Let’s work together to solve problems
To the editor:
Baker County has some serious problems.
Baker ranked 29th out of 33 Oregon counties in health outcomes. One-fifth of Baker County residents do not have health insurance. One out of every four Baker County children lives in poverty. More than half of the students in our school system are on free or reduced lunch, and only 57 percent of students in the district graduate on time. The median family income in Baker County is $36,106: 30 percent below the national average. These are not the numbers we associate with a healthy community. These are statistics that paint a picture of a county with severe social and economic problems.
These statistics should be cause for alarm. We need to acknowledge
these problems, and take concrete action as soon as possible. The Baker
City Herald should be running an article about these issues every week.
If there has been any progress toward improving the socioeconomic
situation in this county, we certainly haven’t heard about it.
I don’t mean to imply that Baker County residents don’t care about each
other. Indeed, our community is a group of people that care about
people. We can see it during the food drive, in the ways that the
community comes together to support those stricken with severe
illnesses. But these actions aren’t solving the underlying problems;
rather, they are a well-intentioned attempt to stop the bleeding.
Change has to take place from the ground up, and must involve people
from every part of the community. If we as a community fail to act,
efforts to solve these problems are doomed to failure. Every person has
the right to a living wage, access to medical care, and a solid
education. These are not radical ideas. These are community values. We
are all in the same boat. Join with us in working for economic equality
at every level by logging into Facebook and visiting
http://tinyurl.com/BCProgress or add me as a friend to continue this
conversation. Together, we can make sure everyone in Baker County has a
seat at the table.
Elliott Averett
Baker City
Baker teachers back tax levy
To the editor:
The Baker School District is asking for the voters of Baker County to
pass a local option tax that will help stabilize our school funding
over the next five years. As educators in the district we support this
option tax on the basis that it allows for the district to maintain
services, programs, and standards that our community expects and
deserves.
This tax is a chance to take some control over the amount of funding
our local district receives. This option tax was proposed with the
purpose of saving existing programs, maintaining a full calendar year
for our students, and keeping class sizes manageable.
During the district discussions about the levy, there has never been
any indication that the money would be used for anything other than to
maintain current services and programs. School district employees have
given furlough days, have seen insurance premiums (out of pocket
expense) increase yearly, and have not had a salary schedule raise
since 2007.
With a vested interest in this local option tax, the Baker Education
Association and its members want to give our students and our community
the best opportunity available. Voting yes on this local option tax
conveys to students, schools, and the community that we care about the
quality of education our students receive.
The Baker Education Association represents teachers and other certified staff in the Baker School District.
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