A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Measure 97
bails out PERS
T
he bill to provide
outsized pensions to
government workers in
Oregon is coming due.
A new report on the Public
Employees Retirement
System (PERS) says that
contributions to the fund will
need to increase $885 million
in the 2017-19 biennium.
Such massive increases are
projected for subsequent years
as well.
The increases are the result
of providing public employees
with pension benefits far
beyond Oregon’s ability to
pay.
The campaign to raise taxes
to continue this largess has
begun. Gov. Kate Brown last
week endorsed Measure 97, a
$3 billion-a-year general sales
tax increase disguised as a toll
on large corporations.
The governor said the tax
is necessary to provide stable
support for schools and other
government services. If our
governor were as transparent
as she claims to be, she would
admit the obvious: Measure
97 raises taxes to underwrite
PERS.
Gov. Brown’s smokescreen
became apparent in April.
She avoided mention of the
PERS crisis in her State of
the State address then later
told a reporter: “There isn’t a
path forward” to reform the
retirement system.
The reality is quite
different. Oregon’s Supreme
Court predictably struck
down in 2015 bipartisan
legislation that reduced
benefits already earned by
state employees. However,
the justices made clear that
future benefits could be
changed.
Among the available
options:
• Reduce the assumed
rate of return on PERS
investments. Currently,
participants are guaranteed
a 7.5 percent return. Returns
should match market rates.
• Require participants to
contribute to PERS. That’s
the case in most private-
sector retirement plans.
While public employees
are required to contribute
to a second benefits plan,
that benefit is often paid by
taxpayers via the employer.
• Change the retirement
age. The federal government
adjusted the retirement age
to protect Social Security.
Oregon should do the same.
The average state worker
retires after 22 years of
service and earns a PERS
benefit equivalent to 56
percent of their final average
salary. Those who retire after
30 years received 81 percent
of their final average salary.
Astonishingly, 7 percent of
PERS retirees earn more in
retirement benefits than they
did while working.
• Cap earning levels. Mike
Bellotti receives $513,612
annually in retirement
benefits as the former athletic
director and football coach
of the University of Oregon.
There’s no logical reason
state taxpayers should foot
the bill for such gold-plated
state workers in the future.
These reforms would
reduce the cost of PERS
and ensure its long-term
sustainability. They would
also allow our schools and
local governments to spend
more to address real needs
without raising taxes.
Instead, Gov. Brown
is doing the bidding of
Oregon’s public employee
unions, who are heavily
financing Measure 97. These
same unions are pouring
money into Brown’s election
campaign and to those of
legislative leaders.
They, not school children,
are the true beneficiaries of
Measure 97.
W HERE TO W RITE
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@centu-
rylink.net.
• Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville
97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541-
987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.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@cityofl ong-
creek.com.
• Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument
97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025.
Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net.
• Mt. Vernon — P.O. Box 647, Mt.
Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax:
541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net.
• Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie
City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax:
820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net.
• Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca
97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161.
Email: senecaoregon@gmail.com.
SALEM
• Gov. Kate Brown, D — 254 State
Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378-
3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www.
governor.state.or.us/governor.html.
• Oregon Legislature — State Capitol,
Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180.
Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes
Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised
Statutes).
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
• State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario (Dis-
trict: 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 — (District
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.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
• The White House, 1600 Pennsylva-
nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500;
Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch-
board: 202-456-1414.
• U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 Hart
Senate Offi ce Building, Washington 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 Hart
Senate Offi ce Building, Washington D.C.
20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email:
senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202-
228-3997. Oregon offi ces include One
World Trade Center, 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 — (Second
District) 1404 Longworth Building, Wash-
ington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730.
No direct email because of spam. Website:
www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774.
Medford offi ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112,
Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646.
Fax: 541-779-0204.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Forest Service is a
plus for community
To the Editor:
There is a thing in Grant County
that I do not understand. I believe
it started with the Reagan Admin-
istration. This president, the head
of government, was well known
to denounce publicly our coun-
try’s government. That never made
sense to me. This denouncement of
government has only progressed in
Grant County to the point of hatred
towards the Forest Service.
As a child in Prairie City, I saw
the Forest Service as an important
part of our social fabric. They were
the kids I went to school with, my
fi rst Boy Scout leader, close friends
and neighbors. I cannot imagine
what life would have been like
without their many contributions to
the community. Two of the closest
friends I ever had in my life were
Forest Service employees.
Those of us who worked in the
woods occasionally encountered
some really difficult bureaucrat-
ic jerks; but far and away, those
were a real minority. Off and on
through the years, I heard some
good ol’ boy or another calling
them “educated fools.” I remem-
ber my dad saying, “I don’t want
to hear you boys using that term.
A good education is something to
admire.”
In current times, the relation-
ship between the Forest Service
and some citizens has deteriorated
to an all time low. As an exam-
ple, the conflict between Sheriff
Glenn Palmer and Forest Service
Superintendent Steve Beverlin is
a disaster. To any thinking person,
it should be obvious that Bever-
lin has been the grown up in all
this. Additionally, it is a mystery
to me how some of the harsh-
est government critics cash their
government pension checks as
they spew hatred for the Forest
Service.
