Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 2016)
Page 8A OFF PAGE ONE (DVW2UHJRQLDQ WAGE: Lawmakers have been negotiating a deal for weeks Continued from 1A “We are well on track to have enough signatures collected by July to put this on the ballot,” Norton- Kertson said. “With more than half of likely voters in Oregon already polling in favor of DQG QXPHURXV SROOV conducted statewide, a state- ZLGH PLQLPXP ZDJH really is inevitable,” he said. “It’s a grassroots movement, and it isn’t just going to go away because any old deal is struck in the state Legis- lature.” He said the only compromises his group ZRXOG VXSSRUW DUH SHU hour in the most expensive parts of the state, namely Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties, or a repeal of a law that prevents cities and counties from increasing minimum wages above the state limit. “If one or both of these can’t be accomplished this session, then we’ll do everything we can to get the support needed to put IP RQ WKH EDOORW DQG ZLQ´ Norton-Kertson said. Betsy Earls of Asso- ciated Oregon Industries, which opposes boosting the minimum, advised lawmakers to spend their time on other issues. “It sounds like … there will be at least one ballot measure going forward no matter what,” Earls said. “What I would say to you LVZHZLOOKDYHWR¿JKWWKDW ballot measure probably so we will have to expend resources regardless of what you guys do. I would advise you to sit tight, do nothing.” Lawmakers, the gover- nor’s advisers and other stakeholders have been negotiating a minimum wage deal for weeks behind closed doors. Democratic leaders have indicated they want to pass legislation in February to head off a battle at the ballot box in November over two dueling initiatives to hike minimum wage. 2QH LV WKH SURSRVDO Another union-backed initiative would raise WKH PLQLPXP WR statewide and give cities and counties authority to increase the minimum above that. The petitioners for that initiative have said from the outset that they launched the campaign to spur lawmakers to action this session. “We’re hoping to come up with a proposal that makes the most sense and addresses the most concerns and also makes the ballot measures unnecessary,” said Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland. “We haven’t yet nailed down what that would be, the place between the competing interests.” Dembrow had initially planned to release starting numbers for his proposal in advance of Thursday night’s public hearing at the Capitol. He said he had second thoughts about releasing numbers before the hearing because he wants to use feedback to craft a proposal for the session, which FRPPHQFHV)HE “I don’t’ want to come up with a proposal that is take it or leave it,” Dembrow said. “I want to propose something that has some consensus around it.” Dembrow’s proposal would set three different regional minimums based on area median income and cost of living. The concept is based on research by North Star Civic Foundation that found different minimums would better suit Oregon’s “uneven state economy.” The House Business and Labor Committee plans to submit a proposal that is similar to the initiative to boost the minimum to DQG JLYH FLWLHV DQG counties authority to raise wages above that threshold. It was unclear whether Gov. Kate Brown also planned to present a separate proposal. “The governor has been open about her support for raising the minimum wage and has been consulting stakeholders,” said Kristen Grainger, Brown’s commu- nications director. “It is premature to say what a proposal might look like or when it might be unveiled.” ——— The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. CARS: SHUFHQWRIDXWRGHDOHUVKLSVDUHIHPDOHRZQHG “We cater to a lot of Continued from 1A “Used car dealers aren’t scary anymore. millennials — they’re This is a small town — reputation is every- Internet savvy,” Eckman said Avenue lot near the Umatilla County Court House. An thing. It’s about making people happy.” “People do a lot of their own eight-year-old dachshund research.” — Shelley Whitney, Deana’s Car Biz named Marley snoozed on Choosing vehicles is