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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2003)
The INDEPENDENT, July 3, 2003 W# s W W 8* _ iW By Betsy Johnson, Rep., District 31 Budget talks are progressing slowly, with De mocrats and Republicans reported to be approx imately $1 billion apart on their spending recom mendations. With only a few days left before the unofficial and unrealistic July 4th target for the close of the 2003 Oregon legislative session, the House passed a measure on June 26 to keep the state government operating into the next fiscal year that begins on July 1. The measure passed 58-1 without debate, and is expected to clear the Sen ate in time to be signed into law by the June 30 deadline. Most state-supported agencies do not have budgets for the next two-year budget cycle. House Bill 5065 will allow most agencies to con tinue spending at current levels until July 31, while legislators continue negotiations on the 2003-05 budget. Budget considerations pending As legislators draw closer to agreement on a budget in the weeks to come, they will focus their attention on the following unresolved budget is sues and legislation: • Either craft a serious tax reform plan for Ore gon or at least create a meaningful process leading to a new system of public finance. • Deliver the $5.3 billion budget for schools that the Democrats and Gov. Ted Kulongoski are advocating. A smaller school budget, or one in flated with the addition of uncertain employment retirement savings, will only lead to a repeat of the past year that saw early school closures and loss of instruction time for students. • Agree on a dedicated source of funding for the Oregon State Police. While some legislators are recommending an insurance surcharge, the governor is still pressing to put the state police back on the gasoline tax. Either approach is bet ter than continuing to dismantle one of the state’s most important services. • Senate approval of a transportation bill that will provide nearly $2 billion over the next decade to repair and upgrade roads, bridges and streets throughout the state. House Bill 2041, which will increase auto registration fees and truck taxes for road and bridge work, was approved on June 23 by a vote of 48-11, with Democrats supporting it unanimously. This bill now moves to the evenly split Senate, where Rick Metsger, chairman of the Transportation Committee, predicts it will pass easily. •Approve a successor plan for the Public Em ployees Retirem ent System (PERS). After months of negotiations, legislators announced a compromise on June 26 that would create a less expensive retirement system for new hires. The proposed plan combines the features of a 401 (k)-style investment account and a traditional Ike Says, cont.. . From page 2 er districts being affected by hair loss syndrome have reduced their antlerless tags. Recently Donna and I have added a humming bird feeder and a seed feeder at our house. It is amazing how quickly the birds find these feed ers. It is quite entertaining to watch all the differ ent birds using the seed feeder and a local pension based on years of service and final salary. The plan has the support of employers, most public employee unions and Gov. Kulon goski. It’s considered one of the key elements in reforming Oregon’s PERS, which is approxi mately $17 billion short of meeting its financial commitments for the next 25 years. • Negotiate an agreement between local gov ernments and the tourism industry over a new statewide one-percent hotel-motel room tax. Most legislators agree that there is a need to raise money to aggressively market Oregon as a tourist attraction. • Fix the kicker law. It is painfully clear that Oregon needs a rainy day fund. The Senate has passed a proposal to convert the tax kicker into a savings fund for the state. The bill now moves to the House for approval. • Approve a statewide health-insurance bene fit pool for school employees. Other than retire ment costs, school districts are facing no greater challenge than the increased costs of health care benefits. State sales tax on agenda A group of House Republicans has persuad ed Speaker Karen Minnis to schedule a two- week series of public hearings on the overhaul of Oregon’s tax system - focusing primarily on the pros and cons of a sales tax. Beginning June 30, the House Revenue Com mittee will conduct daily hearings at 8:30 a.m. to review the current tax structure and a range of options for changing it. The emphasis is expect ed to be on a possible sales tax, with potential reductions in other taxes including income, es tate and capital gains. Citizens wishing to tes tify should contact the Legislative Revenue Office at 503.986.1266 for scheduling testi mony. Leaders of the effort - Republican Reps. Max Williams of Tigard and Ben Westlund of Bend - hope the hearings produce a tax proposal that would be decided by the Legislature this session - not by voters. If successful, the effort would be a historic moment for Oregon, one of five remaining states without a general sales tax. Voters have rejected sales tax measures nine times, most recently in 1993, and the Legislature has never adopted a general sales tax on its own. However, nothing prevents the Legislature from doing so, accord ing to Paul Warner, the legislative revenue chief, who says most states that have sales taxes adopted them legislatively. