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About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1982)
The Sffndy Post Editorial & Opinion Von Braschler. Publisher Caroline Duff Office Manoger Don Dillon. Editor Scott Newton. News Editor SANDY, O REG O N , THURSDAY. APRIL 1. 1982 State Highway shows local concern Hats off to the state Highway Division for reaching a solution to engineering problems associated with Brightwood’s danger bridge on Highway 26 over Salmon River. Eastbound cars veer w ildly to the left with any ice on that bridge. That’s caused two deaths and other single-car non-injury scrapes in just five years. Regional T ra ffic Operations Supervisor Ronald Failmesger figures a separator between east- bound and westbound lanes might prevent future head-on collisons there. He’s now pursuing National Safety Act funds to make the ad justment. F a ilm e s g e r responded im mediately to local reports of bridge danger and has stalked the problem since January. The concrete barricades down the centerline—if funded—could absorb impact of a vehicle. Some type of cushioning might be added at ends of the barrier under Failmesger’s plan Such cushions could consist of barrels or other containers filled with water to soften a blow to a vehicle, should it slide out of control on the ice-prone bridge. A n o th e r o p tio n eyed by Failmesger calls for concrete bar rier grading from the ground, curved into the main span of new protective railing. The engineer said exact ap proach to the problem could b* determined when the proposal reaches a design stage. First comes a pitch for approval with a formal report he’s submit ting to Oregon Department of Transportation to justify the pro ject. Let’s hope they consider the bridge as dangerous as the many mountain residents and travelers who detour through Brightwood, rather than risk 10 seconds on the highway over Salmon River. Let’s blow whistle on animal abuse Report of two men who alleged ly beat a tiger with sticks at a re cent P o rtlan d Shrine Circus points up a widespread problem in suspected animal abuse. Unlike the circus witness who prompted an Oregon Humane Society in vestigation, few persons who suspect animal abuse blow the whistle. The humane society regionally investigates only about 100 cases per month, m ostly involving suspected abuse of horses. Perhaps lack of reporting is due to lack of public awareness about what constitutes abuse. That’s understandable, when scholarly scientists still debate whether animals indeed have “ feelings,” or only sensation to pain. Certain ly millions of animals have died p a in fu lly in repetitive, ques tionable laboratory experiments. Now the federal government is supporting contract rights of a Portland im porter to round up en dangered gibbon apes and rhesus monkeys in Bangladesh for scien tific research Among supporters of MOL Enterprises is US. Sen. Bob Packwood, p re sid e n tia l hopeful. A nim als now have rig h ts, too—whether they live in a distant jungle, a backyard in Sandy or a field in Hoodland. Society now recognizes th a t w ives and children deserve humane treat ment. Maybe it ’s time to admit responsibility for the innocent, dumb animals over which man was granted dominion by the creator. Livestock not tended, fed or sheltered from the storm should be re p o rte d as q u ic k ly as livestock who are physically at tacked by masters charged with their care. Kicked, neglected or unfed dogs and cats deserve bet ter, too. if you see a neighbor who m a n h a n d le s an a n im a l or neglects it to the point of poor health, report it to Oregon Humane Society at 285-0641 or Clackamas County Animal Con trol at 655-8628. You can call the county’s deputy assigned to regular visits here toll-free at 668-3501, Ext. 628 Animals do have feelings Wall Street report: ‘Bite’ taken from tax aid Don’t look now, but Washington is quiet ly getting ready to take away the beat tax benefit you never got That benefit la socalled tax indexing, a fancy name lor a simple idea the govern ment should have to aak for a tax increase when It wants one and not be able to let in flation do Its dirty work for it Written into the IW I tax bill was a provi sion that, starting in IWB, three key items tax brackets, personal exemptions ami the standard deduction would t * ad justed each year in the taxpayer's favor to reflect the inflation rate While it got conaiderabiy less attention than Preaident Reagan’s plan for three year across the board tax cuta, the index mg provision was potentially of much g re a te r value to the ty p ic a l tax payer particularly those in lower and middle income groups The tax ‘cuta,’* in deed. could turn out to i»e very much less than that by the time you ve factored in in flation. dram atically rising Social Security taxes ami »he aaaorted excise increases to which concern over the federal deficit may lead us Rut indexing promised that the income tax system would, for once in our lives, be on the level ending the present system whereby the government 's own in nation annually pushes its cltisena into ever higher lax brackets, with ever lower buying power Don l count on it Signs are mounting ominously that, because of lack of public understanding of the impotame <if this change, it is likely to be an oarly victim of Washington’s prococcupation with t«udget halanrlng through tax increases - rather than spending cute (Indeed Treasure karretary Donald Hagan openly conceded the other day that indexing «re d dtacuaa” adding pointedly that it * wasn't part of the P