Current Listing

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Reposting this from BBQ from last Thursday. Can’t agree with this more! VOTE YES on Referendum 29-179. Read on!
Beating the poor, dead horse of Manzanita Water Issues
First off, I urge Manzanita voters to VOTE YES on Referendum 29-179. I received a pre-addressed and stamped postcard in the U.S. mail this week, requesting I choose to respond to various pre-selected sentences about Manzanita’s water allocations and send the postcard to a Manzanita resident. The Manzanita resident, a Mr. Kugler, who has exhibited a bizarre ongoing obsession with Manzanita water issues, continues to advance ill-advised, poorly-informed and malicious attacks directed at our City Council, our Mayor and our City Manager. These attacks also continue to exhibit either astounding ignorance about Oregon municipal budgetary rules and procedures, or deliberate obfuscation of these rules and procedures. It is unclear why Manzanita residents would funnel any of their views through an individual with a demonstrated long-standing animus towards our city, its elected/appointed leaders and city staff (he is currently a party to a lawsuit against Manzanita as well). Between this lawsuit and the referendum, he has cost the City (and all of us) over $30,000 in legal fees just since July. To better understand our city budget, it is probably best to go straight to those who know most about it: our Budget Committee representatives, our City Council/Mayor and/or our City Manager. Specific meetings of the Budget Committee that cover all aspects of planning and recommendations for each fiscal year can be located at: ci.manzanita.or.us/budget-committee/ The January to May meetings cover most issues, with a final meeting with City Council where they vote to approve the new fiscal year budget, usually in May/June. The above information is important to examine and to understand, since the Budget Committee and our City Council are responsible by State Law to assure that Manzanita’s budget is accurate, balanced and fiscally stable. They can’t just present opinions as facts and get away with it or they’ll get in trouble with the State of Oregon. The Budget Committee examines, questions, analyzes and then forwards its recommendations for annual budgetary approval by the city council every year, by Oregon law. Each year, this includes all aspects of Manzanita’s budget, including issues related to its Water Fund as well as indirect cost allocations. For many years, the Budget Committee has been bombarded with complaints from resident Kugler that there are parts of the indirect cost allocation methodology, and/or the Manzanita Water Fund that are wrong. Each year, the Budget Committee makes sure that this is not true. And each year, they are correct. And each year, resident Kugler is proven incorrect. Please communicate with trustworthy, knowledgeable friends, and then double-check your information with our city government. Happy sleuthing! Mark Kuestner Manzanita resident

Submitted By: codger817@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

I recently came across the term “vertical” and “lateral” reading in a book “Beyond the Big Lie: The Epidemic of Political Lying, Why Republicans Do It More, and How It Could Burn Down Our Democracy” by Bill Adair.
It’s clear that too many of us “vertical” read and just take in what is written as truth. More of us need to “lateral” read and check just who is saying what and what others have to say.
A recent post alleges that Oregon’s voting system “Lawsuit Alleges Oregon Has One of Worst Voting Lists in the Nation”. Reading “vertically” (without checking sources) it might seem a reasonable statement. Reading laterally (checking sources) reveals that the source, “Judicial Watch” , is a Washington D.C. lawsuit factory financed by the Mellon and Scaife fortunes that has been cranking out lawsuits for 28 years and, as far as I can tell, winning none of them.
Just another example of “dark money” at its worst.
If you want to learn more about “dark money”, I recommend Jane Mayer’s book, “Dark Money”.
Discussion welcome at codger817@gmail.com.

Submitted By: Kristine4Rockaway@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

…and why I support these five people in our six open positions in the Rockaway elections.
I am voting for Debra Reeves because she is a champion of all our people!
Debra is deeply invested in bringing our community together. I have watched her work passionately, advocating for our seniors and business community. She rolls up her sleeves and starts doing the work without needing validation. She volunteers in our day-to-day lives together, and over the past few years, her two greatest passions are our senior population and our small business community. I see her showing up like this for people in our community who have not been so kind to her in return. She shakes it off and goes forward positively every time, her unwavering optimism inspiring. I am proud to serve our community with someone like this. Debra is wholly plugged into our community daily. She does not box people in or pick sides. She is a champion for all and an excellent asset for a community leader.

