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TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Ore., Thursday, Feb. 10, 1977
-I
Bill introduced to re-fund state police budget
' 4
Representative Jack Sum
ner (D-Heppner) introduced a
bill that would require the
portion of the State Police
budget which is funded by the
Highway Fund to be funded by
the General Fund. This would
Jack Sumner
make available an additional
$40 million dollars of highway
HOAKDMAN
lEXIN(.TON I
TO MORROW
TOO TOMORROW
By Tom Franks
To conserve water. Gov. Bob Straub has suggested the
following steps : 1. Place a brick in your toilet tank. This will
drastically reduce the water used. 2. Wash only full loads in
your dishwashers and washing machines. 3. Try washing
clothes once a week. 4. Take showers instead of baths.
As a water conservationist, I am doing very well. It has
been two weeks since T. washed any clothing and I don't have
any dishwasher. Since there is no shower in the apartment, I
was wondering how many bricks I must put in the tub to
displace an amount of water equal to the displacement of one
brick in the toilet tank?
Considering what my body displaces, I figure I will have to
fill the tub about half full of bricks.
Living arrangement
I am not an old timer and no Puritan, but I still cannot
comprehend the vast number of uncommon law arrange
ments in our society today.
Those few who are quick to talk about their arrangements
seem to follow the logic that one at a time is better than two
at a time. There is nothing like a good mathematical basis for
a code of conduct.
The code of "terminal fidelity" I call it, or as author
Dorothy Parker put it, the practice of "pursuing monogamy
from bed to bed."
There have been a number of social, economic and legal
practices in the United States which tend to support these
arrangements. For example, we have those elderly persons
on Social Security who desire to marry, only to find that they
will suffer a loss of income.
A few Social Security representatives have boldly offered
the suggestion that the couples jusi live together. This
suggestion brings responses ranging from rejoicing to
outright indignation.
Economic considerations are a big factor. A single person
at minimum wage takes home $327.50 per month, after
federal taxes. Take out transportation, state tax, rent,
utilities, insurance, food and clothing, and there is little if
anything left, even the desire for a nice little cottage on the
hill. At this level of income, a person at minimum wage will
go broke if they have even one habit to support. Faced with
subsistence living, the idea of sharing expenses is inviting.
Here in Heppner, the housing situation is such that
communal living may one day soon become the only way to
find shelter. That could be trading shelter from one storm for
another.
Challenge areas
All this talk about arrangements is just a sneaky way to get
into the subject of housing or lack of it. Lack of living space
also affects the arrangements people make.
I wonder at times why we have all the rural planning for
houses and buildings that nobody seems to be building? I
know it pays to plan ahead, but no one ever let me spend
much time, energy and money on future hopes. I take that
back.
So far this week, we have had two people in the office
looking to rent or buy. The one advertised house I inquired
about has been rented to the new dentist. That leaves
advertising manager Wil Phinney and I as Heppner's odd
couple, but not the only ones.
What any other new people in town will do is beyond
anybody I have talked with so far. The housing situation in
Heppner is at a critical level.
Hospital needs
As a newcomer, it is readily apparent that the Pioneer
Memorial Hospital must expand to keep pace with local
needs and constantly changing technology.
It is a critical need which this county should move forward
with immediately. Upgrading and expanding hospital
facilities is one item which isn't going to get any cheaper by
waiting. In all likelihood, it will cost more to put off than any
other type of project.
Regional jails
Another area which citizens should get hot about is the high
standards which have been legislated or regulated into the
construction and operation of jails.
Across the nation, these standards have forced the closure
of smaller jails even for use in short term detention.
I am not contending that jail facilities should not be
upgraded, but I do object to having Class A restaurant
standards and equipment required for jail cooking facilities,
etc., and etc.
The end result is that many law enforcement officers have
been turned into well trained and overdressed taxi cab
drivers. What should be patrol and investigation time is spent
moving prisoners from jail to court and back again.
The latest issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
noted a federal prison population of 27,483 persons and a
capacity for 22,483 or an inmate occupancy of 21 per cent over
physical capacity.
