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Send your letters to the Editor to:
Editor, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208
Gas Prices And The Minimum Wage: Just The Facts, Please
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m R ichard IT
E. S incere , J r .
( in this case, among forestry workers
iiA ragnet's Joe Friday used in the Carolinas), over 3,000 work­
i p to say, "Just the facts, ers immediately lost their jobs. The
ma’am, just the facts.”
historical experience has been the
Regrettably, the facts seem to be
same ever since Every time the min­
the items most forgotten in two cur­
imum wage raises, thousands o f
rent debates in Washington. On both
Americans either lose their jobs en­
the proposed minimum wage rise
tirely or see their hours cut back,
and the current price o f gasoline,
their fringe benefits canceled, or - in
politicians try to elbow each other
the most dire situations - their busi­
out o f the spotlight, jabbering and
nesses closed.
posturing while conveniently ignor­
This adverse effect o f the mini­
ing the facts. After all, facts have a
mum wage has its most palpable,
nasty tendency to obstruct political
lasting effect among young black
gains. And on this score, Republi­
men in the nation’s inner cities. The
cans and Democrats are equally
problem is not so much the workers
guilty.
who are fired, but those who are not
Let’s look first at the minimum
hired in the first place. The bottom
wage. It is hard to find an economist
line is: Businesses faced with an ar­
who disagrees that then the govern­
tificial rise in costs w ill cut back in
ment raises the minimum wage, some
whatever way they see fit. Since in
jobs are lost. In the 1930s, when the
this case labor costs are artificially
first minimum wage law took effect
increased, labor is the logical thing to
RV R lf U t D I A
*
cut A s a result, businesses decide
not to hire that high school student
saving money for college.
They choose not to hire the young
man trying to emerge from the drug
culture They don’t hire the teenage
mother who wants to make a life for
herself and her child.
Who suffers? Not the labor union
members whose leaders are the most
vociferous proponents o f higher min­
imum wage. Those who suffer are
the young people who need that vital
first job if they are ever going to
advance in business and in their com­
munities These are the people who
will not learn basic skills, w ill not
acquire important work habits, w ill
not make the connections with em­
ployers and co-workers that we all
need for success.
I he fact is, fewer than 3 percent o f
minimum-wage workers are the sole
or primary wage-earner in a family.
The fact is, 60 percent o f minimum-
wage workers earn more than the
minimum after nine months on the
job The fact is, as the New Yo rk
I imes put it in an editorial nine years
ago, the best m inimum wage is
“$0.00.”
Let’s look at that other headline­
grabbing “crisis” : the sudden rise in
gasoline price A s a result o f the rise
in gas prices at the pump in recent
weeks, politicians are demanding all
sorts o f government action. Some
makes sense - such as cutting federal
gasoline taxes. Some have dubious
usefulness, but can’t hurt - such as
the President's decision to sell 12
million barrels o fo il from the federal
strategic oil reserve And some are
downright harmful such as the calls
by congressional Democrats to in­
vestigate the nation's oil companies
Support the Oregon Health Plan
he tobacco industry is at
again. They want it
both ways. The industry
is complaining about being treat­
ed unfairly. At the same time,
they're criticizing those who want
to see the Oregon Health Plan
remain healthy.
Supporters o f the Oregon Health
Plan are gathering signatures for a
ballot measure that w ill authorize a
30 cent-a-pack increase on cigarettes,
and a 3 5 to 65 percent increase on the
wholesale price o f other tobacco
products. The $75 million dollars
raised w ill support the plan, provid­
ing basic health insurance to Orego­
nians who earn too much to qualify
for Medicaid and provide money for
tobacco use prevention efforts, espe­
cially among young people.
More than 130,000 Oregonians
are enrolled in the Oregon Health
Plan. Already, emergency room vis­
its (often the last resort o f the poor
when it comes to health care) are
down, and the number o f people who
depend on welfare to get medical
benefits has also decreased.
The proposed tobacco tax would
allow another 130,000 people to be­
come eligible for basic health ser­
vices.
Yet, the tobacco industry says it is
patently unfair to single them out and
make them pay for a health care
program. Such claim s are ridiculous
and simply the latest attempt by the
tobacco industry to deceive the pub­
lic.
Let’s talk about fairness. The
tobacco industry’s products cause a
A Candidate
That Stands His Ground
The other day, I watched a de­
bate between the candidates com­
peting in the Democratic primary
for the U .S. Senate seat that is being
vacated by Mark Hatfield, when I
heard something that made me stop
and think. Jerry Rust, the candidate
who for years has worked hard for
the people o f Lane County, simply
said, “Vote as if your life depended
on it.” This statement made me re­
alize that if I wanted to see a change
in the current political arena, I must
get out and mobilize the vote for the
candidate that w ill best present O r­
egon.
