4A | OCTOBER 22, 2020 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Cottage Grove Sentinel
116 N. Sixth St.
Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424
NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR |
Opinion
541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM
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Political/Election Letters:
LETTERS
A Message from
Mayor Gowing
As of Friday, Oct. 16, Lane Coun-
ty was put on the Governor’s Watch
List for COVID-19.
As Mayor, I encourage everyone
to follow state guidelines for facial
coverings, physical distancing and
sanitation.
I do feel Cottage Grove is doing
a great job, but we are also affected
by the rest of the county. Please en-
courage those around you to follow
these guidelines as well.
With Halloween approaching,
I know many are wanting to cele-
brate in some way. Please remem-
ber to keep yourself and those
around you safe as we try to get
through this.
The Cottage Grove Chamber
of Commerce is hosting a drive-
through Trick-or-Treat event on
Main Street to provide a safe envi-
ronment.
For more information, contact
the Chamber or Main Street Coor-
dinator.
Thank you.
—Jeff Gowing
Cottage Grove Mayor
Kenneth Roberts has my
vote for At-Large seat
Cottage Grove City Council At-
Large position is up this year. I’m
voting Kenneth Roberts and I’ll
try and explain why I feel he is the
most qualified candidate.
Councilor Roberts has the time,
energy, dedication and knowledge
to serve us. As far as I have experi-
enced, Councilor Roberts responds
to citizens politely and promptly
and remembers that “they” are the
real boss while at the same time
valuing their contributions, com-
ments and concerns.
As a prior member of the city
budget committee, I was able to see
some of the inside operating prac-
tices of city government and what
I can tell what we really need are
more like-minded folks who con-
duct themselves as Councilor Rob-
erts has, without agendas or a poor
attitude.
We need these types of folks to
be seated with him for the council
to effectively represent the wishes
of the general population of our
small city. Until then, he is only
one man representing us and that
does not work, but it is a start and I
for one am not willing to start over
with someone who has shown us
zero proof in an official public ca-
pacity who or what they stand for.
As a matter of fact, whether it
be on the radio or in print, his
opponent constantly reminds us
that she has to research many is-
sues brought to her before taking a
stand on the issue.
Far too long have we had folks
with business ties, special interests
and poor attitudes running this
town, while they are supposed to
be serving us — as Councilor Rob-
erts does each and every day.
Other candidates have spoken
and admitted they don’t have the
time that Councilor Roberts has,
they don’t have the experience that
Councilor Roberts has and many
candidates currently have ties to
local government and/or local
businesses that could conflict with
the needs of the average citizen of
Cottage Grove.
Councilor Roberts has spent
some time getting to know the ins
and outs of our little city, evidenced
by discussion I’ve had with him
and with how quickly he responds
to his constituents’ questions on
Facebook and live on the daily local
AM radio “Beeper” show.
Councilor Roberts knows that
the sewer treatment facility reeks;
he lives downtown and knows the
effects of rent increases when de-
velopers create mid-income hous-
ing in buildings that likely won’t
withstand a large earthquake.
Councilor Roberts is more like
the average local citizen than any
other candidate running this elec-
tion season.
Good Luck, Mr. Roberts — you
have my vote, Sir!
—Duane A. Taddei
Cottage Grove
Roberts represents us all
Often the only time we miss
someone is when they die or lose
an election. In our community,
with amazement, it’s been easy to
see Ken Roberts planting flowers,
sweeping sidewalks, pulling weeds
— simply because it needs to be
done.
He does these things in addition
to his other volunteers activities,
for which I doubt he receives a sim-
ple thank you. It’s apparent down-
town that we never notice things
that get done by him until they ha-
ven’t been done.
He speaks with pride about his
adopted city, and has yet to try to
advance an agenda for a developer
or business.
Often we’ve seen people who
seek election to further a personal
— rather than community-minded
— agenda that benefits everyone.
As he has grown knowledgeable
with what makes our community
work, he seeks to rise to the chal-
lenge so our community can be
prepared for the future.
Mr. Roberts has shown by exam-
ple that he will continue to repre-
sent our community — both resi-
dential and commercial — in ways
that will benefit us all.
—Su Rosenthal
Cottage Grove
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Send letters to:
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HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS
Oregon state
representatives
Oregon federal
representatives
• Sen. Floyd Prozanski
• Rep. Peter DeFazio
District 4 State Senator
PO Box 11511
Eugene, Ore. 97440
Phone: 541-342-2447
Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@
state.or.us
(House of Representatives)
405 East 8th Ave.
#2030
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: defazio.house.gov/
contact/email-peter
Phone: 541-465-6732
• Rep. Cedric Hayden
Republican District 7 State
Representative
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301
Phone: 503-986-1407
Website: www.leg.state.or.
us/hayden
Email: rep.cedrichayden@
state.or.us
• Sen. Ron Wyden
405 East 8th Ave., Suite
2020
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: wyden.senate.gov
Phone: (541) 431-0229
• Sen. Jeff Merkley
Email: merkley.senate.gov
Phone: 541-465-6750
S entinel
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Editorial
‘Yes’ on Measure 108 protects children’s health
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub-
missions on this and other topics are
always welcome as part of our goal to
encourage community discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
the governor with our public poli-
cy recommendations for long-term
solutions.
I’m proud to say that the end result
of our combined work is something
that I believe can provide real pos-
billion per year for smoking-related
healthcare costs.
All money collected from the
vape and tobacco taxes will be ded-
icated to Oregon Health Plan and
smoking prevention and cessation
When I was invited to join Or-
programs. OHP provides cov-
egon Gov. Kate Brown’s Vaping
erage for more than one mil-
Public Health Work Group in
lion underserved Oregonians,
By Dr. Serena Black
early 2020, I was honored to have Pediatric Hospitalist, PeaceHealth Oregon including seniors, families and
the opportunity to lend my voice
400,000 kids.
and the voice of PeaceHealth to
Tobacco is the number one
this important process. I have been itive change for our Oregon com- cause of preventable death in Ore-
a member of PeaceHealth’s pediatric munities. Measure 108, which was gon, leading to nearly 8,000 deaths
hospitalist team for more than nine written by a bi-partisan committee, per year.
years, and I’ve seen firsthand the ef- establishes a 65 percent wholesale
Our children are being led down
fects of the youth vaping epidemic tax on nicotine vaping products and a dangerous path. One in four high
— an epidemic that jumped 80 per- increase cigarette taxes by $2 per schoolers in Oregon are vaping,
cent between 2017 and 2019.
pack. Studies show that increasing which leads to a three times greater
This increase is even more con- the vape and tobacco taxes will pre- chance to start smoking.
cerning amidst a pandemic as vent more than 19,000 people from
It’s time we act to protect our
smokers/vapers are more vulnerable starting to smoke and nearly 12,000 children and provide them with a
to serious cases of COVID-19.
premature deaths.
healthy future.
For eight months our group met
And, increasing tobacco taxes
That is why I’m voting “yes” on
— discussing the health risks of va- lowers healthcare costs for every- Measure 108.
ping — and in August we provided one; currently Oregonians pay $1.5
Guest Viewpoint
Ned Hickson, Managing Editor... 541-902-3520
nhickson@cgsentinel.com
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dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
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nsnyder@cgsentinel.com
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