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Hot off the Press

Public Comments on Jordan Cove Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and Pacific Connector Pipeline Project Due Soon

It’s Time for You to be Heard

For over a decade, communities in southern Oregon have stood up against the proposed Jordan Cove Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and the Pacific Connector Pipeline project. This project, now proposed by a huge Canadian fossil fuel corporation called Pembina, would threaten 379 waterways (including 12 public drinking water sources); disturb tribal territories and burial grounds; trample the rights of 675 landowners through the use of eminent domain; put existing jobs in fishing, tourism, and other sectors at risk; and drive up energy prices.  Coos Bay estuary to construct the project would be located in the tsunami zone and would require dredging 5.67 million cubic yards of sediment across 53 acres of the LNG terminal site. LNG is also highly explosive and would become Oregon’s largest source of climate pollution by 2020.

You can make a difference by providing your comments!

A Section 401 Water Quality Certification is required through DEQ for any federally licensed or permitted projects that may result in a discharge into navigable waters. Specifically, the certification ensures that work permitted under a federal Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit will meet the state’s water quality standards. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for evaluating the permit application under Section 404.

The liquefied natural gas facility would affect waterways and wetlands on the North Spit, in Coos Bay, at dredge disposal sites, and at the Kentuck Slough golf course mitigation site. The Pacific Connector project would affect waterways and wetlands in Klamath, Jackson, Douglas and Coos counties.

DEQ’s public comment period on the Section 401 Water Quality Certification application closes on July 21, 2018. Written comments on the application related to water quality must be received at DEQ by 5 p.m. on July 21. Written comments may be emailed to JCEP401PublicComment@deq.state.or.us, faxed to 541-686-7551 or mailed to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, 165 E. 7th Ave, Suite 100, Eugene, Oregon 97401, Attn: 401 Water Quality Certification Project Manager, Chris Stine.

For further information go to Oregon.gov Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) or Medford Office – 221 Stewart Ave., Suite 201, Medford, OR 97501,  Phone Number: 541-776-6010; Toll free in Oregon: 877-823-3216

Join the Blue Wave. Volunteer for Jamie McLeod-Skinner’s Campaign. Orientation June 25.

The Blue Wave won’t happen unless we all pitch in.

Josephine County residents have an opportunity to do just that by volunteering for Democratic Congressional District 2 candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner.  Sign up during a volunteer orientation Monday, June 25, 6-8 p.m. at Taprock Northwest Grill on 6th Street in Grants Pass.

Jamie’s an engineer, so she’s calculated what she needs to win and it’s very possible she could upset long-time Congressman Greg Walden.  In a seven-person primary, Jamie got 47% of the vote.  There are 534,454 voters in the district and 171,133 are registered as Non-Affiliated Voters (NAV).  With the projected turnout in the district, it will take approximately 179,464 votes to win.  In 2016 Democratic Candidate Jim Crary got 106,640 votes.  By appealing to left-leaning NAV voters and reminding Democrats who consistently forget to vote to mail in their ballots, CD2 could be part of the Blue Wave.

This would not only be historical because Jamie would be the first woman to hold this Congressional seat, she’d be the first Democrat since 1980.  Only two Democrats have held this seat since the district was created in 1893.

Jamie McLeod-Skinner is a well-qualified candidate.  She has the education and experience to be an advocate for issues that affect people in the largely rural District 2, who aren’t getting the attention they deserve.  However, Walden has millions of dollars in his campaign war chest thanks to corporate interests and the NRA.   Jamie doesn’t have that kind of money.  She’s depending on many small donations from her supporters and an army of volunteers. This means every Democrat in the district will have to contribute and vote if she is to succeed.

Jamie intends to keep the tone of her campaign positive, focusing on the issues people in the district have told her they are concerned about during her year-long tour leading up to the primary.  She encourages volunteers to stay positive, polite, and enthusiastic during voter outreach.

The most important element of Jamie’s campaign will be that voter outreach.  Her campaign needs to blanket every community in the district with people who are knocking on doors, phone banking, holding fund-raisers and attending local events such as county fairs, Fourth of July parades, festivals and coffees. People are also needed to do research on the issues important to people in CD2 and Walden’s record on those issues.