I doubt if any federal prisoners are on the streets due to
overcrowded conditions. I think we all have the right idea
that a good case arrest by the FBI would result in serving
time despite the lack of modern facilities. If such were not
the case, respect for the FBI agent in the field would soon be
gone.
Respect for local law enforcement and courts is already
hurt by the fact that people having their first contacts with
the law spend so much time driving around in a car which
was what they were doing most of the time anyway.
A jail was never intended to be a prison. It would be a help
if existing jails could at least be used overnight or up to three
days, as long as capacity allowed for complete separation of
adult and juvenile offenders and the facility was sanitary,
fireproof, heated, and monitored on a periodic basis.
tax monies to be used for the
repair of our primary and
secondary highways.
The funds could be used to
match federal highway funds
producing many times more
the amount of dollars avail
able for Oregon's 7,500 miles
of highways, Sumner said.
The Transportation Depart
ment has asked for a two cent
increase in gasoline tax in
face of a 1 cent increase hike
defeat at the polls in Novem
ber.
Sumner said he has been
told by many constituents that
if so much of the Highway
funds were not spent for non
highway related projects that
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More words to make less
Senator Bob Packwood, R-Ore., has reintroduced
legislation that would make Congressional Record easier to
read and understand.
Packwood and eight co-sponsors propose that the daily
journal of proceedings of the Senate and House floors be
Pastor's Corner
The Rev. Kenneth D. Miller
All Saints' Episcopal Church
Heppner, Oregon
M. Scheeben said, "Be anxious to inebriate yourself with
the wine of Divine Love and drown in this mighty stream any
other love you have."
Such it is that to find peace that passes all understanding.
Too often we spend so much time and activity seeking, that
we are not found by the One seeking us. It is God who stands
so decisively over against life, Source of all splendor and joy,
who is yet in the most close and cherishing contact with us.
He draws us, beyond splendor and joy, into Truth. God has
created in us such a craving for Himself alone, that even the
brief flashes of Eternity that sometimes come to us make all
else seem dust and ashes, lifeless and unreal. And because of
this there ought not to beany situation in our life, no attitude,
no preoccupation or relationship, from which we cannot look
to this God of absolute Truth and say 'Our Father,' of
ourselves and everything else. Our inheritance is God, our
Father and Home.
We are the children of God, and in the silence of prayer ( we
talk too much in prayer) we receive the Divine Love through
simple but complete adoration. When we are united with that
Charity we are able to see in everything, even the most ugly ,
according to our own standards, the face of Christ. Thus
Charity, the Divine Love, breaks down the barrier that shuts
most of us from Heaven. The thought is just too much for us
really, but it is the central truth of the spiritual life. It comes
out of yielding ourselves to It that willingness that God shall
possess, indwell, fertilize, bring forth the fruit of His Spirit in
us, instead of the fruits of our spirit this is the secret of all
Christian power and Christian peace.
We are held and penetrated by a personal Spirit. It is a
never ceasing Presence. "One will find that the more freely,
simply and humbly we abandon ourselves to this penetrating
and encompassing power, the more we become conscious of
its constant, stern, but loving action through all the
circumstances of our lives. To resist this action means
conflict and suffering. To accept it may still mean suffering;
but a suffering that is sweetened by love." E. Underhill.
Ken Jernstedt
marked to identify speeches inserted into the Record as
opposed to speeches actually made on the floors.
We are in agreement with this proposal and other
provisions which would limit certain revisions to corrections
of grammar and not changes of substance. As it stands now,
the Record is not a true reflection of what was really said,
what was not said and who was really there to say it.
According to Packwood, it cost about $278 per page to print
the Record in 1975. The total bill for 1975 was $12 million.
If this proposal would cut even a few pages from the
Record, we are again in favor.
Taking the file of the Record here at the Gazette-Times for
nine days between Jan. 10 and Jan. 25, 1977, we found the
published pages already stack up three inches deep for a
total of 1,217 printed pages. At $278 per page, this much in
nine days cost $338,326 at 1975 prices.
