4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ MARCH 22, 2017
Siuslaw News
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
The First Amendment
C
ongress shall make no law respecting an estab-
lishment of religion or prohibiting the free exer-
cise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press, or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.
LETTERS
A LL HAT AND NO CATTLE
It seems we have some people who can’t fig-
ure out the purpose of their positions. As for the
folks at the Port of Siuslaw, it seems clear to me
that the Port Commissioners set the rules and
the Port Manager enforces them.
When he feels the need to advise the
Commissioners it should be done in letter form,
and not in open meeting. As for references to
“gaming the system,” again the answer seems
clear to me.
Just because someone has a commercial
license and a few poles doesn’t make them a
commercial fishing boat. To be a commercial
boat you must make a living from the boat. I
look at it this way: Having a horse and a cow
doesn’t make me a cattle rancher.
As for Governor Brown, just because there
are too many groups wanting money for their
agendas doesn’t mean we have to oblige them.
Oregon will never have a sales tax if I have my
way.
This state is not California, although listening
to Governor Brown I would be hard pressed to
see any difference.
Taxing the wealthy (please provide that defi-
nition) won’t solve the issues. And the sanctu-
ary state and her executive action demanding
that our police essentially disobey the law in
order to satisfy her voting base is plain wrong.
She should be aware that Federal law trumps
state law — especially in the case of illegal
immigration. Governor Brown needs to under-
stand that this stance risks federal funds now
that we have a President who enforces all the
laws instead of just the ones he chooses.
Just because something is called a nicer name
like “undocumented” instead of “illegal” does-
n’t change it.
Someone who is in our country illegally has
broken the law and that makes them criminals.
To suggest otherwise makes Governor Brown
all hat and no cattle in my opinion.
David T. Eckhardt
Florence
H UMANE OFFICERS
Thank you to Florence Police and to my
neighbors who all rallied to assist a loose dog
over two nights this weekend. Did you know
that the Police Department’s Animal Control
Officer has an arrangement with the Humane
Society whereby animals picked up after hours
can be taken to the shelter?
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
The Siuslaw News welcomes let-
ters to the editor as part of a com-
munity discussion of issues on the
local, state and national level.
Emailed letters are preferred.
Handwritten or typed letters must
be signed. All letters need to
include full name, address and
phone number; only name and city
will be printed. Letters should be
limited to about 300 words. Letters
are subject to editing for length,
grammar and clarity. Publication of
any letter is not guaranteed and
depends on space available and
the volume of letters received.
Libelous,
argumentative
and
anonymous letters or poetry will
not be published.
Write
to:
editor@thesiuslawnews.com
USPS# 497-660
I was so happy to find out about this.
Florence really is a city in motion, and a city
that cares.
Ivy Medow
Florence
W INDS OF CHANGE AT P EACE H EALTH
P OWERFUL EXPERIENCE
I wanted to follow up on the excellent synop-
sis of the current contract negotiations between
the hospital and the Registered Nurses by Judy
Thibault, RN (Siuslaw News, March 15.)
I am an experienced nurse, having worked in
the profession for more than 30 years. I came to
Florence, and Peace Harbor, seven years ago
and it has been a very positive experience for
me. I have worked in several other hospitals,
some small like Peace Harbor and some much
larger.
What I realized very early on is that our local
hospital is different — in a very good way.
Right away, I noticed the nurses seemed
happy and the relationship with the local in-
house management was good. I did take a pay
cut to work here, but the cost of living was def-
initely less.
That is why I am still here seven years later.
But I feel the winds are a changing… It’s a
fact that the cost of living has risen dramatical-
ly in the last couple of years with increased
rents and housing costs — if you can even find
an affordable place.
I lived and worked in Bend for 30 years and
the expression “Poverty with a View” has
become quite common as the sky rocketing cost
of living has made it increasingly tough for
low-income folks especially, but also to recruit
nurses there.
I feel the same situation is happening here in
Florence. RN wages must keep up with
Eugene/Springfield to attract nurses to
Florence, especially experienced RNs, who
stand to take up to a 5-percent wage cut to be
here — then find the cost of living is not less.
The Peace Health corporate negotiators seem
to have forgotten the art of negotiations, which
is a give-and-take situation rather than a “don’t
give/take away” process.
