Letters to the Editor 05/16/2012

To the Editor:

Last week all of us read of the loss of $2 billion when JP Morgan of Wall Street used our money to bet on the stock market.

As the news media reported, "JP Morgan made a series of really bad bets and during a conference call last night CEO Jamie Dimon admitted that the strategy was 'flawed, complex, poorly reviewed, poorly executed and poorly monitored.'"

Last week all of us also read that there will be another $1.3-million cut in the Sisters School District budget. 'CEO' Superintendent Golden does not have the luxury of laughing off irresponsibility of "flawed strategy, poorly executed.... blah, blah, blah." If Golden had been responsible for the loss of $1.3 million he would have been fired. And JP Morgan CEO Damien's responsibility for a $2 billion loss? He argues that a bank's actions on Wall Street shouldn't be regulated by the public.

Our superintendent is required to balance his budget. He had to let go three science teachers, two English teachers and a popular P.E. teacher who had been there five years. That's what a million dollars is worth to our community. And a casual $2 billion loss by a Wall Street bank? That's up to 40,000 teachers, more than there are in Oregon.

I argue that the loss of our teachers is directly linked to the "poorly monitored" greed of Wall Street. Our recession is largely the result of clever human beings in the financial world wanting more and more and more without public accountability. Now our children are paying for it.

Bob Collins

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To the Editor,

I am very concerned that we might have to cancel our planned Celebrate Sisters Schools Day. So far, we have had a very low response from our community.

We need your help.

The Sisters Elementary School needs landscape work, paint and general cleanup work.

With over 40 acres of land, the school district maintenance team of one person just can't do all that is necessary to keep up with the challenge.

We need to come together as a community and spend a part of one day cleaning up the schools.

Please help.

If you have a rake, a shovel and some energy, we need you! Join us May 19, 8 a.m.

to 3 p.m., at Sisters Elementary School.

We need Outlaw Gardeners - People that can rake and shovel bark, cut turf and generally clean up.

Outlaw Painters - People to paint posts, swing sets and window frames.

Outlaw Handymen - People to repair fences and fix things that are broken.

Snacks will be available and lunch will be served at the end of our hard day's work.

Please come and make a difference, we need you! Call me at 541-549-1497 (home) or 415-990-9795 (cell) if you are interested.

Andrew Gorayeb, School Board member

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To the Editor:

This appears to be yet another example of how in Sisters "if you're well connected, you get what you want" regardless of the cost to the community. As owner of Wild Mountain I've been put through hell and back by the planning department, vilified in public meetings by planning commission members, and all because I've asked for considerations that would help my new business "pencil," considerations which would cost the city absolutely nothing.

Perhaps I've missed my cue? Maybe if I asked for some kind of financial incentives to help my business, say, have the city install sidewalks and curb cuts along my side of Locust Street so I could qualify for year-round operating status I would find the planning commission and city council more eager to accommodate my requests?

Ky Karnecki

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To the Editor:

As I admired all the corner curbing on Main Avenue, I was informed that parking on Main was going to be entirely "back-in" parking.

I was shocked that such a matter was not brought before the voters. I, for one, will have to discontinue any shopping on Main. My car has a few blind spots and I am restricted from twisting due to rods and screws placed in my back during surgery. I am not otherwise handicapped, therefore I don't have a handicap sign hanging from my rear view mirror.

This could be an expensive experiment for the city of Sisters. Business owners may lose customers. Car insurance rates could be increased for those who damage their own or others' vehicles. And when our city comes to its senses, then there will be the additional expense of restriping the street for traditional parking.

Is there any way this city can reconsider this move? Or at least provide some traditional parking spaces in each block? Isn't the city council smarter than this project indicates? Please rethink this before it's too late.

Marilyn Kinsey