Tag: Brad Hicks

Monday’s Theme Music — Tuesday morning

Ashland, southern Oregon — Monday, November 11, 2026.

Overcast and wet defines the morning’s view of the sky and land. Still colorful but fading, November is taking over, kicking October’s influences out. It’s 52 F with a chance of 58 F as a high.

My 1440 minutes are consumed with writing and BCG wash number 5. My wife and I were talking about going to a Day of the Dead celebration after my appointment but we both realized how stupid that would be. *smile*

Nothing new from Mom’s negotiations with my sister, Gina. I don’t expect a fast decision. Gina is always suspicious of Mom these days. In Gina’s view, Mom uses pain and problems as tools to manipulate others, so she’s waiting to see how sincere and true Mom’s offer to apologize to Gina’s husbands really is.

I don’t blame Gina at all. I’m extremely leery of Mom’s current entreaties. I want Mom to be happy but I’m not certain she has that capacity any longer.

Tomorrow is election day in America. Trump is escalating his attacks on democracy. Through him and his minions, voting by mail is threatened. Trump is also attacking voter registration and trying to intimidate state voting officials. As usual, Donald Trump is trying to use ’emergency’ as his excuse for what he’s doing, pleading to the Roberts Court for help. Yes, we’ve seen this playbook.

My wife and I talk about the midterm elections a lot at our house. There is a bit of fatigue in our conversations. The GOP’s television commercials are so friggin’ annoying.

Like Brad Hicks, running for state office. Part of the appeal he makes to voters is that ‘one party shouldn’t be in charge of everything.’

Hello, Brad. You’re a Republican. You do realize that Republicans control Congress and the White House, don’t you? You are, in effect, arguing against voting for Republicans because one party shouldn’t be in charge of everything.

Other than that, and attack, attack, these Trump-supporting candidates try to appeal for affordability and common sense. They never elaborate on either and don’t address the Trump-sized elephant who is affecting affordability in America.

So we are really, really, REALLY looking forward to Election Day — ESPECIALLY if We the People manage the blue wave so many are predicting.

With those thoughts in mind, The Neurons have placed “Sweet Tuesday Morning” in my morning mental music stream. This is a Badfinger song which came out in 1971. I had the album and listened to the tune often. I don’t think I’ve heard it on the radio in decades, which is a shame. Other than being about Tuesday, though, the song doesn’t have much to do with election day or the stresses, worries, and frustrations it represents.

I hope your 1440 minutes are stress free and relaxed although I suspect many are like me, hopeful but anxious, angry and weary.

May the blue wave arrive and save us.

Cheers

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Saturday’s Theme Music — Gonna get wild

Ashland, southern Oregon — Saturday, October 24, 2026.

It’s a bright autumn day outside. Got cold last night, 32 F. Frost on the ground in places this AM. Up to 37 at this point. With high cirrus clouds, a bright blue sky, and sunshine slanting in from on high, a high of 68 F is projected.

As October closes, everyone is reminded to vote. My wife and I filled out our ballots and dropped them in the box on Wednesday. Oregon does all its voting ‘by mail’, although designation collection boxes are set in strategic locations. I used the one at the city library, beside the book drop off boxes.

Mom is angry. My sister, Gina, her POA is angry. It’s about spending, adult diapers, Mom’s sense of neglect, Gina’s resentment that Mom doesn’t appreciate her, etc. Mom’s birthday is next week. She texted Gina’s daughter that she’s looking for a lawyer. I should add, again. Mom looked for a lawyer a few previous times this year. I’ve stepped back from the fray. Gina dropped off diapers for Mom this morning but didn’t see Mom because Mom wasn’t in her room.

Like Mom, Trump is angry. Mom is also frustrated, and I think Trump is as well.

Trump has been bulldozing his way ahead, only stopping when absolutely forced to. It’s a struggle for the courts because Trump, as leader of the executive branch, is supposed to enforce the court’s findings. Declaring emergencies, diving for loopholes, Donald Trump speeds ahead on his reckless courses, challenging legal systems, lawyers, and opposition to stop him. As we’ve seen with SCOTUS rulings, the conservative Roberts Court remains ‘reluctant’ to rule against Trump until the damaging is clear and demonstrated. Trump counts on that.

Trump is also counting on distractions and whatever financial ‘dividends’ he can find to boost his standings. Trump’s WH announced a ‘rebalancing’ of the tariffs on goods from Canada. They’ll take effect on October 30.

Just like Trump’s deal to for Russian diesel, it’s another bit of too little, too late, as the impact won’t be felt until after the election.