a love seat near the door, a critical process for the her head resting on a fuzzy Employment Department, say the industry is changing. pair. At auctions, they walk teal afghan. A space heater VDLG SHUFHQW RI DXWR More women own dealer- through rows of vehicles warmed the room. Two dealerships are female- ships. Women customers ORRNLQJIRUIXHOHI¿FLHQWFDUV RZQHG DFFRUGLQJ WR have more buying power. In and trucks. Eckman has the guitars sat nearby. Eckman tilted her head Census Bureau numbers. the wider automotive world, vehicles inspected before she toward the guitars and $QRWKHU SHUFHQW DUH GM named Mary Barra its hands over cash. equally male/female-owned. ¿UVWIHPDOH&(2LQWKH smiled. Deana’s is one of four car “There’s downtime in this 7KDW FRPSDUHV ZLWK ¿UVWZRPDQWRKHDGDPDMRU dealers in Pendleton. None percent and nine percent of car company. business,” she said. sell new cars. “Women are becoming The businesswoman U.S. businesses as a whole. Eckman said she can got her start in car sales at $ERXWSHUFHQWRI2UHJRQ players in the car industry,” remember a time when the Comrie Olds-Cadillac GMC dealerships are owned by Whitney said. city had a dozen or more new Andy Friedlander, and used dealerships. She LQ3HQGOHWRQ$IWHU\HDUV ZRPHQ ZLWK DQRWKHU percent equally female/male communications director at VDLG KHU EXVLQHVV EHQH¿WV she struck out on her own. the National Independent from referrals and repeat “It was time for her to owned. “I get the occasional Automobile Dealers Associ- sales. To people who leave venture out and do her own shocked reaction to learning ation, agreed with Whitney. town to car shop, Eckman thing,” Whitney said. Whitney joined last April. the business is female- Last year’s top NIADA and Whitney would urge dealer, for instance, was a them to look in their own She has approachable looks owned,” she said. In the early days, she woman. DQGDEDFNJURXQGLQ¿QDQFH back yard. A small dealer “Women are becoming doesn’t mean higher prices, and lending. She most admitted to occasional “What recently managed the Pend- have I done?” moments. more active in the associ- less-pristine cars or shady leton branch of Wells Fargo Eckman started with only a ation and in the industry,” practices, they said. Disrep- Bank. Looking for more time few cars and slowly worked Friedlander said. “There are utable lots eventually fade statistics that show some- away. with her family, she teamed KHUZD\KHUXSWRRUVR When the women travel WKLQJOLNHSHUFHQWRIDXWR up with her mother in the car “Used car dealers aren’t to car auctions, they often purchases are made by or scary anymore,” Whitney business. Eckman originally ¿QG WKHPVHOYHV LQ D FURZG LQÀXHQFHGE\ZRPHQ´ said. “This is a small town — “Whether they are the reputation is everything. It’s set up on Court, moving of men. “It’s interesting to see primary breadwinner or not, about making people happy.” DFURVV WKH VWUHHW LQ WR a location that had a touch all those guys and my little they have a lot of power,” “It’s a seamless process,” more visibility. Then she mama bidding against Whitney said. “The dynamic Eckman said. “You’ll sit on was an oddity — women each other,” Whitney said, has switched.” the couch next to Marley and Eckman said today’s we’ll close your deal.” own only a tiny fraction of grinning at Eckman. “At the American car dealerships. last auction, I saw two other best sales approach is softer ——— and more straightforward. The numbers are rising ZRPHQDQGDERXWPHQ´ Contact Kathy Aney at Despite the ratio that Haggling, they say, isn’t kaney@eastoregonian.com slowly. Regional Economist Dallas Fridley, of the Oregon particular day, the women necessary. or call 541-966-0810. A look at Powerball winners and losers DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — When the larg- HVWHYHUORWWHU\SUL]HLV¿QDOO\ awarded, the winners and losers will extend well beyond the lucky few who hit the jackpot and the multitudes of disappointed ticket buyers. Here’s a breakdown of how Powerball affects the players, the public and others. Winner: Government programs The biggest Powerball winner is actually state government in the jurisdic- tions