Page 22
The INDEPENDENT, June 3, 2010
Salem Scene
From page 3
continue to send me your input. You can contact my of-
fice via email, phone or snail mail. Your comments and
suggestions help inform my decisions as we negotiate
these difficult times together.
In the meantime, I returned to Salem for three days
of scheduled interim hearings. These meetings give us
the opportunity to do some in-depth investigations into
issues that undoubtedly will come up next session.
Here is a snapshot of what is going on in a few of the
committees:
• What state government can do to generate job
creation: Perspectives from business and labor lead-
ers
• Status report: Career and technical education in
Oregon
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• Gasoline
• Diesel Fuel
• Oils • Solvents
• Additives • Greases
• Job training collaborations between Community
Colleges and businesses
• Changes to the bottle bill; Umatilla Project update;
Portland Harbor update
• Update on health care in Oregon and impact of
federal health care reform
• The roll of athletics in the University System
• Government waste reporting; ethics updates;
travel and conduct policies
• Review of the Citizen’s Initiative process
• Statewide energy plan; electric vehicles; the
“green” supply chain
As you can see, there’s something here for every-
one. We will meet again in September and December
in anticipation of the next session in January.
In addition to committee hearings, we received the
May Revenue Forecast, the first forecast to
include actual tax collections for the 2009
tax year. Remember that 2009 was the
height of the recession. The numbers re-
veal an additional budget shortfall for the
remainder of the 09-11 biennium of $576
million.
It’s important to understand that com-
pared to last year, we are in a better eco-
nomic position: Jobs are up, the unemploy-
ment rate is down, corporate and lottery
revenues are up and withholdings are on
pace. But better than last year still does not
pay the bills.
Effective immediately, the Governor an-
nounced an allotment process in rebalanc-
ing the budget. We will immediately begin
to assess the impact of these cuts on edu-
cation, health care, public safety and other
services, and possibly make recommenda-
tions on how to lessen the impact of these
cuts. We will also assess what additional
resources we can bring to bear, including
about $175 million in reserves and other
funds left unspent.
Finally, this from the Department of
State Lands…
For those who have been involved in
discussions with the Department of State Lands re-
garding changes in the terms, fees and policies involv-
ing submersed and submersible lands leased from
DSL, the following update is of major importance (and
relief) to you:
The department’s recent effort to update administra-
tive rules governing waterway leasing on state lands
has been suspended indefinitely.
“We believe we need more time to listen and re-
spond to the public’s issues and concerns relating to
the waterway authorization process,” said Louise Soll-
iday, Department of State Lands director.
At statehood in 1859, Oregon gained ownership of
all land underlying navigable and tidally influenced wa-
ters. Upland property owners must have authorization
from DSL to place a structure on this state-owned land.
The department issues authorizations for such
uses as docks, boat houses, marinas and recreational
cabins on state-owned “submerged and submersible”
land. Rules governing these authorizations have been
in place since 1972, and changes have been made
over time to reflect new types of uses or to clarify rule
provisions. The last major revision occurred in the late
1990s.
Until further notice, the existing administrative rules
governing waterway uses will be in effect (OAR 141-
082- 0000 through 141-082-0210).
Last but not least…
My newsletters will be more spur-of-the-moment
over the summer; however I know that I will be seeing
many of you at the various parades and fairs being
planned throughout
the
district.
WEATHER REPORT
Thanks so much to
the many volun-
APRIL 2010
teers who work long
DATE
TEMPERATURE PRECIP.
hours to make sure
HI
LO
AMT.
these events take
1
50
29
.36
place.
Music,
2
47
33
1.10
laughter and cotton
3
44
32
.10
candy…it doesn’t
4
50
37
.17
get any better!
5
46
32
.78
Is concept of honor now outdated?
S EE US FOR
H EATING O IL
D ECK & S HINGLE O IL
A NTI F REEZE
CALL
(503) 429-6606
WILCOX & FLEGEL
720 Rose Avenue • Vernonia
From page 20
is only one sin, only one. And
that is theft. Every other sin is a
variation of theft…When you
kill a man, you steal a life. You
steal his wife’s right to a hus-
band, rob his children of a fa-
ther. When you tell a lie, you
steal someone’s right to the
truth. When you cheat, you
steal the right to fairness.”
Of course fraud is theft, and
any way in which someone de-
frauds another is wrong. Today,
however, I feel as if fraud is the
new coin of the realm. That it
has become an accepted part
of our culture. I hear so many
conflicting claims from govern-
ment officials – whether it is
about global warming or the
cause of terrorism or how to re-
pair the economy – that some-
times I don’t really know what
to believe. It reminds me of a
bit of graffiti I saw years ago:
“Believe nothing of which you
hear and only half of what you
see.”
I also like this observation by
former U.S. President, Herbert
Hoover, “When there is a lack
of honor in government, the
morals of the whole people are
poisoned.” In other words, if we
feel like our government is
cheating us, then a kind of a
trickle-down corruption starts to
exist. Now that is frightening in-
deed.
Others say that honor is
something that we are born
with, and that we must strive to
keep it. German philosopher,
Arthur Schopenhauer, said,
Please see page 23
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.10
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.13
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.40
.04
--
.25
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.06
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.22
.02
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.05
.03
--
.96
.05
.26
.09
.03
Temperature and precipitation
amounts are from the official U.S.
weather station at the Vernonia wa-
ter plant. Measurable precipitation in
April totalled 5.87 inches.