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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2017)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ DECEMBER 13, 2017 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2017 © Siuslaw News 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. Oregon Group Publisher 541-265 8571 Publisher, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 313 Consulting Editor 831-761-7353 Email: echalhoub@register-pajaronian.com Marketing Director, ext. 326 Office Supervisor, ext. 312 Production Supervisor Press Manager James Rand Jenna Bartlett Ned Hickson Erik Chalhoub Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Jeremy Gentry 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 classifiedad,sThursday 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, $76; 6-month in-county, $52; 10-weeks subscription, $23; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription,$99; 6-month out-of-county, $65; 10-weeks subscription, $29; Out of State — 1- year subscription, $125; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $71. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com L ETTERS LETTERS M AKING A BRIGHTER C HRISTMAS FOR TEENS The 18th annual Tree of Giving at Siuslaw Glass & Mirror was a huge success. We want to thank everyone who participated in making this a brighter Christmas for the teens in our community. It is appreciated more than you know. —Angie Schafer Co-owner of Siuslaw Glass & Mirror Florence S EXUAL HARRASMENT ACCUSATIONS NEED PROOF It seems that we are having an overreaction going on concerning sexual harassment. Yes, I know many will think me insensitive to the plight of the many women who have endured such despicable behavior. Not true. However, what is not being done in these cases is subjective proof. As a fact, in many, there is no proof or even the identity of the accuser/ accusers. We know from past cases that women have lied in rape and harassment cases. There is no reason to believe that some of the current #metoo persons coming forward are not lying also. However, many a job or reputation will be ruined without having the most basic provision of our law sys- tem enacted: The right to face one’s accuser. I will say that I have no sympathy for the rightfully accused and there are many, as we have seen. But let us not cheer the swinging of the pendulum as some do without the rightful and just protections that our justice system provides. —David T. Eckhardt Florence L ESS INCOME MEANS LESS TIME TO VOLUNTEER I’m responding to the recent Siuslaw News article “The Economics of Volunteerism: Is Coastal Life in Jeopardy? Part V” (Dec. 13) because I’m aghast at the general lack of understanding of economic injustice in America, as well as in relation to western Lane County in particular. We live in a country where three people have as much wealth as 165 million Americans (Gates, Bezos, Buffet). In less than a week, our rep- resentatives will vote on a tax bill absurdly being called “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” from which I can’t see where any jobs are created in this bill. But the rich will get to hoard more of their unearned (Capital Gains) income, buy up more real estate, and either gouge renters or let their many vacation properties sit empty. I don’t understand why people can’t make a simple connection: With less income for the working class, there is no time to volunteer, which is due to the need to spend more hours working in order to to pay rent, utilities, transportation, food, healthcare expenses, etc. The beauty of lowering taxes for the rich allows them to fund what- ever charities (nonprofits) they choose, and direct those funds as they wish. This leaves nonprofits as little more than tools to play against each other as taxes that had once been collected to help support them are eliminated. As soon as the retirees pass on, there will be no volunteers left. Social Security will be sacrificed to the gods (the rich) and more pain will be dispersed down to the work- ing adults and children. Don’t act surprised when the “tax bill” goes through. And don’t think that we’ll be saved by the next elec- tion — or the one after that. Both parties work together for their financial contributors. If you are reading this article, chances are it doesn’t include you. Happy Holidays everyone. —Mindy Stone Mapleton S TIGMA ASSOCIATION IS TAUGHT TO US In response to the Siuslaw News article “Upriver Community Plans Future of Healthcare” (Dec. 9): “ ... But when you say, ‘mental health,’ there’s a stigma ...” I believe you mean, when you say “mental health,” there is a stigma because someone taught you to say that. You will have to teach yourself if you want to stop. Remember when we were taught rape/stigma? Remember stopping? Remember why? Remember: It may help you over- come the need to repeat the above. —Harold A. Maio, Retired mental health editor Ft. Myers, Fla. M AKING F LORENCE A LITTLE BRIGHTER I would like to say thank you to the City of Florence and everyone else that worked on the excellent lighting up of the Old Town Park area. Everyone should take the time to drive down and walk through it. I think it’s the best lighting project on the central Oregon coast. You will be surprised how nice it will make you feel. Thanks for making Florence a lit- tle brighter for us all. — Don and Norma Saxon Florence The First Amendment C ongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peace- ably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. TO THE P OLICY E DITOR The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor as part of a community 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, or letters from outside our readership area will only be published at the discretion of the editor. P OLITICAL /E LECTION L ETTERS : Election-related letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. Letters must 1) Not be a part of letter-writing campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) Ensure any information about a candidate is accu- rate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay; and 3) explain the reasons to support candidates based on personal experience and per- spective rather than partisanship and campaign- style rhetoric. Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the editor column to outline their views and plat- forms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid polit- ical advertising. As with all letters and advertising content, the newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher, general manager and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above crite- ria. 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