that participate. That’s 44 states as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Each jurisdiction spends the money raised through the lottery differently, with the rules determined by state Legislatures. In some states, the money goes directly to education or college schol- arships. Elsewhere, it might fund transportation. Some states send it to their general fund, where lawmakers decide how to use it. ,Q ¿VFDO \HDU IRU example, Powerball and other ORWWHU\JDPHVJHQHUDWHG million for Iowa’s general fund. In California, the nation’s most populous state, WKH JDPHV UDLVHG DERXW billion for education in the ¿VFDO\HDU Winner: Convenience store owners Owners of convenience stores and other ticket-selling locations earn a small percentage of each sale, but more important, people often buy something extra when they stop for Powerball tickets. At the tiny Marketplace shop in downtown Des Moines, owner Anastasia Walsh said her overall sales KDYHEHHQXSDERXWSHUFHQW in recent weeks because of all the Powerball sales. Winner: The winners of smaller prizes /RWWHU\RI¿FLDOVRIWHQQRWH that while the jackpot gets all the attention, far more players get a nice consolation prize of PLOOLRQ IRU PDWFKLQJ WKH ¿YH ZKLWH EDOOV EXW PLVVLQJ the Powerball. And if they pay an extra dollar when they buy their ticket, that prize can GRXEOHWRPLOOLRQ Winner: The actual winnners Until Wednesday, there had been no Powerball winner since early November. That’s why the jackpot grew so large, IURPDQLQLWLDOPLOOLRQWR ELOOLRQ Shortly after the drawing Wednesday night, the Cali- fornia Lottery announced a jackpot-winning ticket was sold in suburban Los Angeles. Spokesman Alex Travesta told The Associated Press it was sold at a 7-Eleven in &KLQR +LOOV DERXW PLOHV northeast of Anaheim. The identity of the winner is not yet known, and it could WDNHVHYHUDOKRXUVEHIRUHRI¿- cials know whether any other tickets were sold elsewhere that matched all six numbers: DQG 3RZHUEDOO 'HWHUPLQLQJ ZKHWKHU anyone matched all six can sometimes take hours. As more people play Powerball, the chances for a winner improve, simply EHFDXVH PRUH RI WKH million possible number combinations are covered. The chances also grow that more than one person will PDWFKWKH¿YHZKLWHEDOOVDQG one red Powerball, meaning the prize could be divvied up between two or more winners. Loser: Problem gamblers In the past week, calls to the Washington-based National Council on Problem Gambling’s help line have soared, largely because of interest in the Powerball jackpot, Executive Director Keith Whyte said. The council suddenly has so much attention that its website crashed earlier in the ZHHNIURPDOOWKHH[WUDWUDI¿F Whyte said the surge in interest in Powerball is HVSHFLDOO\ GLI¿FXOW RQ SHRSOH who have managed to stop JDPEOLQJ EXW QRZ ¿QG WKHLU friends and co-workers talking about the big prize. “It does glamorize it,” he said. “It seems like everyone is doing it and if not, what’s wrong with you?” Loser: Statisticians Pity those who study statis- tics and other forms of math, as so many people across the country dream of a prize against all odds. 7KH RGGV RI LQ million are even worse than WKHLQPLOOLRQRGGVWKDW were in place until last fall, when the Powerball system was changed to build bigger jackpots. “The odds are so large,” said Scott A. Norris, an assistant professor of mathe- matics at Southern Methodist University, “that people don’t have any sense of what they mean.” 7KXUVGD\-DQXDU\ HERMISTON Councilor nominated for state women’s commission East Oregonian women,” she said. In addition to her work Hermiston city councilor as a city councilor, Beas Clara Beas Fitzgerald Fitzgerald said she also has been nominated by has occasion to speak with various Eastern Governor Kate Oregon women Brown for a seat through her work on the Oregon on the Hispanic Commission for A d v i s o r y Women. Committee and She was the as a teacher at only Umatilla Sam Boardman County resident Elementary on the governor’s School. list of names The Oregon submitted for Commission VHQDWH FRQ¿UPD- Beas Fitzgerald for Women was tion during the February legislative session. IRUPHGLQE\*RYHUQRU