I expect that from Republicans who decided to put party over country, but mainstream media is either willfully ignorant or guilty of contributing to the dissemination of false information. Are they that desperate for what amounts to click bait? Do they have no common sense? Did they just follow the lead of other media outlets without bothering to do a few minutes of investigation? What happened to fact checking? And why do they have a double standard when reporting on the 2 parties? Inquiring minds want to know :p
Category: General Interest
Fascist rhetoric
I heard an excellent interview with Jennifer Mercieca, an American scholar of rhetoric and professor of communication at Texas A&M University, last night on Australia’s ABC News Daily. It is only 15 minutes long:
www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/abc-news-daily/what-makes-trump-a-fascist/104533134
She explains in detail the method behind Trump’s “madness.” Suddenly everything Trump says in his rambling rally speeches makes perfect sense, and I understand why so many good, and probably rational, people love and support him.
Trying to figure this out has been a long journey for me and probably many others. Meanwhile apparently this is not a new revelation, since Mercieca wrote a book, released in 2020, explaining his rhetoric:
https://www.amazon.com/Demagogue-President-Rhetorical-Genius-Donald-ebook/dp/B08B3LCS3X
Considering all the grief this issue has caused over the last four years, why mainstream media has failed to mention this important analysis will be a subject covered in future history books. The Harris campaign must long ago have understood what’s going on and I trust there is a good reason they haven’t brought it up themselves. It’s only because Trump’s former cabinet members are just now sounding the alarm, and Harris was directly asked by a reporter, that it’s getting any attention at all.
I hope this helps anyone who has likewise struggled. It sure helped me, and I’ll no longer have to self-medicate with alcohol out of frustration from not knowing what’s happening. I know now.
-Dave
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Pepper
Vintage. Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
*Heard on Xray.fm this week. Song at summer camp in the 70s, to my surprise to hear it and learn the Oregon history.
New merchandise ongoing.
Furniture. Art. Textiles.
And, more.
Trailside Vintage
Nehalem Oregon
NOBLE WORDS–PLEASE VOTE
Indeed, noble are these words written below by HCR, political historian.
Note my insertion in CAPITAL LETTERS. And my closing words also in CAPITAL LETTERS.
om peace namaste
lucy brook
Nehalem resident
American citizen
October 29, 2024
Letter from an American
Heather Cox Richardson
Republican presidential nominee former president Donald Trump offered Americans his closing argument in the 2024 presidential race on Sunday, October 27, at Madison Square Garden. At a rally that evoked a Nazi rally at the old Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939, Trump’s warm-up acts set the terms of Trump’s final pitch to voters by calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” and railing against “f*cking illegals.” They called Vice President Kamala Harris “the Antichrist” and “the devil,” and called former secretary of state Hillary Clinton “a sick son of a b*tch.” When Trump took the stage about two hours late, he echoed the warm-up acts, and then reiterated that he believes fellow Americans are “the enemy within.”
The racism and fascism Trump’s MAGA Republicans displayed at Madison Square Garden is usually expressed within their media bubble, where it passes for normal conversation. The backlash against it among people in the real world appears to have shocked the Trump campaign so much that the candidate is running away from his own closing argument.
On Monday, Trump felt obliged to tell an audience in Georgia, “I’m not a Nazi.” The Trump campaign has made it a point never to apologize and never to explain, but on Monday it broke that rule, trying to distance itself from performer Tony Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico.
This morning, Trump announced he would hold a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. He showed up more than an hour late for the assembled press, then began the event by undermining faith in the election, claiming the campaign is going “very well; there are some bad spots in Pennsylvania where some serious things have been caught or are in the process of being caught,” although it was unclear what he meant.
He went on to deliver such a litany of lies that CNN cited them as a reason to cut away from the speech. Trump chose not to acknowledge the offensiveness of the Madison Square Garden event, saying ““The love in that room, it was breathtaking—and you could have filled it many many times with the people that were unable to get in.”
Tonight, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris offered her own closing argument to the American voters. Once again taking her campaign directly to Trump, she held a rally at the Ellipse near the White House, where Trump spoke to his supporters on January 6, 2021, before sending them off to the U.S. Capitol to stop the counting of the electoral votes that would make Joe Biden president.
