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Kulongoski defends plant closure bill
by VON BRASCHLER
G u b e rn a to ria l ca n d id a te Ted
Kulongoski. D-Junction City, defend
ed his plant closure bills before the
Sandy Chamber of Commerce Tues
day. predicting Oregon communities
would suffer from wood products
phase-out in another 10 to 20 years
“ I won't back away from it,” the
attorney said of his cleaned-up bill
redraft “ There s no one in this state
except Vic Atiyeh who doesn’t
recognize there's a problem "
He explained the legislation was
designed to protect sm all com
munities faced with sudden closure
of its only industry and economic and
social problems to follow
“ I ’ve seen too many people here
lose their jobs," he said "W hat can
you do with a 55-year-old choker
setter9 He's too young for Social
Security, and you probably can’t
retrain him for the electronics in
dustry "
The issue, said the state senator, is
what Oregon communities do to sur
vive.
"W e all end up paying for it,
because our taxes go up," with the
tax burden shift from industry to the
residents who remain
“ What 1 CAN be criticized on,”
Kulongoski said, "is that I didn't
recognize the political sensitivity of
the term , plant closure Perhaps I
should have called it an early w arn
ing system,” he said, referring to
California’s sim ilar debate
He
c h id e d
his
o p p o n e n t,
Republican Gov Victor Atiyeh, for
early support of the president s
economic recovery program and
chided the president for his housing
program—an issue big in Oregon’s
boom-or-bust old timber economy.
He referred to a post-war federal
recovery program th at prim ed
economic pumps in the Northwest
with public work programs and low
cost hom e loan subsidies
"We no longer w ill enjoy that sub
sidy." Kulongoski said of the presi
d e n t’s housing subsidy veto in
August “ It's no longer a priority pro
g ram .”
Lost federal housing subsidies,
coupled with money m arket competi
tion the government's created for
declining passbook savings for banks
to loan, paint a depressing picture, he
said
■'That's why I believe the state will
continue to be in an economic
development program the next 10 to
20 years." Kulongoski said
Oregon could recover from its
economic reverses, he said, by diver
sifying beyond timber and develot
ing a s ta te -e n g in e e re d ex p o rt
marketing plan
Oregon is an ideal export site for
Pacific rim nations, he said, men
tioning ports of Coos Bay, Portland
and Um atilla, among others
“ We've got the resources Why
don't we develop the m arket for
finished logs in the Asian m arket9"
he challenged
Kulongoski advocated transition
fro m O reg o n's wood products
economic base to new technology,
“ so every tim e the Federal Reserve
Board adjusts its rates. Oregonians
don't lose their jobs.”
He criticized the governor's inabili
ty to predict state revenue shortfall
in special sessions and the governor's
recent budget-balancing use of State
Accident and Insurance Fung surplus
money
Kulongoski noted the S A IF funds
were designed to pay legitimate
claims, pay program adm inistrative
costs and—lastly—reduce cost of
Workmen's Compensation premiums
of workers involved
He criticized the state’s present
Workmen's Compensation program
as having the highest rates in the na
tion.
Staff photo
State Sen. Ted Kulongoski, D-Junction City, told the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday that the campaign
issue in the gubernatorial campaign is what small cities, like Sandy, do to survive the economic slump.
Kulongoski said he could live
within the state's present budget, if
elected, but would reserve the right
to re v ie w e m e rg e n c y budget
measure sunset taxes to expire by
next June.
He also said he favors a graduated
corporate tax, “ not to raise more
money, but to bring about a more
equitable tax structure for smaller
businesses .”
Kulongoski said the m ajor d if
ference in the gubernatorial race in
his view is leadership
He said the incumbent governor
seems to be saying, ‘I t ’s always the
federal government’s fault ’
“ There’s no single agency in this
state that has as its priority the
economic development of the state,”
Kulongoski charged “That's a dam
ning indictm ent.”
Fire department takes aim at illegal burning
by DAN DILLON
The smoke of the fall burning
season fills the air these days
While most abide by guidelines
established by the Department of En
vironmental Quality, some cloud the
air with an increasing problem for
the Sandy F ire District—unauthoriz
ed bums
The illegal fires, however, are not
lim ited to burning season They are a
year-round problem that has con
stituted 24.9 percent of the local
district's fire calls in the past four
years
And that, according to Sandy Fire
Marshal Jim Gallagher, is “ only the
tip of the iceberg.”
The statistic, he explained, covers
just those fires that a fire engine
responds to. Many times the fire
chief or officer in charge w ill drive
out to the site of an unauthorized
bum , explain the rules and regula
tions and ask that the fire be put out.
"W e find many, many repeat
burners,” Gallagher said But in the
last three years, only two offenders
have been cited into court. One was
given public service work as a fine
The other case was thrown out of
court.
“ The district attorney doesn't want
to touch these,” the fire marshal
said. “At least that's the indication
we get. He’s got more pressing m at
ters.”
As a result, fire district officials
are upgrading the record-keeping
system so that no m atter who goes
out to an unauthorized burn, they'll
know someone’s been there before if
it is a repeat offender.
