Spilyay tymoo., September 21, 1979, Page 4, Image 4

Page 4
September 21,1979
Spilyay Tymoo
Editorial
E COOSH EEWA
(The way it is)
Get to the facts
There is an abundance of misinformation and “general
feelings” in the Madras community regarding the financial
impact of the reservation on the school district. When a
school board member states publicly that Warm Springs is
not contributing its financial share, it points to a need for
setting the record straight.
Those “general feelings” are responsible for the
postponement of plans for Warm Springs Elementary
additions and remodeling—despite its being labeled as the
number-one priority in the district.
So we were pleased to learn that Superintendent Darrell
Wright has ordered a study be done by November 15 to get
down in black and white just what the reservation’s
contributions are to the district. The average person has
only a vague notion of how much money is being pumped
into the district because of the Tribes.
If done right, the study could prove to be of enormous
benefit to both communities. Increased understanding of
Tribal contributions could salvage the spirit of cooperation
which should exist between these two inter-dependent
entities. It would also behoove the Madras taxpayer to
know what it would mean to his pocketbook. if the
reservation were not in the district.
Some of the things that should be looked at by the study
committee include the tax dollars generated by the two
dams (a third of the county valuation), the amount and i
purpose of P.L. 874 monies, and the impact of tribal
employment and spending on the Madras area. The most
recent figures available show that, not counting BIA or
federal employees, the Tribes have 1792 people on the
payroll. Of that figure, non-Indian employees total 795.
The Tribes also make a number of little-known
contributions to Madras services such as Mountain View
Hospital, Jefferson County Search and Rescue, and to the
ambulance service. Grocery shopping alone represents
approximately $2.5 million a year to Madras merchants.
The study is something that has been needed for a long
time. Wright should be commended for proposing such a
study, not only because the Tribes will have input, but
particularly because it will emphasize accurate, documented
and factual data. Perhaps it will finally put the question to
rest.
Learn to deal with conflicts
Psychological skills and
strategies for taking charge of
p r o b le m s a n d p r o b le m
people . . . . . . and negotiating
successful results were the
topics discussed at a seminar
held on September 10,11,1979,
at Kah-Nee-Ta. The seminar
was conducted by Terry
McDonald of the Learning
Dynamics, Inc., of Needham,
Massachusetts.
Regardless of what field
anyone is in they become
involved with conflicts of one
sort or another. During the
seminar participants discussed
how to pinpoint the real cause
of conflicts, also to recognize
th e d if f e r e n c e b e tw e e n
d efensive b e h a v io r, and
incomplete communication.
Now there are new skills and
strategies to defuse conflicts
and win cooperation among
personnel within the organiza­
tion. Situations were created
during the workshop relating
to supervisor-employee day-
to-day problems on the job and
how to handle them in a
diplomatic fashion.
Developing skills to deal
with individuals in a manner
not to hurt them will help rolve
problems that interefere with
the job at hand.
Learning Dynamics, Inc.
holds'seminars and work shops
throughout the country. Those
who had the opportunity to
attend this workshop all agreed
that this was very well worth
the time. It was said that a
sim ila r sem in ar may be
arranged in the near future.
Thank you and please help
To the people,
that they please step forward.
We would like to thank The whole family is down not
everybody who came to the knowing what happened or
Nelson McKinley funeral and who shot him. We would
everybody that took part it in. appreciate it if the person
Thanks also for the flowers and would step forward and admit
cards.
it.
If anybody knows anything
The McKinley family
about what happened, we ask
Legislature 79
Highway taxes limited to road programs
(Editor’s note: This is the taxes to the highway program,
second part of a series in which and it prevents any further
o u r S ta te S e n a to r, Ken raids unless approved by the
Jernstedt of Hood River, people.
The two major programs
analyzes the major action of the
1979 L egislature. In this removed from the highway
installment, Jernstedt explains fund are the State Police and
the program to h a lt the State Parks. These are two of
deterioration of our roads and the L egislature’s favorite
programs—closer to sacred
highways.)
cows—so they aren’t expected
by Ken Jernstedt
to suffer because of the change.
