Story ideas for the Corvallis Gazette Times

i'm sure this isn't going to win me any brownie points with our local paper, but these things have just gotta be said. our local paper could use some real improvement. i've written a couple of the editors and shared my ideas for improvement, which included the idea of a weekly or bi-monthly column written by yours truly, all of which fell on deaf ears.

so today i put on my imaginary "editor" hat and have decided to hand out the following ideas for our local reporters.

1) do an in-depth report on the homeless in this city. dig up what you can on the homeless youth, families and single individuals. talk with city government about their plans for dealing with this. see what the university and other wealthy biz are doing to help put an end to this problem. see if any plans are in the works to build more shelters.

2) let's talk about the idea of establishing a living wage in this city. while we already have one, it only applies to city workers doing work for private employers. let's discuss the idea of establishing this guideline for all workers. controversial, yes. but that makes for a good read.

3) housing. it's grossly over-inflated. families have left corvallis and moved to albany. rentals are over-inflated. talk to the renters who would like to own but cannot afford it. talk to those who are looking into neighboring towns to buy. it's time to bring this issue to the spotlight, both locally and nationally. so far the talk has been limited, the focus being "housing bypassed inflation over two decades ago. that's just the way it is." let's talk about how this happened and why and what can be done about it to ensure all people who wish to own can afford to do so.

4) hey, bennett hall. mr. business reporter. i've got a business for you to investigate. remember the phone call we had about this back in 2004? when you said if i were to come up with just one more person who had a similar experience to contact you and you'd do a piece? and remember when i called you in 2006 and said i had met two more individuals who had lousy customer service from this place of business? remember you asked for their phone numbers and said you'd contact them? remember how you failed to do that? remember how you then ignored my phone calls to inquire what was going on? well i want you on it again. the sleep center on 9th street. lousy customer service bordering on abusive. selling defective products. and lying to customers. call up those folks whose information i gave you. and feel free to hear my story again as well.

5) let's do a report on that low frequency bass that comes equipped on so many stereos today. let's discuss the health hazards. let's let the community know this technology was first created as a weapon by our military. there are many private organizations throughout the country who are trying to get this technology outlawed in their community. they have been successful. you can remind our city council and mayor that i sent several e-mails to our then mayor and then local ward representative about this and never heard back. you can also speak with local police and let the one officer who told me my idea to get this banned in our local community would "never happen" that he doesn't know what he's talking about.

6) kip schoning. it's time someone bring this greedy sob to the spotlight. last weekend my spouse and i unknowingly looked at one of his properties (we didn't see the "cash for your house" sign until after the fact). slumville. see if he pays people off to keep his name out of the da's office and out of the newspaper. run medical tests to see if he has a conscious, too.

7) the meth problem. talk to police. they know the deal. talk to neighbors who have had these folks in their neighborhood (including yours truly). talk to the users and dealers themselves. contact our governor and ask him why the numbers haven't dropped since pseudoephedrine was removed from store shelves. cover the addiction angle, the poverty angle, the treatment angle.

8) to liven things up, let's do a "person of the week" piece. let's find those people who are doing good deeds, often without recognition. there are angels all over. let's find them and let people know that, despite the gloominess of our world right now, there are miracles to be found.