Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
PROBLEM WITH PERS
-Continuedfrom PAGE ONE whole process.”
As an example, he says
most of the Senate, 22 out
of 30 Oregon senators, will
be in the PERS. He says,
in addition, PERS laws are
passed with an emergency
clause which prevents them
from being referred to the
people for approval.
“What is the emergency
of a PERS law?” he asked
rhetorically.
After legislators were
included in PERS, the leg
islators more than doubled
PERS benefits from 1971
to 1981, says Re. Then, in
1984, the legislators forced
Oregon's judges to become
PERS members. Thereafter,
he says, PERS members
in the legislature had 100
percent control over the
making of all PERS laws,
and they used that control
to make PERS funding
Oregon’s highest financial
priority, thus starving other
programs of funding.
When PERS laws are
challenged in court, guess
what, says Re; the judges
are all PERS recipients.
“ We should have the
right of independent judges
who do not have a direct
financial interest.” He says
VOTE Cody
O
f
HIGH
------1 County
that if any other lawsuit
were to come before a court
where the judge had a finan
cial stake in the outcome,
the case would be thrown
out, or an independent judge
would be found.
Re broke the
PERS recip ien ts
into three catego
ries, or tiers:
-T ier one re
cipients have the
best benefits, with PERS
many o f them re Daniel
tiring in their 50s
at 100 percent o f
their salary. Twenty-seven
percent of the people are
tier one.
-Tier two recipients
have slightly lower benefits,
and 27 percent are at this
level.
-Tier three has the low
est benefit, with 43 percent
of government employees
on this level.
Re said there are pres
ently 350,000 employees in
the system.
Re said to begin to cor
rect the system, all PERS
laws enacted since 1970
should be invalidated.
“ Law s passed after
1970 should be voided,”
says Re, “because of con
flict o f interest.” He says
the eight percent o f the
population that is on PERS
“might have some pain but
look what they have done
to the other 92 percent.
Look at the pain they have
inflicted.”
Under the current legis
lative priority, PERS always
gets paid first, says Re.
“ W hen there is not
enough money to
fully fund PERS
and maintain ser
vices to the people
o f Oregon, PERS
gets fully funded
and services get
cut. That is why
expert
PERS em p lo y er
Re
rates are increas
ing by $900 million
for the 2013-15 biennium
and that is why government
services will be cut back
during that same period to
pay for the $900 million
increase in PERS funding,”
he said.
Re said he has a lawsuit
addressing issues of conflict
o f interest but, once again,
all before judges who have
a conflict.
“ We should have the
right of independent judges
who do not have a direct
financial interest,” he said.
Re said there was a possi
bility of a federal lawsuit if
he could show Oregonians
have been denied due pro
cess.
The town hall meeting,
held Sunday, Sept. 30, was
sponsored by the Willow
Creek Tea Party Patriots,
and was attended by about
40 people.
Driver safety class
COMMISSIONER scheduled
ATTENTION!
Medicare O p e n Enrollment
E v e ry T u e s d a y 3 -5 p m
Hermiston Public Library
Trained SHIBA volunteers
will answer your medicare
questions & assist you
with open enrollment
strategies & explain
Medicare benefits
m ed ica re Open Enrollment ends
Dec. 7th, so use this opportunity
to review the Medicare plan that
is right for you.
For more
information,
541-667-3502
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem,
help is available and that help Is FREE of charge.
If Y O U h a v e a fa m ily m e m b e r w h o suffers fro m
g a m b lin g ad d ic tio n , Y O U c a n a ls o re c e iv e F R E E tre a t
m e n t e v e n if th e g a m b le r is not re c e iv in g tre a tm e n t.
If yo u a re a re s id e n t o f M o rro w C o u n ty a n d you w ish
to ta k e a d v a n ta g e o f th e s e rv ic e s a b o v e or d e s ire m o re
n fo rm a tio n . P le a s e call a n y o f th e fo llo w in g n u m b e rs
:o s e t up a L O C A L a p p o in tm e n t o r ju s t to talk
B o b b y H a rris @ 5 4 1 - 6 7 6 - 9 9 2 5 or 5 4 1 - 2 5 6 - 0 1 7 5
Community Counseling Solutions (C C S ) @ 541-676-9161
O R 1 - 8 7 7 - 6 9 5 - 4 6 4 8 ( 1 -8 8 8 - M Y L IM IT )
An AARP driver’s safe
ty class has been scheduled
for Wednesday, Nov. 7, at
the Morrow County Center
of Blue Mountain Commu
nity College, located at 300
NE Front Street in Board-
man. The class is set4o run
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a
one-hour lunch break.
The AARP D riv er’s
Safety Program is the na
tion’s first course for driv
er’s age 50 and over. Those
who take the course will
learn defensive driving
skills, plus get a refresher
on the rules o f the road.
Topics include safe driving
tips, coping with health is
sues, vehicle maintenance
and updates on driving
laws. P articip an ts who
complete the course may
also qualify fof a discount
on their personal vehicle
insurance.
Cost is $12 for AARP
m em bers, $14 for non
members. A special Vet
eran ’s Day offer allows
current or past m ilitary
personnel and their spouses
to take the class at no charge
during the month o f No
vember. Proof of status will
be required on the day of
the class.
Pre-registration is re
quired, as the instructors are
traveling from out-of-town
and must have minimum
enrollment to hold the class.
Pre-register by contacting
Anne Morter of BMCC at
541 -481 -2099 or amorter@
bluecc.edu, or by stopping
by BMCC Boardman on
M onday or W ednesday
from 1-5 p.m.
Youth group plans
bake sale
Heppner’s ecumenical
youth group will hold a
bake sale this Friday, Oct.