Justin McMahan, having worked with him this past year, is a bright, proactive, levelheaded, and collaborative community leader. It’s been daunting to watch the disinformation spread about him. I doubt we as a community would allow a Catholic or Muslim to be attacked with such fervor, and I wonder to myself, how can it be that this is okay? I can genuinely say that Justin addresses every instance of bias in the room with honesty and conviction. I have watched as he has done so many times now. In each instance, Justin says, “This is not right, and how can we fix it together?” He has a solid sense of fair-mindedness, which Rockaway’s city government needs. I also know Justin to be very prompt in attending to those who request his time. His passion for housing and a healthy community is evident in everything he does, inspiring others with his dedication.

Stephanie Winchester has surprised me most of all. I think I’ve known Stephanie for probably four years now. She’s a current planning commissioner on the budget committee and is active in CERT. She is always thoughtful, kind, balanced, and positive-minded in her decisions and when she speaks. She has a kind way of seeing things as they are and can talk to the subject honestly and thoughtfully without judgment or sugarcoating. Giving the truth to citizens is essential. Whatever the good, the bad, and the truth, it’s our job. We must all be able to do this calmly and honestly. The more I have listened to her as we have all campaigned, the more I have realized what a great asset she would be to everyone in our community in a higher capacity. She sees and hears things in a way that many people might miss, which gives us an even firmer foundation when working together to represent the entire community. I see Stephanie’s passion for our Emergency Services and City budget. Her life experience brings a great deal to us in these categories.

Rodney Breazile for Mayor! Some may think I’m biased, but I can assure you I am his harshest critic after himself. After knowing this man for over 40 years, I have witnessed what he can do and who he is. It’s straightforward: we need an honest and trustworthy mayor for everyone, including city staff and neighboring municipalities. We need a leader who will stay faithful to their campaign promises and not change their position after being elected. Our mayor should unite the community without using city resources for personal promotion or favoring select individuals. Rodney will not attempt to sway votes in his favor; a mayor should remain impartial and focus on serving the community. Rodney brings extensive knowledge of Rockaway’s infrastructure needs, zoning, planning, transportation issues, our watershed, Nedonna Beach, and crucial matters like drainage, roads, and streets. He has a unique ability to explain these complex topics in a way everyone can understand. His practical and effective communication skills will ensure that every community member’s voice is heard and considered. It’s essential for the mayor to communicate both our successes and challenges so that we can all make informed decisions for our future together.

In my nearly 8 years in office, I spent the first 6 years with a council that did very little work and passed just a few items. Much of that time was invested in dividing the community into an us-and-them mentality. In the last two years, our current council has passed nearly 40 items at warp speed, items that have locals and legal council scratching their heads to understand. I titled this commentary to you as the simple truth because there is so much rhetoric and false information being posted that it’s impossible to keep up with. It’s unhealthy for our community, and instead of supporting the drama. I am just telling you why I think these are the best candidates. I humbly ask you to vote for a group of people who will work hard to bring our entire community together and reflect all our neighborhoods and future needs. Our wise leaders tell us less than 25% of ballots have been turned in, so remember, your voice counts!

You can see more about these candidates at togetherfor@gmail.com.
As always, feel free to contact me at KristineForRockaway@gmail.com for council items and Kristine4Rockaway@gmail.com as a running candidate.
For those who would like to watch the 10/15/24 Rockaway Beach Candidates Forum, here is the link and passcode you will need to access the recorded Zoom video. us06web.zoom.us/…/NrcAA9BJfv5x4zVq…
Passcode: m7@u^bwV Thank you for your valuable time. Kristine

Submitted By: tevisdiii@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Someone will collect all of James H. Kunstler’s pieces of satire from the past few years and staple them together to become one of those flip books that delight the child in all of us, you know, like a cowboy galloping on a horse, or a train approaching and rushing by. Everybody can agree that it’s been quite a ride.

Like the lowly, scruffy Toto, doing his job, the curtain is pulled back and the wizard is spinning dials and shifting levers just as fast as he can. He’s got nothing left to say but, ‘ just go get the damn broomstick’ .

www.sott.net/article/495731-Fever-dream

Those of you who have been paying attention to the rest of the world will know that there is a whole new ball game being organized, in a different court and anybody can join in but they have to leave their oblong western bouncing ball of sanctions and exceptionalism behind. Pepe Escobar paints the picture here:

www.sott.net/article/495647-Pepe-Escobar-Date-With-Destiny-BRICS-Offers-Hope-in-a-Time-of-War

On that war note thing, always need a little Dylan for plain speaking:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4uMQRQzVmc

And to bring you all back down on the farm, Greg Brown’s, (who is a national treasure), ‘ Canned Goods, the Live One’. It’s almost fifteen minutes and best listened to while sitting down to a meal and turned up so you can hear all lyrical, storytelling wisdom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcs0oEz4QSE

Thanks BBQ

Submitted By: dwieb1@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Recent post that “we should be worried” related important history. Rather than worried though, I think we should be better informed. Our generation was pointedly warned repeatedly in school, so why is mainstream media not sounding the alarm?

