servant will demand answers from the Department of Defense.

This nation is drowning in booze and drugs. I know that Libertarians want to legalize all drugs, but if you think we have massive problems with broken homes and crime now, legalize meth and see what happens. That drug is so highly addictive, tens of thousands of families across this land are broken, split apart with one or both parents in state prisons. Mothers and/or fathers who are addicted to meth are little better than vegetables trying to function; domestic violence in these cases is off the chart and it seems like all of them have children who end up either dead, totally neglected or removed from the home by some child welfare agency. America loves illegal drugs: meth, pot, cocaine and heroin. Two fine Americans, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, former U.S. Border Patrol Agents, are rotting in federal prisons because of a drug smuggler getting a free pass from a corrupt Federal Department of Justice. That drug dealer's profit is dependent on America's dependency on illegal drugs. Oh, sure, it's just recreational and so what if it's illegal? If there weren't so many Americans addicted to drugs, the market for these huge drug cartels selling you poison would dry up and fine, decent Americans like Compean and Ramos wouldn't be rotting in federal prison. Think about that the next time you snort some "nose candy" for fun. The reality is those who do these drugs are weak of character; they can't go through day to day life without a crutch to make them high.

If it's not illegal narcotics, we have a nation literally drowning in prescription drugs, many of them extremely dangerous like Prozac and Ritalin. A self medicated population that has reached epidemic proportions. How clearly can one think if their minds are muddled with massive amounts of drugs, legal or illegal? The same applies to the booze. If your brain is addled, how can you think and analyze clearly? Is it unfair to say that millions are walking zombies?

We have a nation of young adults who have gone through the government's indoctrination centers (public schools), who can barely read and have no understanding of the history of this country, much less the meaning of the Bill of Rights. They've been taught America is a democracy and carry that ignorance on to major colleges where they are brain washed with the communitarian doctrine to accept communism dressed up as "progressive," "liberal" and other popular labels. The toxic "feminist movement" poison and other communist propaganda has brought our nation to a state of millions of dysfunctional and broken families. America is dying from a thousand cuts daily; most don't really understand how or why. I do not claim to know everything, but I do know from dedicating my life the past 17+ years for the noble cause of freedom, so much of it spent researching, that the American people have been played and are marching lock step to the slaughter with their eyes wide open, their minds shut down.

There are tens of millions of people in this country who spend their time addicted to TV trash called reality shows, non stop sports on a half dozen channels simultaneously or who simply can't get through the day without some new scandal involving movie stars, "pop tarts" or Rosie O'Donnell. It is amazing how many hours every single cable network (supposedly serious news/commentary programs) have spent since last Wednesday on this junk. FOX, MSNBC, CNN and all their hot shot anchors just saturating the tube over The View dust up. Useful fools like Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Joe Scarborough, Larry King and others wasting dozens of hours on nonsense instead of warning the American people about the NAU and the real reasons Bush and his handlers want Iran. Forget it. They know who sign their multi million dollar paychecks.

I watched the entire fight between these View hosts once just because it was on the screen as I was panning channels on cable. I have never wasted the time I have on this earth watching nonsense called The View, so I am unfamiliar with the personalities. However, watching this one clip was an eye opener. It started with a Joy Behr firing off her laundry list of grievances against Bush and her support of Marxists. I determined there was enough room for rent where Behr's brain was supposed to be located to house an Army battalion. Then came the mouth off from this Elizabeth Hasselbeck; I guess she's the poster offering for what passes as a conservative today. Next up was O'Donnell. When it was over, I went back to work because WHO CARES? So this sexual deviant left The View a few weeks early. WHO CARES? America is on the the brink of financial ruin, another war for oil (Iran), Bush is killing us with his dictatorial edicts, aided and supported by a corrupt Congress and I'm supposed to care about some stupid TV show and the squabbling by a bunch of cats sitting around sniping at each other?

Over the years I have also watched my fellow Americans trade freedom and liberty for trinkets. Material objects mean more to them than freedom. Millions of Americans are out playing today or hitting the mall because it's a "holiday," when in fact, today we are supposed to honor our veterans and military currently serving. Parades honoring our veterans are becoming extinct in favor of shopping and fun. Those graves in military cemeteries represent men and women who gave up their tomorrow's so we could have ours. The forces orchestrating the destruction of this nation are relentless. They are counting on millions of Americans turning a blind eye. Reject the truth in favor of good times, blind loyalty and support to their political parties regardless of their betrayal. Millions continue to ignore reality because their paychecks depend on perpetual war and endless looting of the people's purse by a corrupt Congress in unconstitutional spending. Millions continue to turn a blind eye to the truth because it's too painful. Millions will continue to pretend they are free while bowing to the yoke of tyranny out of fear.

Then we have the political activists in this country whose blind loyalty to their party is killing America, Republican or Democrat. They are the voices of America's destruction. Last week I watched film clips from the demonstration in front of counterfeit Senator Jon Kyl's office in Phoenix over this phony immigration reform sell out. Several Kyl supporters were interviewed and said that Kyl had done the best he could with a Democratic controlled Congress and that the protesters were a "vocal minority." BULL. The Republicans held a majority for 12 YEARS, the last six with a Republican president. They could have shut down the border, deported these criminals (illegal aliens), saving thousands of Americans from being killed by illegals every year plus all the other crimes perpetrated by them, i.e., violent sexual predators, and demanded enforcement of existing immigration laws. Did the GOP controlled Congress with a GOP president get the job done? NO and that includes counterfeit Senator Kyl. The tens of millions of Americans who are demanding these illegals be deported, the borders shut down and NO amnesty in any form are not a vocal minority. We stand for the law, not cowardice and excuses.