"The bottom line is state statute
allows the fire department to charge
to put the fire out,” Gallagher said
The local fire district is studying
that point and may resort to it as a
deterrent in the future as a cost
cutting measure
" I f we could cut out almost 25 per
cent of our responses, that’s a
money-saver,” Gallagher said.
That doesn’t mean the fire district
would charge to put out illegal fires
o v e rn ig h t. W ith the u pg raded
records system, however, they’ll
know who's been a culprit before.
“ If we go into this, the first dav
we’re not going to go out and charge
somebody," Gallagher said. “ We ll
give reasonable notice.”
If the number of unauthorized
burns were reduced, it would allow
fire officials to spend tim e with other
p re s s in g m a tte r s an d m a k e
firefighters more readily available in
the event of a real emergency, he
said.
The worst area for violations isn't
in the ru ral areas of the district. It's
inside Sandy’s city limits
" I would think we could keep one
man busy traveling the district polic
ing unauthorized bum s,” Gallagher
said. During the summer months,
there are “ more than you’d care to
stop at."
But the district’s hands are tied.
“ We can ignore the situation,
which legally we cannot do We're
charged with enforcing DEQ regula
tions," Gallagher said
“ So we’re in a Catch-22 situation
W e’re damned if we do and damned if
we don't.”
D u r in g
a u th o r iz e d b u rn in g
seasons, the fire district is informed
of bum days at 8 a m.
Candidates square off on measures
by DAN D ILLO N
those cuts “
Davis and Starkovich also lined up
There is no gray area between the
solidly on opposite sides of the fence
views of the two candidates vying for
over Ballot Measure v
the seat in Senate District 14 when it
That measure wouiu elim inate the
comes to property tax rollbacks or
Land Conservation and Development
land-use planning
Commission and its statewide goals,
Joe Davis, R-Silverton, and Steve
and return land-use planning to the
Starkovich. D-Canby, put up their
local level
political dukes Tuesday evening at
“ I ’m going to vote for Measure 6,”
Rippling River in Welches and outlin
Davis said. " I believe in land-use
ed their views at a forum sponsored
planning, but I would say, let's return
by the Hoodland Chamber of Com
it to local control ”
merce
Starkovich said he opposes the
The two left no middle ground on
measure as “ too radical a step.”
two ballot measures facing voters
The property tax lim itation would
Nov. 2
"cripple local government's ability
“ On election day Joe Davis,
to p ro v id e b a s ic s e r v ic e s ,”
private citizen, will go into the elec
Starkovich said "Ballot Measure 3
tion booth and I think I w ill vote for
would be a signal to business that
Measure 3," the Silverton newspaper
Oregon isn't serious about jobs.”
publisher told the sparse turnout
Davis said the issue has been the
Ballot Measure 3 would lim it pro
most difficult for him in the year long
perty tax increases to 15 percent an
campaign, but if he got a written
nually and rollback assessment
guarantee that conservatives would
levels to 1979
control the state Legislature after the
“ I o pp o se i t , "
c o u n te re d
November election, he would vote
Starkovich. a Canby warehouseman
against it.
“ As much waste, as much duplicity
Beyond that, however, he said.
“ The state of Oregon has one of the
most chaotic l i x systems in the
United States " He called the system
a "detrim ent to growth" and chided
Democrats, who have controlled the
SECTION I
Legislature for the past decade, for
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letting spending get out of hand
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“ When are we going to stop talking
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about how we re going to tax Orego
I Menus
nians9" Davis asked "When are we
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going to start talking about how
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much we re going to tax Orego
nians9”
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SECTION II
He said he sees no alternative to
ClaaatTied Ada
Inaide Tab
Measure 3.
1 T V Revue
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Starkovich outlined a plan he calls
1
J the "circuit breaker" as an alter
Index
Davis, citing his 28 years as a local
newspaperman, said he’d rather
walk across the street to talk to a
local politician than drive to Salem to
talk to "someone not elected by the
people, but appointed."
That, he said, applies to land-use
planning There is more influence
locally than going through the
bureaucratic red-tape of the state's
current process
as there is, I don’t think we can stand
Steve Starkovich
Joe Davis
native to Measure 3.
"W e have a lot of overheated
households right now because they
a re over burdened by property
taxes,” he said Under his plan, a
limitation would be placed on the
percentage of household income that
could go towards property tax T a x
payers would be reimbursed for
payments above this percentage
"Too many Oregonians spend their
entire lives working to build equity in
their farm or home,” Starkovich
said, “only to be taxed out of it when
they retire ”
Questio s of the amount of revenue
it would raise and type of corruption
it would attract prevent both can
didates from supporting a sales tax
as an alternative
A sales tax. Starkovich said, would
never get out of the leg islature
because of the restrictions placed by
Measure 3, requiring two-thirds m a
jority approval in both houses of the
Legislature for any new tax
Starko vich acknowledged that
there are problems with current
land-use planning methods at the
statewide agency that controls the
strings
"There are problems with LCDC
There are problems with the permit
process There are problems with the
appeals process." he said
" I oppose Measure 8. not because
I ’m an LCDC fan, but the concept of
c o m p re h e n s iv e p la n n in g is a
valuable one "
Davis commented, “ Bureaucratic
mandates created a system so com
plex and inflexible that we have to
start over "
The candidates agreed that Oregon
has done a poor job selling itself to
business
" I'm almost embarrassed to admit
it ,” Davis said “ This state is run by
am ateurs" when it comes to attrac
ting industry."
