Ashland carsharing co-op folds

Image via WikipediaAlas, a great idea is not enough.

Noticing the Naked Emperor: Traffic Projections are BS

Harry Truman used to say that "A statistician is someone who can draw a straight line from a prior assumption to a foregone conclusion." Nowhere is this more true than in the hocus-pocus field of traffic forecasting to justify new construction projects, which is to real statistics what homeopathy is to medicine (you can get whatever result you want just by wishing!)

Here in Salem, the Highway Lobby and its pet politicians have been pushing to waste millions to see if they can push through a third auto bridge at the cost of hundreds of millions ($600 million and up), even as usage is declining on the existing bridges and peak oil means that vehicle travel is on a permanent downward trend.

Luckily, we are so broke in Oregon that Portland area folks are starting to choke on the absurd proposal to spend $10 - $15 billion (with interest and completely predictable overruns included) on a monstrous highway megabridge, the big brother of the same kind of absurd thinking here in Salem.

Best of all, there are enough people appalled by this fantasy that they are starting to notice reality before it's too late. Like the reality that the numbers being used to justify all this spending are total bunk.

Even more important, it absolutely wouldn't even matter if they were using honest numbers, because the end of the auto era is upon us. The only thing building a few last highway megaprojects would do is speed us up right at the moment of impact at the other end. In other words, spending more money trying to deny that the auto era is ending is like, as Bill Cosby put it, "leaning into a left hook."

For a great primer on where we are, the estimable Gail ("Gail the Actuary") Tverberg's "Our Finite World" blog can't be beat. All her stuff is worthwhile, but see especially her posts here, and here, and here, and here, and here. Locally, the Salem Breakfast on Bikes blog has started to do a good job on the whole insane disconnect between what Salem says it wants for itself and what we actually plan to spend money on (money we're not going to have anyway). I stole the photo above from Breakfast on Bikes blog.

Related articles

• Report: Project for new span overshot toll figures (bendbulletin.com)

Drunk on Ethanol

Image by Sam Beebe / Ecotrust via FlickrScientific American piece summarizing the awful truth: ethanol is an ineffective way to use land. Oregon is continuing to prop up this immoral, inefficient, counter-productive scheme, lavishing money on ethanol boondoggles in Eastern Oregon year after year. They're now pretending that they're going to turn the stands of cottonwood trees along I-84 into ethanol, but that will stop the instant the subsidies run out. Funny how folks like Congressman Walden in Oregon's 2d Congressional District hate taxes and pork, except for all the taxes wasted on pork in their district.

Related articles

• Biofuel demand in US driving higher food prices, says report (guardian.co.uk)
• Port of Morrow aims to recruit $100 million plant (oregonlive.com)
• Burning ethanol eats up energy (timesunion.com)
• Hooray! Congress Is Finally Scaling Back Ethanol Subsidies! Except for Not (reason.com)
• Right On! Senate Votes To Kill Ethanol Subsidies!!! (angrydd.wordpress.com)

WORD: A beacon of common sense from a LOVESalem foreign correspondent

Image via WikipediaOne of the legion of LOVESalem foreign correspondents corps sends this from the shores of Lake Michigan, with a message clear enough to be seen from sea to shining sea:

I have been following the childish behavior of the elected representatives in federal government for the past several weeks (months?). I am continually amazed at the partisanship displayed by allegedly mature adults who should have the welfare of THE ENTIRE COUNTRY uppermost in their minds.

I have to assume you were all raised in environments which stressed honesty, fairness, compassion and a concern for those among us who are less fortunate. You all know what the right thing to do regarding the current financial situation is. Why is it so hard to get to an equitable conclusion? To paraphrase General Schwarzkopf: everyone knows what is right, the hard part is doing what is right.

