Blog entries posted in The Wandering Eye

The Bikies Corral a Downtown Parking Space

H. Bruce Miller — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:39:16 +0100

They’ve taken away an on-street parking space in downtown Bend to put in a rack for 12 bicycles. The politically correct response would be to jump up and down and cheer, but pardon me if I don’t join in.

The multi-bike rack, called a “bike corral,” was installed in a parking space in front of Thump Coffee on Minnesota Avenue. It cost about $3,500, according to The Bulletin’s account, and was paid for by the Downtown Bend Business Association and individualRead More...

With Lars, the Crazy Just Keeps Coming

H. Bruce Miller — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:48:04 +0100

I never miss one of Lars Larson’s little commentaries on the Oregon Catalyst site. They’re some of the best free entertainment on the Web.

In his most recent entry, Lars warns of a sneaky plot by the Obama administration to ban bullets.

Well, it wasn’t exactly the Obama administration that wanted to ban bullets – it was some conservationist groups. And they didn’t want to ban all bullets, only lead bullets.

The conservationists don't want to Read More...

Would a State Bank Be a Good Deal for Oregon?

H. Bruce Miller — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:11:28 +0100

Would the state of Oregon be better off if it was its own banker? Ann Kramer thinks so.

Kramer, chair of the board of the Gorge Grown Food network, an organization trying to promote a regional food system in the Columbia Gorge, writes on the Blue Oregon site that having a state bank could help “recharge Oregon’s economy.”

“The State of Oregon collects and spends lots of money,” Kramer says. “Did you ever wonder where that money goes? Right nowRead More...

Kitzhaber and 3E: Where There’s Smoke There’s … ?

H. Bruce Miller — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:02:12 +0100

As if he didn’t have enough headaches being behind Chris Dudley in the polls and in the race for campaign cash, John Kitzhaber has gotten involved in a scandal.

On second thought, better put quotes around “scandal.” Maybe it’s a scandal, maybe it’s something else.

The background: Cylvia Hayes is the longtime “significant other” of John Kitzhaber. She’s also the founder and CEO of 3E Strategies LLC, a Bend consulting firm that speciRead More...

Do You Know Dudley? Dems Think You Don’t

H. Bruce Miller — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:12:07 +0100

Democrats have launched a new website, You Don’t Know Dudley.com, attacking GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley. It’s a peculiar mix of new stuff, old stuff and some just plain silly stuff.

“Do you know Dudley?” asks the site, which was paid for by the Democratic Governors Association. “Do you see eye-to-eye on the issues that matter most? Take our quick survey and find out.”

The interactive “survey” asks readers to respond toRead More...

LandWatch Goes to the Mattresses Over Resorts

H. Bruce Miller — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:36:51 +0100

The fight over Deschutes County’s new destination resort rules isn’t finished yet: Central Oregon LandWatch has put the county on notice that it plans to challenge them.

LandWatch filed ìnotices of intent to appealî Thursday with the state Land Use Board of Appeals, charging that the county’s new rules for determining what lands are eligible for resorts ìactually increase the development potential in the county.î

ìThe county is proposing to remove from its destinatioRead More...

Dudley Kicks Mannix Measure to the Curb

H. Bruce Miller — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:33:19 +0100

Kevin Mannix, who lost as a candidate for governor, state attorney general and congressman, has had a more successful career pushing get-tough-on-crime measures. But he’s finding it tough to get traction with this year’s entry – even among some of his fellow Republicans.

In a campaign speech in Hermiston yesterday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley said he wouldn’t support Mannix’s Measure 73, which would increase prison sentences for sex offRead More...

The Latest Bulletin from Tax Hell

H. Bruce Miller — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:01:04 +0100

Here’s another bit of evidence that Oregon’s tax climate isn’t as toxic to business as conservatives make it out to be: Bend’s G5 Search Marketing announced this week that it’s getting a $15 million infusion of venture capital and plans to more than double its workforce.

The five-year-old company, which designs software to help businesses make their websites more effective in snagging visitors and customers, plans to add 20 employees by the end of the yearRead More...

Dismayed Dems Demand: Where’s Dudley?

H. Bruce Miller — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:35:25 +0100

The big question Oregon Democrats have been asking this campaign season is: “Why won’t Chris Dudley play a little one-on-one against John Kitzhaber?”

The former Portland Trail Blazer center who’s now the Republican candidate for governor has filled the airwaves with platitude-laden commercials (a new one was released yesterday) but has ducked opportunities to debate Democratic rival John Kitzhaber. On Tuesday Kitzhaber offered a list of seven events around the sRead More...

Real Estate: Is the Bottom in Sight Yet?

H. Bruce Miller — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:40:14 +0100

Has the Bend real estate market hit bottom at last? It’s too soon to say, but at least it looks like home prices here have finally reached a realistic level.

IHS Global Insight, which maintains huge databases of all sorts of economic data, reported back in March that as of the end of 2009, real estate in the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area was overvalued by only 2.3%. (At the end of 2005 Bend real estate was among the most overvalued in the country – 44% above what GlobaRead More...