Most importantly, they have forgotten that
good, experienced nurses are the life blood of
great, compassionate care at any hospital. We
must continue to be able to recruit and retain
those nurses.
If you have never been inside our beautiful
State Capitol building in Salem, now is the per-
fect time. The Legislature is in session until
June. It has stopped raining, trees and flowers
are blooming and parking is easy on the nearby
streets.
Just walk up the front steps through the
revolving door into the Rotunda with its
impressive murals depicting Oregon’s history.
Take a tour or just walk around, up marble
stairs, to the two Chambers, past the Governor’s
office and past public hearing rooms.
Get a feeling for the work that our state leg-
islators do every day on behalf of all
Oregonians. It is a powerful experience to visit
this “People’s House” and see open government
in action.
Stop by the offices of our Senator Arnie
Roblan (SD5) and Representative Caddy
McKeown (HD9). Perhaps ask them to vote for
a Bill that you support.
When I visited recently, they and their staff
made me feel very special. These are busy
offices right now and their time is valuable, but
each person they connect with helps them to
better understand the rural and coastal Districts
they represent.
See the contact information for our legisla-
tors that appears in every issue at the bottom of
this page.
Karin Radtke
Yachats
N OT WHAT WAS PROMISED
In my opinion, President Trump’s budget, as
it stands today, is bad for the country and in
many cases the opposite of his campaign prom-
ises. I believe it will adversely affect Americans
across the nation.
He promised the American people jobs. Yet,
he proposes cutting the Economic Development
Administration,
Minority
Business
Development Agency, Appalachian Regional
Commission, Delta Regional Authority, Denali
Commission and Northern Border Regional
Commission.
These are all job creators around the country.
In addition to signing executive orders to get
rid of various regulations that protect average
Americans, as part of his budget he has pro-
posed cutting the OSHA (Occupational Safety
and Health Administration) training grants, and
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation
Board, as well as more than 50 other programs
and agencies that would be eliminated under the
umbrella of the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
These cuts will only benefit the big corpora-
tions and the wealthiest among us.
There are many social programs affecting
children, seniors and people of all income lev-
els, which Trump proposes to cut from the
budget. Some of these are before and after
school
programs,
Striving
Readers
Comprehensive Literacy Program, Meals on
Wheels, Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP), PBS, Health Professionals
and Nurses Training Program, Community
Development Block Grants and the U.S.
Interagency Council on Homelessness.
And yet, Trump proposes a $54 billion dollar
increase in defense spending, while gutting the
State Department.
Even Generals Mattis and McMasters have
said they need the State Department. Our goal
should be to solve problems through diplomacy,
not through force.
The latest healthcare proposal supports a
$880 billion cut in Medicaid and insurance sub-
sidies to low- and middle-income Americans
over a decade, while it offers $880 billion dol-
lars’ worth of tax cuts to health insurers, phar-
maceutical companies, investors and even tan-
ning salon operators.
By the way, pursuant to the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO) report, the ACA is not
“imploding,” nor is it in a “death spiral.”
Also in his budget is a request for approxi-
mately $2.5 billion for “the wall” even though I
thought Mexico was going to pay for it. Now
Trump wants taxpayers to cough up $2.5 bil-
lion.
This is not what he promised low- and mid-
dle-income Americans who voted for him.
Marybeth Marenco
Florence
Copyright 2017 © Siuslaw News
Publisher, ext. 327
General Manager, ext. 318
Editor, ext. 313
Marketing Director, ext. 326
Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Production Supervisor
Press Manager
DEADLINES:
Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Monday
1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Friday 5 p.m.
Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Thursday
1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $71; 10-weeks subscription, $18; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription, $94;
10-weeks subscription, $24; Out of State — 1-year subscription, $120; Out of United States — 1-year subscription, $200;
E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $65.
Mail subscription includes E-Edition.
Website and E-Edition: www.TheSiuslawNews.com
WHERE TO WRITE
Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon. A member of the National
Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore.
Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax
541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com.
John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
At the moment, we have that now at Peace
Harbor. The question is whether it will contin-
ue.
Lance Steinmetz RN
Florence
Pres. Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
www.merkley.senate.gov
Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line 503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email:
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email:
rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us
West Lane County Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email:
Jay.Bozievich@co.lane.or.us