TEN The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, June 28. 197
Lawmakers consider rights of elderly, homeowners
i
By Sean Griffin
Eagle Newspapers
The interests of property
taxpayers, industrialists, vet
erans and the elderly seem to
be prevailing as the legislative
assembly moves toward the
conclusion of its 60th session.
And despite the headlines
nuclear safety issues have
generated since the nuclear
reactor incident at Three Mile
Island, the possibility of a
moratorium on nuclear power
development appears to be
shut down.
Following is an update on a
number of legislative issues.
Taxation. The legislature
approved a three-part, $705
million tax relief package.
The package is now law, and
provides for a rebate of the
state's accumulated surplus,
payment of 30 percent of
homeowner's property tax
bills (exclusive of bonded
indebtedness), increases in
HAARP (Homeowner and
Renter Tax Relief) eligibility
levels, and increases in the
personal exemption on per
sonal income tax returns from
$750 to $1,000.
By the end of this week,
more than one million inform
Students sought for
OMSI summer camp
Openings remain in several
summer camp sessions for
young people at OMSI's Han
cock Field Station in the John
Day River valley of central
Oregon.
Camp activities revolve
around field and lab studies in
paleontology, archaeology,
geology, botany and astron
omy, with plenty of time for
swimming, volleyball, soccer
and jogging. Facilities consist
of A-frame cabins, three
laboratories, a photographic
darkroom, lapidary workshop
and open-air dining room.
A session for campers ages
10 through 16 will be held July
5 through 13. Fees are $145 for
OMSI members and $155 for
non-members.
Junior high students aged 12
through 14 may take part in a
camp session August 6
through 16. Fees are $185 for
OMSI members and $200 for
non-members.
The clear skies of the
ation packages will have been
distributed to Oregon resi
dences, detailing provisions of
the relief, including the forms
necessary to file for relief.
Meanwhile, Gov. Victor
Atiyeh intends on putting an
as-yet unspecified tax plan of
his own on the November, 1980
ballot, where it is likely to find
competition with a one per
cent property tax limitation
initiative sponsored by the
Oregon Taxpayers Union,
Energy More than a dozen
separate bills seeking to
restrict the development of
nuclear energy in the state
have floundered in the legis
lative mill. Although the
House passed a bill in May
prohibiting the authorization
of future nuclear power plants
until the federal government
begins construction on a
permanent storage facility for
the radioactive wastes, the bill
failed to survive the Senate's
Energy and Environment
Committee intact. In modified
form, HB 2570 will prohibit
siting of new plants until
November, 1980, giving pro
ponents of a nuclear mora
torium a chance to place a
nuclear moratorium measure
central Oregon desert provide
great night sky viewing for a
special advanced astronomy
session at Hancock August 21
through 31. The session is open
to students aged 16 through 18,
and fees are $160 for OMSI
members and $175 for non
members. Overnight trips to areas of
interest near the outdoor
facility are included in each
session.
For more information, call
OMSI Outdoor Education, 248
5938. All
Your
in r ; .
11m ww e .
GAZETTI-TIMtS
676-9228
This space will carry your
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on the 1980 general election
ballot.
Also destined to survive the
session are a variety of
measures providing tax in
centives for individuals and
businesses seeking to develop
alternative energy resources.
Human services Due to the
tax plan, which will deplete
the state's resources by $704
million, the $800 million allo
cated for basic school support
and a resolution that would
fund the state police and the
state parks out of general fund
monies (rather than through
gasoline tax receipts), the
state will have nearly $1
billion less to spend in the next
biennium in human services
and other areas.
Consequently, few new pro
April county labor force increases
The unemployment picture
improved for both Morrow
and Umatilla counties during
the month of April, declining
from 5 percent to 4.3 percent
in Morrow County and from 7
percent to 6.8 percent in
Umatilla County.
The March-April improve
ment this year doesn't com
pare to the spectacular im
provement recorded the same
time last year, according to
the State Department of
Human Resources. In 1978, the
March-April rate in Morrow
elf are
Ky Ken Jernstcdt
District 2K
Citizens who have been
urging a tightening-up in
welfare programs will be
pleased by the actions of the
legislature's Ways and Means
Committee. It has reduced the
proposed state welfare budget
by some $9 million and
welfare rolls will be reduced
by some 5.000 people on July
1st.
