The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
Sifting through
mo
City of Heppner residents
are urged to continue boiling
their drinking water until such
time that they are notified
otherwise.
A break or breaks
occurred in the water line up
Willow Creek during the
recent thaw and flooding.
At this time, the break has
not been found and city
water is contaminated.
City police officers will
notify residents when water
is safe to drink from the tap.
Until then, BOIL YOUR
WATER .
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Legislative pay cut proposal is making waves in Salem
A freshman member of the
House of Representatives is
proposing the Oregon Legisla
ture set an example for the
rest of the state government
by accepting a cut in pay.
Fifteen other lawmakers
joined Rep. Larry Campbell
(R-Eugene) in sponsoring in
troduction last week of House
Bill 2313 that calls for a 10 per
cent reduction in both monthly
slaries and per diem pay
ments. Campbell, whose pay-cut
proposal was a platform plank
during his campaign for
election to represent Dist. 43,
says he does not believe
Legislators are overpaid but
the Legislature is the logical
place to start reducing
government expenditures.
Initial reaction to such a
proposal sparks a variety of
responses, most of which
indicate HB 2313 stands little
chance of passage during the
current legislative session in
Salem.
On the other hand, law
makers sensitive to the public
mood just might give the
measure more than cursory
attention. And its introduction
is certain to provoke renewed
interest in arguments for and
against a full or part time
legislative assembly.
Oregon lawmakers now
receive $654 monthly while in
session and $44 per diem. HB
2313 would cut those payments
to $588.60 and $39.60, respect
ively. Per diem allowances
also are granted for official
business between sessions and
monthly expense during the
interim periods is $225.
A study by Legislative
Administration Committee
estimates biennial earnings
by Legislators is about $30,000,
or $15,000 a year.
Campbell's proposal would
cost lawmakers about $190 a
month during sessions and a
monthly salary was increased
to $250 in 1963 and remained at
that level for the rest of the
decade. Per diem payments of
$20 a day began in 1963, but
limited to the first 120 days of
Salem Scene
BY Jack Zimmeran
much smaller amount during
interim periods because his
bill does not reduce the $225
monthly expense paid bet
ween sessions.
From a budget standpoint,
the measure would probably
save about $140,000 during the
biennium. Its author reports
considerable support for such
a move among his constit
uents in northern Douglas
County, portions of Lane
County and southwest Eugene
and believes such a move by
the Legislature might influ
ence agencies, departments
and pressure groups that think
government has an endless
supply of funds to distribute.
The proposition is particu
larly interesting during a time
when the people appear to be
favoring less instead of more
government.
And it may be unfair to
compare compensation to law
makers with the amount of
government they create but
such a comparison during the
decades of the Sixties and
Seventies reveals an interest
ing parallel.
Oregon lawmakers in 1961
received no per diem pay
ments during that session.
Monthly salary was $175. That
a session. Interim monthly
expense payments of $100
were put into effect at the
conclusion of the 1969 session.
The 1971 Legislature boost
ed salaries to $262.50 monthly,
per diem to $25 a day and
interim expenses to $125
monthly. Salary rose to $275
monthly in 1972 and then
jumped to $400 monthly in
1973, along with increases to
$30 daily for per diem and $150
for monthly interim expense.
Next significant boost was
in 1975 when salaries rose to
$440, per diem to $35 and
interim expense to $175. The
following year salaries climb
ed to $484 monthly and in 1977
to $600 with per diem and
interim expenses at current
$44 and $225 levels.
What these figures repre
sent is a salary increase of 162
per cent since 1971 and a
doubling of both per diem and
interim payments during the
same period. Biggest single
salary boost came in 1973 at 46
per cent, followed by a 24 per
cent increase in 1977 and 9 per
cent in 1978.
When lawmakers earned a
rather static $250 monthly
during most of the Sixties,
regular biennial sessions last
ed an average of 135 days and
considered 1,450 legislative
proposals. So far during the
considerably more highly paid
Seventies, sessions have last
ed an average of 158 days
while lawmakers introduced
and considered an average of
nearly 2,500 measures.
Some might argue the
proliferation of legislative
business justifies additional
salaries and expenses. But
from a statistical standpoint,
it readily appears the amount
of new legislation proposed
was significantly influenced
by the amount of time
involved and the recompense
during those times.
