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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 2001)
Page 2 it. The INDEPENDENT, June 6, 2001 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_____ . Law enforcement: too much or not enough? It’s not easy being a police officer. Some people complain about over-zealous law enforcement, others about insufficient police response. Sometimes both points of view are right and sometimes they’re both wrong. Some actions, however, will always bring criticism and they are totally unnecessary. 1. Treat people as though they have no right to com plain. In other words, treat citizens (who may also be taxpayers) as though you are too busy or too impor tant to be bothered by their petty problems. Act as though they should be impressed with your position, not as though you are a public employee. 2. When you are confronted by someone who is up set, use abusive language and posture, especially when you know you can make them even more upset. If the person is using abusive language to you, re spond with more of it, that way you can show them how professional you are. 3. If there’s a problem you don’t want to deal with, ignore it. Don’t want to bother with nuisance abate ments? Ignore them. Don’t want to bother with noise complaints? Ignore them. Don’t want to bother with making sidewalks safe to walk on. Ignore it. Don’t want to bother with animal complaints. Ignore them. Save yourself for the important matters. 4. If someone actually ignores all of the above and finally complains publicly, act shocked. Seriously, being a police officer isn’t easy but, no matter what your job, the head in the sand routine just doesn’t work. Equally ineffective is for the public to spend a lot of time being mad at the police...whether they are pay ing attention or not. It is time for the Vernonia City Council to make some decisions. If officers need further training, provide it. That’s a lot smarter and more cost effective than re placing an officer. If more oversight is needed, bring in someone who knows how to set up the situation so it works for both the officers and the public. It is foolish to let the current situation continue. If the council doesn’t act, the result will be exactly what we have now: Complaints are made and after the coun cil talks a lot about the complaints, nothing happens. Look at No. 3 and 4 above. Leadership starts with the policy makers, not with city employees. Letters are backed up Only 10 inches of letters from readers are printed in this issue of The INDEPENDENT, and more than 50 inches are waiting, a situation we find frustrating. Also waiting are a feature on the Vernonia Youth Corps, and one on a watershed recovery effort. We don’t let things back up on purpose, but sometimes we have no choice. We should be able to get all of the letters in the June 20 issue, but we can’t guarantee it. Nevertheless, your letters haven’t been tossed; they will be published. be emerging. The current plan has the support of former competing factions and does not im plement a gas tax, reflecting the will of the peo The need for a state “savings account” or ple as indicated by the election a year ago. It “rainy day fund” has long been discussed. How does raise title fees to $30 on new cars and ever, it is very hard to set aside money for an when used cars are sold. In addition, title fees emergency when there aren’t enough funds for trailers of more than 8,000 pounds and trucks available to meet identified needs. (Most of us of more than 26,000 pounds would be $90. can compare that with our personal budgets and These fee increases are to raise monies to pay needs.) HJR 33A would refer a constitutional off bonds used for a variety of road projects. We have been dealing with “environmental” amendment to the voters and HB 2057A would create a statutory plan to set up an Economic issues. By that, I mean potential laws that strive Security Fund (ESF). Either (constitutional to balance the need to protect our valuable en amendment or statute) would appropriate mon vironment with the demands we all place on the ey from the general fund and put it into a state environment to live our lives and produce our savings account. Both plans establish specific livelihood. This battle will never end and it criteria that would have to be met in order to use should not. Several bills dealt with the distinc the fund in time of an extreme economic down tion between and supportfor hatchery fish and “native" fish. Also in the mix is a definition of turn. I voted for both of these bills because I be what “native” fish are and what the definition of lieve it is irresponsible to not have an emer “science” is. It was refreshing to find a resolution to the is gency fund. I would prefer the statutory method sue of State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) for time to evaluate the method; however, I would not be opposed to a constitutional amend versus Liberty Northwest (and others). It has long been a contention that SAIF had an unfair ment if that were chosen. By Rep. Elaine M. Hopson Second District A bill was presented that would have closed to its quasi-governmental status. Private corpo the polls two hours earlier on election day, so rations felt they could not compete, while those folks would have to make it to the polls by 6:00 receiving SAIF services were very satisfied, and p.m. The bill passed out of committee but was LNW said they could no longer afford to operate stopped on the floor and sent back to commit in Oregon. After a great deal of work, both sides tee. The carrier said there were “slight Constitu agreed to a bill that allows some oversight of tional problems” which means there weren’t SAIF operations and financial status. This will enough votes to move it. Thank goodness. Many provide time for careful analysis of the situation folks need the hours from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to without a rancorous investigation. The budget and the issue of the kicker con get to the polls after work. In fact, 140,000 of the ballots cast last November we^e turned in be tinue to take top billing and that will no doubt tween 5:00 and 8:00 p.m., and that was a vote- continue until the final gavel is tapped (sooner rather than later, I hope). It now appears the fed by-mail election. The House again took action to ban the rais eral retirees will be paid from next years’ budget. ing of gamecocks for shipment out-of-state to be The important issue here is that they are paid used in cockfighting. The bill passed the House and that is going to happen. The second issue is 49-11 and was sent to the Senate, where it was that it appears that money will be taken from the not going to receive a hearing. Then the House overall K-12 budget. Although the number may received a bill from the Senate banning animal appear to remain at $5.2 billion, other funds may sexual abuse, saw an opportunity to reintroduce not be forthcoming. For example, new money the ban on gamecock raising and selling and from the federal government for special pro combined the two. After passing overwhelming grams (disabled students, English language in ly in the House, this new bill covering both is struction), may be used as part of that $5.2 bil sues is now back in the Senate awaiting a deci lion rather than being additional money as in sion as to whether or not the Senate will accept tended by the federal budget. There is also a re the House amendment banning the raising and duction in the projection of local revenues that would amount to about $18 per student per year. selling of gamecocks. (Local revenue is included within the $5.2 bil After months (even years) of discussion re lion.) garding the need for improvements in our trans As always, I look forward to hearing from you. portation system, a compromise plan seems to
