4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ AUGUST 5, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
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L ETTERS
LETTERS
D ON ’ T CONFUSE THE LAW
WITH HATRED
Judy Preisler’s letter “Hoping For a
Hate-Free City” (Aug. 2) quotes numbers
that illegal immigrants will contribute
federal revenues of $900 billion over a
decade and state and local revenues of
$11.74 billion per year.
While the numbers may possibly be
true, they do not tell the whole story. If
one agency takes in $100 in taxes from
illegals and another pays out $200 in ben-
efits, it’s simple to see that fewer illegals
will cost less. One must always remember
Disraeli’s maxim: “There are three kinds
of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”
The Heritage Foundation issued a
report in 2013 (http://thf_media.s3.ama-
zonaws.com/2013/pdf/sr133.pdf), which
analyzes the true cost:
“In 2010, the average unlawful immi-
grant household received around $24,721
in government benefits and services while
paying some $10,334 in taxes. This gen-
erated an average annual fiscal deficit
(benefits received minus taxes paid) of
around $14,387 per household. This cost
had to be borne by U.S. taxpayers.”
I hope Ms. Preisler does not conflate
respect for the law with hatred. If I came
over and demanded your big screen TV,
would you give it to me or call the police?
By her metric, calling the police looks
like BOF (Balding Old Fart) hatred.
—Ian Eales
Florence
T HANK YOU FOR
HELPING OUR HUNGRY
All of the volunteers at Mapleton Food
Share want to thank Cross Road Church’s
Backpack For Kids program for the amaz-
ing donation of their food pantry.
They said, “We need to continue to
support at risk Upriver kids and we can
help with food,” so they emptied their
food pantry and gave all of the food to our
summer sack lunch program.
And also, thank you community mem-
bers and businesses for supporting this
summer’s Sack Lunch program. We had
success with both our GoFundMe page
and private donations.
The generosity of this area is over-
whelming. When a need is identified, res-
idents step up and show the love for kids.
No kid should go hungry.
Hunger in our area is the invisible real-
ity that many are not aware of in their
busy comfortable world.
With sincere gratitude,
—Karen Harden, president
Mapleton Food Share
M ORE CONSIDERATION
NEEDED ON RIVER
I awake in the early morning anticipat-
ing a beautiful day of fishing on the river.
I launch my boat at Siuslaw Marina and
I’m the first one on the water. The sky is
brightening as I prepare to fish for the
bright and beautiful chinook salmon. It’s
so quiet and peaceful and the water is as
smooth as silk.
Twenty minutes later, I hear a distant
drone coming up the river and around the
bend.
Here they come, the 18- to 20-foot
boats and guides. As I look behind their
boats all I can see are waves anywhere
from 2 to 4 feet stirring up the water —
like a pod of whales going 20 to 30 mph
— and not slowing down to pass other
boats or docks that line the river.
My boat rocks like a bucking bronco
while I try to control it.
And so it starts.
The bigger boats that race up and down
the narrow river cause very dangerous
conditions for the smaller boats, causing
waves to crash into them, causing water to
come over the transom.
So much for the tranquil day.
Whatever happened to the courteous
boaters who used to fish here? It seems
they have been replaced with the “Me
First Society” and to heck with anyone
else.
Oregon Law 250-020-0221 for the
Siuslaw River states: “Slow—no wake,
Max. 5 mph for motorboats within 300
feet of boat ramp or moorage from river
mouth to Highway Bridge of Mapleton.”
Oregon
Law
830-305
states:
“Operation that endangers or would likely
endanger a person or property is prohibit-
ed: example, your boat wake causes a boat
to nearly capsize.”
In September, a fisherman who has
fished the river over 20 years almost had
his boat capsize due to the wake of some
big boats. He is now fearful of fishing on
the river because of the recklessness of
those who do not follow the law.
