Times they are a'changin 3

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--> --> Times they are a'changin The citizens of Jackson County have been invited by our County Commissioners to testify on the fate of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Spurned by the changing of the guard in Washington D.C., the commissioners have appointed an advisory committee to distill the public comments at a series of public hearings. Citizens are encouraged to speak their mind to our local elected officials who will then pass along this information to the powers in D.C. Jackson County has a long and colorful history of politics by and for the timber and grazing interests. Our local government has been and continues to be supported financially and politically by these extractive industries. But Jackson County is changing. The former role as a resource base for industry has been replaced by a community of people awed and honored to live in a place of unparalleled beauty and integrity. The old ways are dead. Change is difficult, and the first two public hearings have shown just how difficult this change is for the people caught in the middle. Cattle grazing and logging have been subsidized by government since its inception in Jackson County. For 150 years, we have been allowing and encouraging this subsidized lifestyle to continue. Many generations have come and gone. And now, the descendants of these generations are desperately clinging to an old way. Change is difficult. Change is inevitable. Jackson County is changing. I t's time our elected officials acknowledge the changes and begin creating policy to reflect the change. This is a call to all the citizens of Jackson County to stand up for the change that is occurring, and tell our elected officials to reflect the change, or begin looking for a new job. Stuart O'Neill Ashland Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing