Common Sense of Oregon Wins Prestigious 'White Bully Award'

A press release about prisoner soda pop is making headlines, but it's nothing more than a thinly veiled attack on the poor.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Too many people with limited life experience make public charges. The Group "Common Sense For Oregon", which frankly I had never heard of, has managed to get news attention over its non-revelation that Oregon is spending, according to them, $773,000 for free soda pop for prisoners.

The first point to make in regard to this, is that we have 1 out of 31 Americans incarcerated today and it is a national shame. So why are they there? One reason is the simple fact that new laws are continually enacted and implemented, further outlawing more and more activity.

These are laws designed to criminalize residents of this state and land them behind bars. The problem isn't how much it costs to buy soda pop, the problem is why this society is so gung ho on jailing and imprisoning its own people.

Another area to examine is the private industry that supplies the soda pop and other products. Groups are quick to blame the public sector for any problem they perceive, but the state has bills too and those same critics certainly don't seem to be after corporate America.

But in the end I could give a damn how much it costs if it gives those people behind bars one small thing that they need to feel a little bit like a human being. More power to them.

Prisoners are an easy target and they always have been. I'd like to know how the folks at Common Sense for Oregon would like to live without so much as a soda pop. There is a heartless element in this state and while it has taken a beating in recent months, it still blabs on radio and attends tea parties.

I personally helped the Arizona state prison population keep its right to receive family Christmas presents in 1995. I learned through a press release that then-Governor Fife Symington was supposedly going to save taxpayers a million bucks by eliminating the right of prisoners to receive holiday gifts from their families. I found a woman recently released from prison in Arizona who talked about how much safer the corrections officers are when the prisoners don't have their only possessions taken from them.

My story aired on KYMA Channel-11's 6:00 News and the prisoners saw the story. They used an attorney to file an injunction and stopped Symington's attempt to rob them of Christmas presents. Two years later I was working for the NBC station in Las Vegas and Symington was convicted of federal charges and sent to prison in, of all places... Las Vegas, Nevada. Karma is a real bitch sometimes.

I absolutely do not believe that Common Sense For Oregon is non-partisan as it claims, and I hope that everyone sees through the fog on this. We have so many thousands in prison, of course it is expensive, that isn't brain surgery.

This press release about prisoner soda pop is nothing more than a thinly veiled attack on the poor.

So therefore I am pleased to announce that this group, Common Sense For Oregon, is the recipient of the Salem-News.com "White Bully Award", for signifying and representing the interests of those who are willing to attack the poor, whine endlessly about paying their fair share of taxes, and stir up non stories on slow news days that prey on the fears of the population.

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor.
Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), the first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several other awards including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website, affiliated with Google News and several other major search engines and news aggregators.
You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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Jeff May 14, 2009 10:09 am (Pacific time)

Just found their site - they seem to link to a pretty diverse group of blogs. Not sure if that's an indicator of objectivity or not. http://www.commonsensefororegon.org

Curt Held May 14, 2009 7:10 am (Pacific time)

I agree that we have too many people incarcerated in our correction system. Over the years I have seen many new and novel ways tried to help change the growing trend of criminal behavior and eventual incarceration of so many. It appears that there are many different theories on what to do. Hopefully the answer is out there, I find it so troubling to see this waste of human life. I know very few people who support Alinsky's methods, and must say if he truely was (or his methods) were successful you would see more support for those methods from our elected officals and even from our educational personnel. In fact I cannot think of one place where his methods were put into practice where they actually improved that location. Does anyone know of a place? I don't believe I posted anything that would indicate some form of insensitivity to a "white marxist award", and frankly have no idea what it would be for. I assume "white" indicates race, and that doesn't make sense to me. Assigning race to any (or at least most) ideologies seems misleading to me. Are all Marxists white? Of course not. Regarding "sodas" and their future, whether doled out in our correction system or not, it does appear that a consumption tax is on the way for this product, maybe two taxes, state and federal. Good grief if that occurs. I wonder if they will be taxing Snapple?

Henry Ruark May 13, 2009 6:04 pm (Pacific time)

Curt May: Somehow I do not seem to have ever heard of Curt May, but history will show a fine record of human accomplishment for others for Saul Alinsky. Happens I trained some of the kids living in the Chicago neighborhood he helped rescue from near-oblivion, for tough phone-sales jobs at Time-Life Books there. What's your field, where did you "practice", what have you to show as public record for it ? Without that your words ring far too empty for much weight here...Feel free to cite, document, state to substantiate your cheap shot re Alinsky. Re your insensitivity to "white Marxist reward", that's self-explanatory in and of itself by your own words, as is yours re lack of experience re prison management --or any other form of social control, from what you write here, including sensitive citizen responsibility to decency re others unfortunate enough to be confined, no matter what the reasons may be or seem to be...which is why we as a nation now confine, at huge costs, far too many for far too multiple minor offenses.