Beas Fitzgerald said 0DUN+DW¿HOGWRDGYLVHKLP she was “speechless” at on the needs and concerns the honor and would do of the state’s women. The what she could to represent commission’s stated goals Eastern Oregon women today include advocating for well. She will testify at a equal treatment in the work- VHQDWH FRQ¿UPDWLRQ KHDULQJ place and under the law, celebrating the accomplish- LQ6DOHPRQ)HE “I think I will be a good ments of the state’s women ¿W EHFDXVH , ZRUN ZLWK VR and helping women access many different types of resources and education. SHERIFF: ‘I believe the government is going to have to concede to something’ Continued from 1A said “a few” other Grant County residents attended the meeting as well. “I had no idea who I was meeting with when we had lunch (Tuesday),” he said. “I walked in, I realized who they were and I sat and listened to them ... They actually wanted me to come down there and make a stand, and I said ‘Not without the (Harney County) sheriff’s blessing.’” Palmer said he has spoken to Harney County Sheriff David Ward and told him he would not interfere without permission. Palmer said he has “a pretty good working relationship” with the sheriff from the neigh- boring county. Palmer said, however, that he was not willing to excoriate the occupation either. “About the only thing (Ward) really told me is I’m welcome to come down there if I would shame and humiliate them into giving up and I said, ‘No, I won’t do that,”’ Palmer said. “I’m not in the business of denouncing or shaming or humiliating anybody.” Ward could not imme- diately be reached for comment. Grant County Court Judge Scott Myers said his Harney County counterpart Steve Grasty warned him that members of the armed group may have been trav- eling to Grant County. Myers said he partici- pated in an Association of Oregon Counties conference call with Grasty and leaders of most Eastern Oregon counties on Wednesday. They discussed the possi- bility that the armed group could migrate elsewhere. “Grasty said that we should all be concerned about the likelihood of arrival (of the armed group) and the safety of our citizens,” Myers said. “My biggest concern would just be public safety. I don’t know that they would try to take over a building or anything like that ... I am concerned, but I don’t expect an occupation. I don’t expect them to come and hold up (here), but there’s always that possibility.” Palmer has previously expressed disappointment with some federal land management policies, VSHFL¿FDOO\ 86 )RUHVW Service road closures in *UDQW &RXQW\ ,Q he deputized a group of residents to create a county natural resources plan in hope of providing local government more leverage when working with federal agencies. The plan was not approved by county gover- nance, but a petition has EHHQ ¿OHG WR SXW LW XS IRU D county-wide vote. REFINANCE YOUR HOME 2 . 50 % for up to 15 years s start st t ar rt saving s with a low rate & NO LOAN FEE! * 705 SW Emigrant Ave • Pendl Pendleton le • 541.276.4876 9 2 5 S E 4 th S t • H e r m i s t o n • 5 4 1 . 5 6 7 . 8 0 7 7 myfirstccu.org Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Opportunity. * The current Annual Percentage Rate of 2.50% applies to a ixed rate advance made under the home equity line of credit agreement (“HELOC”) with a maximum 15-year repayment term, 60% loan-to-value (“LT V ”) ratio and minimum FICO score of 740. These terms apply only to HELOCs secured by a senior lien trust deed. This HELOC has a ixed rate conversion option. Borrowers may conver t all or par t of their variable rate (“revolving”) balance to a ixed rate with repayment terms up to 25 years. The APR on any revolving balance por tion is variable and is currently as low as 3.125%. The maximum variable rate adjustment is 2% annually and 5% for the life of the loan. The ixed and variable APR each member pays will var y based on lien position, LT V and FICO score. Third par ty fees range from $260-$1,300 for credit limits of $50,000. Rates and terms are available for LT V ratios up to 80%. Rates are subject to change without notice. All HELOCs are subject to credit approval.