Rick Steves has a page titled Monday Night Travel, and last Monday he hosted “The Story – and Lessons – of Fascism in Europe with Rick Steves.” A recording of this is available on his Monday Night Travel page. Scroll down to the bottom to find this episode.

www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/travel-classes/monday-night-travel/fascism

Submitted By: pattyrinehart@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

I sent you wrong dates-below is corrected copy.

LAST WEEK FOR BUYING FRIENDS OF NCRD SPRING BULBS
Friends is going to wrap up their fall planted, spring blooming bulb sale this coming week. Friends will be at North County Recreation District this coming week, October 28 to November 1, from 9 AM-11 AM. Friends has tulips, mini daffodils, crocus, snake’s head and more. We also expect the amaryllis to arrive at the end of the week. If you can’t make it during those days and times, please contact Patty. She can send you a catalog and order sheet via email. You can either return your order form via email or call Patty, 503-368-6081. Please speak slowly, especially if leaving your phone number. Many thanks to all of you for supporting Friends of North County Recreation District!

Submitted By: rkinor@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

An anonymous individual or group has mailed a postcard to voters urging a YES vote on Referendum 29-179 to maintain the City’s monthly water billing.

I have attempted to raise questions on this matter using the explanations given by City officials, City Budget numbers, and an option for water infrastructure funding using Transient Lodging Tax revenue to create a billing and water infrastructure funding solution that prioritizes the interests of full time residents including seniors on fixed incomes and families.

I always put my name on what I write and accept responsibility for my communications with Manzanita citizens. It would be naïve to believe that this unsigned mailing was done without the knowledge and support of the City.

The actual experience with monthly billing as posted on the 10/25 BBQ and Tillamook County Pioneer entitled Do Billing Cycles Matter? at tinyurl.com/4fp5es4j should cause voters to again question both what City officials and their anonymous supporters are telling us.

As the example in this post confirms, monthly billing combined with a tiered rate structure for exceeding your 2,000 base allotment can indeed result in a higher annual water bill. Quarterly billing at least provides the opportunity for customers to avoid monthly tier charges resulting in lower annual water costs. If you want to preserve this opportunity, you will need to vote NO and return us to quarterly billing.

Remember the concern that then Councilor Jena Edginton voiced when the Council was discussing this matter in May 2023. “I don’t want to increase the rates for full time residents, one to two people living in their home”. What Councilor Edginton wanted to avoid has become a reality for many and no anonymous mailings urging voters to ignore what we have been told by City officials is going to change the impact on the cost of water for full time residents.

Randy Kugler

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Dixie Gainer says “Judicial Watch Sues Oregon to Force Clean Up of Voter Rolls—Lawsuit Alleges Oregon Has One of Worst Voting Lists in the Nation”

Barbara’s quick search of Judicial Watch found 2 sources that consider information from Judicial Watch unreliable–Media Bias/Fact Check and Wikipedia.

Media Bias/Fact Check found the California illegal votes story FALSE and gave Judicial Watch an overall rating of Questionable Source with a LOW rating of factual information.

Wikipedia says “In August 2017, Judicial Watch falsely alleged that 11 California counties had more registered voters than their estimated populations of citizens eligible to vote.”
“Judicial Watch counted “inactive voters” in its tally, which is a list of people that California maintains of people who have been removed from active rolls after a mail ballot, voter guide or other official document was returned as undeliverable.”

Details below.

From Media Bias Fact Check
mediabiasfactcheck.com/judicial-watch/
Judicial Watch – Bias and Credibility

QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section of that source. See all Questionable sources.
• Overall, we rate Judicial Watch Questionable based on extreme right-wing bias, promotion of conspiracy theories, and an abysmal fact-check record.
________________________________________
Detailed Report
Reasoning: Conspiracy, Propaganda, Numerous Failed Fact Checks
Bias Rating: FAR RIGHT
Factual Reporting: LOW
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY

Failed Fact Checks
Did a legal settlement between Judicial Watch and California election officials prove that one million illegal votes were cast in the 2018 elections in California? – FALSE

