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January 15, 2009 Opinions |
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—Editorial—
Mileage Tax Is Another State-Created Money Pit
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has proposed a new mileage tax, which is based on the miles driven per vehicle. This, he says, is the answer to funding transportation systems, which the current gas tax can no longer support due to Oregonians driving less, and more fuel-efficient vehicles.
A GPS-based tracking system would be attached to vehicles to monitor miles and when a car is gassed up, the GPS data would be read at the service station. A 1.2-cent per mile fee would then be tacked onto the cost of fuel purchased. The current gas tax would stay in force, but Kulongoski has proposed that it be raised 2 cents for vehicles not yet equipped with a GPS device to pay the mileage tax.
This idea sounds plausible in theory, but brings up several concerns:
In the interest of fairness, the State says it does not want to tax drivers for miles they put on their cars outside of the state, which is what they base the need for GPS devices on, rather than using a vehicle’s odometer to keep track. But what about people who drive on private property such as farmers and ranchers, and on logging roads where state money is not allocated for maintenance either? Will they be exempt from this type of road mileage they incur also?
As Oregonians become more energy/pollution conscious, which the need for has been touted for decades, if people pay the same amount in mileage tax for a fuel efficient Toyota Prius as they would a big one-ton dually pickup, what would be the incentive to drive more fuel efficient autos?
With mileage being taxed, will people be inclined to travel less therefore resulting in a reduction in the tourism market that local economies depend on?
Many are concerned that having their vehicles equipped with a government readable GPS device will be an invasion of privacy. If the GPS can keep track of both Oregon and non-Oregon miles and log them into a computer, then it stands to reason the government will know, if not where you are, everywhere you’ve been. Whether or not they chose to store/use this information, it sounds similar to the GPS monitoring devices given to high-risk parolees awaiting trial.
The mileage tax would also cause financial hardships to the already struggling auto industry, which would be mandated to install GPS equipment on all new vehicles resulting in the need for additional equipment, time and labor. Those increases would, as always, be passed on to the consumer. It’s estimated that the GPS system will add about $225 to the cost of a new car.
On the plus side, it’s true that vehicles, no matter what type of fuel economy they get, even hybrids and electric cars (to a lesser degree because they are lighter), cause wear and tear on the roads, and that is the main reason for the mileage tax — road maintenance. This does somewhat level out the playing field because everyone who drives — no matter what they drive — gets taxed the same.
But why not just raise the gas tax instead of creating yet another Oregon tax-funded money pit that they estimate will cost $20 million just to see if a mileage tax system would even be commercially viable? Where will the money come from for this in an already stressed State budget? And, if implemented, think of the cost to equip gas stations with the GPS reading devices, computers and perhaps extra staff needed to operate it.
Gas taxes are collected when the sale is made. There would be no further investment by drivers, gas stations or the State to implement an increase in gas taxes.
The big winners in the mileage tax proposal of course would be the GPS equipment manufacturers.
The mileage tax proposal appears to be too complicated, too invasive and too costly. (DS)
—Letters To The Editor—
Old Stories Wanted!
To The Record-Courier:
I would like information or fantasies of the old “Prune Orchard.” It was located east and above the old city dump, now Windmill Rd. I would guess it to be five acres. It was irrigated by a pump house on Smith ditch where the power line crossed the ditch.
I don’t think it was ever very successful and my memories were mostly of the skeletons of the rows of dead trees.
The years of the effort were in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Valley Ave. was the best access and the orchard, Smith ditch, Smith reservoir, the city dump and Coyote Peak was the play ground of the east side kids. What fond memories.
Remember when the KKK burned crosses on Coyote Peak? It was later the motor cycle trail up the north side of the hill. It still shows up just off the freeway.
We would like some information and stories to tell among us kids who are still around telling stories about the past. 523.3908.
Gilbert Jones
Baker City
Mental Health Board’s Dangerous Gamble
To The Record-Courier:
The Mountain Valley Mental Health board of directors is engaged in a dangerous gamble. It’s rolling the dice using assets of MVMH that it will win the lawsuit two former employees filed last June in Federal District Court alleging MVMH retaliated against them for whistleblowing.
Larry Levinger, former chairman of the board, claimed in a letter to the editor that the lawsuit is “frivolous.” His judgment of what’s frivolous isn’t very good. He predicted that the Bureau of Labor and Industries complaint filed by one of the employees would be thrown out. It wasn’t. After a thorough investigation, the BOLI investigator found “substantial evidence of an unlawful employment practice (retaliation) on the basis of protected whistleblower activity” by MVMH toward the former employee.
With that precedent, that’s exactly what a jury may find in the Federal lawsuit. Such a finding could lead to a multi-million dollar judgment against MVMH.
Now, that wouldn’t be all that disastrous, except for the fact that MVMH has no liability insurance. "We thought we had insurance," said Milo Pope, present chairman of the MVMH board of directors, at the January 7 Baker County Commission meeting. Pope acknowledged publicly for the first time that MVMH’s insurance carrier refuses to defend the private-nonprofit corporation in the whistleblower lawsuit. Pope didn’t explain why. And I bet the County hasn’t even asked.
