Comments for Clackamas County Democrats

Comment on From the left bank by Elizabeth Craig

Elizabeth Craig — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:26:32 +0000

I’m glad that Director Peters was able to speak at your monthly meeting – there is certainly a great deal to talk about! I just wanted to correct one point you made. This statement is misleading: “The idea of releasing the non-violent offenders who are less likely to return frees up bed space and precludes the need for a new prison now.” All of the policy options developed by the Governor’s Commission on Public Safety that are currently before the legislature (mainly in HB3194) are prospective – none of the reforms (if enacted) would release anyone that is currently incarcerated. Rather, they would apply to future cases.

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

Editor’s note: The post has been updated to clarify this point

Comment on From the Left Bank by joseph mazzara

joseph mazzara — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:36:21 +0000

Ludlow ,Savas and Tootie Smith can easily be beaten down. Let us us the same tactics that caused them to beat us down. We need to attend every meeting they hold and be vocal in an intelligent way. We need to be more active in choosing the right candidates who fight the issues with information that makes sense.
We need to have PCP’s who get more involved in their neighborhoods.We need district leaders who can train and recruit folks who are willing to work as teams fighting issues that concern their neighbors. We need leadership that can inspire and organize a -parade where our voices will be heard loud and clear,”we shall overcome”
Lastly,all of us must work for the good of the order and not for individual desires. We are Democrats who believe in justice,and we believe that every vote counts and everyone is equal in his and her opinion. We believe that all of us must be heard.
If we can do this,then nothing or no effort from the other side will keep us down.If we can speak as one voice,nothing or no amount of money will silence our voices.The answer is right in front of us.
I implore everyone of us to stand together,work together,and fight for what we as Democrats believe in. If we can do this,we will win every battle. We will change things back to what we need .And finally,Ludlow,Smith and Savas will go back into the oblivion or go back into the hole they came out of.
Let us stop looking outside for help,but let’s work from within ourselves and with our fellow citizens.I promise that nothing or no one can keep us down for very long.

Joe Mazzara
“a simple voice from the mountain”

Comment on From the Left Bank by Mary Accettura

Mary Accettura — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:21:33 +0000

What a great article, it should be published in the Clackamas Review and the Oregonian. I am one of the Gladstone citizens who have been fighting for our library. These “bullies” have steamrolled all of our efforts to build a new library, the funds would have been given to Gladstone from the library district. We lost our initiative effort, now the group is trying to privatize our library. This group informed the City that they would build a 3 story building on Portland Ave. to house the police dept, library, and city hall and they would graciously lease back the building to the City of Gladstone. This is pure greed. The citizens of Clackamas County have to fight back. If the tea party is not stopped soon, we will be paying for our lack of commitment for the many years to come.

Comment on From the Left Bank by Roger H. Kofler

Roger H. Kofler — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:21:56 +0000

Good old Republicans, always ready to cut benefits for working people, and always ready to give big corporations and the wealthy a free ride. If there are voters who wonder what the difference is between the two parties, I hope they take this into consideration, and support candidates who represent their best interests,

Comment on From the Left Bank by Laurie Cantelon

Laurie Cantelon — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:27:10 +0000

Interesting article. I do think Rep. Parrish has a point about conflict of interest, but since when has salary or compensation for the legislature not been part of the responsibility of the legislature? They raise it, they can cut it.

I will point out one thing, though. Rep. Parrish is one of the few people left in public office that is not personally well off. She is very working class with a family in tow. I’m blown away that she can afford to participate in politics at all! To HER the PERS contribution is probably very important. The PERS contribution may look paltry to the author, but to working class people, every little bit helps. Many of the working poor are hand-to-mouth and social security is the only thing they will get in ‘retirement’. She probably represents the school food service workers and other low level public employees that will have one of the only benefits to being a public employee taken away. We all know something has to be done, but cutting PERS across the board like that hurts the ones at the bottom the most.

Editor’s note: Full disclosure–the author of the this column receives a monthly PERS check of less than $500.

Comment on The Importance of the Upcoming Election by William H. "Bill" James

William H. "Bill" James — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:21:32 +0000

absolutely love the new Weekly Newsletter format. It’s large, easy to scan and easy to get additional information. Justbecause it said to NOT come to this website, I of course, HAD to. Thanx to all of lyouwho are doing a smashingly good jjob of getting the word out. I don’t reading a single thing about my party before this breakg through. *You need to give Obama a tip on how to do his messaging. It’s tiny, wordy and ineffective compared to what you’re doing. As a retired newspaperman of 44 years,one of the first thing I learned in J-School was to make things easy for the reader to read. You are certainly doing that. Cheers. Bill James

Comment on A Clackamas County rural transportation district? by Shirley Woods

Shirley Woods — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 19:35:20 +0000

I heard about HB 2945 and if this is what I think it is, it puts the decision in the hands of a few to make decisions for the many. And with this contract deal, only the decision makers will decide for ever on what goes where, who plays the part on streets, sidewalks, and most of all who will make all the money? Why it’s the “job creators”, that’s who.
Where does Stimson Lumber fall in the cracks? Nobody is speaking about how Andrew Miller and his friends will make out like bandits. There is more to this than meets the eye. Keep your eyes peeled, because when they think you’re sleeping and not paying attention, that’s when everybody makes their move, for the good of themselves. I’m just saying it out loud and in your face

Comment on More than meets the eye by Betsy Toll

Betsy Toll — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:35:25 +0000

Great piece, which doesn’t focus on hysteria, security madness, and political maneuvering, but on the human spirit.

Comment on It’s unfair taxation day once again by William H. "Bill" James

William H. "Bill" James — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:50:25 +0000

I agree completely. In addition, many, many Big Corps pay zero dollars to the federal government because they have established their “headquarters” in third world countries allowing them to do so. They also get subsidy payments for being off shore to the tune of billions of dollars annually. These are companies like Carnival Cruise lines that typically paid $30million to the U.S. They now pay nothing and HAVENT paid anything since Ronald Reagan and Company set it up in the earlly 1980s. Cards are cruely and unconcernedly stacked against the middle class by the companies we made profitable for them. I believe in capitalism in its intended form. I don’t believe in it in its current form. We’re at their mercy, so what do we do? Just bend over with our head between our legs and kiss our asses goodbye?

Comment on New York Times article about Oregon’s innovative health care plan by Linda Garland

Linda Garland — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:11:29 +0000

Thank you Dr. Kitzhaber for your vision and boldness in leading our state in a successful model for the rest of the country. This is important and necessary work.