4—Port cMoru ..ews, Thursday, May 15, 1969
to the
Editor
Post Off.ce Box 5
97465
Port Orford, Oregon
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Second class mail privileges authorised at Port Orford, Ore.
Louis L Felsheim ................................... Editor and Publisher
Paul I, Peterson .......................................... Managing Editor
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■M EM BER-
NEWSPAPER
^P E R
PUBLISHERS
ASSOCIATION
Explains 'No' Vote
N 9 ÍA
Association - Founded 1885
Sales Tax Is A Good Tax
In his criticism of the sales tax measure which goes before
Oregon voters on June 3, Robert Straub, State Treasurer,
speaking In Portland, admitted that there will be a time when
Oregon will need a sales tax.
Straub fails to mention, however, when thattim e will be
and tlie kind of sales tax Oregon will need. Will it be 1%,,3% or
4 5%9 will food and drugs be exempt? Will there be protection
for the elderly and those on fixed Incomes?
the amount
of sales tax be written into the constitution, requiring » ma)orlly
vote by the people to change the percentage? Will It be an
additional tax or constitutionally dedicated to tax relief .
The sales tax measure before the voters on June 3 Is a
good tax, as taxes go. It is constitutionally dedicated to Property
tax relief. It exempts food and drugs. The amount of the sale
tax is written Into the constitution, requiring approval from he
voters before it can be changed. And, there Is built-in protection
for the elderly and those on fixed incomes.
Since 1959, total property taxes in Oregon have Increased
approximately 106%. Comparisons between our neighboring states
show that Oregon’s average property tax is higher than Caltf-
ornla and substantially higher than Washington. Clearly, we
cannot continue to Increase property taxes.
If passed, It is estimated that the 3% sales tax, with food
and drugs exempt, will raise $100 million in revenue, all of
which will be returned to property owners in the form of property
tax relief.
How much relief? $6.21 per $1,000 of assessed
One of the key arguments used against this sales tax is
that it will hurt those on fixed incomes and the elderly. Yet,
tills bill exempts food and drugs, the chief expenditures of
these groups. It also provides for a freeze on Property taxes
for those persons 65 and over with property assessed at $20,000 or
less. Homeowners and renters with $3,500 incomes or less
will receive refunds of up to 75 percent of their paid property
^ ^ T h e r e Is no question that ourleglslators have done their
homework. They have come up with a sales tax measure which
goes a long way towards eliminating the Inequities of a sales tax.
The question, then, is do we wait for the sales tax that
Straub says is inevitable In Oregon? Or do we accept the sales
tax measure now before us. . • a sales tax with built-in relief
and locked-ln tax rate.
The answer will come June 3.
Salem Scene
by Everett E. Cutter
Beach Zoning Bill
Sets New Boundary
Relatively quiet House pass
age of the beach zoning bill
here last week again demon
strates the fact tliat one ses
sion’s controversy is another’s
all -ln-a-day's-work.
Each legislature must tackle
some questions which touch a
public nerve and draw overflow
crowds to committee hearings
anil chamber galleries. Passion
often is short lived, however,
and usually Is tempered by the
necessary slowness ofthedem-
ocratlc process and emergence
of new emotional issues.
Debate and public uprising
two years ago resulted In a
compromise law between public
and private beach ownership in
terests. It prohibited any new
construction west of an Imag
inary line drawn 16 feet above
mean sea level, and directed
the State Highway Department
to survey the state’s entire
coastline to determine more
precise delineations.
This year’s follow-up bill,
which passed die House 56-3 and
is expected to gain Senate ap
proval, changes the line as
suring public recreation rights
to beach property. It zones 341
miles of Oregon coastline, giv
ing tlie public use of sands up
to the vegetation line, which is
designated In the bill by spe
cific engineering coordinates
supplies by the Highway De
partment.
It does not specify a property
line designating state “ own
ership,” according to Rep. Tom
Young (R-Baker), who carried
the bill on the House floor fol
lowing passage by a special
J u d ic ia l subcommittee he
chairs. It is a zoning measure,
reserving the area seaward
from the vegetation line for
restricted use and giving the
Highway liepartment enforce
ment authority.
Construction o u ts id e the
line—for storm-walls, etc.—
Is allowed by permit from the
Highway Department. Permit
stamlanis specify that such con
struction cannot interfere with
recreational use.
