OREGON
A8 — THE OBSERVER
STATE BRIEFS
Gas prices continue
to set new records
SALEM — Oregon gas
prices have reached record
highs, soaring past $5 per
gallon for the first time.
On Tuesday, May 14, the
state average rose to $5.06
per gallon, a 21-cent jump
over last week’s average.
Portland-area prices
are even higher, with the
May 16 average reaching
$5.13 per gallon, also up
21 cents from last week.
And national gas prices
also broke records, rising
15 cents to $4.52.
Average prices in Union
County are up to $4.81,
up from $4.70 last week.
Wallowa County saw an
increase to $4.99, up 12
cents from a week ago.
National and Oregon
prices have been breaking
records almost every day
for the past week. Marie
Dodds, an AAA spokes-
person, said the high price
of crude oil, more than
$110 a barrel, is costing
customers more at the
pump. As long as those
prices remain high, she
said, there’s no relief in
sight.
Nationwide, prices con-
tinue to skyrocket, with
Oregon remaining fifth
in the nation. California
remains the most expen-
sive, reaching a record-
breaking $6 per gallon this
week.
Within Oregon, Curry
County’s prices are still
the highest, at $5.24 per
gallon. Josephine and Lake
County are not far behind.
Multnomah County is
averaging $5.18 per gallon.
Experts discuss
extremism after
mass shooting
PORTLAND — Police
are calling a weekend
shooting at a supermarket,
where 10 people were
killed and three others
were injured, a hate crime.
In the aftermath of
the Buffalo, New York,
shooting, experts in
Oregon are weighing in on
extremism in the Pacific
Northwest.
Oregon is ranked as
one of the worst areas in
the nation for violent and
hate-fueled extremism. A
report from March about
domestic terrorism and
extremist attacks showed
Oregon ranked the sixth
highest in the U.S. for inci-
dents between 2011 and
2020. The state accounted
for 10% of all attacks
in 2020 alone, despite
Oregon ranking 27th in
population.
The state’s audits
director and a former U.S.
Attorney both pointed to
a specific reason for the
problem.
“We’re one of only 16
states that do not have
legislation criminalizing
domestic terrorism,” said
Oregon Audits Director
Kip Memmott.
“People need to be held
accountable and if they
know they’re not going
to be, then we see what
the result is,” said Billy
J. Williams, former U.S.
Attorney for Oregon.
Randy Blazak is the
chair of the Oregon Coa-
lition Against Hate Crime
and he studies extremist
ideology.
“It’s really frightening
how we’re seeing the nor-
malization of some of the
rhetoric that drives white
supremacist violence,”
Blazak said. “Making
white people feel like
somehow the world is out
to get them.”
Blazak tracks extrem-
ists and has a $750,000
grant for an anti-violence
program called Cure PDX.
The program aims to reach
potential offenders and
avoid racist attacks like in
Buffalo, New York.
“I think people of color
all over America today are
having another reminder
that there are people who
want to kill them just for
existing in their skin,”
said Blazak. “We’re trying
to get people to be more
empathetic.”
— The Oregonian and KGW
SaTuRday, May 21, 2022
Oregon Health Authority: Pandemic ‘not over’
By FEDOR ZARKHIN
The Oregonian
SALEM — Oregon’s chief dis-
ease specialist threaded a fine line
Wednesday, May 18, between
cautioning Oregonians to protect
themselves amid a surge in corona-
virus infections while not ordering
or even recommending statewide
measures to prevent infection.
The current bump in identi-
fied COVID-19 infections, with
a daily average of more than
1,400 reported cases per day, may
be reaching its peak, Dr. Dean
Sidelinger said at a now-monthly
COVID-19 media update May 18.
But the sustained growth in cases
and hospitalizations means “the
pandemic is not yet over.”
“If you’re in a gathering of
people outside your home, sooner
or later you will be exposed to the
virus,” Sidelinger said. “The risk
of exposure and infection exists in
every Oregon community.”
In the more than two years
since the pandemic began, Oregon
Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian, File
State epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger fields questions April 4, 2020, from
journalists during a tour of the Oregon Health Authority’s newly configured
operations center in Portland.
has reported an average daily case
load higher than 1,400 for only
about four months. And under-
scoring how widespread the dis-
ease is likely to be, the epidemiolo-
gist said “most” cases now are not
reported to the state, because some
people get their results through an
at-home test, which doesn’t have
to be reported, or simply don’t get
tested at all.
Everyone in a county where the
federally determined risk level is
“medium” should consider wearing
a mask, Sidelinger said. Mult-
nomah, Washington and Clack-
amas counties are at that risk level,
as are Deschutes, Columbia and
Benton counties. He also encour-
aged people who are unvaccinated,
older, immunocompromised, at
risk of severe disease, or who live
with anyone in those categories, to
wear a mask.
