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The Mid-county Memo is your newspaper, and we want to hear from you. Discuss an important issue or address a concern you want to call the community’s attention to. Please include a name, address, and phone number. We prefer e-mailed letters to the editor sent to Dawn Widler, Department Editor at editor@midcountymemo.com. Please put “letter to the ed” in the subject line. You may also mail complete information to 4052 N.E. 22nd Ave., Portland, OR, 97212-1503. The Letters to the Editor represent the views of the letter writer, not necessarily shared by the Mid-county Memo staff.

Thank you volunteers
Dear Editor:
Harrah for volunteers! We’ve had a beautiful summer at Knott Park because of a hard working group of volunteers. I want to take this opportunity to thank and salute each and every one of you. The hours you have logged in with weeding, planting, picking up debris, painting abused picnic tables, cleaning graffiti, walking patrols or directing traffic are appreciated so much!

Also we must not forget the great “National Night Out Against Crime.” It was all put together by volunteers with more time and money than they care to admit. Success was the reward! We had wonderful music by a talented Parkrose High School group, “The Blue Plate Special”. It was attended by several hundred neighbors and friends. Mayor Vera Katz stopped by, as well as Art Hendricks and Roseanne Lee from the Crime Prevention Office. Portland police officers dropped by and even Mcgruff the crime fighter himself was present.

Thank you volunteers for a great job!

Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors invites you to join us at a Board or General meeting the third and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Please check the Memo for time and place throughout the school year. We hope to have your participation.

Thank you,

Doris R. Larson, Parks
Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors



A word from a leader
Dear Neighbors,
Now that the legislature has concluded its most recent special session, after a record-breaking 17 days, I want to take a moment to provide an update on what happened in Salem.

First off, let me say that I felt that a fair and responsible solution to the $482 million shortfall would have been to include some new and replacement revenues. And, in calls and emails, most of you articulated support for a reconciliation package made up of a reasonable combination of options.

Throughout the process, I was continually frustrated by the fact that the majority leadership and their members promoted only options that would have either cut $482 million in programs or bonded all of it. At one point House Republicans passed a bill that would have borrowed a total of $400 million, which would have cost the state nearly $600 million after repayment. The remaining $82 million was to have been made up in cuts. Fortunately, the Senate did not approve this costly “borrow from Peter to pay Paul” scheme.

As you may know, I have always maintained that some programs and services are too important and vital to cut further and that we should fund them with real dollars as best we can. Pay as we go, if you will. I feel it is one thing to bond for new projects, infrastructure and construction, but it is another thing to borrow to help pay for vital services.

Eventually, the majority party was persuaded to consider new revenue. With the Republicans overwhelming disapproval, however, the straight-up vote for approving replacement revenues was shot down. I voted yes on this measure because I feel that as a legislator it is my responsibility to do what is right for the state. I was sent to Salem to make the difficult and maybe even unpopular decisions in the pursuit of sound and fiscally responsible public policy.

It is unfortunate the best the legislature could muster, due largely to its current make-up, was a half-hearted referral to the citizens of Oregon to temporarily raise income taxes to help us weather this funding crisis. I voted no on the referral partly in protest but mostly because I feel that referrals such as this are a shirking of legislative responsibilities.

The final package, which passed in the late hours last Tuesday night, [Sept. 17] included the referral of a $315 tax increase on individuals and corporations, $47.5 million in permanent cuts, and $150 million of borrowing against future tobacco settlement revenues. On the House-side, my colleagues and I in the minority were successful in including an additional $50 million to offset previous cuts to schools, but that was stripped from the package when the bill went to the Senate.

What was especially frustrating was that while many important programs were deeply cut, including early childhood education, mental health and substance abuse treatment and higher education engineering programs, the majority party saw fit to pass an inheritance tax break that will help only the wealthiest 3% of Oregon taxpayers. During flush times, this maneuver might have gone largely unnoticed and would not have affected the budget much, regardless of the injustice and insult. However, during this time of revenue crisis, this grossly irresponsible maneuver that will benefit a scant few would cost the state $5 million this year alone and much more in the years to come. Fortunately, the governor plans to veto this bill.

While I did not support sending the tax increase to the voters to decide, I will support the measure and campaign for its passage in a January 28th, 2003 special election. The impact on our schools, public safety and services for vulnerable Oregonians would be devastating if this referral fails. Its passage will provide some temporary stability. What needs to happen, for long-term stability, is a thoughtful re-evaluation and restructuring of our tax system. In addition, we should develop and find a way to fund a financial safety net to help us weather future economic downturns. I plan to focus efforts during the next regular session on these goals.

Thank you for allowing me to share my insights and perspectives on this most recent special session. I realize this letter was lengthy, but there was a lot to cover. And thank you to those who took the time to share your thoughts on the matters at hand. As always, you are encouraged to contact me with your questions, comments or concerns. I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Jackie Dingfelder
State Representative, House District 45
District Office: 503-493-2804

[Editor’s Note: Jackie Dingfelder has been an Oregon State Representative since April of 2001. She served the constituents of Northeast Portland’s House District 19 during the last half of the regular session and during the first half of the interim.

Since January of this year, after the redistricting plan became finalized, she’s been representing the folks who live in the newly formed House District 45, which includes the City of Maywood Park, the Parkrose and Argay Neighborhoods and roughly half of the Parkrose School District.

House District 45 follows I-84 West and South to 33rd Avenue and then bisects much of inner Northeast Portland back out to I-205 and Columbia Boulevard.]
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