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Councilman for Cascade Locks
- Lance Masters
- This blog is intended as a way for people interested in Cascade Locks to share ideas and opinions. Posts that are interpreted as hindering the free flow of ideas and opinions may be removed. Please be encouraged to discuss ideas and opinions rather than individuals and names.
24 comments:
Lance my list hasn't changed much, here it is.
1.Federal Money for:
A: Rebuild our water system
B: Rebuild and improve our sewer
system
C: Network Improvements
1. Television
2. Broadband
3. Proposed city phone system
D: Emergency services equipment
E: Emergency services building
phase II
2.Economic Development
A: Nestle plant
B: Casino
C: Do we still have an economic
development zone, if so use
it to attract retail to
downtown and commercial
where appropriate
3. D
evelop alternative trans-
portation to Cascade Locks and
other Oregon Gorge Cities
4. Hire a lobbyist to represent
Cascade Locks in Salem as we
have in Wash DC
5. Develop affordable housing
6. Save our School (SOS)
7. Ensure we maintain preferential
power rates with BPA
8. Update our web site, Roger
Freeborn is no longer mayor, and
Tom Brazille, and Darrel Driver
are no longer members of the
city council
9. Work with the railroad to dev-
elop a no train whistle zone
within Cascade Locks city limits
Robb
Wow, that's an expensive list, and you're right, it looks to be about 10 years old and behind the times.
Federal money is going to very, very tight and there is nothing inherently wrong with either our water or sewer system- look up the prerequisites for that money, and aren't we are still paying for the last sewer? Television, broadband, phones - those are all available from outside sources. Why should we take on the expense of the infrastructures? And where is our need? The casino is not here yet and may not come. Stop building for maybes. We have wasted the last ten years on maybes.
Why do we need even one lobbyist, let alone two? And we need sweat equity housing, not affordable housing. We already have too many people here who can and have moved out at a 30-day notice taking their kids out of the school. Make it that so they become citizens who come here having contributed to their housing and have pride, ownership and invest in our community.
Why would BPA care? What influence do we have compared with their bigger customers? Rather, lessen our need for their product, develop alternative energy - there will be Federal money for that. Expand our current incentive system to include solar and wind power.
Economic development, great, school - already being worked on as we speak, as is the website and a city hall phone system.
As to the whistle, While they may be annoying, train whistles serve a basic safety function. They alert people that a train is approaching a public railway crossing.
Generally, specific safety measures would need to be in place to replace the whistle. That could mean crossing signals and arms to block traffic. That's not cheap.
Perhaps goal setting should be more that just getting Federal money. Make a need list not a wish list.
My vote for goals includes:
1)stabilize city expenditures
2)Conduct infrastructure survey and prioritize - while we have a fairly new wastewater plant, there are sewer and water pipelines throughout the city that need replacing or upgrading
3)Get Hood River County to pitch in some more on services - i.e. pay rent for the library space in City Hall and come through on their longtime "promise" of a health clinic facility.
Hello Janissary, come out of the middle ages. Our water system was installed 80 years ago and leaks like a sieve. Our sewer system needs laterals run so as to make it economically feasible for people at a distance to hook up. As to improving our services on the internet, if've always thought it was nice to have an alternative to the old Sprint. As to a lobbyist, the one we have worked on the resort/casino, got us money for undergrounding South Bank and has helped with many other projects. As to pride in housing, mine looks just fine thank you, how about yours? Are you proposing a means test to become a citizen of Cascade Locks? As to wind and solar, that's nice pie in the sky. You have preferential rates from BPA which is hydro and green. The council should make sure we protect that resource.
Federal money will be spent on infrastructure to stimulate the economy. If ever I saw an area and town that needs help this town and this county are it.
Robb
Hey Robb, did Janissary hit a nerve?
He is right, infrastructure is expensive and there is no need to duplicate a system. Piping is not the same as a system, and how are adding some laterals going to "rebuild" the sewer system? How much money do you think is available? Those are very big numbers the Federales are tossing around, and lot of other communities are hungering for a piece of the pie, too. I am on Embarq, another choice would be a satellite. Sweat equity is not a means test. It is a matter of pride for the participants, and before you ask my house is looking a lot better than it used to with the old owners.
Green power is necessary and coming along very strong, not pie in the sky. You should be aware that the President is targeting alternative energy with the next stimulus. I like Andy's infrastructure survey a lot.
And if you really believe this town and county are bad, Try Richmond, or Vallejo (they are declaring bankruptcy in Vallejo. Yeah, yeah, nasty (new) Californian.
I don't think that what needs work here is solely fixed by throwing money at it. We are still shattered by the fights over the McCoy property, over the Casino, over the Fire Station. Cascade Locks seems to be unable to "hate the sin, not the sinner." Everything is taken personally and a disagreement transcends into a dislike, even a hate for the person. What I would like most to see for a goal is a less concrete (pun intended) project. I would like us to be that friendly small town that we should be and grow to care for each other, even if we disagree about solutions. I would like to see someone stand up to speak and be treated with respect for an opinion, not be timed, ignored, greeted by catcalls. Just be treated with respect.
Hello Kate,
You're correct, the feds are not a bottomless pit. Having said that, we have people living at a distance from the main lines, they will have to connect at some point, it will be forced by the EPA or some other agency. They cannot afford to do this by themselves, therefore if we can get help with connections so much the better. As to the water system, I'd hate to see us rebuild Wa-Na-Pa and then have to redo it to fix our water system, I've seen that happen to many times. AS to windmills, I've been a proponent for a long time. The question is, where are they going to go, how will you get electricity to where you want it. If you're thinking investment in a windfarm, you'll need many millions, you could just go buy stock. Windmills are being done by people and companies with far more expertise then we have or are likely to have.
We have a river right here, we were the first user of electricity from Bonneville Dam, it's important to protect our high water mark. It's important to make sure that the commercial user don't grab a bigger share of cheap power. The dams are in and paid for, we just need to maintain the status quo, we'll never get cheaper power in my lifetime then we get from the dam. I'd recommend that J study the subject before spouting off. As to the casino, there are those in town who would do anything they could to block it, I've even heard negatives about the Nestle plant, go figure.
As to Janissary or what ever that is, I invite her/him to submit a list, apparently he/she can't or would have done so. It's easy to be negative, harder to be positive.
Robb
The Janissaries (derived from Ottoman Turkish ينيچرى (Yeniçeri), meaning "new soldier"
First you insult my house, and now my sex.
You don't get it, do you? What Kate just said about disagreeing with getting personal.
In order of preference:
1. Turn the Electrical dept. into a Public Utility
2. Finish the Downtown development
3. Get rid of the cable and the Broadband - there are other alternatives
4. Establish a commission to switch us back to a local economy (read the Small-Mart Revolution)
5. Regionalize our Fire Service
6. Encourage the Port to create a new marina (mouth of Herman Creek)
7. Start a program that utilizes the high school children as workers within our town as artists, landscapers, City Hall receptionists, helping file and re-shelves books in the library, use them to run the after-school recreation for the younger ones. Involve them within our community and get them work experience.
Janissary.....
Great start, I don't agree with all of them but some are unique and worth trying, particularly keeping the young people occupied with productive activities. Their help is really needed in a latch key community. As to insulting you, I'm not sure who you are or where you live, I know what the Janissarys are, I checked with Wikipedia. I must have hit a nerve. I can only tell you that helping others with affordable housing is what people should do for the least fortunate amongst us. You don't have to assume that everyone without a buck has done something wrong or made mistakes to get that way.
Robb
Quit being condescending, obtuse and trying to figure out who I am and look up sweat equity (Habitat for Humanity is a good start)
Frankly I don't care who or what sex you are. If you enjoy hiding behind a pseudonym that's your business. But it's really unnecessary to look down your nose at everyone you disagree with.
Robb
Dear Anonymous Robb:
You are making assumptions that just aren't true. Having been raised very poor I don't look down my nose, I just know that if you work for something it means more to you, you take care of it and it would bring us more committed citizens.
Hello Janissary.....
I can appreciate what you're saying, my background is anything but upper class, I started out in a government project. I started working as soon as I was allowed to. Having said that, I've worked with children who through no fault of their own have a hard time of it, I spent time driving special needs for the Reynolds District. I've been around adults who have had to deal with adversity. It's hard for me to not be judgmental about where some people are in life but I do what I can to. That's my own personal struggle. I agree with you that most people take pride in making a contribution to their own well being. In fact those who don't are generally out to take advantage of the system, and the poorer for it. When I look around at our town and see kids like I was, trying to get a start and have a decent place to live I think we can be charitable and help, particularly in the economic climate that we're in. I took time off to tour affordable housing and saw how it afforded sanctuary to young mothers and families trying to shield their children from bad influences. I know a lady here in town who believes that owning your own home is the best situation and I agree, but we don't live in an ideal time or an ideal world so making the most of what we have is my solution.
