D O T Y B L O G      

The Blog page is all in one self-contained page now, rather than a frameset with the blog page plus a seperate navigation page. This will help on folks elsewhere who are looking for changes. FYI :)

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So, Ian McKellan (Gandalf in the LotR films) was on Bill Maher tonight and he quoted Jefferson - "But I know, also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816. (thanks to Dissento @dKos for the tip)

I have nothing to add - I just think it bears frequent repeating.

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Today's MT opines that Dave Gilmour acted politically and not in the best interests of the county and his constituents.

My take? I think the best interests of Jackson County are served by getting as many Dems from as many places as possible into the Oregon Legislature ASAP. Not to mention getting as many Dems governing locally. So if naming Esquivel both protects a Dem majority in the county commission and eases the transistion to a Dem senate seat in the next election, I believe it IS serving the best interests of the district and Gilmour's constituents.

The saying "If you want to live like a Republican, you need to vote for Democrats" may be a bit of a stereotype (it implies the GOP is mostly rich), but on substance of which party seems to have more economic prosperity attached to it's time of governance, I give the edge to my Dems.

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Today's Mail Tribune Letters page has some interesting commentary - I direct you to Jack Duggan's "The Wake-up Call We Need" and James Mecham's "It's Called Progress" - agree or disagree in the COMMENTS!

Or talk up something else you feel is important!

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I suspect one of the reasons I have seen evidence of a GOP candidate for this seat (HD6) is that the local Republicans needed to first sort out the Hannon vacancy to determine who was available to make a run should the incumbant decide to not seek another term. Well, yesterday, that cleared up as Sal Esquivel was named to the vacancy. I have no solid evidence of any kind, but various folks who have their ears to the ground tell me Mr Esquivel may have been a likely candidate in the event that Rep. Patridge decided against running. So ... with the appointment made, we now wait until the March 9 filing deadline to see who the GOP is going to have in this race...

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Some possible topics: the Gay marriage furor, Dems win Kentucky Special Election, "what I plan to do to make Oregon and my country better in 2005", Nader, when does assembling a Whopper count as a manufacturing job, and the NCLB benefits of transferring 'high risk' students out of 'mainstream' schools.

Talk amongst yourselves :) (in the COMMENT thread, so we can all share)

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I have been pushing the whole DONATE thing pretty hard (hrm...wonder why?) and a few of my would-be contributors emailed to report difficulties. It's the whole Cookies thing. Cookies can be useful, they can be invasive - cookies can be authored for the benefit of the user who frequents a site, or for the site who wants to know about the frequenting habits of the user. And as a result, our browsers tend to be set at a Privacy level that doesn't allow cookies to do much - like donate to Doty for Southern Oregon.

Now on the Donation page there is a link to allow you to set your cookies acceptance level such that you can donate to me without compromising your machine's privacy situation. My suggestion is (if your browser allows) use the feature that SPECIFIES sites cookies can come from. PayPal is a reputable online merchant tool and their session cookies will not be a spyware concern.

Thanks!

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Some of the budeget priorities of the state can be found in today's Ashland Daily Tidings :: Online Edition, in a guest OpEd authored by Ken Gosling of Talent.

Read this and ask yourself where YOUR priorities are. Use the web to double check Mr Gosling's information (he provides cites and sources). And ask yourself if your priorities would be best served by maintaining the status quo in Salem or shaking things up a bit...?

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On the left frame, the 'message' box now has several ideas in rotation.

I'd like feedback on which ones you think 'work', both as message and from a visual/composition PoV.

Comment, Comment, Comment!

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The Oregon Blog has a two part interview with me. Check it out and read the rest of Jeff's blog while you are there. Some good stuff.

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One - Bravo has 12 hours of The West Wing on today. Makes for good background noise for my phone-calling today.

Two - on CBS Sunday Morning yesterday, I heard the sad news that Julius Schwartz, an editor at DC Comics had died. Schwartz was the DC editor that retooled the the entire hero stable from the WWII era and updated them for the 'modern' age. Comics were an important part of the early imaginations of many children in this country, and also an early exposure to concepts like cooperation, integrity, diligence, and resolve. I read his stuff. I'm saddened to get word of his passing.

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Look in the PRESS INFO link at the top of the page for text of my announcement speech!

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Well, I came home tonight at 68 hits on the website since I installed my counter at the beginning of the week... We doubled that before 7:30 this evening....let's see if we can force me to someday add another digit :)

Update: and did I forget to mention to

DONATE?

Help DfSO go toe to toe with the $77K+ usually raised by the GOP for this seat!

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The Press Release :

John Doty will stand for the Democratic nomination in Oregon House District 6

John Doty, a 35 year old high school teacher from Medford, will announce his candidacy for the Oregon House of Representatives in conjucntion with the Jackson County Democrats Platform Convention, Saturday 10am, Feb 14 at the OEA Building, 2495 South Pacific Hwy in Medford, Oregon. Doty's brief remarks are scheduled for the opening minutes of the gathering.

Doty is seeking the District 6 seat currently held by Republican Rob Patridge.

Doty, who currently works at CrossRoads School in Medford and coaches soccer at Phoenix High School, was raised locally, calling the Rogue Valley home since early childhood. He is a graduate of Phoenix High School and of Wesleyan University (CT). He also attended the 5th year education program at then Southern Oregon State University.

Doty filed for the office in early December, after considering a run during the late summer and autumn. He has maintained a website (www.johndoty.us) during that entire period, introducing several issues he sees as important in the coming years, and providing supporters and curious visitors the opportunity to offer comments and observations on politics at all levels by way of a Weblog.

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Use the Comments here to discuss ANYThing related to this campaign effort or SoOR politics. Meantime, the news:

All of the seats that have ever represented me are up for this year. Last night, the five minute blurb that is KOBI's news just after Law&Order and before Seinfeld carried word that Representative Alan Bates (HD 5) has filed for the vacancy created by the resignation of Senator Lenn Hannon (S 3). Friday's OregonLive carried statewide the word that Peter Buckley will file for Bates' House seat. And of course if you are here, you know I am filed for HD 6.

Buckley's formal announcement is scheduled for Feb 10 on the steps of the Ashland Library.

My formal announcement will come very soon thereafter (anticipating on or near the 14th).

So far, there are no other candidates filed from either party for any of these three seats. The Hannon vacancy will be filled for the remainder of 2004 by apppointment. The Jackson County Commissioners will have 10 days from the time the county GOP meets to caucus on the final list (I think that is scheduled for Feb 19 at the RV Manor, but I am not certain).

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I have added content to the Press Info link for the first time - a statement on the recent election result for Measure 30. That page will have all press releases from now until November, with pointer posts here on the blog.

Use the pointer posts here to offer comments/suggestions/criticisms!

Thanks!

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Hey all!

It's Measure 30 day in Oregon - Get you ballot in, if you haven't already.

It's also a great day to donate to Doty for Southern Oregon - no time better then the present!

For Oregon! For Us!

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