There will be arguments
against HB 2313 to the effect
cutting a lawmaker's salary
will preclude many people
from serving in the Legisla
ture. And this may be true.
Still, present salary and
expenses average $1,250
monthly considerably above
the $971.36 received by the
state's current average week
ly wage earner.
Signing on HB 2313 with
Campbell are Reps. Norm
Smith, Tigard; Bill Bellamy,
Culver; Ted Bugas, Astoria;
Mary Alice Ford, Portland;
Jeff Gilmour, Jefferson; Cecil
Johnson, Grants Pass; Bill
Rogers, Vida; John Schoon,
Rickreall; Max Simpson,
Baker; Bill Markham, Rid
dle; Caroline Magruder,
Clatskanie, and Tony Van
Vliet, Corvallis. Senators sign
ing on are LB. Day, Salem;
George Wingard, Eugene and
Bob Smith, Burns.
All are Republicans, except
Gilmour, Magruder and Simpson.
The bill has been assigned to
the House Committee on
Legislative Rules and Opera
tions, chaired by Rep. Joyce
Cohen (D-Lake Oswego). Two
members of that panel Reps.
Bugas and Rogers likely will
be among its primary support
ers. And what happens to HB
2313 in committee will pr&Vide
an indication of how anxious
our present Legislature is to
accept Campbell's suggestion
a pay cut would serve as an
example to the rest of state
government.
Hope remains for Amtrak
Pioneer rail route -service
By Sen. Ken Jernstedt
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
$8.00 In Morrow, Umatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere
The Heppner
AZETTE-TIME
Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Published every Thursday and entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, under the Act
of March 3, 1879. Second-class postage paid at Heppner, Oregon.
G.M. Reed, Publisher
Rick Steelhammer, News Editor
Cayle Rush, Composition
Dolores Reed, Co-publisher
Eileer Saling, Office Manager
Melissa Scott, Composition
Ron Jordan, Printer
Terry M. Hager, Managing Editor
Justine Weatherford, Local Columnist
Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice
As a result of remarks I
made to the Senate this week
protesting the proposed shut
down of Amtrak's Pioneer
passenger service from Port
land to Hood River, The
Dalles, Pendleton and points
east, the Senate Transporta
tion Committee plans to peti
tion the U.S. Congress not to
approve Secretary of Trans
portation Brock Adams' plan
to cut Amtrak's routes by 43
per cent as early as May 15.
This plan would virtually
destroy this country's passen
ger train system. In Oregon
the only train left would be the
daily Coast Starlighter which
passes through Portland,
Salem, Eugene and other
points on its run between
Seattle and Los Angeles.
The Pioneer and three other
northwest lines have shown an
average increase of 8.73 per
cent in ridership in the last
fiscal year. The Pioneer has
provided safe and reliable
transportation and during the
recent snow and ice storms it
ran on schedule while traffic
on Interstate 80N was com
pletely stopped for long per
iods at a time.
Back in 1973 and 1974 during
the oil embargo, passenger
trains experienced a real
jump in ridership but ap
' parently we've already forgot
ten the lesson learned from
that experience. Now we are
faced with the loss of Iranian
oil, the possibility of rationing
and with increased gas prices.
Eliminating Amtrak service
will force people to use other
means of transportation that
are less fuel-efficient and
more costly.
In addition, we are overlook
ing, those Americans who are
too old or too young to drive,
or who are physically handi
capped and can't drive.
New methods of financing
Amtrak should be developed
and it must be given more
freedom to negotiate labor
costs. It needs more capital
funding to replace old and
obsolete equipment.
America needs to retain a
viable Amtrak system one
that continues to serve the
sparesely, as well as the
heavily, populated sections of
this country. It is our short
and also long-term interest
that we don't dismantle the
system before we decide on
the basic level of passenger
service that is needed.
urm JT
the UMUbSg
Prohibition officer F.A. Hazeltine, not exactly the most
popular man around these parts, made an appearance at the
courthouse in Heppner 50 years ago this week in an effort to
salt the wounds of Morrow County moonshiners and
bootleggers.
