You know you are reaching your audience when the performer at the event you are registering voters at starts signing a freestyle made up song called “I’m on the Bus!” This is exactly what happened when the voter registration crew worked the Willy Porter concert at the WOW hall earlier this month. Hearing in impromptu folk ballad about political change all revolving around getting on the Bus was quite a moment and the crowd was loving it. If we only could have convinced Willy to put on his bus button, it would have been perfect.

I’ve been spending some time trying to help out the voter registration efforts. The benefits are plenty; getting to see a show for free and getting to talk with young or new voters.

One of the most striking themes was at the Heiroglyphics/Blue Scholars concert where we ran into SO many 17 year old voters who were not going to be old enough to vote this time, but you could tell they were very engaged with what is going on.

As we get closer to the voter registration deadline, the crowds are getting more enthusiastic about the upcoming vote. Last night at the Hot Buttered Rum String Band show, instead of politely saying “yes” when asked if they are registered, they give a high five or say “you better believe it!”. The countdown nears so get involved if you haven’t yet. Thanks to our tireless voter registration team Alison and Kristina for all of their hard work!

BEAVERTON, Ore. – A new invention could revolutionize solar energy – and it was made by a 12-year-old in Beaverton.

Despite his age, William Yuan has already studied nuclear fusion and nanotechnology, and he is on his way to solving the energy crisis…(more)

If you don’t remember that song from the Karate Kid, you were born in the wrong decade!

Why not take some time to go fill out the
BEST OF EUGENE ballot for the Eugene Weekly?

I’m not here to tell you what to vote for, but if you wanted some recommendations…

BEST ACTIVIST GROUP: The Bus Project!
BEST LOCAL POLITICIAN: Kitty Piercy
BEST BLOG: LANEBUS.ORG

If not for yourself, do it for Mr. Miyagi.

The amount of waste and financial carelessness in Washington D.C. is taken to new heights when we see how a wife of a lobbyist wraps her gifts.

…or Bullwinkle eats lead!

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

The views expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Lynn and Scottie are off on their international adventure!  I for one will miss seeing Lynn around at all of the Bus functions with her infectious enthusiasm and energy.  Since I joined the Lane Bus board, Lynn has been the driving force behind so many of our projects and a shining representative of our group within local politics. 

We owe her many thanks for all of the time spent facilitating our communication, setting agendas and tracking progress, when there are lazy board members like me who lack many of those skills!  I wish them the best on their journey and hope to see them rolling back into town before too long.  Have fun Lynn and Scottie!  Watch out for bot flies!

I know that the Bus doesn’t usually comment on National Politics, but I after all of the coverage I have been getting for my candidacy for President, I have to let LaneBus.org followers in on this amazing effort of grass roots campaigning! If you are still undecided on election day, Vote McNeeley!

After seeing all of the fun GW was having in Beijing, the Olympic spirit has hit Vice President Cheney. To honor the Redeem Team’s efforts in Men’s Basketball, DC went down the the courts in NY to show that there was nothing Conservative about his game.

I try so hard to post relevant and serious content to lanebus.org, but obviously I have failed. Forgive me.

Measures 57 and 61 are competing measures designed to reform sentencing for property crimes. The measure with the most votes will become law. If neither receives more yes votes than no votes, neither will become law. The measures both increase sentences for property crime offenders, but differ in their approaches in that Measure 57 supports increased sentencing primarily for repeat offenders and provides funding for rehabilitation programs, while Measure 61 takes a purely punitive approach.
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At last some controversy! Measure 56, another legislative referral, attempts to repeal the double majority requirement for property tax measures. The “double majority” requires that in elections other than even year general elections, property tax measures that fund government services must be passed by more than 50% of the voters in an election where 50% or more of the qualified voters actually vote. Oregon voters passed the double majority requirement in 1996 as part of the Oregon tax revolt facilitated by racketeer/activist Bill Sizemore and Oregon Taxpayers United.
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