The independent., December 05, 2002, Page 16, Image 16

P a g e 16
T h e IN D E P E N D E N T , D e c e m b e r 5, 20 0 2
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Lsttors to the Editor, oontinnod
F ro m p a g e 3
g o v e rn m e n ts
d o n ’t
have
e n o u g h fu n d in g a nd w ill c u t th e
e s s e n tia ls , (o u r e d u c a tio n , la w
e n fo rc e m e n t, and o th e r p u b lic
s e rv ic e s th a t is re q u ire d fo r
h e a lth a n d sa fe ty). To m e, th is
is b la ckm a il!
L a w s p a s s e d te n y e a rs ago
(M e a s u re 5) p u t o u r c h ild re n at
risk e v e ry d a y in sch o o ls th a t
are not o n ly sick w ith m old, but
th a t are s tru c tu ra lly u n so u n d as
w e ll, u na ble to w ith s ta n d an
e a rth q u a ke . W h e re is th e a c ­
c o u n ta b ility fo r th e fu n d s th e
S ta te re c e iv e s s p e c ific a lly fo r
o u r s c h o o ls ? W h e re is o u r L o t­
te ry m o n e y b e in g s p e n t th a t
w a s s u p p o s e d to be a p p lie d to ­
w ards our schools? I w ant to
know the form ula. I w a nt an audit.
T h e S tate, not o u r sch o o l
d istricts, c o n tro l th e m o n e y w e
p a y o u t of o u r h o m e o w n e r’s
tax. W h a t re su lts now , is th a t
o u r c h ild re n pay th e p rice w ith
unsa fe b u ild in g s, o u t d a te d and
torn boo ks, u n d e r p aid and u n ­
d e rs ta ffe d te a c h e rs , lo ss of o p ­
portunity, and la ck of e d u c a ­
tio n a l re s o u rc e s to p re p a re
th e m fo r the w o rld w e h o p e to
send th e m into. A n d ... b a se d
on th e c u rre n t s y s te m , o u r
sch o o ls n e v e r w ill se e e n o u g h
fu n d in g to a d e q u a te ly su p p o rt
o u r c h ild re n ’s e d u c a tio n . T h e
law m ay have be e n go o d then,
but look w h e re it has la n d e d us.
S oon, m y c o m m u n ity w ill be
a ske d on ce a g a in to vo te on a
bon d th a t w ill a llo w us to te a r
d ow n o u r old, sick s ch o o ls, and
re p la ce th e m w ith p ro p e r fa c ili­
ties to e d u c a te o u r ch ild re n .
This tim e I am vo tin g Y E S ! I am
vo tin g ye s b e c a u s e m y c h ild re n
d e s e rv e to be in a s a fe e n v iro n ­
m e n t th e e ig h t h o u rs a d a y th e y
sp e n d a w a y fro m hom e. T h e y
d e se rve to eat in a ca fe te ria
th a t w o u ld o th e rw is e be clo se d
d o w n fo r h e a lth reason s. I w ill
vo te y e s so m y c h ild re n are
safe in th e e v e n t of an e a rth ­
q u a ke o r fire, and so th a t th e y
ca n b re a th e cle a n a ir and not
d e a l w ith c h ro n ic illn ess. I w ill
vo te ye s to p ro v id e fu n d s to m y
c o m m u n ity to ta ke ca re of its
c h ild re n . I w ill vo te ye s b e ca u se
th e S tate th a t c o n tro ls all of o u r
fu n d in g w ill not p ro v id e us w ith
s u ffic ie n t
m oney
o r o th e r
m e a n s to k e e p o u r c h ild re n
safe.
W e n e e d to s to p th e m is ­
m a n a g e d a n d ill d ir e c t e d
s p e n d in g by o u r s ta te o fficia ls.
I w a n t an a u d it o f th e syste m
c u rre n tly in pla ce . I w a n t it e x ­
p lain ed to m e w h y it is n e v e r
en o u g h ! If th e y c a n ’t, it is ta x a ­
tio n w ith o u t re p re se n ta tio n in
its n e w m ille n n iu m form .
I c h a lle n g e o u r e le cte d o ffi­
c ia ls to m a n a g e w h a t w e have,
to lo o k to o th e r sta te s th a t have
a n e d u c a tio n a l s y s te m th a t
w o rk s fo r an e xa m p le , a nd to
sto p b a n k ru p tin g th e p eo ple of
th is b e a u tifu l sta te w ith m ore
u n n e c e s s a ry ta x e s th a t th e y
c a n n o t m anag e!
I w ill vo te N O on M easure 28
th is January, a nd e n co u ra g e all
O re g o n ia n s to d o the sam e!
S o m e h o w th e re has to be a
w a y to p u t an end to th e excess
ta xa tio n , a nd if th a t m eans tu rn ­
ing o v e r s u p p o rt and trust to lo ­
ca l b o n d s th a t I have a sa y in,
w h e re th e m o n e y is d istrib u te d
e x a c tly w h e re it w a s vo te d to
go, a nd ta k in g th e c o n tro l a w ay
fro m a S ta te th a t uses b la c k ­
m ail to raise ta xe s, w h o does
not p ro vid e fu n d in g fo r th e e s ­
se n tia ls w ith th e c u rre n t ta x a ­
tio n a va ila b le , w h o is not c re ­
a tive in fin d in g new reso u rce s
fo r re ve n u e and fu n d in g , (not
a lre a d y ta x e d to d ea th w o rk ­
e rs), and w h o is not held a c ­
c o u n ta b le fo r th e ta xe s they
c u rre n tly c o n tro l, then that is
w h a t I w ill do. T h a t is m y
protest!
