Letters to the Editor
From our weekly issue dated October 08
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About facts and figures
From Lloyd Putney
Cave Junction
When officials give us the facts and figures supporting taxing districts and
levies, they don’t give us the totals. I did some calculating regarding the money issues on the ballot.
As a resident of Illinois Valley, if the two law enforcement taxing districts (99-cents + $1.09) and the I.V. Fire District ($1.68) pass, I still will pay the current 58-cents for county government. A home assessed at $150,000 would cost $652 for county government plus county schools, RCC, and Oregon Dept. of Forestry assessments.
Those who live in the
city of Grants Pass (and own a home with the same assessed value), and if the sheriff’s taxing district I and the city police and fire levy pass, will pay $1.89 + 99-cents, which is $432 -- plus amounts for other city services and city schools.
I suggest that people look at their specific tax bills because they might find that their home is assessed at more than $150,000.
On another topic, I found an interesting statement on the sheriff’s office Website under the tab for the sheriff’s advisory council. It stated that member Diann Rhodes had to resign recently due to full-time employment commitments. I believe that she is the sheriff’s wife, using her maiden name. While not illegal, isn’t it a conflict of interest and a bit self-serving for the sheriff to appoint his wife to the advisory council charged with evaluating his performance and making recommendations for funding his department?
Does the sheriff’s wife always use her maiden name or just when she serves on her husband’s committee?
Debate control
From Crystal Griffin
Cave Junction
George Farah, executive director and founder of Open Debates is the author of No Debate: How the Republican and Democratic parties secretly control the presidential debates.
We used to have a fantastic, genuinely nonpartisan presidential debate sponsor: the League of Women Voters. From 1976 until 1984, the league hosted our most-important public forums, and made sure the debates served the public interest rather than the interest of any political party. And the league had the guts to stand up to the two major parties.
Four years later, the Walter Mondale and Ronald Reagan campaign actually vetoed 68 of the moderators that the league had proposed for the three debates. The league issued a scathing public press release castigating the candidates for abusing the process, and the Reagan and Mondale campaigns were forced to accept aggressive moderators. The parties did not like the fact that an uppity women’s organization, pro-democracy, was telling their boys who could participate in their debates and under what conditions.
In 1987 they created this private corporation called the Commission on Presidential Debates. Every four years, it awards absolute control to the Republican and Democrat parties over our political system. The co-chairmen of the commission are Frank Fahrenkopf and Paul Kirk. They have run the presidential debates for 20 years.
At the time they were the heads of the Republican and Democrat parties. Kirk has lobbied on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry, and Fahrenkopf is the nation’s leading gambling lobbyist; he is president of the American Gaming Association. These are the guys deciding who gets to participate in the most important political forums in the United States of America.
Keeping children safe
From Jessica Welcome
Cave Junction
The idea for creating the Crosswalk Safety Committee is to bring awareness of the possible dangers facing our children. We realize that in order to help make our crosswalks and roads safer for our children (seniors and everyone in-between), there needs to be more than the covering of a flag and a red light.
The drivers and the owners of the road systems must contribute (ODOT is currently helping), and must not overlook anything in order to see the “big picture.” Let’s start by looking at the drunken freight truck drivers who are driving through the very same intersection that we are helping to make safer.
Last week near Ashland another life was lost. A truck driver under the influence killed a fellow trucker as that trucker was inspecting his rig. Here’s a thought: maybe the state of Oregon should require truckers to have a clean drug test report before they can drive on our highways.
I believe the responsibility and requirements of anyone driving something that huge is greatly different than the everyday “go-to-town” driver.
Our Josephine County randomly conducts urine tests to ensure the quality of drivers of their big trucks. Who are the statewide freight drivers accountable to? Maybe we should have a random, or mandatory, drug test at our borders to ensure the quality of drivers before they can drive on our streets. Maybe if anyone was found dirty, the hiring company should be held more responsible and liable, not entirely the sick person behind the wheel.
I believe there is someone reading this who has the passion to see change for the better. It’s time for a change. I have my hands full, as does Patty Schalk, with her home and mission, to help make our crosswalks safer for the children, seniors and everyone in-between. It only takes the first step to get something started. Anyone feel like walking?
