Letters and Comments for April 30, 2009

Higher ed provides hope

To the Editor:

Closing factories, slashing of state salaries and horrifying budget projections overwhelm newspapers across the state. The most influential, but often overlooked solution is an investment in higher education, an original pillar of the American dream.

I don’t remember being told when I was young, “Keep your grades up and someday you can be a CEO,” or better yet, “Keep your grades up and someday you can almost qualify for welfare and struggle to provide for your family.”

Oregonians know the American dream. Across the state, financial aid and enrollment applications are dramatically rising but funding is dwindling. To deal with these increases, universities are being forced to increase tuition. For first generation college students in rural Oregon, higher tuition costs and smaller financial aid packages will only put off the dream of attending college or prevent it completely.

Oregon can only benefit from an educated and industrious work force that public institutions like Eastern Oregon University can generate. With rising unemployment rates, especially in rural Oregon, which has some of the highest numbers in the state, more individuals are looking to a university like EOU for a way out, but it’s getting more difficult to find. It’s painful to see so many good people out of work in the La Grande community. People who once had dreams of owning their own business, being a nurse or a teacher and who now have to put it off and explain to their children why they can’t help pay for their degree.

Oregon needs to start investing smart to put our state back on track. That starts with an investment in the untapped potential the state has.

Katy Barnett

EOU student body president

Wise made Union better 

To the Editor:

I feel I should publicly note the accomplishments and legacy of Jeff Wise, former city administrator of Union.

Jeff came in with directions to get us on the right track for the future. That meant clean up the city budget; bring the city into the 21st century; and get the city in forward gear. It wasn’t easy as many didn’t want to leave the comfort of “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Much of it was new laws and restrictions laid down by outside entities.

The budget is in fine shape and easily read. Procedures were set up to assure the best handling of money and planning for future expenditures especially for emergency services, water and sewer. Audits were very good.

Otherwise he worked with others to bring grants to enhance the historic downtown and pedestrian transportation projects. One grant dealt with the zoning issues of our land use plan, which still reflected the 1980s. He persuaded the council to spend the money to have our ordinances checked for legality and for compilation.

He worked tirelessly to improve our planning commission procedures and ordinances, conferring with outside experts. Our “dotted line” issue was resolved, and ordinance changes made to allow residential rebuild in commercial areas.

He attended numerous meetings and was diligent in taking training to improve his administrative role. He successfully negotiated a renewal of Union contract of employees with the city. City Hall open hours were increased, enabling citizens to make greater contact with employees.

In our economic development area he worked with industrial land owners to get adequate descriptions of property. When Union fit the criteria he answered several blind requests for proposals for plant placements.

He was for Union!

Susan M. Briggs

Union

Shedding light on Soros

To the Editor:

A must-read for all thinking voters regardless of political affiliation is “The Shadow Party” by David Horowitz and Richard Poe.

Notice I specified “thinking voters,” not just the crowd who may think a person looks good and sounds good so they must be good and they look and listen no further.

That coupled with George Bush’s unpopularity is what got Obama elected. But if you read this book, you will realize it could have been Hillary or any of the other Democrats and it wouldn’t have made any difference because the person who actually controls most of what goes on in this country is not the president but billionaire George Soros and his money.

This is really a chilling book for all lovers of freedom. The fact the Republicans haven’t the numbers, or in many cases the will, to stop Soros bodes ill for our freedoms.

Any doubts about the contents will be dispelled by 37 pages of notes from Soros’ own writings as well as others mentioned in the book.

Paul Morehead

Joseph