The department ran also zone
beaches to prohibit motor ve
hicles or limit their speed.
It may grant permits for pipe
lines to cross under beach prop
erty and for local governments
to remove sand. It also is char
ged with the responsibility to
advise the legislature when fu
ture shoreline changes show
a need to change specific coord
inates, and to defent present or
future prescriptive rights of the
public.
Rep. Sidney Bazett(K-Grants
Pass) generally is credited with
getting the btli off dead center
from the status in which beach
protection legislation was pass
ed last session. As chairman
of House Highways Committee
he continued to fan the flame
of sentiment to pin down the
line to something more spe
cific than the 16-foot level—
a line which sometimes wan
dered considerably inland, de
pending upon the beach’s steep
ness.
He still voices reservations
about the listing of coordinate
figures In the bill Itself—the
bulk of the 100-page document
is devoted to rows of these
numbers. They have not yet
been checked by computers,
Rep. Bazett says, and In “ this
session of printer’s erro rs”
could result in confusion If
not removed by the Senate.
He cites tlie beach bill, along
with successful measures for
government reorganization, as
one of the most Important to
gain House approval. It In
dicates, he says, that “we have
a youthful legislature here, one
that is not afraid to try things
that have been stalled before.”
The new bill is far-reaching
and, If passed by the Senate,
will save for Oregon what has
been lost by other ocean-front
states. In the words of tlie bill:
“ . . . It is tlie public policy
of the State of Oregon to for
ever preserve and maintain tlie
sovereignty of the state here
tofore existing over tlie ocean
beaches of the state from the
Columbia River on the North to
tlie Oregon-California line on
tlie South so that the public may
have the free and uninterrupted
use thereof.”
TO THE EDITOR
AND 2CJ SCHOOL BOARD
May 8, 1969
Sorry Mr.Chairman but I have
a previous commitment to m eet
socan'tcom e to your meeting. I
thought that the meeting was to
be next Thursday, but will sub
m it what 1 have to say in this
letter.
My main objection to the bud
get was of the terrific raise in
school taxes the last year, and
which w e n t over by the slim
margin of less than a dozen votes.
I did go out of my way to try
to correct these conditions.
I made phone calls to the ones
that did not vote last year and
many felt badly that their vote
could have upset l a s t year's
budget.
I did talk to many of the
voters and all but two consider
ed the huge raise last year, and
many had just received their
new assessment appraisal this
spring and they were bent on
casting "NO" votes on this bud
get.
You didn't sell the voters on
junking the B.R. school, nor the
'no problem' with the mix of
older and younger students nor
the statement that the reason
for the raise in last year's taxes
was due to the delinquent tax
problem, to which you are con
tributing byyour very own con
tinual raising taxes beyond the
paying ability of the tax payers
in a community that is being
taxed into doom. T h e local
economy has been bad for many
years.
It is not good to see four ser
vice stations closed,and another
business about to close just out
side the city.
With a budget that would cost
the tax payer a considerable
sum (about $18.00 per thousand
dollar of assessed valuation over
the l a s t year's budget) was a
big factor in the loss of the bud
get this time.
Transportation of mare pupils
will mean more busses. Building
of a new library is in duplication
of the one planned by the city
at this time and planned to have
reading and study rooms. With
such a new city library who will
bother to go out of town to a
library?
There also rises a suspicion
of tlie size and use of the gym
at Pacific if the 6-6 went thru.
Why was a huge sum spent at
the B.R.gym for a new roof and
repairs if you planned to junk
it?
Why move away from the
natural setting far a ball park,
when all it needed was to plant
trees along the south border for
a wind break and along the west
side to obstruct free viewers
from the west hill side, and ter
race the existing slopes for seat
ing?
Speaking of the substandard
B. R. school, why doesn't the
state then hand down an edict
as to what is unfit? Alsowhy
don't you hook up to the sewer
like others have along the trunk?
You contribute to this unsanitary
condition.
New walls of marble or m a
sonry dcn'tm ake education any
better, It's what is taught in the
rooms that counts.
You over budgeted as you ad
m it you have about $70,000.00
of the 90M dollars you need for
the 6-6 plan. 1 suggest you spend
a third of it to repair the B.R.
gym mdcut the budget by 30M
dollars and give the tax payer a
break far a change.
