Chamber drumming up support
for alternative to city B & O tax

Calling a business and occupation tax plan that the Vancouver city council is considering “unacceptable,” the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce is pushing a full-court press to get the council to abandon reinstatement of a city tax on gross business receipts in favor of a package of funding resources.

The council has proposed the business tax to finance transportation projects. The chamber and its coalition members recognize the need, but call the B & O tax regressive and counter-productive to the city’s theme of “Open for Business.”

Instead, the coalition calls for a variety of measures, including a county-wide gasoline tax, a property tax lid lift, increased parking revenues, triple penalties for vehicle tax evasion, and working with state legislators to develop more local funding options.

The coalition also offers to agree to a $50-per-employee surcharge on city businesses.

A final hearing on the city’s proposed transportation finance plan comes up during the 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, meeting of the city council. Chamber president Beth Quartarolo says the coalition is urging business persons to attend the council meeting.

Coalition members in addition to the chamber are as follows: Identity Clark County, Columbia River Economic Development Council and Vancouver’s Downtown Association.

Floyd Brown named Columbia River
Mental Health Services clinical director

Floyd Brown has been appointed clinical director for Columbia River Mental Health Services, CRMHS executive director Gregory Robinson announced today.

A psychologist, Brown has a background in consultation and as an administrator and educator in Human Services Policy in the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. Brown is a former faculty member at Ohio State University. He earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Washington.

CRMHS provides professional mental health treatment for schizophrenia, bi-polar condition, depression, anxiety, chemical dependency, and individual and family therapy, and operates a methadone dispensing clinic.

Reception at Water Center
opens WinterFaire today

A reception from 5 to 8 p.m. today will open the annual WinterFaire celebration in Vancouver's Water Resources Education Center, 4600 SE Columbia Way, on the Columbia River waterfront.

Regional artisans and craft artists will be displaying and offering for sale a wide variety of one-of-a-kind creations, including elaborate gourd Kachina sculptures, turned wooden vessels, stone jewelry, kaleidoscopes, marbled paper, ceramics, fused glass garden art, handmade soaps, photography and paintings.  

There is no charge. Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be offered. Winter Faire continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19.

Pearson Air Museum fund
raising goes high tech

Pearson Air Museum has found a way for online shoppers to make contributions to the museum through painlessly the national online fundraising program ShopForMuseums.com.

Museum director Kyle Kihs explains the program as follows: Go to www.shopformuseums.com and select Pearson Air Museum as the recipient of a percentage of every on-line sale; then, browse and shop at any of 300 different national stores, including ebay, Target, Best Buy, OfficeMax, Lands End and Amazon.

For further information, call Kihs at 694-7026.

Calendar

Magenta Theatre presents Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap in the First Baptist Church, 108 W 27th Street,  at 7 p.m. this evening. A matinee is at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18. For further information, call 635-4358.n Arts Equity Theatre is presenting the one-man musical Herringbone at 7:30 p.m. this evening and Saturday evening, Nov. 18, in the Main Street Theatre, 606 Main Street. For further information, call 695-3770. nn The entertaining and educational Title VII Native American Indian Program is from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, in the Gaiser Student Center and Penguin Student Union at Clark College. Activities continue throughout the day, There is no charge for the annual event developed through the Evergreen School District. n 2006 Arc of Achievement awards will be presented during the 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, Arc of Clark County luncheon in the Hilton Vancouver Washington. The luncheon is $12 per person. For further information, call 254-1562. n Santa's Elves Bazaar & Resource Fair is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, in the Luepke Center, 1009 E McLoughlin Blvd. Over 50 tables of homemade crafts will be for sale. Light refreshments will be available for purchase.

Friday headlines

Big layoff, as many as 400 persons, hits Camas paper mill--Columbian, Julia Anderson

Marine whose wife and baby daughter live in Vancouver killed by a roadside bomb Tuesday in Iraq--Columbian, Dean Baker

Larry Swatosh making gingerbread famous--Columbian, Susan Holton

Gregoire promotes science instruction in Vancouver--Columbian, Howard Buck

Business coalition wants to work with city to find transportation funding--Columbian, Jeffrey Mize

Prices still stead in home market but sales are down, Columbian, Cami Joner

Commutes to Bellevue now worse than those to Seattle, Seattle Times, Eric Payne

Socialists back woman in race to lead France--New York Times, Elaine Sciolino