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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 19, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, May 19, 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 313 Hart 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 Page 3 Letters Appalled, shocked at Council actions To the Editor: I have just returned home af- ter attending City Council meet- ing. I am appalled, stunned, mortified, and shocked at the unprecedented malicious be- havior of three of our council members - our city representa- tives! I am ashamed to have them represent our community. A community that is in horrific need of the services of our present Interim City Administra- tor. Bill Haack has stepped up to the plate to help Vernonia re- cover its equilibrium after the previous City Administrator lacked the ability to manage our city. How the three culpable council members can turn city meetings into a three-ring cir- cus by manipulating and post- poning important issues to slow up city proceedings for their own benefit and personal is- sues is unconscionable. Oregon Perspective By Senator Jeff Merkley For most families, summer means little league games, 4th of July parades, and backyard barbeques. But in recent years, America has added a new, unwelcome sum- mer tradition: rising gas prices. Prices in Ore- gon have jumped a dollar in the last year and po- litical turmoil in the Middle East continues to drive them even higher. Further turmoil, such as a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina or a man-made disaster like the BP gulf oil spill, would push prices higher still. Skyrocketing gas prices are like a tax on working families. And it is the worst possible tax in the sense that it ships our energy dollars over- seas, enriching the Middle East while hurting job creation here at home. We need to take concrete steps both to lower costs at the pump now and to gradually reduce the grip oil companies and petro-dictators have on our economy. We should tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve during this period of uncertainty as we did during the first Gulf War. We should use the revenue raised when the government sells oil from the Reserve to fund measures to reduce oil demand. We should also crack down on Wall Street speculators who are buying up oil to drive prices higher and end massive subsidies to big oil and gas companies that just announced bil- lions in new profits. Big oil is doing just fine – they don’t need extra help from taxpayers. The key to keeping fuel costs down over the longer term is to steer America toward oil inde- pendence. We can reduce our need for foreign oil by promoting the use of homegrown energy, like the second-generation biofuels being devel- oped from woody biomass here in Oregon; by in- creasing fuel efficiency; by making homes and businesses more energy efficient; by promoting alternative modes of transportation, like rail, mass transit, and cycling; and by investing in new technologies like electric vehicles. And to keep attention focused on the issue, we need to create a National Energy Security Council. These steps could eliminate our dependence on non-North American oil in 20 years, not with drastic changes to our lifestyle or by assuming magic new technologies, but just by making smart choices. Kicking our addiction to foreign oil means lower fuel costs for families and busi- nesses, cleaner air and water, and a more se- cure nation. By counting on American ingenuity, we will strengthen the economy and create jobs right here in America. Economic inequality hurts core suppliers Out of My Mind… From page 2 • COUNCIL/COMMITTEES – goal setting, an- nual budget process, roles and responsibilities • PARKS – hire part time temp position/s, se- cure new housing at airport, review each park host’s job, coordinate with school district on Spencer Park, update Parks master plan, secure $25K park planning grant, write ODFW R&E grant for docks • BROWNFIELDS – review opportunities for funding at OBDD, DEQ, EPA; implement EPA Brownfield if awarded; coordinate with DEQ on buyout properties that have soil contamination is- sues • OPEN SPACE – work with council to estab- lish a open space policy • FEMA COMPLIANCE – work with council to establish a FEMA flood plain management and code enforcement policy and hire a code en- forcement official That’s a long and complicated list of projects that, with the exception of City Systems and Council/Committees, all require the cooperation and assistance, both technical and financial, of other agencies. The lack of adequate local man- I applaud Sharon Bernal for being “The Voice of Reason” by stating personal issues should not enter city business. She was patient, adult, and reason- able in her presentation. As it turned out, the three city council people in question chose not to listen to Sharon or the audience for that matter. One of our newest council peo- ple stated she did not have time to read the 300 page packet nor could she walk across the street to read the packet at City Hall. Why is she continuing on as a city council person if she does not have the time???? These three council people should not serve on council if they let personal issues cloud the greater picture. That picture being the greater welfare of Vernonia and its citizens. After all, these council mem- bers are supposed to be work- ing for us! Our entire communi- ty is going to suffer as a result of their attitudes and decisions. We voted them into office to represent the populace of our community - not themselves! If anyone should be fired from their jobs for non-performance, it should be them and not Bill Haack! I suggest we begin the “Re- call” process to rid City Council of these three members. Sincerely, Janelle Thomas Cedergreen Vernonia agement has caused years of delay for the older projects, and may well result in worse results for many of the post-flood projects. FEMA compliance, for instance, doesn’t sound complicated; after all, the city passed the required ordinances. The problem is that an ordi- nance that isn’t enforced is hard to distinguish from an ordinance that doesn’t exist. Without a functional flood plain management policy and enforcement, FEMA could well decide that it would be a fiscal boondoggle to help us re- locate our senior center, food bank and health clinic. Time is running out, and we could lose all federal assistance in any future floods, and even lose flood insurance coverage. Every one of those long-neglected projects in- volves potentially serious financial ramifications. But Kevin Hudson, Willow Burch and Marilyn Nicks either never thought about that, or they don’t care. Apparently they skipped that little bit about council members serving the citizens of Vernonia. They deserve to be recalled. *Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, 2011 revision. To the Editor: Economists have traditional- ly listed what they refer to as the “four factors of production,” meaning Land, Labor, Capital and Legal Underpinnings. Primitive stages of economic development are marked pri- marily by “labor-intensive” ac- tivity of the sort that tends crops, raises livestock and digs Please see page 22 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.