Is the sheriff’s patrol available to mon-
itor the river and help enforce the law? If
nothing is done to solve the speeding
problem, a major accident could cause
someone to drown or be seriously hurt.
We have beautiful resources in our
state. Llet’s work together so everyone
can safely enjoy utilizing our rivers.
—Richard Moore
Florence
K UDOS TO S IUSLAW
V ALLEY F IRE
On July 28, Siuslaw Valley Fire and
Rescue visited our local Harbor Vista
Park with their ladder truck at the request
of park caretaker Mike Stewart.
On behalf of the Friends of Harbor
Vista Park, I wish to thank Fire Chief Jim
Langborg for sending three firemen and
Fire Marshal Sean Barrett, who greeted
the children and us “grown-ups.” We are
all children when it comes to meeting fire-
fighters and inspecting their red machine.
The firefighters posed with the children
for photos, let them sit in the truck and
answered all their questions.
They were awarded fireman sticker
badges and red helmets.
During the excitement Sean said, point-
ing to one of the youngsters, “There goes
a future firefighter. It’s experiences like
this that inspire children to become fire-
fighters.”
Sean promised to come back next year
with his fire truck and we look forward to
another special event at the park.
—Mike Allen
Florence
S UPPORTING THE LAW ISN ’ T
BEING A HATER
As Judy Preisler stated in her letter
(“Hoping For a Hate-Free City,” Aug. 2),
I, too, think every legal resident should be
treated fairly. However, we part ways
after that.
I believe we are a nation of laws, not of
men/women. I believe we need immigra-
tion now, as in our past. However, it needs
to be subjected to our manners and laws.
In supporting our constitution and our
way of life, I do not support unfettered
and unrestricted hordes of people just
coming here.
This puts me at odds with the view-
point of Lane County, as well as the
Oregon Legislature, as it is currently con-
trolled — and also many citizens who I
feel are willfully ignorant of the facts.
As a result, they make judgments based
on feelings.
None of us want to see people down
and out. It would be nice if we could all
have the same level of subsistence in our
housing and lifestyle. However, that is not
the reality we live with every day.
Some people, through no fault of their
own, are either born in the wrong place or
are not educated enough to find their way
out of poverty. As good Christians, it is
our duty to help them through our church-
es and other organizations.
At the same time, it is not our duty to
ignore the law or subvert the law as is cur-
rently being done in our state and cities. I
urge everyone to do your own research.
Don’t rely on the straw dogs that are
thrown at us by some of our politicians
and their lap dogs, like the Center for
American Progress — which, in my opin-
ion, is nothing more than a front for the
DNC.
I have read many opinion pieces like
Ms. Preisler’s, and they all share the same
song about those who oppose them as
being racist or homophobic or such.
They’ll never just say it, but they lead
people down that path.
At the end of Ms. Preisler’s piece, she
says how it is “morally and ethically right
that we stand with our (illegal) immigrant
brothers and sisters.”
In my opinion, what she’s really saying
is that we should ignore our laws and help
hide the illegal immigrants in our commu-
nity in order to be “hate free,” as she sees
it.
And if you don’t, you are a hater by her
inference.
That is not who I see in this town when
it comes to supporting our laws.
— David T. Eckhardt
Florence
T HANK YOU FOR THE
SUPPORT OF SENIORS
A huge thank you to everyone who
donated and participated in the garage
sale at the Florence Senior Center on
Saturday, July 29.
The proceeds of the donated items will
be put towards the funds for the building
expansion of the Florence Senior Center.
Being a nonprofit organization, the
center relies on all of these types of events
to raise money for the center.
Once again, thank you all for your par-
ticipation.
We are truly grateful.
—Sandra White
Florence Senior Center
TO THE
P OLICY
E DITOR
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor
as part of a community discussion of issues on the
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As with all letters and advertising content, the
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Send letters to:
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WHERE TO WRITE
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
Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line:
503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office
Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
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
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio
( 4 th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609
541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
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