Transparency at OSU

OSU-Cascades and transparency: Those two words are not in sync on the issue of OSU proposing an Innovative District.

OSU leaders have mislead this city’s leadership and its residents on parking and students willingness to ride bikes vs. cars — to name two.

Given that we have elected leaders who have a record of kowtowing to OSU, anything that OSU wants to do in this city demands 24/7/365 sunshine and plenty of open meetings.

Bill Gregoricus

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New owners

Likely before schools welcome students in September, The Bulletin will be published by new owners.

A friend informs me the prospective owners, as conditions for purchase, will be able to terminate the newspaper’s existing employees. And I understand, among potential new owners, there are no local would-be purchasers-publishers.

Nationally, Central Oregon is cited annually as a prosperous regional economy with an ever-increasing population. Our “boom-town” High Desert requires timely, complete and accurate news and information if it is to sustain itself in an open and democratic environment.

I commend the new publisher of Central Oregon’s lead daily newspaper to realize a seasoned and professional editorial staff is a necessity to equip an economic region with complete information and news that defines our cultural and communal DNA.

Tim Conlon

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Kaepernick and Nike

I guess Colin Kaepernick is now running Nike.

Because their Golden Kneeling Hero — who sacrificed so much for his freedom of speech — decided the Betsy Ross-designed American Flag might offend someone, somewhere, sometime.

In scrapping the shoes, Nike has taken political correctness to a new low.

Her flag simply celebrates the original 13 colonies; nothing else. There are multiple, more effective, hands-on ways to bring attention to their message about injustice. Neither Kaepernick nor Nike offer a practical solution, and Nike’s acquiescence serves to embolden his half-baked idea of activism.

Here’s a solution that could regain some respect for Nike: How about instead of destroying the shoes, give them to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who need them. I’m sure they won’t be offended.

I am a veteran, and this action on Nike’s part is the equivalent of spitting on all veterans, and on all of the graves of our veterans who died defending America and freedom in the world. This goes for anyone with any celebrity who uses their status to denigrate the American flag. I haven’t bought Nike products since the last fiasco, and hope other Americans do the same.

It seems like America is being destroyed internally by the cuts of a thousand knives of people who don’t understand or appreciate the American way of life and the sacrifices made to achieve it.

I encourage all Americans to stand for the national anthem and to pledge allegiance to the American flag.

John Moeckel

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Who negotiated?

Your front page article and editorial in the July 18 Bulletin (“State public worker pay set to rise by up to 15%”) left out one critical item: the names of the state negotiators. Without knowing that we have no idea who, if anyone, was representing the taxpayers in the negotiations.

We know for sure that the state employees who got the big raises were well-represented and that the politicians who receive the big campaign contributions from their unions were, but what about us taxpayers? Since we are then ones who will be holding the bag when it comes to paying for this, including what it will add to the already disastrously underfunded PERS liability, we deserve to know who was supposedly on our side.

According to Gov. Kate Brown’s website “Kate has already done more to improve transparency in state government than any other governor in Oregon’s history.” She could prove this by immediately disclosing the names of the people who negotiated this lopsided contract. You should call her and ask for that information and let us know what she tells you.

Jeff Keller

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