Toby Van Fleet's Blog Posts

Toby Van Fleet | March 29, 2011 - 08:31

Who do you go to when you want to know which candidates will protect the environment?
Who keeps you up to date on important environmental legislation during the session?
Who tells you how your elected officials voted on the environment?

It's easy to take the Oregon League of Conservation Voters for granted.  After all, we've been putting out the Environmental Scorecard for the Oregon Legislature for nearly 40 years -- it's easy to think that OLCV has just always... been there.

Toby Van Fleet | March 15, 2011 - 14:31

 In case you missed it, a great piece ran in the Sunday Oregonian this week about "Cool Schools." We first heard about the Cool Schools concept last year, as a key part of now Governor John Kitzhaber's plan to create new jobs for Oregonians.

Toby Van Fleet | March 14, 2011 - 13:26

Here in Oregon, it may be easy to take for granted that we have a governor who understands public health issues and wants to make sure that Oregon's children are protected from harmful toxics like Bisphenol A (BPA), a known toxin especially harmful to children and pregnant women and linked to learning disabilities, cancer, fertility problems, early puberty and other health problems.

Toby Van Fleet | March 2, 2011 - 19:05

Were you on the phone with Governor Kitzhaber last night?

I was. And so were some 3,400 other Oregonians from all over the state. Listen here.

Toby Van Fleet | March 2, 2011 - 13:29

Yesterday, the national League of Conservation Voters released a special edition Scorecard scoring your elected leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives on environmental, public health, and energy votes taken on amendments to the “Continuing Resolution” – the spending bill -- that just passed in the House.

Toby Van Fleet | January 19, 2011 - 16:41

This Saturday!

Join OLCV and the Number-One team in their league, the Portland Winterhawks, in our second annual partnership to raise money to protect Oregon's water, land and wildlife. Watch the video and purchase your tickets here!

Toby Van Fleet | December 8, 2010 - 13:29

Yesterday. Oregon’s Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) reached a historic milestone in the process of protecting Oregon's rich marine habitat and the local economies it supports.

Toby Van Fleet | November 19, 2010 - 14:19

A great op-ed by Tigard Mayor Craig Dirksen and OLCV Executive Director Jon Isaacs published in today's Oregonian points out the important message about the overwhelming success of environmental initiatives on Oregon's November ballot: 

Toby Van Fleet | October 30, 2010 - 11:19

With the momentum of the John Kitzhaber campaign gaining every day, and with just four days left until ballots are due, Chris Dudley spent the morning snuggling up to out-of-state supporters New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. Both attended a breakfast for Dudley at Parkrose High School in Portland this morning.

Toby Van Fleet | October 24, 2010 - 18:19

Election Day is just eight days away. Several recent polls all show that the momentum for John Kitzhaber continues to surge as Chris Dudley's campaign stalls. The millions Dudley is spending on TV ads that re-purpose his empty talking points just aren't enough to counter the troubling facts about Dudley, including his total lack of experience for the job. That's why 19 out of 22 newspapers around the state have endorsed Kitzhaber for governor.

Toby Van Fleet | October 21, 2010 - 09:55

No one seemed to mind the wait, or the hours of standing on unforgiving cement.

Outside the Oregon Convention Center, the mood was almost giddy as excited voters waited in the long lines--in the sun--to see President Obama.

And he delivered. After warm-ups that included Rep. Jefferson Smith leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley revving up voters with fellow Congressional delegates, and an ongoing soundtrack that varied from P-Funk to Vampire Weekend, Obama took the stage.

Toby Van Fleet | October 15, 2010 - 13:39

Did you know that Chris Dudley is still open to drilling for oil off Oregon's coast, even after the BP disaster in the Gulf? Did you know that Chris Dudley says he "doesn't know" what causes global warming?

OLCV hit the street to talk to voters about Chris Dudley's views on important environmental issues. Check it out, share it with your friends, and Vote for Kitzhaber!

 

Toby Van Fleet | October 7, 2010 - 09:07

OK, to be clear, the drummer of And And And just had a broken arm--skateboarding accident. But even though he was playing drums with only his good arm, you couldn't tell. His poppy beats were a great compliment to the creative songs and multi-instrument arrangements of this great Portland band that has been enjoying well-deserved buzz in recent months.

Toby Van Fleet | October 4, 2010 - 12:33

John Kitzhaber supports a ban on drilling of Oregon's beautiful coast and won't sell Oregon's natural legacy to corporate special interests. Chris Dudley, on the other hand, is open to offshore drilling in Oregon, even in the wake of the BP disaster in the Gulf. Don't think Dudley's allegiance to big business over the will of Oregonians across the state is dangerous? Think again.

Local filmmakers Enrique Arias and Jon Beanland give us two chilling visual representations of an Oregon under Dudley. Check them out and share them!

Toby Van Fleet | October 4, 2010 - 09:21

Last week, at the KGW/Oregonian gubernatorial debate, Chris Dudley once again dodged the ball on global warming. When asked directly by The Oregonian’s political writer Jeff Mapes whether he believed global warming was caused by human activity or not, Dudley said "...I don't know how much is man-made and how much is natural..."

Oregon League of Conservation Voters | 133 SW 2nd Ave., Ste. 200 | Portland, OR 97204 |  Phone: 503-224-4011 | Fax: 503-224-1548