TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, June 28, 1979
Sifting
through
the jfk
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
Editorials o Columns
iss tsi n
UD&UJLFOC"J"T Letters From Readers
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Your representative
speaks his piece
District 55's freshman legis
lator, Rep. Billy Bellamy, R-Culver,
accomplished last week what no
other legislator of either party has
done this session. He single-handedly
led the charge to send one of the
largest budgets in sta4e government
back to the most powerful legislative
committee against the objections of
the members of that committee.
Rep. Bellamy moved to have the
budget for the State Department of
Education sent back to the Ways &
Means Committee because the
vocational education program had
been devastated by the budget
writing committee. Nine of 41
positions were scheduled for elimi
nation from the vo-ed programs
while only three of 234 positions were
cut in the rest of the agency.
"The budget for vocational
education had been whacked apart...
more than 20 percent of the staff had
been eliminated. It was a travesty
and a majority of the House
agreed," said Bellamy.
The District 55 Representative
himself a vocational ed teacher in
the Culver school system has
worked hard this session for
improvements in state funding of the
program. Rightfully so, he feels
students in rural committees have
and will continue to benefit greatly
by vocational education programs.
As a freshman member of the
minority party, Bellamy stood on
the House floor and persuaded
nearly two-thirds of its members to
send one of the biggest budgets back
to committee. That caused quite a
few heads to turn because senior
legislators of the majority party are
seldom successful in sending a
budget bill back to Ways & Means.
Assistant House Minority Leader
Paul Hanneman, ranking Republi
can member of Ways & Means and
most senior member of the House
spoke to Bellamy's move: "I have
seen some phenomenal accom
plishments in my 15 years at the
Legislature, but what Rep. Bellamy
may have accomplished in behalf of
vocational education is simply
outstanding."
It is pretty tough for a first-term
legislator to make great inroads and
be effective in a group that relies
heavily on seniority, but Rep.
Bellamy has demonstrated leader
ship and common sense throughout
this session and his most recent
example of forcefulness for a
program affecting his constituency
indicates that voters made a wise
choice last November.
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Now hear this...
How will folks back home judge
479 Oregon legislature?
JcL
As the 60lh Legislative Assembly
nears adjournment in Salem, there is a
tendency to speculate on results of some
25 weeks of deliberation.
That speculation involves many
subjects as far as this regular biennial
session is concerned. And conclusions
drawn now are certain to be tempered in
months to come.
Nonetheless, this session has encoun
tered situations that tend to distinguish it
from previous meetings in the Capital
City.
As is usually the case, major issues
confronting lawmakers when they con
vened January 8 were clearly defined.
Generally speaking, the session pro
duced few surprises. Tax relief, energy
problems and escalating costs of
Workers' Compensation insurance ap
peared prime targets for legislative
action and these subjects appeared to
receive the lion's share of attention.
A massive tax relief package
overshadowed nearly every other activ
ity as far as new coverage of the session
was concerned. The energy situation
tended to produce the emotionalism
attendant at every session. And while
Workers' Compensation problems were
not eliminated, progress was made and
the way paved for perhaps fullscale
reform next session.
In this light, a weary lawmaker may
go home at session's end accompanied by
a sense of genuine accomplishment. But
what about the folks back home? How
will they judge efforts of their law
makersindividually and collectively?
Opinion polls repeatedly disclose the
public has little esteem for lawmakers as
a group but relatively high regard for
individual members. So while the folks
back home may extend a warm welcome
to returning Legislators when this
session ends, that warmth may not
extend to endorsement of the whole
Assembly's accomplishments.
Indeed, some lawmakers may won
der if the homefolks were even aware
they had been laboring in their behalf for
half a year in Salem.
There's a saying in the Capital City
that the people discovered the Legisla
ture at the beginning of this decade. And
the flood of constituent legislation that
has deluged each session since 1971 tends
to bolster the conclusion. An increase in
the number of special interest groups
descending on lawmakers was a hall
mark of the Seventies. Increased
coverage of legislative events in news
papers, magazines, television and radio
reflected and extended apparent public
interest.
But public clamor failed to reach
usual proportions this year. Officially,
there were more visitors at the Capitol.
Some 40,081 individuals signed guest
books kept by Capitol Guides by June 1
this year. That compares with 36,214 in
1977 and 33,080 in 1975.
But more than half the total recorded
were students and not an aroused public
bent on influencing people making
decisions.
The Legislature's telephone infor
mation service persuaded the biggest
hint that public interest may be on the
wane. Inaugurated in 1975, the service
attracted 30,000 calls that first year and
soared to a total of 41,407 by June 10
during the '77 session. Operators were
hard-pressed to handle an average of
more than 500 calls a day from people
checking on the status of legislative
proposals.
On June 15, the session calls were
averaging about 250 a day and the total
had dropped to only 27,591. More
revealing perhaps, was the virtual
absence of inquiries regarding what
lawmakers considered major issues.
