How is his words being taken out of context Michael?

Because the training wage would undoubtedly be LOWER. You don't have to know what it is exactly, to know that's ridiculous.

"i don't know what it is" as in, "how low will it be? who gets stuck with it? what are the rules?"

"training wage" is a bait-and-switch, or, rather, a pick-and-roll (like Malone used to eat up Duds with). it's meant to show concern for businesses but it's real intent is to undermine the minimum wage, and that undermines the opportunity for more people to earn a living wage.

I know what it is - it's fricking SCAM! Wake the f%$k up!

The "training wage" reduction is a poison pill intended to exempt seasonal workers from qualifying for a minimum wage.

Q: Do you support a training wage to help get young and inexperienced workers job skill OR do you want to maintain the status quo of obscenely high unemeployment for Oregon's youth?

Fair enough. All I ask is that when the same thing is done to a Dem that you don't complain about it.

I think Kitz could drop a Buick on his head and it wouldn't have any impact on this election. This one is over folks

1. Currently, 5 of the last 10 threads have no comments from me

2. Is it possible you only notice my comments when I DISAGREE with you and you don't notice them when I agree with your POV.

3. There are two topic discussed here that I disagree with the BO majority, the Oregon Governors race(although I have never said to vote for Dudley) and business taxes. It just so happens that the governors race is front and center right now.

Seriously, how does anyone have that much free time?

Mr. Pingree seems obsessed with the idea that businesses in Oregon are struggling in this economy. Perhaps his own business would be doing better if he wasn't spending so much time posting comments on blogs. (Especially off-topic comments on blogs.)

I guess I disagree with Michael more often than not, but if even one out of five or ten Pingree Gambits makes anybody stop to think while formulating an answer, he's a valuable counter to the inevitable group reenforcement.....

Nor can they ever explain how firing tens of thousands of public employees will improve the economy. Because as you know, public employees live and shop for products and services in some other dimension outside of the state and their local economies.

dude, the MW is going up because the people of Oregon voted for cost of living increases in 2002. on top of everything else, Duds doesn't even seem to know the relevant law involved.

Uh....what?

And what do the states who have higher unemployment and lower minimum wage than us do for an encore?

I guess it might be politically savvy to perpetuate a lie, but I'm lost as to how it's actually a good idea.

But Michael, the part where he says he "talks to restaurants" (does he talk to cars, too?) seems to me to say the same thing -- that, to him, it doesn't make sense to have people in restaurants make tips on top of minimum wage.

You know what I don't get michael, is that this unedited video has been on Blue Oregon for a week and it was posted on Youtube for a week as well, BY dems. Did you actually not watch any of the videos or are you simply pretending to be outraged now because KGW confirms what we all know ... context matters (hell even KGW removed the context when they edited the segment). You've had it for over a week and somehow chosen to ignore the simple fact that a questioner asked Dudley a question about how min wage is hurting OR, he responded with his agreement and said 'we need to do something about that" and then went on to say that restaurant owners had told him.... "insert quote here".

Want to know a few reasons why you should vote for Kitz?

1.) he vetoed 5 GOP legislature budgets that included deficit spending. 2.) GOP wanted to raid School funds to pay for spending, he wouldn't allow it. 3.) We don't have time for on the job training. 4.) Dudley wants to cut $800M in revenue on the expectation that "projected job increases" will make up the difference. 5.) Kitz wants to pay down debt. 6.) Kitz actually has a record... some not so good, some great. BUT he actually has a history that you can go look at and decide if you agree or disagree. 7.) Dudley has avoided every debate since Alley handed him his ass in primaries. Going so far as to use his family to lie his way out of the ONPA debates. If you've been following this issue you know that is true. 8.) Kitz has attended EVERY debate. I believe it's been about 5 at this point... at each one he's presented himself to the press for extended periods to answer any questions. 9.) Kitz can think on his feet. Dudley appear to fear defending his "plans" or attacking Kitz's in a forum where he might be cross questioned on his answers.

You know what, as a progressive I can understand someone preferring Allen Alley over Kitz. Like Kitz he is experienced. He cares about Oregon, He understands how to get things done. While I disagree with most of his positions... he seems principled and qualified.

Dudley... not so much.

Is it your contention that the waitress statement was Dudley's original thought or was he repeating what a restaurant owner told him.

If it's the former, that just isn't supported by the transcripts. From the DPO transcript of the full video:

...you talk to restaurants, restaurants will say listen, we’ve got less employees than we would otherwise because of this and it doesn’t make sense that our – our waitresses are getting tips plus the highest minimum wage in the country where our – those in the back – there’s a dispri-disproportionate amount of compensation,...

Ah yes..the "liberal" media strikes again.

It can "continue to be argued" all day long, but the fact that Dudley says, "I agree with you on that issue.." might clear it up, wouldn't you say, Bruce?

If Dudley is using a third party to back up his contention, isn't that AGREEMENT?

You can't have it both ways.