FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion
— Guest Opinion —
— Letters to the Editor —
Restore veterans’ 2A rights
To the Editor:
When I was 19 my country gave me
a used M14 and quite a bit of ammuni-
tion free and they even gave me $55
extra a month to shoot at some people.
The ammo supply was usually ad-
equate but just in case it wasn’t they
gave me a foot long knife to attach to
the end of my rifle barrel. I survived
and came home and now I go to the
Veteran’s hospital in Boise for medical
treatment.
Things have changed. Evidently
some people, who I suspect were not
veterans wrote some laws and I am
greeted by one of them in great big
letters as I enter the VA grounds that
promise a year in jail should I possess
a weapon. The practical effect of that
is that even though I am a veteran and
a non-criminal I have to travel 168
miles one way unarmed because my
final destination is the VA. Inside I am
greeted with some more signs that I
don’t quite know how to take. Maybe
they are for comic relief or maybe
they are just some more of well-
meaning liberal stuff, probably one of
the war protesters at Berkley or Haight
and Ashbury finally graduated and got
a government job. It reads “for your
protection no guns or knives are al-
lowed.” How the world has changed.
Combat veterans remember relying
on guns and knives for protection and
would like to have one in our personal
cars instead of relying on leftist signs.
I did mention this to Greg Waldon
in one of his town meetings and he
took notes but I am still waiting to see
if does any good to elect a Republi-
can when it comes to rolling back the
liberal gun agenda. It sure would be
nice to see some push back in Oregon
when Ginny Burdick drops 5 or 6 gun
bills in the legislature but Oregon’s
law making body is decidedly short of
any veteran perspective, both on the
state and federal levels.
I would like to see a” Veteran’s Sec-
ond Amendment Restoration Act” in-
troduced in this congress and become
an issue during the 2016 election
cycle. It probably won’t get a lot of
traction, until ISIS shows the left wing
that you can be attacked here, right
in your shopping malls and maybe
even at a VA hospital. The idea that
those who fought them over there
might be attacked here for revenge is
not inconceivable. And like they say,
“When seconds count the police are
only minutes away.”
Steve Culley
Richland
I support John George’s stance
To the Editor:
I support John George’s (of Forest
Access for All) stated concerns and
give him credit, when credit is due.
I refer to his letter to the editor and
reference documents:
The “Tidwell Brief”discusses
governments working together in
coordination, you won’t find the word
“cooperation!”
FS requesting County Governments
to sign any “cooperating” “Memoran-
dum of Understanding” is to dismiss
any conflicts rather than address a c -
ordinated effort to solve conflicts and
work for the mutual benefit of natural
resource uses by all.
Baker County Commissioners
Bill Harvey, Mark Bennett and Tim
Kerns are “on the right track” refus-
ing to sign away County and State
rights fought hard for by Baker county
residents.
Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker
County Press reserves the right not to pub-
lish letters containing factual falsehoods or
incoherent narrative. Letters promoting or
detracting from specific for-profit business-
es will not be published. Word limit is 375
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Advertising and Opinion Page Dis-
claimer: Opinions submitted as Guest
Plain and simple, presenting and
requesting Counties sign their MOU,
giving USFS total control, is sneaky
and not at all abiding by their own
direction as explained in the “Tidwell
Brief!”
I Googled “Federal Resource
Advisory Committees” and found
Eastern Oregon is sorely lacking
theirs! Who is out there to champion
the people’s welfare in sustaining our
future existence as viable communi-
ties with access to renewable forest
resources; continued traditions of
recreation, hunting, fishing, ranching,
mining; and enjoying access to our
historic cultural resources, those traces
of human existence that we treasure
for reminding us who we are and why
these resources are of our concern!
Those are the ties that bind us to these
public lands now and always.
There is conflict in our Blue Mou -
tain Forests. It was my understanding
a “mythical god” known to me as a
“Seven County Coalition in Eastern
Oregon” took time to hear the public,
and took time to respond with con-
cerns, no, the Blue Mountain Forest
Plan Revision DEIS does not meet
County plans.
Hard work you’d throw away, then
demand the FS provides counties a
future, through developing and fol-
lowing coordinated resource plans
between governments, County &
Federal.
I will continually thank John for his
professional and personal dedication
to Eastern Oregon’s public lands ac-
cess and support to concerned citizens.
Concerned outspoken individuals de-
serve to be commended, not ridiculed
for their honesty, integrity, and for-
ward thinking ways to see coordinated
government service for the benefit of
the counties, now and always!
Betty Duncan
Unity
Coordinate, not cooperate
To the Editor:
First of all I would like to thank the
County Commissioners from Baker
and Wallowa counties for sticking up
for its citizens and rejecting the Forest
Service’s attempt at getting them to
sign a Cooperation Agreement trading
their rights just for a seat at the table.
I hope the rest of the counties that
are involved in the Blue Mountain
Revision will take a hard look at what
the two above counties have done to
protect the rights of the county. Ask
your Commissioners to give the Baker
and Wallowa County Commissioners
a call and find out why they made the
stand that they did.
