WeShare

Several months ago, I met with Finance Director Stewart Taylor to suggest an idea I had been thinking about for some time.   We face unprecedented financial challenges in the coming months, and I believe there is great benefit in seeking advice about how to conserve from people who know our organization best.  I asked Stewart to lead a budget task force that would discuss our situation and seek ways to address it.

The Budget Task Force was formed with the goal of hearing new ideas; helping to spread accurate information about our circumstances throughout the organization; and producing a better budget … Continue Reading

On Wednesday, November 18, my wife and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary.  We were married November 18, 1972, in Metolius, Oregon, while we were students at Central Oregon Community College.  Pictures from that day verify that I once had a full head of hair and looked remarkably young.  I’m not sure why my wife’s appearance has changed so little while mine has changed so much, except to say I have frequently observed that city manager years are something like dog years.

We did not begin our marriage with an agreed-upon strategy for how we would conduct our lives.  We both … Continue Reading

I have a lot of respect for newspaper people who write daily editorials or columns.  My weekly blog taxes my limited powers of observation, imagination, and intellect; so, I know it is a real challenge to write accurate, informative, and thoughtful columns every day.  Not surprisingly, even the best editorialists write an occasional clinker.

Yesterday’s newspaper contained a diatribe complaining about government robbing us of our freedom.  This is a familiar theme not only in the media, but also in everyday conversation.  Who among us has not resented one government regulation or another at some time in our life?  I have … Continue Reading

Sports, and football in particular, are a preoccupation in my life.  I have spent far too many hours huddled in the rain at Autzen Stadium or camped in front of a television set watching a group of young men play a game that will do little to further the progress of humankind.  Most of these hours were only marginally more comfortable than the time I spent hardening my behind in gyms throughout rural Oregon watching my sons wrestle.

I have to justify all this time by finding some redeeming value in the hours I’ve devoted to watching sports, and I think … Continue Reading