Albany’s downtown urban renewal program is about to restart with a sharper focus on encouraging job creation and increasing the taxable value of the revitalization district known as CARA. For the past year, the program has been on hold while urban renewal manager Kate Porsche led the 14-member CARA advisory committee in monthly discussions of […]
While it cleans up its act regarding the targeting of conservative groups, a recent Benton County sheriff’s report suggests that the IRS has another urgent task. That is to fix its record-keeping system in order to thwart identity thieves. This last filing season, taxpayers were urged to file early in order to beat the criminals who were […]
The Oregon Senate on Monday failed to approve a record increase in the state school fund. The opponents, all 14 Republicans plus Democrat Chris Edwards of Eugene, said it wasn’t enough and the state could do better. The bill, Senate Bill 5519, proposed to set the school fund at $6.55 billion for the next two […]
It’s been years since the public could drive down to the Willamette River at Truax Island. We still can’t, and we won’t be able to do so again any time soon. For that we can thank criminals. The Oregon Parks Department used to maintain a little parking lot at this spot in the Willamette River […]
If you were anxiously awaiting the long-planned renovation of Albany’s Main Street from First Avenue to Santiam Road and Fourth Avenue, you’ll have to wait another year. The project had been scheduled this summer, and the city staff had estimated the cost at $1.5 million. But when bids were opened on June 4, only three […]
Linn County’s “sleep driving” court case should have been over long ago. But it keeps dragging on. On Tuesday morning, Mandy Kenney showed up in Circuit Court for her scheduled trial for impaired driving. At least four law officers had been called to testify and were cooling their heels in the hall. But four other trials […]
House wants more ‘voters’
Over the objections of 28 members, mostly Republicans, the Oregon House has passed a curious bill that aims to get every citizen in the state registered as a voter whether they want to be or not. It would work this way. The DMV has a record of every citizen with a driver’s license. Under HB 3521, if […]
Tags: HB 3521, Kate Brown, Oregon voting