More than 75,000 attendees in the Ellipse and standing on the Mall near the Washington Monument waved flags and held up signs with “USA” printed on them as Harris spoke in front of a backdrop of the White House, on a stage with a line of American flags.
“One week from today, you will have the chance to make a decision that directly impacts your life, the life of your family, and the future of this country we love,” she said. “[I]t will probably be the most important vote you ever cast. And this election is more just than a choice between two parties and two different candidates. It is a choice about whether we have a country rooted in freedom for every American or ruled by chaos and division.”
Harris outlined Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and noted that he is “unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and out for unchecked power.” She continued: “Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other. That is who he is. But America, I am here tonight to say: that is not who we are.” She called for Americans “to turn the page on the drama and the conflict, the fear and division.”
The vice president described herself as “someone who has spent most of my career outside of Washington, D.C.,” a former prosecutor who cares that all people are treated fairly and that those who “use their wealth or power to take advantage of other people” are held to account.
She promised to “work every day to build consensus and reach compromise to get things done…. [to] work with everyone—Democrats, Republicans, and Independents—to help Americans who are working hard and still struggling to get ahead.” She vowed to lower costs by delivering tax cuts to working people and the middle class, ban price gouging on groceries, lower the cost of prescription drugs, provide down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, and build millions of new homes.
She promised to fight for a child tax credit and to lower the cost of child care, as well as allowing Medicare to cover the cost of home aides for seniors.
She promised to “fight to restore what Donald Trump and his hand-selected Supreme Court Justices took away from the women of America.” “[W]hen Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide,” she said, “as President of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.”
She promised to “work with Democrats and Republicans to sign into law the border security bill that Donald Trump killed.” She promised to “remove those who arrive here unlawfully, prosecute the cartels, and give border patrol the support they so desperately need. At the same time,” she said, “we must acknowledge we are a nation of immigrants.” She vowed to “work with Congress to pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for hardworking immigrants like farmworkers and our Dreamers.”
“As Commander in Chief,” she said, “I will make sure America has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.… I will strengthen—not surrender—America’s global leadership,” and stand with America’s allies because “our alliances keep American people safe and make America stronger and more secure.”
While Trump offers “more chaos, more division, and policies that help those at the very top and hurt everyone else,” Harris said, “I offer a different path. And I ask for your vote. And here is my pledge to you: I pledge to seek common ground and commonsense solutions to make your life better…. I pledge to listen: To experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make, and to people who disagree with me…. I pledge…to approach my work with the joy and optimism that comes from making a difference in people’s lives. And I pledge to be a president for all Americans. And to always put country above party and self.”
“I love our country with all my heart,” she said, “And I believe in its promise. Because I’ve lived it…. And I see the promise of America in all of you…. I see it in the young people who are voting for the first time who are determined to live free from gun violence and to protect our planet, and to shape the world they inherit.
“I see it in the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom, and the men who support them. I see it in Republicans who have never voted for a Democrat before but have put the Constitution of the United States over party. I’ve seen it in Americans, different in many respects, but united in our pursuit of freedom, our belief in fairness and decency, and our faith in a better future.”
“Nearly 250 years ago, America was born when we wrested freedom from a petty tyrant. Across the generations, Americans have preserved that freedom, expanded it, and in so doing, proved to the world that a government of, by, and for the people is strong and can endure. And those who came before us—the patriots at Normandy and Selma, Seneca Falls and Stonewall, on farmlands and factory floors—they did not struggle, sacrifice, and lay down their lives only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms…only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant.
“These United States of America: we are not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators. The United States of America is the greatest idea humanity ever devised: a nation big enough to encompass all our dreams, strong enough to withstand any fracture or fissure between us, and fearless enough to imagine a future of possibilities.
YES, INDEED, NOBLE WORDS THESE BE: AN IDEA, A CONCEPT, A HOPE, HOWEVER HIT AND MISS IT HAS BEEN MADE INTO REALITY, HOWEVER MUCH MONEY INTERESTS HAVE SOUGHT WITH PARTIAL SUCCESS TO CORRUPT IT.
“So, America, let us reach for that future. Let us fight for this beautiful country we love. And in seven days, we have the power—each of you has the power—to turn the page and start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.
