Page 8A
OFF PAGE ONE
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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