A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Overtime rule
promises more
than it will deliver
T
he president wants
to change the rules
on when workers are
eligible for overtime pay. And
as with attempts to increase the
minimum wage, he wrongly
assumes that government
can increase worker income
E\¿DWZKHUHWKHUHLVQR
corresponding increase in
economic output.
The Fair Labor Standards
Act mandates that hourly
wage earners be paid time-
and-a-half when they work
more than 40 hours in a
regular work week. The act
exempts salaried and some
hourly workers — managers,
executives, administrative
staff and professionals — from
receiving overtime if they meet
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are paid at least $455 a week.
That’s $23,660 a year.
The criteria, including
the wage levels, are set
by Department of Labor
regulations. The president
wants to increase the minimum
salary to $970 per week, or
$50,440. The president also
proposes mechanisms that
would increase that minimum
automatically over time.
The administration said
as many as 5 million U.S.
workers will become eligible
for overtime under the rule,
and will collectively receive
more than $1.2 billion in extra
earnings.
“It’s one of the single most
important steps we can take
to help grow middle-class
wages,” the president said.
A lobster in every pot, and a
unicorn in every garage. While
it makes a great headline,
unless the president is writing
checks he can’t guarantee
anyone a pay raise.
The operative word in all of
this is “eligible.”
Though many politicians
would have us believe
otherwise, businesses don’t
have a magic pot of money
WKDW¿OOVXSWRPHHWQHZ
government mandates. And
they don’t employ people
as part of a social welfare
scheme, but to accomplish
work that contributes to the
SUR¿WDELOLW\RIWKHEXVLQHVV
Aren’t there some
employers who take advantage
and classify workers as
“exempt” just to cheat
them out of overtime? Yes,
unfortunately, there are. But
most employers are fair, and
try to offer pay competitive in
the local market commensurate
with the duties performed.
This mandate raises no
new revenue, delivers no
new customers, produces no
additional goods or services.
So rather than get a pay
increase, most workers will
probably see their base wage
fall so that everything remains
equal.
The assistant manager
working 50 hours now and
making $35,000 as a salaried
employee will still work 50
hours and make $35,000 as an
hourly employee.
And if it did the math on its
RZQ¿JXUHVWKHDGPLQLVWUDWLRQ
knows this. That $1.2 billion
in extra wages averages out to
$240 per new eligible worker.
Hardly the stuff that middle
class dreams are made of.
All Americans could use
more money in their paycheck.
But most Americans are
smart enough to know that
won’t happen unless there’s
more money coming into the
business. Too bad the president
and his advisers haven’t
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W HERE TO WRITE
Washington, D.C.
The White House, 1600 Pennsyl-
vania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C.
20500; Phone-comments: 202-456-
1111; Switchboard: 202-456-1414.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516
+DUW 6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVK-
ington D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-
224-5244. Email: wayne_kinney@
wyden.senate.gov Website: http://
wyden.senate.gov Fax: 202-228-
2717.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D — 313
+DUW 6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVK-
ington D.C. 20510?. Phone: 202-224-
3753. Email: senator@merkley.sen-
ate.gov. Fax: 202-228-3997. Oregon
RI¿FHVLQFOXGH2QH:RUOG7UDGH&HQ-
ter, 121 S.W. Salmon St., Suite 1250,
Portland, OR 97204; and 310 S.E.
Second St., Suite 105, Pendleton, OR
97801. Phone: 503-326-3386; 541-
278-1129. Fax: 503-326-2990.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R — (Sec-
ond District) 1404 Longworth Build-
ing, Washington D.C. 20515. Phone:
202-225-6730. No direct e-mail
because of spam. Website: www.
walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-
0HGIRUGRI¿FH1RUWK&HQ-
tral, Suite 112, Medford, OR 97501.
Phone: 541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-
0204.
Pending Bills: For information on
bills in Congress, Phone: 202-225-
1772.
Salem
Gov. Kate Brown, D — 254 State
Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-
378-3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Web-
site: www.governor.state.or.us/gover-
nor.html.
