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Finders Biden, Trump clinch party nominations keepers
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Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Number 12 • 135 years
Serving the communities of Cottage Grove and Creswell
ELECTION 2024
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clinched their parties’ nominations for president by winning state primaries Tuesday, March 12. The victories will lead to a second presidential battle between the two following the 2020 election. To gain insight into this political race and how it might play out in Cottage Grove, through Oregon and across the nation, The Sentinel has reached out to Pacific University’s School of Social Sciences Acting Director and Political Science Professor Jim Moore. The Sentinel: What is the significance of the US Supreme Court ruling concerning former President Trump’s efforts to be on state ballots? Jim Moore: The
Recruiting and retaining employees is a huge challenge for some local businesses
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Looking to hire? Need a job? Call the Oregon Employment Department at 503-947-1394. JEREMY C. RUARK COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
T
he impact of a tight labor market can be seen in Cottage Grove. Some business operators are struggling to find and retain adequate staff. The Sentinel highlighted the challenge in a previous published story with the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce President. This article digs deeper into the challenges and the potential solutions. WHAT’S CAUSING THE SHORTAGE? Oregon Employment Department Regional Economist Brian Rooney says there are specific key factors that have led to the job hiring and retaining challenges in Cottage Grove and across Lane County. “The problems include less inmigration in Lane County and across the state,” Rooney said. “The U.S. Census Bureau shows Lane County’s population dropping since the COVID pandemic, and now growing very slowly. We’re also seeing a lot of baby-boomer retirements.” Affordable housing also is an issue evolving in the tight labor market. “People seeking work may also be seeking affordable housing to live here, so if housing costs are low, that can attract workers, if hosing cost are high, that can cause workers to stay away,” he said. “So, wages have to be enough to afford housing.” The most recent Oregon Employment Department report shows that there were 8,612 unfilled jobs in Lane County in the fall of 2023. The jobs ranged across the board from health care, to construction, to leisure and hospitality. IMPACT
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The impact of the tight job market has caused businesses to make structural changes, such as restaurants offering
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take-out-service instead of in-business sit-down service, and other businesses limiting hours and days of operations. Rooney said some businesses have opted to apply high technology to become more efficient and less labor intensive, through mechanization in manufacturing, or using technology for services in retail sectors, in an effort to remain open. The impact on customers often means inconvenience and longer waiting time for services, according to Rooney. To attract and sustain employees, many businesses are offering higher wages. The average annual wage during the third quarter of 2022 was $55,394, compared to the $55,548 average annual wage in the third quarter of 2023, according to Rooney. “Yes, pay is a big thing,” he said, adding that employers are also enhancing benefits. “If an employer can offer hybrid situations, employees allowed the opportunity to work from home, and also flexible working hours are good benefits that will attract more people.” LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL According to Rooney, the Oregon Employment Department has in place programs to aline workers with employers. “We try to work on efforts through job listing to help people looking for work,” he said. “We also provide advice and training for people looking for work as well as job fairs to connect employers and job seekers.” Rooney said there is a “light at the end of the tunnel.” “We are seeing a little more inmigration over the past year compared
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Joe Biden
Donald Trump
Supreme Court unanimous ruling keeping Trump on the ballot in Colorado solidifies that this will be a more “normal” election— candidates will appear on ballots and campaign and seek to win primary votes. It also reduces the role of the national Republican convention this summer. The convention will simply count delegates to nominate Trump—they won’t have to decide what to do with delegates from states where Trump did not appear on the ballot. The Sentinel: What are the leading factors that keeps former President Trump popular with a segment of voters?
Moore: People are extremely frustrated with their lives, especially with what they see as the heavy handed role of government (e.g. face mask mandates) and the government going in the “wrong” direction (e.g. spending taxpayer money on projects and programs people don’t support). Trump promises a “right” direction [and the unintentional pun works here] and a lessening of the role of government. He is the latest in a long line of candidates to make this argument. His rhetoric sounds a lot like Ronald Reagan’s call to shrink government 40 years ago. The Sentinel: If the election were held today, from your vantage point, would former President Trump win, If so, why? Moore: It is unclear who would win today. While Trump has a slight See VOTE Page 6
Oregon Presidential Primary set for May 21 STAFF REPORT Cottage Grove Sentinel Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade has released the final list of candidates to appear on the 2024 Democratic and Republican Presidential Primary for Oregon’s primary election on May 21. DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES: Joseph Biden Marianne Williamson REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES: Donald Trump “Oregonians are voters,” GriffinValade said. “In 2022 we had the highest voter turnout in the county. We have been trailblazers in creating modern and secure elections through our vote-by-mail system, which we’ve operated for more than 20 years without a single instance of widespread voter fraud. We are taking every precaution to ensure the 2024 elections will be no different.” ORS 249.078 (1)(a) states that a Secretary of State may place the name of a candidate on a major party Presidential primary ballot if the Secretary, in their “sole discretion, has determined that the candidate’s candidacy is generally advocated or is recognized in national news media.” Candidates may also access the ballot by nominating petition as provided in ORS 249.078 (1)(b). Oregon law allows major parties to decide whether to hold “open” or “closed” primaries. In this year’s May
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Metro Creative Connection Primary, both the Democratic and Republican parties will hold “closed” primaries — meaning that a voter must be registered with that party by April 30th to participate in its primary election. Oregonians can register to vote or change their party registration at OregonVotes.gov. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PRIMARY ELECTION The deadline to register to vote, update your voter registration, or register with a political party is April 30, 2024. Both the Republican and Democratic parties in Oregon choose to hold closed primaries. That means you won’t see those candidates on your ballot unless you are a registered member of the party. Ballots will be sent out starting May 1, 2024. Election Day is May 21, 2024. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. or postmarked on this day to be counted. Return your ballot in the mail, at a county clerk’s office, or at any of the secure, official drop boxes available See PRIMARY Page 6