TW O - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 6, 1992
__ Letters to the Editor
Fees make up for Ballot Measure 5
To the Editor:
I wonder how many of the peo
ple of Oregon thought that
“ Ballot Measure Five” would
reduce taxes and bring the cost of
the state government under con
trol. Not so many of us in Eastern
Oregon voted for Measure five.
Not so many of any of the citizens
of Oregon outside the urban areas
voted for it. but we got it anyway.
I’m afraid that our 1991
legislature is not likely to go
down in history as having been
particularly brilliant. One of their
less-than-brilliant acts was to
authorize some State agencies to
make “ fee increases” as a way
to replace operating money lost
by the passage of Ballot Measure
Five.
I have searched through the
Oregon State Constitution for the
section that allows state agencies
to enact laws and levy taxes. I
can’t find it. Maybe it’s there
somewhere, but 1 don’t think so.
O ur state agencies would
vehemently deny that they make
laws and levy taxes, but what else
can you call ‘‘administrative rules
and fees” ?
A little over 200 years ago, the
English colonies in America went
to war against their king over the
issue of “ taxation without
representation” , among other
things. I wonder if our state
government thinks that we like it
any better than our ancestors did.
I’m not advocating armed
rebellion, but I think it’s time the
citizens of Oregon stand up and
holler whoa.
The city of Baker City will in
crease the base rate for city water
by 73 percent to comply with
“ surface water treatment rule” ,
an “ administrative rule” by the
Dept, of Environmental Quality
(DEQ).
Baker City citizens will also
pay 43 percent more for garbage
collection because of “ ad
ministrative rules” by the same
agency. Had enough yet? How
about a 22 percent increase in
sewer charges to pay “ natl.
pollution-discharge elimination”
fees and wastewater discharge
permit fees.
Did your property taxes
decrease last year? Add these new
charges to your property and in
come taxes and then see how
much Oregon State government
is costing you.
I got these numbers from a let
ter written by a justifiably irate
Mayor Hofmann in protest
against these new taxes. I would
like to suggest that if your readers
are as upset as I am about this in
sufferable situation, they write to
DEQ at 811 S.W. 6th Ave.
Portland, OR 97204. Send copies
to the governor at 254 State
Capitol Bldg. Salem, OR 97310.
Also, send copies to Rep. Mike
Nelson at 845 Campbell St. Baker
City, OR 97814, and State
Senator Wayne Fawbush at 5000
O ’Leary Rd. Hood River, OR
97031.
You can call the governor at
378-3111 and express your
displeasure directly to her. If
enough people get mad enough to
write, I think it may have some
effect. Our government is only as
good or as bad as we let it be.
Baker City is the focus of this
letter, because I only have the
numbers that apply here, but I ex
pect that there isn’t a town or ci
ty in Oregon that doesn’t have a
similar horror story to tell.
The countryside is not immune
from the greed of the state agen
cies. Our dept, of water resources
is proposing a one dollar per acre
foot surcharge on all irrigation
water in the state, for example.
We already pay taxes on our ir
rigation water because of the
dramatic difference in the assess
ed value between dry and ir
rigated land, and the water
resources department is not pro
posing any new services to earn
this money. They only want to get
their hands deeper into our
pockets.
We only get what we deserve
from our government. If we don’t
demand good government and
get rid of those who will not pro
vide it, we have no one to blapie
but ourselves.
Th^ik you.
(s) W.L. Sullens
HCR 88 Box 302
Baker City, OR 97814
Wallace well rounded
To the editor:
I am writing to ask everyone to
support Jeff Wallace in his can
didacy for the Umatilla-Morrow
County District Court Judge,
Position No. 2. This is on the
May 19 primary Ballot.
I have followed Jeffs career
for a number of years and knew
him when he was involved in 4-H
and FFA. Since 1987, Jeff has
been the district attorney in Mor
row County, where he has gain
ed valuable experience pro
secuting criminal cases and
representing Morrow County
civilly as county cousel.
I have always known Jeff to be
diligent, conscientious and
ethical. He served for a year as
a state FFA officer and is very
good in dealing with people. He
is an effective problem solver and
is extremely fair, qualities which
a judge needs.
Jeff Wallace is the kind of per
son we need on the bench. He has
common sense and a reasoned ap
proach to the job at hand. Please
cast your vote for Jeff as our next
district court judge in position 2.
Sincerely
(s) Wally Wedin
Milton-Freewater
Library district will save taxes
To the editor:
On May 19, 1992, you will be
making a decision that will have
a significant effect on the future
of the Boardman-Heppner areas
an all of Morrow County. You
will vote “ yes” or “ no" on the
formation of the Oregon Trail
Library District. I would like to
briefly describe the ramifications
of the two options.
A “ yes" vote on this issue will
result in an approximate savings
of 75% on library taxes. Library
services would be vastly expand
ed. Additionally, grant money
from the state library, up to
$150,000, may be forthcoming in
the next three years.
Voting “ no" will result in the
disolution of the Heppner library
and perhaps the Boardman library
as well.
Enabling most of Morrow
County’s population (61 percent)
to successfully interact in this age
of information will require a
“ yes” vote.
I urge you to vote “ yes” on the
Oregon Trail Library District,
(s) David P. Youngbluth
Boardman
Say yes to library district
To the editor:
I am writing this to urge the
citizens of Boardman and Hepp
ner to vote yes in the upcoming
May 19 election regarding the
formation of the Oregon Trail
Library District. The numerous
advantages to such a district are
obvious to me.
Growing up in the Seattle area
and having the advantage of a
wonderful library in my own
neighborhood was wonderful. If
the local library did not have what
I needed the access to the Seattle
Public library through courier
was always readily available. Our
little library right now has much
to offer through this type of
system, and as technology in
creases we will have access to in
formation at libraries throughout
the state. This access will come
a lot sooner than at our schools,
who are fighting budget cuts and
struggling just to keep afloat.
We don’t need to put any add
ed pressure on our over-buidened
school system when a library
district could be formed which
would supplement what already
exists in the schools. Please vote
yes for this valuable asset to our
communities.
Sincerely
(s) Carol Alldredge
Boardman
End incompetency vote for Kennemer
Elect Wallace district judge
To the editor:
I was upset to learn that in one
edition of the Voters Pamphlet,
Secretary of state candidate Bill
Kennemer’s picture was replac
ed by that of another candidate.
Is there no end of competency
problems in the secretary of
State’s office? I also noticed that
attached to my pamphlet was a
postcard about another mistake-
-one that cost another $30,000 to
correct. And isn’t this about the
same mistake that nearly in
validated the ballot measure two
years ago?
That’s why I’m supporting Bill
Kennemer. We have to restore
competency to that office again.
Another reason I am supporting
To the Editor:
I am a retired Oregon State
Police officer and I have come in
to contact with a number of
district attorneys, lawyers and
judges. That’s why I am writing
to urge people to vote for a judge
candidate, Jeff Wallace, who has
a well-earned reputation among
law enforcement agencies in the
area for dealing fairly and
professionally.
Jeff is running for district court
judge, position 2, for Morrow
and Umatilla Counties. He would
make an excellent judge and I
would ask everyone to vote for
him.
Several years ago, my house
was burglarized. Jeff prosecuted
the defendant and obtained a con
viction. In fact, as Morrow Coun
Bill Kennemer is that he could
have cost us tax payers $5,000 by
insisting the secretary of state
send out a new page. Instead, Bill
Kennemer did the responsible and
sensible thing. He said he cam
paigns on being careful with tax
payers’ money. So he couldn’t
justify spending $5,000 in such a
self serving way. I like the way
Channel 6 in Portland said it,
“ Would you like to meet a politi
cian that wants to save the tax
payers $5,000?”
Support Bill Kennemer. He
will make a sensible and respon
sible Secretary of State.
Sincerely,
(s) Bob and Suzanne Jepsen
Heppner
Wallace, fair, honest
To the editor:
It’s interesting that we have so
many candidates for judge this
year. In position 2, I’m voting for
Jeff Wallace.
Jeff has been a prosecutor for
a number of years and knows
how to handle criminal cases.
He’s also been in private practice,
and has had lots of trial
experience.
1 think that it’s important for a
Fels, honest, hardworking
judge to see the inside of a cour
troom before he becomes a judge.
Jeff has primarily been a trial
lawyer over the years. He is fair,
honest and has a good way of
dealing with people.
I am supporting Jeff Wallace
for district court judge.
Sincerely
(s) Bill York
Pendleton
Vote for quality library service
To the Editor:
The voters of the Boardman
and Heppner areas have an ex
citing opportunity coming their
way on May 19. It is an oppor
tunity to help their communities
keep pace with the rest of the
world. The opportunity I speak of
is the vote regarding the propos
ed Oregon Trail Library District.
In this age of information and
technology the amount of
knowledge available to man is
doubling at least every 10 years.
