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TWOThe Gazette-Times, Heppner, Ore., Thursday, April 14, 1977
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Letters to the Editor
Watch Senate Bill 430
Senate Bill 430 is expected to come out of the Labor,
Business and Consumer Affairs Committee this week with
amendments limiting the application of workmen's
compensation payments to general contractors.
As worded in its development, the bill could have resulted
in a requirement for self-employed persons to pay
workmen's compensation on themselves.
The bill was reportedly designed to stop general
contractors from hiring skilled laboring people as
sub-contractors, thereby avoiding the payment of workmen's
compensation.
The idea of self-employed persons paying workmen's
compensation on themselves is beyond reason. While Sen.
Jernstedt has given assurances that the bill will be tightened,
it is hard to see how the legislature can correct the problem
among general contractors and at the same time exempt
others who are in effect doing similar things to avoid another
burden from above.
Several of the protesters from Morrow County would like to
see a major revision of insurance program legislation in the
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i By Tom Franks
Unanswered questions
There are many unanswered questions surrounding the
death of Mary Emily Lindsay of lone. Some will be answered
and others will never be answered by logic alone. The
questions all begin with why?
Many ask why Michael Olds was not kept in prison? Why
was Michael Olds, born of a 14-year-old victim of rape, in 17
different foster homes? Why did he shoot a woman in a
holdup at the age of 17? Why was he a model prisoner?
Why was he still in Walla Walla more than three days after
money was reported missing from the pet store where he
worked? Why, if he was responsible for the missing money,
did he need money? Why did he have a gun? Why did he leave
a note at lone with money for people, to be distributed
through a Walla Walla tavern? Why did he leave Walla Walla
the way he did and when he did? Why did he allegedly shoot a
cab driver?
Why did he come to lone? Why did he select the route
described? Why was he missed when so many eyes were
watching? Why was the death of Mary Lindsay necessary?
Why? Why? Why?
Personally, I don't think that there are any logical answers
to these questions. It has been easy for many to reason that
Riley had many opportunities to drop a lead or change the
course of events. I would suggest that real life doesn't work
out like a television script. Even if Riley saw every
"opportunity," it would take a supreme act of judgement to
weigh the odds.
If anyone needs to be tried, it is Michael Olds.
The system which he went through should be tried,
too but tried separately.
Another trial should be held for the news media which
insisted on calling the Lindsay residence after the FBI had
moved its command post from the Lindsay residence to
Heppner. Nothing in fact finding journalism offers an excuse
for the calls which were made to the Lindsay relatives last
Thursday evening. It stinks
Easter every Sunday
The Easter season has now come and gone. Two very
interesting things happen each year at Easter. One is that the
newspapers are filled with articles and advertisements
concerning the "special Easter services" which will be held
at the various churches. I know that each year, I receive a
form letter from the East Oregonian asking for information
concerning the "special events" of our church during Easter.
The second thing is that there are more people at worship on
Easter than on the other Sundays of the year.
What I am wondering is why do we make such a big deal
about Easter? I will have to admit that our church is as guilty
as the rest because we also have "special events" at Easter,
as well as more people at worship than the other Sundays of
the year. However, the manner in which we go about it would
make it appear as though we only celebrate the resurrection
of Christ once a year.
The point is that the main emphasis of Easter is the
resurrection of Jesus Christ; but if we are a Christian
Church, then this is something which is celebrated every
Sunday morning, and not just once a year. As we gather for
worship and begin our worship "in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit," we are celebrating the presence of the
resurrected Christ.
In the preaching of the Word, we are celebrating the
presence of the resurrected Christ. In the sacrament of Holy
Communion, we believe that the presence of the resurrected
Christ is there "in, with, and under" the elements of bread
and wine. Therefore, not just Easter, but every Sunday
morning is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This means that we need not wait until Easter to celebrate
his resurrection, but are invited to join our fellow believers
each week as we gather together to announce that "He is
risen." Therefore, each week becomes a re-enactment of
Easter, rather than a big deal once a year.
Rev. Mark Johnson
Hope Lutheran Church
state of Oregon. We are told that such a cleanup is underway.
It is high time.
Toot your own horn
During the recent vote on the proposed city budget for
Heppner, 256 ballots were cast from among 855 registered
voters.
These figures show that about 31 per cent of the voting
population of Heppner decided what the remaining 69 per
cent should do. This is hardly majority rule, let alone
government of the people, by the people and for the people.
The vote wasn't enough to give the city government a
mandate on one hand or a vote of confidence on the other.
The fact that nearly 70 per cent of Heppner voters stayed at
home could indicate that the weather was bad.
Unfortunately, the weather was good and the sun did shine.
