A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Voters should
inform tax
reform
A
s state legislators
entertain proposals
to change Oregon’s
property tax system, we hope
they will remember the will of
the voters.
In the 1990s, voters clearly
indicated they wanted limits
on their property taxes and a
predictable tax structure.
In 1990, they approved
Measure 5, setting a maximum
property tax limit of $15 per
$1,000 of real market property
value.
Although it was replaced
before it was implemented,
voters approved Measure 47 in
1996, calling for a 10 percent
reduction in property taxes.
Voters approved Measure
50 in 1997, replacing Measure
47 and implementing the tax
reduction by basing taxes on a
new assessed (taxable) value
that was 10 percent less than
the previous taxable value
based on the real market value.
Measure 50 also limited
the amount the assessed value
could increase each year to
3 percent and set permanent
tax rates for each district. The
result was a very predictable
tax structure.
Instead of a system based
on real market values that was
susceptible to volatility based
on changes in the market,
property owners now know
what their tax bills will be from
year to year.
Taxing districts that rely
on property taxes for funding
can also predict what they will
receive each year.
Further, having an assessed
value that has typically
increased less than the real
market value has provided
a cushion for these districts.
Unless the real market value
dips below the maximum
assessed value — the lesser
being used to calculate
taxes — these districts are
not susceptible to devastated
budgets if the market crashes.
If changes are going to be
made to Oregon’s property tax
system again, the voters should
determine how it will affect
them.
One proposal — to allow
voters to choose to pay taxes in
excess of the Measure 5 limit
— would do precisely that. If
voters want to pay higher taxes
to help their local districts, they
should be allowed to do so.
The Legislature, however,
should remember who they
serve and leave property tax
decisions up to the voters.
F ARMER ’ S F ATE
Farm commodities and indecisive squirrels
By Brianna Walker
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
“I think we should plant some tim-
othy grass for next year,” my husband
said one morning. “I’ve been look-
ing at the market prices and talking
to some people, and I think that the
north fi eld would be a good one for
it.”
He then showed me some fi gures
he’d jotted down, and all the reasons
why it would be a good idea.
“OK,” I nodded in agreement,
while trying to get the tea pot on the
stove with a baby hanging off my leg
and the cat screeching to be let out and
the dog barking to come in.
“See these fi gures?” he asked,
pushing more information across the
table towards me, so I glanced at them.
“I think this would pencil out a lot bet-
ter than the alfalfa that’s planted there
now.”
I nodded, trying to unload the dish-
washer while keeping the hanging
baby on my leg away from the shiny
dishes. Every once in a while I’d get
too close and he’d “help” by plucking
a dish out of the drainer and dropping
it on the fl oor.
“But then again,” my husband was
saying, “we could maybe grow corn
in that fi eld...” He started furiously
scratching in his notebook.
“Momma, we need to eat breakfast
so we can be fi lled up like squirrels,”
my son said.
I had to smile. He’s been learning
metaphors and similes in school, and
our life has become one bizarre simile
after another.
The tea pot whis-
tled.
“The French toast
will be done in a
minute,” I answered
him. “Do you want
some tea while it’s
Brianna
cooking?”
Walker
He nodded, and I
poured three mugs of
hot chai. I set one in front of my son
and started sipping on another one.
“Are you going to drink both
of those cups? Or are you going to
share?” my husband bantered, fi nally
taking a moment to look up from his
crop planning.
“You know my caffeine intake is
only recreational on Sunday. The rest
of the week it’s medicinal,” I exclaim,
grudgingly passing him the second
mug of tea. He rolled his eyes at me,
and took a big sip before delving back
into his world of commodities and
pricing.
“I think we could really make it
work,” he said.
“So let’s plant some timothy,” I
agreed.
“No, not timothy. I think that Aus-
trian peas would be really successful.
It would allow...” his voice faded into
the cacophony of our home as the cat
was now yowling to come back in
and the dog was barking to go out. “...
more successful than barley...” he was
saying. Sometimes I think successful
is just getting the laundry out of the
washing machine before mildew sets
in.
“Yes, successful.” I nodded.
I reached for my cup of tea — it
was empty. How? When? I poured
myself another mug. I don’t drink that
much, I told myself. I only consume
tea on days that start with T: Tuesday,
Thursday, Today, Tomorrow, Thatur-
day, Thunday. My reverie was broken
with loud bagpipe music coming out
of my son’s room.