Our children cannot go through
12 years of formal education and
come out with a core o f
knowledge that will assure them
of survival in today’s world. Our
business and community leaders
cannot be expected to keep pace
with all the new information and
technology coming their way.
There is too much knowledge
changing too rapidly for any one
person to know it all. Information
is power. Since we cannot know
it all, we must have access to new
information when we need it and
we must learn how to fully use
that access. Through networking,
resource sharing, increased
facilities and service, the library
system proposed in the Oregon
Trail Library District will provide
the access to information our
children and citizens need and the
power that goes with it.
Say yes to knowledge. Say yes
to the future. Vote yes for the
Oregon Trail Library District on
May 19.
(s) Jerry Alldredge
Boardman
Support Ballot Measure 1
To the editor:
On May 19, Oregon voters will
have a chance to take a stand in
favor of better law enforcemnt of
our roads by supporting Ballot
Measure 1.
Today, our highway tax dollars
can only be used for road con
struction, maintenance and
repair. They cannot be used for
the most important element of
traffic safety: police patrols. If
Measure 1 is approved, our
highway tax dollars, in the future,
could also be used for police
patrols on the highways.
Before 1980, state highway
patrols received most of their fun
ding from gas taxes and vehicle
fees. In 1980, a constitutional
amendment eliminated the gas tax
and vehicle fee revenue as a fun
ding source for the highway
patrol. Since that time, patrol
division dollars have come from
state general fund.
The problem is that, with all
the conflicting demands on state
resources, general fund dollars
dedicated to police patrols on our
highways have declined sharply.
From 1980 to 1990, State
Police patrol division staffing
decreased by 223 positions, and
patrols were reduced by half.
Over the same period. Oregon
saw a 22 percent increase in the
licensed driver population and a
40 percent increase in vehicle
miles traveled in the state.
In other words, while more
people are driving more on our
freeways and highways, we have
fewer state police on traffic
patrol.
Our highway trust fund dollars
have provided us with the conve
nience of a good transportation
network. We should also be able
to put those dollars to work to
provide safety to us on our
highways.
Over 7,000 people have lost
their lives on Oregon highways
since 1980. Two main con
tributing factors, drunk driving
and speed, can effectively be
reduced by increased highway
patrols.
With the reduction of police
available to patrol our highways,
we have also seen a dramatic
reduction in highway assistance
for motorists with disabled cars.
Each of us ought to imagine a
loved one, pulled over to the side
of the road in the dark of night,
waiting and praying for a police
patrol vehicle to come by to pro
vide assistance. In some parts of
the state, the limitations of
available patrols mean that a
patrol car only covers a given
highway once every two days.
This is hardly the level of patrols
which we need to enforce the
laws, much less help stranded
motorists.
This is an opportunity for
Oregonians to make their own
decisions about the use of
highway trust fund dollars. I urge
everyone to join me in voting for
Measure 1 to allow some of those
dollars to be used in the future,
for policing our highways.
Sincerely,
(s) Kevin Mannix
State Representative
Co-Chief Sponsor, Measure 1
Supports Murgo
To the Editor:
I am supporting Rudy Murgo
for District Court Judge, Depart
ment 1, M orrow-Um atilla
Counties.
He has demonstrated profes
sionalism and objectivity in his
legal record. Over the last 12
years he has successfully
represented the city of Pendleton
and the people of Pendleton,
before a variety of courts and on
a challenging variety of issues.
Rudy Murgo had the insight
ty DA he has handled a number
of unusual criminal cases in a
very competent manner.
With his experience as a pro-
secuter, Jeff is someone I would
like to see on the bench. We need
a judge who has dealt with crime
victims. As DA, Jeff helped set
up a child abuse prosecution team
to help prosecute these difficult
cases. The thing that I appreciate
about Jeff is that he does it in a
calm and efficient manner. A
judge should be above all fair,
and Jeff is extremely fair in his
dealings with people.
Please join me in electing Jeff
Wallace as our next district court
judge in position 2.
Sincerely,
(s) Keith Lewis
Heppner
To the editor:
We support Peter Fels to con
tinue as District Court Judge,
Dept., 2.
Peter Fels is fair, honest, hard
working and bilingual (English
and Spanish).
Due to the ever increasing
Hispanic population of our
district, it is extremely important
for a judge to be bilingual What
better way to ensure justice than
to have a judge who can speak
and understand both English and
Spanish?
A vote for Peter Fels is a vote
for fair hearings for the entire
district.