re sid en t s a rig ln a l p ack ag a” - a n d neglecting ta mention that Reagan noawthelaaa proudly took credit for the in darxing provision > What a going on’ First just what would indexing coat’ The Treasurer last year estimated that in Letters to the editor: Community support, gun control eyed Play worthwhile Some friends, my hus band and I attended Sandy Community Players’ pro duction of ‘‘Tribute’’ Satur day The play was well pro duced and directed, and the actors did an excellent job We enjoyed it, but I found myself depressed during the evening It was obvious that hours and hours had been put into the play, yet the crowd turnout was very small I thought how lucky we are in Sandy to have this quality of live theater, and yet how sad it is more people don't come to enjoy it. It has been said that San dy residents are bad about supporting th e ir town (Local merchants have been bemoaning this for years), and that we re just too close to Gresham and P o rtla n d w ith th e ir availability of things. There is no justification for going to town in respect to theater, because our local theater group does as good a job as any theater group you will see In Portland Maybe the idiot tube has ruined ua If we don’t see three or four car chase?» m ultiple wrecks, stabb ings, rapes and murders within a one hour period, we feel we haven’t been e n te rta in e d . H o w e v e r. there is a great deal of it’s certainly below the entertainment to be found curb line now, thanks to Mike Royko (Chicago Sun- in live theater, watching different emotions play Times). In his recent a r across peoples fac es , ticles he has been wallow analyzing motivations for ing in his "lib eral a r actions and interactions in rogance" toward the Ken the characters and even nesaw gun law recently seeing if the set design and passed. For someone who has props conform to your con cept of the play. It's concern for the welfare of especially fun to watch mankind (that being the your neighbors’ talents reason for his favoring gun controls), Royko suddenly develop T here are many in shows a very low opinion of teresting thoughts to enter this same human race by ta in , a ll fa r m o re implying we would have stimulating to the mind bodies c a rte d o ff the than watching "Laverne streets daily, should socie and S h irle y " or "The ty start packing guns Dukes " You have a strange I would like to encourage mind. M r Royko Even everyone to get out to one during the more "rustic of our local plays. If you era’’ of our country, the find you don’t care for this violent citizens were the particular one. try the next exception to the rule, and one. Sandy Comm unity disposed accordingly. In Players have been pro this more * enlightened" viding a good variety of age, it seem s the w e ll done c o m e d ie s , perpetrator of a violent act dramas and musicals Live is the victim , and the theater is a little like learn citizen who has the audaci ing to like certain foods It ty to defend himself is the sometimes takes a little criminal! time, but try it and you It becomes clear to me might like it You even that since the country could become addicted refuses to lie down and con Marilyn Rowell Sandy form to your way of think ing, then damn the whole co u n try to p e rd itio n ! Gentlemen like Stalin, Mao and Rockefeller think that If my opinion of editorial same way, M r Royko columnists was low before, Your attitude does nothing Save guns but confirm in my mind that the media is capable of reporting an accident of the freeway, or tell me what the weather will be like for tomorrow But most cer tainly the media is not qualified to pass judge ment on social issues of our times' Only the people, th e m s e lv e s —God bless ’em —can do that!. The heads of the national media systems do not allow necessarily the whole truth to be reported—only their tru th , as they see it. H opefully, the People, whom the media is trying to brainwash, will be able to apply common sense to any social or economic reporting by this same media. Ralph A. Sandercock Jr. Sandy Support VICA I am president of the VICA club at Sandy High School, and I am deeply troubled about the school's priorities in relation to club activities First, sports teams are provided with uniforms and equipment for their various activities When VICA competes, we have to have uniforms, otherwise as competitors we loose IS points a contest It would be impossible to win first. second or third place witn IS points docked o ff, because the club can’t a f ford to buy uniforms Second, when some of the other clubs go to the state and local com pet ions, their food, lodging, gas and en try fees are paid by the school When VICA goes to state competions, we have to pay for our own food, lodging, gas and entry fees We are not asking the school to p ay fo r everything our club does, but we think we should at least get a little financial help It would be a big im provement over what we have Greg Meier LETTERS POLICY The Post asks that all letters to the e d ito r be ty p e d , double-spaced and signed. Deadline is noon. Tuesday. Let ters should be ac c u ra te , fre e of libelous remarks and in good taste. This newspaper attempts to publish all letters it receives and may edit material lightlv to c o n fo rm to g u id e lin e s . M a x imum length is 200 words. Personally speaking: Clock-watching not worth the time 4rxing would lower federal tax receipts by IS ft billion in fiscal IMS and 122 7 billion the following year If (he inflation rate re mama below what it was last summer, however these