Commentary

A ‘fresh look’ at police, fire projects

Written January 28th, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 8 responses.

Albany’s plans for a new police headquarters and downtown fire station will get a review of all the angles, from whether they are necessary at all to where and how they might be built. That’s apparent from the first meeting Tuesday night of a review committee co-chaired by former state Sen. Frank Morse and retired […]

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany City Council, Albany police and fire, Dave Burright, Facilities review Committee, Frank Morse

Legislation could wait

Written January 27th, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

The most contentious issues facing the coming legislative session confirm the old-fashioned view that annual meetings of the Oregon Legislative Assembly were not necessary after all. (And no, this has nothing to do with leaf blowers and whether it’s a good idea to use them to raise clouds of dust on a city street.)

Posted in: Commentary
Tags: background checks, Columbia River Crossing, Cover Oregon, gun registration, marijuana, Oregon legislature

Obama, emperor or magician?

Written January 27th, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

Ahead of the president’s State of the Union speech Tuesday, his top advisers told the Associated Press what he intends say. It sounds as though Barack Obama thinks of himself as an emperor or maybe Merlin the Magician.

Posted in: Commentary
Tags: income gap, Obama, State of the Union

Wise up and avoid trouble

Written January 26th, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

It does not take much to stay out of the summary of service calls by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. The main thing is to break no laws, especially against impaired driving, and keep your sheep fenced in and your cars locked against thieves. That much is obvious. But beyond that, how about wising up, or at least […]

Posted in: Commentary
Tags: Benton County sheriff, Internet complaints

On a January afternoon

Written January 24th, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: one response.

This little guy poked his head up when I was cutting the grass on Friday. I don’t know if it was a stunted daffodil — doesn’t look much like one, frankly — or something else. (Wish I had paid attention in botany, which I vaguely remember taking in sixth grade or thereabouts.) But I admired its pluck, if not its timing, […]

Posted in: Commentary
Tags: January weather, Oregon drought

What I think about pot

Written January 24th, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 3 responses.

Let me get something off my chest about all this talk about marijuana. It think smoking marijuana in order to relax or feel mellow or something is just plain stupid. I said something like that on KGAL’s “Valley Talk” radio program Tuesday, and now I’m warming to the theme.

Posted in: Commentary
Tags: "Valley Talk", marijuana, medical marijuana

Don’t backtrack on dispensary law

Written January 23rd, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 5 responses.

The illegal trade in marijuana flourishes in Oregon, as shown by the steady pace of arrests for selling, transporting or possessing quantities of weed. The legislature tried to cut into at least part of that business but is getting push-back from local governments unmoved — despite a half century of experience — by the failure […]

Posted in: Commentary
Tags: Bill Hansell, marijuana, Oregon legislature, Rod Monroe