Change comes to Oregon & The Oregonian

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Wednesday January 27, 2010 · 11:10 AM PST

2010/01/27 · 11:10

Depending on who and what you read this morning, last night's result in Oregon is either a warning to America's wealthy and corporate elite that a class war is coming, or a sign that average voters are willing to take charge of their own affairs, sort through the facts to make tough decisions, and engage en masse in the electoral process.

By now, everyone knows -- no thanks to most of the mainstream media, yet -- that Oregon voters passed by wide margins two ballot measures designed to slightly raise taxes on Oregon's wealthiest residents and corporations. This morning, the meanings and messages of those victories are being defined.

Camden Town

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Tuesday January 26, 2010 · 3:40 PM PST

2010/01/26 · 15:40

Today's the day in Oregon: Sometime after 8 p.m., we'll learn the outcome of Measures 66 and 67, the twin ballot measures designed to raise necessary revenues through slight tax increases on the state's wealthiest corporations and individuals. (If you're in Oregon and haven't turned in your ballot yet, get it to a drop box quickly. And don't be fooled by the fake ballot distributed a little while back by the anti-ballot measure campaign; make sure you're returning the real thing.)

One thing is already known about today's outcome, though. Thanks to decisions made during the recent transition in leadership at The Oregonian -- decisions having to do with the newspaper's editorial position on the ballot measures, specifically to allow front-page political advertising -- Oregon's largest newspaper is a compromised commodity.

Camden Town

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Monday January 25, 2010 · 3:27 PM PST

2010/01/25 · 15:27

This could turn out to be a bigger story than the ballot measures themselves, I think, if only for the $5,000 fine for each call. If everyone who got one of the illegal calls registered that fact with the Attorney General's office -- using the handy-dandy form available at the AG's website -- the collected fines alone might plug some holes in the state budget.

As I have noted before, Carla Axtman at BlueOregon deserves much credit for digging deep into the corners of the campaign to defeat Measures 66 and 67 in Oregon. "Another day, another pile of crap to wade through from the anti-tax-fairness cabal," Axtman wrote last night. "This time, it's illegal robo-calling."

Camden Town

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Sunday January 24, 2010 · 7:32 PM PST

2010/01/24 · 19:32

I suppose it was much easier in Orange County, California, where a right-wing publisher of a well-established Libertarian-leaning newspaper could preach to the O.C. choir and be rewarded with waves of appreciation, not challenges to his authority. Does that mean we should have sympathy for N. Christian Anderson III, who left the Orange County Register two years ago, spent some time consulting with media executives and private equity investors and then playing part-time professor to journalism students, before taking over The Oregonian in November? After all, this is N. Christian Anderson III, who was once called a "wunderkind" and a "journalistic saint" by at least one fawning former colleague in a magazine feature grandly titled "Rashomon on Grand Avenue."

Camden Town

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Friday January 22, 2010 · 4:29 PM PST

2010/01/22 · 16:29

N. Christian Anderson III, the new publisher of The Oregonian, reportedly earns more than a quarter-million dollars a year and therefore will pay slightly more in personal income taxes if Oregon's Measures 66 and 67 are approved by voters. That explains why Anderson is using his prerogative and The Oregonian's considerable resources -- EVEN delivering FREE editions of the paper, wrapped in anti-measure advertisements to non-subscribers! -- to convince Oregon voters to vote against the measures, but I've found a question that I cannot answer: Why isn't N. Christian Anderson III a registered Oregon voter himself?

Camden Town

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Wednesday January 20, 2010 · 1:47 PM PST

2010/01/20 · 13:47

I've been interested to hear the arguments against Measures 66 and 67 being knocked down by business analysts and the new polling that shows the measures with an advantage among voters, but I was really intrigued to read Rick Seifert's views on The Orangeonian's new publisher and his decision to wrap editions of the paper in strange advertisements against the measures. Seifert's a smart guy, so when he says that N. Christian Anderson III's choice "to explain an advertisement to readers, it should serve as a red flag that something is wrong," I think it's worth hearing him out.

Seifert's a "semi-retired journalist and college teacher of journalism" in Portland, and he's an active Quaker, and I don't attribute any ulterior motives to him. He publishes at a little blog called "The Red Electric," which I recommend.

Camden Town

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Tuesday January 19, 2010 · 2:16 PM PST

2010/01/19 · 14:16

First, credit where it's due: Steve Novick and Carla Axtman at BlueOregon have been working overtime to find and deliver the facts behind some of the still-developing twists in this story -- hard enough that they drew The Orangeonian's new publisher himself onto their blog to attempt a hit-and-run defense.

Here's it is in a nutshell: Back in October, columnist Steve Duin of The Oregonian took issue with the critics of Measures 66 and 67 who moaned about a proposed "less than one-tenth of 1 percent" increase on gross tax sales. "For many companies that, for years, have paid the $10 minimum," Duin asked, "Who in the world considers that unreasonable?" Pertinent question, I thought.

