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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Police looking for possible additional victims in Ashland rape cases Modern Roots Foundation works to increase musical opportunities Police urge caution after men enter home Ski area launching concert series Crater Lake hits record for low snow Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Police looking for possible additional victims in Ashland rape cases Police urge caution after men enter home Man jailed on 32 sex abuse charges Emergency services Minor injuries reported in rollover crash near hospital Politics and Elections Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Education MSD considers adding a health center at one of the city's high schools Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Territorial Seed contribution a boost for SOU food program 200-plus Jackson County students miss vaccination deadline Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards Environment Lost Creek Lake algae bloom subsides Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip State News Oregon official says he was questioned by FBI, IRS Hayes wants her private emails protected Oregon Senate votes unanimously to outlaw 'revenge porn' Judge: Oracle must host Oregon's Medicaid system Oregon Coast fish could be from Japanese tsunami Nation - World Obituaries Pamela Sue Banuelos Judith Ann Miller Rita Launa Stitt Ursula E. Johnson Thomas H. Smith Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories No. 7 Arizona has little trouble with Colorado LeBron scores 42 as Cavs top Warriors Stanford too much for Beavers, 75-48 Stanford spoils OSU party LeBron unhappy over recruiting of son, 10 Varsity 541 College Sports No. 7 Arizona has little trouble with Colorado Stanford too much for Beavers, 75-48 Stanford spoils OSU party Raiders, Owls meet in '14 title rematch Oregon will take care of its athletes Pro Sports LeBron scores 42 as Cavs top Warriors LeBron unhappy over recruiting of son, 10 No word on discipline for Hamilton Herman takes first-day lead at Honda Matthews, Blazers sink Spurs Community Sports Business Latest Stories Medford Fabrication isn't afraid to go big Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi R8 Blog: Friends Forever Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Lithia Motors scores record revenue, net earnings in 4Q and 2014 Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business People in Business Transportation Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: Leonard Nimoy dies Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Arthur I. Cyr: Iran nuclear accord – tough negotiations, at home and abroad Editorials Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Our View: Higher education still getting too little Our View: Adjusting for unintended consequences Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 26 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 25 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 24 Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Columns Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Dana Milbank: The Homeland Security fiasco Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Michelle Teheux: Will we keep heading down the wrong path? Kathleen Parker: Twitter as America's conscience Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Lifestyle Latest stories What's there to do on the Oregon Coast? Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi R8 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage Winging it Community blog: Support local CSA farms by signing up Saturday Food Community blog: Support local CSA farms by signing up Saturday Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Cheeseburger pie is the perfect winter comfort food Page H. Onorato: Hot dogs I have known and loved Season Stepp: Tips for roasting vegetables Tammy Kelly: Here’s to healthier Mex! Home and Garden Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Health Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Community blog: Finding Your Indomitable Spirit to Defeat Addiction Dr. Murray Feingold: ‘Beet’ high blood pressure with borscht Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Theater 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Music Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Police looking for possible additional victims in Ashland rape cases ... Police urge caution after men enter home ... Ski area launching concert series ... Police looking for possible additional victims in Ashland rape cases ... Police urge caution after men enter home ... Ski area launching concert series ... OUR VIEW Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Feb. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> In another first for Oregon, the state has become the only one in the nation with three major political parties — just barely. And therein lies the initial challenge facing the Independent Party of Oregon: not only to retain major party status but to build on it, by continuing to add members and electing some of them to office. Secretary of State Kate Brown announced last week that the party had met the threshold for recognition as a major party — having more than 5 percent of the registered voters in the last gubernatorial election. But the party made the cut by only three voters. It's up for reverification on Aug. 17, and it could lose major party status if its membership drops below 108,739. Meanwhile, the IPO will be eligible to run candidates in the May 19 primary election. The bad news is, this is an odd-numbered year, meaning no legislative seats will be on the ballot, and many of the offices that will be are nonpartisan. That will make it tough for the party to gain much momentum until next year. There are other difficulties facing the Independent Party, starting with its name. About a third of Oregon registered voters are not affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. Most of those voters are nonaffiliated, commonly referred to as independents with a small "i." An unknown number of voters listed as Independents with a capital "I" may in fact have intended to register as nonaffiliated, which doesn't make them enthusiastic advocates for growing a new major political party. As the IPO gains a higher profile, some of those voters may ask to be listed as nonaffiliated. The acronym IPO, also, is a bit problematic, as it conjures images of Wall Street and initial public offerings of stock. Another difficulty is the Independent Party's platform. Featured prominently on the party website,  www.indparty.com , the platform is brief, sensible and relentlessly uncontroversial: " The Independent Party of Oregon favors reducing special interest influence over our government processes; increasing transparency in government, particularly with how our tax dollars are spent and how the public's business is conducted in Salem; protecting Oregon consumers, particularly with respect to banks, insurance companies and private utilities; providing incentives for small businesses to thrive and for larger businesses to expand in Oregon in a way that returns more benefits to the public than it costs." Unless you are far to the left or to the right, it's hard to argue with any of those positions. It's also hard to get enough people fired up about them to do the kind of volunteer work that wins elections. None of these obstacles are insurmountable. We have consistently supported opening up the Oregon election process by allowing nonaffiliated voters to cast ballots in primaries, and we supported the unsuccessful open primary measure last year. A third major party option for primary voters has the potential to push the Democratic and Republican parties to run candidates that appeal to a broader slice of the electorate. We wish the Independent Party well.   MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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 MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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. 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