4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ NOVEMBER 29, 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
A NOTHER SIDE TO
THE ROSY PICTURE
I’m struck by Jacquie Beveridge’s
recent Letter to the Editor (“News Story
Paints False, Dire Picture”) published
Nov. 25.
It’s natural to want to paint a rosy pic-
ture of our community. And of course,
we want people to be drawn to our com-
munity based on its attractions — our
library, our hospital system, our beauti-
ful forests and beaches, and more.
There is, however, another side to the
rosy picture.
Programs like Helping Hands, Food
Share, Siuslaw Outreach Services and
Food Backpacks for Kids provide need-
ed intervention to many community
members who are food-insecure and
lacking resources. It’s distressing to
confront what appears to be open con-
tempt by some for those who are less
fortunate.
It’s already a given that the homeless
don’t consciously welcome their situa-
tion. Loss of jobs, health crises, divorce,
mental health issues, emotional disor-
ders — all of these can contribute to
being destitute and out on the street.
At SOS, many clients are a step away
from homelessness.
By all means applaud volunteerism in
our community; that’s a subject for a
subsequent article. But please don’t con-
demn those who truly need our help.
In order to be financially viable,
social services agencies like those I
mention above need to publicize needs
that exist in the community. The
Siuslaw News does a great service by
calling attention to the dire needs of
some in the Florence area. If its recent
series (“Is Coastal Living in
Jeopardy?”) results in more donations
and more support, all the better.
The pressing needs our community
faces aren’t going away.
Especially at this season, a little com-
passion goes a long way. Perhaps if
those who denigrate the homeless would
open their hearts a bit, we could be a
step closer to finding solutions for their
suffering.
—Judy Schwartz
President,
SOS Board of Directors
Florence
T HANKS FOR KIND WORDS
ABOUT OCHS
As a volunteer at the OCHS
Christmas Store, I would like to both
thank and respond to Allie LeCaux’s
very nice letter, “Feliz Navidog” (Nov.
25) by adding just one more thing.
The “welcoming and beautifully
organized, wonderfully successful”
Christmas Store’s success is largely due
to the hard work of Danielle Dickson,
Director of Development and manager
of the Christmas Store.
With hard work, very long hours,
leadership, dedication and creativity, the
Christmas Store is the success that it is.
Again my thanks to Ms. LeCaux for
her kind words.
—Lynda Bare
Volunteer
S ERIES COULD LEAD
TO REAL SOLUTIONS
I am pleased to see the thoughtful and
in-depth series (“Is Coastal Living in
Jeopardy”) reviewing the current hous-
ing and wage situation in Florence.
As folks who are financially sound
and approved for a low-rate, zero-down
VA mortgage, my husband and I spent
nearly two years trying to buy or build a
reasonably priced home in this commu-
nity without success.
I hope this series leads us to working
toward real solutions.
Thank you Siuslaw News for taking a
hard look rather than painting a rosy pic-
ture.
—Dolly Brock
Florence
L ESS IS MORE
One ponders if in his letter to the edi-
tor, “Debt More Complicated Than Tax
Reform,” (Nov. 25), Ian Eales is count-
er-balancing sarcasm with sufficient
irony in claiming Reagan tax cuts
“raised government revenue.”
First, one assumes he is ignoring the
Reagan tax increases of 1982, 1983,
1984 and 1987. And he admirably
avoids becoming lost in the weeds of
recalling that Reagan tax revenue fell as
a proportion of Gross Domestic Product
— one normal way to compare such
things.
Finally, one salutes his courage in
refusing to take refuge in the 1988
Reagan document, otherwise known as
the 1990 proposed budget, listing the
extent of revenue losses specifically due
to the “Economic Recovery Tax Act of
1981.”
See Page 4, Chapter 4, which recites
those revenue losses. They total more
than $870 billion just for the three years
mentioned: 1988-1990.
—Rand Dawson
Siltcoos Lake
W ATER WRONGS
The Dunes City Council’s decision to
explore the question before diverting
Woahink Lake water to the Siltcoos
watershed is well founded (Siuslaw
News, Nov. 25). The administrator has
placed more than a “thumb on the scale”
in favor of this move.
The statements that the Governor’s
Resolution Team and the Watermaster
have endorsed the diversion are untrue.
The claim that the grant funds
received by South Coast Water from the
state are for a Woahink diversion are
also untrue.
The funds are to be used in resolving
the problem, whether it be re-building
the current system or committing to a
diversion — but no specific course is
recommended, nor endorsed by the
state.
The study being used in the adminis-
trator’s support of the diversion was pre-
pared 50 years ago. And while the total
draw on Woahink would be within the
current allocation, what is not known is
the present state of the aquifer and
whether the allocation was over-stated
— something historically prevalent in
much of the West, where shortages have
revealed these errors.
Platitudes vocalized by councilors are
not what is needed. A commitment by
the Dunes City Council to formally
study the question is vital.
Right now, due to the lowered water
levels of the Siltcoos River dam, proper-
ties on Siltcoos Lake are experiencing
massive dollar losses due to the subsi-
dence occurring there.
Is this to be Woahink’s future, too?
Dunes City and the State of Oregon
should be aggressively moving to assist
these Siltcoos residents.
Siltcoos Lake has long-suffered from
human blunders; possibly destroying a
second aquifer is not the answer.
Two wrongs never make a right.
—Mary Jo Leach
Dunes City
D ON ’ T AGREE WITH
NRA’ S EXTREMISM
I recently received a complimentary
2018 membership card from the
National Rifle Association (NRA). I
turned it down because, although I’ve
never been a member, I no longer
believe it represents the interests of the
Second Amendment.
Instead, the organization appears to
have been taken over by an extremist
group advocating the freedom to own
any kind of weapon, regardless of fire-
power. This was never the intention of
the Founding Fathers, and most of the
members know that.
But the extremist leadership has cam-
paigned successfully, using fear of total
loss of gun ownership as a mask for
“freedom.” The result has been shame
for the larger organization.
In my view, that percentage of the
leadership and the limited number of
members who follow it are guilty of the
innocent deaths of all who have died
from gun violence beyond single-shot
pistols or rifles — including all victims
of mass shootings involving those
weapons, among them tiny children.
Under these circumstances, I must
ask if this attitude really represents the
view of the majority of members. And if
so, are they proud of themselves and the
current stand of the NRA?
Generally, the members I know in
Florence are responsible gun owners
whom I do not believe condone such
behavior.
—Charles Walker
Florence
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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Libelous, argumentative and anonymous letters
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editor.
P OLITICAL /E LECTION L ETTERS :
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reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above crite-
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Send letters to:
nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com
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