Letters from readers
Timber towns
Timber townsWhat do you mean, “What Now?” [November cover story]. The environmental zealots won, with the support of the Democratic Party in Oregon and Washington, D.C., and its governors and legislators. Reason and good stewardship lost. The jobs are lost forever and the forests have never been sicker. We should all remember who took the green out of Oregon.
Greg Pilcher, via email
Oregon taxes
Your piece in the November issue [How Oregon taxes stack up] had a big hole in it. It didn’t mention a sales tax. How does Oregon stack up there? And how does Oregon compare in personal income tax among states with no sales tax. As a fiscal conservative, I’d rather reward earnings/savings and penalize spending, but since we have what we have, you should factor it into any evaluation of how we are doing on taxation.
Tom DiCorcia, via email
Burning issue
It is time to recognize that coal-fired power plants need to be phased out [Greens take aim at PGE’s Boardman plant, November]. Natural gas appears to be a solution for the next few decades until such time, if ever, non-polluting plants become economically viable. The Port of Astoria has suffered from Boardman air pollution, which has settled in the Columbia River and floated downstream to Astoria. As a result, the Port has had to spend tens of thousands of dollars removing it. This cost has, I believe, never been added to the calculation of the Boardman costs to the environment or to the cost of doing business.
Don McDaniel, via oregonbusiness.com
Healthy jobs
Several comments were prompted by our November story on jobs possibly created by legislation that expands health insurance to 80,000 Oregon kids and 35,000 low-income adults with a 1% tax on insurers.
It’s misleading to imply that health insurers and hospitals are paying the 1% assessment. Insurance companies and hospitals will assess their clients , who will in turn pay the 1%. Nothing is being absorbed; this is not found money. The real story here is that people who are struggling to pay their health-insurance premiums and hospital bills just took another hit. And the likelihood of 3,600 jobs being created is unsubstantiated. What this really means is longer lines.
Bo Shindler, via oregonbusiness.com
On the surface, this well-intentioned health-care tax to add people to the Oregon Health Plan seems like a great idea … but to “throw” insurance coverage at a segment of people who have difficulty managing even just the household … much of this insurance will go to waste. Why not fund clinics within our school system and deliver real primary care? Now there’s a chance to make a difference in our communities.
Kelsey Wood, via oregonbusiness.com