However you may feel about the worth of your vote, there
is one thing for certain in this life. If you don't toot your own
horn, nobody else will toot it for you.
One toot may not be worth much, but a lot of toots make for
a good party even when it comes to politics. tjf
Letter
Parole boards cited
TO THE EDITOR:
I would like to congratulate the parole boards for their fine
job of giving parole to a CONVICTED MURDERER so he has
the opportunity to murder another innocent person.
Mary Lindsay of lone, who was murdered this week by
CONVICTED, BUT PAROLED MURDERER, Michael Olds
of Walla Walla, was a very respected and loved person by all
who knew her. She has never hurt anyone or anything
purposely in her life. Mary was a wonderful person and has
done so much for her church and community. She will never
be forgotten by the people of lone, Oregon.
I was born and raised in lone and have known Mary all my
life. I am sure that I am feeling just a small amount of grief
as compared to her family over this senseless slaying. Of
course, the State of Oregon can sit back and say "THIS ISN'T
OUR FAULT," Olds was paroled from Washington.
However, I am sure that many Oregon residents can recall
the releases of Oregon's CONVICTED, BUT PAROLED
MURDERERS, BOWLES, GILMORE, AND MARQUETTE.
I just hope and pray every time a parole board, work
release program, or rehabilitation program see fit to release
a convicted murderer, REGARDLESS OF THE STATE, that
they will think, WOULD I WANT A MEMBER OF MY
FAMILY OR A CLOSE FRIEND to be taken as a hostage and
thrown in a ditch and be shot to death. Maybe if this does
happen, it will stop some of these convicted but paroled
murderers to be released to commit another senseless
slaying of innocent people.
I pray to God that these responsible people, whoever they
may be, will be haunted with the thoughts that they are just
Reward of "Rotten Apples
19
You are and have been for years charging the taxpayers of Oregon confiscatory property
taxes; which we have been dutifully paying with your assurances of good fruit. Now then, in
return for our burdensome compliance we are rewarded with "Rotten Apples."
Your legislation has created a climate that has bred the following:
1. Loss of new business both from within and outside our state due to an untenable tax
situation.
(a) Threat of property confiscation due to unjust zoning laws. (The large corporations get
the laws changed at any time in their favor, whereas, the small businessman cannot.)
(b) A completely untenable State Workman's Compensation law. Example: My business
is agricultural aerial application (crop dusting). I am required to carry mandatory
coverage on pilots of 46.62 per cent of their wages which varies from 25 to 30 per cent of their
gross earnings depending upon their competence and experience. I must furnish this pilot
with an airplane, a tank truck to carry the spray, a pick-up truck to carry the aviation fuel,
field markers, tools, etc., and pay all the other expenses involved in the spraying operation.
The rate of 46.62 per cent of the pilot's gross earnings for State Workman's Compensation is
prohibitive in price plus the fact that it is the same rate regardless of the pilot's experience
and safety record. We are not allowed to carry any other coverage this makes the state a
monopoly; which is surely against the law? We can get better coverage for our pilots from
Lloyds of London (24 hours on or off the job) with a premium we can live with, but this is not
allowed by the state. Our industry has the best safety record of any state in the Union and
our state insurance has the highest rates of any state.
(The ag operators in our neighboring state have available to them a very reasonable
premium for their workman's comp. Their rates are under or at least competitive with
Lloyds as well as some of the domestic companies.)
2. A Senate Bill 4;l(l sponsored by the AFL-CIO proposes to require all self employed
persons in Oregon to pay State Workman's Compensation on their income. They say their
reason is they want everyone covered so that no one will become a social burden, if disabled.
To begin with, what business is it of the AFL-CIO to dictate what the self employed do?
Referring to social burdens isn't that what we are faced with already because of union
members' pension funds being confiscated by their own union and used to purchase
gambling casinos in Las Vegas? Should this Bill pass and become law in Oregon it would
automatically eliminate our entire industry because there is no way an individual can pay
46.62 per cent of his gross earnings for state insurance on top of all the other taxes and
expenses necessary to conduct a successful business. We are all carrying adequate
insurance as it is, and at rates we can handle.
(This Bill would place a hardship on many businesses including our farmers. The impact
on the farming industry would affect all of us by the soaring food costs.)
3. It is hard to realize what has been allowed to happen to our Senior Citizens. These are
the people who built this country, and with plans that it would be more livable for us.
You are rewarding them by confiscating their home due to excessive property taxes.
Some of our Senior Citizens have been reduced to eating canned cat and dog food in order to
survive. Some of them are dying in their homes because their electricity was cut off or
because they cannot afford medical care. (This almost makes us ashamed to call ourselves
Oregonians.) If I was not seeing this I would not believe such a thing was happening.
