Polk County
Voices
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 27, 2017 4a
How to
Contact
Officials
EDITORIALS
Getting to a
sales-tax state
Oregonians, long proud of having no sales tax, now have
two point-of-sales taxes — and one that rides the border of
being such a tax.
In addition to the 17 percent state sales tax and 3 percent
city sales tax on recreational marijuana enacted in 2017,
the Legislature has decided that things associated with
transportation need to include sales tax.
On new bicycles that cost more than $200 — a figure low
enough to include the majority of new bikes — a $15 point-
of-sales tax will go toward the state’s transportation fund.
New cars also get a sales tax, but in some cases the deal-
er will have to pay, so this is the new tax that borders on
being a true sales tax.
The Legislature also has increased income taxes through
a transit tax, at one-10th of 1 percent.
Polk County cities have long said they need more money
for streets. We hope some of these new sales taxes and in-
come tax will trickle down to the cities we live in.
As the Legislature’s transportation package collects
money, we hope our state will make good use of it by
widening highways that need to be made wider and
repaving roads that need repaving.
The bigger picture here is a slippery slope we see coming
in the form of these sales taxes. You may not smoke recre-
ational marijuana, so that sales tax doesn’t affect you. You
won’t be purchasing a new car or bicycle for a while, so you
won’t think about that one, either.
If Oregon’s elected leaders continue to add sales taxes to
items slowly, it won’t be long before all of Oregonians are in
the boiling pot of sales taxes — no longer getting a penny
back on a 99 cent item.
Nearly all the states have a sales tax in one form or an-
other, so maybe it isn’t the end of the world. But it is one of
those things that Oregonians feel strongly about, and we
wonder why no one is complaining as the heat is slowly
turned up on these point-of-sales taxes.
What will be the next thing the Legislature will add taxes
to, and no one will really complain? Fast food? Specialty
coffees? We’ll see.
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
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dallas wrestling
has successful
fundraiser
Dallas High School. We also
have home dual meets on
Jan. 18 and Feb. 1.
Hope to see you there.
The Dallas High School
Wrestling team just
wrapped up another suc-
cessful poinsettia fundrais-
er.
This annual tradition al-
lows us to purchase gear for
the team, and this means a
lot to us.
We would like to thank
everyone who supported us
by buying poinsettias, espe-
cially Dallas Retirement Vil-
lage and Capitol Auto
Group.
We invite you to come
and watch us in action this
winter.
On Jan. 6, we will host the
Janet Brunner Invitational at
Treve Earhart
Dallas High School Wrestling
Dallas
End of contract
means less FCFD
response
I am writing this letter to
inform the rural residents
that live around Falls City
that Falls City Fire Depart-
ment, as of Jan. 1, 2018, is
no longer contracted with
Southwest Fire District to re-
spond to fire or medical
calls.
This has been a 70-year
partnership that we have
been able to help you, our
neighbors, out in your time
of need.
We will still respond if
Southwest requests our
help, but unfortunately the
Falls City Fire Department
equipment is designed for
responding to city infra-
structure type calls.
We will make every effort
to respond and show up to
help in your time of need,
but until we gear up with
new equipment to replace
the equipment that South-
west pulled, we will not be
able to help on some of the
calls.
It has been my honor
helping our neighbors, and
we regret that the long part-
nership has ended.
Chief Bob Young,
Falls City Fire Department
Falls City
EDITORIALS
Plan ahead, designate
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 email
(ionews@polkio.com).
—
wEDnESDaY, DEC. 27
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
THURSDaY, DEC. 28
• Monmouth-independence networks Board of Direc-
tors — 7:30 a.m., Henry Hill Education Support Center, 750 S.
Fifth St., Independence. 503-837-0700.
• Mid-Valley Behavioral Care network — 3 p.m., 550
Hawthorne Drive SE, Suite 140, Salem. 503-585-4935.
TUESDaY, Jan. 2, 2018
• Monmouth City Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144
Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
wEDnESDaY, Jan. 3, 2018
• Monmouth Historic Commission — 6 p.m., Volunteer
Hall, 144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Monmouth Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Volunteer
Hall, 144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
Driving drunk is never
OK. During the holidays, it
may get more difficult. You
may not think you’re drunk
when you are.