“I thank you all,” she said. “God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.”
In Las Vegas, Nevada, today, the Harris campaign placed a giant political advertisement on the Sphere, the music and entertainment venue owned by the same family that owns Madison Square Garden. The globe showed stars and stripes, pictures of Vice President Harris, the words “Harris-Walz,” “November 5,” “Vote for Freedom,” “Vote for Opportunity, “Vote for our Future,” “Vote for Kamala,” “Vote for a New Way Forward.” “Vote for Reproductive Freedom,” “When We Fight, We Win,” and “When We Vote, We Win.”
PLEASE VOTE FOR KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT IN OUR NATIONAL ELECTION.
PLEASE VOTE FOR ANDY DAVIS FOR OREGON HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE FROM OUR DISTRICT—ANOTHER VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY RATHER THAN BIG MONEY INTERESTS.
Baby Steps 2
1. A fundamental building block of Democracy is voting. Do you agree?
2. When counting the votes in a Democratic country, if the count is not secure, then Democracy is not secure either.
3. I am sure we all want our votes to count.
4. Our voting is under threat today – but that means you really must cast a vote because the more votes that are cast, the harder it is to cheat. That is what they say.
5. I am called a threat to Democracy by Lucy Brook because I am informing citizens about what is happening to our voting process so we can make sure it is fixed. I asked her what mis-information I am spreading and I haven’t heard back yet. But I am going to keep asking !
6. Yes, Oregon is being sued because they are not following federal guidelines about voting, and our voting roles are said to be the worst in the country.
7. And that is the truth so please vote.
PLEASE LEAVE THE DIXIE WITH THE WINE SHOP ALONE
(There must be a lot of ?-holes in Manzanita)
the following is a list of newspapers and publications in Oregon who are reporting about this
www.northwestobserver.com/ – Judicial Watch Sues Oregon for Dirty Voter Rolls
apnews.com/article/oregon-2024-election-citizen-voter-registration-18d3c0bda65a5030cd07f1d536e39ab7
cascadepolicy.org/economic-opportunity/cleaning-up-oregons-sloppy-voter-registration-system/
ground.news/article/oregon-sued-in-effort-to-force-clean-up-of-voter-rolls-the-iowa-standard
www.democracydocket.com/cases/oregon-voter-roll-maintenance-challenge/
ground.news/article/oregon-sued-in-effort-to-force-clean-up-of-voter-rolls-the-iowa-standard
Lucy needs to let them know they are all an enemy of Democracy – : So Lucy needs to send them her “mis -information
notice.
Report them to the FBI, the CIA, and Looney Tunes
Lucy’s message: tsk-tsk, dixie. check your sources. you are spreading misinformation.
i consider misinformation an enemy of democracy.
i am praying for a peaceful election. let’s not add fuel to the fire.
om peace namaste
lucy –
Friends of NCRD Spring Bulb Sales
We have 6 varieties of TULIPS, including Robbedoes, named for a Belgian comic book character, well-known in Europe for his spiky red hair. The spikes are mimicked in the flower by the unusual fingered petals.
We have 6 varieties of DAFFODILS, including a miniature daffodil named Baby Boomer, a great name for a great little daffodil. Baby Boomer is a child of Avalanche and Narcissus jonquilla, which means lots of flowers (up to 9 per stem) and lots of fragrance.
We also have 6 SPECIALTY bulbs, including a favorite called Snake’s Head. Pointed buds open to maroon (occasionally white), bell-shaped blooms. Snake’s Head looks like a wildflower and is best used as such — in a meadow, under trees, around shrubs – it’s happiest in part shade and evenly moist soil.
Friends also has two types of ALLIUM bulbs: Sphaerocephalon or Drumstick allium, the last of the bulbous alliums to bloom. Its egg-shaped, wine-red flowerheads wait until summer to color up. It puts on a nice show when planted in tight groups in a perennial border, and the bees do love it. The other is called Purple Rain, very similar to Purple Sensation. It has a bit more red in its purple. Early flowering by the standards of alliums, it is among the first of the big balls-on-a-stick to take on color in the late-spring garden.
Last, but certainly not least: We have only three AMARYLLIS bulbs left: two Beautiful Emotion and one Double Dream. Amaryllis bulbs come already planted in pots and ready to bloom indoors for the Holiday Season.