Running for Governor the Hard Way

H. Bruce Miller — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:09:14 +0100

Whatever you might think of Richard Esterman’s politics, you have to admire his persistence.

Esterman, a Sisters resident and professional photographer, has been struggling to get on the ballot as a candidate for governor. He tried to do it by petition, but fell short of the 18,000 signatures he needed.

Now, in a last-ditch effort, he’s appealing for Oregonians to come to an “Assembly of Electors” convention tomorrow and put their names on a nominating peRead More...

Fears of Unleashing the Demon Rum

H. Bruce Miller — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:16:57 +0100

Two initiatives that would privatize liquor sales will be on the ballot in Washington state this November, and Gov. Chris Gregoire foresees horrible consequences if they pass.

The Democratic governor told the seattle.pi blog that if Initiatives 1100 and 1105 pass, the state will see big increases in underage drinking, drunken driving and other alcohol-related problems, as well as losing revenue.

“We have enough DUI problems out there,” she said. “We have enoughRead More...

Tea Partier Warns Against Commie Bike Conspiracy

H. Bruce Miller — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:59:35 +0100

File this one under “How Wacky Can Those Tea Partiers Get?”: Dan Maes, the Tea Party candidate for governor of Colorado, says that a Denver program to encourage people to ride bikes is part of a United Nations / one-worlder / socialist / communist conspiracy.

It seems that back in 1992, Denver became part of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, an organization that promotes sustainable development and transportation alternatives. According to the DRead More...

The Perils of “Uniqueness”

H. Bruce Miller — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:36:09 +0100

“Unique” is the most overworked word in the advertising copywriter’s lexicon. Aside from that, I guess there isn’t anything wrong with telling the world that your area is “unique” – unless you start believing it yourself.

We in Central Oregon spent the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s bragging about what a “unique outdoor recreation paradise” we had here. Our scenery was uniquely beautiful, we claimed. Our ski mountain was uniqRead More...

In a Tough Fight, Kitzhaber Launches Air Offensive

H. Bruce Miller — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:00:30 +0100

After letting Chris Dudley have the airwaves to himself since the June primary, John Kitzhaber has rolled out his first TV ad.

Unlike Dudley’s ads, in which other people do most of the talking, the only voice heard in Kitzhaber’s 60-second spot is that of the former governor himself, speaking about how he’s going to bring jobs back to Oregon.

“This isn’t about being a Republican, or being a Democrat, or being an independent,” he begins, &ldquoRead More...

When Lightning Strikes, Be Glad the Public Employees Are There

H. Bruce Miller — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:24:24 +0100

I enjoy dramatic weather, such as a good thunderstorm, but yesterday afternoon things got a little too dramatic for comfort.

I arrived home around 4:15 to find my street full of fire trucks and police cars and people standing around watching the action. The house of one of my neighbors had been hit by lightning.

According to KTVZ’s account, the home of Deak and Barbara Preble was a total loss because of fire and smoke damage. Fortunately nobody was injured and the fire didRead More...

Inquiring Republicans Want to Know: "Where's John?"

H. Bruce Miller — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:24:38 +0100

John Kitzhaber isn’t getting out and pressing the flesh of Oregonians enough – or at least that’s what the Oregon Republican Party thinks.

In a press release today headlined “Where’s John Kitzhaber?” the party all but accused the former governor of hiding from the people of the state.

“It’s as if this guy expects to be handed the election without actually interacting with voters,” Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bob Tiernan Read More...

Dudley Finds Restaurant Owners Are Good Tippers

H. Bruce Miller — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:29:04 +0100

The Oregon Restaurant Association, a group that’s lobbied for years to restore Oregon’s “tip credit,” has given Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley a pretty generous tip: $50,000.

The restaurant owners’ PAC contributed $40,000 Thursday to the Dudley campaign, on top of another $10,000 it gave previously.

A “tip credit” law allows restaurant owners to deduct their workers’ tip money from what they’d otherwise have Read More...

Walden Declines to Join the Tea Party

H. Bruce Miller — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:52:48 +0100

Greg Walden got invited to the tea party, but he says he doesn’t want to come.

A group of 35 Republican members of the House, led by ultra-right-wing Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Uranus), this week formed a “Tea Party Caucus,” which Bachmann described as “an informal group, dedicated to promote Americans’ call for fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution and limited government.”

The office of Oregon’s 2nd District representative Read More...

Bend’s Balloon Man Plans a Double Event

H. Bruce Miller — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:03:52 +0100

Bend, Oregon – home of the Pregnant Man, the Clothesline War and the Great Goose Massacre – is about to gain some more notoriety: Kent Couch, our famous Lawn Chair Balloon Man, is going to do it again.

And this time it’ll be a twofer.

Couch and his friend John Freis of San Diego are scheduled to take off at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, wind and weather permitting, from Couch’s Shell station at the corner of Highway 20 and 27th Street.

Each man will be in a Read More...