Letter to the Editor: Mayoral Appointment

At the last Toledo City Council meeting citizens asked for multiple ways to be informed about city council meetings and events. During the meeting it was stated that the mayoral issue would not be on the City Council work session agenda, however, there has been a change and it is now on the agenda. The Toledo City Council work sessions are on the second Tuesday of every month and the meetings start at 6:15. These meetings are open to the public and everyone is invited.

Thank you Yaquina Wavelength for helping keep Toledo informed!

Franki Trujillo-Dalbey, City Councilwoman

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Letter: Community Radio Needs Volunteers

There are 45,000 voices in Lincoln County. Why do we only hear a tiny handful of them? That’s the type of question that leads people to build Community Radio stations. With all the radio signals in Lincoln County, you’d think we could regularly hear Latinos, Siletz tribal members, the homeless, people in poverty, people in need, the GLBT community? We also have a wealth of talent at the coast – writers, artists, musicians, actors. We can read their work or see them perform but rarely get to hear what’s behind their art or what keeps them performing. We’re blessed with a fascinating talent pool of seniors who have a lifetime of stories to tell.

We don’t often hear any of these voices, and we probably won’t. Why? For commercial stations – there’s no money in it. As for the non-commercial signals we hear – well, they aren’t local so they don’t serve our community. KYAQ will. We will be FROM Lincoln County and FOR Lincoln County. We just need a little help getting on the air. We need you.

Help us bring unheard voices and unexplored issues to the forefront. KYAQ needs volunteers to spread the word and build community media for Lincoln County. You will enjoy mixing and mingling at public events, engaging people in conversation and talking about grassroots radio. You might raise a little money. You might march in a parade. You might staff a booth at a fair, a festival or a fete. You might usher at a concert. We want to start volunteer training in March. Please email project@kyaq.org right now or call 541-961-7888 to tell us you want to become Radio Active!

Bridget Wolfe

(Editor’s note: Bridget Wolfe of rural Lincoln County is president of Firebare Inc., which holds an FCC construction permit to build KYAQ at 91.7 FM. Disclosure: Alan Searle, co-owner of the Wavelength, is volunteer project manager for KYAQ)

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Letter to the Editor: On Corporate Personhood

What if I told you that the campaigns for all future Presidents and Congressmen as well as State and local elections would henceforth be purchased and controlled with corporate money and the government would be run for the benefit of corporate profit?

The 2010 US Supreme Court decision “Citizens United” declared, corporations no longer need obey the same campaign donation rules they once followed. In truth, they no longer have rules. They are now allowed to spend as much money as they want to buy elections and candidates.

Politics has always been run by big money, but we the voters have been repeatedly assured by corporate media that we are still in control. Feeble attempts at “campaign finance reform” have led us to believe falsely, that big money could be reined in. Citizen’s United changed that in an astounding deviation from common sense and a terrible distortion of our Constitution’s true intent.

Corporations are now far more powerful than people in politics. Google ‘corporate personhood’ if you want the entire history. In the Citizens United case, an activist Supreme Court created a feedback loop where political clout increases profits, increasing political clout again, and so on.

Here’s some perspective. In 2008, a million people donated about 750 million dollars to the Obama campaign, the most expensive presidential race in US history. 750 million dollars is only 5% of one quarters profit of Exxon for that same year. With mere pocket change an Exxon or McDonnel-Douglas or Halliburton or Fox News or Monsanto corporation could literally buy their very own President.

That’s a terrifying thought.

Corporations have the dollars, but we have the strength of numbers. There is a grassroots movement to compel an amendment to the Constitution to outlaw ‘Corporate Personhood’ and the privileges this implies. Few of us like the idea of amending the Constitution, but it has been necessary 27 times in our past and is necessary again. There is no other legal way to reverse this decision. Cities large and small have already taken action, as have unions and civic organizations across the country, passing resolutions recognizing corporations are not persons and that money is not speech.

The Newport City Council will be asked to consider this issue February 6 at 6:00 p.m. A convincing crowd is needed for Councilors to understand how important this is. By investing an hour or two you can tell your children and grandchildren you stood up for democracy at such a dangerous time. I hope to see you there.

Stephen Farish

Waldport, Or.

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Letter to the Editor: On Civic Engagement

I am writing to encourage you to get involved on any level with the process of selecting a new Mayor for Toledo. In these difficult times when many of us may feel unable to affect change in national politics, the banks or to get the sluggish economy moving we can make a difference in our local government.

Due to the unforeseeable death of Sharon Branstiter as Mayor in April 2007 we have had three Mayors (Jim Chambers, Rod Cross, Monica Lyons) in four years. Due to health reasons Monica has recently resigned and the city council will be looking to fill the Mayor’s seat without any election and possibly very little input from the public unless all of us start getting involved.

Currently two city council members have been placed on the council who were not voted into office. One of these candidates was the only applicant to apply, essentially giving the city council very little options in the selection process. I also understand that a city councilor will be vacating their seat this spring when they will be moving out of the area.

Essentially within a few months we could be looking at having a Mayor and three of the six city council members NOT being elected officials. The possibility of potentially having a Mayor and half of the city council selected by six or less people without any input from the community raises concerns. It seems questionable at the least and could produce unforeseen consequences for the community of Toledo on down the road.