(There seems no bounds for your generosity to a number of able bodied young slackers
who refuse to work or make any contribution to society. They are rewarded with welfare,
food stamps, free medical and dental care along with free rent for themselves and their
families.)
4. Senate President, Jason Boe, in support of SJR-7, so called "safety net" Bill, stated,
Quote : "I am confident that the vast majority of the states' voters are proud of their schools
and want them to stay open." This is very true except that it is spoken in the past tense.
Everyone living in the real world in Oregon knows that recent school budgets were voted
down for some of the following reasons:
(a ) The majority of our children are not even receiving a basic education. ..too many upon
graduation from high school cannot read, write, or figure simple arithmetic. They know
nothing about applying for or what is required to hold a job.
( b ) Students entering a four year college are generally required to take the first two years
in the so called, "bone-head subjects"; which they should have been taught in grade or high
school. This non-learning process has gone on for so long that the non-educated are trying to
teach the uneducated. Our schools are overloaded with assistants to assistants to principals,
teachers and coaches. You have given teachers tenure and allowed them to join unions so
that no matter how incompetent, they cannot be dismissed.
(c) Vandalism, dope peddling and usage, beatings and interruptions of classes are
allowed to occur with no meaningful steps taken to correct the situation.
The solution to most of our problems is not more money, that just increases the
problem not more taxes that just increases the burden on the taxpayer, and further
becomes another excuse for doing nothing about the problem in the first place by the people
we are paying to do the job.
This state should not be in the mandatory insurance business, liquor business, or
gambling; horse and dog racing. Our country was built on private enterprise and that
means competition. It also means if we do not operate our business in such a manner as to
show a profit, we lose it. The State on the other hand can "rob Peter to pay Paul," and this
makes it too easy not to take the hard steps necessary to achieve success.
I realize there are a number of dedicated, ambitious, hard working members of the
Legislature, public employees and school teachers. What has happened over the years is
that the non-producers, and those incompetent have not been weeded out, but have been
promoted to areas of influence. The time has come to separate the wheat from the chaff,
while we still have some wheat.
Propose positive action
I am proposing that positive action by Governor Straub and the State Legislature be taken
to remedy the existing conditions. Plus, (a) no new property taxes this year and (b) a Bill
passed to guarantee that no person sixty-two years or older, residing in the State of Oregon,
shall be forced to lose their home due to zoning laws or inability to pay property taxes.
There is still time for this action to be taken before the end of the 1977 Legislative session.
If no action is taken on this notice then I shall be forced to take the only step available to
me. I shall defer paying my property taxes until corrective measures are taken.
(This is precisely the action taken by property tax payers in California and many of their
grievances were satisfied by a special session of the California Legislature.)
It will take the support and cooperation of every taxpayer in the State of Oregon who feels
the way I do about these conditions (or others not listed) and are concerned about the future
of our great and beautiful state.
Now is the time for us to contact the Governor and our legislators and others in a position
to initiate some corrective action. v
It has been said that evil can only endure as long as good men choose to do nothing.
Paul N. Hansen
620 E. May
Heppner, Oregon 97836
Senator replies
State Sen. Kenneth Jern
stedt, R-Dist. 28, told the
Gazette-Times Tuesday that
Senate Bill 430 will not come
out of committee until amend
ments are attached to tighten
the overall intent of the bill.
Jernstedt said, "SB 430 is
due to come out of the com
mittee in the shape I thought it
was in when I endorsed the
bill." He said the original
intent of the bill was to apply
to the construction business
and prevent contractors from
contracting, instead of hiring
individual carpenters, thus
escaping payment of work
men's compensation.
Jernstedt cited an example.
He said some contractors
have been sub-contracting
window framing on a job in
stead of hiring a carpenter
outright. The practice results
in bypassing payment of
Workmen's Compensation.
The bill, which will come out
of committee, will not effect
the individual contractor, in
dividual proprietorships or
crop dusters, Jernstedt said.
The bill, with amendments, is
also not expected to have any
impact on co-ops.
Jernstedt said he has been
assured by Committee Chair
man Dick Groener, D-Dist. 14,
that SB 430 would come out of
committee with tight lang
uage and amendments to re
turn the bill to the intent it had
when it was first introduced.
Senate bill
430 stirs
tax protest
The contents of Oregon Sen
ate Bill 430 stirred the begin
nings of a tax protest in
Morrow County this week as
independent businessmen and
self-employed persons viewed
the prospect of having to pay
Workmen's Compensation on
themselves.