Just who is this Committee for
Better Education, ??? No signa
ture appears an the pamphlets
m ailed out. ???
Many voters believe many
questionable things about its
origin, author, and who met the
costs?
A dol i'll W indma iser
COVERED
THE SAFE WAY...
BAffCO»UEECO»GENERAl
IN S U R A N C E
Thursday
Luth. Ch. Women, 7:30 p. m.
Port Commission, 8 p. m.
N. Curry Recreation, 8 p. m.
Saturday
Beachcombers, 8:30 p.m .
Eastern Star, 8 p.m .
Monday
Job's Daughters, 7:30 p. m.
Sheriff's Reserve, 8 p. m.
Tuesday
St. Christopher's Gld., noon
Rotary, 12:10 p»m.
AmLeaion 6 Aux. , 8 p.m.
Weolnesday
P. O. Bridge Club, 8 p. m.
P. O.Lions, 7:30 p.m .
I RENTED IT
THROUGH THE
iw r
WANT ADS
A * •
i,
YOU CAN RELAX
about your family, your
home, y o u r car, your
boat,. .evenyour busin
ess whenyou're covered
by the c o m p l e t e
SAFECO roof of planned
protection.
»• * ♦ *'
Do you have
INSURANCE PROBLEMS?
Under age. driving re
cord, license suspended,
etc. We can help you.
Cold Beach 247-7827
KOLEN HUGGINS
AGENCY
tcroes tram Courthouse,
Cold Beach, Oegan
TO THE EDITOR
AND THE HON.
ADOLPH WINDMAISER
May 14, 1969
In response to your letter of
May 8, 1969, appearing on this
page, I am sorry that your pre
vious e n g a g e m e n t (bridge
game?) kept you from attend
ing the meeting of the budget
committee. A matter of such
importance to our community
and of particular importance to
our youth would seem worthy of
the attendance of all commun
ity leaders especially those of
you who were so outspoken in
your criticism of our plans and
budget. I personally contacted
you and others urging you to a t
tend and present your plans and
ideas a n d you confirmed my
suspicions by your absence. You
don't have any plans to present!
You're just an "Againer".
The present budget is the re
sult of two years work and study
by th e board, administration,
teachers, state school officials,
engineers, architects and a l l
available sources of professional
advice .A dm ittedly the socalled
6-6 planwill not answer all the
problems we h a v e but in the
opinion of these people it is the
best plan available to us at this
tim e. We have had a decreasing
enrollment in our schools for
several years. This contributes
to rising costs per pupil. Our
plan would eliminate the oper
ation of two old buildings, Battle
Rock School and the old Lang
lois High School, (the condition
of these schools is not the im
portant issue) resulting i n a
savings of $30, 402. 00 in the
operating budget per year. The
budget committee has further
reduced the budget by $70, -
000. 00 which will result in a
further aving to the taxpayers.
The total funds to be levied in
the defeated budget including
debt service were $12, 527. 00
less t h a n the preceding year.
The increase in the levy of 42
cents per $1, 000. in true cash
value not $18. 00 as you stated
in your letter, was caused by an
increase in estimated delin
quent taxes for '69-'70.
There is no increase antici
pated for transportation and no
new buses in the budget.
There wasno roof replaced an
the Battle Rock gym this year
or any year since I have been a
b o a r d member (8 yrs. ). The
" h u g e sum" you refer to was
$3500.00 to replace the roof an
the school building. This was
necessary to preserve the build
ing and to hold classes therein
this year.
In answer to your question
concerning the sewer hook-up
at Battle R o c k School. The
hook-up fee was paid to the city
inSept.of 1968 and we are only
waiting for the city to fulfill its
..ligation made to the school
districtto put the sewer line up
the street in front of the school
in exchange for an easement
thru school property. I would
suggest that you consult with
city officials on this agreement
which is a matter of record in
the city minutes, made while
you wire a member of th e
Council, Mr. Mayor.
I agree that marble halls or
masonry donot make education
better. A prime example is the
present 8th grade class from
Battle Rock School lauded by
the Governor, Senators, Repre
sentatives and other state offi
cials as the most outstanding
group to attend the capitol from
any school in Ore gen. (Your tax
dollar at work).
