Editor's Take: June 08, 2009
thorne enterprises, flickr
Life on (Un)easy Street
As more federal stimulus money flows into Northwest states, the Oregonian probes into unemployment life – and it’s not a vacation like some folks think. Meanwhile, health insurance is the topic of the day in the region and beyond. And north of the border, Vancouver hopes no new parking spaces means more pedestrians and cyclists.
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Unemployment benefits provide uneasy way of life
Oregonian
06/09/2009
The diminished buying power and financial angst that come with unemployment have become a way of life for a rapidly escalating number of Oregonians. One year ago, about 50,000 jobless were on state benefits. Since then, the number receiving benefits exploded to nearly 170,000. Benefits average $310 a week. For many, it can be a scary, humiliating detour from the pursuit of the American dream.
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Vancouver wants people out of cars, on bike or foot
Vancouver Sun
06/09/2009
The City of Vancouver plans to slash the number of new off-street parking spaces in the downtown core in a bid to get commuters and residents out of their cars and cycling, walking or taking transit.
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US sends OR $15 million for energy efficiency program
Oregonian
06/09/2009
The Obama administration today announced $15 million in economic stimulus money for home weatherization programs in Oregon that are intended to boost job creation while improving energy efficiency. The new chunk of money means Oregon has received 50 percent of its stimulus money for a weatherization program aimed at helping the low-income, elderly and families with young children.
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Climate bill to pay hundreds of dollars in rebates
Seattle Times
06/08/2009
Low-income families will receive hundreds of dollars a year to help pay higher energy bills if Congress enacts the first-ever limits on the gases blamed for global warming, according to a new analysis.
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Oregon Legislature cleans up school buses
Oregonian
06/09/2009
The Oregon Senate approved House Bill 2795 late last week, sending the bill to the governor. It requires that all diesel school buses be retrofited with advanced exhaust controls by 2017; those that are too old to be retrofitted must be replaced by 2025.
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Public option health care is political dynamite in DC
Missoulian
06/09/2009
U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., says a "strong public-option" health plan will be part of health reform legislation produced this summer in Congress. The public option is a government-run health insurance plan that would be offered for sale to the general public, to compete against private insurance.
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Grads grapple with health insurance
Sacramento Bee
06/08/2009
The recession has quashed hopes for many young people looking to enter the work force. That's adding urgency to efforts to overhaul the country's health care system and provide better - and affordable - access to doctors and medicine.
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Congress to consider 'cash for clunkers' plan
Seattle Times
06/09/2009
Consumers could receive rebates of up to $4,500 for turning in their gas-guzzling cars and trucks for more fuel-efficient vehicles under a House proposal.
President Barack Obama has urged Congress to approve consumer incentives for new car purchases as part of the government's efforts to reorganize General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC through the bankruptcy courts.
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Is solar power only a rich man's renewable source?
Oregon Public Broadcasting
06/08/2009
Without energy from the sun, life on earth would be impossible. Turning that energy into electricity is one of the keys to saving the earth, according to renewable power advocates. If solar is going to take off in the Northwest, it will mean re-shaping our relationship with energy.
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Urbanization not all gloom and doom for bird life
Oregon Public Broadcasting
06/09/2009
A long-term bird research project is pecking some holes in the conventional wisdom about the environmental effects of suburban sprawl.
This work is happening on the fringes of greater Seattle. In some cases, researchers found new subdivisions supported more bird life than the forests they replaced.
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