Warning to Salem! Chamber-backed Candidates Want to Tax You To Benefit Only Themselves

It's pitiful that we're watching Polk Co budget meltdown and simultaneously proposing to squander hundreds of millions from the pockets of Salem residents to allow a few wealthy area developers to profit from overtaxing Polk County services even further.  We know that residential development in sprawl patterns costs more than it produces in tax revenue base, so the Bridgeasaurus is actually a job and services killer in Salem and in Polk County too..

WARNING TO ALL SALEM VOTERS--

THE SALEM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WANTS TO RAISE YOUR TAXES HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR FOR TWENTY YEARS TO BENEFIT POLK COUNTY AND KEIZER BUSINESSES AND GUT SALEM's DOWNTOWN.  The underlined candidates below want to tax all of Salem to benefit a few wealthy developers and businesses.

Mayor: Anna Petersen is for the 3rd Bridge. AND TAXING AND TOLLING YOU TO PAY FOR THE BRIDGE TO BENEFIT HER FRIENDS.
 
Ward 2: Tom Andersen and Bradd Swank are against the 3rd Bridge and for common sense alternatives to address crossing issues.  

Sherrone Blasi is for the 3rd Bridge AND TAXING AND TOLLING YOU TO PAY FOR THE BRIDGE TO BENEFIT HER FRIENDS.

Ward 4: Scott Bassett is against the 3rd Bridge and for common sense alternatives to address crossing issues.  

Steve McCoid is for the 3rd Bridge. AND TAXING AND TOLLING YOU TO PAY FOR THE BRIDGE TO BENEFIT HIS FRIENDS.

 
Ward 6: Daniel Benjamin is for the 3rd Bridge AND TAXING AND TOLLING YOU TO PAY FOR THE BRIDGE TO BENEFIT HIS FRIENDS.

Xue Lor did not complete the Chamber questionnaire but is known to be against the 3rd Bridge and for common sense alternatives to address crossing issues.  

Ward 8: Both Jim Lewis and Christopher Proudfoot are for the 3rd Bridge AND TAXING AND TOLLING YOU TO PAY FOR THE BRIDGE TO BENEFIT THEIR FRIENDS.

Vote Andersen, Bassett, Lor, and the mayoral and Ward 8 write-ins to be named later!

We do need to teach creationism vs. Evolution

       Reading this article I was reminded of something I wrote about 10 years back

http://www.thegreatstory.org/john-gear.pdf

----
http://read.feedly.com/html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psmag.com%2Fnavigation%2Fnature-and-technology%2Fneed-teach-evolution-controversy-78209%2F&theme=white&size=medium

Sign up for 2014 Food-Share Community Garden Plots -- they'll go fast!

