Current Listing

Representative Cyrus Javadi
Party: Republican
​District: 32 – View District Map

​Capitol Phone: 503-986-1432
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-373, Salem, OR 97301​
Email: Rep.CyrusJavadi@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/javadi

Cyrus Javadi sits on the House Behavioural health and health care committee and the Economic Development and Small Business Committee

Senator Suzanne Weber
Party: Republican
District: 16 – ​View District Map

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1716
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-405, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: Sen.SuzanneWeber@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/weber

Susan Weber sits on the Senate committee for Human Services and the Education Committee

So you can watch these committees with your computer for upcoming bills and discussions –

WATCH FOR ANY BILLS LABELED AN EMERGENCY – The first bill I checked was labeled an emergency – When bills are labeled an “Emergency” and they are not really an emergency, as you can gauge by reading – The purpose of putting an Emergency title on a bill is to make it very difficult for the citizens to recall the bill. This particular bill is about insurers offering dental plans outside of health insurance exchange, and a charge imposed on them. Is this really an EMERGENCY? Is this bill necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2023 Act takes effect on its passage.
The word EMERGENCY attached to a bill is for REAL emergencies like floods, fires, extreme weather, pandemics, etc, and warfare. This bill is obviously not an emergency.
Also look for a sponsor the bill – This one has Rep Rob Nosse name on it. I e-mailed him and asked him not to title bills an EMERGENCY if they are not an emergency although I doubt he has anything to do with this. Here is another bill labeled an emergency in this committee. This one is sponsored by Rep Mannix.
It is for a study to be done to evaluate the needs and space for treating mental illness. There is no need to put an Emergency clause on this bill. It is a study. It does not need an emergency clause in it to pass or get accomplished – so why use the term EMERGENCY? So I am finishing this up but I am further checking bills to see how many are EMERGENCIES -Do they want us to think that we are living in a perpetual state of EMERGENCY?
I am beginning to think so.
Actually you should contact Gov. Tina Kotek – and tell her that the previous governor started this practice of labeling many bills “EMERGENCY” when they are not emergencies, and as she was labeled the most disliked governor in the United states twice!, It is not advisable for Gov. Kotek to emulate her.

On November 30th, the Tillamook County Commissioners held a public hearing on Ordinance #88 Business License Fee for Unincorporated Tillamook County. This new fee for businesses outside of cities in the county was so vague in its language that it included definitions such as “‘Doing business’ means to engage in any activity in pursuit of profit, gain, livelihood or any other purpose” [emphasis added]. Worse still was the “Violations and Penalties” section of this ordinance included a “$600.00 for any one offense. . . Each day constituting a separate offence” and “Inspection and Right of Entry.” This means that individuals with home-based businesses believed to be in noncompliance could be forcibly entered by a warrant: Selling firewood or eggs without a license would become a risky business.

The rest of the article read here: northwestobserver.com/index.php?ArticleId=2532

Tweaking the Process

Our little town can be a hotbed of gossip, rumors and lies–oh my! That happens in a small community where everybody knows everybody’s business–or thinks they do.

There are more grudges and drama here than on a telenovela. We back stab and snark at each other like middle schoolers on steroids. I don’t know about you, but it’s been wearing on my last nerve.

We probably all do it sometimes when we’re stressed out and angry. I know I’ve been guilty of thinking I know something when actually, I don’t. When I start feeling righteous anger, that’s a danger sign.

I’ve written a lot about how things appear–the optics of how things are done and by whom. When a community is divided like ours is and things look wrong to one group or another, the assumption is that they are wrong. Then, the divisions between us get deeper and our opinions become more entrenched.

In my opinion, the process put in place back in August for appointing new members to committees is a huge step forward from mayoral appointments, but it can go a little further to improve the way things look from the cheap seats. I heard the Councilors talking about this at the goal-setting workshop on Friday.

It was good to see that even though the first Council Meeting hit some speed bumps there was a collegial atmosphere and good energy on Friday. I was happy to hear the discussions among the councilors. The presentations of stuff I don’t know about by our City Manager, Leila Aman, made some complicated things easier to understand because she communicates them so clearly and knows her stuff.

In the first use of the brand new process to select three Planning Commissioners, the select committee worked hard to come up with their candidates. I believe they chose the people they felt were best. They had criteria for choosing from the ten applicants. They had a process to follow and they followed it, but like a lot of new processes, it can be made better with a little fine-tuning.

As a writer, I’ve applied for things like fellowships and awards. Because the pool of people applying are usually the same people, you’re asked to “blind” your submissions so your name isn’t attached. It adds a layer of objectivity to the process so that judges, who might know you, don’t know that they’re reading your work. We could do something similar.

When applications come in, a staff person could blind them and assign a number to each. After the deadline for applying, the file would go to the select committee and each member would read and rank each application before meeting as a group to go over their choices. It makes the process more objective, fair and transparent.

If personal friends of the select committee are chosen for interviews, they could recuse themselves from voting. Kind of like ex parte contact recusals on the Planning Commission.

For arts awards and fellowships there are usually past applications and submissions of the people chosen that are posted on the organization’s website so you can see what a successful applicant’s materials looks like, in case you want to know why someone was picked. We could do something similar with appointed candidates.

These are just ideas, some which the Council and Mayor spoke about at the goal-setting meeting on Friday. Ultimately, the process should be made as objective and fair as possible to encourage all interested people to apply.

At the first Council Meeting I felt badly for the select committee who did all the work to come up with their three candidates. I felt worse for the candidates and applicants.

Regardless of who is chosen by whom this time out, I intend to offer my support and my gratitude. We create the community we live in by the way we treat each other and the things we say about each other. We can do better.

Kim Rosenberg. loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com