Gurtov to Speak to City Club
Dr. Mel Gurtov, professer emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University will be in town Thursday afternoon where he will address the Florence City Club.
“The talk is going to be on the US-China Tariff War, primarily focused on the effort by President Trump to try to pressure China into reducing the trade deficit and try to suggest why the tariff war is proving to be extremely costly in terms of our home economy.”
He says he believes the President’s efforts are – quote – “headed in the wrong direction” and finds very little good news will come from the move. This is not the first time Gurtov has been vocal about something he feels strongly about.
“Shortly after I joined Rand Corporation in the early 70s, I was asked to join this team of researchers working on the background to US-Viet Nam relations and how the United States managed to get itself involved in that war.”
That report came to be known as “The Pentagon Papers” and when it was leaked to the media in 1971 by one of his co-workers, Daniel Ellsberg, it precipitated a national controversy. Gurtov testified on Ellsberg’s behalf at the resulting trial in which all charges were ultimately dismissed. The Florence City Club meets Thursday afternoon, 1:30, at Siuslaw Public Library. The meeting is open to the public.
Report Card
Oregon maintained a troubling ranking, holding at 43rd in the nation for children’s education according to the 2025 Kids Count Data Book, a national report developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Jenna Marie, of Our Children Oregon, says both 4th-grade reading and 8th-grade math proficiency have hit all-time lows in the state, with only about a quarter of students meeting benchmarks. These numbers are not far from the national average. Marie says since it is difficult to catch up in reading and math in later years, many Oregon students are being sent into the workforce under-prepared for success. Even though the data is grim, Marie adds, it should serve as a motivator.
“It’s kind of like a pulse check. Here’s where we are, and now we know where we need to go from here. We know we really need to focus on improving success in math and reading. And just need to go up from there. “
The data book examines states based on four categories. Oregon continued to perform poorly in economic well-being, but showed improvement in the Family and Community category. The report aims to guide policy in providing for the country’s children and their families.
Gas Prices
Gas prices are mostly steady heading into summer. The national average for regular fell two cents this week to $3.12 a gallon, while Oregon’s average also dipped two cents to $3.97. Here in Florence, the average price for a gallon of regular is $3.71. AAA Oregon’s Marie Dodds says refineries are producing plenty of fuel, but rising crude oil prices—now above $65 per barrel—could nudge prices upward. Oregon gas started the year at $3.45, peaked at $4.02 in late May, and remains near the year’s high as summer driving season kicks in.
