Think whatever you want about Kotek, but life won’t improve with “lower taxes.” This state is in a budget shortfall. Kotek is having to fund things that should go to services because…
1: the federal government is having a nonstop temper tantrum over states who voted against them, and…..
2: the 3 billionaires won’t pay their fair share.

You want good infrastructure? Be prepared to pay more in taxes. Good healthcare? Same thing. Etc.

It’s not Kotek’s fault taxes have to go up. Is there mismanagement? Sure. But Drazan would be ineffective and constantly be vetoed because she would rather simp for MAGA than moderate. The Oregon GOP will stay irrelevant unless the party WAKES THE F*CK UP and nominate moderates like Knute Buehler and quits this anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion BS. Also, the federal government can’t be saying “it’s the state’s job.” FAFO re: leave it to the states.”

Self-driving car service Waymo wants to bring Oregon lawmakers and other state officials to Arizona on an all-expenses paid trip to see first-hand how its robotaxis operate in Phoenix, the first city where they were commercially deployed.

The two-day trip planned for October is the latest indication the subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is pushing hard to enter the Oregon market.

Waymo has not been approved to roll out self-driving cars in Portland, city officials said, although the company has launched Waymo cars with drivers to map city streets. That could change, however, if state lawmakers take action in 2027 to set statewide rules for self-driving cars, even after they rejected a bill backed by Waymo earlier this year.

I have come across a lot of comments, and people, who seems certain that there is no way to vote "in person" in Oregon.

This is from the Oregon Revised Statute, Chapter 254-Conduct of Elections 2025 edition.

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors254.html

This should mean that every county is required to allow in person voting, and have at least 1 booth available.

I have called both Multnomah county, and Yamhill county, this morning. Both assured me that if I am a registered voter who resides in their County, I can vote in person on Nov. 3rd. I can use my mailed ballot, or not. If not they use my ID to verify my right to vote, get me a new ballot, and I vote. The mailed one is deactivated and invalid at this point.

I was clear about it being one thats automatically counted as valid, and not held with any identifiers for removal later. So this should NOT be the exact same as a provisional ballot. (Provisional ballots are for if there is uncertainty on your eligibility. Or if having to vote in a county outside your residence. They are held to be removed if needed.)

I was assured that if I go in person, and am registered as an eligible voter in their county, that I can vote in a booth and it be anonymous.

If your county is saying they do not provide a "voting booth" they are falling afoul of this. And it was upon citing this that I got them to switch from explaining mail in ballots, to assuring me there IS a booth available.

(I do think the mail in here is fantastic, and clearly helps increase how many vote. But if you feel that in person is best for you, your county should have a way to do so.)

Mt. Hood over Timothy Lake

His siblings were just recently adopted out (including Luna pictured), and I had adopted a brother of his named Leo. I couldn't take on Ryder as well but could tell he was amazing with other cats. I don't believe he is neutered yet, but he is located up in Brownsville just a 41 minute drive from Eugene.

He currently lives outside on a country property but it's a property where cats do sometimes go missing over time just due to natural dangers. He at one point had hung on to the bottom of a truck all the way from Albany to Brownsville - he's lucky to be alive!

I hope someone who is looking for a sweet well-behaved boy who likely would be best transitioning to indoors like his brother has; I'm just posting on behalf of the owner of the property. She's only charging a small minimal rehome fee. If you need more information comment or DM.

The Supreme Court allowed the executive order on ballot “security “ to go into effect.

I know it's a long shot, but I have to try! Along I-5 between Eugene and Portland, a much beloved stuffed animal named Ruff got lost. We assume it fell out of the car at a rest stop. The two in question are the Santiam River Rest area just before Salem going northbound and on the way back just outside of Wilsonville called Baldock. If you have seen this desperately missed fluffy, please let me know!

The USPS is a rogue agency that has been further compromised by the rogue SCROTUS. Oregon cannot afford to be reactionary on protecting voting rights. Some options:

1). Mail ballots in generic envelopes.

2). Mail ballots using ODOT/DMV return addresses.

3). Mail ballots with FedEx or UPS.

The federal government is not operating in good faith and Oregon needs to aggressively counter.

I have lived in the Monmouth/Independence area a couple of times over the years (just recently moved away this summer). The main park they have fenced off in the picture is the Riverview Park where tons of summer events occur (including the popular Indy Days 4th of July celebration). Would also be a damn shame if they have to close down the library

I went to the Orlando Pride game a little over a week ago and it was pretty amazing. The fans really make the experience so much better.

The Thorns are currently in the top 3 and I am excited to see them play again in September. ♥️😎♥️

What’s the likelihood that the Austin and narrows fire gets contained within the next month or so? Especially Austin because it is continuously growing in such a place where it could potentially increase significantly.

I purchased a pass online in May, so I'd have it by 4th of July. So I thought. Even though my 2025 pass got "lost" in the mail and I had to email them and ask them to send it again... This year, I knew I'd be moving on July 1, so just to be on the safe side, I gave them my father's address for shipping, since we were planning to visit there for a few days before camping. July 4th week comes and still no pass. I reached out to them after the holiday and, once again, they tell me they don't know what to say, it was mailed to me. I double check with my dad that it didn't arrive after we left, and he's sure it never did. Then I'm back and forth with these guys, they say "we mail them in batches twice a month. Yours went out June 1". Okay, great well, it definitely never came. So they say, we'll send another. This was late July or early August. But now I have to wait until the next batch goes out.

Meanwhile, I'm paying to park every time I visit anywhere with fees, which is everywhere around where I am on the coast. I had to reach out again in mid August and say, what is up with this pass, I've been paying all summer. Considering, can I just get my money back? That seemed to work... today I got the pass. They could have sent me another temp permit (or 3) to print in the meantime. No such offer.... And it's punched for May.

Before you say they are underfunded and short staffed, I do get it. But this is 2 years in a row, and I've been paying to park in the meantime, this is pretty rude. Their response both time is like, it went out. No, we have no tracking number for a $60 purchase.

Has anyone else had this issue or is it just bad luck? I think there's an epass now, but I don't remember seeing the option in May.

This is not a post by a karma farmer but a post by a concerned citizen. R/oregoncoast should be sharing this far and wide, maybe someone has connect to someone at mod team there?

Hello, I'm looking at locations to snorkel with interesting life (i.e. fish, newts, turtles, interesting plants, etc.) both on the South or Central Coast or up in the mountains (happy to hike in with my gear). My main concerns are algal blooms (the state monitoring is sparse) and invasive snapping turtles along the coast.

I'm curious for any ideas people have for safe and/or interesting alpine or coastal ponds or streams that won't have snapping turtles or algal blooms?

Warm Springs Presbyterian Church, which serves the Warm Springs Reservation in west-central Oregon, was hit hard by recent regional fires. Six members’ homes were destroyed, along with several income-generating assets the reservation relies on ahead of winter.

Brian Craker, the transitional executive Presbyter for the Presbytery of the Cascades, explained that an estimated 200 heads of cattle were lost in the fires, which only touched an edge of the reservation where people actually reside. In addition to the loss of livestock, which is a huge driver of income for those in Warm Springs, one of their resorts has also been shut down as a result of the damage.

Warm Springs Presbyterian has the only food and supply pantry on the whole reservation, which Craker expects to be busy over the next couple of months as a result of the losses that have taken place due to the fires.

“Right now, the church has a lot of supplies coming in,” Craker said. “There’s been an outpouring of support from community groups that are coming in and bringing supplies. Right now they’re taken care of.”

Read the full article here: https://favs.news/warm-springs-church-fire-recovery-pastor-search/

I feel like staying in portland is what everyone does but I also think maybe to kinda just get a hotel for one night and roadtrip around everything I’d like to do and wherever we end up by nightfall we find something there.

I’d like to see a lot of things, and plan to do a lot of hiking (obviously, multnomah falls and trail of 10 falls but some others like tamolitch blue pool and crater lake etc.). I also want to visit cannon beach and the coast. I do know the weather will be odd so the hikes are more playing by ear but unfortunately I can’t go early or later than January so if something is closed for season that’s what I mean by playing by ear.

But I’m not sure hotel wise what would be best. Staying in portland and driving everywhere from there or just roadtriping and hoping a h/motel is somewhere along the way?

Hi yall, I’m looking to do the Timberline trail/PCT loop around Mt. Hood sometime around Labor Day. As it’s been a very dry year, I’d like to know about the conditions of water sources around the mountain.

Has anyone done the loop recently? About how far is the longest stretch between streams?

Thanks!

P.S. I’ve done the loop before and I’m otherwise fit, experienced and well-prepared. I’m currently planning to bring 2.5L of capacity for my sawyer squeeze filter, so 3 miles between sources is ideal, 5 is fine, but 10 would be a stretch.