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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... COMMENTARY Chris Honoré: The way Republicans roll redux Comment By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Mar. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré Posted Mar. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM What do you think? --> Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter or email ... » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter or email [email protected] . » Social News It is difficult not to view all that is now taking place in Congress through the lens of the last election and wonder why the voters so overwhelmingly voted Republican. The electorate not only strengthened the conservatives’ majority in the House, they returned the Senate to the conservatives. I often wonder what the Republicans would have to do going forward to cause the electorate to become thoroughly disenchanted with them as a party. Recall that this is the hostage-taking cohort that shut down the government in 2013 for 15 days because President Obama refused to retreat on the Affordable Care Act? It was an extraordinarily disruptive and costly tantrum. And, apparently, quickly forgotten. Now consider what has taken place over what conservatives refer to as President Obama’s executive overreach regarding immigration. First the backstory: In June of 2013, the Senate passed a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill that included a path to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. The bill would bring them out of the shadows and halt record deportations that have separated countless families. The Senate bill was then sent to the House, where it has been held in political purgatory ever since, because of more internal Republican machinations — differences between the Republican caucus, the tea party and mainstream members — than the actual merits of the bill. The Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has refused to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote, knowing that if he did it would surely win approval — an outcome rejected by his caucus and the tea party. It has been almost two years since the Senate bill was passed. In the interim, President Obama has repeatedly called for the House to vote on comprehensive immigration reform. Finally, using his executive authority, the president took action to protect from deportation some 5 million undocumented residents residing in America. In essence, his action was an expanded attempt to prevent those parents of children born here — as well as children brought here (“Dreamers”) — from being deported. In other words, the intent, while admittedly temporary, is also a profoundly humane attempt by the president to stop what has been an egregiously harmful policy that has fractured families. Though the House has steadfastly refused to address the Senate bill, the Republican membership is outraged at the executive actions taken by the president over immigration, insisting that he has exceeded his authority. And so, once again, using the hostage strategy that is reminiscent of 2013 (for which they paid no political price), conservative House members telegraphed over the past several weeks that they would refuse to fund Homeland Security (including all its ancillary departments) unless President Obama nullified his immigration executive order. The agency was slated to run out of funds by Saturday. This brinksmanship style of Republican governance led to the last-minute passage in the House on Friday of a one-week Band-Aid, and it once again illustrates how the GOP rolls: dysfunctional and acrimonious. They want what they want regardless of the collateral damage. Does this not qualify as grounds for voting for the other team? One other topic: At the risk of being redundant, some recent figures regarding enrollment in the Affordable Care Act were published in the New York Times. The context here is the fact that the House Republicans have repeatedly voted to repeal the Act (56 and counting). According to the New York Times, there has been a huge drop in the number of uninsured — at least 13.4 million Americans have been added to the insurance rolls. More than 11 million people have signed up to buy insurance on the exchanges and almost 8 million have signed up outside the exchanges and upgraded what were decidedly substandard policies. Medicaid has also been expanded (though 22 predominantly Republican states have cravenly opted out). Now here’s the rub: If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell, the most recent conservative challenge to ACA, many Americans now enrolled in Obamacare will be forced out, and many, once again, will find themselves back in emergency rooms, a place of last-resort care. Note: those attempting to send ACA into a death spiral have no alternative plan. Nothing. A fact that is morally reprehensible. Chris Honoré lives in Ashland. By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Mar. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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