TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalSnitch Scandal Judge Ponders $10,000 Contempt Fine For Orange County Sheriff
Complaining about continued "mind boggling" and "incomprehensible" record games by Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens in a death penalty case, Superior Court Judge Thomas M. Goethals today declared he is pondering contempt findings plus a $10,000 fine against her.
Hutchens and her command staff, who have spent nearly 35,000 hours defying Goethals' January 2013 discovery orders in People v. Scott Dekraai largely by hiding massive caches of key records, provided him 5,659 pages of evidence in December.
But the judge called the latest batch of tardily surrendered records "a document dump" he suspects was designed to frustrate finding additional evidence of wrongdoing that would embarrass Hutchens and her department in Orange County's jailhouse informant scandal.
"I'm disappointed this is the tactic the sheriff has elected to take," Goethals announced.
Read more: http://www.ocweekly.com/news/snitch-scandal-judge-ponders-10-000-contempt-fine-for-orange-county-sheriff-7837080
Legislation aims to outlaw 'Whitsett' maneuver
When Oregon’s state House and Senate gather Wednesday to begin the 2017 legislative session, prime among bills to be debated is one on election reform. House Bill 2429 was inspired by perceived political maneuvering within Klamath and Lake counties for Senate District 28 and House District 56 seats during the 2016 primary.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Julie Parrish, R-District 37, as well as a bipartisan bill by Republican House Minority Leader Mike McLane, R-District 55, aims to establish criteria in primary deadlines to avoid future use of what has been dubiously nicknamed in Salem as “The Whitsett Maneuver.”
Extended deadline
The bill, if passed, would establish an extended deadline for candidates to file for an upcoming election if the incumbent chooses to withdraw just prior to, or following, the deadline to file for candidacy. Parrish’s bill mandates a two-week extended deadline, while McLane’s pending bill adds an additional three days commencing from whatever date an incumbent withdraws.
The proposed legislation is in response to actions taken March 9, 2016, the day after the deadline for party candidates to file for the primary election. District 28 Sen. Doug Whitsett and House District 56 Rep. Gail Whitsett, both Republican representatives covering much of Klamath and Lake counties, withdrew their re-election bids citing “political fatigue,” the morning after the filing deadline.
Read more: http://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/legislation-aims-to-outlaw-whitsett-maneuver/article_a3a83903-b290-5018-92e4-c70bef6aa885.html
Eugene executive files lawsuit seeking $549,000 from employer
A software design firm that moved to Eugene in 2014 is being sued by one of its own executives, who alleges that he loaned the company more than $450,000 two years ago but hasn’t been repaid as promised.
David Tam of Eugene filed the breach of contract suit last week in Lane County Circuit Court against Green Energy Corp. and GEC Investco LLC, a limited liability company that shares a Eugene address with Green Energy founder and CEO Peter Gregory.
Green Energy Corp.’s website lists Tam as its senior vice president for business development.
Tam says in the lawsuit that he gave a $457,229 loan to Green Energy and GEC in November 2014. A contract between the parties — signed by Gregory and Tam — specifies that Tam was to be repaid the full loan amount after one year, plus annual interest of 13.1 percent.
Read more: http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/35218444-75/eugene-executive-files-lawsuit-seeking-549000-from-employer.html.csp
[font color=330099]Mr. Tam is about to learn a valuable lesson. Whenever an employer asks an employee to loan it money then it is time to start looking for another job.[/font]
In Eugene, about 1,000 protesters rally against Trump immigration order
With a few hours’ preparation, about 1,000 protesters gathered on the steps of the federal courthouse in Eugene on Sunday to rally against President Trump’s executive order seeking “extreme vetting” for people from seven predominantly Muslim nations.
The order, which restricts entry for 90 days and suspends the U.S. refugee program for 120 days, led to chaos at the nation’s airports Saturday, which in turn resulted in large, spontaneous demonstrations. Travelers from the nations named in the order were detained by the travel ban, some threatened with deportation back to war zones.
U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in New York issued an emergency order Saturday night that temporarily blocked deportation of people with valid visas and who arrived after the travel ban went into effect. But confusion remained Sunday about who could stay and who will be kept out of the country in the near future.
Karen Kelsky said she and her friends in the local activist organization Take Action! Eugene put the protest event together in less than 12 hours, having started preparations around “dinner time Saturday.”
Read more: http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/35226778-75/in-eugene-about-1000-protesters-rally-against-trump-immigration-order.html.csp
Thousands cram Sen. Merkley forum to oppose Trump policies
An estimated 3,500 people upset about President Donald Trump's health care and immigration policies packed a town hall hosted Saturday held by Sen. Jeff Merkley.
