Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Targeted tax cuts better

I agree with the first part of John F. Marten's May 19 letter, "Economy needs tax cuts" - creating jobs should be the nation's top priority. I also think that tax cuts can get the economy going. President Bush's tax cuts are not the answer. It doesn't give the people getting the tax cuts any incentive to create jobs. They only give more money to people who already have everything they want or need.

The best way a tax cut can help the economy is to target it. An example would be giving companies that spend on capital investment, such as new manufacturing equipment, a tax credit. People work in factories that make the manufacturing equipment, people would be maintaining the new equipment and people would be running the new equipment, creating more jobs.

Twelve Senate Democrats who gave Bush a chance by voting for his first tax cut are not supporting him now. They see that the economy has only gotten worse since the first tax cut, so how can they support something they know won't work? I don't know how anyone can support it if you want jobs to be created.

Now it's time to do some of Bush's fuzzy math. The average wage in America is about $40,000 a year. If the House's version of $550 billion tax cut is passed and by some miracle there are 1.4 million jobs created, as Bush is telling us will occur, then each $40,000 job will cost us $392,875, and we have to borrow all of it. There has to be a better way.

DENNIS KNIGHT 

Springfield

Let people take risks

In a May 20 letter Ellen Schaefer expressed disbelief that kids were riding skateboards without a helmet. Well, believe it!

First off, adults skateboard, too! And secondly, not all parents are able to go down to the park every day and make sure their kids wear their little helmets!

Also, I believe we should leave it up to the skateboarders if they want to wear a helmet. People should save their concern for their own children. Others have no right to deem was is right or wrong for someone else's child.

There are twice as many head injuries in soccer, but no one is considering helmets in soccer. How about mandatory eye-shields for anyone who picks up a basketball? Or how about making football illegal? Maybe we should start requiring school children to wear bulletproof vests to school!

I think skateboarders are being singled out because of the nature of most riders, who are young teens. Well, it's a professional sport, too! Every day, everyone takes risks - whether they know it or not. Let's leave it up to each person to decide what risks they want to take today!

TOM MURPHY 

Springfield

Corcoran showed courage

We ask for courage and integrity from our elected officials and seldom get those admirable traits. That is because we the voters punish those traits by voting out the politicians who have the guts to do what is right when what is right does not satisfy the voters' greed and self interest. Sometimes there comes an exception. In the Oregon Legislature, that exception is Sen. Tony Corcoran.

The Public Employees Retirement System was in deep trouble, and its cost was jeopardizing funds for schools and health care. Corcoran, who has fought for the working person all his political life, knew he had to do something for the greater good. He sponsored and put through the Legislature the PERS Reform Act at great cost to his political career. He has faced anger and tongue lashing from the very people he has always worked for. That is a hard thing, but he has taken it bravely.

He deserves thanks and praise from all of us for exhibiting those rare traits: courage and integrity.

JIM WEAVER 

Eugene

Where's people's candidate?

Here they come already - presidential candidates out stumping for the next election. It's the same old tiresome list of faceless candidates who don't have a clue about what it's like to be out in the real world working, raising kids, paying bills, paying taxes, doing yard work, fixing the dryer, etc.

They are already busy kissing up to constituents, out fund-raising and kissing up some more. They are far removed from reality and surrounded only by rich lawyers, lobbyists, business interests, welfare agency liberals, etc.

I just wish that there would someday be one candidate from the ranks of everyday America who would stand up and take leadership because he or she really gave a damn about the American people and about this great blessed land of ours.

I think the people are hungry for such a candidate. Most of us hard-working folks would find it refreshing to see someone who actually cared for us, and not just the rich and powerful and the lazy welfare ranks - both being groups that are sucking the lifeblood out of the ever-shrinking middle class.

AL KREITZ

Eugene

Yielding at stops sensible

I support the House Bill 2768 introduced by Rep. Floyd Prozanski (Register-Guard, May 16) to require that bicyclists yield rather than stop at stop signs. The operative word here is "yield." While Thomas Feron (letters, May 20) makes a good point that it is important for a bicyclist's behavior to be predictable, this rule change would not affect that greatly.

A car that has the right of way can still expect the bicyclist to stop. It should not that greatly increase speed, because a bicyclist will still have to slow down enough to monitor the intersection for oncoming vehicles. I am a very careful bicyclist, and my main rule for safety is to assume that no one sees me. When in doubt, I yield the right of way even when it is mine. But when I am bicycling along a quiet street, approach a stop sign and can clearly see that no one is coming, it frustrates me that I must stop or risk getting a ticket.

