Murmurs

[March 7th, 2007]

• With all the money sloshing in the state budget, why is the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board facing the knife? Murmurs hears it's because the Board, which licenses more than 2,000 funeral directors, embalmers and others in the death industry, actually does its job and protects the public. And that's apparently angering the Oregon Funeral Directors Association enough to lobby for cuts. The association wants the OMCB to cut its million-dollar budget and lay off one inspector; House Bills 2029 and 2609 would go further and short-sheet the Board's authority.

•The Oregonian devoted two stories last week to David Burleson , the anesthesiologist who admitted sexually abusing women after sedating them. One juicy bit of gossip the daily left out: A few years back, Burleson also ran into trouble with the Multnomah Athletic Club when he was found having sex with a woman in the very public bathroom next to the club's weight room. His membership was suspended temporarily.

•What is this, Bolivia? Portland State University student government elections, scheduled to take place this week, have been postponed until mid-April. As first reported by The Daily Vanguard student newspaper, the elections fell victim to multiple problems, such as the assault arrest of Robert Stanley, the elections board chair. (He's subsequently resigned.) This isn't the first recent speed bump for PSU's student government (see "The Buck Starts Here," WW, Nov. 29, 2006). Between June and November of last year, 10 student senators abruptly resigned. And other reps' failure to show up for meetings means the Senate cannot always make quorum.

•Last week, we reported on a dust-up over Oregon Department of Human Services' lack of interest in buying antiviral drugs , including Tamiflu, from a federal stockpile (see "Flu Flap," WW, Feb. 28, 2007). That story quoted a Reuters report from late January, indicating most other states hadn't taken their full dose either. But after our deadline, the feds provided WW with updated numbers: Turns out 33 states have ordered their full allocation and 11 others want more than their full amount. That leaves Oregon as one of just six states pursuing a contrarian policy . State Rep. Brian Boquist (R-Dallas), who was ticked by the state's decision, says Oregon will be unprepared and outta luck if the bird flu hits.

•Dissent appears unwelcome on a Portland Public Schools committee evaluating proposed textbook adoptions (see "Buy The Book?," WW, Jan. 10, 2007). Maika Yeigh, a member of the volunteer committee reviewing reading programs for Portland's youngest students, says she and other members were told they needed to leave if they couldn't stand behind any of the options. Yeigh says the missive from group leader Annie Tabshy prompted the departure of committee member Shannon Baker, a James John Elementary School teacher. Baker declined comment and Tabshy couldn't be reached. Meantime, the group's textbook recommendation is Reading Street by Pearson Scott Foresman. If that's OK with Superintendent Vicki Phillips, the recommendation goes to the school board in May.

•Remember that three-year Multnomah County temporary income tax you paid through 2006? Well, about 2 percent, or $7.5 million, remains unpaid, according to county spokesman Shawn Cunningham. In February 2005, the county filed its first lawsuits against income-tax delinquents, and Cunningham says the county is optimistic that scheduled payments will help to collect most of the cash.