The event was at the former Marshall High School campus in Southeast Portland. Another one in Tigard drew 600 people.
The community meetings, which Merkley holds throughout the state regularly, were the largest he's ever hosted. Crowds at both events were so large that speaker systems were set up outside to accommodate the overflow audiences.
"The enormity of the turnout speaks to the dire seriousness of Trump's Muslim ban," he said in a statement issued after the Portland event. "Oregonians are taking a stand against this reprehensible policy and with our Muslim brothers and sisters and refugees throughout the world. This policy is wrong by every standard and it must end immediately."
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/01/thousands_cram_sen_merkley_tow.html
Intel CEO denounces Trump's immigration order: 'This is not a policy we can support'
Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich told employees Sunday that the company opposes President Trump's order barring travel into the U.S. by residents of seven countries where a majority of the population is Muslim.
"I have heard from many of you," Krzanich told employees, "and share your concern over the recent executive order and want you to know this is not a policy we can support."
With the statement, Krzanich joins other CEOs of large companies - including Nike chief executive Mark Parker - who have denounced Trump's action.
The statement to workers goes well beyond what Krzanich said in a tweet Sunday afternoon, in which he said only that Intel supports "lawful immigration" but did not comment on the merits of Trump's order.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2017/01/intel_ceo_promises_full_suppor.html
Second day of protest draws 600 to Portland International Airport, one man assaulted
Portland International Airport was packed Sunday with hundreds demonstrating against the executive order banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries signed by President Donald Trump last week.
Port of Portland officials say approximately 600 turned out, eclipsing the previous day's 100 to 150 demonstrators.
The presence of a four-man counter-protest at times turned tense as demonstrators from both camps clashed. One of the counter-demonstrators was assaulted just after 5 p.m., Port of Portland spokesman Steve Johnson said.
Grant Chisholm, 39 of Portland told The Oregonian/Oregonlive that he was at the airport with three other members of the group Bible Believers for a counter protest when a Trump opponent hit him in the head three times with something metallic. Chisholm dropped and drifted in and out of unconsciousness, he said, while vomiting as other protesters kicked him in the head.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/01/pdx_protests_day_2_one_assaulted.html
Bookkeeper who stole $70,000 from her job to fuel gambling addiction gets 5 years in prison
A bookkeeper who stole more than $70,000 from a Sandy business while working there for a year and used it to go gambling was sentenced Monday to five years in prison.
Paula L. Prosch, 36, also was ordered by Clackamas County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Jones to repay $58,276 to Trail Pals Horse Trailer Accessory Store. She pleaded guilty last month to first-degree theft and first-degree forgery.
The company hired Prosch, the domestic partner of a friend of the owners, in November 2014. She wrote checks to herself and used the company's debit card, court records show. She took $1,145 on the month she was hired and as much as $13,600 in September 2015.
She logged the money as legitimate business expenses, at times claiming they were payments to vendors, court records said.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2017/01/bookkeeper_who_stole_70000_fro.html
GOP wants cost cuts in exchange for revenue hikes
SALEM — Driving a hard bargain one week away from the legislative session's commencement, Republican state legislators say they'd be willing to consider revenue reform — but only if there are changes to the other side of the state's ledger.
Without any new revenue, the state has $1.8 billion less than it needs to maintain the current level of state services, according to the co-chairs of the legislative Joint Ways and Means Committee, which writes the state's budget.
Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, vice chair of the House Revenue Committee, suggested this week that a "broad-based consumption tax," coupled with changes to the state's income tax, could be one way to strike a compromise between business groups and public labor advocates.
But he and other Republicans are adamant that they won't agree to making changes to taxes without first addressing the state's costs, including the state's pension system.
Read more: http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/342020-222244-gop-wants-cost-cuts-in-exchange-for-revenue-hikes
Oregon congressman calls Donald Trump 'Liar in Chief' on Twitter
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) is known more for his bow tie than for a fiery Twitter presence. But on Monday, the Portland representative took to Twitter to share his thoughts about President Donald Trump's first few days in office.
"In first 24 hrs @POTUS makes clear ego, not #facts or #honesty, will be guiding principle for him & his administration," wrote Blumenauer, using the hashtag "LiarInChief."
Blumenauer's 35 tweets were a response to the false claims by Trump and his press secretary, Sean Spicer, about the size of the crowds that attended Trump's inauguration. Trump estimated that there were 1 or 1.5 million people in the crowd, while Spicer said the crowd was "the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration."
Photographs of the event and numbers from the local agencies showed neither of these things were true.
https://twitter.com/repblumenauer/status/823603404580814848
More at http://www.oregonlive.com/trending/2017/01/oregon_congressman_calls_donal.html
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