A huge thank you to all who have already purchased bulbs from Friends of NCRD. Highlighted above are just a few of what we have available. Come on over to the North County Recreation District between 9 AM and 11 AM for beautiful fall planted / spring blooming bulbs. Brighten up your neighborhood!! Give as gifts!
If you would like to receive a catalog and order form via email, call Patty, 503-801-3534, and leave a message.
Or join us at NCRD from 9 -11 AM for the rest of this week and see our flower selection there.
FRIENDS MISSION STATEMENT:
To support NCRD programs and projects through promotion, fundraising, and providing scholarships to encourage inclusion for all.
LETS DO BABY STEPS
There is a lawsuit filed against the state of Oregon
regarding its failure to comply with federal election rules.
2. The lawsuit declares that federal election laws about purging voter roles were not followed in Oregon.
3. The lawsuit enumerates the times federal laws regarding elections were not followed.
4. The woman in charge of our elections in Oregon offered to step down.
5. So far this has not happened.
There is no need to go to Wikipedia
There is no need to fact check
The info listed above is a fact
Here is a link to the lawsuit: Please read it – It asks for remuneration to go to the Oregon Constitution
Party which paid for the lawsuit. (not some billionaires)
www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=OR-NVRA-complaint-01783.pdf&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
I will be sure to post the results of this lawsuit when it comes. The state of Oregon has no defense so they will probably concede.
Thank you Liz Cole
Building on her program from last year, she poured out literary treats, which the entranced audience slowly sipped like the finest wine. There was laughter, some gasps, some tear-streaked faces as she wove us a spell in which we could forget the cares of the day, and just follow the ebb and flow of her voice.
The Pine Grove had been masterfully remade into a mixture of Living Room/Night Club, with Liz on a raised dais, snug in her comfy chair, surrounded by her own lamps reading to “her large children”. There were stories filled with love, sadness and humor: In Praise of Food; A Brief Dive into Chocolate; Angles of Perception, and Final Angles of Perception.
Thank you Liz Cole for a magnificent performance, thank you to the Pine Grove Community House for hosting her with such style and attention to detail. And thank you to those assembled who helped create and share in this brief literary sanctuary.
Not that Dixie
response to glad to see someone confront dixie
“tsk-tsk, dixie. check your sources. you are spreading misinformation. i consider misinformation an enemy of democracy. i am praying for a peaceful election. let’s not add fuel to the fire.”
“thedicedwitch” posted the next night, “Makes me so happy to see *someone* finally confront Dixie about her conspiracy theory and misinformation spreading.”
that encouraged me to post my personal message on BBQ as well.
It is a grave disservice to our community and to democracy to spread false information.
lucy brook
american citizen
GoBag Pop-Up Shop, Saturday, November 9, 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm, Manzanita Police Station
Do you need a GoBag or GoBag supplies?
Purchase supplies on the website and pick up items at the Pop-Up Shop.
Pick up November 9, from 1:00-1:30 PM at the Manzanita Police Station
Gutter cleaning, roof moss removal
971-319-8455
Call or message for a free bid
Can’t agree with this more!…Beating the poor, dead horse of Manzanita Water Issues
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
vertical and lateral reading
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.
Stone Mason for hire
He has openings for new customers.
Give us a call for your free estimate.
Ragan’s Masonry (find us on Facebook)
Licensed bonded and insured with over 20 years experience.
541-337-5614
Chimney build or repair
Patio
Outdoor kitchen
Fireplace
Whatever your need or want.. Jason can do.
(He is not a landscaper, sorry)
For the ones who have reached out.. Thank you!
Again, give us a call at 541-337-5614 even a text
Rockaway Beach, the simple truth…
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
general interest, TOTO YANKS ON THE CURTAIN
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
We should be better informed
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
Corrected Dates on Friends Bulb Sale-October 28-November 1
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!
Is the Manzanita City Council Listening to Residents?
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
Jiu-jitsu for everyone
Seniors, Adults & Children are all welcome at Jiu Jitsu 101 Oregon Coast
Our web site is has a complete description of classes, shopping & sign up
Jiu-jitsu 101 Oregon Coast
Drop on by
212 US-101 ROCKAWAY BEACH OREGON 97136
Looking forward to meeting everyone.
