Tuesday

Sept. 10, 2013 -- Older workers outnumber younger workers

Older Jackson County residents aren't settling into their rocking chairs but instead are vying with younger workers for lower-paying jobs.
"Everyone around my age is still working because of insurance," said Marcia Raven, a 59-year-old Central Point woman who works at Rogue Creamery.

JOB TRENDS OF YOUNGER AND OLDER WORKERS

In Jackson County, the median age is 42 compared to 38 in Oregon.
  • The number of jobs in Jackson County dropped from 83,910 in 2007 to 75,410 in 2012. Some industries have posted healthy job growth in the past year or so, but not all.
  • With fewer jobs, the unemployment rate as of July 2012 is still at 9.8 percent in Jackson County, 8 percent in Oregon and 7.4 percent nationwide.
  • Competition for existing jobs, even low- and minimum-wage jobs, is much tougher than before the recession.
  • In the third quarter of 1991, 3,585 14- to 18-year-olds had jobs in the county. In 2012, just 1,353 had jobs.
  • In the third quarter of 1991, 1,583 55-to 64-year-olds had jobs, compared to 4,691 in 2012.
— Source: Oregon Employment Department
The high cost of health care, a prolonged recession, high unemployment, faltering retirement accounts and a desire among retirees to remain productive have created a job market in which seniors are rubbing shoulders with younger workers in many local businesses.
Raven said her insurance plan at work and the need to help support her two grown children are some of the main reasons she has a job, though she says she likes her work because it keeps her mind active.
Her 30-year-old daughter is going back to college, and her 28-year-old son has graduated but is making less money now with two jobs than he did years ago as a bartender.
Working alongside employees less than half her age, Raven said she doesn't feel like she's taking a job away from younger people. "No, I'm working to help our kids," she said.
Raven, who had a former career owning five gift shops in Michigan, is anxious to see how Oregon's version of national health care reforms shakes out in October because she's hoping for a better system.
In Jackson County, older workers are trying to keep their jobs or search for another career, while younger workers are increasingly pushed out of the job market.
"This is probably a trend that has increased because of this unprecedented recession," said Ainoura Oussenbec, workforce analyst for the Oregon Employment Department.
Jackson County is more than 8,000 short on the number of jobs available before the recession, she said.
"Competition has been so fierce that, in some cases, more experienced workers have grabbed the job," Oussenbec said. "It has been extremely hard for younger, college-age people during the recession."
Jackson County has various issues that increase the number of older residents looking for work.
The average age in the county is 42 compared with the statewide average of 38. The county still has an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent, compared with 8 percent statewide and 7.4 percent nationally.
Some industries that historically have been an entry point for younger workers have evolved. Many supermarkets have customers fill their own bags rather than hire workers to perform that task, for example.
A stark statistic from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that 1 in 30 grocery store jobs were filled by 14- to 18-year-olds in 2012, compared with 1 in 8 in 1991.
Even worse, in the third quarter of 1991, 3,585 14-to 18-year-olds had jobs in the county. In the third quarter of 2012, just 1,353 had jobs.
In the 55-to-64 age group, 1,583 had jobs in 1991, compared to 4,691 in 2012.
The ability to get a job is dependent on the individual, Oussenbec said, though there have been anecdotal reports of differences between older and younger workers.
For many employers, older workers bring a good work ethic and provide reliability and solid customer service skills, Oussenbec said.
Some employers shy away from older workers because they fear they will demand a bigger salary, she said. They also think that older workers won't keep up with the computer skills and other technological demands of modern jobs.
Younger workers are seen as more technologically savvy and more willing to take on a wide range of jobs, she said.
Nikki Jones with Express Employment Professionals, which has filled 3,000 job assignments this year, said the demand for temporary workers has shot up.
"Our company, not just in Medford, has experienced exponential growth," she said.
While Jackson County may have a deficit of full-time jobs, the nation as a whole has 4 million positions available, Jones said.
At the beginning of the recession, workers in the 35-to-50 age group had a tough time finding anything other than an entry-level job. That trend is changing for the better, she said, particularly for workers who improve their skill set.
The long-term unemployed and those who lost professional jobs were the two hardest hit sectors, Jones said.
"People were willing to work for half their salary, but people were not willing to invest in them," she said.
It's also a difficult environment for professionals who haven't kept up on their skills.
Jones currently has an opening available for a social-media specialist, which requires expertise in YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and other popular applications.
Resumes have poured in from television reporters, photographers and other journalists. In many cases, they have the writing skills but don't have the chops in social media, she said.
Another factor now at play in the job market is that employers are demanding a solid educational background, according to Guy Tauer, regional economist with the Oregon Employment Department.
As a result, younger people are staying in school longer, trying to ride out the recession because they realize they will have difficulties finding a job, Tauer said.
Ron Fox, executive director of Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development Inc., said there are other reasons older folks are just not ready to retire.
Fox said his current position with SOREDI is an "encore career," after retiring from PacifiCorp.
"For me, it's a passion," he said. "Retirement is oversold."
In talking to other older residents, he finds that some just enjoy the challenge of a job and the energy it brings to their lives. The alternative doesn't look great, Fox said.
"My wife said that if I retire she will give me a honey-do list that will go on for ages," he said.