Camden Town

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Friday January 15, 2010 · 9:27 AM PST

2010/01/15 · 09:27

Pat McCormick, one half of the dynamic duo behind Oregonians Against Job Killing Taxes and its stalwart defense of bakeries throughout the greater Auburn, California, region, edified The Orangeonian this week with candor that at once revealed his contempt for Oregon's voters and shed light on how consultants of his sort manipulate public opinion. Oregonian voters are considering Measures 66 and 67, whose passage would approve lawmakers' plans to enact slight tax increases on the state's wealthiest individuals and most profitable corporations. Thousands of Oregonians have publicly expressed support for the measures, including small-business owners and organizations representing them. Passage will stave off further drastic cuts to Oregon's budget, especially in public services.

Camden Town

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Thursday January 14, 2010 · 12:14 PM PST

2010/01/14 · 12:14

Forrest Gump would know better than this.

Oregon voters are considering, right now, a pair of ballot measures that include slight tax increases to keep the state solvent through an economic meltdown. All indications are that Oregonians get it, they understand the problem and they favor the measures. Of course, there's a right-wing opposition that equates taxation with leprosy, buggery and incest. The opposition, run by the alchemist Mark Nelson and his Igor, Pat McCormick, have mailed bogus letters to voters, made up numbers that even The Orangeonian has disclaimed as false, and now are airing a television spot filmed in a bakery.

In all of Oregon's, broad, wide expanse, where did they go to find the little bakery in which to film this television advertisement? An advertisement that purports to show how Oregon businesses will supposedly lose jobs if these twin ballot measures are approved? Come on, guess.

Camden Town

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Tuesday January 12, 2010 · 6:43 PM PST

2010/01/12 · 18:43

According to Wikipedia -- dictionary of the people -- alchemy is the ancient practice of trying to change base metals into gold. Europe's most famous one was a German fellow named Albertus Magnus, always trying to change lead into gold; he died in 1280, perhaps of lead poisoning. In fairy tales, old Rumpelstiltskin taught the king's (or the miller's) daughter how to spin straw into gold; that ended badly, with Rumpelstiltskin tearing himself in half in a fit of rage. Who knows but Harry Potter himself may be an alchemist, turning things into gold with a shake of his wand; but his franchise will end this year, too. In each of these cases, someone is interested in transmuting something false into something true, something fake into something real, something decidedly un-golden into gold itself.

In Oregon, that "someone" might be tobacco lobbyist and political consultant Mark Nelson -- though if Nelson laid claim to the title, he might be challenged by his cohort, Pat McCormick of Portland. After all, every mad scientist has his Igor.

Camden Town

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Monday January 11, 2010 · 10:29 AM PST

2010/01/11 · 10:29

To be charitable, coverage by The Oregonian of its state's economy and the twin ballot measures designed to right the listing ship has been inconsistent. There is, in this case, a possible reason for the behavior: The Oregonian recently changed publishers. Its present master was publisher of the Orange County Register until two years ago -- it goes without saying that the culture of Orange County, California should not be confused with the culture of most of Oregon -- and "has been consulting with media companies and private equity investors since then."

On the topic of Measures 66 and 67, is it possible that The Oregonian's editorial board apply Oregon values to its perspective on these measures, but that its recently-of-Orange County master dictates a party line based on still-fresh-in-the-memory Orange County mores?

Camden Town

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Friday January 08, 2010 · 5:41 PM PST

2010/01/08 · 17:41

Take a look at Governing.com's ranking of the "seven elections to watch in early 2010," and third on that list is a pair of ballot measures in Oregon. In fact, they're the only ballot measures included in the list -- ranking just behind the Virginia state Senate race representing the wealthy DC-suburbs of Fairfax County, but ahead of the New Orleans mayor's race.

3) Oregon's Tax Measures 66 and 67, January 26 -- Oregon is home to a great tax fight this month, as voters will weigh in on whether to raise income taxes on wealthy individuals (Measure 66) and raise taxes on corporations (Measure 67). The tax increases were approved by the Oregon legislature last year, but are being challenged by a "people's veto," setting up a major showdown over the size of government.

RSS

Change comes to Oregon & The Oregonian

An Inside Job: The Oregonian's front-page anti-tax ads

Why is 'Americans for Prosperity' illegally robo-calling Oregon?

The Oregonian's new publisher protests too much

Why isn't The Oregonian's publisher an Oregon voter?

Oregonian publisher's ads raise "red flag," fallout begins

New Oregon publisher uses paper for personal gain?

Truth surfaces in Oregon despite consultants' efforts

Oregon consultant's inner monologue: "I am an idiot."

Lesson: If facts support Oregon tax measures, lie.

Is Oregon's solution subject to Californication?

Oregon's found the budget solution, if voters approve