Calls checking on progress of several
bills expanding the Veterans' Home Loan
program were far and away the most
frequent leading the top 10 subject
areas of inquiries consistently from
March forward. During peak periods
operators logged more calls on that
subject than all others combined. And the
subject of tax relief made the top 10 only
once and then far down on the list.
Although already the third-longest ses
sion on record, this Assembly will have
Legislative Report from the State Capital
EXCLUSIVE to Oregon's Weekly Newspa
pers trom Associated Oregon Industries.
introduced fewer legislative proposals
than any since 1971. The record longest
session in 1973 considered 2,481 and this
year's total stood at 2,424 as the 24th
week ended. And that total is down
significantly from the 2,812 introduced in
1977.
At the same time, it appears
considerably fewer measures will win
approval in both houses. The total
hovered near 500 at the end of last week
and stood small chance of reaching the
800-plus predicted early in the session.
What happens to measures that fail
to achieve legislative sanction? Many
simply die in the pipeline when
budget-making Ways & Means Commit
tee completes its task of apportioning
funding equal to projected revenue.
Many more are tabled for a variety of
reasons and others simply never make it
out of committees to which they are
assigned.
A total of 791 remained in committee
last week a considerably smaller num
ber than the 1,338 similarly languishing
on the sesion's final day in 1977. One
might jump on these figures as proof this
session has been busier or is tidier than
the Assembly two years ago. But
automatic tabling rules in both chambers
this session tends to distort such a
comparison.
OIIPA
The Official Newspaper of the
City of Heppner and the
County of Morrow
Oregon Newipapar
Publilhvrs Aisocio'ion
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Published every Thursday and entered as second-class matter at the Pott Office
at Heppner, Oregon under the Art of March3, 1879. Second-class pottage
paid at Heppner, Oregon
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
$8.00 In Morrow, Unatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere
GM Reed, Publisher Dolores Reed, Co-publisher
Terry M. Hager, General Manager Jim Hackett, News Editor
Eileen Soling, Office Manager Gayle Rush, AdvertisingComposition
Mel.ssa Scott, Composite 0ndj Dohef)y
Justine Weotherford, Local Columnist
Public Officials
U.S. Sen.
Mark O.
Hatfield
Husscll Senate- Office Hklg . Washington.
DC id.'iln Mcmhcr l Appropriiilions
Omimiltec Interior Committee, liules Com
mittee, and Indian Policy Hcvieu Commis
sion. Portland oltice. Pioneer Courthouse.
Km. 107. .".I'll S W Morrison. Portland. Ore.
97204, phone s :i:ttu;
U.S. Sen.
Bob Packwood
Dirksen Si'iiate Ollice Hldg . Washington.
D C. Jor l I Member of Finance Committee
and Commerce Committee Portland office.
UKI2 K. Hnlladay. Km 70(1 i P O. Box :ili2l i.
Portland. Ore tl7.'im. phone 2:i:)-4471.
U.S. Rep. Al Ullman,
Of The Second District
House Office Bldfi.. Washington. D C.
2t)")l,'i Member of Ways and Means Commit
tee. Salem ottice. 5:i Center St.. Km 'P O
Box 247i. Salem. Ore. 97:508. phone 399-5724.
Gov. Vic Atiyeh
Slate Capitol. Salem. Ore. 97:110. phone
:i7H-:tllHl.
State Sen.
Ken Jernstedt
'Morrow, Gilliam and other counties).
Slate Capitol. Km. S.I17. Salem. Ore. 97310.
phone 37H-KH.VI.
State Sen.
Robert Smith
'Wheeler. Grant and other counties)
Stale Capitol. Km. S323. Salem. Ore. 97310
phone 37H-817H.
State Rep.
Bill Bellamy
(Morrow. Gilliam and other counties).
Slate Capitol. Km. H364. Salem. Ore 97310
phone :!7K-KH53.
State Rep.
Max Simpson
i Wheeler. Grant and other counties).
Stale Capitol. Km. H4K1. Salem. Ore. 97310,
phone 378-8789.
Persons wanting information on bills,
hearings, and other doings of the
Oregon Legislature may call,
toll-free, 1-800-452-0290
Salem
Scene
By Jack Zimmerman
Agonizing over results of this session
at this time is probably an exercise in
futility. A few days of deliberation still
remain. Gov. Victor Atiyeh has another
20 after adjournment to use his power of
veto. The people can stall the effective
date of some new laws with a successful
referendum campaign.
But the real test of this session's
results will probably occur next May.
Next spring's primary election will
give voters their biennial opportunity to
express opinions on most Legislators.
And that election is scheduled also to
permit the people to determine the
long-term fate of this Legislature's tax
relief program a plan clearly consider
ed by lawmakers as their greatest single
achievement.
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FROM OUR READERS
Writer tabs gas
shortage a rip-off
Editor:
I wonder how long it will take before
the American people will stand up and
tell the gdvernment, this is enough.
