Half citing your source like the O did there, had the effect of marginalizing all bloggers, even though the writer was actually citing Loaded Orygun--who did, in fact, offer real reporting. It's the journalistic equivalent of saying "the Democrat Party." The O wouldn't dream of not citing another news source, and this half measure seems like a way of driving home their disdain. It's petty and unprofessional.

Richard, you may be right, the Oregonian may have confused "liberal bloggers" with "commenters on right-wing blogs".

That's actually one of the first and biggest mistakes deadtree journalists make about the blogosphere -- confusing bloggers with their commenters.

At BlueOregon, I'm one of the bloggers. You're one of the commenters. People who only comment on blogs are not bloggers. To be a blogger is to have a blog.

The O wouldn't dream of not citing another news source...

Actually, they do it sometimes to the WW, Tribune, and Mercury, too. Not always, but often enough.

Sad when many folks can no longer discern objective fact-based journalism from agenda driven propaganda,

I think the point is to distinguish between offering opinion and doing investigative journalism. You may find it biased journalism, but the activity of digging around and putting new information into the world is different than offering opinion. The O, which should know better, seems not to make that distinction, either, when it's a blogger in question.

Joe12 -- Yeah, it's certainly true that Loaded (and Blue) are "agenda-driven". I like to say "activist", but whatever. So what?

It doesn't change the FACT that the families of Senator Larry George, Senator Bruce Starr, and House Minority Leader Wayne Scott all have pending Measure 37 claims.

In any case, this isn't the place to debate that stuff. Take it over to Loaded. It's their story, and they deserve the comment traffic.

Thanks for the mention, BlueO guys. If it's no skin off Kari's nose, y'all can feel free to chat about it here, too.

To be clear, then:

Roger Beyer, as general manager of Beyer Tree Farms, has a Measure 37 claim. He is a member of the Joint Land Use Committee that will handle most M37 issues this session. His (brother? cousin?) Roy also has a personal claim; he is the authorized representative of Beyer Farms.

Larry George and Patti Smith have immediate family claims on M37, and are ALSO members of the JLUC. Ordinarily family members aren't necessarily relevant to the behavior of a legislator, but in the case of M37, where immediate family are eligible to make claims on property purchased by immediate family, I think it is relevant.

Wayne Scott and his wife made two claims we know of, one has been denied and one is pending but looks cleared for approval.

Bruce Starr's parents (dad Charles was a longtime Senator who lost the GOP primary to Larry George in 2006) have a claim in Hillsboro.

Gary George is Larry's father; he and his wife have a claim.

Those are the ones we have confirmed. Jackie Winters may have a family claim as well; if you know the names of her sons, email us at loadedorygun-at-gmail. Also email us if you know of any other personal or familial claims by legislators--House or Senate, Republican, Democrat or Independent.

Carla and I feel it's fundamentally wrong to allow members with claims to vote on the measure, but current rules appear to preclude their abstention from the process--the OC says all members must always vote if they are present. Onward Oregon stands with us, as did multiple testifiers at the first cmte hearings Tuesday evening.