DHS Quietly Moving, Releasing ‘Vanloads’ of ‘Illegal Aliens’ Away from Border –
FALSE
Has Nancy Pelosi spent $100,000 on food, booze, and “partying” during her air travel? – FALSE
Judicial Watch says ISIS operating a camp in Mexico–near El Paso – FALSE
‘Islamic Refugee’ with Gas Pipeline Plans Arrested in New Mexico Border County – FALSE
Did the IRS ‘Fast Track’ Tax-Exempt Status for ‘After School Satan’ Clubs? – FALSE
“More than 100,000 DACA applicants have been arrested—Murder, Rape, DUI.” – MOSTLY FALSE
Donald Trump was allowed to destroy classified documents – MOSTLY FALSE

From Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Watch

Judicial Watch (JW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit[1] American conservative activist group[2] that files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits to investigate claimed misconduct by government officials. Founded in 1994, Judicial Watch has primarily targeted Democrats, in particular the administrations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as Hillary Clinton’s role in them. It was founded by attorney Larry Klayman, and has been led by Tom Fitton since 2003.
The organization has filed lawsuits against government climate scientists. Judicial Watch has made numerous false and unsubstantiated claims that have been picked up by right-wing news outlets and promoted by conservative figures. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly cited false claims by Judicial Watch about voter fraud. Various courts have dismissed the vast majority of its lawsuits.[3]

False voter fraud claims
In August 2017, Judicial Watch falsely alleged that 11 California counties had more registered voters than their estimated populations of citizens eligible to vote; the claims were picked up by outlets such as Breitbart News and Russian propaganda network RT (Russia Today).[50] Judicial Watch counted “inactive voters” in its tally, which is a list of people that California maintains of people who have been removed from active rolls after a mail ballot, voter guide or other official document was returned as undeliverable; California keeps such a list as a fail-safe in case eligible voters have been erroneously categorized as “inactive”.[50] California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said Judicial Watch’s claims were “baseless”, and “bad math and dubious methodology”.[50][51] When the Los Angeles Times asked Judicial Watch to share its analysis of voter registration in California, Judicial Watch declined.[51] Judicial Watch’s voter fraud claims came in the wake of President Donald Trump’s false claims of extensive voter fraud in California during the 2016 presidential election.[51] Trump has subsequently repeatedly promoted Judicial Watch’s false claims about voter fraud.[52]
On February 3, 2020, the day of the Iowa caucuses in the Democratic presidential primary, JW president Tom Fitton suggested that voter fraud was afoot in Iowa by falsely claiming that “eight Iowa counties have more voter registrations than citizens old enough to register.” The false assertion went viral on social media.[53][54] Iowa’s Secretary of State, Paul Pate, a member of the Republican Party, debunked Fitton’s claim by linking to official voter registration data.[55][56]
Fitton has made alarmist claims about voter fraud, saying “We have all heard about voter fraud and the attempts by liberal media organs like the New York Times and Ivory Tower academics to dismiss it as a nonexistent problem. But is it real, widespread, and substantial to the point that it can decide elections.”[57]
Retrieved December 25, 2017.
“More voters than eligible adults? Group makes dubious claim about California”. McClatchy DC Bureau. Retrieved December 25, 2017.

Myers, John (August 8, 2017). “They sued for Clinton’s emails. Now they want information on California voters”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 25, 2017.

“Trump once again misleads with bogus claims of voter fraud”. The Washington Post. 2020.

Birnbaum, Emily (February 3, 2020). “Iowa Secretary of State Disputes Viral Misinformation about Voter Registration.” The Hill. Retrieved March 17, 2020.

Romm, Tony, and Isaac Stanley-Becker (February 3, 2020). “Conservatives Spread False Claims on Twitter about Electoral Fraud as Iowans Prepare to Caucus.” The Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2020.

Barbara McLaughlin
Nehalem

Clayworth, Jason. “The misinformation campaign: Iowa SOS blasts Judicial Watch for insinuating voter fraud”. Des Moines Register. Retrieved February 3, 2020.

“Conservatives push false claims of voter fraud on Twitter as Iowans prepare to caucus”. The Washington Post. 2020.

“Soon-To-Be-Released Book by Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton Warns of Massive Voter Fraud Danger in Current Presidential Election”. Retrieved December 25, 2017.