For years, Jerry has been lobbied
hard, by both sides o f the spectrum,
on a thousand issues and has never
wavered inhisservicetohisconstit-
uents. Jerry speaks out on the issues
specifically and precisely. His hon­
esty is legendary and he has a spe­
cial knack formaking issuesclearto
people.
T oday, it seems as if people think
that money can buy an election.
Now more than ever we must not
allow our Senate seat to be parceled
out to the highest bidder. Republi­
can or Democrat.
These m illionaire candidates
have been recruited by corporate
interests because they know that
these recruits can be trusted to rep­
resent their interests. We Oregon ians
should elect a candidate who w ill
represent our interests, be able to
withstand heavy pressure o f lobby­
ists, and be able to tell the people
the truth.
Jerry rust is by far the best candi­
date in the race for the U.S. Senate
seat. His constituency re-elected him
four times because they know and
trust him,and they w ill vote for him
again because they know where he
stands on the issues. They know he
delivers.
Nicole Justice, Eugene
To Advertise In (The $.ìnrtkntb (Observer
( all 5(13-288-0033
disproportionate share ofhealth costs.
Every day, our organizations see the
damage caused by tobacco - heart
attacks, strokes, emphysema and lung
cancer, among other illnesses. With
that product record, it’s unrealistic to
claim that the tobacco industry is
being asked to pay more for more
than its fair share ofhealth care costs.
1993 statistics on the estimated
economic cost o f tobacco to Oregon
paint a painful picture o f the true
impact o f tobacco products. The to­
bacco industry has for years denied
that cigarettes are addictive.
It s time for the tobacco industry
to take responsibility by paying for
part of the health care costs created
by its products.
In addition, money from the to­
bacco tax w ill be used to discourage
I am writing this letter to encour­
age your readers not to support Mea­
sure #26-39, the term limits initia­
tive. It is a defective measure that
could only bring harm to Portland. If
it were to pass, Portland government
would undergo the most traumatic
change in 83 years It would reduce
commissioner terms to two years and
impose a six-year limit.
Tw ice the elections means dou­
bling o f expenditures for candidates.
Trust Works
s a society we tend not
to trust one another,
<
and that may be our
down fall or at least the reason
we don't see the truly good In
each other.
On April 24, after a swim and a
jacu zzi at the Matt Dishman center,
that kind o f thinking changed for
me.
I showered and dressed. I hadn’t
realized that I had left my wedding
band on the counter in the locker
room.
I had all but given up hope o f
finding it and was trying to figure
out what I was going to say to my
wife. We had taken a long time
picking out the “just right" rings
together and I know she’d be as
upset as I was. I went to the desk to
report my loss.
T o my shock and relief the girl
behind the counter handed me the
treasure. It had been turned in to her
a short time after 1 left.
I have every intention o f being
more careful in the future, but I also
have every intention working on
trusting my fellow man as well. I
already felt good about the Matt
Dishman Center anyway, but
now...
Fred MacLeod, Portland
C onstant campaigning and fund rais­
ing would mean continual election­
eering. Under this measure, it is con­
ceivable that we could have four new
commissioners and a new mayor in
one year.
This is not the way to run a billion
dollar a year business operation. It is
a recipe for chaos.
Portland has the only commission
government among major American
cities. Each commissioner and the
mayor, who would be limited to two
four-year terms - the norm for the
past 20 years exercise both direct
management and policy responsibil­
ities.
It takes at least a year for a com­
missioner to become really familiar
with assigned bureaus and offices.
This measure would automatically
guarantee more authority and power
to the permanent bureaucracy.
Let’s not forget that we already
have term limits - elections. Voters
ought to be able to decide every
election whether to limit a public
o fficial’s term based on performance
in office.
B y next January, we w ill probably
have two new commissioners and
possibly one commissioner starting
his second term Change for the sake
o f change is o f little merits or value.
Vote no on #26-39.
E Kimhark MacColi, Portland
Lonsdale A Better Choice For The Coming Election
C o nsum ers vo tin g in the M ay
D em ocratic prim ary should know
there are M A JO R d iffere n ce s be­
tween H arry Lo n sd ale and Tom
B ru ggere .
Fo r exam ple in taxation o f con­
sum ers, Lo n sd ale b e lie v e s that
federal incom e tax rates should
be more p ro gressive — amended
to more accu rate ly reflect the
“ a b ility to p ay.” D u rin g the 1995
O regon Le g isla tu re , Lo n sd ale , as
leader o f O re g o n ia n s for T a x
F a irn e ss, w orked to low er state
incom e tax rates for a m ajo rity o f
O regonians and O regon business.
can be life
th re a te n in g
"Our gift to the Am etK an Lung Association
pays us income fo r life."