I would love to see this change. I do take issue, however, with Prozanski's argument about the advanced pedal systems that trap the rider's foot in the pedal, which to me seem like a dangerous and inappropriate innovation for city riding and not a good reason for this rule change. There is reason enough without it.

KAREN STINGLE

Eugene

Moral stands inconvenient

What an interesting article (Commentary, May 18) on the increasing split between the churches and laity. If I understood the facts correctly:

1) Americans, including our president, look to their churches and synagogues for religious and moral leadership.

2) Virtually all religious leaders were morally opposed to the war in Iraq.

3) Sixty to 75 percent of religious Americans didn't agree with that morality.

So, it appears that a majority of Americans are going to need to find new bishops, ministers and rabbis who can interpret the Bible correctly, in ways more in agreement with the way they already think.

Religion can be so inconvenient sometimes when it conflicts with what you want to do.

JAMIE HOOPER 

Junction City 

Volunteers help at shelter

In her May 18 letter Tamara Barnes said, "It is incomprehensible that people willing to volunteer their time to help their community are being turned away because of union policies."

I am the volunteer coordinator for Lane County Animal Regulation Authority. We do background checks on volunteers, and if there is something that could be a concern to the health, well-being and safety of staff, volunteers or animals they could be denied. Other than that, we strongly encourage people to volunteer.

We have a Web site where people can fill out volunteer applications or see the many animals up for adoption, as well as community events that LCARA participates in that need volunteer support. People can also visit the shelter at 3970 W. First Ave., and fill out an application.

Volunteers can do many things besides maintenance and sweeping. They can walk and brush some of the dogs. This is up to the discretion of the animal control officers, and volunteers must check with staff. We get neglected, abused, abandoned and aggressive animals. The officers have years of training to recognize animal behaviors. Volunteers cannot take over the job of a well-trained animal control officer.

Other needs include office work, yearly outdoor events, adoptions at Petco, educating the public on spaying/neutering, licensing or how to safely approach an animal. All the adoptable animals at the shelter that can held only a short time due to space limitations. The list goes on. Volunteers, we need you.

LORRI COCHRANE

Cottage Grove 

Farr knows tax cuts' benefits

I would like to set the record straight on Rep. Pat Farr. While I do not agree with all his political viewpoints (I'm more conservative), there are two things that cannot be questioned: His information and, most importantly, his integrity.

I worked as an intern on Farr's campaign. Farr knows that tax cuts do not just help the rich and businesses. We will all benefit by having more money in our pockets to spend. Tricia Peebles (letters, May 19) is right - our kids do deserve better. The more money their parents have in the bank, the better off their kids will be. We need jobs, not tax hikes, and jobs come from companies having more money to hire workers to do the job.

As far as misleading the voters, it is simply not in Farr's character. Had it not been for his integrity and honesty, I would not have voted for him, let alone helped to get him elected!

SCOTT WALKER 

Junction City

Show more of festival

Well, really! Florence's 96th Rhododendron Festival was not about strawberries.

The Register-Guard's May 19 photo featuring Princess Ashley Lamb of the Lebanon Strawberry Court was lovely, but it would have been more appropriate to feature our Queen Rhododendra and her court.

While the picture of bikers showed a part of the whole festival scene, as noted in the caption, there was a lot more to our festival that could have been featured with pictures and captions.

Florence's annual Rhododendron Festival is second only to Portland's Rose Festival in age and in participation. Lane County has none other to compare, and the newspaper should give it the publicity it deserves.

While Florence frequently feels like a forgotten part of Lane County, especially by The Register-Guard, we do appreciate the many people who come to Florence each year to enjoy this grand festival weekend.

PAT BALES

Florence

LETTERS LOG

Letters received in past week: 119

Letters published: 62

What's on readers' minds: No single topic dominated the Mailbag this week, and the volume of letters dropped off in the wake of the Iraq war and the May 20 elections. The issues discussed most frequently in letters received this week were the Public Employees Retirement System (eight letters), a proposal to allow bicyclists to yield rather than stop at stop signs (six letters), and President Bush's tax-cut proposals (six letters). Four letters endorsing candidates in the May 20 election were received too late to be considered for publication.=