(s) Stan Prowant
Marjie Prowant
Pendleton
Vote yes for the children
To the Editor:
One of the most important
educational resources for our
children are books. They can be
an essential key to learning and
exploring the world around us.
This is why it is to the advan
tage of our community to vote yes
on the formation of the Oregon
Trail Library District.
We want to insure that our
public libraries will remain open
for our children and for
ourselves.
The Library District will do
this. So go to the polls and vote.
Vote yes for the Library District,
for your children, for yourselves.
(s) Sherry Gregory
Boardman
Support Fels for judge
To the editor:
I support Judge Peter Fels to
retain the position of District
Court Judge Department 2. Judge
Fels not only has the experience,
intelligence and temperament for
the position, he has already
shown his ability to do the job.
Judge Fels has begun to clear
up a backlog of cases that existed
before he took the job in January
of this year. Judge Fels has begun
to modernize court procedures
and revise and improve court
forms. Judge Fels has extended
the office hours of the district
court so that people have better
access to the court. Judge Fels
works everyday, all day to decide
cases promptly and improve the
court system for the citizens of
Morrow and Umatilla counties.
Judge Fels is giving his best to the
job and should be retained.
Sincerely
(s) Patricia Sullivan
Pendleton
Lupus misunderstood
To the editor:
I have systemic lupus
erythematosus (lupus). When the
doctor told me that I had a
chronic, incurable, potentially
fatal disease of the immune
system, which could cause my
body to slowly self-destruct, I
went into a panic. Since then I
have learned that with proper
treatment most lupus patients can
live a normal lifespan. Lupus is
not contagious, and it is not
cancer. In lupus the immune
system, which is supposed to pro
tect the body against environmen
tal and infectious agents, turns
against itself and attacks and
destroys healthy tissue.
Although lupus is not a well
known disease, it is more
prevalent
than
muscular
dystrophy, cerebral palsy, multi
ple sclerosis, leukemia, and cystic
fibrosis. It is more widespread
among black women that sickle
cell anemia. Lupus affects all
races, age groups, socio
economic groups, and both sexes.
However, ninety percent of lupus
patients are women, with the
usual age of onset being between
16 and 30.
Without treatment even a mild
case of lupus may become life-
threatening, as it attacks internal
ly, damaging or destroying any
organ which is targeted. More
than 6,000 people die from lupus
each year. Symptoms vary but
can include joint pain, muscle
aches, skin rash, photosensitivi
ty, hair loss, inflammation of the
membranes around the heart or
lungs, anemia, fatigue, blood ab
normalities, kidney involvement,
and others.
I found that with lupus I could
look healthy and well, even when
I was very ill. This paradox caus
ed misunderstandings among
relatives and friends, who could
not understand how I could be ill
and look so well. I have found
that many lupus patients feel
isolated and alone because of the
lack o f understanding they
encounter.
In 1984 I founded the L.E.
Support Club, a world-wide, non
profit organization dedicated to
bringing help and understanding
to lupus patients. The L.E. Sup
port Club publishes a newsletter,
the L.E. BEACON, which prints
up-to-date, informative articles on
subjects which are important to
lupus patients. The cost of prin
ting the newsletter is paid for by
the tax deductible dues and con
tributions of members and con
cerned friends.
Anyone who would like more
information of the L.E. Support
Club, Inc., should send a self-
addressed, stamped envelope for
more information to:
L.E. Support Club, Inc., 8039
Nova Court, North Charleston,
SC 29420.
Sincerely,
(s) Harriet B. Mesic,
Pres ident/Editor
Terry for district court
and courage to find and correct
a long-standing error by the
Secretary of State’s office concer
ning the Department 1 position of
District Court Judge. He is ob
viously capable of researching,
understanding and correctly ap
plying our laws.
We need Rudy Murgo and his
abilities in the District Court
Judge. Department 1 position. It
is time for a change.
(s) Chris Mayer
Weston
To the editor:
As a close business acquain
tance. I know Wallace Terry to
be a man of great integrity and
one who is well respected by his
peers and colleagues within the
legal system.
As a personal friend I know
Wally to be totally committed to
meeting the personal and social
needs of his family and friends;
this speaks highly of Wally’s
outstanding character, in the court
room, at home, and around the
community.
Therefore when considering
Wally’s service to humanity to-
date, I know that we the people
of Umatilla and Morrow County
would all be well served by his
appointment to a judicial position.
You could not make a better
choice than to elect Wallace
Terry to district court judge.
(s) Ron Forrar
Hermiston