The structure is in place.  Now people are needed to fill it in.  Each county will have a County Coordinator who works directly with the campaign and helps with communication between teams of local volunteers and the campaign.  Currently Libby and Ted Watts are interim County Coordinators in Josephine County, but they would like someone to take that position, or at least help with the Coordinator’s duties.  County Team Leaders will organize the footwork, phone work, events, fund-raising and distribution of bumper stickers, buttons, and signs. Young people are encouraged to join this democratic process, and find out just what it takes to run for a national office.  Call Libby at 541-660-8155 if you’d like to help, or need more information about the volunteer meeting June 25.  Learn more about Jamie at https://jamiefororegon.com/

 

Volunteers Needed for Barter Faire Booth

The Hope Mountain Barter Faire, held at Lake Selmac County Park, off McMullen Creek Road in the Illinois Valley, is a 3-day celebration of culture and creative energies. Over thirty bands and musical artists will perform over the course of the three days. The Faire features unique entertainment, trading, live music, and great food.

We of the Illinois Valley Democrats will be hosting a booth there on Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17. The theme of our booth will be Protect Your Mother Earth, and we will be encouraging attendees, many of them non-voters in their 20’s and 30’s to VOTE. (We will also be helping people to register to vote.)

We REALLY could use some help in staffing the booth, as we are a very small group.

If interested in helping out, call Nicole at (541) 660-2419. It will be fun!!!

Petition Against Proposed Josephine County Firearms Ordinance

At our next JoCo Dems meeting on Tuesday, June 12, members will be asked to individually sign and also vote to officially adopt the following petition:

Josephine County Commissioners have proposed an unnecessary and ill-considered anti-gun control ordinance which, in its initial draft, would prohibit the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office from “investigating, detecting, apprehending or incarcerating persons whose only violation of the law is to carry, manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell or transfer firearms or firearm-related items.”

This proposed ordinance is an effort to make an end run around possible passage of state Initiative Petition 43. IP 43 is a very reasonable petition which will ban the sale of certain semi-automatic weapons and high capacity magazines, and require anyone who currently owns such weapons to either register them with the state or get rid of them.

We need to let our county commissioners know that the proposed county ordinance is an extreme measure that does not represent what is good for our county. It cuts off healthy discussion and discounts reasonable controls for keeping us and our children safe from gun violence.

Please add your name to this petition against the proposed Josephine County Firearms Ordinance.

NOTE: We don’t know yet when this ordinance will come up for a vote, but we’ll let people know as soon as we do. We will present the petition at the meeting, and we’re also hoping we can get a good showing of people to attend and speak against the ordinance.

 

Josephine County Firearms Ordinance Hearing Postponed

The hearing for the proposed, NRA-style ordinance has been postponed to a future Board of County Commissioners business meeting, while they finalize the draft and send it through the county legal department. We do not yet know when the ordinance will officially come up for a vote.

This month, Board of Commissioners business meetings will be held on Wednesdays at:

9:00 am on June 6

5:30 pm on June 13

9:00 am on June 20

9:00 am on June 27

Meetings are held in the Anne Baskerville Auditorium, right next to the County Courthouse.

While anyone is still welcome to attend this week’s meeting to speak against the proposed ordinance, you may wish to save your energy for a meeting when the ordinance is actually on the agenda. We are hoping to get a good, solid turnout for that meeting.

As soon as we know when the ordinance will be on the agenda, we will post that information.

In the meantime, we encourage you to email each of our county commissioners. Please remember to be polite, but mention that you VOTE.

Lily Morgan:  lmorgan@co.josephine.or.us

Simon Hare:  share@co.josephine.or.us

Dan DeYoung:   ddeyoung@co.josephine.or.us

Letters to the editor of the Daily Courier are also welcome.

We are also planning to pass around a petition to be presented to the commissioners. If you are interested in helping with the petition effort, or if you have any questions, please call or email:

Anita Savio   541-592-3073 (H)   541-592-9406 (C)

anitasavio@gmail.com

Testify Against Josephine County Firearms Ordinance

According to a story in Friday’s Daily Courier, this Wednesday at their 9:00 am business meeting the county commissioners will be discussing an NRA-style anti-gun control Josephine County Firearms Ordinance which would prohibit the JoCo Sheriff’s Office from “investigating, detecting, apprehending or incarcerating persons whose only violation of the law is to carry, manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell or transfer firearms or firearm-related items.”

This proposed ordinance is an effort to make an end run around possible passage of state Initiative Petition 43, which will ban the sale of certain semi-automatic weapons and high capacity magazines and require anyone who currently owns such weapons to either register them with the state or get rid of them.

According to Commissioner DeYoung, “When organizations band together and say, ‘We’re going to take your guns away,’ there’s a huge contingent in America that says, ‘No, you’re not.'”

We need people to attend to speak out against this proposed ordinance.

We need to let the county commissioners know that there’s a “huge contingent” in JoCo that says, “This proposed ordinance is not acceptable to us!”

