DECEMBER 9, 2010 / THE SOURCE WEEKLY / 9 WANDERING EYE
Mr. Merkley Goes to Washington, Kicks Ass
BY H. BRUCE MILLER I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of Jeff Merkley when he was running for election.
In fact I voted for his opponent in the primary, Portland political activist Steve Novick. Since going to Washington, though, Merkley has become just about my favorite senator.
He’s been a strong champion of health care reform, environmental protection and reining in Wall Street, among other things. And despite his mild-mannered demeanor, he hasn’t been at all shy about jabbing senatorial sacred cows with a cattle prod. Latest example: Merkley has sent around to his colleagues a memo advocating a number
of reforms to Senate rules and procedures. The most intriguing of these would make sena- tors who want to stage a filibuster REALLY stage a filibuster, instead of faking it. Many people get their idea of what a Senate filibuster is like from watching James
Stewart in the 1939 movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” But that’s a Hollywood fan- tasy. The way things really work in the Senate, all the minority has to do is announce that it
intends
block a vote on Merkley wants As he explained Rachel Maddow wants the senator are filibustering on the Senate
to filibuster to legislation.
that to change. the idea to on MSNBC, he or senators who to actually stay floor and keep
speaking – and “if at any moment no one’s willing to speak, that ends it, and we go to the vote” on the bill. “It’s very important for the public to know why somebody is objecting” to a piece of legis-
lation, Merkley told Maddow. “If they say ‘A majority vote isn’t good enough and therefore I’m objecting’ … they should put themselves on record so the public can respond to that.” True. And it also would be incredible fun to watch Mitch McConnell, John McCain and
other GOP geezers trying to keep a filibuster going for hours, or even days. They’d need to stockpile a generous supply of Flomax.
Wandering Observations, Post-Civil War I was still recuperating from celebrating the Ducks’ glorious victory in the Civil War last
weekend and couldn’t focus long enough to write more than a couple of paragraphs on any one topic, so here are a few random short takes: *** Bulletin Business Editor John Stearns had a column Sunday morning about momentum
in Bend’s tech sector, which he defines as “software development, information technology, biosciences, green energy and other so-called knowledge industries.” “In a report Friday,” Stearns wrote, “Economic Development for Central Oregon’s ex-
ecutive director, Roger Lee, noted 12 Central Oregon companies that have at least doubled (or are planning to do so) their employment, the lion’s share of them in tech.” One software developer, GL Solutions, plans to double its workforce by March, Stearns
reported. Other local firms expanding include Manzama, G5 Search Marketing, PV Powered, Agere Pharmaceuticals and MediSISS. Bend Research, which was founded in 1975, has “added 50 people in the past eight months and is now at 185,” according to Stearns. I’m still waiting for the start of that great exodus of businesses fleeing Oregon to escape
from its supposedly crushing tax burden. *** State Rep. Michael Dembrow, a Democrat from the Portland area, is floating an interest-
ing proposal for Oregon to set up its own single-payer health care system. Unless we try something different, Dembrow writes on Blue Oregon, “At best, what
we’re going to continue to have is a patchwork system. There’s a real danger that people are going to fall through the cracks, middle-class families are going to pay more, and small businesses are going to continue to be hammered” by the cost of health insurance for their employees. What Dembrow is proposing is “a system like Medicare, but extended to all. Everyone
would pay into the system in a progressive manner, and it would relieve the burden on Oregon’s small businesses. Initial projections show that we could create a system that in total would cost no more than we are currently paying as individuals, businesses, and the state … ” The big question, of course, is exactly how ARE we going to pay for all this? The draft of Dembrow’s legislation, called the Affordable Health Care for All Oregonians
Act, says the system “will be funded by a system of dedicated taxes, progressive in nature and based on ability to pay. In addition to payroll and personal income taxes, the [govern- ing] board will investigate and consider other potential revenue sources … ” In an era when it’s considered almost an act of treason to even whisper the word “tax,”
that’ll be a tough sell. Still, Dembrow’s idea should at least be a starting point for a discus- sion that this state really needs to have. *** The Civil War is over and the Beavers put up a gallant, though losing, fight. Now it’s time
for all Oregonians – Ducks, Beavers or neither – to join forces for the honor and glory of their state. The Oregon Duck has reached the semi-finals of the Capitol One College Mascot of the Year contest and needs your help to make it to the championship. Go to capi-
talonebowl.com and vote early and often.
www.OregonHealthyKids.gov 1-877-314-5678
Healthy Kids is a NEW program that provides free or low-cost health coverage for ALL uninsured Oregon kids and teens under 19. Some of the best doctors take
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No family makes too much money for Healthy Kids. A family of four that earns as much as $66,000 a year may qualify for low-cost coverage.
Oregon kids. We cover all uninsured
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