4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
| OCTOBER 10, 2018
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
C
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Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon.
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Jenna Bar tlett
Ned H ickson
Erik Chalhoub
Publisher, ex t. 318
Editor, ex t. 313
Co n s u l t i n g E d i to r 8 3 1 -7 6 1 -7 3 5 3
echalhoub@register-pajaronian.com
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O ffice Super visor, ex t. 312
Pro d u c t i o n Su p e r v i s o r
Pre s s M a n a ge r
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Je re my G e n t r y
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Letters to the Editor policy
Addressing homelessness in our community
begins with changing its stereotypes
There are a lot of things we
are proud of as Oregonians:
The scenic beauty that
constantly surrounds us;
Our generally progressive
thinking and approaches to
important issues;
Not being California.
Yet, amid all the things
about Oregon that make us
proud, there’s one thing I
find hard to admit about my
beloved state.
While homelessness has
declined around most of the
nation, Oregon continues
to have the highest percent-
age of homeless families and
children. As the number of
homeless families has de-
creased in 41 states across
America since 2016, in Or-
egon we have experienced a
2.5 percent increase — the
fifth-highest in the nation.
Right after California.
According to the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), more
than half of Oregon’s home-
less families (60.5 percent)
are without shelter, living
in cars or tents within areas
of that scenic beauty I men-
tioned earlier.
As much as we may want
to tell ourselves that most of
the homeless are drug ad-
dicts, criminals or suffering
from mental illness, the fact
is that more than half of the
homeless living without shel-
ter in Oregon — over 7,000
According to a study re-
leased by the Oregon De-
partment of Education last
November, 2017 saw a 5.6
percent increase in student
homelessness — continuing
a trend in Oregon for the
fourth consecutive year.
Before we can truly ad-
dress the issue of homeless-
ness, we must be willing to
understand that many of
those who are living their
From the Editor’s Desk
Ned Hickson
of them — are either school-
aged (64.4 percent) or dis-
placed veterans (55 percent).
To bring it a little closer
to home, each day nearly 90
students between the Siuslaw
and Mapleton School Dis-
tricts go to class, participate
in school activities and then
finish the day with no per-
manent home to return to.
In 2016, 4.3 percent of
Siuslaw’s student body was
homeless. By comparison,
the state average is actually
lower at 3.7 percent.
lives without a home aren’t
those who are readily identi-
fied as homeless.
They aren’t necessarily the
ones we see on street corners
or parking lots asking for
change.
They aren’t the ones we
can easily avoid making eye
contact with as we busy our-
selves past them.
The fact is, they are also
those whose faces we recog-
nize each day but who never
say a word about their home-
lessness.
They are mothers and fa-
thers, sons and daughters,
students, cooks, part-time
employees,
unemployed
veterans and senior citizens
faced with deciding between
medication, food or shelter.
That’s not a stereotype we
want to acknowledge. But
it’s one we must be willing to
accept in order to affect the
kind of change that will, in
turn, change the lives of the
homeless in our community
and our state.
As we consider state mea-
sures and explore local pol-
icies aimed at addressing
the issues of affordable and
transitional housing, the
most important component
to reducing homelessness
in our communities will be
our ability to acknowledge
our own stereotypes about
homelessness.
That is the most import-
ant step we can take toward
reversing the trend of home-
lessness in our state — and
achieving something we can
all be proud of as Orego-
nians.
LETTERS
Be selfish
Don’t vote for the high school bond
because of earthquakes and safety rea-
sons; don’t vote for the high school bond
because it’s best for our children and our
collective future; don’t vote for the high
school bond because it’s a nice thing for
the community; don’t vote for the high
school bond because the old high school
is run down an inefficient.
Be selfish and vote for the bond be-
cause it’s best for your pocket book.
When a community builds, it’s grow-
ing. When it’s growing all boats are lift-
ed with the tide; this is Economics 101.
With any large community investment,
much of the money spent goes back into
the community in a multiplying effect.
There are a number of studies which
show this effect as much as eight times
the original investment. Does this mean
that Florence can look forward to $800
million?
Probably not.
But what about half of that? What do
you think that a few hundred million
dollars of spending in the community
will do to your property value? I don’t
know about you, but my house is an in-
vestment for me, my wife, our children
and their children. This is me being self-
ish, looking out for me and mine.
What do you think that a few hundred
million dollars will do for small busi-
nesses in Florence? I’ve owned or oper-
ated several restaurants here in Florence
and I can tell you any of those could have
used a stimulus shot like this. In fact, I
have several friends who run “Mom and
Pops” here and I’m excited for the influx
in business they will enjoy during and
after the new high school construction.
To oppose the bond because your
property taxes will go up is myopic and
the opposite of being fiscally respon-
sible. Be selfish and support the high
school bond not for altruism but because
it’s best for your pocket book.
It’s best for your business, it’s best for
your property values and it will make us
all richer.
—Eddie Mielke
Florence
So many choices
Dunes City has a slate of ballot mea-
sures to consider:
• 20-293 Prohibition of pot growing
in Dunes City. This is where a “Yes” vote
is a No to pot growing, and vice-versa, a
trick question.
• 20-294 Changes Charter language
regarding a Municipal Court; eliminat-
ing complex requirements so that we
may contract for outside court services,
thereby giving codes an enforcement
mechanism.
• 20-295 Authorizes a minimal prop-
erty tax for a 5-year period solely to
qualify for shared revenues from the
State. The Council has said it would not
increase the amount. If you believe that
and want the city to continue, a “Yes”
vote is in order; if you don’t believe it, or
would like to see the city dissolve, a “No”
vote is the choice.
Dunes City already certifies to the
state that it provides fire protection,
which it does not— so if truth be told, is
ineligible for revenue sharing in the first
place.
The school bond is also there, exempt
from the compression rules. An approv-
al will equate to tripling whatever you
have been paying under the expiring
bond; for every $100, triple that to $300,
if you can afford it.
—Mary Jo Leach
Dunes City
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Emal 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
Oregon 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
(4th 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@
oregonlegislature.gov
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