estiinates are far too high W hom w ould in d e x in g b e n e fit? Everybody, essentially, because the tax system would be fairer and more honest I Oglala to n would have to call a tax in crease a tax increase and not lake it under the table, as an automatic inflation bonus But, moat of all. Indexing would help lower income people. Inflation Induced "bracket creep’’ is more common with them, because tax brackets are closer together at the bottom end of the scale and personal ex pern ptions are proportionately more important With all the talk largely fraudulent though it may have been about how moat of last year a tax cuta amounted to "welfare for the rich," you might think there would be more media outcry about (be threat Io welsh on indexing which ac cording to a IftBO study by the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental rets turns would have twice as much impact on taxpayers making 110,000 as on those mak ing too.ooo Rut unless the public wakea up soon, an aimoat unnoticed throat cutting seems in prospect. Are you mad enough to lot your con greeaman know that you. at least are aware of what indexing could mean and determined to get it, as promised, at last? tavto ion Ovfceyaer"a H w m l al amUyato to Oto. by * • (toxtoewgM ftywdtoeta Im. («) Modern rnan seemed ruled by clocks He presumes to control his destiny by setting alarms to tell him when to start his day, proceed and stop However he becomes a slave obedient to the very ticking mechanism he winds to rule his bedroom and bind his wrist. Who needs all this seif inflicted stress’ The only real ticker worth a tinker's damn is man's own heart And this man’o heart tells him to slow down the whole charade. Sure, 1 show up a bit late here and there But my nerves aren't fra y e d by needless clock watching and tidious manuever mg to get everything perfectly synchronized After all, there are but two bask times under the sun Daytime and nighttime. P ra c tic a lly speaking, our modern hustle bustle world doe« needs some synchronization I recognize the need for deadlines in such "tim ely" endeavors ax supplying news via newspapers. But modern man often outfoxes himself in setting times for his convenience Witness daylight savings time, when the extra slack we grant ourselves expires and the day suddenly seems dark and gloomy at ft p m And anyone who’s tried to mail letters, bank or keep kids in school finds the weak long slack surrounding con trived holidays like President s Day too much of a good thing curate than a few years or decades off the mark in their predictions God’s time, they note, is a little different from m a n ’s contrived method of measurement. N a tu re’s Now, Then and Tomorrow seem linked in s e p a ra b ly in a d y n a m ic universe of fluid change Still we strap silly w ristw atches on astronauts, who now can escape earth's time restrictions and return from deep space no older than when they left by VON BRASC HLER Controlling time always has fascinated man, of course Only recently, however, have we been brash enough to think we could control the world with a stop^ watch Modem man seems fascinated with fixing the exact moment all time on earth will end by atomic cataclysm or Second Coming An c ie n ts o n ly a w a ite d a millenium sometime in the next thousand years or so. Today doomsdayers climb mountains with a twoday supply of last meals or search for signs" to fix exact date for final goodbyes Prophets and psychics, of course, seldom get more ac- While modem man pretends to control time, still it remains a mystery Witness that seventh wonder of the world, the pyramid where time seemingly stands still for trapped objects that don't ta r nish, rust or decay in thousands of years So is time really a mystery, or is modern man mere ly m u d d led ab o u t its measurability? Only the mystics claim to know, We all recognize that at times there seems to be ail the time in the world, while other times there seems to be no time at all Split seconds before an accident seem to last forever, as though we’re given extra time to respond Unpleasant times also seem to pass slowly. Pleasant moments, however, seem to pass much too quickly It all seems to depend solely on your perspective I know one thing for sure about tim e m anagem ent, however. Those guys in theatres and restaurants with belt pagers and wrist alarms have no perspective at ail. If they truly wanted to share some time with fellows in a public setting, they should leave their worries of the past or future outside Maybe they should be re quired to surrender their rude buzzers and beepers at the door, like earlier gunslingers who turn ed in their six-shooters before entering public gatherings The stress of worry over lost time isn't worth the hassle We’re killing ourselves slowly, as we measure out our lives in seconds and strive to accomplish feats on the stroke of the hour Modern man works himself past the point of sleepiness and then worries with insomnia that he isn't getting enough sleep He stretches his day to get more done in one day, but it's hard to trick nature There remain just 24 hours in each day and two basic times: Daytime and night time A recent article in Psychology Today laughed at man’s attempt to stretch his day by robbing himself of sleep. A quarter cen tury of research in sleep depriva tion noted cave man’s greater wisdom in time management: When cave man was tired, he slept He arose when he felt rested Today, man goes to sleep when he HAS TO and gets up when he WANTS TO. Hardly sounds like a clever mystic, does It?
