Polk County
Voices
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 7, 2015 4A
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Property tax
increases unfair
As inhabitants of Meadow
Creek Village, a 55-plus sen-
ior citizen community in
Dallas, we have just re-
ceived a letter from the Polk
County Tax Assessors Office
stating a 56 percent tax in-
crease for personal proper-
ty. Is it legal for the tax as-
sessor to arbitrarily raise the
personal property taxes by
56 percent in one 55-plus
manufactured home com-
munity?
Manufactured homes lose
value over the years, they do
not increase in value. I did
not realize that the value of
a home would increase just
because in this inflated so-
ciety, people sell at higher
prices and sometimes get
what they ask.
We bought our home a
year ago in July, a 20-year-
old home. We paid $46,500
for it, and a year later, the
Polk County Tax Assessor
decides our home is worth
$56,000. This is ridiculous.
We certainly couldn’t sell it
for that much, even the ap-
pliances are 20 years old.
Ten percent would be bad
enough, but 56 percent is
ridiculous, and I understand
some will have to pay even
higher than 56 percent.
My wife has ALS (Amy-
otrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
and many of the other sen-
iors in this community have
serious health issues. Surely
the tax assessor should take
this into consideration. A
nearly double tax bill will hit
us and many others very
hard.
We are a community of
senior citizens, living on
fixed incomes. We were told
retired people were appreci-
ated in this area; I think not.
A nearly double tax bill
will hit us and many others
very hard. We feel this is dis-
crimination against us as a
community and as senior
citizens.
Someone needs to look
into this discrimination.
David and Katherine Hall
Dallas
Carelessness
caused fire
In the early evening of
Aug. 24, a fire broke out at
the Delbert Hunter Arbore-
tum. Over 2,500 square feet
of creek-bank space was
devastated by the blaze.
Firstly, a huge thank you
me through the years. They
have helped me and walked
beside me while I have faced
many challenges academical-
ly and personally. Again I urge
you to honor their request for
a new contract.
Alexis Buckholz
Monmouth
How do we stop
the presumptions?
and well done is due the
Dallas Volunteer Fire De-
partment for its very quick
response. Its timely and ex-
pert reaction prevented
more extensive damage.
Our across-the-creek neigh-
bors who called to report
the fire also deserve thanks
and a pat on the back.
Several trees and shrubs
were damaged, as well as
grasses. The grass is already
coming back in a display of
nature’s resilience. The area
will be left as it is as: an ex-
ample of what can happen
as a result of human care-
lessness and as a showcase
of how nature deals with
setbacks.
The entire arboretum is
designated as a “no-smok-
ing” area. We hope to have
signs to emphasize that fact
in the very near future.
We encourage interested
parties to visit the arbore-
tum to see the burned area,
as well as the rest of our dis-
play of plants native to Ore-
gon. Visitors with mobility
problems can arrange a
golf-cart tour by calling Paul
Mannen at 503-623-4845.
Paul Mannen
Dallas
Mental health
needs boost
The recent tragedy at
Umpqua Community Col-
lege reveals that the perpe-
trator did not have a history
of crime. He did not have a
documented history of
mental illness. His guns and
ammo were all bought
legally. What law could we
possibly pass to stop future
massacres?
The gun debate has again
risen to a national priority.
We point fingers at the NRA,
the hunters, the collectors,
and the manufacturers.
It takes the willingness of
a human operator to make
a gun deadly. They do not
work independently of one
another.
Chicago, Illinois and
Washington, D.C., have the
strictest gun laws in the
country and the highest in-
cident of gun violence.
Criminals target gun-free
zones such as schools and
theaters. They provide an
unarmed prey base for vio-
lent criminals.
Addressing mental health
in this country is certainly
one of the main concerns.
We have lived without avail-
ability for 30 years now.
People cannot afford $100
to $200 an hour for a psy-
chiatrist. Mental health
needs to be available and
affordable. But it’s not. Who
is talking about it?
Who do you know right
now that has a creepy kid
living in their basement that
has a fascination with vio-
lence? Parents beware and
be aware.
Violent entertainment
has become a mainstay,
from movies to video
games.
Are we allowing our
youth to become desensi-
tized to violence? Some
would say, “Absolutely.”
We don’t want to get in-
volved. We turn a blind eye.
Parents no longer want to
parent.
Chris Mercer, James
Holmes both kept journals
with clear evidence of their
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 (ionews@polkio.com).
—
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7
• 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.
THURSDAY, OCT. 8
• Polk County Fire District No. 1 Board — 6 p.m., Central
Station 90, 1800 Monmouth St., Independence. 503-838-1510.
• Luckiamute Watershed Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall,
144 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-837-0237.
• Falls City City Council — 7:30 p.m., Falls City Community
Center, 320 N. Main St., Falls City. 503-787-3631.
