18
in other words
march9
2010
Between the Lines: Poor Credit? Some of Your Representatives
Believe You Don’t Deserve a Job
By Randy Sanders
email: Randy.Sanders@live.com
Hopefully, by the time to read
this column, Oregon Senate Bill 1045
(The Job Applicant Act) will have been
signed by Oregon Governor Ted Ku-
longkoski. Once this bill becomes law,
it will no longer allow businesses to use
a person’s poor credit history to deny
them employment (this will exclude jobs
in law enforcement and banking). Or-
egon will join Washington and Hawaii
as the only states to outlaw this practice.
In a recession, you would think
this bill would have enjoyed huge bi-par-
tisan support, right? Wrong. Every Re-
publican-- in both the Senate and House,
except Rep. Kim Thatcher of Keiser--
voted “no” on this bill, along with three
Democrats who broke ranks and voted
against the bill as well. They are Rep.
Jeff Barker of Aloha, Rep. Brent Barton
of Clackamas and Rep. David Edwards
of Hillsboro. These representatives and
all the Oregon Republicans apparently
believe that if you have poor credit, you
don’t deserve a job.
Have you ever been late mak-
ing your credit card or car loan pay-
ment? Have medical bills ever mounted
up because your insurance company
denied payment, or worse, you’ve be-
come unemployed due to a lay-off and
just couldn’t keep up? Then, according
to a number of Oregon legislators, you
are just too risky to employ. Worse yet--
their reasoning is-- they actually believe
folks with less-than-stellar credit either
have poor judgement or have a drug or
gambling addiction. But according to
studies by Eastern Kentucky University
and major credit reporting agency Tran-
sUnion, there is nothing to support their
claim.
Being a business owner myself,
I have never used credit scores to hire
any of my employees. I have assembled
an honest, hard-working staff who have
my interests at heart.
Bad credit may prohibit you
from buying a new car or house, but
should it deny you employment? With
jobs scarce enough as it is, why do these
people take such joy in making life even
more difficult for working families?
Shouldn’t all decent, tax-paying folks
have the dignity to support their families
and the opportunity to mend their credit?
The representatives and senators
of Oregon haven’t addressed how they’d
deal with all those people who would
never have been able to secure employ-
ment had this billed not passed. Welfare
or unemployment? Is this fiscally re-
sponsible? Perhaps they’d just support
bringing back the debtors prisons of the
dark ages and throw their children into
orphanages?
Our legislators appear to be say-
ing “no” only to the working class, but
“yes” to businesses. And it’s not just
here in Oregon that working families are
getting the shaft. Back in Washington
D.C., Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning
has held up an extension to jobless ben-
efits. Not only will this hurt the work-
ing class, but it will also deny benefits
to those of our troops who are also un-
employed. What a nice, warm welcome
home from the war in the Middle East.
Staunchly against The Job Ap-
plicant Fairness Act is Oregon Rep. Sal
Esquivel, a Republican from Medford.
He is quoted as saying “We’re just put-
ting another nail into the coffin of busi-
ness in this state. How many times do
we have to kick them in the face before
they leave?” To Sal, I say this: how did
businesses hire employees for genera-
New in Town: Choosing Vernonia
By Shannon Romtvedt

When I announced I was moving to Vernonia,
questions and comments were organized under two
bolded headings: flood and commute. Did you know
about the flood? Is your house in the floodplain? That
commute to work will get old quickly once the snow
hits. I consider myself a relatively intelligent person,
and, last I checked, my husband and I don’t pick up and
buy a house without thinking through the pros and cons
of the surrounding area. Of course we thought of all of
the above. And, YES, we still want to move!

My strategy for the regular onslaught of stereo-
types was to nod, smile, and change the subject to how
excited I was to live in a beautiful small town. I under-
stand it takes some work to fathom a life without heavy
traffic, intense light pollution, a store for every product,
and a Bluetooth in every other ear. I considered asking
people how many times they were caught behind an of-
fensive bumper sticker as they inched along 217. Did
you know that you frequently wake up in the night to
honking, Tri-met bells, sirens, cat-calls, shouting, and
yapping dogs when you live in the suburbs?

