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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2009)
Page 20 The INDEPENDENT, May 21, 2009 Letters To Your Health! From page 18 posed LNG terminals. The state Attorney General has weighed in on this bill, say- ing it will have a “profound im- pact on property rights” – and seizure – in Oregon. Political groups on both ends of the spectrum oppose this bill. Witt managed to get it through the first step of the legislative process; you might want to let him know what you think of his action. Witt’s second bill is HB2470, “Relating to Dogs”. It’s an at- tempt to fix the fact that dog kennels in Oregon are essen- tially unregulated at the state level. You might think this is a good idea…but wait till you see the details. This bill allows breeders to have 50 sexually intact dogs that are two years of age or old- er. They can have an unlimited number of younger dogs, but they have to keep some records about them. They also can have an unlimited number of dogs that are not sexually in- tact. Even these limits don’t ap- ply to boarding kennels – they can have an unlimited number, as long as the average stay at the facility is less than 30 days. The bill does require that a fa- cility that has 75 dogs have one person on site for 8 hours each day! I love dogs – we currently have two rescue Great Danes. But the thought of 75 dogs liv- ing next door, with only one person there for 8 hours a day, terrifies me. This bill is worse than useless. It will specifically legalize these kennels, making it harder for neighbors to pre- vent new ones or fight abuses caused by existing ones. In Co- lumbia Co., as anyone who’s followed the five year saga of the local kennel ordinance knows, there is essentially no kennel regulation. Witt can be reached at 1- 503-986-1431; rep.bradwitt@ state.or.us . Pat Zimmerman Scappoose Dealerships are not manufacturer’s cost To the Editor: For several months we have been bombarded with informa- tion about the future of General Motors and Chrysler. Every source of media has had a hand in disseminating this sub- ject. During all this activity one misconception has been re- peated so many times that it has been mistakenly accepted as the truth. From many re- spected news publications, to the President’s Auto Task Force to the person who watch- es the news in the morning over a cup of coffee have all bought into this notion that dealers create a cost burden to the manufacturers. This is un- true and harmful to our nation’s franchised automobile dealers who are in actuality independ- ent business owners just like the mom and pop stores in your neighborhood. VERNONIA INN Enjoy a quiet weekend with us. FULL SIZE, IN ROOM HOT TUBS Queen Beds • Private Bath • Separate Entrance Cable TV • Phones • Handicapped Access • Commercial Rates FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 1-800-354-9494 / 503-429-4006 Gift Certificates Available 900 MADISON AVE., VERNONIA, OR 97064 Just one block off scenic Nehalem River Hwy. (Oregon 47) The President’s Auto Task Force is relying on this miscon- ception to force even more rap- id dealer reductions at GM and Chrysler. These dealers do not create a cost burden to the manufacturer, in fact they are the first step to profitability. Our nation’s new car dealers pro- vide the manufacturer more than 90 percent of their rev- enue each year, and drive com- petitive pricing in the market- place. The dealerships in your neighborhood are not manufac- turer owned, they are privately owned by people who pay for the land, building, payroll for their employees, every single car you see on the lot, and even the big manufacturer sign out front. Essentially, dealer- ships buy their cars from the manufacturer the same way you buy your car from a dealer- ship. By allowing this misconcep- tion to go on, the risk is adding more people without jobs to an already surmounting unem- ployment number. Our nation’s GM and Chrysler dealerships today employ almost 500,000 people and the Task Force pro- posals would require GM and Chrysler to eliminate as many as 3,600 dealerships and al- most 190,000 jobs. The bottom line is that clos- ing dealerships is ineffective in solving GM and Chrysler’s problems. Conversely, this will negatively affect thousands of people right here in Oregon and across the nation, from these independent businesses, to their employees, from the vendors that serve them, to the communities they support. Our nation does not need further erosion of employment, it needs recovery. Greg Remensperger Executive Vice President Oregon Auto Dealers Ass’n From page 8 spirit, commitment and integrity of Laura Nichols, PA-C. Imper- sonal care, fast-paced clinics and 10-minute visits have the oppo- site outcome. I believe, and research has demonstrated, that pa- tients are healthier, more compliant and motivated when they have a good relationship with their healthcare provider and conti- nuity of care. Let’s hope that more providers recognize the part of practicing the art of medicine that makes it rewarding and about the patient, not just the bottom line. We can only hope for more Lauras in the world and Health Providers who are committed to healthcare based on genuine concerns for a patient’s well-being instead of “bottom line” medicine. As usual, we welcome your questions and feedback. You can contact us at To Your Health c/o The Independent or, you can email us at health @the-independent.net. Reference: Is “Busy” Good by Jean Antonucci, MD. Salem Scene From page 3 will be increased over the life of the tires, fuel consumption and exhaust will be reduced and environmental benefits en- hanced without unduly burden- ing either tire distributors or consumers. I am pleased to report that I have already begun meeting with the bill’s proponents to be- gin erecting sideboards around the bill’s tire and sever- al other provisions. To date, the discussions have been very encouraging. Attention Veterans... Hearings have been held for HB 3480, which authorizes the Oregon Military Department to make payments to members of the Oregon National Guard who were exposed to hexava- lent chromium while serving at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in Basra, Iraq, in 2003. Hexavalent chromium is a known carcinogen, and several soldiers have fallen ill because of it. Approximately 286 soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 162nd Division, have been notified by letter of the exposure and its hazards, however fewer than 20 guardsmen have respond- Alley Auto Wrecking ✮ ✮ Gasoline 503-429-7581 Most parts under warranty Open Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Closed Sunday and Monday 54372 Nehalem Hwy South, Vernonia, OR 97064 6 miles south of town on Hwy 47 Buying unwanted vehicles with clear title ed, and 40 letters were re- turned unopened. Some of these soldiers came from the St. Helens, Hillsboro, Gresham and McMinnville areas. If you know of anyone who served at that time in Basra, Iraq, please pass this information along to them. An article that ran in The Oregonian that more fully de- scribes the urgency of this situ- ation, is available on the Inter- net at: http://www.oregonlive. com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/or egon_veteran_disabled_by_ira .html Revenue Forecast... The Legislature received the May 15th revenue forecast, the report that serves as the basis for the state budget. It showed that we have $4.2 billion less than the amount needed to maintain services such as ed- ucation, health care and public safety at their current level. The legislature will have to use $351 million dollars from state reserves to balance the current budget, which has only six weeks remaining, meaning there will be less in savings to patch a hole of over $3.8 bil- lion for the next budget. The state legislature, unlike the fed- eral government, must pass a balanced budget. This means that any shortfall must be filled either with cuts or more rev- enue. To fill the current short- fall of around 25% will take a balanced approach of mostly cuts, our state reserves and asking big corporations and households making over $250,000 a year to contribute a little bit more. I will keep you posted as we gather more in- formation.