To the Editor:

My compliments to Sam Byrnes for speaking up in a recent public meeting in Pendleton and suggesting that a city sales tax would be a better avenue for raising funds than a tax on fuel. A sales tax means all businesses, and all community members would support the project monetarily. The economic development coordinator is a public employee and as such his income is not impacted by the fuel tax as would be a private business. The message is out that the state will be increasing fuel taxes; therefore, Pendleton would be taxed twice for fuel. That puts a definite strain on the local economy.

If you’ve been following news articles in various publications you know that new fees are being added, and existing fees (taxes) are being increased in numerous public agencies. In addition programs and projects are being dropped. The executive branch of government in Oregon chose to contract for pay increases that have not at this point been funded by the legislature and budgets will need to be balanced and revenue increased to fund those raises. In August a letter was directed to the executive office asking how these increases were to be funded, and no answer was forthcoming. Don’t be misled into believing that these increases have been reduced because that is not the case. They will take effect July 1 of 2009.

We’ve now seen a downturn in the economy, businesses are being closed, employees are being laid off, and yet fees and taxes are being increased. My question is when does the spending stop? The true wealth of any nation or state is its natural resources. In Oregon the freedom to use those resources to produce food and fiber is under fire. Public entities whether they be federal, state, county, city or schools have to be funded from somewhere.

Sharon Livingston

Long Creek