At any rate my intent was not to insult or hurt you.
Have a pleasant and restful weekend.
Robb
I was very interested in the regionalizing comment made on this post so I decided to do some research. Here is a quote that ran pretty much the same as the rest:
"You still need the staffing you have in the towns for their services(most are under-staffed to begin with) so by changing the name from say, Natick fire and Wayland fire to Metrowest fire dept. how does that save money? You still need the same stations and staffing, if not more. By cutting services you are playing Russian Roulette, are you willing to take a chance that if something is going on in Wayland and you need help in Natick that you can wait just a little longer for help? Fire doubles in size every 60seconds. Heck look at that fatal fire in Boston and they were on scene in 3 minutes. Imagine waiting longer."
Obviously this was from the East Coast but the message is still the same. It's not going to save us any money and we already have mutual aid contracts in place with other departments. There just doesn't seem to be an easy solution at this point but I don't believe that "regionalizing" is going to be the magic bullet either. Think about this for just a minute. If we're regionalized and Hood River comes to our rescue, who pays that bill? They are a full-time paid department. Also consider how long it would take to get Hood River's trucks or Stevenson's over here to fight a fire on the top floor of the Best Western. I know that I'm citing worse case scenario here but we have to be prepared for anything or we may as well just sit back and grab a bucket and a band-aid.
What about the school situation? What is happening with that ? Lance?
Anonymous, are you aware that an involved vehicle fire, 3/4's of a mile east from Multnomah on the Old highway was called in, our siren sounded three times and no one responded, and that when the brush truck did - from Warrendale, it was empty of water? The last report given to the public gives an ten to eleven minute response time. What level of service are we actually paying for now? At least Hood River is paid and will show up.
There are still several efforts in motion to save our school. We are continuing to put pressure on the school board to reconsider their decision. We are writing letters to the newspaper, calling the board members, calling radio stations and attending meetings. Bob Walker has agree to apply for the ex officio position on the board. We hope he will convince the school district to reconsider.
Additionally, there is an organized group that is working to form a charter school. They have filed notice of their intent and this friday March 6, they will turn in an application for charter school status to the school district. A communication committee has been elected. Twyla Brazille is the president. Tanya Muilenburg is the vice president. It was decided that we will apply for a k-12 charter school.
Once again, I hit a nerve when all I was attempting to do was to make a point. We are paying for equipment which we would still have to do under the regionaliztion plan because its my understanding that NFTA requires that a certain amount of equipment be available 24/7 per populated areas. If Hood River places equipment here, we still pay for it and we've already visited that scenario which didn't work.
We pay for a Fire Chief who because he is on the payroll is entitled to a vacation. If we want better responses from within we either need more Volunteers or put more people on the payroll. There doesn't seem to be any easy solutions for the trials our small community is facing like so many others. At this point in time, the most important thing we can do is to pitch in together and help each other to the best of our abilities which would include volunteering wherever possible.
Lance, thanks for the update on the schools. I hear the kids are going to have a fundraiser at the Fire hall opening on March 14. Everyone - Show up and buy some ice cream to support their efforts.
This is circular logic, "We pay for a Fire Chief who because he is on the payroll is entitled to a vacation," and makes no sense.
Do you have a point here? I grant that he gets a vacation, but I would point out that we don't get coverage because he is too busy trying to be an important chief rather than a more needed paramedic.
The consultants are the ones who suggested the regionalization, and soon.
To attend CL Pirate football games next year
Obviously "Sparky" you've never been on our Fire Department or you'd know that the Chief is responding to ALL the calls as both the Fire Chief and Paramedic -get a clue! To "Anonymous" I get what you were saying but it looks like others don't. Let's get back to the topic at hand which is "Looking Forward" and quit giving the uneducated things to gripe about. "Smokejumper"
Read the report and you'll have to conclude that we have a well run fire department. It also recommends we hire a second person. Our chief can't be taking time off and be on calls at the same time. Witness the call we couldn't do on the old highway, a car fire, the whole gorge was lucky that it didn't occur on a hot summer day and spread. As to the fire station, I'm looking forward to the dedication next Saturday.
Hi Jeff, see you're back from your vacation...
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