The independent., February 17, 2005, Page 2, Image 2

Page 2
The INDEPENDENT, February 17, 2005
The INDEPENDENT
Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published on the
first and third Thursdays of each month, by Public Opinion
Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064, as a
free newspaper. Publishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen. Editor,
Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410, email: noni®
the-independent.net Display Advertising, Clark McGaugh,
email: clark@the-independent.net Classified Advertising,
Rebecca McGaugh, email: rebecca@the-independent.net
, COULD
A
oR
-yh«.
/ anv
IS
2 .C
Don’t like how “they” do it?
File nomination papers now
March 1 is the deadline to file nomination papers for
election to school and fire district boards. These are
unpaid positions that require time, thought and effort
— when they are done right—which is not as simple as
it may seem.
Banks, Vernonia and Mist will all have positions on
the May 11 ballot. Let’s start with fire districts:
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District - Positions 1
and 5, held by Frank Cieloha and Steve Weller.
Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District - Posi­
tions 3, 4 and 5, held by Bill deJaeger, Trish Wright and
Troy Horton.
Banks Fire District - Positions 1 and 3, held by Joe
Evers and Steve Harr.
There are school district vacancies, too:
Banks School District - Positions 1, 2 and 4, held by
Doug Nordholm, Willis Meeuwsen and Angi Duyck.
Vernonia School District - Positions 1,4, 5, 6 and 7,
held by Ed Buckner, Gienah Cheney, Cari Levenseller,
Jim Krahn and Phil Doyle.
Obviously, there are lots of positions on the ballots
and all are for four-year terms except Vernonia School
District Position 7, which is for two years.
Some of the incumbents have indicated they will
seek re-election, some do not plan to, others haven’t
yet decided. The questions for those considering plac­
ing their names on the ballot should be:
• Do I have the time?
• Will I do my homework?
• Am I an independent thinker or a rubber stamp?
• Am I willing to speak out when I think alternative
approaches should be considered?
• Am I doing this for “glory” (a really dumb idea)?
Nomination papers and instructions are available
from the appropriate school or fire district offices, and
from county election offices. There will be two ways to
place your name in nomination. One is to pay a small
fee when you file your papers, the other is to file peti­
tions with the required number of signatures for your
district.
In any case, March 1 is the deadline for anyone who
wants to try and help their community with dedicated
service in important, though unpaid, roles.
m
d
e
) Av
7ö
dcouj W y H o ie .- r ta s - r - j
Salem Scene
■ : ■ ■ <
C<
......................... -..........................................................
Legislature to Congress and President Bush re­
questing reauthorization of the timber receipts
safety net for schools, roads, and county gener­
I am just finishing my
al fund uses. In 2003, Oregon’s share of these
second week as your
receipts totaled nearly $270 million. With the
State Representative and
current budget cuts at the federal level, the Ore­
I am pleased to report that
gon Legislature and all Oregonians will have to
our staff is hard at work
work very hard to make sure that Oregon’s tim­
and the office is running
ber dependent counties are adequately compen­
smoothly. Last
Friday,
sated by our federal government.
February 4, I received my
While it is always busy at the Capitol, my
two committee assign­
committees do not meet on Mondays and
ments - General Govern­
Wednesdays. That means that Monday and
ment and Information Management & Technolo­
Wednesday will usually be the best days to
gy. General Government meets Tuesday and
make an appointment to see me or to just drop
Thursday mornings while Information Manage­
by our office. I will try to leave Salem early on
ment & Technology meets Tuesday and Thurs­
Fridays for meetings in our District. You can al­
day afternoons. The General Government com­
ways contact me by calling 503-986-1431 or by
mittee will handle all of the bills relating to state
e-mailing me at rep.bradwitt@state.or.us to set­
government, the relationship between the state
up a late Friday afternoon or weekend meeting
and Indian nations, wildland fire fighting, and
near your neighborhood.
many other areas where state government inter­
acts with other governments. The Information Issues of Interest:
One of the issues the legislature will take up
Management & Technology Committee will re­
view the manner in which state government han­ this session is whether health insurance policies
dles the information that is collected from each should give equal coverage or “parity” to cover­
of us, including most significantly, the security of age of mental health conditions. Three bills have
our personal information. That information been introduced to address this issue: Senate
ranges from taxes to driver and car licenses to Bill 1, Senate Bill 298 and House Bill 2326.
These bills would prohibit insurers from being
hunting permits and much more.
On Monday, February 7, I voted for House more restrictive for mental health conditions than
Joint Memorial 1, which asks Congress to con­ for other medical conditions. The Senate Bills
tinue payments to Oregon counties from our fed­ are in the Health Policy Committee, 503-986-
eral timberlands. These monies are paid in lieu 1485. The House Bill is in Business, Labor and
of property taxes. HJM1 will be sent by our State Consumer Affairs, 503-986-1621.
By Representative Brad Witt
Oregon House District 31