4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| APRIL 10, 2021
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
The First Amendment
C
ongress shall make no law respect-
ing 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 peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the Govern-
ment for a redress of grievances.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800)
USPS# 497-660
Copyright 2021 © Siuslaw News
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.
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
For Advertising: ext. 318
Publisher, ext. 318
Editor, ext. 313
Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Production Supervisor
For Classifieds: ext. 320
DEADLINES:
Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to
publication; Regular classified ads, Monday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Dis-
play classified ads, Friday 5 p.m.
Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to pub-
lication; Regular classified ads, Thursday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Display
classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $79; 6-month in-county, $56; 10-week
subscription, $25; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription, $102; 6-month out-
of-county, $69; 10-week subscription, $35; Out of State — 1-year subscription,
$134; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $65.
Mail subscription includes E-Edition.
Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com
Siuslaw News
Office:
148 Maple St./PO Box 10 Florence, OR
87439
LETTERS
Glad for EMAC dissenters
With interest and exasperation,
I have read the articles and let-
ters about climate control, global
warming and lately the EMAC not
showing up.
I applaud those who stayed away
and hope they really were voicing
their opposition to establishing an
official climate policy.
If you want facts and figures
about all that is going on in the en-
vironment, I encourage everyone
— including our City Council — to
read “Apocalypse Never,” a book
written by Michael Shellenberger.
He’s touted as a “Hero of the En-
vironment.”
His credentials are impressive
and I feel he should be required
reading for anyone looking for an-
swers on climate change.
You’ll be surprised.
On the other hot topic, the City
Council should be ashamed for
even considering the Benedick
annexation. The way the Siuslaw
News has covered it, including one
paragraph saying no one can speak
on the topic and then another
paragraph saying the council will
consider testimony and evidence,
it makes the council look very un-
prepared and confused.
Consider the home owners that
will be impacted by this move and
stop trying to hoodwink us all.
—Juanita King
Florence
Is council is autocratic,
not democratic
By virtue of granting power to
the Mayor to appoint members to
committees, the governing body
of the city of Florence is defined as
autocratic.
To make the city council dem-
ocratic, appointments should be
made by majority vote of council
members. Power-hungry individ-
uals prefer autocracy, true servants
of the people want democracy.
—Bill Durst
Florence
Stalin’s strategy already
at work in Washington
“You will never defeat America
militarily... you must bankrupt her.”
So said the Socialist leader of
Russia, Joseph Stalin, soon after
World War II.
The Democrats have the House,
the also control the Senate with 51
votes including the Vice President’s
vote. They also have the Presiden-
cy.
The Democrat Party is now in
total control of what America does.
We’re told President Biden wants
a lot of money, not millions, not
billions but trillions for this and/
or that. $1 trillion here, $2 trillion
there, and on and on — all of which
we have to borrow as we are deeply
in debt at present.
My grandchildren’s grandchil-
dren will be paying off what we are
rolling up in debt..
Think back now to what Stalin
said.
Anyone see a comparison ?
—Tony Cavarno
Florence
Support in these
changing times
Maybe city councilor reports
should be presented at the begin-
ning of council meetings so they
can be heard and considered before
the taxing work of the agenda has
taken its toll.
Councilor Wantz had some great
ideas for the Environmental Man-
agement Advisory Committee
(EMAC), which seems to be strug-
gling to find its sea-legs after new
appointments have been made.
Facing new community de-
mands, and learning the new
constellation’s temperament and
culture, are normal parts of group
activity. Certainly the committee
should not be disbanded!
Instead, coaching and strategiz-
ing for perseverance in the face of
difficult conversations and difficult
topics is in order, as was suggested
by ex-officio Wantz.
I hope the city council can hear
her ideas again, with fresh ears.
—Ivy Medow
Florence
Stop politicizing
everything
The activist proponents of the
theory that human activity causes
the climate to change radically in
the near future are nothing if not
persistent. We could have a spirited
debate about the nature and effects
of a changing climate, but whatever
side you are on you would have to
view the issue on a global basis.
Because of the divided nature of
the entire country today, “climate
change” has become a very hot
button and divisive issue. More-
over, due to some of the outlandish
prognostications on this topic over
the past 20-30 years, these dire pre-
dictions have become suspect.