The first local concern over
SB 430 was expressed late last
week by Paul N. Hansen of
Heppner, who fired a lengthy
letter to Gov. Bob Straub and
state representatives concern
ing the bill. Hansen indicated
he would defer paying his
property taxes if the bill
passed and required him to
pay workmen's compensation
on his own income.
The Gazette-Times' office
saw a steady stream of per
sons arriving to express their
concern with the content of the
bill and back Hansen's stand
on the issue. The concern was
extended to the entire insur
ance picture in Oregon.
Sen. Kenneth Jernstedt, R
Dist. 28, and vice chairman of
the Labor, Business and
Consumer Affairs Committee,
responded to the Gazette
Times Tuesday indicating that
SB 430 would not come out of
committee this week without
amendments which would
limit the broad wording now
included in the bill. (See
related articles on Page 2.)
as guilty as the person that pulls the actual trigger. They are
the persons that put back these CONVICTED, BUT
PAROLED MURDERERS INTO OUR SOCIETY, so he could
do it the second and third time.
I have no doubt that Olds, Bowles and Marquette and many
others like them will be turned free again in another 10 to 15
years or less, so they can have the opportunity to murder
again. Are you or I going to be their next victim?????
VOTERS PLEASE VOTE FOR THE DEATH PENALTY so
we can get these convicted murderers out of our society and
off the streets FOR GOOD!!!!!! Our Country has enough
problems without allowing this terrible thing to happen time
and time again.
WILL M ANSON BE PAROLED IN 1980??? I wouldn't be
shocked or surprised, would you?
If this cruel slaying of Mary Lindsay is JUSTICE-I WANT
NO PART OF IT We're supposed to be proud of being an
American, but how can we be when we allow this to keep
happening in our Country?????? I truly hope you readers
will stop and think about this, and realize that it could be a
friend or relative of yours that will be slain next. I am
begging you as a citizen of THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, that you vote for the death penalty the next time
up.
Sincerely,
Sue Wiegand
Clackamas, Oregon
Letter
Tax day notice
Editor
Gazette-Times
As we approach another Tax Day (April 15), there are a
couple of bills pending in the House of Representatives which
will be of interest to many persons in the Heppner area.
Some 54 million Americans are hit with an income tax
penalty of up to 20 per cent because they are single, or
because they are married with both partners working. The
Committee of Single Taxpayers (CO$T) has been working for
several years to eliminate this inequity. To accomplish this
goal, Rep. Ed Koch has again introduced HR 850 in the
House.
Also pending in the House is HR 84, introduced by Rep.
Herb Harris, which would make a beginning toward income
tax equality for renters, similar to what has for so long been
available to homeowners.
Anyone interested in more information about these bills is
urged to send a long, self-addressed stamped envelope to me
at the address below, mentioning that this letter was read in
the Heppner Gazette-Times. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Lee Spencer
Box 4330
Arlington, Virginia 22204
Mary Lindsay
A Tribute
Mary Lindsay's death saddens all of Morrow County,
especially her home community, the lone area. Her many
years of community service, individually and through
organizations, will be long remembered and greatly missed.
Mary Lindsay probably served with the Morrow County
Fair more years than anyone. She served the fair in many
capacities through the years, most recently as chairman for
the community booth division. She was planning to discharge
that responsibility again this year.
Mary was a deaconess for her church, Ione's United
Church of Christ, which she supported and assisted in many
ways.
She joined the Willows Grange in 1934 and was master in
1955. For the last 17 years, she has been grange treasurer.
She was active in the county Pomona Grange, holding
various offices, and she attended the state grange regularly
in recent years. She was a member of the 7th Degree of the
national grange.
In 1946, Mary joined the Locust Chapter of the Order of
Eastern Star. She was the Worthy Matron in 1953 and again in
1961, and continued her active membership in the
consolidated Ruth-Locust Chapter until her death. She
served as a member of several Grand Chapter committees
and attended the Grand Chapter of Oregon for many years.
Mary was also active in the senior citizens' programs in the
county.
Many recall how dedicated she was to her husband James.
Each day during his lingering illness, she came to the
Pioneer Memorial Hospital at Heppner to cheer him and to
help him with meals. Mary continued to operate their ranch
and live alone in their home west and north of lone. She kept
up the yard and tended the flowers she loved.
Friends and neighbors say that Mary knew sorrow almost
too well. Several members of her family also met unusual,
tragic deaths. These deaths seemed to occur at holiday
times, as Mary's own death came during Holy Week as
Easter approached.
After the services, family and friends gathered at dinner in
the Willows Grange Hall. The community was invited to join
them for coffee, visiting, and remembering Mary Lindsay.
CONCERT
Linfield College Band
Thursday, April 14
8:00 pm j
Heppner High School
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Gymnasium 5
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I Donations Accepted
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