We have budgeted $90, 000.00
for the 6-6 plan of which we
have in excess of $70,000.00 in
cash on hand due to a timber
trespass and a timber sale in
this district. This money was re
ceived thru the vigilance and
efforts of the board and admin
istration. We have been working
to lower taxes. What have you
done ? It was necessary to bud
get this money so it could be
spent (a state law). If this pro
posed construction, classrooms
and library at Pacific High, had
been financed by a special levy
or bond issue then they could
have been voted an as separate
issues. Incidentally this school
district will be completely debt
free in school year '73-'74 be
cause we have avoided any bond
issues since the initial building
of Pacific High School.
As for the proposed City Lib
rary, Mr. Mayor, you s e e m to
overlook the fact that our dis
trict extends to Laurel Grove in
Coos County and I doubt that
these fellow patrons of our dis
trict will utilize the PcrtCrfard
Library due to the distance in
volved. These people have to be
considered equally in any plans
by the board. Let's stop being
Port Crford andLanglois and be
come School District 2CJ.
I will say that your letter is
the strongest argument for the
strengthening of Grammar,Rhe
toric and Logic, in addition to
the three "R's", that has been
presented to this board since I
have been a member.
The board feels that this is a
good, sound program providing
better education for less money.
If this is poor leadership on my
part I will gladly step aside for
those who will come forward
with a better plan. 1 like to play
Bridge too!
We are not going to live any
more in the past, very briefly in
the present, so let's look to the
future.
I might remind you, Sir, that
all members of the budget com
mittee a r e tax-payers, some
quite large taxpayers, parents or
grandparents of s t u d e n t s in
school and it is inconceivable
tom e that this group of 14 men
and women of this School Dis
trict would waste tax money or
hinder education.
Glenn Mayea, Chairman
Board of Directors
School District 2CJ
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ALCOHOL and
B A R B ITU R A TE S :
DEADLY C O M B IN A T IO N II
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When a man who has had a few drinks and a moderate
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dose of barbiturates before going to bed is found ser
iously ill next morning, doctors have a hard time de-
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cidingjust what his trouble is, and an even harder tune
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treating him. If he is dead, the corcner has difficulty
deciding between accident and suicide. Medical re
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searchers are still debating whether the effects of a l
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cohol and barbiturates are multiplied or simply added
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together. But now, in a report to the American Chemi
cal Society, a biochemist and a physician suggest an
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explanation for the alky-pheno combo's deadly powers.
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Biochemist J a c k E. Wallace and Physician Elmer V.
■
Dahl could not do their research on human beings, so
they took the body enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase and
and studied it in the test tube. Normally, this enzyme
breaks down alcohol in the body to acetaldehyde, which
another enzyme in turn breaks down to acetic acid. In
their experiments at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas,
the researchers learned that barbiturates hinder the first
breakdown process and leave a lot of alcohol in the
system. And alcohol has a severe depressing effect an
some primitive nerves, including the vital center that
regulates breathing.While different barbiturates showed
varying degrees of interference, all upset the normal
metabolic process to some extent.
The researchers have preliminary evidence that what
happens in the test tube also happens in rats. Drugged
animals simply cannot metabolize alcohol. Presumably
drugged humans face the same problems. Thus an or
dinary sedative dose of a barbiturate may combine with
an ordinary intoxicating amount of liquor to leave be
hind a lethal dose of nerve-depressant alcohol.
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(Reprinted with permission from Alcohol and Drug
Section, Mental Health Division.)
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THANKS!
1 0 EVERYONE WHO HAS
HELP MAKE OUR F IV E
YE A R S IN B U S IN E S S
A SUCCESS
BUILDERS SUPPLY
JUST NORTH OF T O W N
PH. 3 3 2 -4 -1 6 1
Lela C. Mitchell
Dies In Portland
Lela C. Mitchell, a former
resident of Port Orford, was
born Oct. 29, 1890, at Olney,
Texas, and died In the Em
manuel hospital In Portland on
April 30. Her home was In
Willamina.
Survivors are three sons,
Leo L. of Port Orford, Don L.
and Smith A. of Willamina,four
grandchildren and three great
grandchildren.
Funeral services were held
at the WUlamlna Christian
Church on May 3, at 2 p.m.,
with pioneer minister, Ray
Smith of Lincoln City, In charge
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