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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 2019)
4A MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2019 The Observer OUR VIEW Don’t hide sports betting financials Sports betting is a multibillion dollar business. That’s not going away. So the state of Oregon’s launch of its own sports betting through the Oregon Lottery makes sense. People over the age of 21 can now legally bet through a smartphone app. Yes, sports betting can create serious personal, family and societal problems. If it is going to exist, it’s better that the state puts some legal safe- guards in place, protecting customers. But it would be better still if the state would be transparent about its relationship with its lottery contractor, SBTech. Oregon sports betting should come out of the shadows. SBTech is headquartered in the Isle of Man. The subsidiary that won the Oregon contract is regis- tered in Malta. Many of the company employees actually work in Bulgaria. Beyond that, there are some critical pieces of information missing. Oregon Lottery offi cials refused to release a background investigation of SBTech by Oregon State Police. Offi cials did release a summary of the investigation. That’s not the same thing. Lottery offi cials had even chosen to award the contract to SBTech before completing the investigation. To be fair, they could have backed out if the investigation found something untoward. Oregonians may never know if they found anything suspicious. Oregon Lottery offi cials also refused to release the lottery’s contract with SBTech. It allowed SBTech to black out large portions of its contract before releasing it to The Oregonian. SBTech blacked out most everything having to do with how it would be paid — even the defi nitions of things like revenues and fees. Other states also use SBTech, including Dela- ware, New Jersey, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. There’s some comfort in that. There’d be even more comfort, though, if the Oregon Lottery trusted Or- egonians enough to be open about its relationship with its lottery contractor. Lottery offi cials are essentially telling Orego- nians: Never mind. The fi nancial relationship in a deal worth millions doesn’t matter. That’s good enough for Gov. Kate Brown? That’s good enough for Oregon legislators? Is it good enough for you? Your views Union County Law Enforcement Association: We endorse Sheriff Rasmussen To the Editor: This letter is directed to the citizens of Union County. The Union County Law Enforcement Association is proud to announce the endorsement of Sheriff Boyd Rasmus- sen by unanimous decision in the up- coming 2020 election. The unanimous vote was composed of all 24 Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce union members from both the patrol and corrections divisions. This vote of confi dence was reached over the course of multiple union meetings discussing Sheriff Rasmussen’s previous, current and anticipated future performance. Sheriff Rasmussen has been the sheriff of Union County for 15 years. During those 15 years, Sheriff Ras- mussen has proven his service to the citizens of Union County and his employees by exemplifying the Sheriff’s Offi ce mission statement: Leading with Honesty, Excellence, Respect, Integrity, Firmness, and Fairness with Compas- sion and Courage. The Union County Law Enforcement Association recognizes that there are two additional candidates running for this offi ce. The union has taken into consideration all three candidates’ qual- ifi cations and previous work experience. This includes personal knowledge as well as previous working relationships and leadership capabilities. The Union County Law Enforcement Association has unanimously decided to support Sheriff Rasmussen in his continued advancement of the Sheriff’s Offi ce and service of the citizens of Union County. Cody Bowen Union County Law Enforcement Association president Rosenbaum: There are absolutely legitimate reasons for closing forest roads To the Editor: I believe it is a reporter’s duty to bring to the public accurate, fact-based information representing all sides of Write to us LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Observer welcomes letters to the editor. Letters are limited to 350 words and must be signed and carry the author’s address and phone number (for verifi cation purposes only). We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We do not fact check. We will not publish poetry, consumer complaints against businesses or personal attacks against private individuals. Thank-you letters are discouraged. Letter writers are limited to one letter every two weeks. Email your letters to news@ lagrandeobserver.com or mail them to La Grande Observer, 1406 Fifth St., La Grande, 97850. an issue or event. This allows readers to form their opinions uncolored by the bias of the reporter. Thus Jayson Jacoby’s piece “New Take on Old Roads” (The Observer, Oct. 18) violates the idea of what I feel is fair reporting. Jacoby writes that “Some people who advocate for closing roads to motor vehicles aren’t satisfi ed with a legal ban on access. They also want the Forest Service to ‘decommission’ roads.” And, “This strikes me as a waste.… It would also deprive the public — which is to say all of us, the owners of this land — of a way to enjoy the forests.” If this is what he believes, he should write an editorial expressing his views and not subject the reader to his opinions on the trail. Jacoby totally disregards the abso- lutely legitimate reasons for closing roads and decommissioning some: pres- ervation of habitat, preventing siltation and run-off into fi sh-bearing water- ways, remedying years of unfettered logging and mining, protecting ungu- lates, preventing landslides, providing wildfi re breaks that can be reopened if needed, limiting the spread of non-na- SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Stopped account balances less than $5 will be refunded upon request. Subscription rates per month: By carrier...............................................$11.80 By mail, all other U.S. .............................. $15 A division of Michael R. Rosenbaum La Grande Vigil: Looking for a semblance of decency within the Republican Party To the Editor: Surely, it’s time to stop pussy-footing around the issue. In addition to the obvious array of obscenities perpetrated on the nation, its people and the world by this president, Trump is also behav- ing consistently as an agent of a foreign adversary. Trump is waging a full- throttle war against our environment by attacking our clean air, clean water, climate and health. By ignoring science time after time, he is risking the very survival of human civilization. All this is undertaken in the interests of short- term profi ts for the wealthy few. What is equally obscene is that Republicans from D.C. to Salem are displaying a parallel lack of concern for protecting us from this assault. If only one Republican in Congress were to exhibit some integrity and spine and stand up against the disgusting perfor- mance in the White House, we’d have reason to think there remains in that party some semblance of decency. If only one Republican in Salem were to exhibit an ounce of honesty in addressing climate change in the state instead of promoting the lies and misin- formation propounded by industry and the timber barons, we’d have reason to think there remains some semblance of decency within the Oregon Republican Party. Trisha Vigil Medford STAFF Phone: SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE NEWSSTAND PRICE: $1.50 You can save up to 34% off the single-copy price with home delivery. Call 541-963-3161 to subscribe. tive plants and weeds, etc. Closed roads are legitimate and welcome places to hike and bike and hunt on foot and travel by horseback. Thankfully readers can express their opinions here. I think Jacoby’s articles are often guilty of wordiness, weird self-deprecating humor, sometimes subpar spelling and grammar and poor research. He deserves a berm of his own. 541-963-3161 An independent newspaper founded in 1896 (USPS 299-260) The Observer reserves the right to adjust subscription rates by giving prepaid and mail subscribers 30 days notice. Periodicals postage paid at La Grande, Oregon 97850. Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (except Dec. 25) by EO Media Group, 1406 Fifth St., La Grande, OR 97850 (USPS 299-260) COPYRIGHT © 2019 THE OBSERVER The Observer retains ownership and copyright protection of all staff-prepared news copy, advertising copy, photos and news or ad illustrations. They may not be reproduced without explicit prior approval. 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