Letters to the Editor 01/14/2015

Last updated Jan 13, 2015 12:0pm0

To the Editor:

When The Nugget editorialized against city planner Eric Porter's unilateral approval of food carts at Eurosports, it used the phrase "beggars belief"; that same phrase came to mind when I read planning commissioner Alan Holzman's defense of Porter's action.

In addition to claiming that a planning commission review of Porter's action wasn't necessary, he goes on to state that the application completely and totally follows city code. Contrast this with information from Mike Morgan to the city councilors and planning commissioners showing how the application is in significant conflict with several areas of city code.

Should Mr. Morgan's analysis be upheld, Mr. Holzman (should) resign his position on the planning commission.

Ray Kenny

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To the Editor:

Sen.

Ron Wyden - The law that authorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) 50 years ago is set to expire by September 30, 2015, unless Congress takes affirmative action before then.

We applaud your support for S.338, authorizing the renewal and full funding of this important program, as it provides invaluable financial resources for state parks and local recreational facilities.

A few examples of the important projects slated for our immediate area are improvements to Tumalo State Park, the Village Green Park in Sisters, and the Crooked River Wetlands Park in Prineville.

These are the types of projects that clearly enhance the quality of life for Central Oregonians, but are difficult to fund by alternative means.

Speaking of funding, there is one component of S.338 that cannot be ignored this time around.

Since 1964, when LWCF was first established, Congress set its annual funding at $900,000,000.

The source of these funds was to be a tiny percentage of the fee revenue (typically less than 5% of the total) generated from offshore energy development, rather than from Federal tax revenues.

This allocation set by Congress 50 years ago was then considered to be an appropriate level of spending to meet the country's conservation goals, based upon 1964 prices.

Presumably, the allocation could have been adjusted upward over time to meet escalating costs and needs.

And yet, with a specifically identified revenue source, which has never failed to materialize every year over the course of five decades, the full LWCF appropriation has been delivered only once! Moreover, the level of funding provided to LWCF has averaged about 1/3 of the initial 1964 annual allocation.

In fact, more than $17 billion in funding designated for LWCF use has been diverted for other purposes.

This is a clear case where Federal budget deficits shouldn't be offered as an excuse since Federal tax revenues are not required.

In spite of chronic underfunding, the LWCF has been extraordinarily successful. In addition to the hundreds of local projects here in Oregon of the type mentioned earlier, LWCF provided financial support for dozens of larger projects - the John Day Fossil Beds, Hells Canyon, the Oregon National Historic Trail and the Columbia Gorge NSA, to name a few, which draw thousands of visitors to Oregon every year. Central Oregon likely earns a disproportionate share of the state's tourist dollars, so LWCF investments such as these are particularly important to our local economy.