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Inside
B OREGON Republicans optimistic at conference, see Page B3. OBITUARIES Harvard spiritual leader Gomes dies, see Page B5.
www.bendbulletin.com/local
THE BULLETIN • SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2011
Wildfire risk areas identified
Salem Week Examining each week of the 2011 Legislature from a Central Oregon perspective Analysis
Colleges seek tuition control By Nick Budnick The Bulletin
SALEM — If you are a parent signing a $20,000 check over to a private college, you have a good idea of where that money is headed. You can’t say the same, however, when you fork over a wad of tuition cash to Oregon’s state universities. University officials aren’t allowed to spend money collected from students on programs for those same students — that is, not without permission from state lawmakers. What sometimes
happens instead is that the Legislature raids tuition funds to balance its budget. “If you wrote a check and went down to (Oregon State University), there’s nothing right now that will stop the Legislature from taking that money and spending it somewhere else,” said Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton. “There’s literally no difference between the University of Oregon and the Department of Motor Vehicles in terms of their structure — and I just think that’s fundamentally wrong.” See Tuition / B2
Report emphasizes need to reduce buildup of flammable debris in Bend neighborhoods By Kate Ramsayer The Bulletin
Neighborhoods including southwest Bend, west Bend and southeast Bend are at the highest risk of wildfires in the greater Bend area, according to a new report that outlines priority areas for work that would help reduce the risk of fire.
Other neighborhoods — like Awbrey Glen and Sunset View Estates — have taken measures over the past five years to shrink the risk of wildfires. The draft of the Greater Bend Community Wildfire Protection Plan, released last week, acknowledges the work completed since the first plan for
Bend was released in 2006 and lays out the need for more fuelsreducing work. Awareness that something needs to be done to protect neighborhoods from wildfire has increased in the past five years, said Katie Lighthall, program director with Project Wildfire. The Deschutes County organization focuses on wildfire education and prevention efforts. When the first version of the Bend plan came out in 2006,
Project Wildfire staff had to knock on doors to drum up interest in projects like creating a defensible space around homes by cleaning up flammable debris, Lighthall said. Now, residents are calling, asking if they can be part of efforts to reduce risks. “People seem to understand that lightning’s going to come through every summer, and it’s just a matter of when,” she said. “We want them to be prepared.” See Wildfires / B6
Unstoppable heroes
Who’s making news Name: Rick Allen Age: 53 Family: Single Education: Madras High School, 1975 Occupation: Interim city manager for La Pine, owns a property management company Last week in Salem: In his most recent role as interim city manager for La Pine, Allen was
in Salem this week for a meeting with the Department of Land Conservation and Development regarding the city of La Pine’s comprehensive plan. Allen also used the opportunity to meet with local lawmakers and ensure they understand how important it is for the city of La Pine to get a proposed biomass project up and going. See Allen / B2
Roll call
Photos by Ryan Brennecke / The Bulletin
owned by the same person.
Senate • LOOKS AT HOW THE FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES ARE AFFECTED BY THE GREEN JOBS GROWTH INITIATIVE Passed 29-0 on Monday. Senate Bill 192 would require examining the key growth factors and employment projections in the forest products industry as part of the green job growth initiative. The Oregon Business Development Department would be in charge of using the criteria before investing. Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R .......Yes Sen. Chris Telfer, R .......Yes Sen. Doug Whitsett, R .. Yes
• CHANGES THE DISTANCE ALLOWED BETWEEN PRIVATE HUNTING RESERVES Passed 26-3 on Wednesday. Senate Bill 296 would create a larger distance between two private hunting reserves, going from one-half mile to three miles, unless the two reserves are
Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R ...... Yes Sen. Chris Telfer, R ..... Yes Sen. Doug Whitsett, R .. No
House • GIVES THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE INCOME AND EXCISE TAX RETURNS TO BE DONE ELECTRONICALLY
Veteran Bill Gray, of Coos Bay, practices his turns in a “sitski” with volunteers Matt Alvarado, left, and Jim Hansen during Oregon Adaptive Sports’ “Heroes in Sisters” program at Hoodoo Mountain Resort on Saturday
Despite lost limbs, paralysis, veterans carve it up at Hoodoo Veteran Garrett Jones, 25, of Newberg, carves a turn on his snowboard on Saturday.