Curt May 13, 2009 9:15 am (Pacific time)

Well the topic of "sodas" appears to have branched into other areas. I don't see a connection with racism and Obama, but I am deeply concerned that Healthcare costs may become the proverbial straw to our economy at this time. Maybe wait and see if the stimulus starts to turn the economy around before we start printing even more money. This new healthcare pursuit seem to be over the top considering our current economic woes. Back to sodas, let the legislature act on it. I have noticed that many in the healthcare industry suggest that we cut back on soda, even eliminate it from our diet for health reasons. Of course managing prisoners is beyond my experience, so maybe it is cost effective to placate prisoners from acting out by providing it to them. Though looking at the history of frequent prison riots I have never heard that soda was a cause. Alinsky, not a person I would recommend as a model of good behavior, or using his organizing system as a way to reach a consensus on important decision-making. Just the opposite actually.

Henry Ruark May 13, 2009 7:57 am (Pacific time)

Curt M: That "white Marxist" ref. transparent code for conveying "denied-racism" and failed "fear-of-Communism"...longtime tools of neocon remnant from honorable conservative days. (There WERE some few such years !) Awkward use here reveals reliance on widespread printed guide used by ignorant needing any help they can get for use of our common language. Printed-stuff spewed out in large quantities as attack on Alinsky, famed as Chicago community organizer; now same s... used to attack President Obama, demonstrated by rest of "comment", which is example of Far Right noise machine still in full action after 40 years of brainwashing propaganda.

Curt May 13, 2009 6:50 am (Pacific time)

Seems that "sodas" are generating many strong feeling here. Since this is an issue that we all vote on regarding funding and developing criminal statutes via our representatives let's see what happens on the legislative end. Please note that most all ballot measures that ask for stronger sanctions in our criminal justice system usually pass. I don't get the reference to Marx, but then again I don't get the reference to "white" either.

Vander5 May 12, 2009 8:33 pm (Pacific time)

People get tossed in prisons and are left to rot. They do their time (usually more time than they should) and still get harrassed by some. What is the state doing to ensure these prisoners go back into society reformed? Nothing! There is waste for sure but those dollars and more could easily go towards education and counseling. Residents want many locked away but are unwilling to pay. Take your choice people..you send them away..you pay.

Henry Ruark May 12, 2009 7:46 pm (Pacific time)

Revolting Taxpayer: You chose precisely the right name for yourself, sir, with your comment proving up what you really feel. Re Marx, yr ref. might better be termed hysterical rather than historical, given the good faith factor involved in public statement. Marx has his record, sir, and now you have yours, too...for what it may be worth when weighed in the commonsense scale, along with this originating group and their revolting --and revealing-- public statement, too.

Taxpayer revolting May 12, 2009 6:06 pm (Pacific time)

May I suggest that Senate democrats receive the white Marxist award for their aproach to damaging my enjoyment of my daily root beer: "Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system. The taxes would pay for only a fraction of the cost to expand health-insurance coverage to all Americans and would face strong opposition from the beverage industry. They also could spark a backlash from consumers who would have to pay several cents more for a soft drink. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee is set to hear proposals from about a dozen experts about how to pay for the comprehensive health-care overhaul that President Barack Obama wants to enact this year. Early estimates put the cost of the plan at around $1.2 trillion. The administration has so far only earmarked funds for about half of that amount. "

Daniel Johnson May 12, 2009 4:03 pm (Pacific time)

Prisoners use toilet paper, as well. I sincerely hope this group doesn't realize that toilet paper has two sides.

Daniel Johnson May 12, 2009 3:57 pm (Pacific time)

Common sense, goes the saying, is not common. Certainly this group is misnamed.

Native Oregonian May 12, 2009 3:17 pm (Pacific time)

I heard that guy say prisoners don't need anything to drink but water. I suppose they should only eat bread too. Why should he care about prisoners? It's not the soda bill that gets me, it's the paramount lack of kindness that this man boasts. Prisoners are citizens, and your future neighbors. This "common sense" group (what a contradiction) is an embarrassment on behalf of Oregon. Apparently even cold-hearted monsters can get the stage if they wave dollar bills around. Unfortunately.

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Common Sense of Oregon Wins Prestigious 'White Bully Award'

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