Illinois Valley News

(Editor“s Note: Views and commentary, including statements made as fact, are strictly those of the letter-writers.)

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.

Health coverage anxiety
From Anita Savio
O“Brien

Recently I had a difficult and sad conversation with my sister-in-law. A little more than two months ago my 20-year-old niece, her daughter, committed suicide through an overdose of drugs.

We had thought the death might have been accidental. But the medical examiner“s report, issued this week, concluded “ based on the sheer quantity of drugs in her system “ that the overdose had indeed been intentional.

Why did she choose to kill herself“ After seven psychiatric hospital admissions during the previous year and a half, my niece seemed to have stabilized, and was in the process of getting back on her feet. Among other positive steps, she had been planning to start community college the following week. She had wanted to start with just one, or at the most, two courses. Despite having a brilliant intellect, she was emotionally fragile.

But she would have lost coverage under her parent“s health insurance if she maintained less than a full-time college schedule. The medications and psychiatric visits that coverage paid for were essential to my niece, so she reluctantly signed up for the five courses required of a full-time student.

Was the stress of starting as a full-time student one of the factors that led to her taking her life“ Of course we will never know. But we could not help thinking of last week“s passage of the landmark health-care reform bill, which allows young people to stay on their parent“s insurance until age 26, and would have allowed my niece to keep her coverage, while taking only the one or two courses she felt capable of handling.

Perhaps, had the health-care reform been approved just two months and a half months sooner, my niece would be alive today.

Is Simon Hare “the guy““
From Linda J. Naydol
Cave Junction

The commissioner candidates forum in Cave Junction Thursday, March 25, was enlightening.

Simon Hare says we should run our county finances the same way Douglas County and Jackson County run theirs. Simon says those counties are a model of fiscal responsibility that we should follow.

What Simon doesn“t say is that Douglas County people pay twice the county property tax rate that people in Josephine County pay, and Douglas County is in dire financial shape. And Jackson County“ Simon doesn“t tell you that those people pay four times the county property tax we pay.

A moment later Simon said that we don“t need to raise county property taxes to pay for services. But Simon says we should do what Douglas and Jackson counties are doing. Thanks to Simon, I finally understand what “talking out of both sides of your mouth“ really means.

Simon says that he has not lived here since he was in high school. He doesn“t know the issues or the people, has never managed anything remotely close to a $105 million budget, has never managed employees and especially not 400 of them. He has never done much of anything except work as a small cog in a big lobbyist organization.

Is this the guy we should hire to run our county“ I say, no thanks.

Hare has know-how
From Mark Dickson
Cave Junction

Currently we have a dysfunctional commission of two against one. I don“t want to go through another two years of Dave against Sandi nor, heaven forbid, Jack or Dale and Sandi against Dwight. Radical zealots will only exacerbate an already unacceptable situation.

In 2005 the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture banned canola from the Willamette Valley because it“s a noxious weed. Canola is grown in Canada where the weather conditions are conducive and there is sufficient farmland to cultivate it.

Introducing Canola in Josephine County will only produce another agricultural fiasco on a par with Russian Knapweed. That is not the solution to our community economic shortfalls.

What we do need is a commissioner by the name of Simon Hare who has far more experience doing exactly what we need in Josephine County. Born and raised here, Simon knows our history and problems and he has the management/legislative experience to pull Josephine County out of the current fiscal sinkhole. Simon has worked across the United States bringing rural communities together for their economic well-being through rural electric cooperatives.

Simon knows we have to change our county“s anti-business reputation, but in order to bring economic prosperity back to levels once enjoyed, we also have to go back to doing what made us prosperous in the first place. We have to responsibly harvest our most valuable renewable natural resource “ our trees.

Simon will fight tooth and nail to bring responsible timber harvesting back to Southern Oregon. I will vote Simon Hare for Commissioner Position 1.

Facts from “horse“s mouth“
From Jack Alan Brown Jr.
Grants Pass

There was One Who said long ago that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. I want to thank Anna Stewart for trying to put her words in my mouth with her letter to the editor (Illinois Valley News) published March 31.

When she warned everyone with a view that anyone wishing to build a five-story house to block that view would obtain my approval when the issue was appealed to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners, she displayed a misunderstanding of what land-use planning and zoning prevents, and what is appealed to that judicial setting.

How many of your neighbors could afford to do this“ When she warned that I would approve 100 pig farms next door to you, she is certainly stretching her imagination to the limits.

She does have one thing right, though; a commissioner“s job is every bit as much that of a judge as that of a manager. Do you want a judge who thinks someone else can tell you what to do with your property when you want your kids to have homes near you as you grow old, or when you need to sell off part of what you bought to carry you through your old age“

Or do you want a judge who recognizes who paid for and owns that land“ In other words, there is no such thing as total impartiality. Which way do you want the bias“

I“ll defend anyone“s right to use their property as they wish as long as it doesn“t cause a health hazard to the neighbors, and that is the context for what I said. Any brief newspaper article is going to leave something out of what a candidate says in an extended speech followed by numerous questions.