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this very controversial matter. You can e-mail me at <rep.betsyjohnson@ state.or.us> or call me at 503-986-1431. For additional information on what’s going on within the district and the dates and locations of my next Town Hall meet ings, check my Web site, <www.betsyjohnson. com>. ground squirrel has figured out that not all of the seed shells on the ground are empty. The hum ming birds, of course, spend more time fighting than drinking from their feeder. Have a safe and fun summer. Izaak W alton League Nehalem Valley Chapter meets monthly on the third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Call (503) 429-7193 for location. Join us for a parade and fireworks To the Editor: We are hoping for a great turnout for our July 4 Parade. We are expecting Uncle Sam to be in the parade. As usual, we will start the parade at Weed Avenue by City Hall. This year, we will go past WGS and exit onto California Avenue. Walk around to the back of the school where Vernonia Pride will be handing out bags of can dy to our parade participants. The Cub Scouts and the Boost er Club will be having their stands open, selling their usual fare. Vernonia pride does not charge a regular fee for you to watch the fireworks, but we do ask for donations to cover the cost of the fireworks. We will be accepting donations after the fireworks display as you are leaving the grounds. Please help us reach our goal of $3,500 to cover the cost. Thank you and Happy 4th of July. '• • ■ • . Page 3 ... >«”■"......... . of Georgia Pacific. The employees and man agem ent help not only with fund raising events to support many different organizations or specific projects but also volun teer in the community. The Company donates paper prod uct to not for profit organiza tions. United Way of Columbia County would like to say a big THANK YOU to Dick Wenger for all his support and dedica tion to our communities. Dick and Georgia Pacific are "Neigh bors Helping Neighbors." Sincerely, Kathye Beck, Executive Director United Way of Columbia County Land Use board a pleasant surprise To the Editor: The Columbia County Land Use Planning Board deliberat ed June 30th over testimony, text, and recommendations by Enid Parrow the County Department of Land Vernonia Pride Member Development Services staff. At issue was the adoption of the Periodic Review Work Program Thank you, Georgia IV, Goal 5 Sensitive Lands, to revise wetland and riparian pro Pacific tection m easures to com ply To the Editor: with the State of Oregon "Safe Frequently in these times we Harbor" rules, to adopt the get a them against us attitude 1995 Beak Consultants map, when we think about big busi and update provisions for nesses in our communities. I threatened and endangered would like to tell you about a species, big game habitat and business whose management historical inventory. and employees are consistent Prior to observing this ly working in our communities Board’s deliberation, I held the to make lives better. That com negative view that the Board pany is Georgia Pacific, the was maneuvering, or being ma Wauna Mill. neuvered, into passing a set of Recently Dick Wenger the recom m endations giving the mill manager received a leather Board of Commissioners the NASCAR jacket. (Georgia Pa backing to add more regula cific sponsors a car.) Dick do tions on property owners, and nated the jacket to the United add more charges, fees, and Way campaign committee to penalties for their normal use of help raise money. They held a their own property. What I ob raffle and raised about $1500. served was the desire to lessen The money raised was shared property owner’s restrictions, to between Clatsop County Unit allow them greater access for ed Way, Columbia County Unit personal use of their own prop ed Way in Oregon and Cowlitz erty, and less cost for doing so. W ahkiakum United Way in The attending Commission Washington. members were Chairman Jef Not only are they a very sup frey VanNatta, Peter Brewer, portive organization but they Dennis Nelson, Marvin Mac also understand giving back to Donald, Mona Pierce, and your community and that every David Middle. Representing the United Way is autonomous. So Department of Land Develop whenever there is a fund rais ment Services were chief plan ing event or campaign the mon ner Glen C. Higgins, MPA, and ey raised is shared by each of Sara Tieson, who was charged the United Way organizations with presenting the revisions to represented by the employees Please see page 16