Would you like to rent a garden plot this season? Please see below for the up-to-date list of community garden locations and availability.   Happy Spring!    Ingrid Evjen-Elias Community Garden Coordinator   T: 503-798-0457 F: 503-581-3862 E: ievjenelias@marionpolkfoodshare.org 1660 Salem Industrial Drive NE Salem OR 97301-0374 www.marionpolkfoodshare.org/                Community Garden Locations and Contact Information 2014 Season   NORTHEAST SALEM   Calvary Chapel Community Garden 1550 Hoffman Road NE Lyna Ramsey   lynaramsey@gmail.com 503-304-8840 FULL for 2014   Brown Road Community Garden 2350 Brown Rd. NE Kaleb Herring kaleb@salemfirst.com 503-383-2920   Fuente de Vida 3295 Ladd Ave. NE Linda Mungia & Pamela Lyons-Nelson plnelson@teleport.com 503-851-3662   Hammond Community Garden 4900 Bayne St. NE Michelle Bertholf hammondptc@yahoo.com 503-551-6472   Highland Neighborhood Garden Corner of Hazel and Columbia NE Karen Hill vickph@spiritone.com FULL for 2014   Isaac's Garden 355 14th St. NE Nichole Rose nichole@fselc.org 503-391-4145   Jardín de la Paz 4625 Cordon Rd. NE Jose Gonzalez 503-857-9793            Northgate Forgiveness & Peace Garden Northgate City Park, north end of Fairhaven Amador & Veronica Aguilar peacl_proyect@yahoo.com 503-391-9871    Northgate New Direction Garden 3193 Silverton Rd. NE Salem, OR Pastor Dell & Wil Parker pastordellofficencc@comcast.net 503-983-5583 or 503-584-1637   Redeemer Community Garden 4663 Lancaster Drive NE Jan Shearer timnjan3@msn.com 503-393-7121 SOUTH/SOUTHEAST SALEM   Baxter Hill Community Garden 1770 Baxter Road SE Tom Martin tommlawn@gmail.com 503-480-6494 FULL for 2014   EDEN: Eat. Discover. Educate. Nurture. 4890 32nd Ave. SE Christie Edwards 503-588-5647 x100   Julie's Garden 590 Elma St. SE Sarah Owens & Michael Livingston hlowens2@msn.com (503) 302-5819   South Salem Friends Community Garden 1140 Baxter Rd. SE Patricia Callaway pike209@msn.com (503) 363-4372 FULL for 2014   Southeast Salem Neighborhood Garden 410 19th St. NE Marcia Hoak & Rob Gould marcia25@comcast.net 503-400-8796   St. Francis Community Garden 1820 Berry St. SE Claudia Howells 503-363-6587 FULL for 2014   Sunnyside Community Garden Sunnyside and Valleywood SE Dina Devoe 503-378-1847   Sunnyslope Community Garden 4201 Liberty Rd. S. Norm Reiss & Sally Cook  503-510-5736 sunnyslopecommunitygarden@gmail.com   WEST SALEM   Ellen Lane Community Garden 3100 Garrett Dr. NW Jim O'Toole jimmyot15@yahoo.com 971-240-9169 FULL for 2014   Orchard Heights Community Garden Orchard Heights City Park, NW Heather Burns & Jane Lamb Upper: heatherburns23@gmail.com Lower: gonehikingor@comcast.net 503-399-0953   West Salem Boys & Girls Club Community Garden 925 Gerth St. NW Robert Haley haley3590@comcast.net (503) 375-3551   KEIZER   Clearlake UMC Community Garden 7920 Wheatland Rd. Darren Schmidt   503-569-9100 prof.darren@gmail.com   John Knox Community Garden 452 Cummings Lane N Mary Jo Emmett mj.emmett@comcast.net 503-393-9447   Southeast Keizer Community Garden 1045 Candlewood Drive NE Joseph Penner smcekcc@qwestoffice.net 503-845-6147   Rickman Community Garden 930 Chemawa Rd. NE Tanya Hamilton trmhamilton@hotmail.com 503-510-2779   Whittam Community Garden 5205 Ridge Drive NE Kathy Whittam kwhittam@comcast.net 503-510-9926   WOODBURN    Planting Communities! Multiple locations Ian Niktab & Erubiel Valladares PlantingcommunitiesWB@gmail.com 503-544-0401   SILVERTON   Silverton Grange Garden Cate Tennyson 503-510-2253   MARION COUNTY   Aumsville Community Garden 965 Olney St. Patty Massingale 541-350-9876   Mill City Community Garden Kimmel Park, Mill City Susan Chamberlin 503-949-5965   Stayton Community Garden N. 4th Ave. & E. Florence St. Rachel Wolf RWolf@ci.stayton.or.us 503-769-2919   St. Joseph's Community Garden 925 S. Main St. (Mt. Angel) Sister Marcella 503-845-6147   POLK COUNTY   Grace Baptist Community Garden 1855 Ellendale Ave. Russ Hillsinger 503-623-4858   Gathering Place Community Garden 1247 SE Uglow St. Michelle Johnson (503) 930-2866   Grande Ronde Community Garden 825 Grande Ronde Rd. Patti LuClaire patricia.lclr@yahoo.com (503) 851-2999         STAY CONNECTED

Forward this email Marion-Polk Food Share | 1660 Salem Industrial Dr. NE | Salem | OR | 97301

Very, Very Interesting Idea

        This is really interesting; haven't thought it through to see if it holds up, but it appears to do a good job addressing one of the biggest problems we have, the volatility of tax revenues (which is about how we tax) without getting into the fruitless and never-ending battle over revenue amounts (how much we tax).