. State Senator
If anything, they will likely do
Until a couple of years ago, better now that they aren’t
we had long prided ourselves required to compete for the
on our system of streets, roads already scarce road dollar.
and highways, and the manner Revenues Earmarked
Senator Ken Jernstedt
in which that system was
The Legislature went an loser, the Legislature will likely
maintained.
important step beyond merely
This year, the demand for placing the constitutional take a look at other method's of
action to halt the deterioration amendment on the ballot: It increasing road revenues.
of our road system was second funded the provisions of the Not out of woods yet
The action to meet the road
only to the demand for tax amendment for the current
repair crisis was a significant
relief.
biennium.
achievement for the Legisla­
What happened? What went
This means an immediate ture, but our current road crisis
wrong?
$60 million shot-in-the-arm for means that we’re still a long
M any of o u r c u rre n t our repair program. It also way from being out of the
problems go back to the first oil places the State Transportation woods.
em bargo in 1973-74. the Commission in a favorable
We’re seeing this summer a
em bargo caused a sharp position to seek some of the repetition of thè events of 1973-
$180
m
illion
in
bonding
reduction in gas sales, and a
74-—the same events which
corresponding reduction in the authority which has already were such a large factor in
gas tax revenues needed for our been approved by the voters, causing our current problems.
but which has yet to be used.
roads.
OPEC countries are holding
The Transportation Com­ us up again, supplies are short
While road dollars were
s h r in k in g , th e c o st of mission has already acted. In its and use is down—and gas tax
petroleum products—inclu­ first meeting since adjourn­ revenues are failing to meet
ding asphalt—was skyroc­ ment of the Legislature, the expectations.
keting. So while the cost of Commission approved the
In light of this, and in light of
r o a d c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d largest resurfacing program in the fact that our highway
maintenance was soaring, the the state’s history, involving experts tell us we are already 10
money needed to do thejob was some 250 miles of state roads. years and $1 billion behind in
Additional funds—to all our repair program, the action
in a tailspin.
T h is d o u b le w ham m y parts of the state-1—are being of the 1979 session—while
c o m b in e d w ith a n o th e r made available as the result of laudatory—may only be an
significant factor: D uring the abandonment of the Mt. exercise in holding-the-line.
recent years, the Legislature, in Hood freeway program in Our action may only be the
search for extra dollars for Portland.
beginning of the struggle,
Some $25 million of these rather than the final solution.
general programs, placed some
non-highway programs in the funds will go to areas outside
As a postscript, it should be
Highway Fund. This further Portland—while Portland will added that returning the
depleted the money available receive some $16 million with highway fund to its original
for roads, while increasing which to begin a light rail purpose was bitterly criticized
competition for the funds that project along the Banfield by some as an action which will
corridor.
were availabk.
take needed money away from
The Legislature still hasn’t social programs.
The combination of these
abandoned
its
search
for
factors brought the problem to
However, we took note of
the Legislature’^ doorstep in additional revenues, as it also the many additional jobs which
'9 7 5 . T h e L e g is la tu r e ’s referred to the voters another will be created by the fund shift,
response was a gas tax increase, proposal to increase gas taxes and expressed our belief that by
although some of us argued 2-cents, and to increase the tax providing new jobs we would
fruitlessly that a tax increase on trucks by a comparable minimize—or eliminate-^the
would surely be defeated by the amount.
need for many people to make
The increase proposal will be use of social programs.
voters—thereby slowing a
on
the
November
ballot,
and,
solution by another two years.
The voters rejected the tax should it become a three-time (NEXT: Welfare Reform)
increase, as expected, and the
problem carried over to the
1977 session. Some of us
argued again that a tax increase
wouldn’t be approved until the., September 10 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
1. 10:00 a.m. Budgets
integrity of the highway fund
has been restored—but again September 11 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
1. 10:00 a.m. Budgets
the Legislature opted for a tax
increase, which again was'- September 12 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
1. 10:00 a.m. Budgets
defeated by the voters.
The back-to-back gas tax September 14 Tribal Council Meeting. 9:30 a.m.
1. 10:00 am School Attendance Policy/ Darrell Wright
increase left the Legislature
2. 1:30 pm Court Task Force Recommendations
with its back-to-the-wall and
with only one option: to limit September 17 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
1. 10:00 am Flouridation/ Deschutes Water Sys.— Dr.
gas taxes to road repair and
_ Nixon, IHS
construction.
2. 2:00 am Budgets
Amendment Approved
So that’s what we did. With a September 18 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
I. 10:00 am Budgets
majority of the members of
each House joining as co­ September 19 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
1. 10:00 am Budgets
sponsors, we approved a
c o n s titu tio n a l am en d m en t September 24 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
which you’ll vote on next May. September 25 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
It limits the use of highway September 26 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
Tribal Council Agenda