Even if you can’t attend, you can email the commissioners:

Lily Morgan:  lmorgan@co.josephine.or.us

Simon Hare: share@co.josephine.or.us
Dan DeYoung:   ddeyoung@co.josephine.or.us

Note: Wednesday’s Board of County Commissioners agenda has not yet been published on the county website. Look for an updated post from me on Monday, confirming that this proposal will indeed be on the agenda this week and explaining when to arrive to hear the discussion and how and when you can sign up to give your testimony.

 

Commissioner Candidates Answer Our Questionnaire

We sent a questionnaire to all Commissioner Candidates and received the following responses. Read the following and join us at our Candidate Forum on May 8th at 7:00PM at the Unitarian Universalists at 129 NW E St, Grants Pass, OR. If we receive additional responses, we will add them to this post.

 

  • The Questionnaire
    1. Do you support federal law enforcement coming to Josephine County to eradicate illegal marijuana farms?
    1. What is your solution to the problems of rapid growth in the marijuana industry such as water pollution, light pollution and reductions in the water table?
    1. Do you support the Commissioner’s ordinance to limit marijuana production to only properties greater than 4 acres?
    1. Are you familiar with land use regulations regarding farm and forestland? Do you support them?
    1. Would you support a nuisance ordinance to help reduce dumping of garbage, use of water without a permit and unlicensed junkyards on private land.
    1. Do you support privatization of the Josephine county health department? If yes, what services and why?
    1. When the current levy that partially funds the Sherriff’s Department expires will you campaign for renewed funding for the Sherriff’s Department?
    1. Do you support finding ways the fund a detective unit in the Sherriff’s Department?
    1. Are you in favor restoration of Sherriff’s patrols for the entire county?
    1. What are your ideas for increased funding for the County Parks?
    1. Are you a Veteran? Did you serve in Theater in any conflict?
    1. Do you believe Global Warming is a hoax?
    1. Are you concerned about wage inequality based on gender?
    1. Do you support additional taxation for companies who have employees that must be on public assistance  (food stamps, HUD Housing, Medicaid) in order to survive because their compensation does not provide for basic needs such as food, shelter, utilities and healthcare?
    1. Do you have ideas about what grants Josephine County could get from State, federal and private entities to improve the quality of life for county residents?
    1. What role do you see for the Josephine County Commissioners in improving education in 3 Rivers School District?
  • Mayana Kingery - Plans to Attend 5/8
    1. Do you support federal law enforcement coming to Josephine County to eradicate illegal marijuana farms?

    ABSOLUTELY NOT! Josephine County Zoning and the Sheriff’s office are responsible for this. Put more money and attention on enforcement than jails housing out of county prisoners.

    1. What is your solution to the problems of rapid growth in the marijuana industry such as water pollution, light pollution and reductions in the water table?

    Zoning requirements need to be in place that require sustainable practices for all farming. There is no reason for light pollution, water pollution, animal and nature poisoning, or over watering. All growing can be done ecologically and sustainably. Josephine County could lead the nation with appropriate regulations that preserve our natural resources and quality of life.

    1. Do you support the Commissioner’s ordinance to limit marijuana production to only properties greater than 4 acres?

    No. I support farming and small enterprise farmers. A rural land owner aught to be able to grow any plant for income and self-sustaining business. If there is a neighbor issue, let neighbors and neighborhood councils work them out.

    1. Are you familiar with land use regulations regarding farm and forestland? Somewhat – Do you support them?

    I would need to do further research and my time is limited for this response. I would support a remapping and recoding effort if proven to be helpful to the citizens of Josephine County. I support local management of forest lands to prevent fire and provide resources for our citizens.

    1. Would you support a nuisance ordinance to help reduce dumping of garbage, use of water without a permit and unlicensed junkyards on private land.

    YES! And appropriate fines for failure to comply that increase significantly as time passes.

    1. Do you support privatization of the Josephine county health department? If yes, what services and why?

    I do not support privatizing Josephine County Health Departments. It has never been proven to work when applied in other areas of the country. There should be no outsourcing to FOR PROFIT organizations such as we have now. Public Health is just that… PUBLIC and needs to stay that way. Corporate interests do not meet the needs of our citizens.

    1. When the current levy that partially funds the Sherriff’s Department expires will you campaign for renewed funding for the Sherriff’s Department.

     Yes, with the requirement that the funds be used for patrols and enforcement rather than jails and that those on fixed incomes could be exemt.

    1. Do you support finding ways the fund a detective unit in the Sherriff’s Department?

    Yes. County Public Banking could be a funding agent.

    1. Are you in favor restoration of Sherriff’s patrols for the entire county?

    YES! The Sheriff’s budget needs to be directed toward patrols rather than jails.

