" I too would like to commend A...a....a......aaa...Allen! and Jim for their positive outlook. I think they both have the can to attitude to "work with" the land use laws and also at the same time not compare us to Idaho which has started to "sprawl" between Boise and Sand Hollow.

I do think Salem needs to flex a little so we can entice development over here. What else do we have? "

" Here's an excerpt from an article that you should read:
Debt has risen at a faster rate than GDP for the last seven years. This has led to a falsely-stated increase in GDP, in that when debt rises faster than GDP (on a percentage of GDP basis) what you're doing is financing expansion through debt that is not being paid down through production. Due to the nature of interest, that being the compound nature of it, this constitutes a pseudo-Ponzi Scheme that must fail. It now is failing, yet The Media continues to report falsehoods on exactly what is going on with households (and for that matter, businesses as well.)
The Federal Reserve has continued to pump "liquidity" into the economy, which is their job, but they have also continued to cover up fraud and blatant thievery, which is antithetical to their role as the primary regulator of the banking system. This is what Japan did, but they had savings to cushion the blow of their idiocy. We do not - we only have debt. Note that it did not work in Japan in that they have had below-trend growth for more than 10 years and now are facing a second, disastrous leg downward. Why anyone thinks it will work here with a higher debt-to-GDP ratio defies logic - but this is the altar being prayed at.
As The Federal Reserve and Treasury actions have proved inadequate they have continued to do the same thing but with ever-larger amounts of money that doesn't exist, committing to borrow ever-larger sums. This simply accelerates the first problem.
Here's the link for the rest of the article: http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/689-Where-We-Are,-Where-Were-Heading-2009.html "

" Per capita Income has dropped significantly in the past ten years and how does that portend a bright future? Our problems are bigger than land development issues. "

" And, in my opinion, the per capita income in Malheur County is 50% or less of the National average at the start of 2009. Alan Daniels and Jim Jensen are both to be commended for remaining positive about the future of Ontario and Malheur County, but without land use relief from the “Big Look” or a revolution, their optimism is unlikely to improve the per capita income. The decline in the per capita income began when the land use lockup occurred with Senate Bill 100, not a vote of the people, in about 1973. Senate Bill 100 established LCDC, and by 1976, its members had reengineered the Bill to include 19 land use goals, and had installed its bodies in all of the rural counties to enforce compliance. Implementation of these goals is what caused the initial blow to the local economy and has crippled it ever since. To say land use is ”another challenge” is to not understand the full impact of the law on the border towns and rural communities of Oregon. It is the dominant challenge. And, after that, it would be the minimum wages that are 30% to 40% higher than our rival state. Why the Governor and the Legislature don’t see that a healthy rural economy would benefit the entire state is in itself mind-boggling. The solution, of course, is to relieve the rural communities from the land use rules intended to regulate the growth of the larger cities and towns.

There are a lot of harsh comments about Ontario: its schools; its people not caring; its bozo leaders, its gangs, and the list could go on and on. Too many people see more government as the solutions to these problems, while it is government that has created the problems. Create a crisis and then enact new legislation and taxes to solve the government created problems is exactly what has enslaved and impoverished those who remain in Malheur County, caused many to flee to Idaho and has attracted many to the County who add to the burden of those left behind.

The Big Look is stacked against rural and Eastern Oregon. My letter to the Governor on the subject was never answered. After several follow-ups, I received a Thank you. You might spend some time writing Cliff Bentz. He represents District 60; he has one vote of sixty on any legislation that might improve our lot.

Given the record, unless you’re heavily invested in the community, or just happy to be here, the best thing to do is leave, because the future does not look that bright, and you can thank the Oregon Legislature that is beholding to the Valley Liberals and the special interest whackos who walk the halls of government for the pickle we’re in. "