The INDEPENDENT, May S, 2005
Page 3
Latten
School Board works
hard for community
To the Editor
Thank you School Board!
I feel that it is time to ac
knowledge the dedication of
our school board members.
They have had to deal with in
credibly tough issues, and de
spite all the difficulties they
never gave up. There is no
compensation for their time and
effort, they do it out of concern
for our kids.
Over the last five years the
board and superintendent have
been working on finding a way
to get a new school facility. Af
ter several attempts and a
tremendous amount of effort,
they came up with the latest so
lution and ran with it.
There were public meetings
where the plans were dis
cussed. I went to a workshop
and was one of maybe four
people that attended. Despite
the lack of input, they kept mov
ing forward. There have been
major obstacles and it has tak
en longer than anticipated, but
they did the best that they
could...and now we are on our
way to a new school building.
Throughout this process
there has been quite a bit of
negativity toward the board and
it pains me. Having served on
the school board, I know how
difficult it is to get the communi
ty involved; people are so busy
they do not have time to partic
ipate and that is understand
By Senator Betsy Johnson
Oregon District 16
Last week nearly 1,000 Oregonians ral
lied on the steps of the State Capitol to
show their support for additional funding for
senior services, mental health and other
important social services. Many in that
gathering were advocating taking funds
from schools because schools, they con
tend, are “not as important as caring for
those who really need help”.
Naturally, the school employee groups and administrators are
arguing that more funding is needed for education because, “chil
dren are our future”.
So it begins in earnest. Every group is trying to get a larger
“piece of the pie”, but unfortunately “the pie” isn’t large enough to
satisfy everyone. One of two things has to happen; either there
must be fewer demands from citizens and advocacy groups or we
need to increase the size of “the pie”. I don’t foresee the demand
for services decreasing anytime soon and I certainly don’t foresee
higher taxes on the horizon.
So the only way to increase the size of the pie, in my opinion,
is to increase the economic vitality of the State. More people earn
ing a decent wage means more income tax receipts for the State
which will produce a larger pie. Government at all levels, howev
er, has a poor record when it comes to developing private sector
jobs. I believe it is long past time for government to acknowledge
that fact, find out why, and change their approach.
Nearly everyone understands that we need rules and regula
tions to maintain some semblance of order in our complex socie
ty. All too often, however, it seems that our rules and regulations
take on a life of their own and become an impediment to job
growth and commerce. Government agencies must work harder
to understand the problems facing our citizens and strive to clear
the way through the regulatory process.
When government officials make an effort to understand that
time equates to money for business, maybe then we can stream
line our approach to regulation. Instead of government asking,
“What do you want?” the question should be “How can we help
you be more successful and grow?”
One of the primary roles of government is to protect the pub
lic’s interest. Business growth and prosperity means a “larger pie”
for all of Oregon’s genuine needs, and that is certainly in the pub
lic’s interest.
Please contact me by calling 503-986-1716 or by e-mail at
<sen.betsyjohnson@ state.or.us>.
able. What is difficult for me to
accept is so much criticism. If
we could apply that energy
positively we would live in a
better community.
The next time you have a
gripe or concern, get informed
and get involved. Your opinions
and input are needed. We can’t
expect the board to represent
us without communicating di
rectly with them. If we work to
gether as a team, we set an ex
ample for our kids and every
one benefits.
To the 47J School Board and
Staff...thank you for your ef
forts and perseverance. This is
a huge step for our community
and hopefully just the begin
ning for our schools.
Leslie O’Leary
Vernonia
Get informed and go
to 47J board meeting
To the Editor:
I attended the City of Ver
nonia Planning Commission
meeting, April 21, and was tak
en aback by changes in the
proposal for the new school
building being pushed through
by the [Vernonia School] Dis
trict 47J board and administra
tion.
The Planning Commission
has a difficult job; they are re
sponsible for ensuring that pro
posals meet all city planning
and zoning regulations. Not
only does this require technical
knowledge, but also the exqui
site skill of separating emotions
from decision making. Judging
by the facial expressions and
detailed questions posed by
Planning Commission mem
bers, I have concluded that
most of them are against the
proposal at an emotional and
logical level. Unfortunately, they
can make a decision based
only on information presented
and regulations that apply to the
conditional use permit request
ed by the school district.
Mr. Funderburg made many
verbal agreements and state
ments during the meeting, all of
which are captured on audio
tape by the city. Hopefully,
these will be put in writing and
submitted on a revised permit
application. I say this because
until it is in writing, it is verbal
fluff, not fact. Anyone can make
verbal commitments that are
well intended but poorly exe
cuted.
What I don’t understand is, if
the P lanning C om m ission
agrees that the site design is
not in the best interest of Ver
nonia, why can’t they just deny
the conditional use permit?
The changes in the plans as
I saw it were: addition of 2
classrooms (6 now instead of
4), a looped driveway and park
ing lot in front of the proposed
building, increased brick work
on exterior walls, and addition
al parking areas.
These are all good additions,
but parking lots, classrooms
and brick masonry are not
cheap. What escapes me is
how, with all these additions,
the price remains $1,600,000?
Does this include furnishings
for the building or will this cost
arise later?
There were also discussions
on traffic flow and the need to
redirect school busses so they
drive between WGS and the
play shed. A plan that has
school busses crossing the
busiest area of the playground
twice daily is not well thought
out; remember, too, that the
administration built a fence
across the same driveway to
prevent traffic that would en
danger children. Mr. Funderburg
Please see page 17
Salem Scene
By Representative Brad Witt
Oregon District 31
I am proud to report that House District 31
had one of the best turnouts at Tuesday’s hear
One of the largest ing. Neither I nor the superintendents can find
events to take place in the much pride, however, in the cutbacks that they
Capitol recently was the reported. In Astoria, Superintendent Mike Sow-
appearance of nearly 100 der described how 14-1/2 fewer teaching posi
school superintendents tions have reduced academic excellence. Super
and their board members intendent Mike Corley compared Clatskanie’s
at a public forum on 1985 budget with that of the present-an identical
school funding. So many $6 million and 20 years of difference. Rainier
of these education man School Superintendent Mike Carter told us how
agers showed up that the State Police estab his community has been forced to close three
lished over-flow seating at multiple locations schools in five years. And Vernonia Superinten
dent Mike Funderburg described a declining/dis-
around the Capitol.
The school superintendents came to Salem to engaged student body due to a shortage of
describe for the Legislature what more than a classes.
If we want our youth to get good jobs, we
decade’s worth of funding cuts have meant to
our state. Broadly speaking, these cuts mean must give them the skills to become good em
that Oregon now has the second-largest class ployees. If we want Oregon businesses to re
room size in our nation along with one of the main competitive with neighboring states and the
shortest school years. These outcomes are many nations of the world, then our business
largely attributable to Oregon having dropped to leaders must have a workforce that is second to
31 st among all states in investment per student. none. And if we want a prosperous Oregon, then
Listening to the superintendents’ testimony, I we MUST invest in our next generation of adults.
Today’s youth are the future of our district, this
was struck by the litany of cutbacks in such ar
eas as math, foreign languages, athletics, the state and our great nation. That is why I am ask
arts, shop and a host of electives. My colleagues ing you, my constituents, to join me in supporting
and I were astounded by the number of schools adequate funding ($5.4 billion out of a total state
that have been closed, positions that have been general fund budget of $12.4 billion) for Ore
eliminated (teachers, classified and administra gon’s schools.
Please contact me by calling 503-986-1431 or
tors) and the inadequacy of many of our schools’
by e-mail at <rep.bradwitt@state.or.us>.
supplies, maintenance and equipment.