The key marker of the severity
of the current pandemic bump,
hospitalizations, remains far below
the peaks reached in either the
omicron or delta waves. That’s
expected to remain true through
the peak, projected to hit 321 occu-
pied beds by June 10. Hospital-
izations approached 1,200 at the
height of the delta wave. As of
May 17, 255 people were hospital-
ized with COVID-19, according to
Oregon Health Authority data.
“OHA is optimistic that the
overall number of Oregon’s hos-
pitalized patients with COVID-19
will not exceed our hospital sys-
tem’s ability to care for them,”
Sidelinger said.
As for what happens after this
wave is over, Sidelinger said he
expects Oregon won’t see sus-
tained case growth through the
summer thanks to immunity from
recent infections and vaccina-
tions and because people will be
spending time outdoors.
Predicted 2024 kicker rebate grows to record $3 billion
By HILLARY BORRUD
The Oregonian
SALEM — Oregon’s state econ-
omists delivered another aston-
ishing revenue forecast Wednesday,
May 18, with surging tax revenues
now predicted to deliver a record
kicker rebate of $3 billion to tax-
payers in 2024.
Economist Mark McMullen
called the latest revenue outlook
for the state’s two-year budget
cycle “nothing short of shocking.”
The size of the kicker is likely to
fluctuate before it is finalized in
summer 2023.
“We really never could have
imagined the sort of stuff we’ve
seen in the last couple months,”
McMullen said.
Oregon’s blockbuster income tax
receipts this filing season mean a
$2.3 billion increase in general fund
revenue compared with just three
months ago, but the state’s unique
kicker tax rebate would return much
of the money to taxpayers. The
expected size of the kicker tripled
since February.
“This season Oregon and all
the other income tax states saw an
unprecedented flood of revenues at
the filing deadline,” McMullen said.
“What that’s left us with is unprec-
edented balances for the current
biennium. But those are largely, but
not completely, offset by the larger
kicker.”
The upshot is $427 million
more for state lawmakers to spend
in the 2023-2025 budget, but only
if the Legislature holds on to the
money until then. Oregon’s current
two-year general fund and lottery
budget is $29.3 billion, according
to the Legislative Fiscal Office.
Lawmakers and Gov. Kate Brown
have so far given no indication
they want to approve additional
spending this year, which would
require a special session.
Rising wages in the tight labor
market are helping to drive the rev-
enue increases, but so is taxpayer
behavior including wealthy individ-
uals selling assets that yield capital
gains, economists said. McMullen
said the “end of 2021 was a great
time to cash things in” and one of
the questions going forward will be
how much that slows down.
Oregon’s unique kicker rebate
is triggered when tax revenues for
a biennium come in more than 2%
above economists’ forecast from the
start of the budget cycle, in this case
the May 2021 revenue forecast.
Field Test CANDIDATES WANTED
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areas have reported very positive feedback so far.
We are looking for additional candidates in La Grande
and the surrounding areas.
Product Test Sites:
La Grande
111 Elm St
La Grande, OR 97850
(541) 605-2109
Baker City
2021 Washington Ave
Baker City, OR 97814
(541) 239-3782
Enterprise
113 1/2 Front E Main St
Enterprise, OR 97828
(541) 239-3877
In an effort to accurately demonstrate the incredible performance of these devices,
specially trained representatives will be conducting testing and demonstrations
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as other common causes of hearing deficiencies.
Qualified Field Test Candidates:
• Live in La Grande or the surrounding area
• Are at least 55 years of age or older
• Have experienced some level of hearing
difficulty, or currently wear hearing aids
• Don’t currently work for a market research company
• Must Call Before May 25th, 2022 and Mention Code: 22MayFT
We have also been authorized to offer significant
FIELD TEST discounts if you decide to take the hearing instruments
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Will be tested obligation of any kind.†
and selected
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2) You will be required to have your hearing tested in our
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3) Report your results with the hearing instruments to the Hearing Care Specialist over a
three week test period.
Qualified candidates will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis so please
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AVOID WAITING – CALL NOW & MENTION CODE: 22MayFT
*One per household. Must be 55 or older and bring loved one for familiar voice test. Must complete a hearing test. Not valid with prior test/purchase in last 6 months. While supplies last. Free gift card may be used toward the
purchase of food at participating restaurants where a minimum purchase may also be required. See restaurant.com for details. Not redeemable for cash. Promotional offer available during special event dates only. †Pursuant to
terms of your purchase agreement, the aids may be returned for a full refund within 30 days of the completion of fitting, in satisfactory condition. See store for details.