What are the major issues that are divisive?

Is it the old pro-growth vs anti-growth conflict? Is it the urbanization of a once rural area? Or the related liberal vs conservative split? Which sometimes manifests itself as the newcomers vs the old growth? Or perhaps it is the skiers vs the nonskiers? (see Mt Ashland expansion)

Or maybe people just got fed up seeing the same old Bard plays year after year!

(see Mt Ashland expansion)

Ding Ding Ding...We have a winner...

Essentially Ashland is a retirement town with Southern Oregon University providing an influx of youth from September to May

plus, this little thing called the oregon shakespeare festival, which has an annual operating budget of $20,000,000.

i can't see how OSF can fail to have an affect on the economy & politics of ashland. and yet it's not mentioned anywhere in your post?

i'm a bit baffled - i don't live in southern oregon, just visit their a lot, but "homey little town" is not the word that springs to my mind when i think of ashland. well, it's little anyway.

It seems only the gossipy stories the Medford Tribune and Daily Tidings publish are the only view citizens have of the Ashland city council. What about all the area the city is being a leader in. One of the first municipal cable networks in the country, which even though had bad financial initially, provides great service for a cheaper price than private for-profit companies, a ban on Styrofoam, a dedicated commitment to renewable energy, investing in a sizable amount of solar and developing a program to allow citizens to buy in on a large solar array and get the dividends (David Chapman's project, the one who is now known for his mouth), an affordable public golf course ($18 for 18 holes I believe), protecting affordable housing and the rent pool by blocking condo conversions.

The city gets a lot of heat from everyone, but I am tired of people picking up on the sensational and focusing on that when what matters is progressive policy.

Its like focusing on Britney Spears while we are occupying Iraq.

First of all, it's been suggested that the golf course might become affordable housing. That could be an indication that the city is lacking affordable housing. Secondly, whatever Chapman did in the past doesn't allow him a free pass to be rude and out of line in the future. (I won't even mention Navickas, who might be more at fault.) Thirdly, $37,000 is a lot of money to spend for the 'councilors' to receive 'counseling'. It's a nationwide story because of how absurd it is. Don't pass the blame to the messenger (ie: newspapers) when politicians are acting immature and out of line. Maybe the additional press coverage will clarify, in their minds, how absurd this whole thing is and then the money can be spent on more important things.

The Ashland City Council was dysfunctional long before Navikas was voted into office. However, he was essentially the Cherry on top of the Sundae. He has publicly stated he will deliberately not cooperate regarding the Mt. Ashland expansion. He has a history of being a council gad-fly and deliberately baits people he doesn't agree with. (and Navikas doesn't agree with LOTS of people.)

Let's not even begin on Hartzell and her shenanigans, micro-management and stonewalling tactics.

Ashland's Fiber Network is an over priced albatross that has cost millions yet continues to be a financial loser. The city tried an end game to charge ALL electrical users (they own their own utility as well) to shore up this feel good loser of a project. They also had a loser in their own cable network and a museum about 10 years ago.

Lets also not forget Ashland's wastewater treatment plant that continually runs in non compliance pumping loads of contaminants into the Bear Creek watershed. Apparently Ashland tree huggers only care about water sources above them (fighting the Mt Ashland expansion), but could care less about how they pollute the rest of southern Oregon.

Yes, the Shakespeare festival is a major economic and cultural engine in Ashland. One reason they remain successful is wisely, they don't get involved in politics at any level.

The rest of southern Oregon treats Ashland like Auntie Mame, that somewhat off-beat and ineffectual old rich aunt who creates lots of fluff around her, but little of substance.

I've spent some time in Jackson County with my in-laws, who live in Talent and south of Ashland. What they talk about most is low income housing and jobs. So towns like Phoenix and Talent are where the "affordable" housing is, and people drive more and further to their work. I can't even fathom where the orchard workers live.

My husband speaks of Ashland in the 1970s and 1980s as a place where he got regular meditation breaks in school and had yoga in his PE class. Seems like some of those "transcendent" values may have slipped away. Low income housing is a joke in Ashland now. My greatest concern is what happens to communities that exclude the poorer and working classes from their idyllic small towns. What becomes of us when we don't experience the consequences of our consumption?

(Generally speaking) the recent problem with the Ashland City Council is you have a lot of complainers and not a lot of problem-solvers. The voters have elected some people who are infamous for their acts of civil disobedience (Navikas) and those now-counselors haven't figured out how to transform that energy into constructive acts...(excuse the metaphor, but) instead of pissing into the tent from outside, they're now just pissing in the tent from the inside...and what the voters are left with is the stench. The therapy sessions are a waste of time and money. I thought the local Daily Tidings recent editorial about the $37k was spot on. Anytime the bickering of a local city council makes national news...it's sad.

The rest of southern Oregon treats Ashland like Auntie Mame, that somewhat off-beat and ineffectual old rich aunt who creates lots of fluff around her, but little of substance.

whoa, that's a money quote right there. thanks for the perspective. makes a lot of sense...

<h2>That Auntie Mame comment sure rings true. When folks here in Josephine County talk about something becoming a "little Ashland," that's not a compliment, regardless their politics.</h2>