Letters to the Editor
(Editor’s Note: Views and commentary, including statements made as fact, are strictly those of the letter-writers.)
From our weekly issue dated November 12, 2008
Typed, double-spaced letters are considered for publication. Hand-written letters that are double-spaced and legible also can be considered. “Thank you” submissions are not accepted as letters
CCB overkill
From Doug Kendall
Cave Junction
As a design professional, working in and around the local building trades for 30 years, I am increasingly troubled by the recent influx of CCB (Construction Contractors Board) actions in our community.
I don’t think a statewide one-size-fits-all set of rules works for our rural, self-reliant community. There has not been a local public outcry of builder fraud, that I am aware of, to warrant the recent aggressive tactics of CCB here in the valley.
Although I firmly believe in sensible regulation of the homebuilding process, I am aware of local trades people now being abused. They have been investigated and heavily fined because they didn’t have the appropriate license for what they have been doing -- competently -- for years.
Even licensed builders have been forced to buy separate licenses to install windows and doors. Did you see in the article the list of trades now required to show a separate license? “This includes painting, roofing, carpentry, siding, plumbing, electrical, floor covering, concrete, window, insulation, manufactured dwelling installation, inspection services, heating and air conditioning, and most other construction and repair services.”
What next? How about a license to replace light bulbs? How much protection do we need from ourselves?
This is overkill, and it’s driving up prices and punishing low-income people in these increasingly hard economic times. It reminds me of the old saying: “If we didn’t have lawyers we wouldn’t need them.”
The CCB is a private organization hired by the state to regulate contractors. It received $1.1 million in 2007 to hire 12 new investigators and is additionally funded by licensing fees and the monies from fines levied in civil court actions. This is bad funding practice which encourages prosecution for the sake of prosecution.
The more they successfully prosecute, the more investigations they can conduct. They are driving our back roads following suspicious vehicles, looking for trouble and punishing low-income workers struggling to get by.
This level of “care” might be useful in urban areas where customers might be more vulnerable to unscrupulous rip-off. But here in Skin & Bones County, we will always have our thriving “handyman” network doing good work at reasonable rates. And they will always be self-regulated by good old “word of mouth.”
If you do good work, you get more jobs, if not, your negative reputation serves as a form of regulation.
A CCB license is not a guarantee of quality work anyway. I’ve seen examples of very shoddy work done by licensed contractors, and there are no guarantees that they know what they are doing. Anyone can buy a CCB license. They are not required to demonstrate competence in their trade; instead they are taught about all the ways they can be fined if they or someone else on the job is working without a license.
I think it would be a good idea for us to contact our state senator and representatives to express our dislike of the tactics of these heavy-handed government sponsored Thugs. Unfortunately many members of our state Legislature are themselves contractors who have initiated these stepped-up activities of their CCB.
If we didn’t have the “Contractor’s Control Board,” we wouldn’t need it.
What’s up?
From Harry Johnson
O’Brien
Through mid-November we’ll be blessed with a beautiful light show every night. The Taurid meteor shower, a weak but long-lasting shower, will be active. Taurid’s meteor showers are small, but we should see some spectacularly nice meteor streaks across our night sky. This is a swarm year, when the shower is predicted to be above average, so viewers should keep an eye out for fireballs.
Vista, the brightest asteroid, is about to go across our night sky. It’s easily visible with binoculars near the head of Cetus. Use a star finder chart for November to find it. Full moon will start Wednesday, Nov. 12.
A haunting success
From Darlene Anderson, chairman
I.V. High School Grad Night Committee
The Illinois Valley High School Senior Class Happy Haunting House at Jubilee Park Pavilion ended with squeals of delight when the proceeds were counted.
After welcoming visitors (real and ghoulish) nightly for a week prior to Halloween night, the seniors and parents were happy with the community’s overall support of their first-time endeavor. With the safety approval of I.V. Fire District’s Kamron Ismaili and Kris Sherman, our doors opened with a ribbon-cutting by Mayor Tony Paulson and IVHS Vice Principal Patty Dickens-Turk with Michelle Binker from I.V. News on hand for photos.
Parents of seniors, as well as younger students, put forth extra effort in the design and nightly characters needed to inhabit the Haunting.
The senior class requested prop donations from the community, and several people brought items that fit right in. The committee would like to make special note of those who were generous in helping in the following ways: city of Cave Junction for permission to use the pavilion and dining room for the entire week; Shirley Rusk for loaning her cotton candy machine, and Munchie’z for providing the popcorn machine. Karen Tyler and Dan Heiss went above and beyond in providing the necessary “coffins.”
Nancy Allan, Patrice Carlton, Sue Heiler and Judy Hatch helped keep the crowd under control and fill in where necessary to staff the rooms, and sell refreshments. The Haunting House contained 21 rooms that required nightly maintenance. Mitchell Thornton and Devon Larue, who served as characters in one room, were invaluable to the committee to keep things up and running safely.
The I.V. Senior Class, with parents and friends, appreciate the community members who participated in helping with the success of this fund-raiser to benefit the 2009 Graduating Class Grad Night Safe and Sober Party.
The committee will offer other fund-raisers throughout the year, and they will be announced.
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Accident scene
From Kim Dinkel
Grants Pass
On Oct. 28, my minor son was in a head-on collision on a curvy, narrow country road. Sheriff Gilbertson came and said in his report that both drivers admitted being in the center of the road.
No citations were issued. During the investigation, my son and the sheriff were pleasant until the end, when my son innocently asked the sheriff if he knew his aunt, Carol Dickson, a former deputy sheriff. Gilbertson said that he and she didn’t get along, and told my son he could leave.
Unknown to us, on Oct. 31 Carol Dickson sent an e-mail to the sheriff criticizing him about Cave Junction. Also unknown to us, on Nov. 5 the sheriff sent an angry e-mail back to her. On Nov. 6, the sheriff called my son and told him to meet him at the accident site. We went, and the sheriff was not friendly. He said the accident was still under investigation because of a new witness. The sheriff refused to tell me the name of the witness, and said my son probably was going to get a ticket.
He instructed my son to re-enact the accident in my car without putting out flares. Another car came around the corner and nearly rear-ended my son. The sheriff went onto the road to stop the car. I said I hoped this didn’t have to do with my sister-in-law, and he said he didn’t care about her and that I was being argumentative.
We have raised our boys to be polite and honest when dealing with authority and to accept responsibility for their actions. How do I now explain that the sheriff doesn’t have to do the same?
My husband and I have relatives in law enforcement, and we’ve never feared retaliation. Now we wait every day wondering if the sheriff is going to follow through on his threat.
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