Letters to the Editor 07/13/2011

To the Editor:

I find it amazing but not surprising that most of the city council has no interest in finding out what Mac Hay did last year in his economic development job that is paid for with taxpayer dollars.

They don't even want to know what he is going to do in the next year.

I've found this to be typical behavior for the City of Sisters in my 11 years here. No one knows what city staff does and they seem to have no job descriptions. Their main goal appears to be keeping business owners from putting up signs. This is a business-hostile city.

It's time for some changes. We need to make it obvious that Sisters is more than an annoying slow spot on the highway. I drove through Sisters for 15 years before I noticed that there were businesses off the highway. I've heard the same from other people.

How do we fix this? I would start by putting big signs at every corner of Cascade Avenue for every store on Hood and Main avenues. This is more than Sisters is open for business, it's Sisters has businesses.

Bruce Berryhill

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To the Editor:

After reading the article about the Cascade Avenue "facelift" I was gratified to see about the effort to enhance the whole tourist/shopping experience in downtown Sisters and, at the same time, I was left pondering if anyone had addressed the effect of all that work on the retail and other business establishments on Cascade while the work is in process.

I believe it is worth checking.

Andy Ruiz

s s s

To the Editor:

Several months ago, I wrote a letter to the editor reminding the community that it is important to pick up dog waste in our city and on trails. This was prompted by an increase in dog poop as the weather warmed up.

Since that time, I have witnessed an excellent effort resulting in a huge reduction of dog poop. As we have come into summer, it is easy to imagine there would be an increase in dog waste in town and on trails due to greater use. That has not been the case.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to keep our city streets and trails cleaner (and more hygienic) for citizens and visitors to enjoy.

Karen Kassy

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To the Editor:

I lived in Sisters circa '91-'94 in the Barclay Road/Camp Polk Road area. Life was good. I

loved it.

I returned November '09 and now live in "old town" Sisters area (Ash, Oak, Black Crater). Life is still good. I still love it here. BUT...the dogs! It's hard to fathom how many people have them. I know this not necessarily from seeing them, but from hearing them. A-l-l d-a-y l-o-n-g. You've got "junk yard" types protecting (?) what appears to be a junk yard. You've got the XXL types who seemingly slam their bodies against the fences that separate you from them when you take an evening walk and scare you out of your skin. And yes, you've got the "yippers and yappers" who once put outside (sans owners) begin to yip and yap incessantly.

Fact of the matter is, I love dogs. Had one of my own back in '91-'94 who I swore was a mute til I heard him bark one day. There are some of those around here too, and that's just fine.

I am certain that if you were to publish this piece in red on the front page, it would have little to no effect on this situation. People just don't give a rip about the fact that their precious pooches are often annoying. But enough's enough. Something needs to be done and I don't know what. Calling animal control every day is not the answer.

Tom and Kate Kopec

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To the Editor:

With regard to the lone "letter to the editor" from July 6, I must say that I for one was actually offended. The author (R.T. Tihista) used what seemed to be a fairly accurately reported piece on the GOP's recently improved position in our state's House of Representatives to launch into an attack on the author of the article, Republicans, religion, charter schools, religious charter schools, and baby bottles.

The letter was sarcastic and condescending. R.T. made serious accusations backed by opinion, pathetic analogies, and "numerous studies." I believe numerous studies abound equally on both sides of most any issue. It was wrought with a tone of complete partisan intolerance to any differing ideals or ideas.

One party has controlled our state's government for many years and it seems that the thought of anyone else actually having just a little bit of "say" for the first time in a long time is more than R.T. can tolerate. I guess everything has been running so perfectly in our state that it leaves absolutely no room for any others to participate.

I am a registered independent and I believe this is an ever-increasing attitude on both sides of the political fence, including those in government at all levels. Is it any wonder that it seems little to nothing is ever accomplished for the actual true benefit of the American citizens as a whole?