It gets worse. Pope divulged that MVMH is engaged in a second lawsuit, one it is bringing against its insurance carrier.
MVMH is caught between a rock (a lawsuit) and a hard place (an insurance carrier that won’t cover legal expenses and costs of a judgment).
And then there’s the very sticky wicket that without insurance, every dollar paid out in legal fees is coming right out of money budgeted for service to MVMH clients. With its cash carry-over the last five years declining to almost nothing, that’s a double whammy to MVMH’s service budget.
At the January 7 meeting, I asked what is the amount paid so far to lawyers and what service cuts have been made to free up money to do so. “What good would it do to know?” asked Pope. And Baker County Commission Chair Fred Warner, Jr., indicated the County doesn’t need to know the amount because the County doesn’t “micro-manage” MVMH.
Yet it’s the County’s fiduciary duty as contractor to provide reasonable oversight of the contract. How can the County provide meaningful oversight, if it doesn’t know how taxpayer dollars obtained via the contract are being spent? Incredibly, the contract doesn’t even require that MVMH supply such financial information! Where’s the accountability? Where’s the transparency?
Nationally the country is suffering its worse recession in fifty years, due in large part to lack of oversight of the banking and investment industries by the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Federal Reserve and SEC dropped the ball. And we’re all suffering for it.
Similarly, Commissioners are dropping the ball by not wanting to know what mental health services are being cut to pay legal fees. And MVMH’s clients are likely to suffer reduced services as a result of Commissioners’ lax oversight of MVMH’s $1,000,000 operation.
So, who provides oversight of the Commissioners? You and me. The public can get involved by attending meetings of the Commissioner-appointed Mental Health Advisory Committee. Its next meeting will be 5:30 p.m., January 28, in the north meeting room at Baker School District 5J’s administrative building at 4th and Broadway.
Gary Dielman
Baker City
Know The Bible
To The Record-Courier:
I’m going to write about some things that will probably get me in trouble again with some church leaders as one of my letters did some time back, never the less, I must go the way I’m being led.
First questions. Where are the leaders and teachers that preach and speak the Word of Jesus on all subjects without compromising? Time is short and getting shorter every day. Every Bible teacher and believer should know exactly what I’m referring to. Jesus is coming soon folks! I believe He will come before my time is up. The Bible and the signs of things going on in our world now, today totally agree. Still, most of us are still sitting on our backsides inside the church walls thinking or taught it’s God’s job to send the unsaved to us, when He said quite plainly we are to go to them.
Pastors, wake us up to the truth! I think maybe we have it backwards. Maybe we’re not taught discipleship or maybe we’ve grown hard hearted? Jesus did teach inside the church, but most of His teaching was outside the walls. Jesus made statements about converts and disciples and the difference. (Converts are those who are saved, will probably make Heaven mostly by the skin of their teeth with nothing or very little to show for their faith). Now the disciples are the ones who make their faith known to others and lead them by the Word into the Kingdom of God. They are the ones that believe the Word, practice it, and pray it without any compromise. These are the ones God will say, “Well done good and faithful servant!”What will you say to Jesus when He asks what have you done with your Christian life/ What will He say to you? I’ve been told by some leaders that many Christian in Baker are satisfied where they are in their Christian walk, and don’t need or want more. I hope this is not true, for that is a Satanic trap and it will strangle your ability to learn or receive from God! God has much that He wants to give to you and me, plus to others through us. Pastors, if you are not a true disciple yourself and not teaching the ones God has put in your trust to be disciples and not just converts, I wonder what Jesus will say to you?: soul-saving is the most important part of the Gospel! Healing, deliverance, finance, all needs being met belong to us, but the saving of lost souls is much more important than any of these! Winter is here and it’s cold, good time for Pastors to be and teach those in your care to be soul winners now and in warmer weather, not only to teach but lead by being an example. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with Christianity, just the way some teach it.
Richard Fox
Baker City
Conspiracy
To The Record-Courier:
In the annotate (text) to provide the meaning of RS2477 Rights of Ways, with out details and the exhibits, the lands falling within the U.S. National Forest are divided, basically, in two types of uses, of “use of lands”, saleable v. leasable.
The first is public lands (public domain). These lands are not subject to the leasing and contracted agreements by federal agency rules and regulations. These are open lands by congressional grants such as the 1872 general mining laws, and RS2477 uses of egress-ingress to these open lands, (saleable surface resources).
The second called units of system lands in which are segregated lands from public lands in which all surface and subsurface resources, including base and precious metals are subjected to leasing and contracted agreements; i.e. dominance and influence, and the egress-ingress to these reserved lands are the subject to acquired controversy in disputes by Federal agents to the accesses over these segregated lands as to the issue of U.S. congressional grants. Conflicts? Did congress intend to include these reserved lands from the RS2477 grants and across private lands as well (pre 1976 act).
What and where are these reserved lands, as units and withdrawals located? In system lands.
