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Letters to the editor: An open letter to the Oregon School Board By Daniel W. Holladay, Director Oregon City School Board Regardless of party affiliation our state legislators continue to fail Oregon's children by not passing a state budget. After more than eight months of meetings and countless sessions they have not been able to agree on a state budget that will allow Oregon to operate. There are many options that have been explored, but not supported. Now is the time for the volunteers that make up the school boards of the State of Oregon to make our voices heard. The options available to the legislature are many, ours are few. I propose that until our elected officials in Salem are able to complete the job we sent them to do, that we as elected school officials refuse to open the school doors until they have completed their work. This may seem a harsh option but without a final budget figure, we as volunteers, are working in the dark. In Oregon City we budgeted at what was felt the minimum of allocation of 4.8 billion would be. As of now, we cannot even be confident of that figure. While that number would be detrimental in 2004-2005, it will allow us to maintain most programs this year. An increase in allocation, through either tax increases or a combination of cuts and reductions in tax exemptions to a level of 5.05 to 5.3 billion would be a welcome relief. As a Republican I would prefer the latter, because I think that that would provide a better stimulus to our economy. More importantly, before we as elected school officials open our doors to the children of the Sate of Oregon this year, we need to be confident that we will be able to keep them open for the entire school year. To our "legislators", Democrat, Republican and Independent I say get the job done before Labor Day or we will send a plague of parents down on your heads the likes of which you have never seen. My wife and I have three kids in either elementary or middle school and this option will not be an easy one, but in the " dog days of summer" with our legislators sleeping at their desks there may be no other option. Guest forum: Flag-wavers should mind their own flags By Tracy Bungay Ashland I would like to ask those who find great significance in the United States flag to actually stand by those sentiments. I have had enough of the flag, seeing more than a couple a day is just too many. I would like to remind people of the Federal Flag Code. Compliance with the flag code should greatly reduce the number of daily flag sightings. The City of Ashland flagrantly ignores the Flag Code at both the Civic Center and the new fire station by displaying the flag constantly and without illumination during the hours of darkness. The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously, every day. The flagpole at Willow Wind Community Learning Center has been installed. So far it remains empty. Will the school district follow the terms of the Federal Flag Code? The Congress of the United States, by joint resolution, has enacted the Federal Flag Code setting forth the protocols to be observed when displaying the flag. These protocols and the inherent respect they demand seem to have been abandoned. The implication that the flag is no more sacred than any other logo is everywhere you look; Old Navy tee shirts, decorative flags on homes and cars, various fashion accessories - most made in overseas sweatshops. These officious and empty utterances do nothing to improve the status quo of our country. Our nation is staggering through a grotesque bout of unquenchable icon worship. There doesn't appear to be anything in the flag code about displaying flags with disclaimers. My very favorite flag in town can be seen on Siskiyou Boulevard, properly mounted on the front of the house with a banner reading, "Our flag is for the troops overseas. Not the clowns who put them there." Muckraker Bill Maher has a great idea. True patriotism is doing something for your country. If our car flags had to be earned with real contributions or purchased with deeds, not dollars or if each one we saw meant someone had given blood or volunteered their time or donated money or written their congressman or saved a gallon of gas, perhaps then we'd really be bucked up at the sight of them. Disrespect for the flag has become as acceptable as shopping at Wal-Mart. Our quality of life and freedom are worth more than an abundance of cheap flags. Redundancy has destroyed the symbolism of the flag not a lack of patriotism.. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -