Bi-Weekly Clips - Presidents Day Update

Readers:

Welcome to the unedited uncensured bi-weekly clips consolidated by young Oregonians for your consideration with other information sources. 

The clips are oriented to young Oregonians who are the future of the world.  My age group has indebted the Millennials and younger with $34 trillion in debt, turned 95% of the world against us, and started us down the road to corporate union feudalism.  Our future is in the hands of the younger generation now.

The bi-weekly clips for your consideration with other information:

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OREGON

The February short session is in full swing. With three weeks left, now is the time for citizen involvement. Read this Oregon Capital Chronicle article for a great break down of how the session is going and how to get involved.

One of Sen. Boquist and Rep. Tran’s bills did not make it out of committee. HB 4096 sought to prevent suicides via firearm holding.

OregonLive reports about how Amazon data centers are among the state’s biggest carbon polluters. Who’dve thought cap and trade would cause problems? The article focuses on how the Umatilla Electric Cooperative “is responsible for 1.8 million tons of carbon-emissions annually,” but has just 16,000 customers. The article says, “Data centers’ power demands have upended Oregon’s fight against global warming, exposing the limitations of the state’s electrical grid and the state’s hope to move toward clean power. Oregon is many years away from meaningfully expanding its transmission capacity, and with Amazon planning at least 10 more data centers in the region, eastern Oregon’s carbon footprint is poised to continue soaring.”

Anecdotally, some Oregonians in Prineville and surrounding areas have left due to Amazon, Facebook and Apple data centers using up the water supply to keep the centers cool. These data centers have clogged the once beautiful ridge with disturbing fluorescent lights and barbed fences and provided minimal jobs. But environmentalists didn’t care then.

Oregon Live reports: “Pacific Power is asking state regulators to approve a 17% rate increase for residential customers and businesses starting next year. The public-owned utility says it needs the roughly $304 million the rate hike would generate for new renewable energy projects and investments in transmission infrastructure that would allow it to add those sources to the grid.” So electric cars?

WWeek reports: Seeking to keep their seats, GOP senators toss Hail Mary. Still fighting, Senator Boquist (I-Dallas) and Senator Linthicum (R-Klamath Falls) were in front of the Ninth Circuit Court last Friday to present their case against Measure 113 and for Free Speech. A decision will likely be handed down by March 1.

WWeek has a Q&A with the two candidates for MultCo DA, focusing specifically on Measure 110. In the article, “With Oregon’s pioneering drug-decriminalization Measure 110 on the chopping block, the state’s Democratic lawmakers are pushing a compromise. They want to restore criminal penalties for possession of hard drugs—but less severe penalties than those on the books prior to the passage of 110, approved overwhelmingly by Oregon voters in 2020.”

On the Senate Floor: Gov. Kotek wants to spend $500 million on housing. Sen. Boquist spoke about how the state wants to build more houses but is ignoring the people who lost their homes in the 2020 fire. According to Oregon’s own data, “Eleven lives were lost and more than 4,000 homes were destroyed during Oregon's unprecedented 2020 wildfire season.”

40% of the cost of building is regulatory. 40% of every dime spent is the government making cost. That doesn't include city development charges. If you get a settlement, the first 35% goes to the state and federal government for taxes. So the individual can't possibly rebuild their house. Then the attorney fees get taxed a second time. The homeowner is left with about 20 cents on the dollar to rebuild his house, damaged in the fires. If we want to build 5,000 houses in the state of Oregon, we need to also put the money back in those homeowners' pockets so they can rebuild their houses. Watch Sen. Boquist speak on this here at 21:33.

OPB reports on nearly $2 million of government dollars being wasted because a much-needed Tribal Early Learning Hub to increase Indigenous families’ access to early learning and child care programs, never got off the ground.

OPB reports on how 35 pharmacies closed in Oregon last year.

OPB reports: “The Oregon Senate Tuesday passed a bill that would cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month. Senate Bill 1508 would also limit the cost to $105 for a 90-day supply.” One senator, with reliance on insulin, had much to say about it and the reason for voting NO.

Oregon Capital Chronicle reports that state universities admit more out-of-state students for the tuition bump. The article says, “Some universities that recruit out-of-state students tend to focus on private high school students, since their families often can afford to pay higher tuition, he said. But some recruiting lately has expanded to public high schools, usually in affluent suburbs, or areas where there are few public state universities and pockets of affluent students all competing for the in-state slots. It’s easier, sometimes, to get in at a university in another state.”

• Forbes is reporting that double majoring, or money for universities, is the secret to job security when any bob and mary without a degree can start a podcast or Instagram account these days and sell advertisements to make a living.

NATIONAL:

• From Oregon Capital Chronicle: Some people don’t think Biden and Trump are too old to be president.
• From the National Review: Mayorkas is not the right target for impeachment over the border. Biden is.
• DailyWire reports: “A decorated military veteran who was in business with Hunter Biden told Congress that contrary to assertions by Democrats, the work with a Communist Party of China-linked company began while Joe Biden was in power, not immediately after, according to a transcriptof his testimony released Friday.”
• From NBC: CDC may recommend a spring COVID booster for some groups. What number are we on??
• From Ad Week: On Super Bowl ads

CONSPIRACY CORNER: Stay tuned for next week!

GLOBAL

On Ukraine:

• The Hill opinion: Why Putin finds himself in a much stronger position than the West believes.
• From Reuters: Ukrainian troops withdraw from Avdiivka as ammunition shortage bites.

Forbes reports: “Six months ago, Ukrainian (artillery) batteries were firing as many as 6,000 shells a day and, in some sectors of the 600-mile front line, even matching Russians batteries’ own shellfire. Today, four months after Republicans began blocking aid, the Ukrainians are firing just 2,000 shells a day. At the same time, the Russians—flush with shells from North Korea and Iran—are firing up as many as 10,000 shells a day.”

So now they are setting the stage for Ukraine to not be able to protect itself defensively.

• From The Washington Post: In Munich, Zelensky urges U.S. and other allies not to abandon Ukraine. They just want more money!
• From Bloomberg: UK, Allies look to arm Ukraine with AI-enabled swarm drones

On Israel:

• From The Hill: Gaza’s health crisis is horrifying and getting worse.
• NBC News reports: U.S. warns Israel over Rafah ground offensive; Palestinians say they’re preparing for the worst.
• From NPR: With Palestinian laborers shut out of Israel, Indian workers line up for jobs there.

On Afghanistan:

• From AXIOS: Biden defends deadly Afghanistan withdrawal – doesn’t think anyone made a mistake.
• From UN News: Drastic erosion of women’s rights in Afghanistan continues
• Variety reports on this insane movie concept that must be to try and show how “kind” the Taliban is? So propaganda? Here’s the headline: ‘Transition,’ a documentary about a trans man who embeds with the Taliban in Afghanistan, premiers trailer”
• From The Jerusalem Post: Al-Qaeda resurfaces in Afghanistan with new training camps, Islamic schools.

Information in the bi-weekly clips can be used for preparing legislative actions, functions, purposes and responses for potential future enactments in Oregon.

Recommended listening: White Flag by a girl band called Joseph

Information in the bi-weekly clips can be used for preparing legislative actions, functions, purposes, and responses for potential future enactments in Oregon.

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Recall my comments or observations are in italics while the younger consolidators are in block.  The goal is to get younger people thinking, seeking other information, and paying attention, not take a position one way or the other.  Energize Millennials and younger into action. 

Old men do not win wars ... young people win wars with our help God willing!  So, pray for peace this President's Day. 

This is a mid-bi-weekly update as the Legislature is in session.  Less than a dozen bills have finalized in form to the Floor of the Senate.  This is not a budgeting session.  FYI, remember, at least 32%, more than $38 billion of the state budget is borrowed funds.  Millennials and younger will have to pay the debt if the country continues.  We will provide comments or observations next week.  You can see what is happening in Salem on OLIS.

Remember, Government serves Government not the People ... down to the lowest level. Federal, state, county, district, city … and more.   

Be informed.  Be prepared. Be ready. Be active. Make a difference.

De oppresso liber.  Veterans first.  

Sincerely,

Brian Boquist

State Senator

Munich Conference Today: Nazi's are who again?  

Why the blackouts and higher electric rates?  PGE?  State? Who? 

Information in the bi-weekly clips can be used for preparing legislative actions, functions, purposes, and responses for potential future enactments in Oregon.