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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010
Life in the Valley
of Riches
By DAN MANCUSO,
Publisher
I dropped the ball.
I was so wrapped up in my own little
world and its problems last week that I over-
looked a very important issue. October is
breast cancer awareness month. Like many of
you, I have lost loved ones and currently have
two relatives battling this disease.
On a more positive note, I happen to
Illinois Valley News
welcomes Letters to the
Editor. Please e-mail them
to dan@illinois-valley-
news.com.
POLICY
ON
LETTERS: ‘Illinois Valley
News’ encourages letters to the
editor provided they are legible
and not libelous or scurrilous.
All letters must be signed, in-
cluding name, address and
telephone number. The latter
need not be published, but will
be used to verify authenticity.
The ‘News’ reserves the right
to edit letters. Letters are used
at the discretion of the
publisher.
* * *
(Editor’s Note: Views
and commentary, including
statements made as fact, are
strictly those of the letter-
writers.)
Mr. Smith, Please Call
I suspect that the public
has grown weary of our se-
ries of letters-to-the-editor
initiated by the former envi-
ronmental executive direc-
tor, Donald Smith, but it’s
necessary to clear up one
last, especially inaccurate,
suggestion he makes.
Though we at Rough &
Ready are pleased to have
recently bought our first
BLM timber sale in 12
years, Mr. Smith is right
that there were several BLM
offerings that we did not
purchase, but again, this
issue is much more complex
than he presumes.
No matter how desper-
ate Rough & Ready, and
Swanson in Glendale, might
be for local logs off the fed-
eral forests, it would be
foolish to buy timber sales
that would cause us to lose
money. We need logs that
fit our mills, at a price that
would provide even the
smallest profit.
Hypothetically, if the
BLM offers timber at
$1,000 and Rough &
Ready’s break-even on
those logs is $500, we’re not
going to purchase the sale.
And if the average log di-
ameter being offered is five-
to-six inches and our mills
can use a 12-20” second-
growth log, again we can’t
buy the sale. A baker isn’t
going to buy chaff instead
of wheat when the customer
wants a loaf of bread.
The BLM has an obli-
gation to sell wood that fits
the local manufacturing ca-
pacity and supports sur-
rounding communities. For
many years their program
has been stymied by litiga-
tion, but a recent recogni-
tion of a crisis in forest
health has highlighted the
need for forest management
and maintenance of the ex-
isting manufacturing infra-
structure that assists restora-
tion efforts. We hope that
the unifying goal of a
healthy, vibrant forest,
along with the public’s ur-
gent need for a strong econ-
omy, will enable the BLM
to achieve the full scope of
their responsibilities.
If Mr. Smith has further
questions about how we run
our business, I invite him to
call me.
Jennifer Krauss Phillippi
Cave Junction
If I Were Sheriff
If I were Sheriff of Jo-
sephine County Oregon. I
WOULD:
Return to the Constitu-
tion and Common Law, an
age old derivation of God's
Law. DO NO HARM. DO
NOT HARM ANOTHER.
DO NOT HARM AN-
OTHER'S PROPERTY. DO
NOT INFRINGE UPON
ANOTHER'S RIGHTS.
Lift the UNLAWFUL
CORPORATE BAN on
living, breathing, flesh-and-
blood, sentient, natural men
and women travelers using
their automobiles for non
commercial purposes in
doing daily errands, duties,
etc for that has never been
the intent of the States Po-
lice Powers dealing with
SCC BOOKS - Selma Community
Center received a grant from the Four
Way Community Foundation for new
shelving in the center’s library. Join the
renovation celebration from 1 to 3 p.m.
on Friday, Oct. 15, at 18259 Redwood
Hwy. in Selma. Refreshments will be
available.
FIRE CHILI - A chili feed fund-raiser
is being held from noon to 5 p.m. on
Saturday, Oct. 16 at Country Folks Res-
taurant, 181010 Redwood Hwy. in
Selma. The fund-raiser is hosted by Illi-
nois Valley Volunteer Firefighters Asso-
ciation in an attempt to raise $3,000 for
a life-saving equipment matching grant.
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
W.H. Alltheway, LLC
Daniel J. Mancuso, Publisher
know of a number of survivors and one of
those survivors, in particular, happens to be
very near and dear to my heart.
Early detection is the key in beating this
cancer. No health insurance? There are groups
that give vouchers to women without insur-
ance to get free mammograms. There really is
no excuse to not get checked out.