The absence of high-technology in
dustry aids and abets the emigration
of young Oregonians to other states
“ What are these kids going to do in
June when they graduate9” he ask
ed "They're flocking out of the state
by the thousands.”
People are leaving because they
don't have jobs, Starkovich concur
red, and called for diversification of
industry and education to keep peo
ple in the state
“ The state has above-average SAT
scores," he said, although they’re go
ing down Higher education, par
ticularly at the community college
level, can play an integral role in
placing Oregonians in new jobs by
p ro v id in g te c h n ic a l s k ills and
retraining
“ I think it's tim e for Oregon
e d u c a to rs to stop e v a lu a tin g
them selves,” Davis charged
"I
think Verne Duncan's viewpoint is
w arp ed , he’s too close ”
Outside evaluation, he said, might
stop the "knee je rk " reaction of
"every tim e we got a problem, throw
more money at it .”
Freshmen
reading
below ‘par’
It was confirmed for the Sandy
Union High School Board of D ire c
tors Monday night that not all
students are entering the school with
an equal education
Dennis C ro w , vice p rin c ip a l,
reported on the results of a Gate
M a c G in itie read ing test, which
shows that some freshmen are com
prehending written m aterial at less
than a seventh grade level.
Students from the Boring, Bull
Run, Sandy Elem entary, Cottrell and
Welches school districts were all at
the ninth grade level or better in
vocabulary. The ninth graders’ com
prehension of what they read is
another story.
F o rm e r Boring G rad e School
students who are now freshmen were
comprehending at only a 6.7 (less
than seventh grade) level.
Students from Welches and Sandy
Elem entary fared a little better, be
ing able to comprehend at the 7.9
(lower than eighth grade) level.
Students from Cottrell comprehend
ed reading m aterial at a 9.2 level
Students from Bull Run had a
vocabulary score of 11.7, and a com
prehension average of 11.4, which
Crow termed "splendid.” He cited a
low teacher-student ratio as a factor
to the Bull Run school district’s ad
vantage.
Crow said 182 freshmen w ere
tested. That is out of a class of more
than 300.
When Superintendent Jack Peters
said he would be making the results
available to the superintendents of
the feeder districts, Board m ember
Bob Boring said, “ From the inform a
tion I'v e seen, they’re asking for it.”
Peters said Crow’s report was “ ex
cellent,” and John McM ahan, prin
cipal, said it was “ outstanding."
Crow discussed a number of testing
procedures the school goes through
and said testing by individual depart
ments in the school could be a reality
soon. “ We re trying to become more
accountable all the tim e ," Crow said.
Vapor from
butane stove
claims camper
The body of a 25-year-old Portland
man who was apparently asphyx
iated by a butane heater in his tent
was found Sunday afternoon one
quarter m ile south of M irro r Lake
Sgt Dan E. Wolf, of the Oregon
State Police, said the body of L a rry
Eugene LaFreniere was discovered
around noon by hikers He was in a
makeshift plastic tent about 35 feet
off the main tra il to M irro r Lake
A prelim inary diagnosis by George
Coleman of the medical exam iner's
office indicates LaF ren iere died of
carbon monoxide poisoning
Wolf said LaFreniere was camped
just off the tra il in a visquine tent
When it began to rain, he apparently
“ sealed the tarp to the ground with
d irt to keep the rain out and then lit a
butane heater” which asphyxiated
him.
The heater, when lit, released car
bon monoxide, a colorless, odorless,
gas
LaFreniere, said Wolf, had been
seen camped in the same spot for
several days, but no one checked to
see if he was having any trouble
“ At this point we re presuming it to
be an accidental death,” said Wolf,
“ but we w ill continue the investiga
tion until we are sure ”
OSP detective K urt M cBride said,
based on evidence found at the scene,
he believes the death occurred Sept
19 or 20
M cBride said the medical ex
am iner's office is perform ing tests to
confirm the actual cause of death,
but said it appears to be carbon
monoxide poisoning The valve of
LaF ren iere’» small, backpack heater
was completely open and was empty
of butane
“ On the h eater,” said McBride,
"w ere several warning labels to use
only in a well-ventilated area "
According to M cBride, LaFreniere
reportedly took a Trailw ays Bus to
Government Camp Sept 17 to do
some hiking He was scheduled to
return home five days later, but
when he did not return his father con
(acted police
M cBride said this isn’t the first
death caused by such heaters He
«aid moat people are fooled hv the
size and forget the stoves can give off
a deadly gas if used in the worng
areas