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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 2021)
4A | WEDNESDAY EDITION CHANTELLE MEYER , EDITOR | AUGUST 14, 2021 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 | 541-902-3520 | CMEYER @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion The First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit- ing the free exercise thereof; or abridg- ing 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. “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” — Thomas Jefferson (1800) Know the Facts about Western Lane Ambulance (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submis- sions on this and other topics are al- ways welcome as part of our goal to encourage community discussion and exchange of perspectives.) Florence, I understand it is not an easy task. It’s a learning experience in how the government works and it is imperative that an elected official understands the process. Then, on July 28, there was anoth- In March, when I read the Siu- er Guest Viewpoint from the same slaw News Guest Viewpoint by L. three men, but with a new title, Farnsworth, RJ Pilcher and J. Guest Viewpoint Marks, “Ambulance District is at a Financial Crossroads,” I was By Clara Kuhn baffled at the information they Member of the Florence were quoting and had lots of doubts over the accuracy of most Community and Taxpayer of the article. I also was highly concerned that “Only in Florence Do You Pay…,” an elected board member of the but the same theme! This was also Western Lane Ambulance District accompanied by yet another full- (WLAD) Board of Directors (1 page ad. of 5), felt the need to give a Guest Now I’m concerned, enough that Viewpoint and additionally pur- I dissect the viewpoint, make a list chase a full-page ad to further high- of questions, call WLAD and ask the best way for me to get my questions light his opinion. Over the next many weeks, there answered. I was offered to come to were a few Letters to the Editor, the Administration Office of WLAD agreeing and disagreeing — and on Highway 101 and meet with then I saw on my ballot Mr. Farn- Chief Michael Schick, Operations sworth was not seeking reelection. Chief Matt House and Office Man- Our ambulance service has al- ager Dina McClure; which I gladly ways been the best of the best and accepted. All of my questions were an- I have no reason to believe any- thing has changed. Having been an swered, including the additional elected official in the 1990s here in ones prompted by my visit. I did not feel rushed or an inconvenience in the day of these professionals. Through our meeting, I discov- ered so many inaccuracies in the previous Guest Viewpoints. Western Lane Ambulance District has proved itself over the years, by its high standards of training, certifica- tions and professionalism. The district has always and continues to be leading edge on care in the field. The district continues to partner with PeaceHealth Peace Harbor to give us, its taxpayers, the best possible care. I for one, do not want to see that high level of care diminish, and my hope is that you do not either. I would encourage anyone that wants accurate information to call 541-997-9614 and ask for Chief Schick. Thursday afternoon, I received a text from 458-219-6598 titled “3X STOP paying three times for an am- bulance ride” and directing me to a site to sign a petition. This is begin- ning to follow a pattern of someone looking to benefit from the disman- tling of WLAD. Now more than ever, if you have questions or concerns, please get ac- curate information. 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 Chantelle Meyer Front Office For Advertising: ext. 318 Publisher, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 314 541-997-3441 For Classifieds: ext. 310 DEADLINES: Wednesday Issue—General news releases, Monday noon; Classified line ads, Monday 10 a.m.; Legal Notices and Display Ads, Friday noon. Saturday Issue—General news releases, Thursday noon; Classified line ads, Thursday 10 a.m.; Legal Notices and Display Ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In Lane County — 1-year, $84; 6-month , $61; 3-month subscription, $37.50; Out of Lane County — 1-year, $107; 6-month, $74; -month subscrip- tion, $50; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year, $65; 6-month, $35; 3-month, $15. Ask about our senior discounts. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com Siuslaw News Office: 148 Maple St./PO Box 10 Florence, OR 87439 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 and Guest Viewpoints as part of a community discussion of issues on the local, state and national level. 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. Email letters to cmeyer@thesiuslawnews.com To be considered for publication: Letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. In addition: • Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Siuslaw News cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Authors should ensure any information is ac- curate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay, and include sources where possible. • Letters have a suggested 300-word limit and may be edited for grammar and clarity. • Authors must sign their full name and include their street address (only city will be printed), as well as a daytime phone number and/or email address for verifi- cation. The person who signs the letter must be the ac- tual author. Siuslaw News does not accept anonymous Letters to the Editor. • Siuslaw News will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poet- ry, open letters, letters espousing religious views with- out reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters also may not be part of letter-writing campaigns. • Writers are limited to one published letter every two weeks. LETTERS (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submissions on these and other topics are always wel- come as part of our goal to encourage community dis- cussion and exchange of per- spectives.) Require Masks Why is it impossible to mandate that an individual must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and in some ar- eas to also wear a mask? It might sound radical, but those who refuse to do so should be fined and not have the ability to enter any establishment where people go to shop, eat, exercise or go for entertainment. In many states there are laws that protect an indi- vidual and others. They are DUI, which is punishable by fines and in some cases loss of license, while other states have fines for using a mobile device while driving. These are to protect oneself and others. In other states it is man- datory that one wears a seatbelt and fines can be ad- ministered. This is only to protect oneself and not the public. Hell, there are some areas where jay-walkers can be fined, but not those who refuse to be vaccinated. I now understand that some companies like Kaiser Permanente are now requir- ing all 218,000 employees — 21,000 doctors and 59,000 nurses — to be vaccinated or lose their employment. Others will follow. — Win Jolley Florence Vote ‘For the People’ The freedom to vote is a cornerstone of our democ- racy. Creating unnecessary barriers to exercise this free- dom is wrong. Right now, a minori- ty of the Senate is silenc- ing American voters, even though a majority want the voter protections in the For the People Act. Protections include easy access to the ballot, freedom to vote no matter our race or geogra- phy, for politicians to earn our votes instead of ma- nipulating them through gerrymandering, and for our elected officials to be accountable to us instead of whichever donors can line their pockets. We know what is wrong and the For the People Act can help fix it by providing national standards for feder- al elections. However, in order for it to pass when the Senate re- turns from recess, the fili- buster must be eliminated. Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley has always been a chief opponent of the fili- buster and his message is loud and clear right now — in order to protect our free- dom to vote the filibuster must go. Enough is enough. With the freedom to vote under attack and a simple solution available, the Senate must pass the For the People Act now! — Beverly Sherrill Florence Flying a Flag for Law Enforcement It has been so very hard for people to admit during the last few years that they support our law enforce- ment officers with all that has happened. I am very much a staunch supporter of them and al- ways will be no matter what happens. We have to re- member that there are bad apples in every profession and they have to be taken care of like all other prob- lems. That being said, 20 years ago this Sept. 11 will be the anniversary of the Twin Towers and Pentagon at- tacks by terrorists and all of the first responders who died in those attacks. Next month, we should show our pride in our in our law enforcement officers, not be berating the fact that someone is flying a flag that many have been flying for months or even years sup- porting those officers. When I drove a pickup, I too flew a black flag with a blue line supporting the law enforcement officers. When I have a pickup again I will again fly that flag, along with a red, white and blue American flag. — Dianna Allison Florence Tax the ‘Jolley’ Wealthy Mr. Jolley, in regard to “Taxes Could Put Thou- sands Back to Work” (July 31), in 75 percent of the world, you would be consid- ered wealthy and living in decadent opulence. How loud will you cry if you receive a bigger tax bill under this administration? You can always cut that check for more. I believe the IRS should know you are ready, willing and able to pay a higher rate for the enrichment of social causes. — Martin Cable Dunes City To submit to the Siuslaw News: Emailed submissions are preferred. All letters need to include full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. The newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publish- er and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. 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