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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2005)
Wu: Loss of federal surplus was a tragedy From page 3 Power charge m arket rates was called “unconscionable” by a citizen, Wu responded that “Every member of the North west delegation will throw our selves on the track to prevent this!” He also noted that a larg er problem would be losing ac cess to U.S. Treasury loans and having to finance improve m ents through com m ercial loans. One of the tragedies of our time, Wu said, was the loss of a federal surplus created during the Clinton adm inistration. “Never doubt that elections make a difference,” he said. He pointed out that the fed eral COPS program , which placed many officers on the street, is slated for a 96 percent cut in Bush’s budget—in spite of a major increase in meth-re- lated crimes. Cuts in education funding are being discussed at levels from 38 to 58 percent and will ■gi ÏIB1 « « j« affect all levels, from preschool through college. O nly half of the federal budget is available for Con gress to make adjustments, Wu explained, as the remaining half is entitlem ent programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Since the military budget uses about half of the remainder, and the President wants to increase it, only about one-quarter of the entire feder al budget is available for adjust ments. Thousands of jobs could be created, Wu said, if the admin istration would release money from the Highway Trust Fund, but it w on’t because that helps make the deficit look smaller. Wu said that he voted against the war in Iraq because he felt that the country needed to finish work in Afghanistan and pursue the 9/11 terrorists. Noting that Congress support ed the war after being told that Iraq had weapons of mass de struction, he asked where the WMDs were now. Answering his own question, he said em phatically, they are in Korea and the U.S. is unable to ad dress this problem because of our commitment in Iraq. Wu said he supported the Medicare drug bill, even though he agreed that it was not a good bill, because he felt it was an opportunity to start making changes. “Did I kiss a pig with lipstick? (in voting for the bill) Yes, because I think we can im prove it.” He supports reimpor tation of prescription drugs. W u’s biggest applause at the high school came in his re sponse to a question, that the “CIM and CAM are unneces sary innovations and a frigging waste of time.” However, he told students, schools need more seat time and a lot more homework. Compared to other industrial countries, he said, the U.S. has about two-thirds less classroom time. “This S » - 111 111 6 13 20 27 i l l VERNONIA Mondays Alcoholics Anonymous Saturdays Alcoholics Anonymous 2nd Thursday American Legion Post #119 2nd Thursday Arts & Crafts Society 2nd Wednesday Booster Club Tuesdays Boy Scout Troop 201 Wednesdays Boy Scout Troop 860 2nd Thursday Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Wednesday Chamber of Commerce 2nd Monday Community Coalition Scout Cabin Cub Scout Pack 201 4th Tuesday Doll Club 1st Tuesday Friends of the Library 1st & 3rd Thursdays Hands On Art Committee 3rd Thursday Home Extension Club 3rd Thursday Izaak Walton League 1 st & 3rd Tuesdays Lions Club Nehalem Valley Car Club Pioneer Museum Mondays Preschool Story Hour 2nd Tuesday Upper Nehalem C.P.A.C. 3rd Wednesday Vernonia Airport Committee Vernonia Cares Directors 1st & 3rd Mondays Vernonia City Council 3rd Thursday Vernonia Community PTA 4th Saturday Vernonia Grange 2nd Monday Vernonia Health Center 1st & 3rd Thursdays Vernonia Planning Comm. Vernonia Pride Last Thursday Vernonia Ridge Riders 2nd Tuesday Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Thursday Vernonia School Board 3rd Friday Vernonia Sr. Center Board Vem. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1 st Thursday Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday WOEC Directors 3rd Tuesday 6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg. 7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg. 627 Adams Avenue 2:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., VHS Library 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin 7:00 p.m., LDS Church 7:00 p.m., Leonetti’s Grill For Info Call 503-429-6081 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. For Info Call 503-429-0188 1:00 p.m., Senior Center 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library 7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg. 10:30 a.m., Christian Church For location call 503-429-7193 6:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant For Info Call 503-429-4074 For Info Call 503-429-3713 10:30 a.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., City Hall 7:00 p.m., City Hall For Info call 503-429-1414 7:00 p.m., City Hall 6:30 p.m., WGS Library 10:30 a.m., Grange Hall 6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St. 7:00 p.m., City Hall For Info Call, 503-429-5201 7:00 p.m., Senior Center 7:00 p.m., Fire Station 6:00 p.m., District Office 1:00 p.m., Senior Center 7:00 p.m., Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Fire Station 7:00 p.m., WOEC M 7 14 21 28 T 1 8 15 22 29 Rep. David Wu was relaxed and thoughtful while answering questions for a nearly full house in the Scout Cabin. world will go to the smart and the hardworking,” he said, and China and Europe are poised to take advantage of this situa tion. He urged students to make difficult decisions and pursue academ ic excellence, instead of hanging out with MARCH W T 2 3 9 10 16 17 23 24 30 31 F 4 11 18 25 S 5 12 19 26 S M APRIL 2005 T W T 3 10 17 24 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 F 1 8 15 22 29 8 2 9 16 23 30 friends or watching TV. When W u’s staff attempted to move him along to his next appointment, the congressman said of the high school crowd, “ I don’t know if I have ever been with a crowd this large that was this engaged.” S 1 8 15 22 29 M 2 9 16 23 30 MAY 2005 T W I 3 4 5 10 11 12 17 18 1 9 24 25 26 31 F 6 13 20 27 S 7 14 21 28 7:00 p.m. , Main Fire Station M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Main Fire Station 4th Tuesday M-BRFPD Board Workshop 7:00 p.m. Main Fire Station 1st & 2nd Thursdays M-B Ambulance Drill 7:00 p.m. , Main Fire Station 1st & 2nd Wednesdays M-B Fire Drill 7:00 p.m. , Main Fire Station 2nd Monday M-B Helping Circle 7:00 p.m. , Main Fire Station 3rd Wednesday M-B SAR Drill 7:00 p.m. , Main Fire Station 1st Tuesday M-B Volunteer Assoc. 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall 2nd Wednesday Natal Grange 6:00 p.m. , Main Fire Station Mondays T.O.P.S. Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-2401 7:00 p.m. , Main Fire Station BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous American Legion Post #90 Banks City Council Banks Fire District #13 Banks Planning Commission Banks School Board Banks Youth Group Chamber of Commerce CPO14 Friends of the Library Lions Club Sunset Park Assoc. T.O.P.S. Women’s Aglow 8:00 p.m., Methodist Church Fridays 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post 2nd Tuesdays 7:30 p.m., City Hall 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Station 13 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Last Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. Sundays, Wednesdays 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office 1 st Thursday 7:00 p.m., City Library 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., City Library 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Schlegel Hall 1st& 3rd Mondays 8:00 p.m., Gun Club 3rd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., City Library 2nd Thursday COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) 10 a.m., Courthouse Wednesdays Board of Commissioners 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church 2nd Tuesday Citizens for Senior Justice 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes 3rd Wednesday Columbia Soil & Water District 7:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. 2nd Monday County Fair Board 6:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St. 3rd Monday County Parks Commission 10 a.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse 3rd Tuesday Mental Health Advisory Comm. 3rd Thursday 530 p.m. OSU Ext., 550 N. Hwy. 30 Comm, on Children & Families 3:00 p.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. 2nd Tuesday 9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064. Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429'