The recreational lands such as Union Camp Grounds, and Mason Dam-Phillips Lake area as reserved lands, set aside by congress as part of the units of system lands. Other reserved lands such as acquired lands, under the Week’s Act (1911) and various lands, as acquired, that were lumped together under the Materials Act of 1947 were in the 1976 Act called Forest Service system lands as various units within the national forest lands as reserved lands.
The catchall as to the acquired lands status are just where are these acquired lands, thru the various exchanges, land swaps, etc., and what, where and if leasable to minerals, that may commingle with lands open, public domain (public lands) to the 1872 general mining laws, to location laws by the citizens (free and open) that may, without restrictions, enter and locate, via upon discovery of valuable minerals that give full enjoyment and exclusive possessory rights with in the lines of their mining claims?
Any where in between where the units of system lands are located, the conflicts arising over status to egress-ingress, as a non-discretionary, non-exclusive uses of RS2477 ways, as grants by congress, would indicate that RS2477 Rights of Ways cannot preclude/denial, to enter adjoining units of system lands that adjoin the public domain (public lands) that are contained within the U.S. National Forests Lands as to the phrasing of “out to in”-”into out” of these various units of acquired lands and lands of public domain (public land status) as “in and out” of these various units of system lands.
No doubt, the USFS, via chief of forestry has the responsibility to administer these units of acquired lands and the locations of where these units exist, as reserved but not to preclude the rights of citizens to enter “free and open” that all the citizens of the U.S. has a preemptive RS2477 uses to egress-ingress federal lands to this statutory claim via sovereign immunity of any liability against suits in common interest and public trust.
In this respect the U.S. Forest Service would be like trying to swallow a big mac in one bite, as units of the acquired system lands are like a phantom land status as to what’s leasable minerals? And what is not by subscription?
As enlightenment, MOU’s are none binding to agreements between F.S. and BLM, a double edge sword? What’s interesting, how will this conspiracy coincide with the state’s land uses compatibility statements (LUCS) to federally and state lands as a unified (unitary) combined, as one state (status) government? Germany 1933?
Bruce Parke
Sumpter
Miners Contribute To The Benefit Of The Community
To The Record-Courier:
This letter is in response to a recent article published in the Baker City Herald by Jane Danowitz, director of the Pew Environmental Group. It is typical propaganda piece put forth by environmental groups to convince congress bureaucrats and the public to put all lands under strict environmental control.
They have succeeded to the point that all our basic industries have been seriously damaged. This is the main reason our economy is heading toward total collapse. The basic industries that harvest and recover the resources of the earth are the foundation of all economies.
Miss Danowitz depicts the mineral industries as a group of multinational companies that rape and pillage the land at no benefit to anyone except themselves. Oregon doesn’t have this problem, because it ran all the major mining companies off in 1992, when our DEQ issued regulations so wrong no company could meet them.
The neighboring State of Nevada is a little more realistic in its regulations and mining companies working there have contributed to jobs, taxes and benefits to the state that equal the gaming industry for many years. The only miners in Oregon are a few stubborn old timers, who are willing to fight the bureaucratic red tape and regulators of the Forest Service, BLM, DOGAMI, DEQ and MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) to try and find a little gold.
Even the small miners contribute to the benefit of our economy. There are about 200 small mines in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and more on BLM. About 1/2 of these are part time operators that contribute as tourists, as much as, gold producers. That leaves about 100 mine operators that work their claims from spring to freeze up.
If these 100 mines produce one ounce of gold per working day, it would add $80,000 of new wealth to our working area. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that when raw mineral is concentrated, refined and processed into workable form and manufactured into saleable items, the value is increased 30 to 60 times, which benefits the economy. Thus, locally produced gold would add $80,000 x 40 times to equal $3,200,000, to the overall economy of our Nation every working day.
If Oregon DEQ’s chemicals in mining regulations were revised similar to that which protects Nevada citizens, Oregon would soon multiply our gold producing jobs, taxes and benefits to our State. The 1872 Mining Law is not just for large companies, it allows every citizen the right to prospect and file and claim on unappropriated public land. So those environmentalists, who think miners are getting rich at their expense, can also go prospecting, file a claim, do their assessment then buy some equipment, a backhoe, small dozer, tommel, dump truck, pumps, hoses, generator and whatever incidental equipment the mine property might require to work and hope that there will be enough rewards to pay for all their fuel and operation costs. The odds in mining are like playing a slot machine, many losers, a few teasers that break even and the jackpots that pay off are far and few between.
Mining is the world’s most vital industry. No other business or industry can operate without using minerals! I challenge any environmentalist to name one material thing that could be made available to them without using minerals directly or indirectly.
The policies laws and regulations we now have brought on our economic troubles and if, as you hope our new Congress expands our restriction on use of our land, they will hurry the downfall and create a death sentence for our country and many of our citizens. The only thing that might have a chance to save our country would be if Congress declared a moratorium on all regulations that restrict production and give our citizens the freedom to produce the things on their own.
If Congress can’t face that, I guess we can all sit out in our backyard gardens and look at our beautiful mountains, while we slowly starve to death.
Kenneth Anderson
Retired Mining Geologist/ Engineer
Baker City
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