If something you hear second hand raises your eyebrows, phone the candidate and get it straight from the horse“s mouth.

Toler not taxin“
From Patty Dalegowski
O“Brien

The commissioners candidate forum last Thursday was informative and revealing. It was good to get a feeling for what each candidate stands for. Most of the candidates were likable and reasonable though a couple were very unpleasant and relied heavily on personal attacks.

That type of behavior is an instant turn-off for me. After listening to the candidates I have decided to give my vote to Dave Toler. He has served our community well for years as a school district board member and as a county commissioner. As a longtime resident of Illinois Valley I especially appreciate his efforts to successfully re-open our libraries and to provide a much-needed increased police presence in the valley.

Toler also has been instrumental in bringing money and jobs to the county, as well as upgrading the bond rating for Josephine County from A- to A+ which enabled refinancing of the jail bond, saving taxpayers more than $800,000.

In response to those who refer to Toler as “Taxin“ Toler,“ be aware that Simon Hare believes we can solve our budget woes by emulating Douglas and Jackson counties, both of which have a budget excess. They have this excess because they pay twice as many taxes in Douglas County and four times as many in Jackson County as we do, so perhaps that taxin“ word should be applied to someone else. Toler has actually saved us money, as mentioned above.

Since Toler assumed office our county has gone in the right direction. We have open libraries which no county should be without. What business owner would want to move his or her family to a county without libraries“ We have increased police protection. Life is better.

Toler has worked hard for us. He is intelligent, forward-thinking and personable. I hope that people will join me in re-electing Toler.

Important decisions
From Janett Patrick
Grants Pass

The families of Josephine County have been successful stewards of the land for several generations.

The best way to preserve the agricultural heritage of Josephine County is to uphold private property rights and that individual land owners are the most qualified to determine the highest and best uses of private property.

Josephine County commissioners need to do everything within their power to sustain private property rights and let the land owners manage their own resources.

In the coming 2010 election, it has never been more important that you also be one of those who will vote to stop the drag of our county and country farther down the road to financial and cultural ruin from the socialist influence.

When real decisions have to be made, and real policies need to be implemented, Jack Brown will honestly and sincerely represent the people of Josephine County. My vote will be for Jack Brown for county commissioner.

“County needs Toler“
From Kelly Hardisty-Waldin
Cave Junction

We sat through the candidates forum, sometimes grinding our teeth a little, and rolling our eyes a lot.

If our sheriff hadn“t been there, several candidates might have been hit by cream pies. How can people run for county commissioner without doing their homework“

Dave Toler was the only one who could be counted on to know what he was talking about. He cleared up confusion in statements by other candidates, and was polite about it.

He ignored verbal attacks, and refused to be baited. He used his time to explain how county government actually works.

Our county might still have some problems, but it would be in much worse shape without him.

Candidates; board idea
From Guenter Ambron
Kerby

The candidates forum held in Cave Junction on March 25 was, I believe, very successful and informative. It was at times quite entertaining with the range of issues, background and the personalities of the candidates.

I got a good sense of their qualifications for the job. A big thanks to Illinois Valley News and I.V. Chamber of Commerce for a great job hosting the forum.

I was looking back at the 2008 Primary where we had I.V. News, I.V. Community Media & Education, and the First Steps Group sponsoring the forum in CJ with 14 commissioner candidates for two seats. It was quite a feat; it flowed well although the candidates didn“t like the format. They had to deal more with knowledgeable questions from the audience rather than making campaign speeches.

A point that I would like to make is that in its current state, the three-member board of county commissioners is a top-ranking, highly skilled management position. It is also infused with a great deal of politics, cynicism, lobbying for special interests, the management of land, and land-use issues. There is also an array of vital services to oversee for the people, and the list goes on.

This is a lot of work for a three-member board, and one commissioner may not talk about issues with another without holding an open meeting session (a state regulation).

Jill Talise and I have been attending commission meetings on an average of three a month for almost three years. Dwight Ellis and Dave Toler have been shouldering the brunt of the work and providing their leadership skills. Despite their political affiliations they have bridged the gap and worked effectively as a team.

Also in July 2011 there will be the loss of the O&C bail-out money that supports the sheriff“s office and other services.

With Dave Toler as commissioner we have the best chance of meeting the needs and expand the effectiveness and efficiency of our county government. We have been through enough already. We need to consider expanding our democratic processes and representation.

A five- or seven-member board would represent citizens, businesses and land owners much better and allow those best qualified to work on administration and management to focus on those jobs. I will be working with I.V. Community Media & Education to expand dialog about ideas on a better structure to support our county. If you have ideas to help with this project phone 541-592-4695.

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