4A
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
The Observer
OUR VIEW
Walden
will be
missed
Oregon may not know it yet, but in 2020 it is going
to lose a tremendous amount of infl uence in Wash-
ington, D.C.
That’s because longtime federal lawmaker Greg
Walden will step down that year from his slot in
the U.S. House or Representatives. Walden, 62, an-
nounced earlier this week that he will not run for re-
election in the huge 2nd Congressional District. That
district includes large chunks — including Umatilla
and Morrow counties — of Eastern and Southern
Oregon.
Walden was fi rst elected in 1998, and his coveted
position will be up for grabs in the next election.
It also means that when Walden departs, 20 years
worth of experience and political know-how will go
with him.
That isn’t a good thing for Oregon, and it is espe-
cially bad news for the constituents of his district.
As the only Republican in Oregon’s congressional
delegation, Walden, for the most part, delivered a
type of moderate center-right balance to a fi eld domi-
nated by Democrats. While Walden met criticism
from the political fanatics on both sides of the politi-
cal fence, overall his track record show he looked out
for Eastern Oregon on a consistent basis.
Whomever replaces Walden will face a long road
to achieving the kind of infl uence the Hood River na-
tive built over two decades of work in Congress.
Walden also strived to raise the voice of the rural
areas of the state in the federal arena. His success is
legion, and the state — especially the moderate GOP
— is going to miss his leadership.
Political voices of reason — the adult in the room, if
you will — are sadly missing on the American politi-
cal stage as of late. The country is bitterly divided
along political fault lines where there is a constant
grinding of rhetoric and dogma that ignites sparks
that burn bright. Politicians who, for the most part,
stick to party alignment yet seek always to fi nd com-
promise to help the nation and their state seem like a
vanishing species. As Walden has pointed out before,
that perception is quite correct. Lots of good work
is done in the hallowed halls of Congress by both
Democrats and Republicans on a regular basis. But
it is the smoldering fi re of fanatical doctrine that gets
headlines and seems to snake throughout the politi-
cal collective consciousness like a main circuit cable.
Walden brought a sense of methodical purpose to
his political work and he did a lot for Oregon. Once
he leaves the American political stage, he will be
sorely missed.
Write to us
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Your views
Roe: Kindness matters
To the Editor:
Recently I was shown that kindness
exists in our community.
Last week my 8-year-old daughter
was swimming at the pool and broke
her front tooth. I didn’t know how seri-
ous the break was so I called her dentist
in Walla Walla, but they were closed.
I then tried Koza Family Dental
Care. It was 4:55 p.m., right before
closing at 5 p.m. They asked me to send
a picture and Dr. Koza looked at the
images. He wanted to see my daughter
in the offi ce immediately.
Although it was past closing time, Dr.
Koza and his offi ce staff stayed open for
us. When we got there, he examined my
daughter’s tooth and put a sealant on it
until she could be seen by the pediatric
dentist in Walla Walla. When I asked
Dr. Koza about the cost, he said there
was no charge.
Dr. Koza and the offi ce staff were
so kind to my daughter and me. They
went above and beyond to help us. And
Dr. Koza didn’t charge me anything.
I appreciate their kindness so much
and I wanted everyone to know.
Lilly Roe
Island City
Bonney: Elgin Food Bank
benefi ts from generosity
To the Editor:
Small towns foster good will and car-
ing ways that continue to impress this
lady from the big city.
Last Saturday the Elgin Food Bank
held a spaghetti feed fundraiser at the
Elgin Community Center. Our goal
was to raise awareness that the food
bank had a funding need. The food was
donated by local businesses, Elgin Food
Town, Elgin Corner Market, Billy Bob’s
Butcher Shop, the Elgin Station and
Community Bank, so the profi t was
purely passed on to the food bank.
Elgin Parks and Recreation had
waived the fee for the building as a
courtesy. The diners represented every
club and organization in Elgin. Mem-
bers of the Local Union 2780 at the
Boise Cascade Mill offered a generous
donation that was equally matched
by the Boise Cascade Company. Local
individuals, our city council members,
organizations and churches gave with
such generosity that to witness it fi lled
my heart with hope for our future.
As a board member of the Elgin Food
Bank, I want to express my gratitude
for the businesses that made our event
possible. I want the donors and those
who braved the rain and wind to attend
to know they are making a difference
in their community. The Elgin Food
Bank is on solid ground again and will
continue to serve the folks of northern
Union County.
Communities like Elgin are quick
to lend a hand to those in need, which
leaves me feeling grateful to be a part of
the greater good.
To the Editor:
This letter is being written in
response to the complaint against the
Union County Warming Station.
Having an income does not always
equal enough to live on. I am blessed that
I do not spend my day hanging out in
a coin-operated laundromat drying out
my sleeping bag or lining my tent with
a tarp to keep the wind and rain out. I
don’t have to pack all I have in the world
and walk to the library to use a computer
to apply for a job, or catch a ride to a 24-
hour restaurant to stay warm and dry. I
don’t have to count the days before I can
do laundry or take a shower. I don’t have
to worry about people looking at me like
I have the plague. I don’t have to imagine
how it will feel when I fi nally get to go to
work every day.
The warming station is temporary,
winter weather only. It doesn’t take
away the humiliation of being home-
less.
Find your humanity and encourage
our community to offer this small op-
portunity to those who need it. It’s our
vets, our children, and it could someday
be you. It’s all of our backyards. It’s all
of our community. It’s us.
Don’t complain about anyone having
the basic human right to have warm
meals, showers, medical, mental and
dental care.
La Grande businesses, your attitude
does not represent me.
To the Editor:
Who are the Trumpians? In Wash-
ington, D.C., they are masquerading as
Republicans. These lawmakers have
chosen to remain loyal to and sup-
port Donald Trump with disregard for
American values. A quick review of
various government actions and state-
ments presents an enlightening view of
the Trumpian policies.
I found the following defi nition
of fascism on a University of Idaho
webpage: “The word descends from
the Latin ‘fasces,’ the bundle of sticks
used by the Romans to symbolize their
empire. This should clue you in that
fascism attempts to recapture both the
glory and social organization of Rome.
Most generally, (fascism is) a govern-
mental system led by a dictator having
complete power, forcibly suppressing
opposition and criticism, regimenting
all industry, commerce, etc., and empha-
sizing an aggressive nationalism and
often racism.”
Let’s compare:
“a dictator having complete power”:
Trump has stated he considers himself
“the chosen one” and has shown disre-
gard for the “rule of law.”
“forcibly suppressing opposition and
criticism”: Trump demands loyalty
pledge to the president (e.g.. fi ring of
FBI Director Comey).
“regimenting all industry”: Trump
administration removes and reduces
employee and public safeguards from
manufacturing and mining industries
(e.g., FDA reverses EPA decision to ban
dangerous pesticide chlorpyrifos).
“emphasizing an aggressive national-
ism ...”: the campaign slogan is “Make
America Great Again.”
“... and often racism”: the war on im-
migrants.
Mr. Trump appears to check all the
boxes when comparing Trumpian and
fascism. Even though I cannot condone
the activities of the Antifa group, I
believe they may be on to something
extremely dangerous happening in our
Republic. If you agree, keep watching
and protesting this administration’s
actions, and let’s replace them in the
voting booth.
Kay Durham
La Grande
David Ebbert
Enterprise
Kathy Bonney
Elgin Food Bank
Durham: Don’t complain
about warming station
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Ebbert: Let’s replace
Trumpians in the voting booth
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