Also
FREE WOMENS DEFENSE CLINIC November 9th 12noon-3pm please visit website and get you free ticket.
Response to Dixie Gainer about Judicial Watch
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.
MANZANITA WATER – Measure 29-179: DO BILLING CYCLES MATTER?
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
Oregons Election Records Show……
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.
Stacks and Leverette for Wheeler Council
Heidi Stacks (pka Heidi Siglin) has lived here for almost 50 years, serving seven of those on Council. She is very well networked with other public servants in nearby cities, and has served us with extraordinary dedication and wisdom. She’s a respectful team player who listens to every view and can be counted on to do whatever is best for the town she loves.
Mary Leverette is newer to Wheeler, but has already proven herself as a devoted, consistent, constructive volunteer. She has regularly attended Council meetings for several years. She knows our issues quite well.
I’ve worked closely with both candidates on Wheeler’s Emergency Preparedness Committee and with Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay. They both display great creativity, commitment, and integrity. They are both hard workers who do what they say they will.
These two public servants bring the combination of experience and fresh vision that Wheeler needs. Please join me in electing both to Wheeler City Council!
IF YOU ARE PRO-CHOICE, VOTE FOR ANDY DAVIS
Once upon a time, I took for granted that Oregon law protected reproductive freedom. When Roe was overturned in June of 2022, giving states the ability to restrict abortion, I certainly worried. But not about Oregon.
In March of 2024, the fairy dust fell from my eyes. That’s when Cyrus Javadi co-sponsored Oregon Senate Bill 1536, along with his other Republican colleagues.
You’re likely unfamiliar with SB1536 because it quickly failed. And for now, that’s an enormous relief. But it’s worth noting exactly what Representative Javadi co-sponsored, even if it’s difficult to pin him down on what he actually believes.
SB1536 is designed to restrict access to abortion after a 15-week gestational period with exceptions due to an urgent health need, rape or incest.
(If you’re following the plight of women in anti-abortion states, you will know that “exceptions” allowing for pregnancy termination are at best dubious and at worst, lethal).
SB1536 also states that all abortions involving a health care provider must be reported to the Oregon Health Authority. In other words, should you be able to get an abortion after 15 weeks, your health care decision is on the record.
(It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to understand how such information might be used since it’s already happening: the punitive treatment of women seeking or having abortions).
At the recent Oct 9th Candidates Forum sponsored by the Tillamook branch of the American Association of University Women, Representative Javadi was asked if he supported a woman’s right to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions. He spoke with great compassion about young girls betrayed by the men they trusted; expressed horror that women in 12 states were facing criminal charges related to their pregnancies; and assured his audience that abortion was still legal in Oregon.
He also neglected to say that he co-sponsored SB 1536.
In a Facebook conversation that same evening, a constituent from Manzanita asked Representative Javadi a similar question. She wrote, “What’s your position on women’s reproductive rights?”
He answered that Oregon has a lot of work to do concerning women’s reproductive rights. “Too often,” he wrote, “the conversation focuses solely on access to abortion, without addressing why a woman may feel like she can’t have the child”.
Perplexed, his constituent pushed harder for clarification, writing that the bill he co-sponsored would indicate he did not support a woman’s right to choose. His response: “I did sponsor a bill limiting abortion. I didn’t realize that your definition of women’s reproductive rights is so narrowly defined”.
Cyrus Javadi defines women’s reproductive freedom as the right to have a child. What transparently evasive nonsense from such a very clever man.
The other day, I received an email from Representative Javadi responding to a piece I’d written in support of Andy Davis’s resoundingly clear support for reproductive freedom. I appreciated his comments, his corrections and his consistent championing of the needs of pregnant women before and after they give birth.
But let’s be clear. Cyrus Javadi only supports SOME pregnant women’s rights to make their own medical decisions. Planned Parenthood agrees, and lists him by name on its 2024 Abortion Ban Watch List.
If you’re looking for a State Representative who trusts ALL women, vote for Andy Davis. He is serious about reproductive rights and knows precisely how to define them.
Concerns
So I offer a much simpler example: Suppose there were 3 candidates for president and each voter was tasked with choosing from Harris, Trump, and RFK Jr.
