Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 30, 2022 -- SEVEN
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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.