Submitted By: laura@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

(This is a letter that was sent to the Manzanita City Council, and the writers requested that it be shared on the BBQ, regarding Measure 29-179 – City of Manzanita:  Adopts City water billing change from Quarterly to Monthly)

To find out, we did our own WATER RATE STUDY for our household, for the initial twelve-month period with the new rate structure, focusing on Monthly vs. Quarterly.
In October 2023, four changes (creating a formula) affecting water rates occurred simultaneously:
1. Base rate increased from $39.50 to $47.56.
2. Allotment was reduced from 12 units or 12,000 gallons per quarter to 2 units or 2,000 gallons per month.
3. Tiered rate structure was implemented.
4. Meters were read “monthly” and customers were billed monthly for water service.
(Two different changes but used together in the formula).

After the initial three months (a “quarter” period from 9/21/23 to 12/26/2023) with the new “monthly” reading and billing schedule, it became evident that a simple change from quarterly to monthly would variably result in higher fees.
We have read City literature making the argument that billing cycles would not affect our total annual water bill. This would only be true for households never exceeding 2 units or 2,000 gallons per month.
Billing cycles can and do affect rates unpredictably depending on other factors built into the rate structure. In fact, as a direct result of “monthly” reading and billing, our household was assessed additional fees totaling $47.50, for the same amount of water use (28 units) for the same period of time (a duration of “twelve months” from 9/21/23 to 9/25/24).
Please see our “12-Month” Comparison demonstrating that this subtle change clearly increased the amount of our household’s total annual water bill.
Raising rates is necessary. All of us can agree. The increase in the base rate of $8.06 per month, the reduced allotment to 2 units or 2,000 gallons per month, and the tiered rate structure are (singly) all fairly straight forward.
However, changing the reading and billing schedule from quarterly to monthly subtly influences the outcome with the new water rate formula. There are two variables (allotments and tiered rates) which contribute to playing a role in determining different costs or outcomes based on reading and billing cycles, i.e., monthly vs. quarterly.
We recently read another argument the City was making for paying monthly – “it is a smaller amount.”
Quarterly billing doesn’t prevent anyone from making a payment monthly if they prefer to have a “smaller” amount. It does prevent us from having the flexibility to use more water one month (for example: during a heat wave) and possibly skimping for the other two months to meet the quarterly
allotment of 6 units or 6,000 gallons.
This is not a campaign. We are not trying to influence anyone’s vote. We respect our City Leaders and all of our Concerned Citizens. We recently shared our perspective with a few of our friends who expressed that this was a different point of view, one many hadn’t thought of.

They all encouraged us to share our thoughts with the community. In an attempt at creating better understanding of how this new formula works, we encourage everyone to do their own “12-Month” comparison.

Manzanita Citizens

Submitted By: dixiegainer@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

…..one of worsts voting lists in the nation!
Judicial Watch Sues Oregon to Force Clean Up of Voter Rolls—Lawsuit Alleges Oregon Has One of Worst Voting Lists in the Nation

November 5th is election day and right here in Oregon:
A majority Democratic State, undocumented persons are on the voting roles. Also, a new Judicial Watch lawsuit challenges voter lists in the Beaver state. Last year, a similar suit in Los Angeles forced that county to strip more than a million voters off their rolls. Oregon didn’t even bother to look for illegal voters. This Summer, it found more than 15 hundred foreigners registered to vote. Oregon gave driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and then signed ’em up. In its lawsuit, Judicial Watch documents that 35 of Oregon’s 36 counties have more registered voters than people. !!!!! Oregon has the highest known inactive registration rate of any state in the nation.
That means lots of loose ballots are just floating around without owners. You can imagine how that gets abused in a Democrat Party fiefdom like Oregon, where even bold election lawbreaking goes unpunished. Tom Fitton puts it this way: “Dirty voter rolls can mean dirty elections.

In 2018, the Supreme Court confirmed that such removals are mandatory. In February 2023, Los Angeles County confirmed removal of 1,207,613 ineligible voters from its rolls since the year before, under the terms of a settlement agreement in a federal lawsuit Judicial Watch filed in 2017. (Legal pressure from Judicial Watch ultimately led to the removal of up to four million ineligible voters from voter rolls in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, and elsewhere.)
See: www.judicialwatch.org/oregon-clean-up-voter-rolls/

Also the final official Oregon count will be on Dec. 2. A whole month from November 5th.

In my opinion, we will never have an honest vote count in Oregon, unless we go back to the old way and go to our precinct, show our ID, and vote! Elderly and handicapped can get permission to vote by mail.

If Americans do not have a secure way to vote, We will no longer be a free country.