    1. What are your ideas for increased funding for the County Parks?

    County Public banking could be a vehicle for funding of several services the county is responsible for.

    1. Are you a Veteran? Did you serve in Theater in any conflict? No
    2. Do you believe Global Warming is a hoax?

    No… Overwhelming global scientific community proof shows that humans have a factor in global warming as does our place in the universe changing, the frequency of our planet changing (see Schumann Resonance) and more.

    1. Are you concerned about wage inequality based on gender?

    Yes. And the fact that women must work so much harder, be so much stronger, and prove themselves much more capable than men for a similar task.

    1. Do you support additional taxation for companies who have employees that must be on public assistance (food stamps, HUD Housing, Medicaid) in order to survive because their compensation does not provide for basic needs such as food, shelter, utilities and healthcare?

    YES! They get $2400 tax credit for hiring someone on benefits. Tax that much if the pay is too low for basic needs.

    1. Do you have ideas about what grants Josephine County could get from State, federal and private entities to improve the quality of life for county residents?

    I would use the Community Development Block Grant process to encourage other foundations, businesses, nonprofits, agencies, and citizens to gather together in a more comprehensive way to address housing, safety, and education. A seed of the CBDG grant – matched by others with dollars and labor – would be effective for our community’s needs.

    County Public Banking could provide funds for many agencies within the county.

    1. What role do you see for the Josephine County Commissioners in improving education in 3 Rivers School District?

    First, the Secure our Rural Schools funding should be given to the schools not the Sheriff as the current commissioners are planning now. School facilities could be secured with safety measures that protect the students and staff.

    Second, the County Commissioners could work with the School Board to discover other ways – like food services, school gardens, and community after-school programs to support the most vulnerable students. Collaborations are much more effective in grants and funding applications than single entities.

    Third, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners role is to lead… and to direct funds from state and federal sources to agencies. Priorities should put education first whenever possible.

  • James Rafferty - Plans to Attend 5/8

    Our Josephine County Sheriff is the only authority to allow or disallow any outside law enforcement to enter Josephine County for any reason. This is not an issue for Josephine County commissioner(s).

    All businesses are to treated the same, not singling out one over the other for any reason. It’s not the job of Josephine government to regulate growth!

    It’s not the job of Josephine government to regulate, private property.

    No, private farm and forest property are both agricultural in principle. Private property is freedom, I support freedom.

    No, as commissioner I would not support Josephine government intrusion of any kind.

    As commissioner I would, in principal support privatization of any county department.

    As commissioner I not support any property tax levy.

    The Josephine County Sheriff’s budget is approved by the BCC, but the Sheriff is responsible for funding.

    The Sheriff is responsible for county patrols.

    County parks are the responsibility of the Josephine County commissioners, I’m not aware that the parks are under funded.

    Yes, United States Air Force 1965 – 1969. No

    Global warming, is not an issue for Josephine County commissioner candidate.

    As commissioner I would be involved in union and nonunion employee relations. And would follow the law concerning such relations.

    Not a issue for a Josephine County commissioner, I would not support taxation in any form.

    No, as commissioner I would not authorize or approve any grant options, for any reason.

    Not a issue for a Josephine County commissioner, 3 Rivers School District has their own Board to identify education needs.

  • Ron Smith - Plans to Attend on 5/8
    1. Do you support federal law enforcement coming to Josephine County to eradicate illegal marijuana farms?

    No, only if the illegal marijuana growing is taking place on federal controlled lands. The county and state need to enforce state law on county lands .

    1. What is your solution to the problems of rapid growth in the marijuana industry such as water pollution, light pollution and reductions in the water table?

    I believe the rapid growth is over with, the massive over production of marijuana has caused a sharp decline in prices and many growers are moving out. That being said we have laws on the books already that address most of these issues they just need to be enforced.

    1. Do you support the Commissioner’s ordinance to limit marijuana production to only properties greater than 4 acres?

    Not really, the ordinance did not really solve the problem and would have lead to regulating all rural residential properties. One big problem for the county is having a list of all legal growers so that the illegal growers can be identified and dealt with.

    1. Are you familiar with land use regulations regarding farm and forestland? Do you support them?

    Yes. Yes I support the stat wide goals for forest and farm lands in Oregon.

    1. Would you support a nuisance ordinance to help reduce dumping of garbage, use of water without a permit and unlicensed junkyards on private land.

    No we all ready have laws and ordinances on the books to deal with these types of problems they just need to be enforced.

    1. Do you support privatization of the Josephine county health department? If yes, what services and why?

    This deserves further study, we should weight cost saving benefits and quality of service and make sure before hand that this kind of move would best serve the public needs.