Okay now on to a less (or depending on
who you are maybe more) stressful topic. The
recent cold snap has the sugar content in local
grapes heading backwards. Hopefully, with
the upcoming warmer weather, we will see
grapes being picked for crush. According to
folks in the know, one of our other local crops
in the area has had some similar issues with
the weather.
licensing commerce.
Not enforce municipal
ordinances that have no
other real purpose other than
to generate revenue. The
people would no longer be
“customers” now depicted
in the parking lot sign at
Cave Junction City Hall.
Do away with Bogus,
Corporate money making
programs such as the WAR
ON DRUGS.
NO LONGER, suck off
the teat of the Federal Gov-
ernment by accepting grants
and gifts with STRINGS
ATTACHED, thereby com-
promising Josephine County
Law Enforcement.
Get rid of every thug
now wearing a uniform.
Those who've consistently
used unnecessary force
upon people just because
they can.
Remove top heavy, high
-paying specialists posi-
tions, retrain all presently
employed deputies from
“specialists” to “generalists”
and return them to the
Street, where True Crime is
faced and dealt with.
Would People of Jose-
phine County Oregon be
FREER knowing they are
not being targeted for
“VICTIMLESS CRIMES?”
THAT'S A NO BRAINER.
Let’s hear it from the
People of Josephine County.
Does such REVOLUTION-
ARY form of Law Enforce-
ment INTEREST you?
Raymond Ronald
Karczewski©
Cave Junction
Get Up and Vote
OK people, it’s that
time of the year again.
Those of you that know
what I’m talking about. It’s
time to vote.
Here in Oregon we vote
in the privacy of our home
and all you have to do is
either take it to the city hall
in Cave Junction or mail it
to the county clerks office in
Grants Pass. It’s that simple.
If you vote you have
every right to complain, but
if you don’t vote then you
are actually stealing from
the rest of us that do vote.
I have heard more peo-
Support your local firefighters.
HORSIN’ AROUND - Back Country
Horsemen, Sourdough Chapter, present
a free seminar at 7 p.m. on Saturday,
Oct. 16, at Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church, East River Street at Lewis
Court, Cave Junction. The program will
cover preventing equine legal issues,
resolving disputes and equine legal
contract. The public is welcome and re-
freshments will be available. For infor-
mation, contact Dick Butler at 541-597-
4383.
CELEBRATE CHILDREN - Danny
O’Flaherty returns for his annual musi-
cal performance beginning at 6:30 p.m.
POSTMASTER: Please send
address changes to P.O. Box 1370,
Cave Junction OR 97523
Illinois Valley News is published at
321 S. Redwood Hwy.,
Cave Junction, OR 97523
Telephone (541) 592-2541
FAX (541) 592-4330
Since 1937 periodicals postage paid
at Cave Junction OR 97523
P.O. Box 1370 USPS 258-820
As I was walking into the stadium for this
past Friday night’s football game, I heard the
announcer say the national anthem was going
to be played by the IVHS band. I was like,
“What? We have a band? Cool.” They will
also be playing at the remaining home game,
which also happens to be homecoming on
Friday, Nov. 5.
I also learned last week that we have a
“Math-lete” team that competed Tuesday at
SOU and that the mountain bike team was up
on Page Mountain cleaning trails. I thought
that was kinda cool.
I also attended a meeting for SMART
(Start Making A Reader Today) at Evergreen
Elementary School last week. Program coor-
dinator Willa Gustavson does a fantastic job
ple in town here say “Oh,
I’m not registered to vote,”
but you live here. That’s
part of the problem with the
way America thinks today.
They have their hands out or
all the free giveaways and
usually are the ones who
complain the loudest.
Trying to get people to
volunteer to do anything, it
doesn’t matter if it’s school
or a cause, people just don’t
see to care or take pride in
what or who they are, just as
long as I can let somebody
else do it for me.
So much for the soap
opera. But if nothing else
maybe this will help moti-
vate you to get up and vote.
One can make a difference
in who wins or loses.
Carl Jacobson
Cave Junction
Another CJ Fan
As a long-time fellow
resident of our great valley,
I wholeheartedly agree with
last week’s letter under the
headline “Tour of Cave
Junction.”
I wouldn’t live any-
where else, and wouldn’t
want to see it change. I love
our community.
Addressing the mari-
juana issue, it seems to me it
is farming after a fashion.
Why not allow for people to
make an honest living at it?
There is a great sense of
pride being able to support
your family. It makes sense
that it would increase reve-
nue for our local businesses
and the eradication of meth
and the cartels too. To me,
there is a certain logic to
treating it with the same
laws tobacco and alcohol
fall under.