You may think you only
had one or two drinks, not
realizing that driving buzzed
is the same as driving
drunk.
Your reactions are dulled,
and next thing you know,
you could be involved in a
fatal collision, one that
could have been avoided if
you’d handed your keys to a
designated driver.
Don’t be that person who
thinks you are sober enough
to drive after a holiday en-
gagement.
Instead, be the one who
offers to abstain from drink-
ing so you can make sure
everyone else gets home
safely.
At the very least, go to the
party prepared with a few
phone numbers of local taxi
companies.
Arrange other transporta-
tion home, or ask to spend
the night wherever you are.
Driving under the influ-
ence will get you hefty fines,
possibly get your license re-
voked, and you’ll have a lot
of hoops to jump through to
get it back.
But that’s not the main
reason to avoid getting be-
hind the wheel when you’ve
been drinking or smoking
marijuana.
The real reason can be
seen on the faces of those
around you, the ones you
pass on the street or see at
your local market.
Your neighbors, family
and friends is why it is im-
portant to not drive drunk.
It’s for their safety — and
yours — that it is so impor-
tant to make alternate plans
when you decide to include
alcohol or legal, recreational
drugs into your celebra-
tions.
We’re hoping you all had a
very Merry Christmas, and
we wish you a Happy New
Year, filled with hope and
love in all your endeavors.
Drive safely and soberly,
and remember that no text
is so important that you
must answer it while you
operate a vehicle.
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
WANT TO WRITE A LETTER?
Letters to the editor are lim-
ited to 300 words. Longer letters
will be edited.
Election-related letters of all
types are limited to 100 words.
Writers are limited to one elec-
tion-related letter per election
season. Election letters from
writers outside of Polk County
are not accepted.
Each writer is restricted to
one letter per 30-day period.
Letters that are libelous, ob-
scene or in bad taste will not be
printed. Attacks by name on
businesses or individuals will
not be printed.
Letters to the editor that are
obvious promotions for a busi-
ness, products or services will
not be printed.
The Itemizer-Observer does
not guarantee the accuracy of
facts presented by letter writers;
dissenters are welcome to re-
spond. Letter writers who dis-
agree with other published
letter writers should maintain a
civil discourse and address the
subject, not the author.
Letters, like all editorial mate-
rial submitted to the newspaper,
are edited for length, grammar
and content.
Letters must include the au-
thor’s name, address and tele-
phone number. This includes
letters submitted via the I-O’s
website. Names and cities of res-
idence are published; street ad-
dresses and telephone numbers
are used for verification pur-
poses only.
Letters must be submitted
from individuals, not organiza-
tions, and must be original sub-
missions to the I-O, not copies of
letters sent to other media.
Letters of thanks to busi-
nesses, individuals and organi-
zations are limited to 10 names.
The deadline for letters to the
editor is 10 a.m. Monday. Let-
ters submitted may not be re-
tractable after this deadline.
—
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: 161 High St. SE,
Suite 250, 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
nEwSROOM
Emily Mentzer ..............Editor/Monmouth/Independence Reporter ....ementzer@polkio.com
Vol. 142, No. 52
(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
Lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com
Jolene Guzman............Dallas/Falls City/Polk County Reporter ................jguzman@polkio.com
DiSPLaY aDVERTiSing
Heidi Leppin .................Display Advertising Manager (ext.115).................hleppin@polkio.com
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Polk County — One Year $35
Other Oregon Counties — One Year $40
Outside of Oregon — One Year $45
POSTMaSTER:
Send address changes to: Polk County itemizer-Observer, P.O. Box 108, Dallas, Oregon 97338
Karen Sanks...................Client Services (ext. 118)...............................................ksanks@polkio.com
CLaSSiFiED LinE aDVERTiSing
Dawn Ohren .....................................................................................................................ioads@polkio.com
PRODUCTiOn
Kathy Huggins ..............................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com
Karyn Pressel .................................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com
The Polk County Itemizer-Observer assumes no financial responsibility for errors in advertise-
ments. It will, however, reprint without charge for the portion of an advertisement
which is in error if the Itemizer-Observer is at fault.
web: www.polkio.com
Phone: 503-623-2373
Fax: 503-623-2395