The use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), is a controversial issue. Most public discussion of drones has focused on military use. Less attention has been paid to the expanding use of domestic drones. Oregon passed HB 2710, restricting public agency use of drones, but with no guidance on private use.

To help us understand the safefy and privacy concerns associated with drones, Oregonians for Drone Control is hosting a panel discussion moderated by Steve Duin between nationally known panelists - a retired US colonel, a drone industry leader, a national robotics expert, and an Oregon legislator - on the uses and limits on drone technology, and who should decide.

Speakers:
Retired Army Colonel Ann Wright will address the use of drones - domestically and internationally, in war and in peace, by police and civilians, by the state and by private corporations. Col Wright famously resignes as a US diplomat in protest of the Iraq War in 2003. She is the author of Dissent: Voices of Conscience.
Brian Whiteside, industry leader and Vice President of the award-winning Cascade Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
Peter Lumsdaine, researcher and frequent speaker on the use of robotics in warfare and social control; and founder of ARROWS, Alliance to Resist Robotic Warfare.
Rep. Jennifer Williamson, Oregon State Representative and member of the legislative work group that developed HB 2710, intended to provide guidance on drone uses and limits.

Sponsored by Economic Justice Action Group of 1st Unitarian Church, Oregonian for Drone Control, Alliance for Democracy, KBOO Community Radio, Oregon Progressive Party, others.

Admission: $5-20 sliding scale; no one turned away for lack of funds
Doors open at 6:30. Come early and visit the tables of our sponsors.

Big special interest money and national/multinational corporations dominates the political process. We need our democracy back! Now!

It is time to amend the U.S. Constitution.

This Public Service Announcement directs you to Movetoamend.org to support amending the constitution to say the corporations are not people and money in politics is not speech and should be regulated.

Produced by David Delk and Geoff Holland.

Single payer universal healthcare could happen in Oregon. But before it can, a study, which has already been authorized by the Oregon legislature, must be conducted. But that study is not moving forward. You can help get it moving. Read what must be done in this piece by Dr. Samuel Metz, one of the Mad As Hell Doctors and Health Care For All Oregon. The Oregon Progressive Party is a strong supporter of HCAO.

HB 3260: the study that gets Oregon one step closer to universal health care needs your help

Do you want universal health care in Oregon? www.OregonStudy.org moves our state one step further, and here’s why.

Note: The voters of Portland rejected this measure overwhelmingly in the May 2014 primary election.

The "Water District" Measure is a Corporate Takeover
of Portland’s Water and Sewer Systems

Note: This op-ed appeared in the Portland Tribune on May 1, 2014. What follows is slightly annotated version.

For 27 years, I have helped create new publicly-controlled utilities in Oregon, including the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, now the largest electric cooperative in Oregon (annual revenue $48 million).

Measure 26-156 is not a typical "public district" creation measure.  Instead, it grafts onto the existing City of Portland water and sewer systems a 7-person Board of directors that can set rates, borrow money to be repaid by Portland taxpayers, sell property, and decide how to use the existing $19 billion of assets in those systems and who pays the $682 million of annual costs.

The new 7-person Board would be elected half the time in low-turnout odd-year elections, as each term would be 3 years.  There would be no limits on campaign spending by any persons or entities.  I would expect the big corporate water/sewer users to get together in private, select their candidates, and overwhelm the voters with political ads.  After all, they have provided over 99% of the funds for this campaign, including the paid signature gathering.  See http://tinyurl.com/waterdistbackers and http://tinyurl.com/wdbackers2.

Siltronic Corp. is both by far the largest user of Portland water and the largest contributor to the campaign (30% of the total).

The resulting corporate-dominated Board would likely:

    (1)    gut expenditures necessary for environmental protection, and

    (2)    increase rates for residential customers in order to decrease rates for the largest customers.