North Douglas Herald
October 2024
Page 5
Reports Highlight the Damage to the Economy if Congress lets Section 199A of the Tax Code Lapse
Two reports issued in September, one
with state-specific data, highlight the economic
damage that will ensue if Congress lets the 20%
Small Business Deduction expire next year.
“Both reports should eliminate whatever
lingering doubts Congress has about the
paramount importance of making the 20%
Small Business Deduction permanent and not
letting it lapse at the end of 2025,” said Anthony
Smith, Oregon state director for NFIB, which
last Thursday released its 2024 NFIB Tax
Survey and another report in conjunction with
EY (Ernst & Young).
“The EY report had some Oregon-
Continued from Page 1
specific numbers on the jobs and GDP to be
gained by making the 20% Small Business
Deduction permanent,” said Smith, “and our
report detailed some of the steps small business
owners will take if it is allowed to expire.”
According to EY, “The tax change is
estimated to increase US job equivalents at
small businesses by approximately 1.2 million
jobs, on average, in each of the first ten years
and growing over time to 2.4 million each year
after that.” On the gross domestic product,
“permanently extending the Section 199A
deduction is estimated to increase US GDP at
small business by $75 billion annually, over the
Sutherlin’s Ford Pond Community Park
acres as a community park allowed for the rest to
remain an open space park. Listening to the public’s
needs and ideas led to the best result, a great park
for everyone. Collaborating with community
members on the birding plaza and interpretive
panels introduced us to some very talented and
generous people. Working with a USFWS grant
and partnering with the Sutherlin FFA Chapter
students to restore 50 acres of oak savanna has been
such a rewarding experience. At the end of the day,
the volunteers and the community are the reason we
now have Ford’s Pond Community Park.” Beth
Houseman, Friends of Ford’s Pond
Prior to the official release, Brandi Medeiros,
Community Development Assistant for the City
of Sutherlin, provided insight into the myriad of
projects completed throughout the summer of
2024. A list of recent work includes, the play safety
surfacing installation, the paving of the .9 mile
section of the ADA accessible path, the installation
of the boardwalk through wetland mitigation areas
has been completed, the ping pong table, by Stone
Age Concrete Table Tennis, has been installed, the
lawn section has been freshly seeded. The benches,
picnic tables and trash receptacles have also been put
into place. The RV parking area is paved and striped.
All awaited the announcement from the city that the
park was open for hiking, fishing, kayaking, bird
watching, walking along the path, the all inclusive
playground with swings, slides, merry-go-round,
musical instruments and picnics with a view of the
pond. This one-of-a-kind, 202 acre park is equipped
with a completely paved, 1.7 mile path that encircles
Ford’s Pond. Interpretive panels highlight what you
see as you walk through this nature reserve. The
brand new, all inclusive playground welcomes
children of all ages to come play, explore, and
enjoy this beautiful area. It is fully equipped with
natural features, covered pavilions, picnic tables,
benches, restroom facilities, and the proudly
featured, concrete, ping pong table. Whatever your
preference is, this special place is the ‘Jewel in the
Crown’ for Sutherlin, Oregon.
As the ceremony progressed, those who were
instrumental and invaluable in bringing the project to
fruition were acknowledged. Many words of thanks
were given to the city staff, volunteers, funding
agencies, vendors, contractors and community
members. All of whom, with their dedication and
countless hours of hard work, brought the vision of
the park into a reality for the community.
first 10 years; and growing over time to $150
billion annually each year thereafter.”
The Oregon share of those two calculations
(Page 7, Page 9) are 18,000 jobs $986 million
each year for the first 10 years and 35,000 jobs
$2 billion each year after 2035.
NFIB’s Tax Survey found that should
Small Business Deduction expire, 61% plan
to raise prices, 44% will postpone or cancel
capital investments, 36% will postpone or
cancel hiring additional employees, 16% will
freeze wages or reduce employee benefits, 10%
will become more productive , more efficient,
and the remaining would take a variety of other
Continued from Page 3
actions. (Page 7)
Jeff Brabant, NFIB’s vice president of
Federal Government Relations, previously
testified before the Senate Committee on
Finance, chaired by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden,
and concluded his remarks with, “Members of
Congress should ask themselves if they really
believe it when they say, ‘small businesses are
the backbone of America.’ If they truly believe
that statement and value small businesses in
their communities, then making the 20% small
business deduction permanent should be an
easy decision.”
Solar Energy System for Drain Civic Center
a prolonged period of time. When installing a backup
diesel generator, it’s important to either install the unit
outside away from the facility within a weatherproof
or sound-attenuated enclosure or if installing indoors,
then properly set up a designated generator room that
is equipped with a sufficient exhaust system that can
safely funnel emissions outside without exposing
employees and other tenants within the building to
these harmful emissions.
Industrial generators produce noise and lots of
it. Diesel generators tend to be extra loud. While this
may not be a concern if a diesel generator is installed
outside in a spacious suburban or rural location, it could
definitely pose a problem in an urban location. Diesel
generators especially can produce extremely loud
noise levels at high decibels that can cause headaches
or even damage human eardrums when exposed to it.
While installing a sound-attenuated enclosure may help
reduce the overall noise, it may still be loud enough to
bother those around you. If a diesel generator is installed
in a designated generator room, it’s important to pick a
location that prevents the noise and vibrations produced
by the generator from negatively affecting your
employees and tenants within the facility. Pollution
– The emission of air pollutants like carbon monoxide
and nitrogen oxide is high in diesel-run generators.
High installation cost- Even if the fuel prices were
low, the installation costs for diesel generators would
be high as it requires high skill and knowledge of all
components. Fuel or oil spills around the generator,
leakages from the unit’s fuel system and fuel supply
lines, and presence of combustible materials around the
generator will pose a risk of an explosion.
Simply said, we will pay a lot more for that solar
panel type replacement system but you can use it a lot
more of the time than a generator might be able to
serv. A generator just for emergencies needs to be run
periodically to keep it in good order. For day to day use
it must have a fuel delivery system that can be relied
upon, with its costs. It has parts that wear out faster
than a good battery and solar system is likely too. That
precludes using lead acid batteries, as was the usual
in the past for off grid solar electric systems. LiFePO
batteries are much better today, capable of many
thousands of full charge/discharge cycles.
The conversation should be continued. There is
every reason for the City of Drain to revisit this issue
and if need be, more citizens need to become familiar
with the options and learn how this type of progressive
city and city management can bring opportunity,
progress, citizen amenities and overall betterment for
the residents and citizens of the Drain area.