JCLAC

Local food leaders

Jeff — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 01:28:10 +0000

/>Sunday afternoon, June 26, some of the PRV Steering Committee had a small meeting with a few of the people who have been advancing the local food movement. We learned a fair bit about some of the challenges and bottlenecks that need attention if the Rogue Valley is to become the dynamic food producing region that it can be. We’ll have more to tell you soon, and we want YOUR ideas about where to focus our energy to support local agriculture and enhance the locally-grown food supply.

Chicken, arsenic and the FDA

Jeff — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:21:05 +0000

Oregon gets with the program

Jeff — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 23:17:33 +0000

It’s not rocket science.viagra 100mg

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States all over the country have begun passing laws that let local governments award more contracts to local vendors, so that dollars from their citizens’ pockets can generate more stable jobs. Oregon has joined them. HB 3000, recently signed into law, says that “contracting agencies” –counties, cities, school districts and others– can award contracts to local businesses for up to 10% more than the lowest bid. (When you factor in tax revenues that come back to local governments — and there are methods that accurately project those amounts–,a $110,000 bid from a local vendor may actually turn out to cost local government less than a remote corporation’s $100,000 bid.)

How soon will local governments in the Rogue Valley start taking advantage of this privilege?

Buy Local—it’s spreading like wildfire

Jeff — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:52:03 +0000

We might have wanted Jackson County to be on the cutting edge of the economic localization movement… but it’s a little late for that. Counties with fewer people and resources are surging forward. The Buy Local Lincoln County Association has put out a clear and simple video on how the economics work. Their projection is that if that county’s estimated 19,000 households all shifted just 10% of their discretionary spending from remote to local businesses, 12o local jobs would be created. And are they needed.

There are a couple of points made in their video that are subject to debate, but it’s definitely worth seeing how this rural Oregon county is getting it together. And if they can……

Outlawing those nasty locally-grown greens

Jeff — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:15:34 +0000

There’s legislation in the works that could make life much harder for farmers in our valley who grow leafy greens.

Does this sound like it’s moving in the right direction? You might want to weigh in on the issue.

Should Govts pull tax dollars out of foreclosing Mega-banks?

Jeff — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:01:32 +0000

June 8, 2011: Local officials in New York State are striking back at mega-banks that

are tossing their citizens out onto the streets. Good idea?

Local Preference Purchasing Laws…nearly every state does it

Jeff — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:22:44 +0000

The report we produced to let County Commissioners know that there are legal ways to give advantages to local businesses bidding on county contracts (see #4 on our Program Area page) sho

wed that there are plenty of jurisdictions way out in fron of Jackson County on this.
Now we discover that in the case of state governments, policies to give a leg up to “local” (or at least same-state) contractors are the rule, not the exception.
We think it’s time for Jackson County to get with the program.

An example of community-based forestry

Jeff — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:46:50 +0000

Project Rogue Valley: Coming Together for a Stronger County

michael — Fri, 13 May 2011 17:13:29 +0000

Ready to launch

Jeff — Sat, 07 May 2011 22:58:43 +0000

We’re getting ready for our first big PRV meeting, Monday May 16. See what PRV is all about — if it fits with your way of thinking,

join us then.