Revenue forecast shows another funding gap - legislative opponents differ on special session -

Oregon takes another revenue hit…

The latest quarterly state revenue forecast shows Oregon will fall another $378-million short. In all, revenues are down by about ten-percent since the Legislature wrote the state budget in 2009… that’s almost $1.3-billion. State economist Tom Potiowsky told lawmakers yesterday Oregon’s recovery from the Great Recession has been anemic at best, and forecasts have been more pessimistic in the last three months. This latest revenue forecast suggests the recovery may be stalling out, but, Potiowsky added, he doesn’t believe the state is headed for a “double-dip” recession. The Governor and key lawmakers didn’t waste time offering solutions. They immediately announced plans to use federal money approved two weeks ago to back-fill education and social services. That may mean that a shortened school year locally is still in the cards. Officials were hopeful that the federal allocation would be enough to restore four days to the coming year. They had been trimmed because of the last revenue estimate. Now it looks like that money, along with cash from the state’s ‘rainy day’ fund, will be used for the current deficit.

Ninth district representative Arnie Roblan says the latest round of bad budget news shouldn’t necessarily result in a special legislative session. His opponent, North Bend Republican Scott Roberts says it may be time for lawmakers to get together and go through the budget.
206 – “You’ve heard people use the analogy, surgically going line by line through a budget and I think that’s what needs to be done. Look at programs that are not core functions of the government and eliminate those.”

Roblan disagrees saying key leadership and the Governor can make needed adjustments and use other revenue sources to fill the $378-million revenue gap.
205 – “We need to make sure that as a legislature we take what little resources we have and protect the most vulnerable and that would be public safety and services and education.”

The Coos Bay Democrat says the legislature is already scheduled to meet in January, that will give them a chance to make final adjustments to the current budget before starting on the next biennium.

The bankruptcy proceeding for Eugene’s Arlie and Company is extending to the Oregon Coast. The company is selling 30 properties valued at $57.5-million as part of a reorganization plan. One parcel is in Florence… a 17-acre site at the corner of Highway 101 and Munsel Lake Road. Arlie had received tentative approval from the city for a mixed retail and residential
development. It’s now on the market for $7.8-million.

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley will be in Florence tomorrow afternoon where he’ll sit down with local officials to hear what’s on their mind. Following that 30-minute session he’ll then hold a public town hall meeting at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue. That’s set for five pm.

Florence public works crews are working this morning to clear sand that has accumulated at the northern end of Oak Street at 46th. The sand blows from the adjoining dune and creates a hazard. That portion of the roadway will be closed until about noon.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - U.S. marshals say they returned fire
during an arrest in Portland and shot a man wanted on an attempted
murder charge. Portland police identified the wounded man as
23-year-old Adam Berndt, and said he was in critical but stable
condition last night at a hospital. His alleged victim is listed as
stable.

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) - Coos County authorities have arrested four
teenagers accused of attacking a man with a club-like weapon after
formulating a plan to kill him. The sheriff's office says one of
the boys involved in the attack Tuesday is the victim's 16-year-old
stepson from a previous marriage. The victim was treated and
released.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon State Medical Examiner's office
has confirmed that two bodies recovered from Mount Hood are the
remains of climbers missing and presumed dead since December.
Clackamas County sheriff's spokesman Jim Strovink says the remains
are those of 29-year-old Katie Nolan of Portland and 25-year-old
Anthony Vietti of Longview, Wash., although the medical examiner
has not yet determined the cause of death.

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - Umpqua Dairy says it has traced the source
of salmonella that triggered a voluntary recall following reports
of illnesses. Umpqua President Doug Feldkamp says the salmonella
was found in equipment that washes and sanitizes crates receiving
packaged milk and juice. Two people were hospitalized.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A former Lane County Sheriff's Deputy accused of raiding his elderly parents' estate pleaded guilty to criminal mistreatment. Patrick O'Neill will serve ten days of alternative punishment such as picking up trash, have five years of probation and pay $30-thousand in restitution to his sister and two brothers. O'Neill, the trustee for his parent's estate, used trust fund money to buy himself a car, a boat, a condo and a tropical vacation. He resigned from the sheriff's department when Eugene police began the investigation a year ago.

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) - The homeless man blamed for a fire that
destroyed 11 homes in Ashland was a familiar face to many residents
of the southern Oregon town. The Ashland Daily Tidings reports that
John David Thiry was a regular fixture around the city and that
Ashland police said they had been asked to remove him from outside
stores plenty of times.

AVOCA, N.Y. (AP) - An Arizona man accused of raping a woman in
the Los Angeles area last year has been arrested in upstate New
York. Authorities say Eugene Lee Upshaw picked up last night on
California warrants for kidnapping, rape, assault with a deadly
weapon and sodomy. They say Upshaw is also wanted in Washington
state and Oregon.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The latest load of bad budget news for Oregon
state government held a shiny nugget for businesses - the prospect
of a $40 million "kicker" tax rebate. Companies slashed payrolls
and overhead through the recession and are holding back spending in
the anemic recovery. As a result, many are making good profits. The
kicker law grants rebates when state revenues are well ahead of
expectations. Personal income, though, is down too far to qualify
now.


(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Northwest League Baseball:
The Emeralds had only six hits, but they made the most of them last night as they beat the Everett Aqua Sox for the first time this season. Eugene capitalized on four Everett errors; three wild pitches and a passed ball for the 6-1 win at home, they had lost the previous seven matchups. The win brings the Ems back to .500 for the second half of the season, six games behind division leading Vancouver. The Emeralds and the Sox meet in Eugene again tonight. Both teams head up I-5 to Everett where they’ll continue their six game split series.