Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 2012)
The INDEPENDENT, July 5, 2012 Page 5 Wauna and SHCFCU explore merger Timber restoration boosts jobs The boards of directors for both Wauna Federal Credit Union and St Helens Commu- nity Federal Credit Union have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to explore the benefits associated with merging the two credit unions. “Officials from both organi- zations are committed to do what is right for their member- ship and the communities they serve,” said Robert Blumberg, CEO and President of Wauna Federal Credit Union, “Key fac- tors to these discussions in- clude the impact that the econ- omy and competition has for credit unions of our asset size, plus both credit unions share a common heritage and serve lo- cal communities. A merger would produce greater efficien- cies, support needed technolo- gy advancements, and joining forces would create an even stronger and local organization with roots to the members and communities it serves.” Lea Chitwood, Chairperson for the SHCFCU board of direc- tors, also stressed the impor- tance for members and the public to understand that a merger such as this is com- pletely different than mergers between the mega-banks, “Their reason to merge is to generate more profits and with no consideration to their cus- tomers. When credit unions merge, it is the membership that benefits because we are not-for-profit. Any monetary considerations from a credit union merger go directly to the members in the form of better savings and loan rates, and the opportunity to provide more services.” Added Blumberg, “It’s impor- tant to understand that at this time our merger discussions between the two credit unions are completely exploratory. If these discussions prove mutu- ally beneficial, then we will ad- vance to the next stage in what is a very formal process re- quired by the National Credit Union Administration, an inde- pendent agency of the federal government.” “If the discussions suggest there are no benefits to a merg- er, both credit unions will con- tinue business as usual,” added Chitwood. According to Chitwood and Blumberg, the employees and officials of both Credit Unions have been informed of the dis- cussions, and both credit unions will keep their members informed of any new develop- ments. Top 10 DOJ consumer complaints told From page 4 calls. The increase in com- plaints is largely due to a group calling itself “Card Services,” that uses a prerecorded mes- sage claiming it can help re- duce credit card interest rates. Since 2009 almost any tele- marketing call delivering a pre- recorded message has been il- legal. In addition to violating the rule against prerecorded mes- sages, “Card Services” neither displays the true number from which it is calling nor adheres to the national “Do Not Call List,” routinely contacting regis- tered Oregonians. Of the 1,341 telemarketing complaints 1,285 claimed a violation of the “Do Not Call List.” The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) re- ceived an additional 40,141 complaints from Oregonians regarding “Do Not Call List” vi- olations, up from 23,000 com- plaints in 2010. The FTC has filed several lawsuits against Card Services and more are expected. For more information or to file a complaint, please call 1-888-382-1222 or visit www.donotcall.gov. Most legiti- mate telemarketing firms do not contact people registered with the “Do Not Call List.” Anyone can register up to 5 phone numbers for the “Do Not Call List” at www.donotcall.gov. Telecommunications – His- torically, complaints about the telecommunications and finan- cial services industries have been first and second on the Top Ten Consumer Complaint List. The typical complaint al- leges routine bill miscalcula- tion; inaccurate representa- tions of services and products; and illegitimate bill collection attempts. In 2011, 1,187 com- plaints regarding telecommuni- cations were filed with the De- partment, with satellite TV providers receiving the majority of complaints, followed by cel- lular service providers and in- ternet service providers. International Money Trans- fer Scams – Last year Oregoni- ans reported losing $1,016,583 due to international money scams. Many, if not most, Ore- gonians who fall victim to these scams do not contact the Ore- gon Department of Justice so it’s likely that the 908 com- plaints received only hint at the problem. International money scams often include: • Offers that are too good to be true (be aware of items ad- vertised at massively reduced price tags on Craigslist and other internet sites). • Phone calls/emails claim- ing to be from friends or family stranded in an emergency cir- cumstance needing money wired immediately. • “Debt collection” calls claiming law enforcement per- sonnel will take action immedi- ately if money is not immedi- ately paid for what turns out to be fake or illegitimate debt. • Lottery, vacation and other prize offers that request money to be paid prior to redemption. • Notification of a large in- heritance from a recently de- ceased – and until then un- known – relative that requires the sharing of sensitive finan- cial information (such as bank account numbers) or a pay- ment upfront to cover the cost of taxes or other fees. • Requests to make pay- ments through money wire transfers or Green Dot credit cards. Home Ownership Issues – Complaints about homeowner- ship issues fell slightly to 832 from 1,002 the previous year. Oregon is one of 49 states, in- cluding New York and Califor- nia, that signed on to an agree- ment with the nation’s five largest banks that will provide roughly $25 billion in relief to resolve a multistate investiga- tion of fraudulent and flawed foreclosure practices. The most up-to-date infor- mation about the settlement and homeowner eligibility is available at the official website: www.nationalforeclosuresettle- ment.com. However, Oregoni- ans who believe they may be eligible for relief under this set- tlement are encouraged to sign up at www.oregonattorneygen eral.gov/homeowners. by Chris Thomas, Oregon News Service On Wednesday, a group of Oregon loggers and conserva- tionists got a firsthand look at a federal forest where timber is harvested without legal battles, and the environment is thriving, too. They toured sites in the Siuslaw National Forest, where what is now known as “restora- tive” forest management began as an experiment 20 years ago. Jim Furnish, who led the field trip, was the Siuslaw For- est supervisor at the time. He says there were plenty of skep- tics when they started selec- tively thinning areas that had been clear-cut and replanted, with a goal of producing old- growth trees for the future, as well as a reliable timber har- vest, “Now, we have an endur- ing, sustainable, resolute mod- el on the Siuslaw, that gener- ates a lot of timber; it generates a lot of revenue. It generates good fish and wildlife habitat. I would argue it’s a great exam- ple of restoration forestry.” Furnish went on to become a deputy chief of the U.S. For- est Service, and has since re- tired. He points out that the Siuslaw is still managed for restoration, and hasn’t had its timber harvests challenged by conservation groups in more than a decade. A new report, “Ecologically Appropriate Restoration Thin- ning in the Northwest Forest Plan Area,” estimates there’s enough timber thinning and restoration work to be done in western Oregon forests to keep crews busy for 20 years, with- out the controversy that comes from logging older trees. Re- port author Andy Kerr, with the Larch Company, says this ap- proach would mean 44 percent more federal timber volume go- ing to local mills, “This addition- al increment of volume in the report would equate to 2,700 new timber jobs in logging and hauling and milling, and related jobs. So, there’s a way to cre- ate jobs in an environmentally- friendly manner – we ought to be doing it.” The report was released jointly by Conservation North- west, the Geos Institute, the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, and Oregon Wild. And the latest harvest fig- ures from the Bureau of Land Management show on its turf in western Oregon, more federal timber is being sold in some ar- eas than their district targets under the Northwest Forest Plan. Kerr, a longtime Oregon conservationist, says it’s proof that the plan is working, despite some timber industry claims that it doesn’t allow them to cut enough trees.