Apparently, some of this activist
contingent have become members
of the City of Florence Environ-
mental Management Advisory
Committee (EMAC). They cur-
rently want to form a “subcom-
mittee” specifically to address this
issue. I referred to the description
of the EMAC committee on the
website of the city and found that
nowhere does it empower the com-
mittee to tackle “global” issues.
It was not formed, nor intended,
for that purpose. The desire of this
group seems to be to have the City
of Florence sign on to some nebu-
lous goals and steps to reverse what
they see as ominous climate trends.
As food for thought, here are just
few other things the City could en-
dorse: nuclear power generation;
increased logging to use our natu-
ral resources; outlawing cannabis
stores; no “prevailing wage” con-
struction projects to save a lot of
money; employers hiring only U.S.
citizens; outlawing government
rebates for electric cars; reopening
the lumber mill on Hwy 126 near
Mapleton; etc., etc.
These may be important and
supported by certain groups of peo-
ple for various (and well intended)
reasons, but the City would and
should not weigh in on these.
The bottom line is to let our
City elected officials and City gov-
ernment employees tackle those
things they CAN address and solve.
If certain people or groups need to
advocate for specific causes, find
the appropriate venue.
In any event, it would be great if
we could refrain from politicizing
everything.
—Ralph Nichols
Florence
Actions of absent EMAC
members childish
Let see if I have this correct.
Certain members of the EMAC
committee did not attend the last
meeting, therefore there was no
quorum and no vote. The commit-
tee doesn’t meet again until after
the city council discusses the work-
plan.
So, if you can’t win — if you have
nothing to base your argument on
except your opinion — you just re-
fused to do the one job you have?
At best, I would define that as
childish.
After coming within 120 votes
of losing re-election, our current
mayor came out with a statement
last November how he was going to
strive to “bridge the gap” and make
an effort to “reach out to the com-
munity.”
Months later, in spite of 100’s of
(unread) letters of protest, the an-
nexation and the firm denial that
climate change is a thing, in spite
of the majority of the community’s
opinion on the matter, our local
government will do as it sees fit.
If they can’t win, all they care
about is that the “other” side doesn’t
win either.
Apparently, that’s what passes for
local government.
—Edward Gunderson
Florence
Immigrant kids need help
and so does government
There are 19,502 incorporated
cities in the United States.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if each
city would host one immigrant
child and pay for his or her bus
ticket to their city?
Each city could then help find
parents, other relatives or a host
family. The kids need the help and
so does the government.
—Gene Olson
Florence
Office Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. to noon
Letters to the Editor policy
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 in-
clude 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. Publica-
tion of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on
space available and the volume of letters received.
Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumen-
tative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are un-
sourced or documented will not be published.
Letters containing poetry or from outside the Siu-
slaw News readership area will only be published at
the discretion of the editor.
Political/Election Letters:
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) En-
sure any information about a candidate is accurate,
fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hear-
say; and 3) Explain the reasons to support candi-
dates based on personal experience and perspective
rather than partisanship and campaign-style rhet-
oric.
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 politi-
cal 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 re-
ject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria.
Email letters to:
nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com
WHERE TO WRITE
President Joseph Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
TTY/TDD: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
Email: Sen.DickAnderson@
oregonlegislature.gov
Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown
State Rep.
Boomer Wright (Dist. 9)
State Sen. Dick
Anderson (Dist. 5)
160 State Capitol 900 Court St.
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Salem, OR 97301
Message Line:
503-986-1409
503-378-4582
Email: Rep.BoomerWright@
www.oregon.gov/gov
oregonlegislature.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
Lane County Dist. 1
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753 | 541-465-6750
Florence City Council
www.merkley.senate.gov
& Mayor Joe Henry
Florence City Hall, 250
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio Highway 101, Florence, 97439
(4th Dist.)
541-997-3437
2134 Rayburn HOB
ci.florence.or.us
Washington, DC 20515
Email comments to Florence
202-225-6416
City Recorder Kelli Weese at
541-269-2609 | 541-465-6732 kelli.weese@ci.florence.or.us
www.defazio.house.gov