Sunday, February 1, 2026

Kotek Announces Christmas in Oregon Will Now Be Known as “Inclusive Winter Observance” (Connecting the Dots: Oregon, Governor Tina Kotek, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, Edward Tevis Wheeler who served as the 53rd mayor of Portland, Oregon, Universities The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Kotek Announces Christmas in Oregon Will Now Be Known as “Inclusive Winter Observance” (Connecting the Dots: Oregon, Governor Tina Kotek, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, Edward Tevis Wheeler who served as the 53rd mayor of Portland, Oregon, Universities The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network & Soros Funding, All Networking)

by Tyler James | Dec 1, 2025 | Humor, News, Satire

Tina Kotek and her beautiful wife Aimee Kotek Wilson. (Image courtesy of Willamette Week)

https://thatoregonlife.com/2025/12/kotek-announces-christmas-in-oregon-will-now-be-known-as-inclusive-winter-observance/

SALEM, OR — In a move that experts are calling “bold,” “innovative,” and “the most Oregon thing to ever happen,” Governor Tina Kotek announced Monday that traditional Christmas celebrations will be officially replaced statewide with a new holiday: Inclusive Winter Observance™.

The rollout, described by Tina as “a necessary modernization of winter emotions,” will take effect immediately, despite the fact that most Oregonians were blindsided while attempting to buy Black Friday leftovers at Fred Meyer.

Christmas ‘Too Festive,’ Says Tina

At a press conference held beside a sustainably harvested, ethically nonjudgmental stump, Tina declared that Christmas in its current form “carries outdated themes of joy, warmth, and unregulated cheer.”

“These elements,” she said, adjusting a stack of color-coded policy binders, “do not reflect modern Oregon values. If joy is allowed to spike without state guidance, where does it end?”

Effective this year, all references to Christmas—including trees, lights, carols, and anything shaped like a candy cane—will be rebranded under the Inclusive Winter Observance (IWO) umbrella.

New Requirements for Oregon Residents

The Governor’s office released a 94-page brochure outlining the new rules, including:

·         Christmas trees → now called Seasonal Vertical Botanicals. Must be certified “non-denominational” and decorated exclusively with muted, earth-neutral tones.

·         Santa Claus → replaced with the Seasonal Redistribution Specialist, a figure tasked with distributing grants, not presents.

·         Stockings → rebranded as Thermal Sock-Shaped Storage Units, with required DEQ labeling.

·         Sleigh bells → prohibited due to “excessive merriment.”

Citizens found humming “Jingle Bells” will receive a gentle corrective nudge from the state, described as “a brief reeducation slideshow narrated by a very tired DMV employee.”

New IWO Activities

Traditionally festive experiences will be replaced with updated, more equitable alternatives:

·         Caroling → now “Neighborhood Acoustic Consensus Chanting.”

·         Gift exchanges → replaced with “Mutual Seasonal Redistribution using reusable burlap containers.”

·         Holiday parties → reclassified as “Group Togetherness Moments,” capped at three participants unless a special permit is secured from the county.

Participants must bring their own biodegradable plates, emotional neutrality, and a written 500-word reflection on the meaning of winter.

Reactions Across Oregon

Reactions have been mixed, ranging from confusion to deep, primal confusion.

Bend resident Trevor Clamsworth said he tried explaining Inclusive Winter Observance to his grandmother and “she just stared at me like I told her Santa joined Antifa.”

Portland residents, meanwhile, have widely embraced the change, with several neighborhoods already organizing IWO Lantern Walks of Mutual Non-Specific Delight.

However, in rural Oregon, reports indicate multiple residents have begun stockpiling traditional candy canes in underground bunkers.

North Pole Files Complaint

In a surprising development, Santa (now officially “Mr. Claus, private citizen”) issued a statement through his attorneys claiming that Tina’s new policy “unfairly targets sleigh-based logistics operations” and “undermines centuries of magic-oriented labor.”

Tina responded by offering him a position on the IWO Advisory Committee, explaining that “his workshop experience could be valuable in modernizing gift equity distribution pathways.”

What Happens Next

The state says IWO will continue evolving, and next year’s proposals may phase out:

·         holiday lights (“too twinkly”)

·         gingerbread men (“gendered”)

·         snowmen (“also gendered”)

·         peppermint mochas (“inflationary risk factors”)

Residents are encouraged to “embrace the season with open arms, closed expectations, and government-approved seasonal neutrality.”

