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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, March 17, 2011 Where to Find Them U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (Dem) 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 585 Portland OR 97232 Phone: 503-326-7525 223 Dirksen Senate Ofc. Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510-0001 Phone: 202-224-5244 E-Mail: http://wyden.senate.gov/ contact Website: http://wyden.senate. gov U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (Dem.) One World Trade Center 121 SW Salmon St., Suite 1250 Portland, OR 97204 Phone: 503-326-3386 107 Russell Senate Ofc. Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3753 E-Mail: http://merkley.senate. gov/contact WebSite: http://merkley.senate. gov U.S. Representative David Wu (Dem) OR District 1 620 SW Main, Suite 606 Portland, OR 97205 Phone: 503-326-2901 2338 Rayburn House Ofc. Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-0855 Website: http://house.gov/wu Senator Betsy Johnson (Dem) Senate District 16 PO Box R, Scappoose, OR 97056 Phone: 503-543-4046 900 Court St. NE, S-314 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1716 E-mail: sen.betsyjohnson@ state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/johnson Representative Brad Witt (Dem) House District. 31 21740 Lindberg Road, Clatskanie, OR 97016 Phone: 503-728-4664 900 Court St. NE, H-373 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1431 E-mail: rep.bradwitt@state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/witt Representative Deborah Boone (Dem) House District 32 PO Box 926 Cannon Beach, OR 97110 Phone: 503-717-9182 900 Court St. NE, H-375 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1432 E-mail: rep.deborahboone@ state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/boone Letters Out of My Mind From page 2 the sacrifice.” Many also claim that attempts to change cur- rent tax levels so the wealthy pay more is “class warfare”! Here are more economic facts: • According to the most re- cent information, the Forbes 400 (Forbes magazine annual list of the 400 wealthiest peo- ple) now have a greater net worth ($1.37 trillion) than the bottom 60% of U.S. households combined ($1.22 trillion). • Bank of America, with 114 offshore tax havens, paid no taxes in 2009, and its CEO ex- pects a profit of $35 billion this year. • 25% of American home- owners are “under water”, ie., what they owe on their mort- gages is now more than the val- ue of their homes. This doesn’t Page 3 include those who have already been foreclosed. • Economists at Goldman Sachs estimate the GOP’s pro- posed budget cuts for the re- mainder of 2011 would reduce economic growth by 1.5% to 2%, which would mean a loss of 1.2 million jobs. Yes, there is class warfare, it has been going on for a long time, and the middle class is the target. Policy on Letters The INDEPENDENT will not publish letters with per- sonal attacks on private citi- zens. Preference will be giv- en to brief letters, 300 words or less. All letters must be signed and include a verifiable ad- dress or phone number. Scammers claim to be helping students To the Editor: I first want to thank our com- munity for all they do to support our school district fundraisers. Without you, our students would not be able to do many important and enriching things like purchasing uniforms and equipment needed for a sport, raising money for prom, and traveling to California, Europe and Costa Rica. Pop Can and Bottle collect- ing is an important fundraiser for many of our groups. Recent- ly, a few high school groups have been misrepresented by individuals soliciting donations for cans door to door. My apolo- gies go out to anyone who has been misinformed by these in- dividuals. Please know that any Ver- nonia High School pop can/bot- tle drive fundraiser will never happen during school hours. Most of the drives are held on Saturdays and are advertised beforehand on the school dis- trict reader board and/or in the local newspapers. School groups participating in the drives will have a school ID/Lanyard with “VHS Fundraiser” printed on it. If they don’t have the fundraising ID card, they will be wearing team sweatshirts identifying them- selves properly. Our students are grateful for all the time and effort Vernonia community members put in to help them reach their fundrais- ing goals. If you have any ques- tions or concerns, please con- tact me at VHS. Thanks for supporting our students! Sincerely, Teri Willard Vernonia High School Student Activities Director Salem Scene By Representative Brad Witt Oregon District 31 As Co-Chair of the Veterans’ Com- mittee, I am often called upon to join with various organizations to advocate for vet- erans’ needs. On Wednesday, the United Veterans Groups of Oregon (UVGO) held their 2011 Veterans’ Muster on the steps of the Capitol. These service men and women come from every branch of the mil- itary and from every community in Oregon. I was honored to be able to address them and I’d like to share my remarks with you this week: First and foremost, I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your service and the contributions that you have all made in pro- tecting our country, preserving our democracy and guaranteeing this and future generations our liberty. I live in a free and open country because of your service and I thank each of you for this cherished opportunity. As one of the House Veterans’ Committee Co-Chairs, I am pleased to report that our committee is making every effort to promote: • Awareness of your benefits and how to get them • Access to the medical, dental and mental health benefits that have been promised to you • Turning the tide on suicide rates, especially among our Viet Nam, fe- male and recently returning service men and women • Safe and warm housing, adequate nutrition and clean clothing • College credit for the things that you’ve learned, the skills you’ve acquired and the life experiences that you’ve been through; and lastly • The successful reintegration of our veterans back into jobs and our larger civilian society On this last point, ODVA Director Jim Willis told our Committee just yesterday that there are literally thousands of veterans most of whom are Viet Nam vets, who won’t “come in from the cold” because they are adamantly distrustful of our government. It is my intention along with Co-Chair Esquivel, that by example and with proof of our Committee’s deeds, that all Oregon veterans be recog- nized for their service, at ease with the past and comfortable with the government that they have preserved. You have all earned our respect and it is my heartfelt goal to earn yours. Thank you, ever so much for your service, my invitation to join you for this muster, and may God bless the United States of America. I’d like to add, these remarks apply to all veterans reading this newsletter. Your service to our country and its citizens is deeply appreciated. Items of Interest... A new state website makes it easier for Oregonians to find in- formation about health care and health insurance. Oregon Health Connect lists programs to help pay for coverage, file insurance complaints, find coverage for pre-existing conditions and locate help with Medicare questions. This is funded with a federal con- sumer assistance grant and is produced by the Oregon Health Au- thority and Dept. of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) In- surance Division. For more information call 1-855-999-3210, or go to http://www.oregonhealthconnect.org I’ve just been informed about a new program for dog owners. It’s called Fences for Fido, and is fully funded by the Banfield Charitable Trust. In an effort to improve the quality of life for dogs that are kept on chains, Fences for Fido will build a fence, as well as an insulated dog shelter, for dogs that are chained for 8-10 hours a day. The work is done by volunteers and they have un- chained 156 dogs so far. You can find out more by going to http://www.fencesforfido.org/index.php. I want to tip my hat to Jeff Kemp, owner and CEO of Pacific Stainless in St. Helens. Jeff was in the middle of site construction for a new building when the economy went south. Instead of pulling back, he chose to invest both in his operation and his com- munity, hiring locally at every turn. When no local concrete com- pany was big enough to handle the job alone, he split the contract and hired two. He also provides health care benefits for his em- ployees. Jeff reminds us that priorities like these move beyond the individual company and improve the economic health of the entire region. Good job, Jeff and Pacific Stainless! Finally, thank you to all who responded to my questions regard- ing the kicker. There was overwhelming support for the creation of a rainy day fund with kicker refunds, up to a certain percentage, and with anything above that to be returned to the taxpayer. I re- ally appreciate the detailed and thoughtful comments that you sent me and I will bear them in mind as we go about reconciling our budget and stabilizing our economy.