Also for simplicity suppose there were only 1000 voters. If the first count showed 499 votes for Harris, 498 votes for Trump, and 3 votes for RFK Jr. then the process would eliminate RFK Jr. and count the second choice from those 3 ballots. That second choice could very well be for Trump, and the result would be 499 votes for Harris, and 501 votes for Trump. Trump would be declared the winner.
While that’s unlikely here in Oregon, the point is adding all this complexity leaves us vulnerable to political manipulation well beyond our understanding. We don’t need this. What we do need is more public forums to better understand what our politicians are doing and why.
CIVIC WISH
Mark Beach
We should be worried
October 21, 2024
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
OCT 22
On October 14, Trump told Fox News Channel host Maria Bartiromo that he thought enemies within the United States were more dangerous than foreign adversaries and that he thought the military should stop those “radical left lunatics” on Election Day. Since then, he has been talking a lot about “the enemy from within,” specifically naming Representative Adam Schiff and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, both Democrats from California, as “bad people.” Schiff was the chair of the House Intelligence Committee that broke the 2019 story of Trump’s attempt to extort Volodymyr Zelensky that led to Trump’s first impeachment.
Trump’s references to the “enemy from within” have become so frequent that former White House press secretary turned political analyst Jen Psaki has called them his closing argument for the 2024 election, and she warned that his construction of those who oppose him as “enemies” might sweep in virtually anyone he feels is a threat.
In a searing article today, political scientist Rachel Bitecofer of The Cycleexplored exactly what that means in a piece titled “What (Really) Happens If Trump Wins?” Bitecofer outlined Adolf Hitler’s January 30, 1933, oath of office, in which he promised Germans he would uphold the constitution, and the three months he took to dismantle that constitution.
By March, she notes, the concentration camp Dachau was open. Its first prisoners were not Jews, but rather Hitler’s prominent political opponents. By April, Jews had been purged from the civil service, and opposition political parties were illegal. By May, labor unions were banned and students were burning banned books. Within the year, public criticism of Hitler and the Nazis was illegal, and denouncing violators paid well for those who did it.
Bitecofer writes that Trump has promised mass deportations “that he cannot deliver unless he violates both the Constitution and federal law.” To enable that policy, Trump will need to dismantle the merit-based civil service and put into office those loyal to him rather than the Constitution. And then he will purge his political opponents, for once those who would stand against him are purged, Trump can act as he wishes against immigrants, for example, and others.
Ninety years ago, as American reporter Dorothy Thompson ate breakfast at her hotel in Berlin on August 25, 1934, a young man from Hitler’s secret police, the Gestapo, “politely handed me a letter and requested a signed receipt.” She thought nothing of it, she said, “But what a surprise was in store for me!” The letter informed her that, “in light of your numerous anti-German publications,” she was being expelled from Germany.
She was the first American journalist expelled from Nazi Germany, and that expulsion was no small thing. Thompson had moved to London in 1920 to become a foreign correspondent and began to spend time in Berlin. In 1924 she moved to the city to head the Central European Bureau for the New York Evening Post and the Philadelphia Public Ledger. From there, she reported on the rise of Adolf Hitler. She left her Berlin post in 1928 to marry novelist Sinclair Lewis, and the two settled in Vermont.
When the couple traveled to Sweden in 1930 for Lewis to accept the Nobel Prize in Literature, Thompson visited Germany, where she saw the growing strength of the fascists and the apparent inability of the Nazi’s opponents to come together to stand against them. She continued to visit the country in the following years, reporting on the rise of fascism there, and elsewhere.
In 1931, Thompson interviewed Hitler and declared that, rather than “the future dictator of Germany” she had expected to meet, he was a man of “startling insignificance.” She asked him if he would “abolish the constitution of the German Republic.” He answered: “I will get into power legally” and, once in power, abolish the parliament and the constitution and “found an authority-state, from the lowest cell to the highest instance; everywhere there will be responsibility and authority above, discipline and obedience below.” She did not believe he could succeed: “Imagine a would-be dictator setting out to persuade a sovereign people to vote away their rights,” she wrote in apparent astonishment.
