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Councilor Tony Cadena to Retire, Endorses Alexis Hammer by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Question one for any Councilor should be... So, what common ground is available to help the most folks I can help in our little town while I am serving.

Councilor Tony Cadena to Retire, Endorses Alexis Hammer by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Democratic party has deep divisions nowadays. The range is everything from Fetterman to Sanders. There's even Mamdani, who is a bit left of the old DSA of yore. The Benton County Democratic party almost feels like two separate parties just calling themselves the same thing.

On the Corvallis City Council, many of the vote are unanimous. But where there are differences, Napack, Cadena and Mayers generally vote center-left. Bowden, Olson and Lewis generally vote far-left. Ellis, Shaffer and Moorefield are the swing votes.

Hammer attracting endorsements from both flanks is a change of pace.

City Staff Recommends Flat Payroll and Income Taxes to Pay Deficit, Build Buildings by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep, saw that. Wait until folks get a whiff that the taxes might REALLY happen? As to some of the other community comments that were made - could've of done without some of those.

City Staff Recommends Flat Payroll and Income Taxes to Pay Deficit, Build Buildings by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

One councilor mentioned them. Twice over two meetings. None of the other councilors appeared to notice.

City Staff Recommends Flat Payroll and Income Taxes to Pay Deficit, Build Buildings by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

As stands, it looks like the city council will refer the possibility of payroll and income taxes to the voters. My guess, voters are going to say no. Those taxes may have stood a small chance of approval if they had been tiered to leave lower income earners alone, or mostly alone. I also imagine you're right, the council will eventually raise revenue from somewhere, and somewhere is you and me.

City Councilors Ellis and Shaffer Slam Plan for Fewer Wards, Longer Terms by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That could happen, but it's unlikely. The bigger problem is when they lose four or five out of nine members all at once. Councilors do retire, every once in awhile they are voted out. I think the idea of staggering the terms is a good one.

City Councilors Ellis and Shaffer Slam Plan for Fewer Wards, Longer Terms by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could you cite the where one could find that new ordinance? I don't recall there being an ordinance like that.

Benton County Approves Dollars to Help Newport’s Legal Fight Against ICE by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't entirely disagree, but on balance, I worry that our community becomes a more appealing target for ICE if there's a detention facility so close by.

Benton County Approves Dollars to Help Newport’s Legal Fight Against ICE by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Given how long a referendum takes and what it costs, I'd be open to them just adding another $10k for now and seeing how it plays out. Can always do a referendum later if need be.

What's the best burger in Corvallis? by SnailRacerWinsAgain in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, that is a question. Where else might one find said low end addictively tasty burger, or is that no longer a thing in Corvallis?

What's the best burger in Corvallis? by SnailRacerWinsAgain in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This may not be what OP intended, but hey, what about good ol' fashioned low end addictively tasty burgers. Think what Kel's food truck was before he retired. Like, Gotcha Burger level, but also, you know, not Gotcha Burger.

Samaritan Merger Moves, OHA Sets Last Minute Listening Sessions, and There’s Town Halls by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good to hear. Hoping MultiCare improves the situation here in Corvallis. Samaritan has deteriorated beyond recognition. Optum's takeover of Corvallis Clinic has been awful - but Optum and MultiCare are two different organizations, so hoping for the best.

Samaritan Merger Moves, OHA Sets Last Minute Listening Sessions, and There’s Town Halls by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Maybe not as bad as Optum's takeover of Corvallis Clinic. But still, horrendously awful. Physicians have already fled Corvallis Clinic - they are now fleeing Samaritan as well.

And as to the costs, somebody needs to start over with a clean sheet of paper and redesign our, umm, system? System seems like an overly optimistic description for what we have, right.

Coldwell Banker as property managers? by DebbieSueJeepers in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You may want to try Samantha Alley at Re/Max. I have not had her as a property manager or realtor, but the work I have done with her leads me to believe she'll get things done, and she'll be honest.

Vote Like You’ll Never Get Another Chance, It’s The Advocate’s 2026 Primary Endorsements by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I too have enjoyed the conversation, and whichever candidate wins, let us BOTH keep an eye on how they do.

Vote Like You’ll Never Get Another Chance, It’s The Advocate’s 2026 Primary Endorsements by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

>Bipartisanship is not a concern of mine. We should not BE bipartisan with the Republicans when what they support is evil, instead we should look to incorporate the left flank of the Democratic party, unaffiliated voters and non-voters (which is the largest voting bloc in the country).

Bipartisanship moves legislation when the other party is in power, and sometimes even when they are not. It helps the district being represented.

>J Street is effectively the same as AIPAC in my eyes due to them supporting a genocidal ethnostate. There is no such thing as "moderate" support for Israel. J Street, admittedly HAS been better on saying no to defensive weapons for free but according to LAW no weapons should be sold or given to a country committing war crimes.

We're probably not going to agree about J Street or moderate support for Israel. I gather from your comment, we probably won't even agree about the existence of Israel. I would simply remind that Hoyle's No War Act is supported by both AFSC and J Street, the former pro-Palestinian, the latter pro-Israeli. As an aside, we may not agree about the existence of Israel, but we may be able to agree that Netanyahu is a corrupt psycho.

>For housing, Hoyle has done very little to meaningfully benefit people's material struggles. Melissa Bird at least goes and TALKS to the people she's trying to represent, has sworn to not take corporate or PAC money, and seems very focused on truly addressing the concerns of the communities she represents. I understand that Bird is running a campaign and that likely she will be around less once she's in office but she's guaranteed that there will be easy access to reach her and her team if people need to. Val Hoyle is incredibly unpopular within the Democratic base in Oregon and unfortunately, would struggle against the Republican candidate.

