On this day, May 21, 2001, in Seattle, Wa., members of the Earth Liberation Front torched the Univ. of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture causing about $6 million in damage. An Oregon tree farm owned by Jefferson Poplar Farms was also burned. four people were later convicted of taking part in the firebombing. One later committed suicide in prison.
Also on this day, May 21, 2002, The George W. Bush administration said it will allow new mining to resume on nearly one million acres of the Siskiyou region.
Also on this day, May 21, 2006, demolition crews destroyed the 499-foot cooling tower of the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant. Demolition of the containment dome was scheduled in 2008.
Also on this day, May 21, 1998, 15 year-old Kipland Kinkel killed one classmate and wounded 19 more at Thurston High School. His parents, William and Faith, were found shot dead at home and a 2nd student died the next day. He had been expelled from school the previous day for bringing a gun to school. Kinkel dropped an insanity plea in 1999 and pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and 26 counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced over 111 years in prison.
“We cannot support any attempt to violate any Oregonian’s homeâ€
In a
letter addressed to Oregon Governor Kate Brown from several state and local elected officials, the Governor's recent
executive order with regard to COVID-19 have been called out and questioned.
Perhaps most significant is that the letter calls out the executive branch for ignoring science -- the very science that they claim their orders are based on:
We recognize the threat that COVID-19 poses to our community and support data driven decisions to limit the spread of this disease, but we do not support the mandate to close gyms, churches, and restaurants as it is not supported by historical data and will only address a small fraction of Oregon’s COVID cases at the cost of thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses.
Combined, cases that can be traced back to churches, restaurants and gyms make up less than 1% of all the recorded COVID cases in Oregon. Quite simply, there is no actual evidence that restaurants, gyms or churches are driving COVID in our community. In fact, because of the adherence to mask wearing and social distancing, these establishments have been some of the safest in the state.
The closure of these establishments ensures more jobs are lost and Oregonians are left only to rely on a broken unemployment system. Our neighbors and friends won’t be able to pay their mortgages, pay their rent, or buy Christmas presents for their children because of this decision. This is wrong.
In a statement that perhaps best highlights the insensitivity and lack of compassion of the
Governor's order and her handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in general, the letter continues:
Furthermore, we are concerned with the violation of our privacy as the state police and local law enforcement agencies are being ordered to investigate and criminally charge Oregonians based on the number of people they invite into their homes. Legality questions aside, with depression and anxiety levels at an all-time high, creating a new crime to visit your family only hinders those struggling with their mental health.
Data shows us that COVID has been spreading at private social gatherings, and we call on our fellow citizens to be careful and social distance when gathering over the holidays, but we cannot and will not support any attempt by any police agency to violate the sacred space of any Oregonian’s home.
The
letter has been signed by the following elected officials:
Bill Post – State Representative, House District 25
Colm Willis, Marion County Commissioner
Rick Lewis – State Representative, House District 18
David Brock Smith – State Representative, House District 1
Raquel Moore-Green – State Representative, House District 19
Mark Owens – State Representative, House District 60
Mike Nearman – State Representative, House District 23
Jim Yon – Linn County Sheriff
Tim Knopp – State Senator, Senate District 27
Jack Zika – State Representative, House District 53
Cathy Clark, Mayor of Keizer
Craig Pope, Polk County Commissioner
Danielle Bethell, Marion County Commissioner Elect
Lyle Mordhorst, Polk County Commissioner
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.com
--Staff ReportsPost Date: 2020-11-17 19:04:17 | Last Update: 2020-11-18 09:29:45 |