Thompson was back in Berlin in summer 1934 as a representative of the Saturday Evening Post when she received the news that she had 24 hours to leave the country. The other foreign correspondents in Berlin saw her off at the railway station with “great sheaves of American Beauty roses.”
Safely in Paris, Thompson mused that in her first years in Germany she had gotten to know many of the officials of the German republic, and that when she had left to marry Lewis, they offered “many expressions of friendship and gratitude.” But times had changed. “I thought of them sadly as my train pulled out,” she said, “carrying me away from Berlin. Some of those officials still are in the service of the German Government, some of them are émigrés and some of them are dead.”
Thompson came home to a nation where many of the same dark impulses were simmering, her fame after her expulsion from Germany following her. She lectured against fascism across the country in 1935, then began a radio program that reached tens of millions of listeners. Hired in 1936 to write a regular column three days a week for the New York Herald Tribune, she became a leading voice in print, too, warning that what was happening in Germany could also happen in America.
In an echo of Lewis’s bestselling 1935 novel It Can’t Happen Here, she wrote in a 1937 column: “No people ever recognize their dictator in advance…. He always represents himself as the instrument for expressing the Incorporated National Will. When Americans think of dictators they always think of some foreign model. If anyone turned up here in a fur hat, boots and a grim look he would be recognized and shunned…. But when our dictator turns up, you can depend on it that he will be one of the boys, and he will stand for everything traditionally American.”
In less than two years, the circulation of her column had grown to reach between seven and eight million people. In 1939 a reporter wrote: “She is read, believed and quoted by millions of women who used to get their political opinions from their husbands, who got them from [political commentator] Walter Lippmann.” The reporter likened Thompson to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, saying they were the two “most influential women in the U.S.”
When 22,000 American Nazis held a rally at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in honor of President George Washington’s birthday on February 20, 1939, Thompson sat in the front row of the press box, where she laughed loudly during the speeches and yelled “Bunk!” at the stage, illustrating that she would not be muzzled by Nazis. After being escorted out, she returned to her seat, where stormtroopers surrounded her. She later told a reporter: “I was amazed to see a duplicate of what I saw seven years ago in Germany. Tonight I listened to words taken out of the mouth of Adolf Hitler.”
Two years later, In 1941, Thompson returned to the issue she had raised when she mused about those government officials who had gone from thanking her to expelling her. In a piece for Harper’s Magazine titled “Who Goes Nazi?” she wrote: “It is an interesting and somewhat macabre parlor game to play at a large gathering of one’s acquaintances: to speculate who in a showdown would go Nazi,” she wrote. “By now, I think I know. I have gone through the experience many times—in Germany, in Austria, and in France. I have come to know the types: the born Nazis, the Nazis whom democracy itself has created, the certain-to-be fellow-travelers. And I also know those who never, under any conceivable circumstances, would become Nazis.”
Examining a number of types of Americans, she wrote that the line between democracy and fascism was not wealth, or education, or race, or age, or nationality. “Kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, secure people never go Nazi,” she wrote. They were secure enough to be good natured and open to new ideas, and they believed so completely in the promise of American democracy that they would defend it with their lives, even if they seemed too easygoing to join a struggle. “But the frustrated and humiliated intellectual, the rich and scared speculator, the spoiled son, the labor tyrant, the fellow who has achieved success by smelling out the wind of success—they would all go Nazi in a crisis,” she wrote. “Those who haven’t anything in them to tell them what they like and what they don’t—whether it is breeding, or happiness, or wisdom, or a code, however old-fashioned or however modern, go Nazi.”
In Paris following her expulsion from Berlin, Thompson told a reporter for the Associated Press that the reason she had been attacked was the same reason that Hitler’s power was growing. “Chancellor Hitler is no longer a man, he is a religion,” she said.
Suggesting her expulsion was because of her old article disparaging Hitler, in her own article about her expulsion she noted: “My offense was to think that Hitler is just an ordinary man, after all. That is a crime against the reigning cult in Germany, which says Mr. Hitler is a Messiah sent by God to save the German people…. To question this mystic mission is so heinous that, if you are a German, you can be sent to jail. I, fortunately, am an American, so I merely was sent to Paris. Worse things can happen….”
Beating the poor, dead horse of Manzanita Water Issues
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