Not only will the welfare
caseload be reduce . but
administrative expenses in
the public welfare division
also will be cut.
New emphasis will be
placed on demanding that
those who are capable of work
are channeled into employ
HOME REPAIR
UMATILLA READY-MIX
Open Every Weekday, ,
-inH Snturdav & Sunday
:( m
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grams have been funded and
many existing programs have
been reduced. Welfare fami
lies with 'two unemployed
parents will find themselves
cut off from existing funds,
with the state opted to forfeit
supplemental federal funds
used in the program in order
to force recipients back into
the job market.
Among the few new pro
grams winning approval is a
$180,000 cooperative childcare
program to explore the feasi
bility of alternative means of
funding childcare in the state.
Also approved is a proposal to
establish day treatment cen
ters in Polk, Clackamas and
Klamath counties for emo
tionally disturbed youngsters.
Minorities Oregon Project
County dropped from 7.4 to 2.2
percent and in Umatilla
County, 6.7 to 5.8 percent.
Employment in the agri
culture sector was up in both
Morrow and Umatilla counties
during the month of April.
Lumber and wood products
employment in Morrow
County was down again in
April where wet forests hin
dered work activities. Em
ployment was steady in non
manufacturing industries.
County economic develop
ments may increase employ
rolls trimmed by 5,000
ment. Henceforth, welfare
benefits will be determined on
the basis of need, rather than
greed.
To help with this new thrust ,
the Senate already has a
proved legislation to require
that stepfathers who have the
capability will be responsible
for the needs of their step
children. This will remove
several thousand people from
Oregon's welfare rolls.
Taken together, these act
ions constitute the most far
ranging welfare reform that
we have seen in Salem during
my 13 years as a legislator.
They are steps in the right
direction and they provide
hope that we will yet be able to
get control over programs
TUESDAY, Donnas
WEDNESDAY,
FRIDAY Call for an
appointment now! 360 E. Aiken
' i sir
Independence, a program to
help infirm elderly to stay out
of nursing homes, faces a 20
percent funding cut in the next
biennium.
Senior advocates enjoyed
success on other fronts, how
ever, especially a measure
establishing a "bill of rights"
for nursing home patients and
a bill requiring the reporting
of abuse of nursing home
patients. A bill allowing
grandparents to seek court
orders allowing them to visit
with their grandchildren fol
lowing the divorce or death of
the grandchild's parents
seems certain of passage.
Homosexuals lost their fight
to prevent discrimination in
employment on the basis of
sexual preference when the
ment for 50 people at Gormet
Foods. Port of Morrow of
ficials are seeking $1.4 million
in bonds to fund the expansion.
PGE officials have reported
the coal-fired generator is
about 55 percent completed
and total construction hours
through March 3 was
$3,749,712.
Mortgage interest rates in
the greater Morrow-Umatilla
area and elsewhere reached
ll1 1 percent and within last
month, the rates have climbed
1 1 of 1 percent or more for 95
which have been run too
loosely in years past.
The total number of bills
introduced in the legislature is
2.397 (1.098 in the Senate, 1.299
in the House), compared to
2.7il(i in 1977. This means 399
fewer bills to deal with than
two years ago.
The most recent statistics
available show that the Senate
has passed 403 of its own bills,
70 fewer than at the same time
in 1977. Of that number, 199
have been passed by the
House and 114 signed into law
by the Governor.
The House has passed 389 of
its own bills, 87 fewer than at
the same time in 1977. Of
these, 169 have been passed by
the Senate and 83 signed by
the Governor.
BEAUTY PARLOR
Senate Energy and Environ
ment Committee refused to
"untable" a bill that would do
that.
The fate of a bill stripping
the state Wage and Hour
Commission of its authority to
establish a sub-minimum
wage for teenagers was still
uncertain at press time. The
measure passed the House but
must still gain approval from
the Senate and Governor
Atiyeh.
