Congressmen talk timber payments

GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- Despite their political differences, Oregon lawmakers are coming together to save the state's rural communities.

“Anybody who's been observing Washington over the last year sees what singular partisan solutions to different problems will get you – which is nothing,” Democratic Rep. Peter Defazio said.

Congressmen Defazio and Republican Rep. Greg Walden met Thursday afternoon in Grants Pass to discuss their plan to find long-term solutions to the timber counties' dependence on federal payments.

“We need action both in terms of financing to get through the expiration we face, as well as long term solutions so we're not on this yo -  yo,” Walden said.

Defazio says Josephine is one of several counties in trouble.

Among their ideas to help those counties is imposing penalties on businesses that send jobs overseas, increasing sustainable logging and asking for short - term extensions for federal payments.

If they don’t get those extensions, Defazio says there are counties with local governments on the verge of collapsing. He said Curry County is one of the worst off, and is talking about dissolving their sheriff’s office.

As the congressmen spoke to dozens inside of an auditorium next to the Josephine County Sheriff’s office, Occupy Grants Pass ralliers were waving at the cars driving by.

“We want to get the message across that we want our congressmen and senators and president to represent the 99% -- the great majority of American people,” rallier Allen Hallmark said.

The congressmen say they are working on their plan alongside Democratic Rep. Kurt Scharader.

Defazio says they are negotiating with other agencies and do not have an exact date as to when they will be able to move forward.