The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

To the Editor:

First I want to thank Thomas Womack for his great letter last week in regard to Gutenberg College and its great opportunities for Sisters.

I know several of the councilors want to concentrate mainly on the empty storefronts in the city's core. I'd like to consider the benefit of the college moving here from that point of view. This college is an opportunity to help because, before the college even opens, there will be some internal changes necessary to the building requiring the expertise and labor of many of our local construction personnel and also the purchase of various structure materials, supplies, appliances, etc.

Bringing in faculty/administrators and students to Sisters is the second great start. Many of them have families and will need to purchase or rent homes or apartments. Most of the college students will have some amount of discretionary spending money. This beginning of student and administrators moving to Sisters should help every restaurant, store, gift shop, the various weekend bazaars, movie theatre, concerts, athletic club, volunteer needs and opportunities, etc.

The college expects to add more students in the coming years as the recession begins to soften. This kind of growth as the college continues to expand should cause other companies to consider moving to Sisters, combining the reputation of Sisters itself, our great schools, our many talented citizens available for employment, and now also having a four-year college.

All of the above, in my opinion, will combine to be what truly excites entrepreneurs and creates a strong interest in opening a business in Sisters. The additional activity will be a major part of the recovery over time and begin to fill any empty storefronts.

This college is an excellent addition to our city and should be welcomed by all! I'm hopeful that the city council and planning commission will present a united front in support of this incredible opportunity for Sisters. Please also show your support by attending the planning commission meeting this Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. Yes, it's that important!

Virginia Lindsey

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To the Editor:

I do not know the whole facts of this situation but every time I or someone I know travels this section of Oregon's roadways the question irritatingly comes up.

This is not just during bad weather but whenever there is traffic (every weekend), closure due to accident or weather or roadwork.

This is a major cross-state highway, not a back-country two-lane road with minimal traffic.

In traveling a highway that should be five lanes wide all the way from Salem to Bend, how many people must die before the road gets widened? Yes, accidents happen, but if there were adequate roadways and passing lanes motorists would not get backed up and frustrated and would be traveling at normal speeds, not risking their lives and others just to get from one place to the other.

Colleen Rasmussen

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To the Editor

I just read the article about Cristina Martinez ("For ailing girl, Sisters is happiest place," The Nugget, February 19, page 1).

Every day I am blessed to live in the community of Sisters, this just proves my point more and more. What an amazing bunch of people we have in our community to do this for this amazing young lady.

I am so very proud of the family we have in Sisters.

Shannon Chesney

s s s

To The Editor

I am often asked "what caused the current recession and how long will it last?"

The implosion of the sub-prime mortgage market through corporate greed, irresponsible banking practices and the reduction of bank regulations caused the recession. It is my estimation that America will feel the effects at least through 2020.

America's economy consists of three primary and interrelated components: consumer spending represents 70 percent, business spending is 20 percent and government spending is 10 percent of America's output. Clearly we are a consumer-based economy, and yet consumer confidence is the lowest since 1967. If consumers reduce spending and business is hesitant to hire more labor, which furthers the problem, this results in the current standoff between consumers and business. Presently, corporations are hoarding cash and not investing or hiring labor.

Government is the third but least effective component of our economic structure. It can readily borrow to stimulate the economy, which flies in the face of America's intent to reduce the national deficit and resulting debt, which is approaching $15 trillion. However, my suspicion is that the debt will increase to stimulate the economy and attempt to offset the stalemate between business and consumers.

Will international investors such as China continue to fund America's debt? Absolutely, because as our economy grows so does the international economy because we are the largest consumer of world goods and services.

William A. MacPhee, Ph.D.-Finance