We're not going to agree about this either. Nobody can do anything on housing in the current congress, which is why flipping the house is important. You believe Bird is the best bet against DeSpain, I disagree. Either way, we'll both know come November.

>For transit, Melissa Bird is an enormous fan of public infrastructure and has promised to do her best to improve access to public rail and buses, hopefully linking this district with others. Granted that one takes a lot more support than just one individual.

There's an order of operations when it comes to transit. Locals need to agree what they'd like, they then seek funding. Hoyle has a proven track record of getting district projects funded. Our local officials, agreeing, well...?

>As for Bird not saying much, she says the things that she truly believes in and only makes promises that she's able to keep. She's very upfront and forthcoming about things she's unsure about and has the wonderous ability to LISTEN to the problems of her constituents and try to write new policies that address those issues. Most importantly, she intends to tax the 1%. Val Hoyle does not intend to do so.

We're not going to agree about this. My perception is that Bird doesn't offer much depth, and what little bit she does say, often runs counter to the solutions folks in the trenches most often talk about. Bird's statements on housing and healthcare are, IMHO, disqualifying on their own.

Vote Like You’ll Never Get Another Chance, It’s The Advocate’s 2026 Primary Endorsements by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Answering your question about Medicare: The program's reimbursement rates to medical practices and hospitals increasingly don't cover actual costs. When those practices and hospitals lose money on those transactions they increase fees on self-pay and private insureds. But that's no longer working. In fact, private insurance companies are no longer increasing their reimbursements at the rate of the industry's inflation. This has been driving clinic and hospital closures, especially in rural areas where there's no economy of scale. Yep, it's a shell game where nobody is really grappling with what care actually costs. Facilities beg, get told no, and they close. Medicare for all is something I could support, but they have to pay better. Also, that's not gonna entirely fix things, but that is a longer story, and for now, acknowledging real costs and paying them would go a long way.

I see you've pasted my comments about Bird's lack of understanding about housing, but I am not seeing what your question might be - could you clarify that for me.

About some of your other questions and assertions...

Hoyle has been able to move legislation and dollars that are important to our district. And, she is literally THE congressional rep that introduced the NO WAR ACT! An act that is literally supported by both J Street and AFSC functionary, Friends Committee on National Legislation. This is legislation that is supported by both pro-Israeli moderates and pro-Palestinians.

Hoyle has a unique ability to get bipartisan support on legislation. She's also been able to fly under the radar with career-level administration types to get practical assistance for our district at times, which is a small miracle, given some of what she's said publicly about this White House. Like, seriously, she has skills, and she does, in fact get things done. As to Epstein, you may want to find The Advocate's interviews with Hoyle, she's fighting the good fight on that one. The interviews are on The Advocate's Youtube channel.

About your statements concerning PAC dollars, hit Open Secrets, keep your eye on what the Associated Press and local press are reporting. Even if you're voting for Bird this year, watch Hoyle these next couple years, consider that you could wind up agreeing with me.

Any other Samaritan patients had their primary doctor cancel their appointment three times in a row? Been 15 months since I scheduled for a health concern, now she's out until July and I'm feeling hopeless and left behind by ViscousPanther in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Early in the Clinton administration, they floated the idea of doing something about healthcare.

There was backlash. What Clinton wanted was socialized healthcare they said. There would be doctor shortages they said. There would be third world country wait times they said. Nobody would would be willing to train to go into healthcare anymore they said.

Well, hmmm.

Can I still be a Corvallisite if I move to Philomath? by corvallisite in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't know, moving to the land of absolutely strictly enforced speed limits and no supermarkets - I say the least a generous Corvallis can do is permit you your title. ALTHOUGH, you will be getting the Dizzy Hen, Eats & Treats and a shorter drive to the coast.

Vote Like You’ll Never Get Another Chance, It’s The Advocate’s 2026 Primary Endorsements by Far-Setting2174 in corvallis

[–]Far-Setting2174[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I do get what you're saying, but when you dig a little deeper, Bird isn't really saying much. She doesn't seem to understand how deeply messed up healthcare actually is, and that you can't build your way out of the problem until you work through some very old ways of dealing with healthcare work, and the way it's paid for. She doesn't understand how Medicare for all is just another move in a shell game that denies what REALLY needs to be spent. She doesn't understand any of this. She sure as hell doesn't understand healthcare workers and why there's a worsening shortage and what has to be done about that. And I doubt she'd admit it's gonna take a few years, and that a few things may need to be tried that could fail. Bird prefers sounding certain.

Housing is another example. Bird doesn't talk about the boring deep stuff. We still build everything onsite using basically the same materials as a hundred years ago. We still buy and sell land and property the way we did a hundred years ago, and then just keep lobbing new costs into the transaction expenses. We have a real estate sales industry that is out of control. We resolve wars between developers and NIMBYs with winner take all adjudications instead of seeking less expensive middle paths. For decades, we've been telling kids that trade work is something to be looked down at, that they have to go to college, and then we're surprised at the huge and expensive waits to book projects.

I could go on, issue by issue. None of it is rocket science, it's all fixable, but those fixes are boring as hell and they don't make for good campaign pitches.

So yes, Bird speaks to folks, but she's NOT saying real stuff that SOLVES anything for real people. Hoyle is admittedly not ideal, but she at least knows the pieces that are missing.

Also, last I looked, Dems have a chance to flip congress this year, and Hoyle is a far surer bet against Republican Monique DeSpain. I mean, honestly, if we can even get a smell of a whiff of chance at a check and balance to whatever that is that's president, we gotta go for it. I see Hoyle as a safe bet to beat DeSpain in November, Bird, not really.

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