Take back the streets
From Dick Bradley
Cave Junction
Ever wonder why the local winos and drug users can do what they do in public? Read the following state statute and it will become clear. Is this something we want on the law books of this state? Those who say “No” can write or phone their state representative and let them know it’s not acceptable. Let’s take back the streets and our cities and give local law enforcement the necessary tools to deal with this ever-increasing problem.
ORS 430.325: Prohibitions on local governments as to certain crimes. (1) A political subdivision in this state shall not adopt or enforce any local law or regulation that makes any of the following an offense, a violation or the subject of criminal or civil penalties or sanctions of any kind:
(a) Public intoxication (b) Public drinking, except as to places where any consumption of alcoholic beverages is generally prohibited. (c) Drunk and disorderly conduct. (d) Vagrancy or other behavior that includes as one of its elements either drinking alcoholic beverages or using controlled substances in public, being an alcoholic or a drug-dependent person, or being found in specified places under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances. (e) Using or being under the influence of controlled substances. (2) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall affect any local law or regulation of any political subdivision in this state against driving while under the influence of intoxicants, as defined in ORS 813.010, or other similar offenses that involve the operation of motor vehicles. [1971 c.622 §3; 1973 c.795 §6; 1975 c.715 §1; 1977 c.745 §39;1983 c.338 §928]
Who will be president?
From Linda Corey-Woodward
Cave Junction
I have been observing and studying the candidates for president for considerably more than a year. It seems more like the longest presidential campaign in U.S. history. I have concluded the following and perhaps others have too.
Sen. John McCain looks like one angry man, a man who speaks with gritted teeth. He bristles with anger and impatience whenever faced with an obstacle to his goal -- to become the next president, no matter what. He lashes out with brittle sarcasm when criticized. He endlessly plays the tape saying that he is a patriot, a hero and a maverick who simply deserves to be president. I once believed and admired him. No more. Look at his track record and his friends.
Instead of choosing a seasoned political veteran to balance his ticket, he chose a pretty cheerleader type from Alaska. She seems to be window-dressing, someone to win over the “far right conservatives.” Are they fooled?
At first blush, Republicans fell in love with her, just liking the idea of her, not what she really is. Who she is likely to be, if elected vice president, is a mere puppet to the real powers-that-be in Washington, D.C. She won’t know who to trust and will trust the wrong people. She’ll make terrible mistakes because of her lack of skill, judgment and sense. This combination makes me uncomfortable and worried.
I look at the other presidential ticket and see Sen. Barack Obama, who first caught my attention with his stirring speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He appears to have learned much during the past four years. I see hope and enthusiasm, common sense, patience and political skill in him. He chose an elder statesman for a running mate.
I like the Biden and Obama combination because there is a balance of views, experience and approaches. He took a chance with Sen. Joe Biden, who could have overshadowed him. Biden was touted to be the attack dog for Obama, but so far he has remained temperate. He says all the right things, supports his running mate, and responds to attacks with poise. Where is Biden-the-pit-bull?
I looked again recently and began to see that Gov. Palin is the attack dog in this presidential race. Further, and unfortunately for McCain, she is turning voters toward Obama and Biden, with every public sentence she utters. How ironic.
Voters face a difficult choice on Nov. 4. Choose Obama, the young candidate for hope, for rebuilding America (which is in tatters on every level), for inclusiveness, and for not doing business as usual. Or voters can opt for McCain, who cannot be trusted because he changes course so often and who, with his burning anger and bitterness, is more likely to nuke Iran and any other country who rattles a spear at the U.S.
I worry that he and Palin will play politics as we have known it in Washington for years. In other words: no change, just more imperial presidency and more loss of our precious freedoms and democracy.
Never has a presidential election been more crucial, more important to our future course. One voice, one vote does matter, more so now than ever. Whatever one believes, they should consider the options and vote. It’s our right and duty.
(Editor’s Note: The writer, a correspondent for this newspaper, submitted the preceding as a private citizen, not as a representative of Illinois Valley News).
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