When I got to Oregon three months ago, each town…metro to rural…seemed in a static condition, with many people unemployed, appearing to have constant free time to drive, eat fast food/shop for food, and little else (besides garage sales, et al); sure, Statewide, some were “the homeless”, but most free-timers had houses…just no jobs/credit, perhaps foreclosure looming, vehicles obtained on prior super-easy terms (payments backing up), and a growing reliance on food stamps/UI extensions/HHS aid; most then seemed certain that with Obama and Democrats passing out money to banks, States, and Towns, every layer of Oregon government would swiftly move to provide ability-to-pay healthcare, incentives to bring/build commerce, job training, jobs, and safety nets for the dispossessed or near foreclosure. Nationals and immigrants alike shared such hopes.

It appears that Oregon govt units respond that this is swiftly being done, in fact no “real” people now worried about more than global warming and passing Obamacare…just stop by the Salem library this Tuesday and see Marion Democrats say so. Federal “need” for healthcare is the only “oops” on Oregon can-do progress. Albany OR points to new, non-stop additions to New Urban housing development on grounds it will attract money residents sure to draw commerce THIS time. Salem OR, all just this month, found its Sheriff has “extramarital affairs and has been lying about too little jail space and eviction crews”; amid his imbroglio, Salem police have sprung forth with bicycles/motorbikes/extra cars to address “homeless and loiterers”…getting rid of deadbeats said a step to drawing commerce (see Rich Daley, Chicago, 1999, as in tune “plant, plant a pretty flower, toss a bum with all your power” in re ‘Do The Richie’the parody of Daley’s ‘Do The Milly’ in re then looming year 2000).

Also, Salem has announced that as of 09-08-09, except for the transit center, no more bus stops at all in the entire downtown/capitol campus grid (12^th to Willamette river, Marion over to Trade) and posted signs at each current stop say so; other service will flourish at traditional AM/PM rush hrs and not much between or after…hey, with all “bums” gone, who besides job holders (who won’t work downtown) NEEDS service? Sure, Chemeketa and lofty Wilamette University are in the downtown grid, but they carpool and like walking, and private buses take care of pre-college kids.

More! All around Salem are billboards having a smle “Chase” logo and saying “New to Oregon, but not to banking”. See, if Chase et al finance New Urban developers in those areas along “rush-only” bus routes, on top of sweeping uot all “losers”, even more housing starts THIS time will pull workers who need bus service.

As icing, the State and Salem enacted or propose tax hikes on businesses, and with commuter and New Urban progress amid taxes, who with jobs or trade to ffer won’t want “in” on a game where progress APPEARS going on with such profits even taxes…and high office-holder salaries…leave plenty of net? They tell us only a racist or some such cootie name would oppose “sharing” this “wealth” via Obamacare for the masses.

To reiterate, the economic planning by Oregon officials having control of no-strings Federal funds is: sweep out hangers-on, build even more housing, raise taxes and officials’ pay, be a good American and support your politicians’ solutions, and for this admixyure simple, jobs and such might begin to aggregate on their own THIS time, for sure.

In plain English, Salem and Oregon are just re-making those “anecdotal pockets” so that they’re like the majority of USA/global towns already so situated, been there/done that, or both…feel lucky sassing back?