In our government, with its huge range of ideology, the goal should be consensus rather than partisanship and compromise. I believe there are some stumbling blocks in trying to reach this goal. First is thinking that consensus is a win-lose situation, rather than the win-win outcome it really is. Second, is that many of you (Congress) appear to say or do ANYTHING you think will assure your re-election. Third, and most important, in my view, is that a large number of members of the House and Senate have been stupid enough to sign tax, marriage, abortion and etc. pledges, proposed by a non-elected, outside party, who has no stake in the potential results of those pledges. It is VERY difficult to back away from the challenge of a pledge, which leaves no room for extenuating circumstances, and still save face.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States Congress, you are now up to your eyeballs in extenuating circumstances. It is time to pull up your big-boy, and big-girl, pants, put aside your plans for future employment, realize that YOU are "Washington," stop name calling and come to consensus. Who knows . . . maybe if you ALL opened your minds there might be a third solution out there that is better than the Republican or Democratic plans that have already been proposed. If you can't do this, I think there might be a third choice for representation in the foreseeable future.

Bob Eichelberger
Norton Shores, MI

Get going early tomorrow morning

Image by dbzer0 via FlickrAnother great free gardening class from Marion-Polk Food Share:

Garden Friends and Foes:
Managing Pests and Encouraging Beneficials in Your Garden

Saturday, August 13th, 10am – 12pm
Hammond Community Garden
4900 Bayne St. NE, Salem, OR
Located behind Hammond Elementary School
Drop in – No RSVP required.

About the event:
Many “critters” inhabit our gardens. Some are helpful to us and some just want to eat our plants. Come and learn about which is which, how to encourage the helpful visitors and how to manage the pests using environmentally friendly techniques.

About the host:
Gail Gredler teaches horticulture and pest management at Chemeketa Community College. She is also an avid home gardener, where she uses environmentally friendly techniques to keep pests from spoiling the harvest.
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Upcoming for September:

Season Extension with Cold Frames
With local winter gardening enthusiast and small business owner Michael Taylor

Seed Saving: Continuing an Ancient Tradition, Host TBD.

For more information contact Ian Dixon-McDonald, Community Gardens Program Director
(503) 581-3855 x329, imcdonald@marionpolkfoodshare.org

Worthwhile OSPIRG Effort

Image via WikipediaIt's bad enough that we so often fail to do what needs to be done. What's even worse is when we subsidize things that absolutely should NOT be done, such as the conversion of corn into a diluted, lower-energy form of motor fuel (ethanol), which robs the land of productivity and people of food, while helping prop up a high-input, destructive, highly-petrochemical-dependent and polluting form of industrial agribusiness. The capture of the US Department of Agriculture by Big Agribusiness is one of the travesties of our time, and we're all paying the price. OSPIRG has joined a good campaign to turn the "Farm Bill" back into a slightly less horrific thing, and it's worth your support.

Oregon is blessedly free of the worst of this, but there are definitely pressures to keep pushing small farms off the land and consolidate more and more. By helping make the Farm Bill into more of a "Food Bill," you are helping preserve our single most important asset, our fertile land and soil.

When Jack Hedin, a Minnesota farmer, rented a few acres of land from neighboring corn farms to grow watermelons, tomatoes and other vegetables for a local health food store, he learned first-hand how unhelpful farm subsidies can be.

Jack ended up paying $8,771 in fines for one growing season [1] because, as he learned, it’s illegal to use land marked for corn to grow anything that isn’t subsidized. Corn or soy — often the main ingredients in processed junk food? Good to go. Fresh fruit and vegetables? Not so fast.

At a time when nearly one in three kids in the United States is overweight or obese, we can't let our farm policies continue to underwrite cheap junk food.

Thanks to a historic opportunity, now's our chance to end these handouts. We're hoping to get another 40 supporters to give $40 to expand our campaign.

Can you chip in to help us demonstrate the public support it will take to deliver a win?

In anticipation of a larger Farm Bill next year, the House has introduced a bill that would reform the worst of these subsidies, cutting $28 billion over the next 10 years from the program that is responsible for making unhealthy processed food so cheap and ubiquitous. This bill is an important first step and an unprecedented opportunity.

The opportunity exists because the public is increasingly aware that agribusiness subsidies are misdirected.

Agribusinesses, to prevent farmers like Jack from competing, have carved out a convenient system for themselves. Of course, they are doing everything they can to keep these handouts.