Sept. 9, 2013 -- Lawmakers debate possible special session

Legislators representing Jackson County are preparing for a vigorous debate over proposed pension reform and higher taxes after Gov. John Kitzhaber's call for a possible special session on Sept. 30.
Sen. Alan Bates, D-Medford, said legislators from both sides of the aisle will need to agree on a deal that could ultimately pump more money into schools. "I think we have a chance," he said.
Reform of the Public Employees Retirement System will require support from moderate Democrats, he said.
"Far-left Democrats don't want to touch anything in the PERS system," he said.
The proposed PERS change asks for a multiyear cost-of-living freeze for high-income retirees but not low- or moderate-income retirees. The estimated long-term pension cost reduction could be $5 billion.
A proposed change in income-tax deductions for high-income taxpayers could net the state $200 million that could be put into schools in this biennial budget. One of the proposals is to not allow a senior medical credit for high-income Oregonians.
To gain support from moderate Republicans, a proposal to offer a tax break to small businesses also is on the table, Bates said. So far, the tax break idea has received the least support, but Bates hopes that Democrats will try to work with Republicans on this issue.
Even though unions won't be happy, Bates said he's ready to vote for PERS reform, the changes in deduction, and the small business tax credit.
"Some of us really mean it when we say we will work both sides of the aisle," he said. "It's easy to say 'no' and be a flame thrower."
Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, said he doubted any meaningful PERS reform would come out of the special session. He said he thinks the governor's real motivation is to raise taxes.
He said the approved state budget already reflects a 13 percent increase in revenue. "It just shows those in charge never have enough money," Richardson said.
He also is suspicious the governor and Democrats might overturn the concessions to Republicans while continuing to support a tax hike.
"Republicans have no confidence any deal that would be made would be honored in the next session," he said.
The ideas being proposed for the special session were debated when the Legislature met earlier this year.
"Nothing has changed since that session," Richardson said.
Kitzhaber has tried to reach across the aisle for a deal that would raise revenue to boost funding for schools and mental health treatment while lowering the cost of public employee pensions. Kitzhaber said he's committed to including support for small businesses — a key demand from Senate Republicans.
Kitzhaber said he will meet with House and Senate leaders from both parties in hopes of securing a deal before holding a special session.
Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, stated in an email that he supported a special session if the governor pushes for additional PERS reform urged by Republicans.
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130909/NEWS/309090309

