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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1977)
PAGE 4 WARM SPRINGS, OREGON MAY 13, 1977 Legislative Report By .. E COOSH EEWA: Senator Ken Jernstedt, District 28 Editorial (The way it is) ^r'^ial Council Rgenda May 16 - Tribal Council Meeting, 10:00 a.m. 1. Realty 2. 2:00 p.m. - Bear Springs Memo of Understanding May 17 - Tribal Council Meeting, 10:00 a.m. 1. Committee Appointments 2. Committee Duties and Responsibilities 3. Advisory Board for Group Home (per Health & Welfare Committee memo dated 3-9-77) May 23 - Tribal Council Meeting, 10:00 a.m. 1. Enrollments 2. 2:00 p.m. - OEDP Update Airport Master Plan May 24 - Tribal Council Meeting, 10:00 a.m. 1. Minors Trust Funds 2. 2:00 p.m. - Projects and Goals for ‘78 May 30- HOLIDAY May 31 - Tribal Council Meeting, 10:00 a.m. 1. Kah-Nee-Ta Monthly Report 2. Management Report on Judgement Monies There continues to be a lot term increase in government ■ control of private business? of flak around the Capitol It is not the answer as far between the Governor and some members of the legis as I am concerned, and most lature, especially two or three of the other committee mem bers seem to feel the same Senators. Most of it concerns the Governor’s plan for a Do way. We do not want to see mestic Rural Power Act, com the' state in the power busi ness. We do not want to see monly known as DRPA. This bill is in our Senate ^Commit- the PUDS and co-ops come tee on Environment and Ener under the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commissioner. gy and has been there for some time, despite the tre We do not think that Washing mendous efforts of the Govern ton is going to give up any of or and his staff to get it its cheap power to benefit Oregon. In addition, most of us moving. It has one of his are against DRPA because it highest priority items for this deals with only the distribution session. DRPA would make the of power and makes no provi state a public utility district, sion for stimulation of alter allowing Oregon consumers to nate power sources that will be receive preference Bonneville so desperately needed before power. Although this plan the turn of the century. The Speaker of the House might give some Oregonians a may be about ready to come to break on their electric power bills it would not create more the Governor’s rescue, as he energy. In fact, all this pro has announced that if DRPA is posal does is share the short in fact stalled in the Senate, as age of electrical energy. It similar bill will “very likely” would introduce government in be introduced in the House. This week our Environ to the position of control, where private enterprise now ment and Energy Committee resides. The question that listened to more than three needs to be asked is; will the hours of testimony as to why momentary advantage of some our power problems should be lower rates be worth the long tackled on a regional basis, rather than Oregon trying to make some temporary gains on its own. Conservation can be implemented better on a regional basis and additional power can be generated and distributed more equitably on a regional basis. Of course this is more than a regional prob- ( lem—it is national, and also extends across our borders. But we should at least get started on a regional basis. The drought in Eastern Oregon continues to be a maj or concern and House Speaker Phil Lang and Senate Presi dent Jason Boe have joined in a legislative effort to work on drought related problems. A Special House Committee on Water Resource Problems has been named by Lang. Unfor tunately only one of the eight members is from Eastern Ore gon. This is also true of the senators on the Trade and Economic Development Com mittee who are to work jointly in an effort to coordinate all legislative activities associated with the drought. There are 29 bills in both houses dealing „ with some aspect of the drought. One of the jobs of this special group will be to work on those bills with dispatch. ...About Your Social Security—------ —: A widower or a husband can get monthly benefits on his wife’s Social Security record without proving dependency on her under a recent decision by the United States Supreme Court. Previously a man had to prove he was dependent on his wife to get benefits on her records if she retired, became disabled, or died after working long after working long enough in jobs covered by Social Se curity. A woman did not have to prove that she was depend ent on her husband to get benefits on his record. Starting with payments for March, 1977, neither men nor women have to prove depend ency. Husbands and wives can get reduced Social Security payments starting at age 62 or full payments starting at 65. Widowers and widows can get payments starting at 60—or starting at 50 if they are disabled. Men who think they may be eligible under the court ruling can get information about applying for benefits by calling or writing the Social Security office in Bend, accord ing to John Fullerton, Social Security representative in Cen tral Oregon. “Social Security payments may be affected by earnings,” Fullerton noted. “You can earn as much as $3,000 in 1977 and still get your full Social Secur ity payment. After $3,000 is earned, Social Security pay ments are reduced by $1 for each $2 earned. “That means that if your A Report From Your Congressman full Social Security benefit is $225 a month, for example, you could earn over $8,000 for the year before your Social Secur ity payment for the year would be zero,” lie said. A man already getting Soc ial Security benefits may also be eligible for payments on his wife’s record under the Court ruling, according to Fullerton. “However, he can only be paid an amount equal to the higher benefit—not both benefits,” he said. The Bend Social Security office is at 39 N.W. Louisiana Avenue. The phone number is 382-6922, extension 276. A leaflet explaining how much people can earn and still get Social Security checks is available at the Bend Social Security at 39 N.W. Louisiana Avenue. get full payment for any month in which you neither earn over $250 in wages or salary, nor do substantial work in your own business,” according to John Fullerton, Social Security rep resentative in Central Oregon. The leaflet, called ‘If You Work After You Retire, ex plains that in 1977 people under 72 can work and earn as much as $3,000 and get their full Social Security retirement or survivors benefit. For earnings over $3,000, Social Security benefits are reduced by $1 for each $2 earned. “No matter how much you earn for the year, you can 4 People“ age 72 and over get their full Social Security bene fits regardless of earnings, Fullerton noted. Copies of If You Work After You Retire are free on request at the Social Security office in Bend or any Social Security office. The phone number of thé Bend office is 382-6922, extension 276. it Al Ullman WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon Congressman Al Ull man reported recently that a House sub-committee will hold preliminary fact-finding hear ings June 6 on two bills in volving the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The hearing, which will be held in Washington, will be limited to House bills dealing with land consolidation and inheritance and will not deal with civil and criminal juris diction. Rep. Teno Roncalio, chair man of the House Interior Sub committee on Indian Affairs and Public Lands, will preside at the hearings. The land consolidation measure,' H.R. 2539, would authorize the Secretary of In terior to purchase, sell or ex change tribal properties in or around the northeastern Ore gon reservation. The legislation contains no condemnation authority, but S ' would authorize dealings with w willing buyers and willing sel lers. The other measure, H.R 2540, is a housekeeping mea agi sure that would bring inheri tance laws governing the tribes into conformity with recent changes in Oregon state law. Ullman said that Rep. Ron- calio plans to hold additional hearings on the two measures after the proposals have been studied further. Written comments or re _ quests to appear in person should be addressed to Frank Duchenaux, House Interior Construction on the tribal apartments began May 2 and by May 11 £ * Subcommittee on Indian Af townhouse-style structures. WUlle Stacona eleans boards used to make "“Jf fairs and Public Lands, Room _______ . construction site south of the rodeo grounds. Foreman Ben Anderton predicted that the prop\ 421, House Office Building, \ out to RA chambers who brought you the Administration building, will be compl Annex ^Washington, D.C. October 008 E 20515. J _____ ___ _ __ ________________
