The
INDEPENDENT
Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published twice
monthly, on the first and third Wednesdays of each
month, by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge
Street, Vernonia, OR 97064, as a free newspaper. Edi
tors and Publishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax:
503-429-9410, e-mail: noni@vernonia.com
Opinion
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More Ballot Measures...
MEASURE 94, STATUTE — This would repeal the 1994 Ballot
Measure 11 which set mandatory minimum sentences for certain
felonies. This is an odd measure in many ways. While many are
worried about the felons who would be released upon repeal,
there is a tendency to forget that the measure requires the same
felons to be resentenced. The financial impact is another convo
luted situation. Some costs will decrease, some will increase, but
it appears that reducing the bond repayment costs for new prison
construction will create a substantial savings — assuming the rate
at which people fill the prisons will slow down.
A major problem with Measure 11 is that it gives prosecutors
the power to judge individuals because, by determining the
charge, they have determined the sentence. Yes, even innocent
people are afraid of going to prison and will plea bargain for a
lesser charge and, yes, there are some prosecutors who are not
as careful as we would like. The main reason for approving Mea
sure 94 and repealing Measure 11 is to maintain a separation of
powers in the criminal justice system. Let prosecutors do their
jobs, let defenders do their jobs, and let juries or judges do their
jobs.
Recommend a YES vote on Measure 94
MEASURE 95, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT — This is a
plain old teacher bashing measure; it would determine teacher
compensation based on what the students learn. While that may
sound reasonable, it doesn’t provide a way to measure students’
ability to learn; it doesn’t require parents to provide a nurturing
home life or even to turn off the TV; it doesn’t require that students
be healthy or well-rested or interested. And it doesn’t require the
legislature to provide adequate funding for schools so teachers
have the support they need.
If none of that bothers you, consider this: Voters have already
eliminated local control of school financing. With this vote, they
can also eliminate local control of teacher compensation; every
thing would be done in Salem. That’s a scary enough reason to
vote against it.
Recommend a NO vote on Measure 95.
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MEASURE 96, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT — This
measure would prohibit the legislature from passing laws or re
ferring ballot measures that would make the initiative process
more difficult. Oregon’s “catalog” of ballot measures makes it ob
vious why some would want to slow down the process; the ques
tion is: Should the legislature be allowed to interfere with citizens’
existing rights to the initiative process?
Recommend a NO vote on Measure 96.
MEASURE 97, STATUTE — This would ban body-gripping
traps to capture mammals and restricts commerce in fur from
such trapping. It also bans the use of sodium cyanide to kill ani
mals.
No recommendation on Measure 97.
MEASURE 99, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT — Approval
of this measure would create a nine-member commission that will
set standards in home care services for elderly and disabled peo
ple receiving publicly-funded personal care. This would be a sen
sible approach toward setting some necessary standards.
Recommend a YES vote on Measure 99.
MEASURE 1, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT — Would re
quire the legislature to adequately fund schools for the goals set
by statute. If there is a reason, the legislature couldn’t provide the
funding, this measure allows publishing those reasons. The mea
sure is a bit inconsistent, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Recommend a YES vote on Measure 1.
MEASURE 2, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT — Would
create a process for petitioning the legislature to require a review
of administrative rules. Administrative rules made by state agen
cies can be a major nuisance, but is this a good use of our part-
time legislature? If there is a real problem, people will talk to their
legislators anyway. This is unnecessary.
Recommend a NO vote on Measure 2.
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MEASURE 3 — CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENT — This measure would require that a per
son be convicted of a crime before property is
seized by the government. This is obviously
needed; it’s appalling that the government has
been allowed to seize people’s property based
only on suspicion of having committed crimes. In
some areas, the situation is so out of line that
law enforcement agencies are accused of delib
erately supplementing their budgets through the
sale of seized property.
Let’s stop this practice in Oregon before it
reaches that point.
Recommend a NO vote on Measure 3.
MEASURE 4 — Would create a trust fund
from proceeds of the tobacco settlement, with
the earnings to be used for low-income health
care. There are no restrictions, at this time, on
how the tobacco settlement can be used. Since
the lawsuit was based on tobacco-related health
problems, this would be a good way to use the
income from the settlement. The funds would
also qualify as matching revenue for federal
Medicaid and children’s health insurance pro
grams, bringing in more money to deal with
problems created by poor health.
Recommennd a YES vote on Measure 4.
MEASURE 5 — Would expand background
check before transfer of any firearm at a gun
show. If this applied only to dealers, it would be
a reasonable cost of doing business, however, it
includes private parties who are not dealers, fur
thermore, it would require retaining the informa
tion gathered for five years. The intrusive nature
of this measure, requiring a criminal check with
out a substantial reason, runs uncomfortably
counter to basic civil liberties.
Recommend a NO vote on Measure 5.
MEASURE 6 — Would provide limited public
funding to candidates accepting limits on spend
ing and private contributions. This isn’t a very
strong measure but, if we truly want campaign fi
nance reform, it is a step in the right direction.
Recommend a YES vote on Measure 6.
MEASURE 7, CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENT — This is a “feel good, think dumb” mea
sure. If government regulations reduce property
value should the property owner be reimbursed
by other property owners? That is what passage
of this measure would do, but it’s worded in such
a way that it says “the government” would pay
the landowner. Turn the proposition around: If
government regulations increase property value
should the property owner be required to share
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with other property owners?
Recommend a NO vote on Measure 7.
MEASURE 8, CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENT - This would limit state appropriations to
15 percent of personal income in the state in the
prior biennium and is a very short-sighted move.
If the limit had been in place a few years ago
when voters approved major expenditures for
new prisons, it would have caused major cuts in
everything else that is funded primarily from in
come taxes. Ironically, that would have included
law enforcement. If the limit had been in place
this biennium, nearly $4 billion in appropriations
would have been cut, doing a lot more harm
than good, especially to our schools.
Recommend a NO vote on Measure 8.
MEASURE 9 — This would prohibit public
school instruction, kindergarten through commu
nity college, from “encouraging, promoting,
sanctioning" homosexual/bisexual behaviors.
Why some folks have to dwell on others’ sexual
ity is puzzling, but interfering with the schools is
harmful. The language is confusing so, rather
than take a chance on losing funds, schools will
eliminate units in health education that deal with
sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. That is
counterproductive, to say the least. Beyond that,
do you really think teachers should strive to
keep our children ignorant?
Recommend a NO vote on Measure 9
Columbia County Measures
There are three county money measures on
the ballot:
Measure 5-66 seeks a five-year tax levy of
10-cents per $1000/assessed property value
and would raise about $300,000 per year for the
county fairgrounds. The funds are needed for
maintenance and improvements to the 70-acre
property.
Measure 5-67 seeks a four-year tax levy of
15.9-cents/$1000 for county parks maintenance
and operations. The parks receive nothing from
the general fund and, without additional income,
some of them will probably be closed.
Measure 5-81 asks for approval to increase
the depletion fee paid by sand and gravel oper
ators. The increase would be 10-cents per ton;
currently the fee is 15-cents per ton. The deple
tion fee is earmarked for county roads.
Recommend YES votes on all three county
measures, 5-66, 5-67 and 5-81.