Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, November 2, 2011 Candidate Greenfield for District 1 weighs in on forum questions From page 1 jobs is to revitalize our free market system. I favor lowering or eliminating corporate taxes and capital gains taxes. This will create incentives for busi- nesses to invest in new plants and equipment in the United States, instead of sending jobs overseas. I also want to reduce the burden of onerous regula- tions on business, balance the budget, and reduce govern- ment bureaucracy. 2. We have no urgent care in Columbia County, one in five have no health insurance. What are your thoughts on health care and steps Con- gress can take to get health care to rural communities? Greenfield – The solution to our health care problems is to reverse course 180 degrees and get the government out of the healthcare business. Gov- ernment intervention in health care has created shortages and high prices and created these problems. The “Oba- macare” government takeover of our health care system will make the problems much worse. 3. How will you protect your vulnerable constituents and help them get through govern- ment bureaucracy? Greenfield – By seeking to eliminate government bureau- cracy and allow the private sec- tor to create jobs so my con- stituents will have paychecks instead of welfare checks. 4. Do you agree it’s wrong to scapegoat illegals? What do you propose on immigration? Greenfield – Yes, I agree it’s wrong to scapegoat illegals. I would seal the border to stop further illegal immigration, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and terrorist infiltration. But for otherwise law abiding illegals who have been here more than three years, have jobs, and pay taxes, I would open a path to legal residency, but not citizen- ship. 5. We have been neglecting our infrastructure. What can we do to avoid further loss of infra- structure? Greenfield – It is inevitable that if our government contin- ues to waste trillions of dollars on dysfunctional programs, pursue anti-business policies, and run up a never-ending na- tional debt, that our economy will continue to suffer. And as these anti-growth government policies progressively impover- ish our nation, it is inevitable that infrastructure will further deteriorate. If the federal gov- ernment can be forced to bal- ance the budget, our states and local communities will be- gin to prosper again and will then be able to fund necessary infrastructure improvements. But this should not be done at the federal level because fed- eral spending produces pork, waste, fraud, and corruption. 6. Do you support Oregon becoming a Right to Work state? (Editor’s Note: A Right to Work law prohibits any agree- ment between an employer and a labor union to make union membership a condition of employment.) Greenfield – Yes. 7. What do you believe is the effect on jobs of trade deals and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? Greenfield – As a Pacific rim state, with ports that import and export throughout Asia and oth- er nations of the Pacific ocean, cutting off trade with foreign na- tions would be devastating to the Oregon economy. Free trade makes all nations wealth- ier. 8. How will you look at FEMA and solve the problem of yearly financial crises? Greenfield – There is no au- thorization in the Constitution for the federal government to deal with disasters, which is a function which could be better performed by state govern- ments. Since Oregon is far less prone to natural disasters than states like Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, Oregonians pay far more in taxes for disaster relief than we receive back in bene- fits. So abolishing FEMA would be a net plus for Oregonians. 9. a. Do you support Occupy Wall Street protesters? Greenfield – I understand why they’re unhappy and think we can expect more of this type of social unrest if we don’t start getting policies out of Washington which revitalize our economy. b. Will you vote for more banking regulations? See Dist. on page 5 Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street Alcoholics Anonymous Thursdays (Big Book Study) 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street American Legion Post #119 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue Booster Club 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., VHS Library Boy Scout Troop 201 Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin Boy Scout Troop 860 Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Thursday 6:30 p.m., Library CERT 4th Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-3018 Chamber of Commerce 2nd Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-6081 Community Coalition 2nd Monday 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. Cub Scout Pack 201 Scout Cabin For Info Call 503-429-4250 Emerg. Preparedness Comm. 4th Wednesay 6:30 p.m., WOEC Friends of the Library 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2 For Info Call 503-819-0143 Izaak Walton League 3rd Thursday For location call 503-429-7193 Kiwanis Club 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Municipal Airport Committee 1t Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Pioneer Museum For Info Call 503-429-3713 Public Works Committee 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Cares Directors For Info call 503-429-1414 Vernonia City Council 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Community PTA 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., WGS Library Vernonia Garden Club 2nd Tuesday 1:30 p.m., Vernonia Library Vernonia Grange 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 3rd Thursday 6:30 p.m., 510 Bridge St. Vernonia Learning Center 1st Wednesday 6:00 p.m., VLC Vernonia Parks Committee 3rd Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Planning Comm. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Ridge Riders Last Thursday 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia School Board 2nd Thursday 6:00 p.m., District Office Vernonia Sr. Center Board 2nd Friday 10:00 a.m., Senior Center Vernonia Transfer Station 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Behind VHS Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station WOEC Directors 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., WOEC Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-0869 7:00 p.m.,Vernonia Grange MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-BRFPD Board Workshop 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd Thursdays 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B SAR Drill 3rd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B Volunteer Assoc. 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall T.O.P.S. Mondays 9:00 a.m., Main Fire Station BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Friday 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church Alcoholics Anonymous Wednesday 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church American Legion Post #90 2nd Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post Banks City Council 2nd Tuesday 7:30 p.m., City Hall Banks Fire District #13 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Station 13 Banks Library Commission 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Banks Planning Commission Last Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Banks School Board 2nd Monday 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library Banks Youth Group Sunday, Wednesday 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. Chamber of Commerce 1st Thursday 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office CPO 14 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., City Library Everybody’s Hometown Band Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., BHS Music Room Friends of the Library 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Lions Club 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby Sunset Park Assoc. 3rd Wednesday 8:00 p.m., Gun Club T.O.P.S. Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners Wednesday 10:00 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia Comm Mental Health 1st Tuesday 5”30 p.m., 58646 McNulty Way Columbia Soil & Water District 3rd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes County Fair Board 2nd Monday 6:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Tuesday Times vary, 1054 Oregon St. Mental Health Advisory Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Comm. on Children & Families 3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30 Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.