Sunday

Sept. 8, 2013 -- State of Jefferson or state of mind

Supporters of a tea party-inspired effort to secede from California encourage Jackson County to rally behind the creation of the state of Jefferson.
"Now the northern part of California and the southern part of Oregon have a chance of making history," said Mark Baird, who owns a radio station in Yreka and has spearheaded the secessionist movement.
Growing discontent over California regulations prompted the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors in a 4-to-1 vote last week to support the secessionist movement.
The lone vote in opposition was cast by board Chairman Ed Valenzuela. He said he took an oath to uphold the state constitution and was elected to solve problems within the existing system.
Siskiyou supervisors hope other rural, conservative Northern California counties will join them. They say they're being ignored by Sacramento legislators while being saddled with excessive regulations.
Modoc County supervisors are scheduled to vote on the issue on Sept. 24.
Both the California Legislature and Congress would have to sign off on any secession effort.
"This isn't going to be easy," Baird said. "It's a long shot, but it's not a joke to us."
Baird got the idea when he heard former California Assemblyman Stan Statham speak at a recent tea party meeting. Statham's ideas fired up Baird and within a month the movement spread, and the Siskiyou supervisors cast their vote. Statham has proposed carving California up into three states. The secession idea has since gained national attention and points to a growing rural/urban divide.
In 2011, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in Southern California hosted a statewide summit to discuss having 13 counties secede from eastern California to form "South California."
Southern Oregon and Northern California have long been known somewhat whimsically as the state of Jefferson, a reference to a movement in 1941 that gained steam until the start of World War II. Since then, the state of Jefferson has been mostly a state of mind.
Baird said Southern Oregon and Northern California share a common interest in logging, ranching and a feeling that lawmakers are standing in the way of creating more vibrant economies.
"That's why we belong together," Baird said.
He hopes to get support from 11 or 12 California counties, from Del Norte on the north coast down to Yuba above Sacramento.
The economics of creating a new state have been one of the main stumbling blocks, he acknowledged. Most of the counties have small populations, a tiny tax base and little industry.
Baird said the idea faces significant challenges, and he hopes to find a university that will devise an economic study on the feasibility of secession.
He said the counties hope to create a more business-friendly environment than currently exists in California to overcome their financial woes.
Jackson County commissioners say there has been no groundswell of support for secession locally.
Commissioner Don Skundrick said he's only received one comment from a local resident favoring secession.
He said he empathizes with the frustrations expressed by folks in Siskiyou County.
"I don't mind tilting at windmills, but the reality is it's never going to happen," he said.
Jackson County has met significant resistance from Salem over the years, but Skundrick said this area has a can-do attitude, though the economic malaise is beginning to chip away at it.
"We don't wait for Salem to get things done," he said.
Going forward, Skundrick said rural parts of the state need to pick their battles and work with metropolitan areas to solve problems.
"If we would stop spitting in the wind and work with moderates, we should just try to chip away at things as best we can," he said.
Commissioner John Rachor said many of the concerns and problems plaguing Northern California counties are similar to those locally, including discontent over policies set in urban seats of power.
"Everywhere but the Willamette Valley is upset with the Willamette Valley," Rachor said. "We all feel the Willamette Valley is calling the shots."
Commissioner Doug Breidenthal, who courted the tea party during his campaign, said he's sympathetic to Northern California counties.
"It personifies the disconnect between the urban portions of the state and the rural portions of the state," he said.
Breidenthal said Jackson and other rural counties have demanded more local control, particularly over management of local resources.
Even though he doesn't see much local support for secession, Breidenthal wouldn't rule out the possibility it could gain significant traction.
"I would never want to predict the future," he said.
In Yreka, which was once proposed as the capital of the state of Jefferson, the reactions to the secession movement are mostly favorable, though many residents have questions about the economics.
Drake Davis, owner of Don's Sporting Goods, said he supports the secession idea up to a point, but wonders how his county can sustain itself if detached from California.
With only 45,000 people in Siskiyou County, there's not much of a tax base and not much industry, he said.
On the other hand, the county is largely ignored by the huge population centers to the south, Davis said.
"Northern California is abused by Southern California and the Bay Area," he said. "It would be nice to have more control over what's going on in this area."
Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong said regulations from both the state and federal levels have strangled the local economy, and it's time for the county to fight back.
A county once home to more than 50 mills now has two veneer plants, she said. Unemployment balloons up to 18 percent during the winter, she said.
"We want to change from being a dependent county to one that is self-sufficient," she said.
Armstrong said locals have many gripes about how the county is treated by Sacramento.
Local residents are fuming over a fire protection fee of more than $100 a property that is sent to the state each year.
She cites the "militarization of fish and game" officials, who she said roll into the county and scare local residents with their guns and other threatening tactics.
"It's not a friendly atmosphere," Armstrong said.
The state largely has left her county out of the ongoing debate over Klamath Basin water issues, even though three dams are within its boundaries, she said.
Harvesting timber also is a big concern locally.
Mark Crawford, a 66-year-old logging company owner in Siskiyou County, said his area has received a lot of regulations and little help from the state.
"It's big money interests in Sacramento pulling the strings," he said.
Crawford said it can take six months or longer to get a permit to harvest timber, noting the same permit in Oregon usually takes about a month.
The secession movement will succeed or fail depending on how seriously people in Northern California counties take it, he said.
"If nothing else, it should get Sacramento's attention," Crawford said.