Some of you may be facing barriers that you feel stop you from getting involved such as work, raising a family, over committed to civic organizations or even a lack of energy due to the aging process. Some of you may say “I don’t live within the city limits of Toledo or my politics are different than others.” But if you’ve ever shopped in Toledo, used the recreational facilities including the pool or library, attended any of the Toledo community events (Thursday Markets, Summer Festival, Wooden Boat Show, Quilt Quest, Artwalk, Antique Festival & Car Show, etc.), or enjoyed the beautification of Toledo through flower baskets and public art then you do have an invested interest in how the city of Toledo works.

You may have agreed or disagreed with Sharon Branstitier’s politics. But she was a local person with local history who was highly visible, sought input and involvement from people in and around the surrounding Toledo community. She worked hard to represent all of us no matter our differences and to promote the city of Toledo. She believed in perseverance, patience and the power of one person to make a difference. If Sharon were still here she would tell you to get involved and to make a difference.

Decisions will be made soon on how to select a Mayor or possibly one or two city council members again. I am assuming that a plan to select a new Mayor will be either discussed at the city councils monthly work session on Tuesday, January 10th at 6:15 or at the next city council meeting on Wednesday, January 18th starting at 7:00. Both are open to the public and I am encouraging you to get involved by any of the following ways:

· Contact city hall at 541-336-2247, extension 202 to ask when the process of selecting a new Mayor will be on the agenda? Will it be discussed at Tuesday’s work session or next week’s city council meeting? Ask how you might give input or plan to attend one or both of these meetings.

· Email Michelle Amberg city manager and all the city councilors to give your input on the process. Their names and email addresses are listed below:

· Pass this email on to other friends, relatives, Toledo community citizens or others outside of the city limits who frequent the businesses, enjoyed the activities or benefit from any of the services provided by the city of Toledo.

Email addresses:

Michelle Amberg (City Manager)

Mark Camara

Jack Dunaway

Nancy Lynne

Franki Trujillo-Dalbey

Ralph Grutzmacher

Jill Lyon

Sandy Blackman, Toledo

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Letter to the Editor: On Homelessness

Homelessness; what does it mean and how can we address it?

Before I get started, please consider what you read as if someone’s life depends on it – because it may. Discuss those thoughts with everyone you speak. Bring those answers with you to the downstairs meeting room at Newport Public library on Wednesdays at 6:30pm.

Newport is home to a warming center, at the Lincoln County Fair Grounds. It has been open twice this winter. The center doesn’t open until temperatures reach 34 degrees with certain wind speeds, or 32 degrees with no wind. When the center opens, a-frame signs are used to alert the outdoor population, and there is a radio announcement. In order to use the warming center, you must be checked for warrants-and will be subject to arrest if you have a high level warrant. At the last moment, volunteers bake food and bring it to the center, where it is then unwrapped, reheated and made available to eat.

Our transient population that is forced to camp is subject to being forcibly removed from their campsites. They have their belongings and structures destroyed beyond repair by authorities and thrill-seekers. And yet they are forced to camp because it is not lawful to sleep in your vehicle, even if it is the only shelter from the elements that you have. Your vehicle may be towed at your own expense and impounded.

The people you see holding signs and asking for help are NOT the face of our homeless population. They are not well off, they do not have houses like you probably do. And yet people tend to give little or nothing to these individuals. Most people don’t even give them the dignity of recognition.

Our transient population, locally, state-wide and nationally, is as diverse a population as those with homes. They are children, they are parents, they are veterans, they are the grandparents whose social security checks no longer match the cost of living. They are the people whose jobs were cut due to downsizing, and didn’t qualify for unemployment, or didn’t find a job before it was too late. They are students, they are artists. Some are ill and need help getting their medications. Some even need help taking them. Sure, some drink, some do drugs, as is true in every neighborhood in this country. The difference is that our neighbors have a place to hide their secrets. They have a home.

This winter, people will die in our community. They will die due to lack of shelter, they will die due to lack of medical care, and some will die trying to ease their pains. But that isn’t the worst of it. They will be jailed; they will lose time and again the very basic things that keep them alive. They won’t experience comfort or security; they won’t receive the general respect that we give each other in our community. No one will call or write. There will be no rides to the hospital or dentist’s office. They won’t be storing food and water during the storms. When the high winds come and our community pulls together to repair the damages and free up the roads, no one is going to ask if they need help. There will be no warm showers or clean laundry.

We provide these things for our prisoners; humanity, recognition, basic needs, safety, medical care, housing, even community. Yet we sentence those who have suffered a misfortune to death without blinking an eye. Is that who you are? That is not who I am.

We can do something about this. We do have enough time to contribute to seeing it through. We are responsible to our fellow humans, to our community. We are all just one tragic turn of fate from understanding firsthand what it means to be homeless, to be invisible, to be unwanted, unappreciated, disrespected, cold, wet, hungry and starved for humanity. We must not continue to throw around the same old clichés; we must not blame the problem on those who simply make us aware that there is one by no choice of their own. We must not pretend that any business is going to hire a poorly dressed, unclean individual with no address, regardless of how great their resume is, especially in these economic times.

We can insist that sleeping in your vehicle is not a crime. We can insist that it is unacceptable to destroy anyone’s belongings and anyone’s home. We can insist that warmth is available in the winter, period, to anyone who is cold. We can insist that our tax supported parks leave the light on at night and the doors open to the restrooms, there is no need to close public to the public. We can do a lot of things, and we aren’t alone. Humanity starts with us. It is time that we recognize that the faults within our systems create the issues that cause homelessness; it is not the people who suffer for it who are to blame. This is our community and our home. Let us take care of it

Jamie Kifer, Lincoln County Oregon

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