SALEM SCENE
by E R R E T T C U T T E R
NEW SPEAKER DISCUSSES
LEG ISLATIVE
ASSORTED
LUNCHEON- / e -
MEATS
3rl
,’V
16 oz.
TINS
Sliced 29' lb.
GOOD ONLY
COKE
L 89
Pork Liver . . .
Fish Sticks . .
SILVER SCALE
CIRCLETS
LIFESA V ER S
SA R D IN ES
6/19'
ZEE
¡Napkins
MARKETS
The fate- and length-of this
session will be decided by
w h eth er
the
legislature
responds to the all- important
question of property tax relief,
according to Speaker of the
House
Robert
F.
Smith,
R-Buras.
The youthful (37) cattleman
and
fo rm e r
YMCA
All-American basketball player
was elected to the speakership
by the Republican-controlled
House this year after serving an
unprecedented two terms as
majority leader. He is back in
his office, tackling a mountain
of early-session paperwork,
following a bout with the flu.
“I believe both houses will
adopt an alternate revenue
method, and submit it to the
people early in the spring,” he
says. “I support the governor’s
program, but we will consider
all the alternatives.”
The measure envisioned by
Rep. Smith is similar to Gov.
Tom McCall’s proposal and to
the one which nearly came out
of
1967’s special session.
Roughly, it calls for a 3 per
cent retail sales tax for revenue
to reduce property taxes by 25
to 30 per cent, and imposes
limitations on local spending
Local tax relief could be
acco m p lished
e ith e r by
channeling state revenue into
school support or into the
state’s direct relief fund. Rep.
Smith feels. The fund to aid
local government units now
in c lu d e s
s ta te
budget
appropriations and half of
cigarette tax revenues.
A ll sales tax proceeds
should go back, one way or the
other, he says, except for the
e s t im a t e d
2 per cent
administrative cost to the state.
(The figure does not include
retailers’ administrative costs.)
Such a plan to relieve
property taxes with a sales tax
is considered likely to gain
Senate concurrence. The real
question still is how voters will
treat such a choice, and the
House Taxation Committee is
meeting this week with citizens
in various communities to
sound out public sentiment.
”1 think it has a good
chance of passage this spring,”
the speaker says. “ If not, we
must then re-evaluate our
situation-and I am in favor of
an austerity budget program
which will give every dollar
possible for property tax •
relief.”
Perhaps more precisely,
then, the fate and length of the
1969 legislative session will
depend upon how most voters
view a sales tax. I f the answer
is no, lawmakers could find
budget-slashing procedures
carrying them into the summer
months.
There is another property
ta x relief plan, supported
generally by the House’s
Democratic minority, which
shuns the sales tax and would
give relief only to residential
property and farm property.
Mrs. Edward Shearer of
Less money woud be required, Clackam as was re-elected
and proponents figure some 50 president of the Clackamas
per cent relief could be found County Historical Society at
in the existing direct relief the annual meeting in Oregon
fund (now earmarked for equal City recently.
r e lie f fo r all classes of
The 1968 slate o f officers
property) plus revenue which was re-elected to serve with
would accrue by eliminating her. They are John Busch, first
the federal deduction on state vice president; Neil Cooper,
personal income tax returns second vice president; Ralph
and by adjusting some user Afilliams, treasurer; Mrs. Mabel
taxes.
Wescott, recording secretary;
Speaker Smith generally and Mrs. Marvin Forsberg,
reflects majority sentiment, publicity secretary.
h o w e v e r,
in
o p p o s in g
Directors elected are Mrs.
d ep artu res
from Oregon’s Ruth Allen, Ernest Heinrich,
long-sought system o f equal Ella Lipp, Carl Moline, Mrs.
assessments and taxation.
Charlotte Smith, Mrs. Rudolph
“When you open the door Stewart, Lt. Col. Rudolph
to
such
m e th o d s
o f Stewart, and Mrs. James Milin.
distribution it soon becomes a
In summarizing activities of
pork barrel,” he states. “Those the past year, Mrs. Shearer
segments of society with the related that with the death of
greatest political strength gain Mertie Stevens on July 7 the
the greatest rewards.
S o c ie ty
assum ed
new
“Secondly, there are many, responsibilities o f ownership of
m any
p eo p le in trouble property. According to the will
because o f our property of Miss Stevens, her home is to
t a x e s - - h o m e o w n e r a , be converted to a museum.
a g ric u ltu re , business. By Since her death, Society
attacking the problem through members have been active in
a homeowner relief plan, we sorting properties and two sales
help only one segment."
of surplus articles have been
On phase-out of Oregon’s held, with others to follow.'
inventory tax, another form of
M e m b e rs h ip
increased
property tax relief. Rep. Smith substantially during 1968, and
says he believes funds should the Society was the recipient
be appropriated from the state of many artifacts. Revision of
to offset resulting loeees to city by Jaws was approved by the
and county governments.
Society and copies are being
■31
"W ith mittened hands, and caps drawn low.
< ?•
To guard our necks and ears from snow,
We cut the solid whiteness through-"
Notes
By NELL HOWE
Hood-Land Reporter
1
George McLane called this
morning, Monday, to report on
the snow depth. He has been
keeping a record since it
snowed in December. As of
this day, and if we have 4
inches more, we will have had
10 feet of snow in the last two
months, and the way it is
snowing, right now, we will
have those four inches today.
That is 57 inches in December
and 53 inches so far In
January.
How about that.
I now have to stand up to
look out my picture windows.