Saturday

Sept. 7, 2013 -- Two candidates challenge Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters

Two candidates from local law enforcement have stepped forward to challenge Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters as he seeks a fourth term in November 2014.
Sheriff's Lt. Bob Sergi, who is on the Jackson County sheriff's SWAT team and is a night supervisor at the jail, said it's time for a new direction.
Corey Falls, deputy chief at the Ashland Police Department and a member of the Medford Police SWAT team, said it's time for a change in the leadership at the Sheriff's Department. Sergi and Falls filed papers in August with the Oregon secretary of state to form political action committees.
They can't file candidacy papers with the Jackson County Elections Center until Sept. 12.
Winters said he plans to run for sheriff in 2014. He took office in 2002.
If three candidates run in the May 2014 primary election, and one of the candidates gets 50 percent of the vote plus one vote, that person would be the only candidate qualified to run in the general election.
Otherwise, the top two vote getters would run against each other in the November general election. Falls, a 40-year-old Medford resident, said the sheriff's department needs a fresh set of eyes. "I think training and experience is exactly what this county needs now," he said.
Falls said he was critical of the helicopter program that the sheriff runs as well as other resources used by the sheriff. "It's time to really look at how we're using personnel," he said.
Falls said he thinks the sheriff hasn't worked effectively at community outreach and responsiveness to the public. He said he wants to develop a better problem-solving strategy to reduce crime while improving social issues locally.
Reducing jail overcrowding and decreasing early release are two of his goals.
Falls has worked for law enforcement in Washington state, has been on a drug task force, studied at the FBI Academy, and is working on his doctorate in business administration.
He's also gone through programs in tactical training, leadership training and emergency preparedness.
While he grew up in Jackson County, he hasn't worked with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, but he has worked with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office in Washington state.
Sergi, a 57-year-old Central Point-area resident who works part time in real estate, said Winters has been too focused on emergency management to the detriment of law enforcement.
Sergi, who has worked for police departments in Long Beach, Calif., and Medford, said he was critical of the video surveillance equipment installed in Shady Cove schools and the high-tech gear for the helicopter. "I think that we need to go in a different direction and focus more on law enforcement," he said.
A SWAT team leader for 12 years, Sergi said he believes he has a lot of support from other deputies in his bid for sheriff.
An important issue for Sergi is the number of forced releases of prisoners because there's not enough room in the jail.
A jail commander from March 2010 to February 2011, Sergi said he wants to find ways to keep prisoners in the jail. With a degree in business administration, Sergi said he has certifications in corrections and criminal justice.
Sergi's recent stint with the sheriff's department started three years ago. For the first year and a half at the sheriff's office, he said he had heard mostly positive things about Winters, but now his opinion has changed, though he didn't offer specific reasons why.
Winters, 55, who lives in a rural area outside Ashland, said the county has been well-served by his time in office.
"I think I have a long record of accomplishments," he said. "It will absolutely stand any challenges."
Winters said he takes issue with Sergi's criticism of the video surveillance in Shady Cove because it is a technology that could prevent the slaughter of children. "Coming from a SWAT commander, that is an absolutely ludicrous statement to make," he said. "Schools have been forced to endure budget cutbacks, so a video surveillance system provides a cost-effective means to protect children."
He said he's got a strong record of law enforcement, but he said emergency management is one of the primary jobs of the sheriff, who has to collaborate with other emergency service providers in the area.
Winters said his department runs a fairly cost-effective aviation program that is necessary for search and rescue missions as well as drug seizures. He said his department spent about $40,000 in 2012 for helicopter operations after accounting for federal grants that help fund the program. He said a National Guard helicopter can respond to emergencies but it can take up to four hours before it gets to Jackson County.
The sheriff's department uses the helicopter only as needed, he said. Winters said he has carefully watched the sheriff's budget and stands by his record.
"It's up to my opponents to make their case," he said.
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130905/NEWS/309050314