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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 2016)
State Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, June 22, 2016 A9 Brown declines traditional summer debate with Pierce By Paris Achen Capital Bureau SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown has declined to partic- ipate a July 22 debate that has been longstanding tradition for candidates in the race for Oregon governor. The debate, organized and moderated by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Asso- ciation, has typically ushered in general election campaign season for the past 30 years. “It is disappointing be- cause she was not elected in by the voters, so it seems un- fair for voters to miss out on this opportunity,” said Laurie Hieb, ONPA executive direc- tor. Brown gave no specif- ic reason for skipping the 90-minute debate, which is typically streamed live on newspaper websites and re- ported in news stories. “The governor is looking forward to debates and forums as soon as the fall arrives, but IP28 Continued from Page A1 that are so low — the low- est in the country — that our schools and critical services are badly underfunded,” their website states. Hart said far more than 1,051 businesses will be af- fected, however, by the “pyr- amid” effect of the tax. A restaurant may not have more than $25 million in sales, she said, but still be hit by higher prices on utilities, ingredients and equipment they purchase from companies that do fall under IP28. The Legislative Revenue Ofice’s report estimates the law will result in 38,200 jobs lost in the private sector but 17,700 added in the public sector, for a net decrease of 20,500 jobs statewide. A list of businesses that will be taxed is not public re- cord, but Paciic Power has already stated publicly that it would see its tax bill raised by $40 million per year and would have to raise rates 3-4 percent to cover the cost. EO Media Group Gov. Kate Brown has declined to participate a July 22 debate that has been longstanding tradition for candidates in the race for Oregon governor. right now she is focused on her oficial duties,” said Liz Accola Meunier, Brown’s campaign spokeswoman. Republican gubernatorial nominee Bud Pierce agreed The gross receipts tax pro- posed in IP28 is not a “sales tax” in the traditional sense of the word. Consumers will not see, for example, a 5-cent tax added directly to their $2 gallon of milk. But if the farm where the milk was produced, the plant where the milk was packaged and the store where the milk was sold are class C corporations with at least $25 million gross sales, they will each have to hand over 2.5 percent of their sales to the government — in effect taxing the same milk multiple times. Hart pointed out that the tax is on sales, not proit, which means that a business must pay the same amount whether it is making huge proits or losing money. She said that IP28 is be- ing marketed as an increase in money for schools, seniors and health care, but once the money is in the general fund it can be used for anything. “There’s no plan, no ac- countability for how that mon- ey will be spent,” she said. “In the bigger picture, I couldn’t agree more that schools need to the debate the same day ONPA extended the invita- tion, Hieb said. Hieb initially said that be- fore declining the invitation, Brown’s campaign asked more money, but tax policy does not belong on a ballot measure.” The coalitions being formed on both sides of IP28 show the ballot measure is shaping up to be a ight be- tween public employee unions and businesses. A report from Oregon’s Ofice of Economic Anal- ysis, obtained in draft form and published online by The Oregonian, estimates that the average Oregon-based corpo- ration affected currently pays $200,000 in taxes but will see their tax raised to $2.2 million by IP28, while the average qualifying business based out- side of Oregon pays $300,000 under current law and would pay $3 million under IP28. A Class C Corporation is taxed on its net income and then shareholders are taxed separately on distributions. An alternative is to become an S corporation, for which proits are taxed just once at the shareholder level. C cor- porations can convert to S corporations, but only if they have fewer than 100 share- holders. ODOT asks for moratorium on oil trains By Paris Achen Capital Bureau SALEM — The Oregon Department of Transporta- tion has asked the federal government to put a mor- atorium on oil trains in the Columbia Gorge and certain other parts of the state over concerns about inadequate inspections. The request follows the oil train derailment in Mosier June 3, which sparked a ire, forced the evacuation of 100 people and spilled oil into the ground and the city’s sewer system. Union Paciic oficials have concluded that the metal fastener system that connects the railroad tie to the rail failed, causing the railway to break apart and derailing 16 oil tanker cars. The federal railroad admin- istration is conducting its own investigation into the cause. Inspections and tests by the state and Union Paciic in the days leading up to the de- railment failed to reveal the defects. whether the governor could get a copy of the questions in advance, which ONPA de- clined. But an email chain with Hieb provided by Brown’s campaign shows that Mi- chael Kolenc, Brown’s cam- paign manager, actually asked whether the questions would be reviewed by a committee. “Do you happen to have a list of the editor and publisher members? Do their questions need to be reviewed by a com- mittee?” Kolenc wrote. The campaign also asked who would be asking the ques- tions, and Hieb said she didn’t yet know. The campaign then declined the invitation. “We were told she needs to focus on her ‘oficial duties,’” Hieb said. “I emailed her cam- paign manager back and asked, do you have a minute to discuss on the phone, and he didn’t re- ply.” Pierce, a Salem oncologist, said the governor’s excuse is “very weak.” “I am still practicing med- icine as I run,” Pierce said. “I am focused on taking care of patients with cancer and blood diseases and running for ofice, State issues inal rules implementing new minimum wage law By Paris Achen Capital Bureau Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries inalized new minimum wage rules Wednes- day, requiring employers to pay a regional rate based on where the employee works more than 50 percent of the time. The rules are a compromise between a proposal favored by labor groups and requests by