As for Christmas itself, Tina assured Oregonians that it hasn’t been “canceled,” merely “transitioned into a more administratively soothing winter paradigm.”

Oregonians have until December 12 to update all references to Christmas, including on yard decor, Amazon wishlists, and confused texts from relatives in Idaho.

                                  Tina Kotek

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Kotek

Christine Kotek (/ˈkoʊtɛk/ KOH-tek;[1] born September 30, 1966) is an American politician who has served since 2023 as the 39th governor of Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, Kotek served from 2007 to 2022 as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 44th district and from 2013 to 2022 as speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.

Kotek became the first openly lesbian woman elected speaker of a U.S. state house in 2013. She is the longest-serving speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, having served for nine years.[2] She was elected governor of Oregon in 2022 and is one of the first two openly lesbian women elected governor of a U.S. state,[3] as well as the third woman elected governor of Oregon.[4]

Throughout her time in elected office, Kotek has championed legislation to increase housing production in Oregon to alleviate the state's housing crisis. In 2019, she spearheaded legislation to make Oregon the first state to remove single-family-exclusive zoning across the state, permitting duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in residential neighborhoods previously zoned exclusively for single-family homes. In 2024, her top legislative priority as governor was putting $376 million toward housing production, as well as easing the rules for housing development.

Early life and education

Kotek was born on September 30, 1966, in York, Pennsylvania, to Jerry Albert Kotek[5] and Florence (née Matich).[6][7][8] Her father was of Czech ancestry, and her mother's parents were Slovenes.[9] Her grandfather František Kotek[10] was a baker from Týnec nad Labem.[11][12][13]

Kotek graduated second in her class from Dallastown Area High School.[14] She attended Georgetown University, but left without graduating.[14] She then worked in commercial diving and as a travel agent.[14]

In 1987, Kotek moved to Oregon. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in religious studies from the University of Oregon in 1990.[15][16][17][18] She then studied at the University of Washington, earning a master's degree in international studies and comparative religion.

                                  Tobias Read

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobias_Read

Tobias Read (born July 1, 1975) is an American politician who is currently serving as the 30th Oregon Secretary of State since 2025. As a member of the Democratic Party he served as the 29th Oregon State Treasurer from 2017 to 2025. Before that, he was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing the 27th district from 2007 to 2017, which comprised parts of Beaverton, southwest Portland, and unincorporated Multnomah and Washington Counties. He served as Speaker Pro Tempore and was formerly the Democratic Majority Whip.

Career

From 1999 to 2001, Read worked for the United States Department of the Treasury as an aide to then-Secretary Lawrence Summers. His immediate supervisor was Sheryl Sandberg.[10] Read then returned to Oregon after graduate school, working for startup SkyTaxi for several months before finding work at Nike as a footwear developer, where he worked from 2004 to 2012.[11] In 2012, he left his role at Nike to focus full-time on his political career.

                           Ted Wheeler


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Wheeler

Edward Tevis Wheeler (born August 31, 1962)[1] is an American politician and businessman who served as the 53rd mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 2017 to 2025. A moderate member of the Democratic Party, Wheeler served as the state treasurer of Oregon from 2010 to 2016 and the chair of the Multnomah County Commission from 2007 to 2010.

Wheeler was elected in the 2016 Portland mayoral election and reelected in 2020. Formerly a registered Republican,[2] he has been described as a moderate Democrat.

Early life and education

A sixth-generation Oregonian, Wheeler was born in Portland to a family with roots and wealth in the Oregon timber industry. His father, Sam Wheeler, was executive vice president at Willamette Industries,[5] a Fortune 500 lumber company formed in 1967 by mergers and acquisitions of timber companies (Sam Wheeler sold Wheeler Lumber Company, incorporated in 1900 by Wheeler's great-grandfather, Coleman Wheeler, in Wheeler, Tillamook County, Oregon.[6][7]) Sam Wheeler divorced Ted's mother, Leslie, in 1972; Wheeler was 10 years old at the time. He later discussed his father's alcoholism.[8][9]

Ted Wheeler attended Portland Public Schools, graduating from Lincoln High School.[10] He received a bachelor's degree in economics from Stanford University in 1985. He also earned an MBA from Columbia University in 1989 and a master's in public policy from Harvard University.[11][12] Wheeler worked for several financial services companies, including the Bank of America and Copper Mountain Trust.

