Longview Daily News from Longview, Washington • 9

The Daily News Online: wwwtdncom Thursday January 20 2005 Section Unusual weather causing havoc to the north mudslide kills 1 in BC Page B4 MORE Obituaries Viewpoint B2 A7 Kalama legislator encourages businesses to offer mental health coverage proposes cutting tax on medical providers Question: Why do some Daily News newspaper boxes have white covers Bds and others don't? CH e-mail Answer: In some areas the paper boxes face the wind and rain and the lids are used to keep the papers dry The lids also are a deterrent when a customer's papers are being stolen nesses taxes total business volume not profits and is a major source of state revenue makes sense to me that if you reduce the cost of doctors you can reduce the cost of health care and therefore reduce the cost of healthcare Orcutt said A Democratic proposal would apply a new tax on doctors amounting to 1 percent of their gross income to state health programs of health plans or driving insurers out of the market National Alliance for the Mentally 111 talks about the tremendous savings there would be to society as a result of mental health Orcutt said want to encourage employers to offer mental health Orcutfs House Bill 1275 would reduce the Business Occupation tax rate paid by medical professionals from a current high of 15 percent to 0138 percent The tax widely panned by busi- Rep Orcutt Ed R-Kalama By Courtney Sherwood THE DAILY NEWS As Democratic Gov Christine Gregoire announced initiatives to make health care more affordable a local Republican state representative introduced two bills of his own Wednesday This week Rep Ed Orcutt R-Kalama proposed House Bill 1274 which would give employers a tax credit in exchange for covering mental health as part of health insurance plans A more widely backed bill to expand mental health coverage sponsored by 31 Democrats and three Republicans would require employers with more than 50 workers to provide the coverage alongside other health insurance within five years Orcutt said the proposal could leave more people without health coverage by increasing the cost Do you have a question? Call The Daily News at 577-2518 and leave a message or send your questions to Just Curious PO Box 189 Longview WA 98632 The e-mail address is hbrarytdncom pay for See Bills Page B4 RAINIER "Libraries tend to be big consumers but they don't generate any revenue If we built a $2 million library without a library district there is no way we could pay for it" Chad Olsen Rainier city administrator BiR Wagner The Daily News While Anita Crume left and her daughter Rachel look over a school paper Sharon Johnson works on another computer at the Rainier Public Library on Wednesday All live in Rainier Scappoose's Johnson the unanimous choice to fill Dukes' seat By Venice Buhain THE DAILY NEWS ST HELENS Ore Oregon Rep Betsy Johnson the Scappoose Democrat who has represented Clatsop and Columbia counties in the Legislature for four years now has more territory Commissioners from Columbia Clatsop Tillamook Washington and Multnomah counties on Wednesday unanimously tabbed Johnson to replace outgoing 16th District state Sen Joan Dukes Johnson joins the Senate today Dukes will represent Oregon on the Northwest Power Council Johnson present at meeting in St Helens said her agenda change even if she now must represent parts of Washington Tillamook and Multnomah counties as well just now have more guys to be the champion Johnson said have to learn how to get to Although Johnson said her priorities change the move will improve her political clout In the House she was in the minority party but Democrats control the Senate County Commissioners chose Johnson unanimously from a pool of three candidates nominated by Democratic precinct officers in the five counties The other candidates were Bill Blank a Scappoose Planning Commissioner and organizer of the Scappoose Market and Emil Nyberg a prominent Astoria volunteer and Democratic activist Columbia County conducted its meeting with the other four boards of commissioners by speaker phone Blank sat in the Columbia County audience Nyberg attended in Clatsop County think it was easy for all of us because we know Betsy and know how available she has Washington County Commissioner Tom Brian said over the phone other two candidates had a big hill to Blank said Wednesday he knew he was at a disadvantage but he wanted to how the system and get to address his fellow Democrats should have an opportunity to say what they feel about going he said has been a great representative but we needed to have more than one The commissioners chose on experience with the Blank added go with the proven Because seat will be vacant Democratic precinct officers in Columbia and Clatsop counties will meet again on Sunday to nominate at least three candidates to replace her Five people have expressed an interest in the position They include three from Clatskanie: former school superintendent Earl Fisher state AFL-CIO Secretary-treasurer Brad Witt and Margaret Magruder a member of the Lower Columbia Watershed Council The other two are Don Atwood chairman of the Clatsop County Democratic Party and Jim Servino a vice president for several Astoria radio stations CITY EDITOR: Andre Stepankowsky Board brainstorms ways to improve library cut hours at the library to balance the budget The city restored the hours after an outcry from the library board and a grant that enabled the city to transfer funds to library operation have to juggle balls and see how it all falls down or fall Councilman Steve Martin told library board members and supporters Tuesday night want to see how we are going to finance this over tend to be big consumers but they generate any Olsen told the council at the end of the regular meeting we built a $2 million library without a library district there is no way we could pay for Consultant Craig Smith of Rural Development Initiatives which the board hired to help develop the plan told the council he planned to address nearly two dozen foundations at a meeting this week in hopes of getting grants for the plans participation was paid for through a Ford Family Foundation grant and local matching money Budge said in an interview Wednesday that the library is part of a feasibility study for a two-county library system in Columbia and Clatsop counties which may be one way to provide funding from year to year The council plans to discuss the library proposal either at a work session before its first meeting in February or at a city planning session on Jan 29 By Venice Buhain THE DAILY NEWS RAINIER Anita Crume of Rainier was almost too embarrassed to say she and her daughter Rachel are recent Rainier library converts They go at all two months ago and now there twice a week computer system was Crume said were the types of books that I like to Rachel an 11-year-old sixth-grader likes doing her homework on the computers which are faster than the one they have at home said her mother now asks to go to the library which is something that happen Hie Rainier Library Board hopes more residents will follow suit and it hopes to encourage that by starting work on an ambitious multi-year agenda Two years after the city nearly cut library hours to make budget the library board has developed a strategic plan It starts with getting more volunteers to staff the desk and ends with exploring construction of a new library Library board President Connie Budge told the City Council at its Tuesday meeting there are volunteers willing to join a group to get those plans in motion The library board outlined a path that includes organizing literary events to promote the library cataloging books and other materi- RAINIER LIBRARY WISHES Excerpts from the library's strategic plan: More accessibility by opening on Saturdays employing volunteers and instituting a senior atizen work-training program Changing from a card catalog to a computer catalog Funding a feasibility study to expand and move the library Making a copy machine available through purchase lease or donation Organizing literary events als creating more events and finding a way to put a photocopier in the library Right now the library is tucked into a room in City Hall and is slated to be moved upstairs this year after the city installs an elevator The reading area was squished after the library installed four grant-funded computers several years ago reading activities are held in a City Hall commons room only accessible by stairs Several councilmen and City Administrator Chad Olsen wondered aloud how Rainier would fund the wish list Two years ago the city nearly (360) 577-2586 cborgaardtdncom (360) 577-2520 andretdncom REGION EDITOR: Cheryll A Borgaard 1.