Opinion
Capital Chatter: Oregon makes mockery of serving indigent defendants
Oregon seemingly makes a mockery of serving indigent defendants. The agency responsible for providing those lawyers has just…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Big changes coming to Oregon State Capitol
If you were building a state capitol, would you construct it on stilts? Probably not. But such an…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Finally making the ‘People’s House’ safe for the people
The gold man atop the Oregon State Capitol has gone dark. A cavernous hole has arisen at the…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Governor debate highlights division the candidates say they want to bridge
“What does a governor actually do each day?” That’s the first question I’d like someone to ask at…
Opinion
Opinion: Independent statehouse candidate says the timing is right for the first viable ‘third party’
(Note: opinion piece by political candidate) If what follows is going to make sense to you, it might…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: On journalism and anniversaries
I’m closing July the same way I started, with a Capital Chatter about the late political columnist Ron…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Mark Hatfield — a cautionary tale
The centennial celebration of Republican Sen. Mark O. Hatfield’s birth provides a cautionary tale for Oregonians. Hatfield, who…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Oregon gains new state agency
You probably didn’t notice what happened in state government overnight between June 30 and July 1. Gov. Kate…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Newspapers remain a foundation for the great town square of public opinion
This is the story of Max Monda, a mummified orange, and, idiosyncratic as it might sound, the role…
Opinion
Opinion: Which Betsy Johnson would govern?
Betsy Johnson entered my office at The Astorian in 2000 as a candidate for the state House of…