Included in this series of the Record are 54 printed pages on
the National Bottle Bill (S.276) sponsored by Sen. Mark
Hatfield, Packwood and others. This portion of the Record
alone must have cost about $15,000 to publish.
We do not intend to criticize Sen. Hatfield or Sen.
Packwood for what it cost to place the Bottle Bill and
supporting documents into the Record. We are struck with
awe when we realize we are handling paper work
representative of $338,326 of the taxpayers' money. We stand
in awe, seeing $15,000 spent on a single bill in one day,
knowing that this figure does not count the cost of developing
the bill to the point of entry in the Record or seeing it through
to final passage or defeat. Nor does the $15,000 begin to cover
the cost of similar legislation which Hatfield has introduced
in the past two Congresses.
STUPID QUESTION
For years now, I have wondered why someone doesn't
introduce legislation prohibiting riders and amendments on
non-homogenous bills. This practice follows neither the rules
of logic or common sense.
For example, one Congressman will introduce labor
legislation and another Congressman, will tack on an J
amendment or rider that has nothing ' to' do with the
subject like Congressional pay, or reporting the price of
eggs in China, etc. In this manner, a Congressman can
appear to support a bill, but ride it with another he may be
certain is going down to defeat.
Another Congressman may be forced to vote against a bill
his own people favor just because he cannot in good faith pass
an unlike piece of legislation which has been attached to it.
There are so many rotten uses of this practice that it should
be stopped.
How would you vote, for example, if you introduced a bill
for care of the elderly and someone slapped on a rider
dealing with capital punishment. These examples are
fictional, but realistic. Our representatives should not be
allowed to do this anymore than we should allow an English
class to meet in center court during a varsity basketball
game even if it would save time. Franks
the gas hike might have
passed. People simply want to
be sure any increase will go to
badly needed roads, he said.
As Chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee with
the budget of the Transpor
tation Department, he has
conveyed this message. He
has asked the Department to
identify all areas of non-highway
use spending so they may
examine closely those pro
jects and see if they can't
, provide more money yet for
the roads.
The House Transportation
Committee heard in testimony
Feb. 3 that policies recently
adopted for the State Highway
Division emphasize the main
tenance of Oregon's existing
highway system.
Representatives of the High
way Division told the Com
mittee that with the present
revenue shortages it is clear
that the state can no longer
finance major construction
projects. "The emphasis at
this time must be upon re
versing the serious deteriora
tion of state roads serving
local communities," they
said.
Rep. Pat Whiting (D-Tig-ard).
Chairman of the Trans
portation Committee, said, "I
understand that because of the
failure of the state to raise the
highway revenues needed to
keep up repairs, many rural
roads have become hazardous
to drive on."
Whiting said, "It is becom
ing apparent that the deterior
ation of the roads linking our
local communities cannot be
halted without some increase
in state highway fund reven
ues. The Legislature must act
this session to put a proposal
before the people which would
ensure that adequate funding
is available to halt the
deterioration of our system of
primary and secondary
roads."
The Committee continued
its hearings at the State
Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 8, in
a 1:30 p.m. meeting that
continued into the evening to
accommodate the public.
BUDGET
OUT OF
WD?
7
V. J
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Heppner Elk's Calender
Wed., Feb. 9
Senior Citizens, 4 p.m.
Pinochle, 7:30 p.m.
Boy Scouts, 7:30 p.m.
Ihur., Feb. 10
Nomination of new officers
Lodge, 8 p.m.
Frl, Feb. II
Happy Hour, 5-7 p.m.
Dinner, 6:30-8 p.m.
Dinner, $4 Nelson Duo
JL For Elks Only
Sat., Feb. 12
Nelson Duo, 9-2 a.m.
Tues., Feb. 15
Senior Citizens, 4 p.m.
Work night
Wed., Feb. 16
Senior Citizens, 4:30 p.m.
Pinochle. 7:30 p.m.
Boy Scouts, 7:30 p.m.
