Polk County
Voices
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 28, 2015 4A
EDITORIALS
How to
Contact
Officials
How companies deal
with a fear of change
Last year, the world’s largest public relations firm, Edel-
man, added a new question to its annual survey on trust
in institutions. People around the globe were asked if they
believe change and innovation are happening too quickly.
Much to Edelman’s surprise, more than half of respon-
dents said “yes.” People’s ability to cope with ever-more-
complex gadgets, data, machines and documents may be
reaching a neo-Luddite threshold of resistance.
“Innovation should be a trust accelerator, but today it is
not,” said company chief executive officer Richard Edelman,
based on the survey. “To invent is no longer enough. There
must be a new compact between company and individual.”
That compact requires greater empathy, clarity and sim-
plicity from all institutions to keep up with the rapid pace
of change in products and services. One sign of this shift:
The technology industry, once a beacon of trust compared
with other industries or with government, saw a decline in
trust in most countries for the first time last year.
“Changes in technology are happening at a scale which was
unimaginable before and will cause disruption in industry
after industry,” writes Vivek Wadhwa, a blogger on innovation
for The Washington Post and a Stanford University researcher.
A group set up to promote new technologies, the Infor-
mation Technology and Innovation Foundation, is worried
about this trend: “While many people believe they support
progress, when it comes right down to it, many individuals
are ambiguous, if not downright negative, about their views
toward progress.” To measure people’s friendliness toward
innovation, it offers a test at www.doyoulikeprogress.org.
Another global survey, done for the American consulting
firm siegel+gale, shows what consumers now demand
from technological advances: 70 percent of people are
more likely to recommend a product or service if it pro-
vides a simple experience and communication. More than
a third are willing to pay extra for that experience.
The firm ranks companies on a “simplicity index,” based on
consumer feedback. The top global brands in simplicity in-
clude Aldi, Google, Lidl, McDonald’s, Netflix, IKEA and Ama-
zon. Such firms try to remove the fear and uncertainty in their
services and products, making sure their wares are transpar-
ent and organized, saving time and empowering consumers.
“(L)et your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred
or a thousand,” wrote Henry David Thoreau in his book
“Walden,” which extolled the merits of simplicity. Institu-
tions, too, are being forced to learn what many individuals
have long sought in an era of constant change. And eternal
values, such as caring for others — including customers —
haven’t changed. There’s no app for those.
—Christian Science Monitor
PUBLIC AGENDA
Public Agenda is a listing of upcoming meetings for gov-
ernmental and nongovernmental agencies in Polk County.
To submit a meeting, send it at least two weeks before the
actual meeting date to the Itemizer-Observer via fax (503-
623-2395) or email (kholland@polkio.com).
—
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173.
MONDAY, FEB. 2
• Central School District Board of Directors — 6:30 p.m.,
Henry Hill Education Support Center, 750 S. Fifth St., Independ-
ence. 503-838-0030.
• Dallas City Council — 7 p.m., City Hall, 187 SE Court St., Dal-
las. 503-831-3502.
• Independence Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Independ-
ence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212.
TUESDAY, FEB. 3
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173.
• Dallas Urban Renewal District Advisory Committee —
5:30 p.m., City Hall, 187 SE Court St., Dallas. 503-831-3502.
• Monmouth City Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144 S.
Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0722.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173.
• Monmouth Historic Commission — 6 p.m., Volunteer Hall,
144 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0722.
• Monmouth Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Volunteer
Hall, 144 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0722.
GOVERNOR
Gov. John Kitzhaber (Dem.)
160 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-378-4582
Email: via website,
http://governor.oregon.gov/
—
STATE LEGISLATORS
Sen. Arnie Roblan
(District 5, Democrat)
S-417 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
sen.arnieroblan@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/roblan
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Safety levy would
create hardships
Polk County ranked sixth
highest in Oregon out of 36
counties for effective tax
rates in fiscal year 2013-
2014, according to the Ore-
gon Department of Revenue.
According to the Oregon
Employment Department,
Polk County is in the lowest
of four categories for per
capita personal income.
Now, the proposed Polk
County public safety levy
could add 45 cents (per
$1,000) to the effective tax
rate, moving Polk County up
to the second highest in the
state. The 45 cents per
$1,000 is a whopping 35 per-
cent increase.
Our current total tax rate
when you include the coun-
ty road bond is $2.26 per
$1,000 of assessed value, not
the $1.72 quoted at public
hearings (quoted as the per-
manent tax rate). And if this
levy were to pass, the next
time they want a levy, the
same $1.72 figure can be
quoted by this logic as it is
being presented as a five-
year levy (temporary, not
permanent).
The tax burden is espe-
cially onerous to low income
homeowners as it takes a
greater percentage of their
income. The economic stress
on families may indeed con-
tribute to the need for more
government social and pub-
lic safety services to solve
problems caused by govern-
ment in the first place.
Public safety takes a
whopping 63.72 percent of
the general fund, according
to the 2014-2015 published
Polk County budget. While
we appreciate the fine work
of the district attorney, juve-
nile department and sher-
iff’s office, we need to keep
in mind that while their
• Looking for a Letter to
the Editor from a previous
issue? You can find a large
number of letters on a
large number of subjects
by searching the Itemizer-
Observer’s online archives
at www.polkio.com.
Archives go back to 2000.
salaries and retirement ben-
efits are growing, it is grow-
ing on the backs of the tax-
payer, many of whom are
still suffering from the ef-
fects of the recession.
