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nionmonesanissueo contention • More than $15K funneled to John Turner through PAC By Kelly Ducote The Observer
House Dist rict58 candidate Greg Barreto is bothered by the fact that thousands of union dollars are being funneled into John Turner's campaign. A Political Action Committee, Oregonians for Rural Jobs,
2014 ELECTIONS was filed April 21 and has since donated $15,700 to Turner's caulpalgn. Rep. Bob Jenson, who isn't seeking re-election, is the director of the PAC, according to the Oregon Secretary of State website. Jenson, the longest-serving member of the Oregon House, has endorsed Turner for his seat. Barreto has criticized Turner fortaking union money butnow
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cWe have never made any kind of attempttohide the fact that we've accepted donations Tumer f r o m unions," Turner said.oWe have a very broad base of support." Turner, the Distrct 58 candidate from Pendleton, said he did not consult with Jenson prior to the filing of the Rural Jobs PAC. "He and I didn't discuss it SeePAC / Page7A
says he's bothered that Turner's trying to hide it under the guise of an innocently-named Barreto
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"It's the way it was funneled through," he said. Another PAC, Citizens for Political Education, donated
$15,000 to Rural Jobs, according to the Secretary of State website. SEIU's website shows that PAC is associated with the SEIU.
HIGHER EDUCATION
• W aterbudgetcallsfor $6 a month increase, sewer rates to remain the same What's nBxt?
By Kelly Ducote The Observer
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The La Grande Budget Committee approved public works and other enterprise budgets without much discussion Wednesday night. Before taking a look at those budgets, committee member Ken Bruce brought up concerns that Tuesday night's motion to pass the general fund budget included Strope th ewrong figure. In the quick math done at that meeting, the figure for the general fund was
The budgets will go before the La Grande City Council and Urban Renewal Agency June 18 for final approval and adoption.
short by about $2,400. City
Phil Bullock/The Observer
Declining enrollment numbers are having a dramatic impact on Eastern Oregon University's budget since funding at Oregon University System institutions is directly tied to enrollment. Prospective EOU students from Four Rivers Community School in Ontario tour EOUThursday, led by EOU Admissions CounselorTrisha Harshberger.
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Manager Robert Strope that would be corrected during council adoption June 18. Bruce and others also expressed concern as to whetherthe unappropriated ending fund balance should be included in the total budget figure, which was named SeeBudgets / Page7A
NORTHEAST OREGON
• La Grandecollegehasplentyofsupportatstatelevel,according to schoolleaders the Legislature is providing the Oregon University System is the same now as it was about 15 years ago even though costs have risen and the OUS has 34,000 additional students. Still, to blame the state and assume EOU is off its radar is misguided, according to Jay Kenton, vice chancellor of finance and administration for the OUS and Eastern's future interim president. uiFaulting the state) is not the thing I would focus on," said Kenton, who will become interim president of EOU on June 16 after Davies steps down to become president of Murray State University in Kentucky. Kenton said that when it comes to funding, the Oregon Legislature is not favoring one state university over another. 'There is no difference in how the other universities are funded," Kenton said. SeeEastern / Page7A
By Dick Mason The Observer
Students and faculty at Eastern Oregon University have heard the refrain before — "Hopefully, this may bethe fi naltim ein many years EOU may have to make major budget reductions." The message has been shared by officials dating back almost six and a half years. Nevertheless, Eastern has had to make budgetreductions ranging from $1.8 million to $4.1 million four times since 2008. The latest cuts were announced two weeks ago by outgoing EOU President Bob Davies, who released the draft of a sustainability plan calling for $4 million in budget cuts that would take effect over the next two years. About 25 faculty and seven administrative staff positions would be cut under the draft plan. Students and faculty are understandably upset with the continuing need for budget cuts and are asking why? A number blame the state for lack of support, claiming that Eastern has been forsaken by the Legislature. They have a point, since the funding
INDEX Calendar........BA Classified.......3B Comics...........2B Crossword.....BB Dear Abby ... 10B
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• Eastern Oregon University is not the only small regional state university experiencing major budget problems in Oregon. Page 14A • While those on the Eastern Oregon University campus brace for $4 million in cuts, people off campus have concerns of their own. Page14A
were accessible 3ob decline
By Pat Caldwell VVesCom News Service
One of the biggest engines in the regional economic machine is operating mills at less than full capacity even thoughdemand forthe products it generates continues to remen steady. Boise Cascade — a publicly-traded firm with facilities in the U.Su Canada, Britain and Taiwan — operates four mills in Eastern Oregon but thoseplants areoperating with fewer personnel because of a low overall timber harvestrate,notbecause the wood products market issoft. The missing link in this See Logs / Page7A
According to a report from the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, by 2012there were 14,000 fewer jobs connected to the Oregon forest industry than in 2007.
CONTACT US
Fu l l forecast on the back of B section
Friday
Inside
Insko: We could add jobs if logs
541-963-3161 Issue 59 3 sections, 30 pages La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas to newsC~lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.
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