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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2022)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 30, 2022 -- SEVEN ~ Letters to the Editor ~ The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. Schools are dialing for dollars To the editor: The Morrow County superintendent and school board’s 138 million prop- erty tax for new school buildings, etc., reminds me of a song about “dialing for dollars” by Janis Joplin. One lyric goes like this: “Oh Lord won’t you buy me a color TV? Dialing for dollars is trying to find me. I wait for delivery each day until three. So, oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV? The song is a lonely blues tune about the il- lusionary promise of the pursuit of worldly goods in order to quick fix prob- lems instead actually facing them. Dialing for dollars appears to be the solu- tion for schools as well as America’s monumental problems. Our country and local government are awash in an additional six trillion Covid and stimulus dollars (spoiling our local health care district) in the last two years, adding up to over 30 trillion dollars in national debt. America is now facing the greatest inflation in half a century. Small businesses are failing at the greatest rate in American history. Our government is warning there will be food and es- sential commodities short- ages as they raise interest rates. Gasoline prices have more than doubled since the current administration has taken over America. The Covid virus has weap- onized government control of virtually every aspect of life, including our schools, leading to President Biden claiming, “America must lead the coming New World Order.” (March 21, 22) This will not end well if we al- low that to happen. The citizens of Morrow County have virtually no say in our government run schools. A liberal, Covid empowered governor dic- tates education, and her Socialist/Marxists cohorts dictate most curriculum in Oregon. Our youth were forced to wear masks de- spite every effort from the tax payers to allow parents to make that decision. Will a $138,000,000 tax fix our schools, make our teachers better, return local control of education and curricu- lum? Our forefathers fought our War of Independence over taxation without rep- resentation. Our teachers are outstanding but “dialing for dollars” is not what they need. They are taxpayers as well. This vote will be the only way the citizens of Morrow County can be finally listened to. If this tax and spend proposition passes, the cost could well be double. As any building contractor knows. Vote no. Stuart Dick, Irrigon AMAZON MONEY -Continued from PAGE ONE collaborate with them. They port doesn’t pay (the $1 board, disagreed saying: “I don’t understand why we wouldn’t let the port (handle development of the property) unless someone thinks there is financial gain.” Russell said a recent appraisal of the property showed the 640 acres is landlocked, with no water rights, and doesn’t have a one-million-dollar value. “The ground is worth less than a million, why not let the port buy it and do what’s best for Morrow County with it?” Russell asked. He also said he felt the county was “reneging on an agreement.” Com- missioner Lindsay said she wanted to “be partners with the port and work with the Port of Morrow. I want to are the best equipped to do economic development, I don’t deny that, and I sup- port that. I want to partner with them or with anyone to have the dollars to get this to the finish line,” she said. Officials say the pro- cess to transfer the whole 9,000 acres out of army control has been going on now for over 30 years and at times has been frustrating with multiple setbacks and delays, but they say it’s now getting close to the finish line. However, Russell says since the port made the original application for the transfer, changing things now could cause the whole process to be upended once again. “What I heard at the CDA meeting was if the million) and become the owner, then that becomes an amended application and delays the transfer for an undetermined amount of time.” Doherty disagreed, saying he talked to Repre- sentative Greg Smith, who is also director of the CDA. “It was only suggested by the port. I talked to the director of CDA, and he said things were misrepre- sented by how things would move forward. And he said there would be no delay on the timing of the hand over. Greg Smith said this,” Doherty told Russell. The motion for the county to put up the funds passed 2-1 with commissioner Lindsay joining Doherty in a yes, Russell opposed. Hughes retires from county tax dept. By Bobbi Gordon Patricia Hughes, from the Morrow County Assess- ment and Tax department, will be retiring this week. Hughes has worked for the county since July 1998. She told the Gazette that she has always worked in the same department, but it has changed its function and name a few times. When asked what she Patricia Hughes plans to do after retirement, she said she intends to catch up on her house and yard work, as well as visit her grandkids and her mom. She is looking forward to retirement, saying, “It takes longer to do everything now. I hope to have time to catch up on my house and yard.” As for her job, she said “I like to help people figure out things. Helping them instead of just taking money from them all the time.” She indicated she is not sure who will take her place and her co-worker Tracie Diehl, Assessment and Tax Office Specialist, said it will be “big shoes to fill.” There will be a get together for Hughes on Wednesday, March 30, from 3-5 p.m. at the Upper Conference Room in the Bartholomew Building.