Oregon Legislature — State Capi-
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
tol, Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-
1180. Website: www. leg.state.or.us
(includes Oregon Constitution and
Oregon Revised Statutes).
State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario
(District: 60), Room H-475, State
Capitol, 900 Court St. N.E., Salem
OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-1460.
Email:
rep.cliffbentz@state.or.us.
Website: www.leg.state.or.us/bentz/
home.htm.
State Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R — (Dis-
trict 30) Room S-223, State Capitol,
Salem 97310. Phone: 503-986-1950.
Email: sen.tedferrioli@state.or.us.
Email: TFER2@aol.com. Phone:
541-490-6528. Website: www.leg.
state.or.us/ferrioli.
Oregon Legislative Information —
(For updates on bills, services, capitol
or messages for legislators) — 800-
332-2313.
Grant County
Grant County Courthouse — 201 S.
Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City
97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax:
541-575-2248.
Canyon City — P.O. Box 276,
Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-
0509. Fax: 541-575-0515. Email:
tocc1862@centurylink.net.
Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville
97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax:
541-987-2187. Email:?dville@ortel-
co.net
John Day — 450 E. Main St, John
Day, 97845. Phone: 541-575-0028.
Fax: 541-575-1721. Email: cityjd@
centurytel.net.
Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long
Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601.
Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@
FLW\RÀRQJFUHHNFRP
It’s time to change the
breast cancer conversation
breast cancer, especially in October,
many people are not aware that breast
cancer is not the “easy, curable can-
On the cusp of Breast Cancer
cer” it has been portrayed as by or-
Awareness Month, I’m grateful for
ganizations like Susan G. Komen for
the Cure and others.
the opportunity to check in.
Many are not aware that up to 30
I’m still above ground, as they say,
percent of early stage breast cancer
so that’s a plus.
patients will have a metastatic re-
After a year of stability on my
currence, at which point the disease
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becomes incurable. Up to 30 percent.
metastatic breast cancer (MBC), I
Unfortunately these numbers are
abruptly changed treatments because
extrapolated from early stage diagno-
those drugs were no longer effective
sis numbers and mortality statistics,
at keeping my cancer at bay.
Laura Snyder
as SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiol-
This is typical with metastatic
patients. Our treatments work until
And this was where the new orga- ogy and End Results) and most state
WKHFDQFHU¿JXUHVRXWDZD\DURXQG nization MET UP (www.metup.org) cancer registries do not track meta-
them, and we have to move on. I have was born. MBC Exchange to Unleash static recurrence at all.
As my friend Beth pointed out so
to say, I was hoping for more time on Power is modeled after ACT UP, the
WKDW¿UVWUHODWLYHO\GRDEOHUHJLPHQ
AIDS activism group, and has men- succinctly in a blog post, “If all you
want to do is to say ‘Hey you, there
This is life with mets, for all of the tored MET UP in the best of ways.
estimated 155,000 people in the U.S.
I’m not sure the organizers of this is a thing and it is called breast can-
living with this disease.
¿UVWWUDLQLQJDQWLFLSDWHGWKHVFRSHRI cer’ then yes, awareness is the right
Enough about me though. As I the die-in planned in Washington, tool.” Why would we want only that?
have become a full-time cancer pa- D.C., for Oct. 13, the day in Octo- We don’t need cute pictures of dogs
tient and lost my ability to work for a ber dedicated to MBC. 1,430 peo- in bras (For real. Check the Komen
living, I thought I would try to be of ple will lie down at the Capitol and website.)
We need education and we need
use in this, my new normal, my new “die” to symbolize the number of
occupation.
people worldwide that die of MBC money for research for a cure.
I hope to change the paradigm of
I was privileged and grateful to at- every day. Meetings with legislators
tend Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s are scheduled the day of the die-in, to breast cancer awareness in our com-
Annual Metastatic Breast Cancer demand that more federal breast can- munity to one of action and focus on
Conference this past April. Over 300 cer research funding go to MBC. We WKH WKLQJV WKDW PDWWHU OLNH VFLHQWL¿F
of us “metsters” dragged our broken have more than enough awareness. UHVHDUFKWR¿QGDFXUHDQGWUHDWPHQWV
bodies to Philadelphia to participate It’s time to work for real change and less toxic to prolong life and enhance
quality of life.
in breakout sessions and network and a cure.
