Urban Growth boundary at 2015

Posted: 2017-09-21 In 2015 Metro Published an article on the Urban growth boundary it is a great starting point. I pulled out some of the hi

Can't See This Message? View in a browser Posted: 2017-09-21   In 2015 Metro Published an article on the Urban growth boundary it is a great starting point. I pulled out some of the highlights of the article but the whole article is worthwhile to read if you have not seen it. Some of the video's are great as well. This is a large excerpt from that article. It is especially important for everyone to consider but if you are thinking about living near the boundaries for a long period of time it is important to consider, for Tax purposes*, commuting and overall living situation. *the base rate of the value can change when the move the boundaryIt's an ... Continue Reading You've received this email because you are a subscriber of this site If you feel you received it by mistake or wish to unsubscribe, click here

Important Change for City of Portland Home Buyers & Sellers

Posted: 2017-09-13 On January 1st, 2018, a new rule will go into effect requiring sellers of homes within the Portland city limits to: Obtai

Can't See This Message? View in a browser Posted: 2017-09-13   On January 1st, 2018, a new rule will go into effect requiring sellers of homes within the Portland city limits to: Obtain a home energy performance report, including a home energy score, from a licensed home energy assessor. Provide a copy of the home energy performance report to all licensed real estate agents working on the seller's behalf. Include the home energy score and the attached home energy performance report in any real estate listings. Provide a copy of the home energy performance report to prospective buyers who visit the home while it is on the market. Provide a copy of the home ... Continue Reading You've received this email because you are a subscriber of this site If you feel you received it by mistake or wish to unsubscribe, click here

Bee Politics

There is a general feeling that politicians can be bought and paid for. Whether this is true or not is really irrelevant as the general feeling is what drives politics at the moment is corruption. Even the most trusted politicians are trusted to seek their own interests. This is partly driven by all the lobby groups involved on all sies of the political sphere. Their is no way to completely eliminate this, but one way is to take all the special intrest groups out of buying their agenda through campaign finance reform.
Now you might think i mean big business, but I don't I mean trade unions as  well, I mean every one who has a loby group in washington, form pacs who have their special agenda that corrupts the system. We would all lose because we all have our own agenda's but we would also all win, as there would be more transparency. Clearer vison is always a good thing.

Here is a good example: We are endangering significant parts of the economy and the enviornment because of another segment. BIG Ag and BIG Chem are up against some little bees and winning. The little Bees are critical and dying of around the world and we talk about having more research.

 Pesticide Lobby Spends Millions To Defend Chemicals Tied To Bee Deaths

WASHINGTON -- The chemical pesticide lobby is waging a multi-million dollar battle to prevent regulation of chemicals linked to the dramatic escalation in the deaths of pollinating bees over the past year.

CropLife America, the trade association that represents more than 90 of the world's biggest agro-chemical manufacturers, spent nearly $2.5 million last year lobbying against bills that sought to increase oversight of chemical manufacturing and transfer, strengthen drinking water standards and fund research into the effects of pesticides on humans.

The lobbying expenses are part of an ongoing lobbying blitz launched in 2010 by the pesticide industry to fight any efforts by the Obama administration to regulate pesticides. Since 2008, Croplife America has poured $11.2 million into lobbyists, and another $643,000 into a PAC that backs congressional candidates sympathetic to the chemicals industry.

One class of pesticides that has international scientists and beekeepers increasingly worried are called neonicotinoids -- a chemical cousin of nicotine. Neonicotinoids are genetically embedded into seeds before they are planted, and last much longer than traditional spray pesticides. Last week a group of beekeepers and environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency over its approval of certain neonics, as they are known.

CropLife argues that neonics are safe, and CropLife America president Jay Vroom told The New York Times this week that science “supports the notion that the products are safe and are not contributing in any measurable way to pollinator health concerns." In 2011, Vroom earned $826,146 in salary and benefits from Croplife and its related entities.

The current chairman of Croplife America is John Croshniak, a pesticide specialist at the chemical giant DuPont. The former chairman, who stepped down in 2011, is Bill Bucknell, a senior executive in the pesticides division of Bayer, another one of the world's largest chemical manufacturers.