The INDEPENDENT, December 7, 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 ace
pl
620 SW Main, Suite e 606
r
Portland, OR 97205
o on
Phone: 503-326-2901
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d e Ofc. Bldg.
2338 Rayburn
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ne ti House
g
i
Washington,
s un DC 20515
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t
Phone:
R en 202-225-0855
Website:
m 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
Your gift of help is
precious to others
To the Editor:
The holiday season is upon
us. For those of you reading
this message now is a time of
giving. If you are blessed with
housing, heat, food and em-
ployment I hope you will con-
sider giving the gift of your time
or a financial donation to an
agency in your area who can
help those most in need this
time of year. A gift, no matter
how small, is precious and ap-
preciated in more ways than
can be counted. Thank you
very much.
Cindy Peake
Astoria
Rainier recall effort
is right way to go
To the Editor:
A Vote for Rainier.
Thank you Don Puckett for
stepping up to the plate starting
the recall of Rainier City Coun-
cilors Russ Moon and David
Langford. It’s not surprising
that in less than a week more
than 150 signature were gath-
ered. I had hoped Mr. Moon
and Mr. Langford would save
the City the cost and embar-
rassment of a recall and resign.
But then again, it wouldn’t be
like this team to bow-out grace-
fully.
As a City Councilor I felt the
brunt of the rude and erratic
behavior of David Langford and
have been a target of Russ
Moons’ Bullying. Moon over-
stepping his authority is second
nature. This madness has to
stop for Rainier to move for-
ward. The actions of these men
have taken a dramatic toll on
the City and cost Rainier tax
payers hundreds of thousands
of dollars. I join the Friends of
Rainier, Mayor and support the
sitting Councilors in this recall
effort. A vote to remove Russ
Moon and David Langford from
the Rainier City Council is a
Vote for Rainier.
Judith Taylor
Former City Councilor
Rainier
Vote for leadership
is greatly needed
To the Editor:
Well folks, has anyone no-
ticed the land of the free is be-
ing systematically dismantled?
Not only that, but it’s being re-
placed by a self-serving, dys-
functional, out of control gov-
ernment. Our politicians can’t
seem to live up to their oath of
office, much less show an at-
tempt to work together and
solve the many problems we
are faced with as a nation. The
blame game is most assuredly
alive and well in Washington
D.C. on both sides of the aisle.
“We the people” are at the
mercy of elected officials that
are completely out of touch
with our problems. It seems to
be more important to the politi-
cians to run for re-election than
to care for the 14 million Amer-
icans out of work and losing
their homes.
Our nation’s economy is
looking more and more like the
depression era every day, and
the world’s economy is burning
like Rome. Our legislation tells
us, “Deal with it…we’re going
on vacation!” Does that sound
right to you? It sounds to me
like they’ve lost their marbles!
As a 74-year-old American
citizen, and a Navy veteran, all
of the above are simply unac-
ceptable. This country was es-
tablished “For the people, by
the people.” Not for the gov-
ernment, by the government!
Don’t fall for this bovine defeca-
tion! I urge all the citizens of the
United States to go to the polls
and vote…vote in some real
leadership. We can turn this
country around if our current
elected officials won’t.
Don Sandrich
Vernonia
Thanks for help with
community dinner
To the Editor:
We’d like to thank the many
people who supported our
Thanksgiving community din-
ner with donated food and la-
bor. Special thanks go to Cathy
Meyer for her very hard work,
and to the Vernonia Communi-
ty Church for allowing us the
use of their building. Around
130 people joined us for a
friendly meal, and we’re very
happy to have served the com-
munity this way.
Our church plans more
events of this kind in the new
year, and we hope you’ll join us
then, too.
Again, many thanks…and
may you have a blessed Christ-
mas and a Happy New Year!
Members of Pioneer
Baptist Fellowship
Tort claim for Kay is
oddly humorous
To the Editor:
The other day, on a whim
and caprice or maybe just a
lark, I decided to test my con-
stitutional rights. I entered city
hall. I ask to “review” the tort
claim entered by Mike Kay’s
extremely adequate lawyer,
Michelle R. Burrows (http://
michelleburrows.com).
Michelle’s case history is ad-
mirable, especially the Kaady
v. City of Sandy, Oregon.
I filled out the proper paper-
work and the city recorder,
Joann Glass, was kind enough
to accommodate my query. We
sat at a desk next to the hall-
way entrance to the police de-
partment. The lighting was
good but I still wore my specta-
cles as my eyesight is failing
me at my tender age.
Tort Claim; four pages; four
minutes. Decision: Mike Kay
was displayed in a “dim light”.
Is full lighting, now, a constitu-
tional right!?!
Maybe I misread; maybe I
missed something but to my
amusement I never noticed
one mention of a “cognizable
(clearly identifiable) constitu-
tional right”. Clearly this tort
claim is one of “whim and
caprice”. I see no basic criteria
of viability for this tort claim be-
ing tried or adjudicated before
any tribunal. I see one big fail-
ure to state a claim of sufficient
facts, if taken as true, would in-
dicate any violation of the law
occurred or that the claimant is
entitled to legal remedy.
I hope the City of Vernonia
vies for a dismissal of this case
but be wary, this is only the first
volley in the set. My advice is to
study the due process rights of
police officers – section 3303 –
investigations interrogations;
conduct, conditions, represen-
tations, reassignments (http://
www.porac.org/POBOR.html).
Res Ipsa Loquitur,
Mark J. Akers
Vernonia
Thanks for the help
improving Grange
To the Editor:
With the season of gratitude
upon us, I’d like to express
thanks for the many volunteers
that make this community tick.
Without all of the social service,
cultural, civic, and faith-based
organizations that are primarily
or completely staffed by loyal
volunteers, I can’t imagine
what life would be for those of
us who love living here.
I’m especially grateful this
year for the new members of
the Vernonia Grange who have
transformed the well-loved but
aging interior of the Grange
Hall into a warm and welcom-
ing space. With Britt Bensen-
Steele’s vision of what it could
be and the donated materials
and hours of skilled work and
artistry by Britt, Diana Peach,
Julie Prohaska, Larry Steele,
Randy Lee, Jim Buxton, Cici
Bell, Dr. Carol McIntyre, and
many others, it’s been both
physically and spiritually re-
newed. The Grange gratefully
received a generous donation
from the Vernonia Lions to-
wards this refurbishment, and
upgraded appliances from
Evan Doyle and Ken Pitts. I
also want to thank Robb Wilson
and Maggie Peyton for their
many years of dedication to
maintaining this century-plus
building by providing post-flood
cleanup, new exterior paint, in-
frastructure repair, and other
improvements that have kept
the Grange a treasured com-
munity space.
Tobie Finzel
Vernonia
Europe and USA
both have debt crisis
To the Editor:
What Europe and America
have in common.
Europe and the USA have
many things in common, one of
which noted currently is the
massive debt crisis both are
experiencing because of politi-
cians who fail to learn from his-
tory. George Santayana noted
that those who fail to learn from
the mistakes of the past are
doomed to repeat them. In both
Europe and the United States,
power-hungry politicians have
been trying to buy votes with
Please see page 16
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.