Further, this appears to offer a good path towards a carbon tax and rebate system, which ultimately is where we must go.  Getting the kinks worked out using this system above would then make extension to a carbon tax and rebate quite straightforward.

----
http://read.feedly.com/html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oregonlive.com%2Fforest-grove%2Findex.ssf%2F2014%2F03%2Fa_sales_tax_just_for_oregonian_1.html&theme=white&size=medium
-

Brace for Impact: TRIBULATION (Revelations only w/ Science)

       http://read.feedly.com/html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailyimpact.net%2F2014%2F03%2F29%2Fcritical-acclaim-greets-tribulation-a-novel-of-the-coming-crash%2F&theme=white&size=medium

The Man Bill Gates Thinks You Absolutely Should Be Reading - Wired Science

Wired is like the blind pig -- stumbles on an acorn now and then. I love that Smil slams them in his interview with them.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/11/vaclav-smil-wired/

Climate Chaos: here now, gonna get worse, lots worse

So let's squander hundreds of millions on unnecessary highway boondoggles like the Bridgeasaurus instead of on things that will help our living children and their kids avoid the worst!  Because, for the highway and sprawl lobby, Gordon Gekko always says it best:  "Greed is Good" -- and it's nothing but the greed of the well off today that keeps us chasing the chimera of "growth."  

       
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=14-P13-00013&segmentID=1

Best new thing in Salem in a long while -- join in!

Of course, the deeper answer is to stop wasting resources and reducing learning by laying aside the obsolete agricultural era school year model ... All schools should be year-round, with abundant breaks to allow play and rejuvenation, but no extended stopping, as we do now with summer break.  But the program below is a welcome and wonderful response to the problem of the traditional school calendar, and will help bring critical skills into the schools.

From: "Salem Harvest" <elise@salemharvest.org>
Date: March 29, 2014 at 9:13:19 PDT
Subject: Community Garden Opportunity

Happy Spring!

Salem Harvest volunteers have a unique opportunity this summer that not only can help alleviate hunger in the long term but can also help you learn a skill as well – gardening. 

 Programs to combat hunger, such as Marion-Polk Food Share, are finding they need to do more than simply provide food to people.  They need to help teach people how to grow their own food.  Thus, they are getting involved in various community garden projects.

Three years ago the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation started a program of after-school garden clubs.  They now have gardens at more than a half dozen schools in Salem.  But they face a major challenge in how to take care of those gardens during the summer, when the schools are not in session.

To tend these community gardens over the summer, the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation, the OSU Marion County Master Gardeners, and Salem Harvest are coming together.  It is planned that for each garden there will be a team of two Master Gardeners and three volunteers so that not all members of the team would have to attend each week. Although it will differ with each garden, it is anticipated that each garden team would maintain and harvest from its garden once a week from mid-June through August at a time that best suits the members of the team.

There are seven schools with community gardens that will need looking after this summer:

Grant Elementary
Highland Elementary
Washington Elementary
McKinley Elementary
Parrish Middle School
Waldo Middle School
Houck Middle School

One of the goals of SKEF's school gardens program is to encourage the students and their families to be involved in the gardens over the summer.  To that end, the Master Gardeners are going to work with the students during the spring session of the after-school garden clubs, for ten weeks beginning the week of April 1st.  The hope is that the personal relationships developed in the spring will translate into the students and families being more motivated to come to the garden in the summer.  Salem Harvest volunteers will be welcome to become involved during the spring session as well, not only to develop personal relationships with the students but also to get in on the initial phases of the gardening process, however, completely optional.