If they need more money,
perhaps they can find a less
critical place in the pie to
get it.
Rose Bajorins
Falls City
Humans greatest
threat to planet
The “teapublicon” party
and perhaps too many De-
mocrats seem oblivious to
the facts that viable life on
our possibly unique and
wonderful planet will cease
to exist in the foreseeable fu-
ture due to the multiple
abuses by our species.
During the last 500 mil-
lion years, Earth has had five
major extinctions, and now
we are quickly advancing
into the worst and perhaps
final one.
The many causes include
mainly the unstoppable
world population explosion,
the reality of global warming
and our exposure to un-
countable new and older
chemicals, most of which
have not been proven safe for
humans and other species.
Now, genetically engi-
neered food crops utilizing
systemic insecticides threat-
en our pollinating and most-
needed bee populations and
is also killing birds, butter-
flies, fish, etc.
Two of the neonicotinoid
insecticides now used are
banned in the European
Union.
Fortunately, many world
seed banks exist, so that
when and if GMOs destroy
our food supplies they can
be restored naturally.
Walden Joura
Dallas
Area senior center
extends invitation
I would like to send out a
special invitation to all Dal-
las residents 60 years and
older to join the Dallas Area
Senior Center.
The fee is only $15 per
year. We have wellness class-
es to improve your health. We
have games, play cards and
dancing. We have craft day,
which is lots of fun. We have
movie day once a month
with free popcorn, and
homemade soup and bread
after the movie for only $2.
We go to Spirit Mountain
Casino once a month. We go
on the bus once a month to a
fun place and have lunch.
We have received a grant
to build a new senior center,
and will be starting to build
it soon. Join the senior cen-
ter and be the first to be in
the new building to enjoy all
the fun we will be having.
We have a monthly
newsletter that we mail out
to all members so you can
be part of all the fun we
have.
Stop by the Dallas Senior
Center at 955 SE Jefferson St.
(we are next to the library)
and have a friendly cup of
coffee with the volunteers
here at the center or call
503-623-8554. We would
love to hear from you.
Sen. Jackie Winters
(District 10, Republican)
S-301 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1710
sen.jackiewinters@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/winters
Sen. Brian Boquist
(District 12, Republican)
S-305 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1712
sen.brianboquist@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/boquist
Rep. David Gomberg
(District 10, Democrat)
H-471 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1410
rep.davidgomberg@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg
Rep. Paul Evans
(District 20, Democrat)
H-281 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1420
rep.paulevans@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/evans
Rep. Mike Nearman
(District 23, Republican)
H-378 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1423
rep.mikenearman@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/nearman
—
U.S. CONGRESS
Sen. Ron Wyden (Dem.)
221 Dirksen SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-5244
Fax: 202-228-2717
Salem office: 707 13th St. SE,
Suite 285, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-589-4555
Email: via website,
www.wyden.senate.gov
Judy Reid, president
Dallas Senior Center
WANT TO WRITE A LETTER?
Letters to the editor are lim-
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will be edited.
Election-related letters of all
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Writers are limited to one elec-
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The deadline for letters to the
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—
Reach us at:
Mail: Editor, Polk County
Itemizer-Observer, P.O. Box 108,
Dallas, OR 97338.
Fax: 503-623-2395.
Email: ionews@polkio.com.
Office: 147 SE Court St., Dallas.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (Dem.)
313 Hart SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-3753
Fax: 202-228-3997
Salem office: 495 State St. SE,
Suite 330, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-362-8102
Email: via website,
www.merkley.senate.gov
Rep. Kurt Schrader (Dem.)
108 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5711
Fax: 202-225-5699
Salem office: 544 Ferry St. SE,
Suite 2, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-588-9100
Fax: 503-588-5517
Email: via website,
www.schrader.house.gov
—
POLK COUNTY
Board of Commissioners
850 Main St.
Dallas, OR 97338
Phone: 503-623-8173
www.co.polk.or.us
—
CITIES
Dallas
187 SE Court St.
Dallas, OR 97338
503-623-2338
www.ci.dallas.or.us
Falls City
299 Mill St.
Falls City, OR 97344
503-787-3631
www.fallscityoregon.gov
Independence
555 S. Main St.
Independence, OR 97351
503-838-1212
www.ci.independence.or.us
Monmouth
151 W. Main St.
Monmouth, OR 97361
503-838-0722
www.ci.monmouth.or.us
HOW TO REACH US
Vol. 140, No. 4
(USPS) - 437-380)
The official newspaper of Polk County • Serving Polk County families since 1875
Winner of 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 General Excellence Awards
from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
Periodicals postage paid at
Dallas, OR, Independence, OR and Monmouth, OR.
Published weekly at 147 SE Court Street
Dallas, Oregon 97338
Phone: 503-623-2373 Fax: 503-623-2395
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Polk County — One Year $27
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POSTMASTER:
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The Polk County Itemizer-Observer assumes no financial responsibility for errors in adver-
tisements. It will, however, reprint without charge for the portion of an advertisement
which is in error if the Itemizer-Observer is at fault.
NEWSROOM
Nancy Adams ...............Publisher ...........................................................................nadams@polkio.com
Kurt Holland..................Managing Editor...........................................................kholland@polkio.com
Lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com
Jolene Guzman............Dallas/Falls City/Polk County Reporter ................jguzman@polkio.com
Emily Mentzer ..............Monmouth/Independence Reporter ..................ementzer@polkio.com
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