The INDEPENDENT, July 3, 2003
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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
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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