I am referring to the big rip-off of the
big oil companies. This will go down in
history as the biggest rip-off in American
history. The sad part is the government
is going along with it. Have you ever
wondered why?
The oil companies will make billions
of dollars in profits, so the government
will tax them for billions. This is how the
President will help balance the budget
and we the people will pay for it.
If you wonder what vou can do about
it, let me tell you.
Send in letters and cards to your
Congressman telling him if they do not
bring down gas prices and stop this
inflation, next election time we will vote
them out from the President right on
down to the governor.
It is time to strike now while the iron
is hot. Let us all get behind the truckers
and put an end to this rip-off.
Oral C. Wright
Lexington
TIMES
Fifty years ago, the old Slocum mill
was set to be reopened by the Heppner
Pine Lumber Company with operations
to start within the next ten days,
according to A.G. Reschke, president
and owner of the new company. The
output will be trucked to Heppner for
shipment over the Union Pacific Rail
road, largely to eastern points.
C.J. Harrison will be in charge of
local operations, coming to the county
from Portland. The old Slocum mill, in
active operation for many years, is one of
the most widely known mills locally,
being situated in one of the finest stands
of pine timber in the county.
The American Legion Pool is set for
opening on July 3. The opening was
delayed by repair work and a shortage of
water. This was welcome news to those
planning to watch the Heppner and lone
ball teams clash in a two day baseball
, game with dances also scheduled at the
open air pavilion. The Cole Madsen
dance band of Portland will perform.
Admission prices are 10 cents for
children under 12, 15 cents for youth
12-15, and 25 cents for adults $1 for 12
swims.
'No person suffering from a fever,
cold, cough or inflamed eyes shall be
allowed use of the plunge. These
disorders may be transmitted to others.'
While it was quite hot in Heppner on
Monday and the same condition prevail
ed over the entire county, no damage to
grain is reported. The thermometer here
registered about 98 but on Tuesday cooler
weather came with a stiff breeze and
moderate conditions prevail. The wheat
fields are maturing in fine shape.
Bill Shaw, a young man in the
employ of J.B. Huddleston as a
sheephearder was bitten in the hand by a
dog near Lone Rock. Treatment for
hydrophobia was administered because
of the infection. It was hoped he might
escape any serious consequences.
The Gazette-Times editorialized be
fore July 4 that "July 4, 1929 is the
nation's 153rd birthday and is there any
red-blooded American who does not know
and honor the day?
In celebrating the fourth this year,
many will stop and consider what the day
means to the nation. They will not
jeopardize life or property by reckless
driving on their way to and from
celebrations or by the thoughtless setting
off of fireworks."
Twenty-five years ago, an architect's
drawing headlined the front page,
outlining the planned new Heppner
Elementary School to face Main Street
and located on land now occupied by the
Tum-A-Lum Lumber Company. The
channel of Willow Creek will be moved
more than 200 feet east of its present
location to give a wide play area to the
rear. Architect's plans call for raising
the floor level of the plant four feet above
street level to prevent any possibility of
flood damage or water danger to
the students.
Tax millage in Morrow County is
expected to show a considerable reduc
tion for next year, the County Assessor,
Mrs. Joe Hughes announced. All personal
property has been charged at 55 percent
and next year the assessment ratio
reduced to 30 percent. The total assessed
valuation next year will be $9,076,250.
Carl P. Linn of lone has been
awarded the contract to haul mail
between Heppner and Arlington, an
nounced this week by Heppner Post
master Carl Driscoll.
Local flying saucer story received
nationwide publicity, according to a
front-page headline. The story was
picked up by Frank Edwards of the
Mutual Broadcasting Company. Three
local men, Al Lovgren, Robert Minck and
Elmer Palmer watched nine of the
objects cross the sky south of Heppner.
Five years ago, the Morrow County
Board of Equalization employed an
independent appraiser to check wheat
yields and market prices for the year,
Jan. 1 to December 31, 1973.
The board took the action as a result
of 58 farm appeals received for the 1973
crop year.
Sherry Kemp was crowned as the
1974 Morrow County Fair and Rodeo
Queen by outgoing queen, Michelle
Miller Burns.
Citizens were organizing to find a
physician, Mrs. Ilene Wyman, hospital ,
administrator planned to prepare a slide
show for presentating to doctors inter
ested in coming to the area. Members of
the committee include Mrs. Wyman,
Judge Jones, Dr. Wolff, Jim Bier, Don
Cole, Hazel Mahoney, Adda Shiffer and
Liz Curtis.
A Navy jet dropped a bomb short of
its target at the Boardman Bombing
Range Monday, starting & fire that
burned 2,500 acres of sagebrush before
being brought under control. The Navy
lost control of the blaze and summoned
fire departments from Hermiston,
Boardman and Irrigon as well as the
Umatilla Army Depot.