Steve Taylor

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To the Editor:

On July 4th my wife and I attended a concert by the Cascade Horizon Band with Sue Steiger conducting, and a choral concert with Clyde Thompson conducting. The standing ovation that followed cemented my hopes that one day the present Sisters Forest Service property, rather than become a mishmash of homes and "here again, gone again" businesses which it will surely become if left to the vagaries of developers, rather, it could become the Sisters Choral Center (but used for all types of year-round programs with activities for our children and with some free programs so all our residents could afford them - unlike many similar facilities).

Living in Cooperstown, NY, my wife and I would drive to Saratoga Springs to hear, in the all-season theater, Eugene Ormandy leading the Philadelphia Orchestra rendering Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." It was this theater which triggered my dreams for Sisters as a center for choral music and the Forest Service land as a perfect locale! The present six houses, badly in need of rework, could be modified into dormitories to accommodate large groups of visiting talent. Just imagine the St. Olaf singers, Brigham Young or even the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. How about the Robert Shaw group from Atlanta? Not a bit impossible if we had the facilities!

Ashland has its Shakespeare; why not Sisters and its choral music?

We have the talent to set up programs like this in the person of one Irene Liden, who currently leads the local choir at the Lutheran church, as well as the Sisters Chorale - a person of complete musical training, singing, opera, direction. Who better to set up a year's programming?

Let's not let Sisters remain in the doldrums of annual changes of ownership of businesses to struggle to survive on tourism; let's turn Sisters into the cultural center of the Northwest - use a little imagination!

I am equally sure that there are persons in this area who are adept and knowledgeable about state grants and/or other means of financing. Time is of the essence; do not let this opportunity slip away. You may determine the future of your community and indeed your area. As I read and hear about plans to refurbish the Cascade Avenue area, it is not with ever-changing ownership or vacant storefronts but a downtown thriving on what could be its best-ever chance at stability. Think Sisters Chorale Center!

Russell B. Williams

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To the Editor:

The American Economic Association recently held its summer seminar to discuss the national debt crisis and the impact of Congress refusing to increase the debt ceiling in August. Their positions might surprise some.

It found that while the $14 trillion in debt must eventually be decreased, it will probably increase in the near future in order to stimulate the economy out of recession. The members also concluded that if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling this will cause a default on U.S. debt for the first time in U.S. history.

Essentially, America's credit score (just like yours) will decline, and debt interest will increase by as much as two percent or $280 billion over the current interest per year. This would be added to our debt. Increasing the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion will only add $30 million in additional interest and debt. Additionally, by not raising the debt ceiling, politicians will be blamed for further depressing the economy and adding $280 billion to America's debt and interest payments.

William A. MacPhee

Ph.D.-Finance

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To the Editor:

In Marsden's American Voices, she applauded the airplane industry, linking it to unfettered capitalism, and bemoans the lack of skilled workers, suggesting Americans are over-educated.

First, the airline industry is not unfettered. Aircraft buyers know dozens of government agencies, at taxpayer expense, regulate every aspect of plane safety including airframe design, operations, and maintenance. Boeing and EDS, Airbus' parent company, received subsidies plus preferential buying on their military aircraft, a large part of the profits for both companies, again paid for by taxpayers. Taxpayers also provide tower controllers, airport security, and subsidies for airports.

Extensive tax support can hardly be called market-based capitalism.

As to the lack of skilled workers, she totally misses the point by saying today's students are over-educated. A recent report said that of students entering high school, only 29 percent will end up with college degrees, with a small percentage in engineering or science. The airline industry, along with many others, complains constantly about the shortage of American engineering and science graduates. She suggests students should forego technical degrees to get skilled worker training. She likely assumes that the cost of this training will also be borne by taxpayers.

In a purely market-driven system, there is a simple way to attract skilled workers. It's called wages and benefits. Boeing made $3 billion in profits in 2010. Yet Boeing chose to use this profit to build a new plant in an anti-union state to reduce skilled wages.

A note to Boeing: don't complain about the lack of skilled workers after laying them off in Washington.

Years ago, I worked my way through college as a machinist. At the time, I received about five times minimum wage and could have tripled that if I agreed to work full time. Skilled workers today are lucky to make three times minimum wage, and industry is aggressively trying to cut that.

The solution is simple, pay skilled workers more and they will come.

Howard Jameson