Marie Botchie
Vernonia
E ditor’s note: M easure 5, referred
to above, was not a law passed by
the legislature, but a ballot m eas­
ure passed by the VO TERS that
elim inated local control and sent
property tax funds for schools to
the state for distribution.
Vernonia teens care
for their neighbors
O p e n le tte r to V H S S taff and
S tu d e n ts:
T h a n k yo u fo r all y o u r hard
w o rk to w a rd the s c h o o l’s Fall
C a n n e d Food D rive to b e n e fit
V e rn o n ia C a re s F o o d B a nk.
You c o lle c te d 832 pou n d s of
fo o d . T h a n k you! T h e Food
B ank, and th e h u n g ry in and
a ro u n d V e rn o n ia , a p p re c ia te
you. A sp e cia l th a n ks is also e x ­
te n d e d to th e le a d e rsh ip class,
w h ich ran th e c la s s c o m p e ti­
tion. T h a n ks, all o th e r te a ch e rs
a nd staff, fo r y o u r a ssista n ce to
m a ke th is p ro je ct so ve ry s u c ­
ce ssfu l.
V e rno nia C a re s ’ goal is to
p ro v id e th re e d a ys w o rth of
e m e rg e n c y g ro ce rie s, on ce a
m o n th , to n e e d y h o u se h o ld s in
a n d a ro u n d V ernonia. A lre a d y
in 2 0 0 2 w e ’ve se rve d 2 ,6 9 9
p e o p le , a ve ra g in g 245 peo ple
p e r m o n th . T h is fo o d d riv e
h e lp s p ro vid e the fo o d to give
to th e se clients.
I co n tin u e to be p leasan tly
su rp rise d at the gen e ro sity of
V e m o n ia n s. You, the stu d e n ts
of V ernonia H igh S chool, add to
th e d e m o n stra tio n that V e rn o n ­
ia C ares!
G ratefully,
S a n d y W e lc h , D ire c to r
V ern o n ia C a re s F o o d B a n k
United Ways join in
thanks to volunteers
To the E ditor:
T h e U n ited W ays of C o w litz,
C la tso p a nd C o lu m b ia C o u n ­
ties said th a n k you, N o ve m b e r
14, to the G e o rg ia P a cific e m ­
p lo yees w h o w o rke d so h ard-
d urin g the recent U nited W ay
ca m p a ig n , at a ce le b ra tio n at
th e B e rry P a tch in W estport.
T h e re w a s fa n ta stic new s, th e y
beat th e ir goal by thre e pe rce n t
raising $ 1 8 0 ,5 4 6 fo r th e se U n it­
ed W ays. W h a t a great job!
W e had a w o n d e rfu l m eal by
cand le light, th e re w as a p o w e r
failure . K ay K rist and her cre w
at the B e rry P atch se rved d in ­
ner w ith o u t a glitch, even in the
dark. T h a n k you Kay and staff
fo r eve ryth in g .
R e p re s e n ta tiv e s fro m all
WEATHER REPORT
NOVEMBER 2002
DATE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
TEMPERATURE
H!
LO
54
57
61
57
59
52
52
49
49
50
48
49
50
47
49
52
52
50
54
59
57
52
53
54
49
53
60
57
56
57
10
10
18
23
28
36
43
42
41
36
44
42
44
36
31
39
36
44
43
37
38
47
40
26
22
23
24
24
23
24
th re e U n ite d W ays p re s e n te d
a w a rd s to e a ch of th e v o lu n te e r
c a m p a ig n e rs a n d th a n k e d th e m
fo r a jo b w e ll do n e . I th in k th e
c irc u m s ta n c e o f th e lig h ts go in g
o ff a nd o n ju s t re in fo rc e d th e
d e d ic a tio n
a n d e n th u s ia s m
sh o w n b y e v e ry o n e w h o w o rk s
o n th is c a m p a ig n to h e lp p e o ­
ple in ne e d in th e ir c o m m u n i­
ties. E v e ry o n e m a in ta in e d th e ir
co m p o s u re a n d c o n tin u e d a s if
th e w h o le e v e n t h a d b e e n
p la n n e d th is way. W e a re tru ly
b le sse d to ha ve G e o rg ia P a c if­
ic and th e ir e m p lo y e e s in o u r
com m u nitie s helping us cha n g e
lives.
T h a n k yo u G e o rg ia P a cific
e m p lo ye e s, m a n a g e m e n t and
F o u n d a tio n fo r a fa n ta s tic U n it­
ed W a y C a m p a ig n .
K a th y e B e ck,
E x e c u tiv e D ire c to r
J o h n e ta J o h n s o n , P re s id e n t
U n ite d W a y of
C o lu m b ia C o u n ty
lYWKYNE
Hawaii
Mexico
Las Vegas • Disney • Europe
Now in your neighborhood
593-755-2199
1-989-297-1298 Tall Free
Run with Extra Confidence
with Chevron
DELO 400™ PLUS
MOTOR OIL
The name you
trust for:
•
•
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Oils • Solvents
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PRECIP.
AMT.
—
-
-
.02
.09
.09
.64
.46
.30
.13
.21
.50
.38
.02
.06
.64
T
.28
T
-
T
T
Winter is here...see us for
A nti F reeze
H eating O il
V l- N
-
--
and
precipitation
Temperature
amounts are from the official U.S.
weather station at the Vernonia wa-
ter plant. Measurable precipitation in
November totalled 4.02 inches.
CALL
(503) 429-6606
WILCOX & FLEGEL
720 Rose Avenue • Vernonia