The federal government had just passed a law making it
possible to collect back taxes on the sale of illegal liquor, and
Hazeltine was searching circuit court records to ferret out
individuals who would be required to give Uncle Sam a share
of their illegal whiskey income.
While Hazeltine was attempting to place moonshiners in
double jeopardy with the law, Heppner teenager' Jim
Thomson had just returned from a two-month tour of the
Orient, and was busy relating his overseas experiences to
interested townspeople. Returning to work in the
family-owned Thomson Brothers Grocery may have been a
temporary let-down for the well-traveled youth, but he had
enough enthusiasm for the trade to stay in the business until
1978, when he retired.
During its Valentine's Day issue, the Gazette-Times
carried a wire service account of a Los Angeles professor of
applied psychology seeking divorce and police protection
from his newlywed wife. The professor said his bride
emphasized her side of "psychological discussions" by
pointing a loaded pistol at him. "Pyschology is no match for a
six-shooter," he told police.
Meanwhile, residents of the Alpine community,
snowbound due to a long stretch of unseasonably severe
winter weather, posted this tongue-in-cheek notice in the
Gazette-Times classified section:
Lost our mail carrier. Disappeared a couple of weeks
ago and has bobbed up only once since. Any news of him will
be gratefully received by a suffering public."
While a blizzard howled outside, workers at Kinzua
Corporation's sawmill operation at the town of Kinzua
remained on the job 30 years ago this week, cranking out of
all things a shipment of lawn chairs.
The heavy snowfall left the community snowbound for a
portion of the week, and shut down indefinitely logging
operations in the Camp Five area.
The Lexington School Board 25 years ago this week
turned down a proposal to consolidate Lexington High School
with the school at lone, stating that the Lexington facility
turned out high school graduates at a much lower
cost-per-pupil rate than lone. The proposed plan called for
busing Lexington high schoolers to the new school at lone.
During the same week in 1949, Jeff Walker of Heppner
was admitted to Pioneer Memorial Hospital for treatment of
injuries received when his Jeep overturned on icy Willow
Creek Road about 12 miles upstream from Heppner.
Ten years ago this week, a boxcar shortage forced the
Heppner Lumber Co. sawmill operation to shut down, leaving
55 workers idle. Some 35 carloads of lumber were left
standing along the mill's rail sliding, awaiting arrival of the
needed wide-door rail cars.
During the same week, Heppner's Becky Fulleton was
named to serve on the Spray Rodeo Court. Becky, now one of
the nation's top professional barrel racers, appeared on
national television last month during competition at the '
National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City.
Negotiations were at a standoff between county
schoolteachers and the Morrow County School Board 10
years ago this week. The school board was proposing a base
salary of $6,300, plus increments of $220 per year and $6.50
per month to go towards paying health insurance. The
teachers said they were willing to accept a base rate of only
$6,000, if the board would provide total payment of health
insurance, but the board was unable to accept the
counter-proposal.
Anita Davidson of Lexington was one of only two girls
from Oregon chosen to represent the state at the national 4-H
convention in Washington, D.C., five years ago this week.
During the same week in 1974, Charles Kyd of Sabre
Farms addressed the Heppner-Morrow County Chamber of
Commerce, telling members of plans to build a
computer-operated, center-pivot irrigation system on the
corporate farms vast North Morrow land holdings.
Last year this week, the Heppner Fillies qualified for a
berth in district basketball competition, by beating Oregon
Trail and Riverside each by more than 40 points.
Picture
Credit
Heppner first graders were recipients of "The Stars and
Stripes" and a small booklet telling of the United States
Flag's history, how to display it and how to care for it. The
presentation is made each year by the Heppner Lions Club,
represented in this photo by Principal Don Cole and Morrow
County Judge D.O. Nelson.
During Mark Twain's days at a newspaperman, he was ditor of
a small Missouri paper. One day he received a letter from a subscriber,
stating that he had found a spider in his paper, and asked
if this was an omen of good or bad luck.
Twain replied: "Finding a smler in your paier is neither
food nor bad luek. The spider urn merely looking over our paper
to ee uhirh merchant ton not advertising to that he could
go to that store, spin his treb across the door, and lead '
a life of undisturbed peace ever afterward."
THE
GAZETTE-TIMES
will keep the spider away from your door
,'