It’s funny. Trump always insists that Americans don’t pay for tariffs. Yet, there he is, suspending tariffs on beef to help consumers (while hurting ranchers) and rebalancing tariffs on Canada to help Maine and the New England states. It’s like Trump may have been lying…

As Trump goes, so goes the GOP and many of their candidates. It’s laughable to hear the local Republican candidate, Brad Hicks, talk about “making things affordable again.” His solution is to cut regulations.

Yeah, cut regulations. That will do a lot to reduce the immediate costs of food, shelter, electricity, health insurance, healthcare, gas, oil, and diesel.

We have a fascinating local example about that. My wife belongs to the local Family Y. Her fees have gone up roughly 20% a year for the last ten years. This is supposed to be due to wage increases, renovations, etc. The larger note is that this is one of those things which keep increasing. BTW, people who work at the Y scoff at their pay and the increases they’ve seen.

Next month feels like it’s shaping up as a wild week. BCG washes end for me. Election day. Mom has several doctor appointments. I’m waiting to see what kind of surprises are handed out.

The Neurons responded with Quiet Riot in my morning mental music stream. They’re a pop metal band, I guess. The song du jour is “Cum on Feel the Noize”, a Slade song which Quiet Riot covered in 1983. Yet, when I hunted for a video to share, I stumbled over an Oasis cover and went with it.

The sample lyrics explain why it’s in my morning mental music stream.

Sample Lyrics

We’ll get wild, wild, wild
Wild, wild, wild

I expect it to get wild.

Hope, though, that your day is chill, free of wild swings, and rich with satisfying moments.

Cheers

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Trump & The Locals

Local elections are coming up. Yes, that’s not news; they’re held in conjunction with the midterms.

It’s interesting to watch and listen to Republican candidates Brad Hicks and Christine Drazen. Such remarkable platforms!

Brad Hicks is running to represent my district in the Oregon legislature. Christine Drazen is running to replace Tina Kotek as Oregon governor.

Brad Hicks is all about bring the ‘ABC’s to Salem. These are Affordability, Balance, and Common Sense. Brad Hicks eschews questions about Donald Trump’s policies. Brad Hicks insists that he’s focusing on local issues. Hicks aims to address the cost of living by lowering taxes, opposing new tax increases, and cutting government spending.

Gosh…that sounds a lot like Trump’s economy agenda, without tariffs.

Indeed, Brad Hicks has only said one thing about Trump that the record can find in all the years which Trump has been in the Oval Office. Brad Hicks promised that Oregon law enforcement would welcome and support ICE.

Bizarre as hell for Brad Hicks to pretend he can bring affordability to Oregon without addressing the Trump-sized elephant in Washington, D.C. It’s also laughable that Brad Hicks will deliver ‘common sense’ solutions. Like what are common sense solutions? Well, to read about the rest of his promises, it’s about suspending regulations so more things can be built.

Yes, very common sense to set aside the regulations set up to protect the air, land, and water to build, build, build. Very common sense to cut taxes and oppose new taxes at a time when the Federal government has cut funding to states — especially states like Oregon, which is generally politically blue.

His own position reminds me of the Sam Brownback experiment in Kansas, which ended in an economic mess for Kansas.

In other news, Brad Hicks hasn’t come out for or against building AI and data centers in Oregon. As the former President and CEO of the Medford (Oregon) Chamber of Commerce, I can sense which way he’ll lean. The lack of a stance is very telling.

Likewise, Christine Drazen is aggressively pursuing an old-school Republican agenda. She also promises ‘common sense’ solutions. I don’t feel a need to go much into her policies because her policies and proposals are a lot like Trump and Hicks: reduce regulation. Cut government ‘waste’. Increase the business environment to attract more business. Cut taxes.

Drazen does say she’s against more AI and data center construction at the moment. But she voted against Oregon’s 2025 POWER Act. The 2025 POWER Act is a law requiring large electric utilities to place data centers into a separate rate class so tech companies absorb the costs of new energy infrastructure rather than everyday consumers. To me, her refusal to vote FOR the law shows that her words and actions do reflect her true intentions.

She reminds me of Sen. Susan Collins, often mouthing the right sentiments, but then voting against what she says.

At any rate, Hicks and Drazen refuse to talk about Trump. Refuse to align with him or distance themselves with from him. They believe that burying their heads in the sand when it comes to Trump will win them some votes.

That’s probably true. There are always ‘never-Democrat’ voters. Staunch MAGAts are still out there, laboring away at the misconception that Trump cares for them and will improve their life and think that more business will save the nation.

I disagree and will not vote for Trump or secret surrogates like Brad Hicks and Christine Drazen. To me, they are imposters and cowards.

Vote blue.

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