We are blessed to live
in the State of Jefferson!
Mike Hobson
Cave Junction
on Friday, Oct. 22, at the Selma Com-
munity Center, 18259 Redwood Hwy.
Doors open at 6 p.m. with homemade
soups and bread available for purchase.
FREE DUDS - Clean clothing will be
given away on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. at Takilma Bible Church,
10343 Takilma Rd.
TOM & MOM - Every fall all those
kittens that were born in the spring are
now having their own litters. That’s why
SNYP and veterinary offices have
joined together to save lives by offering
discounted spay/neuter certificates.
During October a cat spay or neuter is
only $25. For more information visit
CONTACT US:
Illinois Valley News does not refund subscriptions.
Remainder of subscription will be donated to the charity of your choice.
Many have argued that
increasing taxes on the top
two percent of all earners
will hurt small businesses.
But, according to the Small
Business Administration,
more than 97 percent of
small business owners earn
too little to be affected by
the proposed tax increase.
That leaves only three
percent of owners, and most
of those are partners in law
firms, high-powered con-
sultants, etc. These are not
mom and pop businesses. In
addition, according to
economist Roberton Wil-
liams, with the Tax Policy
Center in Washington, rais-
ing their top income tax
level from 35 percent to
39.6 percent would probably
have little impact on hiring.
The decision to hire a new
worker depends far more on
demand for a business’
products than on taxes.
It’s even possible that
not raising taxes on the top
two percent would hurt
small businesses in the long
run. Keeping all the Bush
cuts, as proposed by Repub-
licans, would contribute
$3.7 trillion to the budget
deficit over the next ten
years. This could result in
higher interest rates, making
it harder and more expen-
sive for small businesses to
borrow.
On the other hand, re-
pealing the tax cuts for the
top two percent of all earn-
ers would bring in $700
billion over the next ten
years.
Nobel prize-winning
economist Joseph Stiglitz
also points out that tax cuts
for the very wealthy do very
little to stimulate the econ-
omy, because those in the
highest income brackets
tend to save rather than
spend their extra income.
It is good economic
policy to keep the tax cuts
for the middle class and 97
percent of small businesses.
But they should be repealed
for the very wealthy.
Anita R. Savio
O’Brien
Keep the tax cuts
The issue of repealing
the Bush tax cuts for those
making over $200,000 a
year ($250,000 for couples)
has been put on the back
burner for now, but will
come up again for Congres-
sional consideration after
the November elections.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One year in Josephine
County - $24.50
One year in Jackson and
Douglas counties - $28.00
One year in all other Oregon
counties and out-of-state -
$39.00
and it was fun to see. A special thanks to Prin-
cipal Dave Valenzuela for providing the space
at his school. And thanks to all the volunteers.
This truly couldn’t happen without you.
Don’t forget the candidate forum this
Thursday at the county building at 102 S.
Redwood Hwy. in Cave Junction. Sheriff Gil
Gilbertson and Don Allaire will face off at 6
p.m. Commissioner Dave Toler, Simon Hare,
and write-in candidate Mark Seligman will
tell us why they deserve our votes starting at 7
p.m. Ballots are to be in the mail Oct. 15, so
keep your eyes open for them.
Thanks for picking up the paper this
week, enjoy!
-- djm
www.spayneuter.org or phone 541-858-
3325.
GIVE BLOOD - The American Red
Cross is asking eligible donors to make
blood donation a priority on their to-do
list. The need for blood is constant. If
you want to join the cause, you can find
a drive near you and make an appoint-
ment by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or
by visiting www.redcrossblood.org.
WISE WORDS - “If it's very painful
for you to criticize your friends - you're
safe in doing it. But if you take the
slightest pleasure in it, that's the time to
hold your tongue.” (Alice Duer Miller)
POLICY ON LETTERS: ‘Illinois
Valley News’ encourages letters to
News, Classified and Display the editor provided they are legible
Ads, Announcements and and not libelous or scurrilous. All
letters must be signed, including
Letters
name, address and telephone
5 P.M. FRIDAYS number. The latter need not be
(Classified ads and display ads may published, but will be used to verify
be accepted until noon Mondays with authenticity. The ‘News’ reserves
an additional charge.)
the right to edit letters. Letters are
used at the discretion of the
publisher.
DEADLINES:
Circulation - Zina Booth
zbooth@illinois-valley-news.com
Advertising - Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
Composition - Brenda Encinas
bencinas@illinois-valley-news.com
Mailroom - Millie Watkins