Letters, letters, letters

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.

To the Editor:

I am dismayed, disappointed and disgusted with the failure of the Oregon Legislature to deal with the budget crisis.

Over-simplified, the problem has been created by several factors:

1. Legislative failure to build cash reserves in good times through passage of the "kicker" law.

2. Property tax relief law created by citizen referendum.

3. Massive declines in forestry revenue due to sagging timber production.

There are three possible solutions to the problem:

1. Trim the state budget to fit current revenues.

2. Institute a sales tax.

3. Raise the income tax on a temporary basis through modification of the current "kicker" law to fund state government in times of shortfall as well as refund during budget surplus.

My old pappy used to say, "There comes a time when you have to pick up the tail and look the situation in the face." We are in such a place.

I think the majority of Oregonians agree that further cuts of an already underfunded state budget would border on social irresponsibility and foolhardiness.

It is perhaps possible to sell a small sales tax to the voting public if it contains guaranties of usage.

The most palatable and the most politically feasible solution is to modify the existing "kicker" law to temporarily raise income tax during downturns such as we currently face.

I urge our legislators to set aside political agendas and truly represent the people of this state. Only good can come from it.

Mike Hinds

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To the Editor:

I apologize that Jackie Abslag had to witness an injured deer meet its maker. She herself stated that the deer was bleeding, and for it to be in town, with men in camo hot on its heels, is no coincidence.

Bless their hearts for tracking and putting that poor thing out of its misery and not waiting for the "authorities" to file the right permits and paperwork.

Who knows what happened. Most hunters have ethics and the sport of it is to "hunt."

Speaking of deer, I would love it if someone would open up a doe season for young hunters. With unemployment on the rise, and so many families in need, it would be nice to see that meat in someone's freezer instead of "napping" on the highway.

I've clipped off three deer myself with my car. These are not deer wandering their designated "deer migration area" -- no, no, these are wandering main streets and highways.

Sure they are lovely creatures and all, but they are like flies on poop. I'd prefer them not on my deck and in my garage, but I choose to live in Central Oregon and hence have great car insurance for the next "victim."

Rebecca Aylor

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To the Editor:

In response to last week's letter regarding the hunters in town:

Attention to all hunters in camo... You are welcome at any time to camp on my front deck, being assured that by dusk numerous flower and blue spruce eating deer will appear.

Beer and pretzels will be served while you wait. A grand prize will be awarded to the marksman who sticks the deer while (it is) drinking out of my pool.

I will gladly gut the deer for you as it does not make me sick to my stomach.

Dude Aylor

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To the Editor:

It was so good to hear from Michele Williams that "our" dog, "Buddy," is alive and well! He arrived here months ago and camped at our place. He was very skittish and we felt he had been abandoned or was lost.

Relatives saw him drinking from nearby creeks out on Highway 20.

We thought he would cause an accident or get killed so we phoned the sheriff's office. They said if we couldn't get close to him, neither could they.

Shortly after, he came limping in with a broken leg so we felt he had been hit by a car. He spent much of his days in the woods, nursing his leg. I put out food for him and he drank water from our deck. When he didn't know we were looking, he came up on the porch in search of food. At that point he would have been very easy to trap.

The rodeo approached and we didn't see how he could escape disaster on the highway. We joked about getting a cowboy to come, rope him and take him to the vet or animal shelter. Somehow he escaped and was back, barking at deer in the field. One evening he danced around on his hind feet until he could get on the top wire of a fence. He teetered there on his stomach until he finally tipped forward and slipped over!

Off he went for a long time and then I heard he was back with another dog and they were chasing deer. Neighbors shot at him with a pellet gun and he took off into the woods.

He has been gone several weeks now so evidently he found Michele's place more inviting. The fact that he is still alive is a testimony to his resourcefulness and spirit! He deserves a good home someplace.

Lynn Watson

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To the Editor:

Last week's articles on knapweed might give people some wrong ideas.

If you pull knapweed before the flowers start showing, you can just leave the plants on the ground. No need for bagging and hauling.

Get out there in the spring and pull every knapweed you see.

Goats do not eliminate knapweed. They just eat this year's growth. Some people have been disappointed that the knapweed came back from the roots the next year.

Bruce Berryhill

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To the Editor:

Our three public schools open in a few days! How many kids will be enrolled? Many are keenly interested about local "growth" because we were told about it by Mr. Swisher and the school board.

The historical numbers September 1997 to May 2002 show a net increase in five years of only 48 kids, or only 9.5 kids per year!

(Approx. 16 of these are high school Flex program kids that are bussed in from Redmond. They artificially inflate Sisters' actual growth.)

If the 2002 to 2003 enrollment numbers are lower because of the recent loss of two employers (Weitech and SISS), then would it not be prudent and responsible to make some major cost-saving modifications to the new $21 million high school?

Putting approximately 288 middle school kids into a school designed for 600 high schoolers seems a little extravagant and putting 466 kids into a building designed for 700 during bad economic times, and slow growth should sound alarms.

This is not to beat a dead horse, but with Black Butte School declining 30 percent per year (The Nugget, May 22), plus high unemployment, should there not be some "overbuilding" concerns voiced to the school board?

Maybe the new enrollment numbers will be higher, and we can all say ... bring it all on!

Mel Bryan

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To the Editor:

Wizard Falls hosts fond memories. The August 14 Nugget, brought many to mind.

I am sure my father, George E. Aitken would be pleased to see what his efforts have brought -- pleasure to the public and fishermen alike.

He was the guiding light that sparked the powers to consider Wizard Falls as an ideal location. He derived great pleasure fishing the Metolius even though success was not always his.

To have the hatchery grounds as a park available for picnics would be just what he envisioned. He would be pleased to know his dream has been fulfilled. I trust the dedication plaque is still visible for the public to see who started it all.

Kenneth Aitken