“Momma, don’t you think that is a
sad song? Sad, like when you are out
of cookies...”
“Well? What do you think?” my
husband was asking.
“Uh, huh, Austrian peas — sounds
good to me.”
“Austrian peas?” my husband
questioned. “I was talking about grow-
ing pumpkins.”
“Pumpkins?”
“Yes, I was thinking that...” he
went on showing me more scribbles in
his notebook. The cat started yowling
again at the door. Cats don’t believe in
the adage “When life shuts a door, a
window opens.” No. The cat’s philos-
ophy is “When life shuts a door, open
it again. It’s a door. That’s how they
work!”
“Or barley? What do you think of
barley?” my husband asked again.
“I don’t know, I don’t care! Just
pick something and plant it. Right or
wrong. Make a decision and stick with
it! The road of life is paved with fl at
squirrels who couldn’t make a deci-
sion!”
My husband looked up surprised,
then replied, “I’ll remember that next
time you’re shoe shopping.”
Brianna Walker is an independent
columnist who writes about the Farm-
er’s Fate for the Blue Mountain Eagle.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
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.
Forest commissioners
unaware of
proceedings
To the Editor:
I want to add my challenge for
Mark Webb as expressed by Dave
Traylor. Please come forward with
any proof that you have that shows
that Dave or any other of the Public
Forest Commissioners were ever
in any meetings or even knew any-
thing about the Public Forest Com-
mission coming before the Circuit
Court, especially to be abolished
after having been in place all these
years.
You never raised any questions
until your friend, King Williams,
was resoundingly beaten in his at-
tempt to remain on the commission.
Now you didn’t have ears there to
hear what was really going on in
the meetings, so you cooked up
this scheme to blow the will of the
voters off and do away with the
commission, at least this is how it
appears to me!
So I’m asking you to show what
you have that lets the public know
that Dave Traylor or anyone else on
the commission knew about this ac-
tion being taken before it happened.
If you don’t have the proof, then
you need to make a public apology
here in the paper as well as a pub-
lic meeting at the choosing of the
members of the Public Forest Com-
mission!
Nicky A. Sprauve
Canyon City
Local politicians in
governor’s pocket
To the Editor:
It appears that some local peo-
ple are residing on the wrong side
of the state. According to a West-
ern Governors’ Association social
media video, several local politi-
cians and status seekers are snuggly
ensconced in Gov. Kate Brown’s
pocket and making a power play in
Grant County. The director of the
Blue Mountain Forest Partners, the
Grant County Court liaison with
the Forest Service and other locals
named in the video can take a bow.
There is a concerted effort to
discredit county voter-approved
initiatives and a 2013 ordinance ap-
proved by the local County Court
and sheriff. Although recently
Commissioner Britton wanted his
signature deleted from the Road
Ordinance because he “changed
his mind.” A natural resource plan
was challenged and defeated by
ex-county judge Webb and King
Williams in a Circuit Court deci-
sion; at Mr. Webb’s instigation, the
county Public Forest Commission,
approved by voters 12 years ago
while he was seated judge, was nul-
lifi ed and commission offi cials were
removed from November’s voter
ballot with no advanced notice by
a Circuit Court decision; the 2013-
01 Road Ordinance is being chal-
lenged and apparently the County
Court has approved payment for an
investigation even after legal coun-
sel determined it was enforceable
(your money folks). I foresee many
initiatives targeted for destruction,
and to date, some members of the
County Court have refused to stand
behind voters’ choices.
Any further invalidation of
county voter-approved initiatives
and ordinances will surrender more
local control of resources and road
access of our public-owned land
more fully into the hands of the fed-
eral government, namely the Forest
Service, and will enable BMFP to
assume a major role in Forest Ser-
vice decisions.
Other initiatives that might ap-
pear on Mr. Webb’s (and the BMFP)
agenda are the UN-Free Zone and
Citizens Participation in the Stew-
ardship of Natural Resources on
Public Lands passed by voters in
2002. Your public lands, your re-
sources, your ordinances/initiatives
and your votes all going to please
Gov. Brown and the federal govern-
ment.
Judy Kerr
Canyon City
L
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Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
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