Veterans Oregon voters
will decide at the polls next
year whether to standardize
eligibility requirements for
the veterans home loan pro
gram. Currently, different
eligibility requirements exist
for Vietnam, Korea and World
War II-era veterans.
percent conventional loans or
those loans not backed by a
federal agency.
In April, 1979, there were
5,300 persons employed in the
vivilian labor force compared
to 4,830 in April, 1978 and 5,120
in March, 1979 with 240
persons unemployed.
There were 14 new single
family dwellings built at a
total cost of $619,700 (the
average cost $44,264 and no
multi-family units for April,
1979.
I have felt for some time
now that the session will end
at the end of this month, and I
see no reason to change my
mind now.
Hearing slated
on pesticide
usage
The Department of Agricul
ture will hold a hearing on the
use and control of heptachlor-
treated grain seed on irrigated
farmland in Umatilla and
Morrow counties, 10 a.m. at
Thompson Hall, Umatilla
County Fairgrounds.
LAUNDROMAT
HEPPNER LAUNDROMAT
MAIN ST. HEPPNER
Open Mon.-Sat.
8:30 a.m.-9p.m. .
Sun VV
12:30p.m. 9 p.m.
Another veterans bill, al
ready signed into law, re
stricts to two the number of
homes veterans may purchase
under the program while
raising the maximum loan
limits. Veterans may now
borrow up to $58,000 toward
County hears of
blowing dust
Cont. from page 1
admitted there may be a dust
problem but said "There is not
much difference living there
and in downtown Boardman."
Problems from crop spray
ing is a civil matter between
landowners, Glenn said, and
there have been cases involv
ing spraying 35 miles away
referring to the spraying of
2-4-D herbicide in forested
areas. He also said trespass
ing and vandalism were civil
problems and argued there
may be more vandalism in
sparsely populated areas for
lack of permanent inhabi
tants. Glenn conceded that there
would be heavy traffic on the
narrow road but said it could
be widened and use by 18
additional dwelling units
would be "relatively insignifi
cant." The U.S. Navy may already
be creating a noise problem in
the area through its use of the
Bombing Range.
"The purchaser will just
have to take his lumps.",
One of the property-owners,
Dewey West, said the dev
elopers are now required by
law to provide prospective
owners full disclosure of
problems which they may
encounter.
Regarding future dog prob
lems, Glenn said, "Dog con
trol is a civil problem and
should be controlled through
that context rather than
through the planning context.
He told the board that it may
be uneconomical to provide
water to the farming area
because of its size and
topography and suggested
alternative uses of the land
besides the current potatoe
farming such as grape-growing.
West also told the court that
the proposed subdivision land
had been offered for sale to
Braat but the two were unable
to agree on a settlement.
SHERRELL
Cosed
Holidays
Complete
the purchase of their first
home and $50,000 toward the
purchase of a second.
Veterans' spouses may now
purchase mortgage cancel
lation life insurance, an option
previously available only to
veterans.
Braat said before the' deci
sion, he might issue an appeal
to the State Land Conserva
tion Development Commis
sion; after the session, he said
he might sell the property.
County Commissioner War
. ren McCoy and Judge Nelson
said they may encounter
further problems between
subdivisions and agricultural
spraying.
Mick Tolar has resigned
from the North Morrow Vec
tor Control District and Max
well Jones Jr. appointed by
the Morrow County Court to
fill the vacancy.
In other actions, the court
accepted petitions from Har
old Wright and Shirley Rugg
for vacation of Canyon and
Toll Rock Roads. Acceptance
of the petitions does not mean
granting of the vacation
request and before making the
decision, the county court will
hear a report from Acting
Roadmaster Don Ball, hold a
public hearing on the petition
and decide whether they
desire a final public hearing to
consider action on the matter.
An intergovernmental
agreement between the
county and Morrow County
was postponed until a meeting
is arranged with the various
town officials. One change
proposed in the cooperative
law-enforcement sreement
is that the District attorney's
office would not be handling
traffic cases for the cities.
The court also discussed
allocation of funds within the
budget to allow for maintain
ing the Paul Smith Rd.
(Wilson Rd.) near Boardman.
1
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