Connecting the Dots:

Tina Kotek is the Governor of Oregon, attended Georgetown University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in religious studies from the University of Oregon.

Nemir A. Kirdar is a director at Georgetown University and was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Donald F. McHenry is a professor at Georgetown University and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Hugh B. Price is a director at Georgetown University and was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society

Philip H. Knight is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a donor for the University of Oregon

Lawrence H. Summers was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), served as the 71st United States secretary of the treasury from 1999 to 2001and is a professor; former president at Harvard University.

Tobias Read was Lawrence H. Summers’s aide, his immediate supervisor was Sheryl Sandberg and is the 30th Oregon Secretary of State since 2025.

Sheryl K. Sandberg was Tobias Read’s immediate supervisor, a VP for Google Inc. and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank)

Google Inc. was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society

Victoria P. Sant is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a trustee at Stanford University.

Robert M. Bass was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a trustee at Stanford University.

Pete Higgins is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a trustee at Stanford University.

Steven A. Denning is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a trustee at Stanford University.

Mark B. McClellan was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and an associate professor at Stanford University.

Ted Wheeler received his BA from Stanford University, his MBA from Columbia University, his MPP from Harvard University and served as the 53rd mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 2017 to 2025.

Joan E. Spero was a trustee at Columbia University and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Lawrence H. Summers is a professor; former president at Harvard University, served as the 71st United States secretary of the treasury from 1999 to 2001 and was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).  

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Shirley M. Hufstedler was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the secretary for the U.S. Department of Education.

Kevin Jennings was an assistant deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Education and the founder & executive director for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

Madeleine K. Albright was a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), a professor at at Georgetown University.

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding was a center at Georgetown University.

Tina Kotek attended Georgetown University, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in religious studies from the University of Oregon and is the Governor of Oregon.

Nemir A. Kirdar is a director at Georgetown University and was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Donald F. McHenry is a professor at Georgetown University and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Hugh B. Price is a director at Georgetown University and was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society

Philip H. Knight is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a donor for the University of Oregon

Resources: Past Research

GOP Grills University Leaders in House Antisemitism Hearing (Connecting the Dots: Georgetown University, The City University of New York, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Georgetown University)

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/07/gop-grills-university-leaders-in-house.html

Univ. of Kansas Still Paying Professor Who Hoped NRA Members' Children Get Shot (Past Research on the University of Oregon)

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/11/univ-of-kansas-still-paying-professor.html

Former Treasury Secretary Summers: My 'Best Guess' US Will Hit Recession Soon (Connecting the Dots: Larry Summers, Meet the Press, NBC, ABC, Soros, Federal Reserve & Janet Yellen) (Past Research on Larry Summers)

Monday, July 25, 2022

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/07/former-treasury-secretary-summers-my.html

Who Really Controls Our Universities? (Connecting the Dots: Soros Funded Think Tanks) (Past Research on Stanford University)

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/08/who-really-controls-our-universities.html

Rep. Walberg Presses Columbia on Campus Antisemitism (Connecting the Dots: Columbia University & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Columbia University)

Thursday, February 13, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/02/rep-walberg-presses-columbia-on-campus.html

Trump Admin Threatens Harvard With Funding Cuts (Connecting the Dots:, Columbia University, Obamacare & Soros Funding) (Past Research on Harvard University)

Friday, April 4, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/04/trump-admin-threatens-harvard-with.html

Trump Administration Threatens School Funding Over DEI (Connecting the Dots: The Department of Education, Pew Research, Common Core Educational Standards & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on the U.S. Department of Education & the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network)

Thursday, April 3, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/04/trump-administration-threatens-school.html

Madeleine Albright, 1st Female US Secretary of State, Dies at 84 (Connecting Her Dots In The Soros Network) (Past Research on Madeleine Albright)

Thursday, March 24, 2022

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/03/madeleine-albright-1st-female-us.html

GOP Grills University Leaders in House Antisemitism Hearing (Connecting the Dots: Georgetown University, The City University of New York, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Georgetown University & the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding)

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/07/gop-grills-university-leaders-in-house.html

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