business groups to base the rate on where the employer is located. “I appreciate that both in- dustry associations and mini- mum wage advocates stepped up to advise our agency’s rulemaking process,” said La- bor Commissioner Brad Avaki- an in a statement. “As Oregon raises its minimum wage for more than a hundred thousand workers next month, we hope that the rules will provide fair- ness to workers and employers alike.” The Legislature in February boosted minimum wage rates and set a schedule for increas- es with three different regional rates, based in part on the area’s cost of living and income lev- els. Proposed rules that deined location of itinerant employ- ees required employers to pay different rates if an employee worked in a different region for four hours or more. Business groups opposed the rules because they said it re- quired onerous recordkeeping. Under the inal rules, no additional recordkeeping is required for most employers, said Charlie Burr, labor bureau spokesman. When an employ- ee works in multiple regions the majority of the time, the employer may choose whether to pay the employee the highest rate or to track the employee’s hours by location and pay them different rates according to where they worked. Delivery workers who re- port to and from the same loca- tion will be paid the rate of the region where they report. Betsy Earls, vice president and counsel of Associated Or- egon Industries, said the inal rules are an improvement from what was originally proposed, but the guidelines still have shortcomings. “Those are huge strides, so June 25th and 26th, 2016 INVITATION Your Rural Fa mily Health Clinic Grant County Be our welcomed guest. Celebrate local community tradition. The western style, name, theme and food is returned. Enjoy free ice cream, coffee or popcorn. Enter the free raffle to win one of three grand prizes. HEALTH Department 528 E. Main, St. E, John Day 24 hrs/7 days wk debbie.ausmus@ countryfinancial.com Services Provided: Karen Triplett, FNP 541-575-1113 much better,” Earls said. Earls argued that lawmak- ers intended employer location to mean the location where the employee reports to work, rath- er than different pay based on where employees go during the day. She said exempting delivery workers and not other workers that work in multiple locations from the rules doesn’t make sense. The labor bureau will hold a series of seminars to help em- ployers comply with the new rules. The irst-of-its-kind law takes effect July 1, bumping up the state’s minimum wage from $9.25 to $9.75 in urban counties, and $9.50 in rural counties. In 2017, wage increases will further diverge according to region. In rural areas such as Grant County, the wage gradu- ally climbs to $12.50 in 2022. SILVER SPUR CAFE HOMECOMING Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm Debbie Ausmus 245 South Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845 OPEN WED. & THUR. 9 am - 5 pm so we are all busy.” “It’s obvious she doesn’t want to be there to answer ques- tions,” Pierce said. “We know she is the incumbent and feels she is the strong favorite. It might be a good political move as the incumbent, but it is very disrespectful to the Democratic process. If you are the leader of the state, Oregonians want to know what you are thinking and to take hard questions.” Republican Chris Dudley, a former NBA player who ran for governor in 2010, may be the only other gubernatorial candidate from a major party who has opted out of the event, according to the ONPA. Instead of a debate, the as- sociation has given Pierce 30 minutes to present and answer questions during the associa- tion’s convention July 22 at the Oregon Garden. The conven- tion also includes a presenta- tion on a controversial corpo- rate sales tax measure on the November general election ballot. • Primary Care • Acute Care • Women’s Health Exams • Men and Children Exams • Immunizations • Family Planning • Contraception • Pregnancy Testing & Referrals • HIV Testing & Referrals • Cacoon • WIC • High Risk Infants • Maternity Case Management Grant County Health Department does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activitie s, or in employment. Appointments available Mount Vernon, Oregon THE SILVER SPUR CAFE 541-932-4545 Call and schedule your appointment today! TOLL FREE 888-443-9104 or 541-575-0429 04050 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The Blue Mountain Eagle, a family-owned weekly newspaper in a stunningly beautiful Oregon community, is seeking an energetic, dedicated reporter. Topics include forest health, logging, public lands grazing, water supply, wildlife habitat improvements and wildfire resilience in addition to coverage of small-town life and local government. The Eagle is located in John Day, Oregon, just three hours from Bend and Pendleton. The community is at the center of an evolving natural resource restoration economy, which gains statewide and even national attention. The location offers year-round recreational opportunities, including backpacking, camping, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling and horseback riding. Serving the community for 146 years, the Eagle is the oldest weekly newspaper in Eastern Oregon and is part of EO Media Group, an award-winning and innovative news organization with an active family of owners. This position offers excellent advancement opportunities in a company that prefers to hire from within. EO Media Group owns 11 newspapers and 17 websites that provide accurate, fair and timely reporting about the people and issues impacting the communities we serve in the Pacific Northwest, reflecting the responsibility and spirit of a free press. We seek a journalist who is passionate about local news and excited about the opportunity to publish in print, online and with social media. Candidates must be able to develop story ideas, take photographs, develop sources, prepare website and social media updates and work in a cooperative team environment. Journalistic integrity is a must. Journalism education or experience is required for this full-time position offering health and retirement benefits. Send resume, letter of interest and several clips of (or links to) your work to EO Media Group, P.O. Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308-2048; by fax to 503-371-2935; or by email to hr@eomediagroup.com FRIDAY, JUNE 24TH 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Old West Federal Credit Union The event is open to the community with Secure Shredding provided by Accu shred of La Grande