I submit to you that we the people are in the same situation as patriots back in 1775. The Boston Massacre had occurred five years earlier, the Boston Tea Party stirred the pot (1773) and things were growing more tense by the day in the colonies:

"Meanwhile, British troops began plundering houses in Boston; and Gage proclaimed martial law, ordering the Patriots to lay down their arms. See PA. Evening Post, May 25, 1775, at 2; PA. Evening Post, June 24, 1775, at 2. The following is a typical Patriot's response:

"What terms do you hold out in this gracious proclamation? ... Now, Sir, waving all that may be said of your hypocrisy, cruelty, villainy, treachery, perfidy, falsehood, and inconsistency, are you not ashamed to throw out such an insult upon human understanding, as to bid people disarm themselves till you and your butchers murder and plunder them at pleasure! We well know you have orders to disarm us, and what the disposition of the framers of these orders is, if we may judge from the past, can be no secret.

"E. Ludlow, To the Vilest Tool of the most profligate and tyrannical Administration that ever disgraced a Court. Inhuman Butcher!, PA. Evening Post, June 27, 1775, at 1. An editorial on Gage's proclamation stressed that an armed populace must keep government in check:

"The opposing an arbitrary measure, or resisting an illegal force, is no more rebellion than to refuse obedience to a highway-man who demands your purse, or to fight a wild beast, that came to devour you. It is morally lawful, in all limited governments, to resist that force that wants political power, from the petty constable to the king.... They are rebels who arm against the constitution, not they who defend it by arms." Tench Coxe and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, 1787-1823

Those who wanted a free and independent nation were called rebels; these freedom fighters called themselves patriots. Those who opposed them were called Tories. A Tory depended upon the Crown and King George for their financial well being and most were too afraid of the British to take a stand. Is it any different today? With roughly 40% of the American people dependent upon mother government, state and/or federal, for the bread on their table and the fear drilled into them with this endless "war on terror" and images of paramilitarized local police on the great programmer (TV), you have a huge percentage of Americans who will get down on their knees and beg for the illusion of safety, security and a paycheck: "The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves." Dresden James

For those who know the truth from columns like mine and thousands of fine writers in this country, the frustration level in this country is burning hot like molten lava. I tell you this: You can't expect something that isn't going to be and by that I mean, we cannot reach every adult age American in this country. The architects of this world government and the massive corporate conglomerates who control all television programming and every major newspaper in this country control the information being fed to the largest number of Americans. You and I know it's spin and lies; the most critical and fully documented information is deliberately withheld. Until the American people withdraw their support of these corporate monsters by not buying their newspapers, advertising space and not patronizing sponsors, it won't change. Until Americans by the millions stop listening to party hacks on the radio like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mike Gallagher, Neil Boortz and all the rest, they will continue pumping out half truths and enriching their own pockets while America dies from lack of knowledge. As long as the American people continue to own stock in these monster corporations that have and are betraying America (CBS, NBC, ABC, Dell, Microsoft, Ford, etc), these same Americans are funding their own destruction. Those dividend checks drip with the blood of this republic.

I say to you do not despair because we have the truth on our side and we do have the numbers - the important numbers. By that I mean the same as it was when this republic was being birthed: a core number of dedicated patriots who will stand against tyranny. We are in the millions even though we have no voice in the controlled, dominant media. We must continue pushing on the most important issues, i.e., we must stop this massive amnesty to reward law breakers (illegal aliens), the NAU, force a show down on the Seventeenth Amendment, a real investigation into 911 and revitalization of “the Militia of the several States” as mandated by the Second Amendment because YOUR survival is going to depend on it and that's no hyperbole.

I leave you with these words from an author I grew up reading, Frank Yerby; Bride of Liberty (1954):

"But it was not enough. Nothing was enough. By March three thousand men had deserted to the British. Another four thousand were unfit for duty from utter lack of clothes and shoes. The Ninth Pennsylvania now consisted of two officers with no privates to command.

"Yet we shall endure," Ethan Page wrote to Polly Knowles, "because what we fight for is indestructible. Though we, through our bodies' feebleness, succumb to hunger and to cold; though some of us fall prey to littleness of heart and the weakness of our souls and turn traitor, freedom cannot be destroyed. It may be that we shall be crushed here in the valley of our anguish; but should we fail, afterwards, our sons shall rise up; and their sons after them, if need be; generation upon generation until the last visage of despotism shall have vanished from the earth. For this is the meaning of America: That every where men shall stand up tall in liberty, proud in human dignity; this we have written with our blood upon the snows at Valley Forge: that until, which God forbid, she be destroyed, America shall remain the implacable foe of tyranny in all ages, anywhere upon the earth....And America shall not be vanquished, for she is liberty's body; and freedom is her soul."

No matter the cost, I will not submit to the tyranny being pumped out of Washington, DC. I cannot. If I am reduced to rags, I will wear them with pride instead of shame because I valued a day at the ball park or hours in front of the television over freedom. You and I dear friends of liberty - we are facing the same challenges as those who shed their blood before us and we must not falter because the opposition is backed up by paid mercenaries. We are seeing victories in our fight as more and more states are standing up and saying no the the federal machine.

We the people must continue our non violent assault against this massive usurpation of power coming out of Washington. Leave the cowardly to their chains for they won't be moved until it's too late. You can do nothing for those who live in la la land drenched in booze and drugs and those who willfully believe lies to maintain their comfort zone. Stay focused, united and keep that fire in your belly for freedom because you are the 1775 American patriot in 2007, and for always, because freedom beats strongly in the hearts of the brave. As Yerby said, it is the soul of our nation.