D u rin g the 1993 sales tax cam ­
paign, he a c tiv e ly opposed this
tax "w hich tends to p lace a p ro ­
p o rtio n a lly greater burden on
those least able to p a y .” He also
opposes a national sales tax.
Bruggere claim s he opposes sales
taxes because they are regressive.
But he now acknowledged that he
voted for the 1993 sales tax. Bruggere
also claimed on O P B ’s Seven Days
that he has “never given money to
sales tax.” But the Secretary o fStat’s
records show that in 1993 Mentor
G ra p h ics gave at least $18,000
to p ro -sales tax P A C s . “ But that
was M entor G ra p h ic s, not Tom
B ru g g ere , the candidate c la im s ,”
But in 1993 B ru g g e re , as C E O
and C h airm an o f the Board was
M entor G ra p h ics!
A s for universal health care,
Lonsdale supports the Am erican
Heath Security Act, the 1993 pro­
posal modeled after our Medicare
Law and Canada’s single-payer N a­
tional Health Insurance law. This
bill, defeated by the health insurance
industry, had wide support by C o n ­
gresswoman Elizabeth Furse, the
American College o f Surgeons, the
Oregon State Council o f Senior C it­
izens and Consumers Union o f the
United States.
B ru g g e re p u b lic ly attacked
C a n a d a ’s health insurance ow o f
Seven D ays. T h u s he sides w ith
the health insurance industry, not
w ith those thousands o f O re g o ­
n ians who have inadequate health
insurance or no insurance at all.
Oregonians who oppose a nation­
al sales tax, who want universal health
insurance based on the single-payer
Medicare model, should vote for
Harry Lonsdale as Oregon’s next
U .S. Senator.
W alter B ro w n , L a k e O sw ego
'He's served Portland well
fo r three years and has
earned re-election to
a second term .., He is
by fa r the candidate
most able, energetic
and informed about
Portland's problems
and prospects."
iscover how you can benefit from a life income gift of cash,
stocks or mutual funds to the American Lung Association.
Lock in a fixed payment with a Gift Annuity (rates range from
5.9% at age 55 to 11 % at age 90+) or choose to make your gift
through our Pooled Income Fund, which offers a variable rate.
D
The Oregonian
- Monday, A pril 15,1996
Charlie
To learn about these and other life income gift opportunities,
please contact: American Lung Association, Gift Planning
Program, 1740 Broadway, New York, NY 10019-4374. Tele­
phone: 1-800-701-4009.
t
Shane Me Dermott, American
Lung Association' Richard North,
American Cancer Society, John
Chism, American Heart Association
dollars) was about $ 1.20 Today, tha
same gallon costs about 95 cents.
I he fact is, in co m pariso n tt
other countries, g a so lin e is les«
exp e n sive here than anywhere
else One reason: gas taxes in the
U nited States are su b stan tially
low er than those in Europe. T o ­
day, a g allo n in the U nited States
costs $1.04 plus 38 cents in ta x­
es. In b ritain , the same g allo n
costs 68 cents before taxes, $3.03
after the taxe s are added In
France, 87 cents before taxes,
$3.99 after.
We shouldn’t jum p toconclusions
so easily. It is frustrating to see pol­
iticians ignore the facts on these key
issues - workers’ wages and gasoline
pump prices - just so they can grab
the headl ines. Le t’s take a deep breath
and consider the facts before we ex­
pand government power
Against Measure #26-39
ASTHMA
AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION.
more people, especially children,
from tobacco addiction and tobacco-
caused disease.
W ill an increase in tobacco taxes
mean a decrease in smokers? Yes.
W ill this ultimately mean less tobac­
co tax money for the Oregon Health
Plan? Perhaps. But if fewer people
smoke, there shou Id be a correspond­
ing reduction in health care needs
and costs. That’s a win-win situa­
tion.
The To bacco Tax will bring health
care to more Oregonians and keep
more children from smoking. This is
one tax we can all live with.
We urge Oregonians to vote yes.
for "price fixing” and “collusion.”
There is no collusion, no price
fixing. The price rise is the result o f
natural market movements. The Unit­
ed States had an unusually cold - and
long - winter. (D id you notice that
W isconsin and M ichigan had more
than a foot o f snow on the last day o f
A p ril?) Consequently, crude oil was
refined into heating oil, which was in
high demand This caused a tempo­
rary shortage in gasoline. Moreover,
oil companies had been anticipating
the end o f the Iraqi oil embargo.
Once that happens, newly available
Iraqi oil w ill cause sharp price de­
clines, so stored supplies have been
allowed to deplete.
The fact is, in real terms - that is,
in numbers adjusted for inflation -
gasoline is cheaper today than at any
time in the past 36 years! In 1960, the
price o f a gallon o f gasoline (in 1987
Call
1-800-LUNG-USA
(1-800-586-4K72)
Promises made... TT ü I pq
promises kept, c iiy Commissione,
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