Let’s maybe stop buying pink trin-
be with each other.
Many of us across the country not
Alongside the conference I was traveling to D.C. are organizing die- kets and registering for races. Money
raised this way does NOT go to re-
fortunate to be accepted into LBBC’s ins in our own communities.
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I have partnered with Astoria High VHDUFKWR¿QGDFXUH
Susan Komen died of metastat-
ing, with about 25 other participants. School to organize our own local die-
ic breast cancer, causing her sister to
These included a 24-year-old pro- in Oct. 13 as a senior project.
fessional ballerina; a 35-year-old civil
I am scheduling meetings with found Komen to raise more aware-
rights attorney and mother of young Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley ness of breast cancer. It was well in-
children, who was forced to retire; and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici’s staff- tentioned and a wonderful cause at
a 34-year-old former AIDS social ers to share with them the realities of the time. However, it has become
worker (also retired), among others, MBC and the distinct lack of research clear that the corporate partnering and
all living with MBC.
funding going to this incurable disease. marketing of stuff has taken the front
It was an amazing experience, cul-
Former Presidential candidate burner at this and other breast cancer
PLQDWLQJZLWKD³GLHLQ´RQWKHÀRRU Scott Walker said the biggest threat charities.
I’ll say it one more time. We are
of the Philadelphia Loews Hotel. 110 to American lives is radical Islamic
of us laid down to show the number terrorism. Not true. Heart disease and all aware of breast cancer. It’s time to
of people dying from MBC every day cancer are actually the biggest threats change the conversation to curing it.
Laura Snyder lives in Astoria and
in the United States. There was a eu- to American lives. Federal dollars
was diagnosed with breast cancer in
logy, a somber silence and a sense of need to go to medical research.
the surreal.
Because of the “pinkwashing” of 2012.
By Laura Snyder
For EO Media Group
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
We have a great
service in our area
To the Editor:
We live in one of the most beau-
tiful and special counties in Oregon.
We need to be grateful and appre-
ciative of what we have in Grant
County.
The People Mover is a great as-
set to our county and beyond. They
go out of their way, within reason,
to accommodate the traveler.
I had a lady friend who lived
with me for a while. There were a
IHZWLPHVVKHZRXOGÀ\IURP5HG-
mond to Portland. The People Mov-
er would pick her up at my home,
take her to the airport and help her
with her luggage. On her return
trip, they again would pick her up
and bring her back. That always
a schedule to keep, I felt I needed to
drive to Pendleton to get her. But,
I decided to call the People Mover
RI¿FHWRWHOOWKHPDERXWWKHODWHDU-
ULYDO7KHRI¿FHFRQWDFWHGWKHGULYHU
and said he would go back and pick
her up. He delivered her to my door
and helped with her luggage, too.
Where else in Oregon or any-
where could you get this kind of ser-
vice? All of our People Mover driv-
ers are friendly, accommodating and
willing to make your trip on their
bus pleasant.
We are blessed to have such an
accommodating transportation ser-
vice as our People Mover. We also
need to respect, protect and be so
grateful we live right here at this
time.
Bonnie Hester
Mt. Vernon
L
etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but
longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters. Submissions to this
page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous
letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. We must limit all contributors to one letter per person per
month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
amazed me! Where else could you
¿QGVXFKVHUYLFH"
Recently a dear friend from
Portland was coming to visit me on
a Tuesday.
Our People Mover goes to Pend-
leton and Washington on Tuesdays.
The arrival of the Greyhound bus in
Pendleton was scheduled to arrive
at 4:30 p.m. and the People Mover
was returning through Pendleton at
4:40 p.m. A perfectly timed con-
QHFWLRQWREULQJKHUWR0W9HUQRQ
and the People Mover was willing
to pick her up from the Greyhound
bus stop.
I received a phone call at 4:40
p.m. from my friend that the bus
had left Portland an hour late and
was still 35-40 minutes from Pend-
leton.
Knowing the People Mover has
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