Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1978)
J." V f i p The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, July 13, 1978 NINETEEN Oregon legislators keep busy during interim A lot of Oregonians still believe the State Legislature meets for six months every two years and takes a long rest between biennial ses sions. Nnthinff rnnlH hA fntKor from the truth. Tt IS trilA that fnllmirinrr adjournment our 90 state Salem Scene lawmakers return to their homes from Salem and the frantic pace that extends from January into July of odd-numbered years tends to slacken. But make no mistake, your by Jack Zinm enn.l.i elected Senators and Repre sentatives continue to work. An example during the current interim the word used to describe the 18 months between sessions might be the Legislature's Joint In terim Task Force on Small Business. One of more than 18 study groups to examine issues worthy of legislative consideration by the 60th Assembly when it convenes next Jan. 9, this Task Force spent 91 days earlier this year looking into dilemmas facing Oregon's smaller businesses. Headed by Co-Chairmen Sen. Mike Thorne (D-Pendle-ton) and Rep. Ed Lindquist (D-Milwaukie), the 12-mem-ber Task Force quickly dis covered it had a tiger by the tail. For instance, there are more than 51,000 nonfarm firms in Oregon and 89.5 per cent employ 49 or fewer workers providing employ ment for more than 50 per cent of the state's nonfarm work force. It also discovered, after surveying more than 8,000 businesses, that government regulations, government pa perwork and taxes are the major causes of headaches among members of the state's small business community! The Task Force didn't just send questionnaires to busi nesses however, it also con ducted a series of hearings throughout the state. These T OTTOS HUNTS TOMATO SAUCE 15-OZ. SIZE PLAIN WRAP BREAD WHITE or MEAT 22V2-OZ. LOAF rL L---a:- ft L-J FOR II z2s? ill c5s II II I I jjfff I II WHIPKD IMlW; III HW'PPFD fMFTJITION II SAWODKSSWG 1(1 1 - MUD DDESSMC II Country Casual Collection stoneware THIS WEEK'S FEATURE" " S OVV GET THE COMPLt Itotl rsT V--7S BONUS VALUE THIS WEEJi 2WCn 2PIECE $I99 SAVE $1.00 r ni BANQUET DINNER! CHICKEN, TURKEY OR SALISBURY STEAK 11-oz. I Jr3 J MAGIC LEESO WHIPPED IMITATION SALAD DRESSING 32-OZ. HUNT'S TOMATOES row- 43 WESTERN FAMILY LONG SPAGHETTI 59 HUNT'S TOMATO PASTE 55 HUNT'S TOMATO KETCHUP. 39 BIG G CHEERI0S CEREAL 99 MJB FLAVORED RICE MIXES sssusr.--. 45 PAMPERS DAYTIME DIAPERS E P...,... $2.59 ZEE NICE N SOFT BATHROOM TISSUE 79 k SHUR-FRES UNS ' HAMBURGER OR HOT DOG PKG. OF 12 BUNS SHUR-FRESH POTATO BREAD SHUR-FRESH PLAIN OR POWDERED D0NUTS lid-Inch Size Package of 12. Pd 22Vt-oz. I Loaf t .jw&&zvsyAs's,r&-wa .sw... 4 TkpizapiririiziL TOM PARTY PIZZA CANADIAN BACON, PEPPERONI OR SAUSAGE 13-14 OZ. YOUR CHOICE BANQUET A5SOH I tu A AA BUFFET SUPPERSS 1.JB WESTERN FAMILY SOUTHERN - ja HASH BR0WIIS32O, 4SV MINUTE MAID ntu. UH q M LEuTO ri AD E 12 oz Zfortltl 2 I - Xx liollujo'si V3 GOLDEN RIPE, NO. 1 rU LB. Li try u VINE RIPENED, LARGE SIZE, CALIFORNIA SANTA ROSA & EL DORADO. SWEET, CALIF Y 0N10N 0ES A 5 From Hawaii, nl g jf 1 yP Sweet, Extra Large ea. 3& if 1 S Walla Walla Jumbo. $fl 7l THRIFTWAY Sweet, 25-lb. Bag .. ea. llUV v p -- - . nnniiniiirrii r ir ' - fact-finding meetings were conducted in Portland, Eu gene, North Bend, Newport, Lincoln City, The Dalles, Pendleton, Redmond, Canyon ville and Medford. Additio ally, the Task Force conduc ted a joint meeting with the Joint Standing Committee on Trade & Economic Develop ment in Portland and four other meetings of its own in Salem. Essentially, the panel dis covered testimony from more than 80 individuals tended to verify results of the survey. The fact-finding hearings re vealed additional complaints and problems however, and the Task Force concluded its deliberations by issuing an impressive list of 25 recom mendations. Some are aimed at indivi dual state agencies, some have been delivered to the Executive Department and others provide ammunition for continuing studies by Trade & Economic Develop ment. More than a few will become legislative proposals when the full legislature convenes again. Only a half-dozen topics were discarded without re commendations and most of those because other legisla tive or governmental activi ties deal with them. One of the discards how ever, was part of the panel's original assignment. That was to determine a valid definition for small business. Because of the many criteria considered when constituting precisely what makes a business small or large coupled with the fact there is no consensus among other governments already utilizing small busi ness definitions the Task Force simply gave up. Sixty-six per cent of busi nesses responding to the statewide survey expressed the opinion a small business was one with 100 employes or less. But even that figure is contested in view of the fact nearly 90 per cent of all Oregon nonfarm businesses employ 49 or fewer workers. In all, the Small Business Task Force considered prob lems ranging from the pre viously mentioned regula tions, paperwork and taxes to consumer protection, environ mental issues, organized labor and land use planning. It is interesting to note the latter subject was considered extensively by the Task Force and it recommended the Land Conservation & Development Commission give its goal involving the "Economy of the State" LCDC's highest prior ity. Other subjects resulting in recommendations involve mi nimum wages, capital forma tion, an ombudsman for busi ness, inventory tax, workers' compensation, unemploy ment, building permits, bad checks, corporate taxes, in spections and education for small business people. From a businessper son's standpoint and the dozen lawmakers who served on this particular Task Force suffi cient issues were studied to pretty much occupy the next Legislature for months. When you consdier 17 other Task Forces also have been working and making recom mendationsand another half-dozen will conduct addi tional studies yet this year two facts emerge: Our lawmakers are busy between sessions. And the next session won't set records for brevity. Afo4ersons visited by daughter Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Ander son enjoyed having Portland guests, their daughter Dee Martin and granddaughters Suzanne Martin and Alison Parent, in their Heppner home over July 4th weekend. The granddaughters went to lone for the fireworks. 4 4 - -
