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• July 22, 2011 75¢
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Housing tax breaks on chopping block Norovirus, Oregon senators fear Gang of 6 plan could hurt middle-class constituents ELK LAKE RESORT
not E. coli, to blame for illness By Sheila G. Miller
Inside • Obama, Boehner closing in
By Andrew Clevenger The Bulletin
WASHINGTON — The tax changes proposed in the so-called Gang of Six plan to resolve the impasse over whether to raise the debt ceiling could have widespread economic ramifications for Central Oregon. The bipartisan plan, first floated on Tuesday, calls for significant tax reform, including reducing the number of tax brackets from six to three: 8 to 12 percent, 14 to 22 percent, and 23 to 29 per-
cent. But to reach these reduced rates, the plan says vaguely that it would “reform, not eliminate, tax expenditures [i. e., tax breaks] for health, charitable giving, homeownership and retirement, and retain support for low-income workers and families.” The plan does not specify the kind of cuts it would make to tax breaks, including interest on mortgage payments. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who sponsored tax-reform legislation in 2010 and 2011, said he was pleased that tax reform
was part of the discussion. While he views eliminating certain tax preferences and expenditures as a way to reduce rates overall and promote economic growth, he remained cautious of the broad cuts called for in the Gang of Six plan. “To achieve rates as low as the ones being suggested by the Gang of Six would require the elimination of not just certain specialized tax breaks that benefit a few special interests, it would require the elimination of nearly every tax expenditure in the code — including the ones
on debt deal to save $3 trillion, Page A3 most important to the middle class, like the mortgage interest tax deduction,” said Wyden spokeswoman Jennifer Hoelzer. “In fact, even with the lower tax rates, eliminating the mortgage interest reduction would result in a tax increase for a lot of working families, which is one of the reasons he doesn’t think such a provision could pass Congress.” See Tax breaks / A5
The Bulletin
Norovirus, not E. coli bacteria, caused the nausea, vomiting and diarrhea that afflicted between 30 and 50 people who visited Elk Lake Resort earlier this month. The Oregon State Public Health Laboratory on Thursday announced that norovirus, a highly contagious infection that causes stomach pain and acute gastroenteritis, was found in the fecal samples of people who got sick at the resort. Resort officials also found E. coli bacteria in the drinking water there, but officials say that wasn’t the cause of the outbreak. Mitch Cole, a managing partner of the resort, said the well water was flushed and chlorinated to get rid of the E. coli. “As soon as we got reports of illness, our first reaction was to bleach and disinfect everything,” he said. “We’ve probably done that six or seven or eight times over the last week and a half or two weeks.” Cole said county health officials met with Elk Lake Resort officials Thursday morning and were pleased with the steps they’d taken to disinfect the resort. “Unfortunately there’s nothing anyone in the hospitality industry can do (to prevent norovirus),” he said. “A guest can bring it in, and it’s just highly contagious.” Tom Kuhn, the community health program manager at Deschutes County Health Services, said E. coli is found in well water but doesn’t always make people sick. The norovirus may have also been in the water, but health officials may never know the origin of the virus. The most recent case was reported July 14. No one infected with the norovirus was hospitalized. See Elk Lake / A4
Saxon’s heist is linked to national ring
A SNOWY ASCENT
By Scott Hammers The Bulletin
A grab-and-run theft at Saxon’s Fine Jewelers in the Old Mill District in late May is one of 11 heists pulled off by a cross-country crime ring over the last year, authorities announced Wednesday. Five men have been arrested and charged, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Kerin said investigators are tracking down additional known co-conspirators. The thefts, in Oregon, California, Nevada, Tennessee and Florida, netted nearly $2 million in diamonds. See Heist / A4
String of heists The May 20 heist at Saxon’s Fine Jewelers in Bend has been connected to a national ring. Below are the thefts believed to be committed by the same group. Tyler Roemer / The Bulletin
Julie Singer of Bend climbs through snow on her way up Broken Top on Thursday. All trailhead
July 17, 2010 Lou Wilson Fine $100,000 Jewelers, Vero Beach, Fla.
parking areas along the Cascade Lakes Highway are now accessible, though snow still blankets most high alpine trails in the area. The U.S. Forest Service recommends bringing a map, water, food and appropriate clothing for all wilderness excursions.
July 26, 2010 King Jewelers $253,000 Tampa, Fla.
Dec. 15, 2010 Margulis Jewelers $147,500 Portland
Jan. 3, 2011
What is norovirus? Norovirus is a highly contagious virus spread from person to person and via contaminated food, water and surfaces. It causes diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting, and usually lasts between one to two days. There is no vaccine to prevent or drugs to treat norovirus illness.
CIA hunt for bin Laden DNA may harm vaccination drive By Karin Brulliard The Washington Post
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan finished its latest antipolio campaign Wednesday, deploying thousands of health workers across a nation where officials say militancy, a massive migrant population and
fears about vaccines have kept the crippling virus alive. But the outreach was shadowed by revelations that the CIA sponsored a vaccination program to try to collect DNA from Osama bin Laden’s family before U.S. commandos killed the al-Qaida leader at a compound
in northern Pakistan in May. News of that anti-hepatitis campaign, which U.S. officials said did not succeed in collecting bin Laden DNA, has stirred outrage among international public-health organizations, which say it could deal a stiff blow to efforts to stem polio and
expand routine vaccinations in Pakistan and beyond. In a nation swirling with rumors of CIA plots, critics say, this reallife one could cement public suspicions, play to radical clerics’ anti-vaccine propaganda and endanger health workers. See Vaccine / A5
$25,000
Kassab Jewelers Lake Oswego
Jan. 13, 2011 Steiner’s Jewelery $125,000 San Mateo, Calif.
Jan. 13, 2011 $93,000
Shreve & Co. Palo Alto, Calif.
Jan. 17, 2011 Hart Jewelers $296,680 Grants Pass
Feb. 3, 2011
Ingenious entrepreneurs shoot for the moon moon. Most of them are unlikely to overcome the finanInside Now that the last space cial and technical challenges shuttle has landed back on • End of an era to meet the contest deadline as Atlantis Earth, a new generation of of December 2015, but sevspace entrepreneurs would lands safely, eral teams think they have like to whip up excitement a good shot to win — and to Page A2 about the prospect of returntake an early lead in a race to ing to the moon. take commercial advantage Spurred by a $30 million purse put of our celestial neighbor. up by Google, 29 teams have signed At the very least, a flotilla of unup for a competition to become the manned spacecraft could be headed first private venture to land on the moonward within the next few years,
By Kenneth Chang
New York Times News Service
John Raoux / The Associated Press
Space shuttle Atlantis is moved into the Orbiter Processing Facility after a safe landing Thursday.
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with goals ranging from lofty to goofy. One Silicon Valley venture, Moon Express, is positioning itself as a future FedEx for moon deliveries: If you have something to send there, the company would like to take it. Moon Express was having a party Thursday night to show off the flight capabilities of its lunar lander, based on technology it licensed from NASA, and “to begin the next era of the private commercial race to the moon,” as the invitation put it. See Moon / A4
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C4
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Genesis Diamonds $270,000 Nashville, Tenn.
March 5, 2011 The Jewelers $500,000 Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2, 2011 $22,000
Zales Jewelry Troutdale
May 20, 2011 Saxon’s Fine Jewelers $151,200 Bend Source: U.S. District Court Andy Zeigert / The Bulletin
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PHONE HACKING SCANDAL: Former executives contradict Murdoch son’s testimony, Page A3