This project is a good way to contribute to the community while at the same time learning more about gardening.  Kids are of course welcome, actually encouraged to participate! 

If you are interested in joining us, please contact me at elise@salemharvest.org –OR-
Salem-Keizer Education Foundation, Chelsey Thomsen at chelsey.thomsen@foodcorps.org –OR-
OSU Marion County Master Gardeners, Bill and Carol Sutkus at bcsutkus@hotmail.com.

Looking forward to seeing you this summer,

Elise Bauman,
Salem Harvest, President

Comes the Dawn: UN Notices Biofuels Hurt More Than Help The Environment

  
UN To Declare Biofuels Cause More Harm Than Benefit To The Environment
// JONATHAN TURLEY

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

According The Telegraph the United Nations will officially warn that growing crops to make "green" biofuel harms the environment and drives up food prices, The Telegraph can disclose. A leaked draft of a UN report condemns the widespread use of biofuels made from crops as a replacement for petrol and diesel. It says that biofuels, rather than combating the effects of global warming, could make them worse.

The draft report represents a dramatic about-turn for the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Its previous assessment on climate change, in 2007, was widely condemned by environmentalists for giving the green light to large-scale biofuel production. The latest report instead puts pressure on world leaders to scrap policies promoting the use of biofuel for transport. The summary for policy makers states: "Increasing bioenergy crop cultivation poses risks to ecosystems and biodiversity."

The report into the impact of man-made climate change is the most authoritative of its kind. For the first time, it considered the impact of biofuels on the environment. Biofuels were once billed as the green alternative to fossil fuels, but environmental campaigners have voiced concern about them for some time. They note that growing biofuel crops on a large scale requires either the conversion of agricultural land used for food crops or the destruction of forests to free up land, possibly offsetting any reduction in carbon emissions from the use of biofuels. Other concerns include increased stress on water supplies and rising corn prices as a result of increased demand for the crop, which is fermented to produce biofuel. ...

The Telegraph
Photo Credit: Mariordo Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz (Fuel Pump)

Calling K-5 parents! Training Sessions for an Eco-School Network in Salem

Calling all parents & teachers! The first of three Eco-School Network Trainings will be April 14th at Straub Environmental Center View this email in your browser   April Launch of Salem Eco-School Network for Parents of K-5 Children in the Salem area. Training sessions on Mondays, April 14th, 21st and 28th 6 pm - 8 pm Straub Environmental Center 1320 A St. NE, Salem - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Background: A proposal to form a Salem Eco-School Network was discussed with Salem-area parents, teachers, and community members. The group enthusiastically endorsed the idea. What: On Mondays, April 14, 21 and 28, a three-session training for Salem-area K-5 parents (and teachers) will be offered at no cost to kick off the Salem Eco-School Network (ESN). An ESN is composed of parents who wish to volunteer at their children's school by introducing sustainability initiatives and promoting earth-centered activities. Sister ESNs now exist in Portland, Beaverton, and Corvallis, where trained parents from about 60 schools are active. Who: The training is offered at no cost for Salem-area parents interested in introducing sustainability initiatives and promoting earth-centered activities at their K-5 schools. Why: This no-cost training has many benefits for the participants beyond learning and applying a tested framework for effective work within an elementary school. Parents with similar goals become acquainted, learn skills that are helpful for working with any group, and learn specific ways to work cooperatively within their respective schools. During the three sessions, each parent clarifies a vision for some change within the school, large or small, and explores strategies, initiatives, and tools that have been used successfully by other ESN parents. Training sessions will be at Straub Environmental Center and are conducted by the Oregon Eco-School Networks Program within the Center for Earth Leadership. To get involved, contact Dick Roy, 503-227-2315, dick@earthleaders.org, Oregon Eco-School Networks Program. For more information, check out the Eco-School Network site, at: http://earthleaders.org/programs/eco-school-networks/     Copyright © 2014 Straub Environmental Center, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you attended one of our programs and gave us your email address. Our mailing address is: Straub Environmental Center PO Box 12363 Salem, OR 97309