Four hundred people filled an auditorium Saturday, April 8, at the Sylvania campus of Portland Community College — and 300 of them sought to tell Oregon lawmakers what they think about state spending for the next two years.

More than 50 of them got their chance in two-minute segments spread across two hours while members of the Legislature’s budget committee listened.

Peter Wong covers Oregon politics for Pamplin Media Group.

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“When I decided to pursue reporting as a career five decades ago, I did so while living, learning and working in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. But aside from the fact that most young reporters do not get their start in those cities — at least back then — I felt something was missing. That was a more intimate connection with readers and audiences that cannot be acquired from working in large metro areas. So I’ve spent my entire reporting career with news organizations in smaller cities. “Pamplin Media Group is that rarity that combines local journalism in two dozen communities with the reach of a larger organization in a mid-sized metro area. Yes, I report on Oregon government and politics, but I do it with a sense of the readers living and working in our communities.”

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