12, from 8-11 a.m. in front
of Heppner Family Foods.
The proceeds will go
toward an outreach proj
ect to purchase a new air
conditioner for Ron and
-F IV E
Obituaries
Judges and legislators who decide Oregon s retirement system
all belong , says Re
lion for the 2013-2015 bien
nium. Meeting this obliga
tion will cause all other
government services to be
cut back, he says.
“That means that Or
egon’s 900+ PERS partici
pating employers will have
no choice but to make addi
tional reductions in servic
es. For schools, class sizes
will increase and teaching
days will decrease, result
ing in lower-quality educa
tion for Oregon’s children,”
he said.
How this huge liability
evolved can be traced back
to 1971, when legislators
were allowed to join the
PERS system , Re says.
After legislators were al
lowed to join PERS, the rest
of us not on PERS had no
meaningful representation,
says Re.
“Now we have a system
where the people of Oregon
who have to pay, have no
independent representation
on PERS,” he told a crowd
of about 40 at the Sept. 30
town hall meeting in Hepp
ner. “The people of Oregon
have no authority to change
the PERS system because
the members control the
Wednesday, October 10,2012
Beverly How« for Howe’s
About Pizza.
Anyone interested in
donating baked goods or
m aking a m onetary do
nation can contact Shelli
Britt at 676-5478, Robanai
Disque at 989-8535 or Vicki
Rayburn at 541-240-1427.
Heppner Les Schwab congratulates
Heppner Elementary School's
Students of the Month.
The character trait for September
was self-concept
Loren Elmer •
Woodside
Loren Elm er Wood- black pony, which was the-
side, 82, passed away on beginning o f the family’s
September 29, 2012 as a adventures with horses.
result of an auto accident
While living on the
following a day of
farm , he alw ays
hunting. A memori
had a bird dog. The
al service was held
first hunting dog
on Saturday, Octo
killed off most of
ber 6, at 11 a.m. at
the chickens, but
Memories at Sunset
Loren wanted the
Event Center, 915
dog far more than
Bypass Highway,
chickens, so that
Loren Elmer
Richland, WA.
was the end of their
Loren was bom Woodside
experience raising
in Spokane, WA on
chickens.
August 19, 1930 to Lyda
He was the principle
and Frank Woodside. Frank breakfast cook for his fam-
managed a crew o f line ily while his kids were
man for the Washington growing up. He did not
Water Power Co., and they believe in cold cereal; real
moved several times. As a men ate pancakes. He even
result, Loren attended grade tually experimented with
school in Lind, m iddle sourdough, and his sour
school in Davenport, and dough pancakes became a
high school in Ritzville, all favorite, even at hunting
in Washington. He gradu camp. He also freely gave
ated from Ritzville High advice on nutrition that
School in 1949.
usually included eating raw
Since his dad worked garlic.
for Washington Water Pow
Loren married Sher-
er, as a kid he had summer ron Bunch in 1978. They
jobs that included hoeing retired from the farm and
weeds around power poles. moved to Lexington in the
This gave him lots of expe early 1980s. Their marriage
rience killing rattlesnakes. ended in 2004.
The presence of hobos dur
His true passions in
ing the depression era was life were hunting and trap
a significant memory from shooting. He took part in
Loren’s childhood.
trapshoots all across the
While in high school, N orthw est, and hunting
he delivered groceries for expeditions as far away as
the local grocery store. As Alaska and Canada. His
a result, he knew everyone grandchildren knew him as
in town. He also attended Grandpa Grizz due to his
most of the dances in the bear-hunting interests and
county.
stories.
He was in the Seabees
He loved to play Santa
branch of the Navy during at Christmastime for his
the Korean Conflict from children and grandchildren,
1950 to 1954, as part of and even continued that role
the supply chain. He was in later years for local com
stationed at Subic Bay in munity events.
the Philippines.
He was a mentor to fam
While in the Navy, he ily and friends, and a source
received electrical training of positive encouragement.
and, after being discharged, He enjoyed researching the
worked for the Rural Elec family history and was a
tric Association in Othello, great storyteller.
WA. In 1954, he married
He is survived by: his
Pat Cline. In 1957, he real three children, Kathryn
ized his life-long dream to Woodside, Scott Woodside
become a farmer, and began and Lori Woodside; the love
farming in the Lind area, of his life, Sherry Sager;
where he and Pat raised four grandchildren and
their family. They were three great-grandchildren.
married for 23 years.
He was preceded in
For a few years, Loren death by: his parents and his
raised pigs. His children sister, Barbara Teske.
have memories of chasing
Loren was a member
the pigs back into the pen of the Masonic Lodge all
during a dust storm. As a his adult years. In lieu of
child he often asked for a flowers, it is suggested that
horse, and his father would donations be sent to the
tell him no. because they Shriners Hospital for Chil
had no place to keep one. dren or a charity of choice.
Loren would respond say
Sign the online condo
ing that they could keep it lence book at www.bums-
in the garage. His own kids mortuary.com. Bums Mor
were delighted when one tuary of Pendleton was in
day he showed up riding a charge of arrangements.
NEWS & A D V E R T IS IN G
D EA DLINE:
M o n d a y a t 5 p .m .
Top (L-R): Jordan Sweeney, Kenneth Troxell, Brock Hitler,
Hunter Nichols, Madelyn Nichols, Jaiden Mahoney and Jacee
Currin. Bottom (L-R): Irelynn Kollman, Aubriana Rodriguez,
Paul Lindsay, Jack Mathews, Hallee Hisler, Landon Mitchell
and McKenna Bray.
124 NORTH M A IN STR E E T • HEPPNER
OR 97836 541- 676-9481 _______________ J
i
i