I know I have been all over the
board here, so let me conclude that
“Irregardless, them thar educated
fools” make better neighbors than
the government haters do.
Terry Steele
Ritter
Those who want recall
should pay for it
To the Editor:
Just read in our local paper
here in Grant County, Oregon,
that it is going cost the county
$3,000 for a recall election of a
county commissioner.
All because some people are
upset about his vote on some-
thing. As I see it, whomever the
group is that wants someone out
of office, maybe they should
pay the $3,000 up front instead
of the rest of us taxpayers who
may or may not agree with the
recall.
Eddie Smith
Prairie City
Vote no on recall
of Commissioner
Britton
To the Editor:
I’m writing in support of Coun-
ty Commissioner Boyd Britton.
I’m retired now and no longer
live in Oregon, so some may say
I lack standing in Grant County.
That said, I worked with Mr. Brit-
ton for a number of years since his
fi rst election as commissioner until
my retirement, most notably on the
Southeast Regional Alliance, and
can tell you from fi rsthand experi-
ence that Grant County has no better
advocate. Those meetings included
federal, state and other county repre-
sentatives and were sometimes con-
tentious. Mr. Britton was always a
gentleman and always put the inter-
ests of Grant County fi rst. I encour-
age the good people of Grant County
to vote “no” on the recall and keep a
good man in offi ce.
Bruce Buchanan
Walla Walla, Washington
Vote no on recall
To the Editor:
The recall of Boyd Britton is a
bad decision, based on personal in-
terpretation of events rather than an
impartial view.
First, the cost of having an in-
vestigation done on the cause and
handling of the Canyon Creek fi re
would have cost the county a great
deal of money. The time and cost to
investigate the fi re to have it come
up with the same result that you have
now is too expensive. (Example: The
Cattlemen’s Association and that
lawsuit on the Murderer’s Creek al-
lotment. How much money did that
cost, and how long did it take?) I’m
not sure what benefi t to the county
a second investigation would have
produced.
Rebuilding was the priority, and
Mr. Britton was assisting in every
way possible to help residents. I be-
lieve the vote by the three commis-
sioners was correct.
The county ordinance cited in
the petition is illegal and unenforce-
able (per OGC input). Mr. Britton
kept conversations open between
the County Court and the Forest
Service. He was willing to sit down
with the forest supervisor to discuss
issues and then take those issues to
the court for a decision. There was
no reason for him not to participate
in the discussions and/or decisions
of road closures or other FS and
county issues. (Recuse applies to
judges, prosecutors or jurors.)
The amount of work Boyd does
for the Forest Service and the amount
of money he receives for it is a drop
in the bucket of his total income.
We have confi dence in Boyd to
do the right thing at the right time.
Recalling Mr. Britton is a bad idea.
We are going to vote “no” on the re-
call. We encourage you to do the same.
Tom and Sandra Sutton
John Day
Farm Bureau supports
Commissioner Britton
To the Editor:
Grant County Farm Bureau
would like to express their support
for County Commissioner Boyd
Britton. Boyd has long been a sup-
porter of agriculture in Grant Coun-
ty since he became commissioner.
He has been a vocal advocate for
the farming, ranching and timber
industry at the local, state and fed-
eral levels. Grant County is a nat-
ural resource-based economy, with
timber and agriculture being the top
two economic drivers in the coun-
ty. Since Boyd has been in offi ce,
he has worked tirelessly to bring
natural resource-based jobs back to
Grant County.
He was an integral part in in-
creasing timber output in the coun-
ty. As a small business owner, Boyd
understands the struggles and in-
tricacies of running a business and
employing people.
Having someone in public offi ce
with that kind of knowledge is a
great asset in trying to develop eco-
nomic opportunities that provide
family wage jobs for the people of
Grant County. So please join with
us in voting no in recalling Boyd
Britton as county commissioner.
Jeff Thomas, president
Grant County Farm Bureau
Northern county EMT
service concerning
To the Editor:
I am deeply concerned by the
fact that we no longer have active
EMTs or ambulance services in the
north side of our county.
Response time is always critical
in an emergency, and now when
we dial 911 we will have to wait
for an ambulance to be dispatched
from John Day, and that is if they
have not already responded to an-
other call elsewhere.
It only makes sense that if there
is an emergency call on the north
side of our county that our ambu-
lances would be able to respond
more quickly to the scene. It isn’t a
matter of “if” we will need an am-
bulance, it is “when,” and if there
is no one to respond, lives will be
lost.
We have willing EMTs who have
dedicated themselves to serving our
communities, and those commu-
nities have worked very hard to
support our EMTs and maintain a
working ambulance that could re-
spond to an emergency. These vol-
unteers are vital to the health and
welfare of our communities.
Everyone should be aware of
how serious this is, and whatever
unresolved issues there are, please
get them settled. The very lives of
the people that live here depend on
it. Nothing should be more import-
ant than that!
Linda K. Hunt
Long Creek
See LETTERS, Page A5
L
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