Wednesday was a meeting day for
most County Commissioners and I
am sure that some of them made a
decision one way or another. People
out there concerned about losing
their roads need to call or email their
respective County Commissioners
and ask about just where they intend
to take the county. If it is anything but
“Coordination” get ready for a big loss
of roads in your county.
It is crunch time we either stand our
ground or lose a major portion of your
roads and trails access. Be proactive
and go to the Commissioner’s meet-
ings, make an appointment with them,
email or text them. The Tribes said it
all, no Cooperation for them, it is gov-
ernment to government using coordi-
nation, why not us, don’t we deserve
the same as the Tribes?
Chuck Chase
Baker City
Opinions or Letters to the Editor express
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A tone-deaf
budget that
will never,
ever balance
By Raul Labrador
This week, President Obama com-
plied with his legal duty to submit a
budget to Congress.
But his $4 trillion blueprint for fiscal
year 2016 falls recklessly short of our
government’s obligation to live within
its means and begin paying off the $18
trillion debt.
The president proposed an audacious
tax, spend and borrow scheme that
would balloon our debt to $26 trillion
by 2025. We were $10.6 trillion in the
hole when he took office
Rather than offering tax reform to
level the playing field and boost the
economy, the president wants to raise
taxes by $2.1 trillion over a decade.
He wants to increase spending by
$2.4 trillion, a 7 percent increase next
year and a 65 percent jump in 10
years.
This abdication of responsibility is
at the heart of why so many Ameri-
cans have all but given up on Wash-
ington.
Even the president’s allies are
skeptical. The left-leaning Tax Policy
Center, a joint venture of the Urban
Institute and Brookings Institution, de-
bunks Obama’s claim that his budget
will help the middle class.
— Editorial —
The Kitz
Situation
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Kate
Brown rushed out of a meeting in D.C.
and flew back to Salem. Brown is next in
line for the governorship should Kitzhaber
take a bow.
At this same time, elected officials on
both sides of the aisle, as well as those
we know on the “inside” in Salem began
calling to say they expected a resignation
from Governor John Kitzhaber within 24
hours. Then Kitzhaber issued a statement
that he planned to cling to his position
for dear life. (Okay, we paraphrased a bit
there.)
Now, his alleged criminal offenses
and those of his shack-up honey, Cyl-
via Hayes, were outed back before the
election, and while more evidence has
been uncovered, the accusations haven’t
changed all that much.
So why would a newspaper like The Or-
Submitted Photo
Congressman Raul Labrador repre-
sents the first district of Idaho
“The proposal would have very
little net impact on middle-income
households,” says the Tax Policy Cen-
ter. The middle 20 percent of house-
holds – making between $49,000 and
$84,000 – would see their annual
after-tax incomes drop by an average
of $7, according to the center.
The president has boasted of provid-
ing “a little bit of a cushion” for work-
ing families. More like a Whoopie
cushion, now available at Target for
$3.
Idahoans sent me to Congress to end
unsustainable government growth. In
the new Congress, I’ll be joining my
colleagues in making the hard choices
necessary to get us back on track.
Only by restraining government,
bringing fairness to the Tax Code and
reducing regulatory burdens will we
unleash American innovation and
improve our standard of living across
the spectrum.
egonian wait until now to ask Kitzhaber to
step down? They knew what he was when
they endorsed him just three months ago.
Our theory is that if they had denounced
Kitzhaber prior to the election, Repub-
lican Dennis Richardson would surely
have been elected, and his conservative
ideals fly in the face of all that makes that
paper—well, that paper.
It’s safer for liberal media to come out
against the embattled governor now that
he’s been elected because if he is removed
or resigns, ultra-liberal Brown will take
his place. And then all will remain comfy
in the world of western Oregon media.
There’s no questioning the power of
incumbency, and once in office for 18
months before facing off against a chal-
lenger in a forced 2016 election, Brown
would gain an advantage likely impossible
to overcome.
The recall effort currently against
Kitzhaber is politically misguided for
conservatives as well, and for the same
reasons. If successful, it will have the
same effect as a resignation.
We say leave Kitz in office as long as
possible, let all his dirty laundry come out
into the light of day, and see if Portland
voters get nice and sick of him. Maybe
then they’ll vote a little wiser.
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
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YOUR ELECTED
OFFICIALS
President Barack Obama
202.456.1414
202.456.2461 fax
Whitehouse.gov/contact
US Sen. Jeff Merkley
503.326.3386
503.326.2900 fax
Merkley.Senate.gov
US Sen. Ron Wyden
541.962.7691
Wyden.Senate.gov
US Rep. Greg Walden
541.624.2400
541.624.2402 fax
Walden.House.gov
Oregon Gov. John
Kitzhaber
503.378.3111
Governor.Oregon.gov
State Rep. Cliff Bentz
503.986.1460
State Sen. Ted Ferrioli
541.490.6528
Baker County
Commissioners Bill Harvey;
Mark Bennett; Tim Kerns
541.523.8200
541.523.8201