When first looking at properties, my realtor
told me what made her proud of Vernonia was that
people dropped everything to help one another when
the flood hit in 2007. I expected a list of favorite
stores, recreation spots, or festivals and was touched
by the honest tribute to the people. Reading through
the recently published history by the Vernonia Pioneer
Museum Association, I’m finding that praise is well-
deserved. Throughout history, Vernonians have been
through major hardships and dug in their heels. The
response, rather than tragedy itself-- that’s a good story
when someone takes the time to tell it.

I first fell for Vernonia last summer. My hus-
band and I heard about the Banks-Vernonia State Trail
and thought we’d drive to L.L. Stubb Stewart to check
it out. We brought our mountain bikes and worked our
way down steep trails and up Tophill (I’ll admit I had
to get off and walk). Hard pedaling was rewarded by
a pleasant ride to the lake, tucked safely away from the
road. We smiled and waved as we passed fellow bikers
and several families, joggers, walkers, dogs, and hors-
es. There was something magical about enjoying good
weather on a bicycle and discovering a unique, friendly
town. I held on to this memory in the fall when we
decided it was time to buy our first home.

Truth is, I’m personally drawn to the little
things that make up a town. While it’s necessary to
browse through a catalog of catastrophes when con-
templating a major move, I can’t help but flip past high
water to hometown pride. It feels good to be able to
say my name at the library to check out a book, rather
tions without using credit scores? I, for
one, did what my dad and grandfather
did. We called prior job references, but
more importantly, we looked a person in
the eye and made important decisions.
It worked out very well for them and
works very well for me.
But Sal goes on to say, “When
do we quit interfering with people’s
businesses?” I agree, Sal, but doesn’t
that also mean people’s business? Ap-
parently, Sal only regards “people” as a
person who owns a business and not one
who works for a business.

I encourage you to contact any
of the legislators mentioned in this arti-
cle: (R)Sal Esquivel: rep.salesquivel@
state.or.us [phone: (503) 986-1406],
(R) Kim Thatcher: rep.kimthatcher@
state.or.us [phone: (503) 986-1425], (D)
Jeff Barker: rep.jeffbarker@state.or.us
[phone: (503) 986-1428], Brent Barton:
rep.brentbarton@state.or.us
[phone:
(503) 986-1451] or (D) David Edwards:
rep.davidedwards@state.or.us [phone:
(503) 986-1430]
You can contact Randy Sanders by
email: Randy.Sanders@live.com.
than dig for my library card or ID. I’m excited that
the Cedar Side has ping pong every Sunday, though I
haven’t yet had the guts to play. I was thrilled to pieces
that the mailman had numerous suggestions for great
hikes near my home. I think it’s wonderful that the
Bluehouse Café serves Greek food and hosts live mu-
sic. I appreciate the generous employees at the Black
Bear Coffee Company for letting me camp out and fin-
ish writing this article. I’m impressed that I can pick
up a copy of Vernonia’s Voice and get a balanced feel
for highlights in the community. I love pedaling up
Keasey Road and driving under three railroad trestles
on my way home. I am mesmerized by the beauty of
Rock Creek and the Nehalem River.

Fact is, there are major pros and cons to living
anywhere. Oregon, in particular, is a magnificent state
with lots of opportunity and I’m lucky enough to have
options. I didn’t live here because of work, family,
or convenience. I chose to invest myself in Vernonia.
Stereotypes and warning signs fade away when a place
becomes part of you. I look forward to exploring every
bit of the town and hiking, biking, driving, and possibly
canoeing every bit of the region. I’m happy to share in
my adventure through the Vernonia’s Voice. Thank you
to everyone who invited me here, answered questions,
and worked so hard to help me home. You make all the
difference.
Fishing Supplies
and
Sporting Goods
Everything you need for the Lake and the River!
Rods - Reels - Nets - Tackle - Lures
Licenses - Power Bait - Eggs
Family owned & operated for 40 years
834 Bridge St., Vernonia (503) 429-6364