B.P.O.f.
No. 3S8lj
Inflation being taxed
According to the old adage,
nothing is inevitable except
death and taxes. And most of
us have the feeling that we are
being taxed to death.
One of the bills I am spon
soring this session, SB 486, is
designed to eliminate the ef
fect of inflation on personal
slate income taxes. The state
now takes more in taxes as
inflationary cost-of-living ad-
returns
due
The Morrow County
Assessor, Everett
llarshnian. would like to
remind all owners of
Personal Property that
their returns must be
mailed by March 3rd.
Also, any aircraft not
registered by Feb. 28th
is subject to both regis
tration fees and Person
al Property tax.
justments move people into
higher brackets. In effect,
inflation alone is being taxed.
Some workers actually re
ceive less take-home pay after
a pay raise.
Middle-income workers
have really been hurt. In
flation is belting their buying
power and at the same time
the tax on inflation hits below
the belt. The state receives
more income, but the addi
tional income is allocated to
additional programs and this
causes more inflation. And the
cycle begins all over again.
The bill would apply to tax
years beginning on and after
Jan. 1, 1977 and would allow
taxpayers to multiply their
adjusted gross income by a
factor based on the Portland
consumer price index, and
take the result as a deduction
on their state income tax
return.
We are fortunate to be living
in a state with a constitution
requiring a balanced budget.
Oregon cannot run in the red.
This is not the case on the
national level and our national
debt is staggering. I am a
sponsor of a joint memorial
asking Congress to call for a
constitutional convention to
adopt an amendment to the
Federal Constitution which
would force the federal gov
ernment to live within its
means, as families and the
state of Oregon must. If
passed by the Oregon Legis
lature, a copy of the memor
ial, SJM 2, would be sent to the
President, state Governors,
and members of Congress.
The possibility of an energy
crisis looms large on our
horizon and this week I
attended a meeting addressed
by the Director of the North
west Power Council. This is a
group named by the Gover
nors of Oregon, Washington
and Idaho to study this area's
power needs and production
facilities.
T
rs
v ( ir iw -
Something New
Sunday morning breakfast from 8-11
a.m.
West of Willow will be open every morning
at 8 a.m. for a coffee hour and Continental
breakfast.
Quality & quantity guaranteed. Steaks &
seafood as always every night at West of
Willow.
West of Willow Orders To Go
Vfe Chicken
8 piece small bucket
16 big bucket
Mini-shrimp
Fish & chips
Prawns
Scallops
$3.00
$3.00
$4.00
$4.00
THE
my
fsmf HEPPNER
GAZETTE-TIMES
Published every Thursday and entered as a
second-class matter at the post office at Heppner,
Oregon, under the act of March 3, 1879. Second-class
postage paid at Heppner, Oregon.
Wil C. Phinney,
Advertising Manager The off icia newspaper of the City
of Heppner and the County of
Tom Franks. Morrow.
Editor
G.M. Reed, Publisher
Dolores Reed, Co-publisher
Sandwiches to go
Call 676-5149
HINTON $2.00
Barbeque beef on French bread, with
fries
RHEA $2.00
Pastrami and Swiss cheese on
toasted rye bread, with French fries
and hot mustard
$2.00
SANDHOLLOW
Lean ground beef on a sesame bun,
with French fries
JUNIPER
Corned beef
French fries
on rye bread,
$2.00
with
BALM FORK
Moist turkey
fries
on white bread,
$2.00
with
WEST OF WILLOW $2.00
Tender roast beef slices in a soft
French roll to dip in Jim's sauce, with
fries
SHOBE $2.00
Ham slices on old-fashioned white or
rye bread, with hot mustard and fries
BUTTER CREEK $2.25
Ham, pastrami and Swiss cheese on
French bread, with hot mustard and
fries
12" Pizza to go
COLUMBIA $3.00
Tender steak strips on French bread,
with fries
Call 676-5551
Cheese
Pepperoni
$3.00
$4.00
Sausage
Black olive
$4.00
$4.00
Mushroom
Combination
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