Passed 58-1 on Monday. House Bill 2071 considered the increase in the number of personal income tax returns being filed and gives the revenue department the ability to make corporations and paid tax preparers file electronic returns, if they have done so for federal returns. There are some exceptions. Rep. Jason Conger, R ..Yes Rep. John Huffman, R ..Yes Rep. Mike McLane, R .. Yes Rep. Gene Whisnant, R..Yes See Votes / B2
What’s ahead • ALLOW HOMEMADE BEER AND WINE TO BE TRANSPORTED Monday, 8 a.m.: House Committee on Business and Labor moves the discussion to the House over whether craft beer and wine makers should be able to transport their products. The idea in SB 444 is to fix an old Oregon Liquor Control Commission statute that has only recently been enforced and ended up stopping home brew and county fair competitions throughout the state. The idea has widespread support.
• STOP FUNDING FOR POSITIONS LEFT OPEN FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS Tuesday, 8 a.m.: House Committee on General Government and Consumer Protection will consider a bill, HB 3360, that would stop funding for positions within state agencies if the spot has been open for six months. It’s an effort to save the state money. See Ahead / B2
On the blog Read updates throughout the week from our reporters in Salem at www.bendbulletin.com/politicsblog.
By Scott Hammers The Bulletin
S
trapping in to his snowboard at the base of Hoodoo Mountain Resort on Saturday afternoon, Garrett Jones issued a challenge. “Try to keep up,” he said, grinning as he lifted himself upright, his prosthetic left leg peeking out between the top of his boot and the bottom of his blaze orange pants. Jones, 25, is both a participant and an instructor with “Heroes in Sisters,” a program of Oregon Adaptive Sports, created to bring disabled veterans up to the mountains for a day of skiing and snowboarding. Now in its fourth year, the event hosted 15 veterans
Washington Week The U.S. House voted Tuesday to prevent a government shutdown by extending funding for the federal government by two weeks. The vote is meant to give agencies the ability to continue operating. It also cuts $4 billion in spending. “Today’s vote by the House gives Senator Reid another two weeks to consider H.R. 1, legislation passed by the House that would fund the government through September while providing billions in spending cuts needed to help create a better environment for job creation,” read a statement on the website of Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio. “The House approved H.R. 1 ten days ago, but the Senate, unfortunately, has taken no action on H.R. 1 or any other legislation that would keep the government operating for the remainder of the fiscal year. Stopgap measures like the one approved in the House today are only needed because the Democrats who run Washington failed to pass a budget last year and are now failing to listen to the American people who want to keep the government running while cutting spending.” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., countered in a speech she gave, which was transcribed on her website. “I just want to know where everybody was in the days when this deficit grew in the 8 years of the Bush Administration. That’s why we are in the situation we are today. That’s why we must again make some very difficult decisions. So what is before us today is a short term, let’s just keep the government open two weeks, so we use that time to do the right thing. Use that time to have a reality check. A reality check on how we got these deficits in the first place and how tax cuts at the highest end, they do not create jobs but increase the deficit and are not the appropriate path to deficit reduction. How cutting education and therefore the innovation that goes with it and the strength of our children and our economy is affected, is not the way to do it. Many people here have much experience on the way to do it and they sit on both sides of the aisle.” See Washington / B2
from around the state, providing an all-expenses-paid experience with everything from equipment to instruction to lodging. A Newberg native, Jones was on foot patrol with the Marines in Iraq when an IED blew off his left leg four years ago. Having grown up snowboarding at Timberline Lodge, Jones said he thought of little beyond how he would eventually get back on his snowboard. Now with the help of a sophisticated prosthetic that includes a spring-loaded knee, Jones is indistinguishable from any other snowboarder on the mountain, provided he rolls down his pants. See Heroes / B6
Bicycling advocates send representative to national summit in Washington By Hillary Borrud The Bulletin
Commute Options for Central Oregon is sending a representative to Washington, D.C., this week to attend the National Bike Summit and push lawmakers to protect programs that have paid for local transportation projects. The trip is a first for the nonprofit, which educates and encourages people to ride bicycles and walk instead of driving. Kim Curley, the community outreach director for Commute Options, will attend the threeday summit. The National Bike Summit, organized by the League of American Bicyclists, will take place Tuesday through Thursday.
Curley plans to tell lawmakers how two federal programs — Safe Routes to School and a fund that pays for enhancements to local transportation infrastructure — have helped Central Oregonians. She plans to meet with the Oregon delegation and attend sessions relating to infrastructure, advocacy, health and transportation. While those programs haven’t yet been targeted for cuts, Curley said it’s important to advocate for them because members of Congress are focused on broad cuts to the federal budget. “Legislators are tasked with cutting lots of money from the spending that we currently have,” Curley said. See Bike summit / B3