    1. When the current levy that partially funds the Sherriff’s Department expires will you campaign for renewed funding for the Sherriff’s Department.

    I already have been campaigning for full funding for law enforcement here in Josephine county.  But I don’t believe taxes are the answer with only 8.7 percent of the land in the county taxed at the full tax rate and 73 percent of the land we get no tax from the tax burden is put on a very few people some on fixed incomes. History can teach some great lessons for over eighty years we had full funding for all county services and we can have it again. By being good stewards of our forest lands harvesting the burnt and dead trees while they still have value will go a long ways towards funding!

    1. Do you support finding ways the fund a detective unit in the Sherriff’s Department? Yes and they should be finger printing crime scenes.
    2. Are you in favor restoration of Sherriff’s patrols for the entire county?

    Yes and I will work for funding to reopen all sub-stations 24 / 7.

    1. What are your ideas for increased funding for the County Parks?

    The parks are doing really well now with the new Parks Manager doing a fine job.

    1. Are you a Veteran? Did you serve in Theater in any conflict?

    No.

    1. Do you believe Global Warming is a hoax?

    I don’t believe the science is settled on this issue thirty years ago it was Global cooling now its warming. I believe climate goes in cycles and the Sun cycles have a large effect on temperatures.  

    1. Are you concerned about wage inequality based on gender?

    No not really.

    1. Do you support additional taxation for companies who have employees that must be on public assistance (food stamps, HUD Housing, Medicaid) in order to survive because their compensation does not provide for basic needs such as food, shelter, utilities and healthcare?

    No, taxing the company will not help the low wage earner maybe the employees needs find a better job. The cost of living is going up because the dollar buys less today. We do have a real need for affordable housing in in Josephine county but because of state law most new housing will be inside of the urban growth boundaries of Grants Pass or Cave Junction, the commissioner have very little to say about what happens in the two cities.

    1. Do you have ideas about what grants Josephine County could get from State, federal and private entities to improve the quality of life for county residents?

    I would have to read the fine print on each grants to make sure of any strings attached would not hurt local control. There is no such thing as free money you always have to give something to get the money. The question is what does the so-called free money cost?

    1. What role do you see for the Josephine County Commissioners in improving education in 3 Rivers School District?

    This is a question for the school boards a commissioner can be an advocate for schools and support them but has no real jurisdiction.

Vote Val Hoyle for Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner

 

The most important race on your May ballot might be one you’re not very familiar with: The race for Commissioner of Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI).

The BOLI Commissioner oversees enforcement of Oregon’s workplace rights laws, as well as civil rights and housing discrimination. Having the right person in the job is important to ensure that workers are protected on the job and that Oregonians’ civil rights are enforced. And this May, we have a great opportunity to elect Democrat Val Hoyle as our next BOLI Commissioner.

Val worked her way through college waiting tables and working at a bicycle repair shop. She and her husband moved to Eugene in 1999, and she continued working in the outdoor industry while they raised their two kids. School funding concerns led Val to become active in the local Parent Teacher Organization, and, in 2009, she was appointed to a seat in the Oregon House, representing Junction City and West Eugene.

Val soon rose to the position of House Majority Leader, where she led successful efforts to increase Oregon’s minimum wage, pass paid sick days legislation, implement our Clean Fuels program, and invest tens of millions of dollars into career and technical education in schools across the state. Now, she is bringing that record of delivering for working Oregonians to her campaign for BOLI Commissioner.

As our next BOLI Commissioner, Val will be a tireless advocate for workers’ rights, civil rights, and anti-discrimination. She will fight wage theft and make sure that employees are paid a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work. And, she will continue her work to improve our workforce development programs so that all Oregonians can gain the skills they need to earn a good living, and so employers will have the workforce they need to expand in our state.

Val has earned the support of Oregon’s unions, Planned Parenthood PAC, Basic Rights Oregon, the Sierra Club, and elected officials like Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. You can see the full list here.

Please join me in marking your ballot for Val Hoyle, and spread the word! Ballots need to be received by 8 p.m. on May 15th. Remind your friends and family! 

Jeanne Atkins, Chair, Democratic Party of Oregon

The Bureau of Labor & Industries Race…

The Democratic Party of Oregon filed an elections complaint Thursday, April 19, against Tualatin Mayor Lou Ogden, a Republican seeking election as state labor commissioner, a nonpartisan position.

In the complaint, party officials accuse Ogden of violating state elections laws by misrepresenting himself as the incumbent in the race against Democrat Val Hoyle for the open seat at the Bureau of Labor & Industries.

Read more at: http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/392986-285526-dpo-accuses-boli-candidate-of-misleading-voters