Summary of News Events this Week by Mark Young

Most Recommended Stories
Sat. April 28, 2007
1. Gasoline-cost analysis omitted major aspect
2. Supreme Court votes against women's rights
3. Better policing is more effective than prison
4. Remark blurs the truth about Arab nations

To access these articles please use the Statesmanjournal "link" provided in the "Link's" section of this Blog.

Annexation Bill (HB3303) would give local residents the right to vote on any possible annexation of property by the city of Salem. The thing that I found interesting about this article was that as Salem expands its “urban boundaries”, residents that live in these so-called “islands” will not have the right to vote on these proposals under current state law. This is another example of how public policies for urban development and transition can overshadow an individual’s rights. As we have seen throughout this semester wherever urban to suburban migration occurs both regions usually suffer. The urban areas lose tax revenues needed to maintain their infrastructure (usually to the detriment of the poor) and the suburbs become the victim of “urban sprawl” as these areas become more congested.
The second article on “Sub Prime Home Lenders” offered something to which I was not aware of concerning this issue. The people who provide these services often work on a “commission” basis. Since they have no real stake (as a loan officer at a bank would) in whether or not these loans ever get paid off, they can collect their commission check and move on the next victim. I use the term “victim” here because these unethical individuals have preyed on people who cannot typically acquire the average home loan from most lending institutions. When the “victims” mortgage payment increases (under this type of loan) to the point where they can no longer make the monthly payment they will lose their home. Since the purchase of a home is usually the biggest investment and the greatest source of most people’s tangible wealth, I am glad to see that the Oregon legislature is trying to make these lenders more accountable and transparent. I hope that more states will address this growing concern also.
Mark