The INDEPENDENT, March 21, 2012
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 Suzanne
Bonamici, (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://bonamici.house.
gov
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
Thanks for your help
To the Editor:
I wish to thank the following
people for transporting my
mother back and forth to dialy-
sis: Eldonna and Grant Wil-
liams, Sharon and Pat Rock-
wood, Andrea and John Price,
Barbara Rainbolt, Carol Senn,
Carl Holsey, and also all of our
church family and friends for
prayers. We are now doing
home dialysis.
Tina Brewington
Vernonia
Mother’s pride shines
for serviceman son
To the Editor:
AB Timmerman, John “Levi”,
graduated from nine weeks of
basic training in the United
States Air Force, on February
3, at Lackland Air Force Base
(AFB), San Antonio, Texas.
During a 12-month period,
nearly 36,000 airmen will grad-
uate from basic military training
at Lackland AFB. It’s the sole
entry point for all enlisted ranks
into the U.S. Air Force and is
called the “Gateway to the Air
Force.” Each graduation of
these fine young airmen re-
news the faith in the future of
the Air Force and the security
of our great nation.
Following graduation, each
airman is enrolled into a train-
ing program to learn the techni-
cal skills needed. The Air Force
offers each airman the opportu-
nity to grow in a profession and
as a person, through educa-
tion, training and service to our
country.
It’s amazing to think that
only 1% of the United States is
even eligible to join the military.
John “Levi” Timmerman
graduated from Vernonia High
School in 2010, at the age of
17. He moved here the day he
turned one year old and the
family has lived in the same
house since. Before joining the
Air Force, he was bucking hay
and roofing houses. He dedi-
cated himself to work out
everyday. He even taught him-
self to swim and made Ironman
time during basic training.
He coached high school
football in 2010, then jr. high
football in 2011. He enjoyed
coaching very much and hopes
to be able to coach again
someday.
Levi tells us he loves the Air
Force and wants to see the
world while he is an airman. On
May 14, he will graduate from
Air Force training and be back
in Vernonia for a couple of
weeks. Many are looking for-
ward to seeing him. After his
visit here, he will be deployed
to Japan. Since his grandpa
was in Japan in the Army, his
other grandpa was in Japan in
the Navy (during his 20 years
of service) and he has an uncle
who served in Japan with the
Marines. With all branches of
the services being represented
in his family and all of them
having gone to Japan, Levi
considered his deployment
very special.
Levi is very loved and sup-
ported by his father, Rick Tim-
merman, his brother Rocky
Jones (he’s very close to him)
and his sister, Casey Jones. He
also has three other sisters
who support him; Jolynn Cox,
Somer Lielbe, and Richelle
Nuefer. His eight nieces and
nephews all adore him. He has
always been very gentle and
loving with small children – one
nephew calls him “The Big
Guy” as he is six foot tall.
As family and friends, we
would like to thank all our mili-
Please see page 19
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.
Salem Scene
By Representative Brad Witt
Oregon District 31
The Legislature’s 34-day session came
to an end on Monday night, March 5,
shortly before 9 p.m., and I think it will go
down as one of the most productive ses-
sions in recent history. Going into this ses-
sion, we knew that our most important
task would be to rebalance the budget,
down another $35 million from the end of
last session. We did that and more. Per-
haps most remarkable was passage of
the Governor’s package of health care
and educational reform bills.
This would have been an aggressive agenda under ordinary
circumstances, but to have accomplished this in just over a
month, with a House split 30-30…well, no one thought it could be
done. I’m proud to say that the budget bills, as well as the health
and education reform bills, all passed with overwhelming biparti-
san support. In addition, we addressed a wide range of issues af-
fecting both short and long term policies in Oregon.
Here is just a sampling of the legislation that passed:
SB 1510 Creates three marine reserves at Cape Falcon, Cas-
cade Head and Cape Perpetua.
HB 4039 Extends the Senior Property Tax Deferral for about
1,700 previously discontinued homeowners with reverse mort-
gages.
HB 4016 Adds to the list of those required to report child sex
abuse.
HB 4045 Treats concealed handgun license information as a
privacy issue except for criminal justice purposes.
SB 1555 Requires school employees to report harassment, in-
timidation, bullying or cyber-bullying.
SB 1575 Increases penalties for disorderly conduct within 200
feet of a funeral site.
HB 4131 Requires agencies to reduce the ratio of managers to
front-line workers to create greater efficiency.
HB 4048 Allows police to obtain financial and medical records
in connection with abuse investigations; extends the statute of
limitations for prosecution of financial crimes committed against
people 65 and over.
SB 1527 Buy America. Allows a contracting agency to give
preference to a bidder that exceeds the federal Buy America re-
quirements.
In my last newsletter I described the problems that we were
having getting foreclosure legislation passed. I’m pleased to tell
you that, after lengthy negotiations, SB 1552, which I co-spon-
sored, passed by a 59-1 vote! This bill will be effective upon the
Governor’s signature. Homeowners in jeopardy of losing their
homes will now be able to meet with a HUD approved housing
counselor prior to their face-to-face meeting with the bank. The
bill will also prohibit the dual-track process in which banks appear
to be working on loan modifications while simultaneously pro-
ceeding with foreclosure.
I can’t end this newsletter without telling you about another ac-
complishment for District 31. As you know, the people of Vernon-
ia have been rebuilding their schools, which were devastated by
two 500-year floods in 11 years. The loss of their schools would
have meant the death of this beautiful little town and they were
not about to let that happen. So build they did, but as construction
neared completion, they found themselves $6 million short. We
could not let the project come to a halt with the end so near. Sen-
ator Johnson and I knew that the only thing we could do was ask
the Ways and Means Committee to consider funding this shortfall,
but what a time to ask, right in the middle of a budget shortfall. I
assumed a leadership role on the House side, spoke to the issue
several times on the floor and held discussions with the Co-
Chairs. Due to our joint efforts, we were able to obtain funding in
the amount of $4 million. They will still need to fund-raise the rest,
but we were so pleased to have obtained as much as we did for
this worthy cause.
Finally, thank you to everyone who called or wrote me during
the session. Your comments are important to me and help inform
my decisions as we consider the legislation that comes before us.
I look forward to continuing this exchange as we finish out this
year and anticipate the next session in 2013.