Just remember how much
Sandy
Boy Scout N ew s
by Dennis Lake
Sandy Scout Troop 176 is
having a Parents’ Night on
Friday, Jan.
31,
in the
basement of the Presbyterian
church.
The meeting will be about a
long-term camp out. There will
be a man to show films and to
talk about the camp out.
Please come, your support is
needed.
Historical Society
Re-elects Officers
2-Roll Pkg.
3T3oys
PRIORITIES
Phase-out plans of Gov.
McCall and House Minority
Leader
Jason
B oe,
D -R e e d s p o rt, w o u ld not
include appropriations, in the
belief that lower inventory
taxes would stimulate local
economic growth and broaden
tax bases enough to cover
in itia l
losses. In some
slow-growing counties, argues
Rep. Smith, this simply would
not be true.
Som e other items for
priority consideration in the
House:
-•Elections: “ In view of
recent court decisions, we are
going to get deeply involved in
O regon’s Corrupt Practices
Act, first determining ground
rules for a candidate to run for
office. I believe there is no
validity for a loser to become a
winner by court order. We
should change to allow an
a p p o in te e
to be named,
possibly by the governor, when
a winner may not legally
serve.”
-Beaches: “ Last session’s
beach bill will be changed
technically for rezoning in line
w ith
th e State Highway
D e p a r tm e n t survey
and
recommendations. I support
the governor’s proposal to sell
open market bonds to allow
the Highway Department to
buy those lands necessary for
public access and preservation;
this plan would in no way
involve or compete with our
h ig h w a y
c o n s t r u c tio n
program.”
-Air/Water Quality: “We
must protect agriculture in the
Willamette Valley, but must
also find a better way to solve
the field burning problem. We
also have to continue closing
the gap in the double standard
which lets existing industry
a b id e
by
one set o f
anti-pollution rules and asks
incoming industry to observe
another.”
T he
soft-spoken House
leader clearly is out to get
necessary work done. If he is
ruffled by criticism of his
organizational methods - for
example, his appointment of
only Republicans to committee
chairmanships - it does not
show.
“Ten Democrats are vice
chairmen,” he notes. “ I wanted
to d is trib u te ability and
experience among committees
for the greatest contribution to
state government, and this I
did from my observations and
not partisan choices.”
And
to underscore his
reasoning: “No man, especially
here in the legislature, is an
island. Each must find 30
others to join him if he wants
to pass a bill,” he smiles.
“This is the real test of
le g is la tiv e
e ffe c tiv e n e s s ,
whether he may be speaker or
a freshman representative.”
Bathroom
Tissue
I
prepared for the membership.
With a new year beginning,
an invitation to join the
Society is extended to all those
interested in Oregon history
and its preservation. Meetings
are open to the public and held"
the second Monday of each
month at eight P.M. at Mertie
Stevens’ Guest House, 607
Washington Street, Oregon
City.
A board meeting is to be
held January 29.
< -
..........
worse it is in other spots. Like
Eugene and Roseburg, with
one plow that is now broke
down, and Los Angeles with
too much rain and mud..It
could be so much worse.
Kay Hudon called to say
that someone had gone into
their garage and stolen the
front right wheel off their, car.
They noticed that the car was
sitting at a peculiar angle and
discovered the frontwheel
missing. Now they are worried
that they will be back to get
the
rest o f the wheels.
Certainly hope not. The least
they could have done, was to
leave the car jacked up, but no,
they just let it drop on the
ground. Dirty rats.
If anyone would like to
have a pet yearling lamb, call
Mary Bouray. She has one, that
is quite a pet, and she would
like to find a good home for it.
It should have more pasture
space. However, it is a real pet,
and Mary doesn’t want anyone
making lamb chops out of her.
Barbara Lymp had to make
a trip to Rhododendron, and
almost got clobbered. With the
snow piled as it is up there and
road not being too wide, too
much speed is a bit hazardous.
Two semi-trucks going west
gave her the horn and sailed
by, within inches of her, going
about 60 miles an hour. This
was at 4:30 last Friday
afternoon. The school bus was
just arriving at that time also.
Hope they see this and use a
b,t more « ,ut,on «o,n« throu«h
the congested areas.
Strange as it may seem, I
haven t been anyplace to find
out much. Everyone is so busy
on the end o f a shovel that
they haven’t had any time to
get around either. So Happy
shoveling to one and all, and
we shall see what we can dig up
for next week.
. . .
....
.. .
A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
i/
by KEN BATEMAN
Not too many doys ago, wo ushered in o Now Year With
age old custom many pooplo mulled over personal faults In
the closing days of the old and resolved to do certain things
batter, or at least differently, in the new year. If a tabulation
was made, it would probably ba proved that multitudes of
people resolved to stop smoking An enormous number of people
pledged to indulge in more leg exercise with less hand to
mouth action to cut down on eofories ond lose weight. Again,
if tabulations were made, it would probably be proved that
most of these, and other well inlentionad resolutions have by
now been broken or forgotten.
There is one resolution every one can make EVERY day—
ond keep Moke it o daily habit to think of TWO of your
blessings for every ONE gripe or comploint. Since the good
things in life far outnumber the bad breaks, this can be on
easy resolution to keep. Fact is, instead of ¡ust thinking about
the two for one; give silent thanks. Nothing is ever so bad in
life that it can't be worse ond that in itself is a good thing
in life to be thankful for This easy to keep doily resolution
can change an entire view of life. Try it ond tee.
BATEMAN FUNERAL CHAPEL, $20 W. Powell >l«4.
Oreshem