Consider this:

• The richest 4% of agribusinesses — which includes giants Cargill and Monsanto — receive almost three-quarters of the subsidies.
• 87% Oregon farmers receive no subsidy payments at all. [2]
• In the last presidential election year alone, these big agribusinesses spent more than $200 million on lobbying and campaign contributions.
• Cargill, one such giant agribusiness, is receiving government assistance even though it’s is the largest privately owned corporation in America and recently reported quarterly profits of $1.49 billion.

I’m still confident that we can win, because when I talk to people about this campaign, they’re just outraged. We’ve talked to thousands of Oregonians who now know how the government is underwriting the childhood obesity epidemic — and many of them won’t stand for it either.

It will take that public outrage to push past the junk food lobby and convince Congress to act. That’s why we’re:

Organizing grassroots support to put pressure on our representatives;

Building a strong coalition of children’s advocacy, public health and taxpayer groups to join us; and

Publishing research and getting our message out in the media. And to do all that, we're hoping to get another 40 supporters to give $40 in next two weeks to expand our campaign. Can you help with a donation right now?

Thanks for all you do.

David Rosenfeld, OSPIRG Executive Director

[1]. New York Times, "My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables)".
[2]. Environmental Working Group Farm Subsidy Database.

Free Fall Seed-Starting Class from Marion-Polk Food Share

Image via Wikipedia

Summer Educational Series
Marion-Polk Food Share Community Gardens Program

Fall Seed Starting with Soil Blocks



Tuesday, August 9
4pm – 6pm
Oregon School for the Deaf Greenhouse
999 Locust St. NE
Salem, OR
Enter of Maple St. NE.
Drop in – No RSVP required.

Learn about the “soil block” method of seed starting (no plastic needed!) with local expert, educator and Marion-Polk Food Share volunteer Pete Nagy. Lend a hand and help start seeds for the Oregon School for the Deaf Urban Farm. All produce from the project is donated to Marion-Polk Food Share.

About the host:
Pete Nagy has been a dedicated community garden organizer for the past three years, working at the Oregon School for the Deaf Urban Farm, the Northgate Forgiveness and Peace Garden and many others. Pete pioneered the soil block seed starting method in Salem, and is a skilled speaker and teacher.

Upcoming for September:

Season Extension with Cold Frames
With local winter gardening enthusiast and small business owner Michael Taylor

Seed Saving: Continuing an Ancient Tradition. Host TBD.

For more information contact Ian Dixon-McDonald, Community Gardens Program Director
(503) 581-3855 x329, imcdonald@marionpolkfoodshare.org.

Low-cost community leadership training

Like the man said,

Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky.

They are people who say: This is my community, and it’s my responsibility to make it better. (Gov. Tom McCall)

Introduction to Community Leadership

Part I - August 15th,
Part II - August 16th, 4-7 pm (six hours total)

Where? Northgate Center, 2nd Floor, 3850 Portland Rd NE, Salem, OR 97301

Cost? $10 suggested minimum donation for the entire workshop (scholarships available). To register send email or call Maria at 503.363.1895

Introduction to Community Leadership will provide learners with a fundamental working knowledge of the varied aspects which go into crafting a successful community-led engagement campaign.

Community engagement campaigns are those which have a clear end in mind, whether that is something as local as new street lighting, or something more broad such as expanded health coverage for working families. This course prepares learners for advanced and hands-on learning in more specialized topics within Leadership Development and Community Organizing.

This course is especially effective for those new to community organizing, or those looking to sharpen their skills. It is not required to come with an issue already in mind! This workshop will teach you how to choose an issue that makes sense for your community. By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the basic components of community engagement/organizing campaigns.
  
  
• Understand and articulate the difference between an Issue and a Problem
  
  
• Describe the basic steps required to develop a community engagement/organizing campaign.
  
  
• Understand the concept of the Social Determinants of Health.

WORD: Growth is over

WORD: Dahlia Lithwick on Church & State

Image via WikipediaAnother awesome Dahlia.