MONDAY, OCT. 12
• Southwest Polk Fire – 7 p.m., Rickreall Fire Station,
TUESDAY, OCT. 13
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173.
• Independence City Council — 7:30 p.m., Independence
Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212.
intentions to do harm.
Who’s to blame? We are.
Take a look around. Get in-
volved. Risk not being pop-
ular to your kid. Tell some-
one. Read his journal. Read
her diary. It’s our responsi-
bility to know what is going
on in their lives.
Cindy Birko
Dallas
Teachers deserve
fair contract
I am currently a senior at
Central High School. I have
been a student in the Cen-
tral School District since
Kindergarten. My teachers
have always been extremely
dedicated, caring, and com-
mitted to their profession. I
am aware how hard teach-
ers work and the many
hours they put in beyond
their paid eight hours a day.
My knowledge comes not
only from personal observa-
tions, but also because I am
from a family of teachers
and educators. In addition,
my aunt was the assistant
superintendent for this dis-
trict.
I am pleading with you to
put our teachers first. They
have been without a con-
tract for quite a while. They
deserve much more then we
possibly could pay than. I
have observed my teachers
coming to work early and
leaving late consistently. We
must remember these
teachers correct papers and
do lesson plans late into the
evening after they have put
their own families to bed.
I wouldn’t be the student
and person I am without the
teachers who have influenced
Recently, I had the sad
honor to visit the Holocaust
Museum in Washington,
D.C. It is an exceptional
telling of one of the greatest
crimes in world history.
Having read a lot of 20th
century history, not much
of the tale is new to me, but
the presentation was stun-
ning. It is impossible to
come out of the exhibit not
wondering how a culture
could do such a thing.
But, in listening to trans-
lations of speeches by Hitler,
etc., I felt I had heard this
tenor of language before. I
made the connection later
in the day when I bought a
Washington Post newspaper
and found a reminder that
Donald Trump says all Lati-
no immigrants are drug run-
ners, murderers or thieves.
Later, I was reminded of the
comment by Gov. Chris
Christi that the head of the
National Education Associa-
tion should be, “Smashed in
the mouth.” His comment is
soon followed by Dr. Ben
Carson saying that a Muslim
cannot be President of the
United States.
And so it goes. The GOP
has no valid positions on
the issues that challenge
America so their campaign
strategy is, “Be afraid; be
very afraid; those others are
coming to get us. We must
stop them.”
Republicans hate govern-
ment, but they want it to
have extraordinary powers
to control certain peoples
and tell them what to do
and how to live. This strate-
gy applies to non-whites,
immigrants, gay people,
Muslims and other reli-
gions, women and so forth.
People ask, “How can the
mass shootings keep hap-
pening in America?”
Perhaps we should start
by taking a hard look at the
discourse of some of our so-
called political leaders for
the answer.
GOVERNOR
Gov. Kate Brown (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
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 oice: 707 13th St. SE,
Suite 285, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-589-4555
Email: via website,
www.wyden.senate.gov
Fred Brown
Dallas
EDITORIALS
We are encouraged to see
local agencies and school
districts preparing for an ac-
tive shooter event like the
one that so tragically took
the lives of nine people at
Umpqua Community Col-
lege on Thursday.
Getting ready for an emer-
gency like that, if you can
ever truly be ready, takes
partnerships in the commu-
nity.
As your local newspaper,
we would like to be one of
those partners.
We hope to never have to
report on an event similar to
what Roseburg is recovering
from now, but if we must, we
want to help.
Your local reporters would
be able to do that better if
you included us in your
planning for such emergen-
cies.
We can put out informa-
tion the community needs
to know that you may not
have the time to — and with
the care you would expect
from people who live in the
communities affected.
We know it takes time to
confirm facts, especially in a
situation like this, where
lives are at stake.
But the confusion about
the age and identity of the
shooter and the number of
people killed and injured in
Roseburg is a prime example
of what we can help prevent
as the local news source.
In today’s world of the 24-
hour news cycle and social
media, rumors and outright
falsehoods will emerge al-
most immediately when
people want information.
Like what was witnessed
in Roseburg last week, local,
national and international
media organizations will de-
scend on our community. All
with a job to do informing
readers and viewers about
what has happened in their
world and lives.
It is our responsibility as
writers of the first draft of
history to name the suspect,
without glorifying his ac-
tions. It’s our responsibility
to try to reveal his motives
and answer the all impor-
tant question of why some-
thing like this could happen.
Instead of treating us like
a nuisance or necessary evil,
why not use our skills and
time for the better?
Sen. Jef Merkley (Dem.)
313 Hart SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-3753
Fax: 202-228-3997
Salem oice: 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 oice: 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. 40
(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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which is in error if the Itemizer-Observer is at fault.
NEWSROOM
Nancy Adams ...............Publisher/Editor .............................................................nadams@polkio.com
Lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com
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Emily Mentzer ..............Monmouth/Independence Reporter ..................ementzer@polkio.com
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