4A
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2020
The Observer
OUR VIEW
Don’t rush
major
policy
Oregon legislators will hit the 2020 legislative
session on Feb. 3, and while there are already
a number of high-profi le bills on the horizon,
elected leaders should remember complex legisla-
tion can’t be ironed out in a mere 35 days.
One key bill apparently on the legislative
agenda is a new proposal to slash greenhouse gas
emissions. A similar bill consumed much of the
2019 session and was eventually allowed to die.
The greenhouse gas emission proposal is a good
case in point regarding why such bills need to be
reviewed during the longer session — set for next
year. That’s because it is complex and has the
capacity to impact all of Oregon.
It isn’t a new occurrence. In the past, complex bills
with the potential to have a huge effect on the state
have been rolled out during the so-called “short
session.” When that happens, the voters get short-
changed. Complicated legislation needs months of
review and study. Especially when the legislation is
new, as is the case with the emission proposal.
There is all too often a rush by whatever particular
interest group is behind a specific initiative to get it
OK’d by the Legislature and then rammed into law.
Voters deserve better. They deserve lawmakers
who are going to take their time to get it right — not
rush to make a judgment on a particular proposal
that wide-ranging repercussions for all of Oregon.
Major policy topics need a thorough vetting, not
a quick turnaround.
Lawmakers also should remember the work
they do is important. So important that voters
count on them to make the right decisions. A
“right decision” can’t be made in a mere 35 days.
Every legislative session is important, but the
short session that went into effect in 2012 used
to be about tweaking and fi xing laws that came
out the regular long session. At a maximum of
35 days, the short session was not supposed to be
where lawmakers quickly formed wide-sweeping
pieces of legislation and that made it into law.
Lawmakers should go to the February session,
fi nish the work that needs to be done and then
get out of Salem. Major issues — such as the car-
bon emission topic — needs to stay off the table
until the the next, longer session, where careful
methodical thought and debate will make it a
better piece of legislation for all Oregonians.
Q-and-A on changes to delivery
A
fter the announcement on New
Year’s Day about our decision to
partner with the United States Postal
Service for same-day mail delivery
and convert our publishing days to
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday begin-
ning Feb. 4, readers have fl ooded our
phone lines and social media feed with
questions and concerns.
I thought it would be worthwhile to
take a few minutes to answer some of
your questions.
Q. Will papers be delivered
to post offi ce boxes?
They will be delivered to post offi ce
boxes. Essentially, beginning Feb. 4,
you can expect to fi nd your Observer
or Baker City Herald wherever you
normally receive your mail.
Q. Will there be a price increase?
There will be no increase in your
subscription price. In fact, there’s more
value-added benefi ts to being a sub-
scriber than ever before. The Observer
and Baker City Herald subscribers have
full access to our website content and
24/7 availability of a convenient online
e-edition subscription in addition to
their print edition. In the coming weeks,
we also will launch our free mobile news
app for your Android or Apple phone or
device, allowing you to access the latest
news and headlines on the go.
Q. What should I do with my old
newspaper box?
The Observer and Baker City Herald
won’t be picking up newspaper boxes,
so how you’d like to handle disposing of
it is entirely up to you.
Q. Will this plan work?
I can assure you, it will. Conversion
of newspaper delivery services from
carrier to mail isn’t a new concept in
our industry. The U.S. Postal Service
delivers newspapers nationwide.
Q. How will holidays affect newspa-
per delivery?
There are eight postal holidays
remaining in 2020. But fi ve of those
fall on Mondays and one on a Wednes-
day, days that going forward will not
FROM THE
PUBLISHER
KARRINE BROGOITTI
affect delivery. Two holidays, then, will
affect delivery: Independence Day on
Saturday, July 4, and Thanksgiving on
Thursday, Nov. 26.
Even so, we will provide breaking news
and other updates on digital products.
Q. Will I still get my paper in a timely
manner?
I would expect that you would see
improvements in the timeliness of
your delivery and that our partnership
with the post offi ce will provide a more
consistent delivery time.
Q. How is this “same day mail” when
Monday’s paper is going to be delivered
on Tuesday?
This has been a question that’s
popped up frequently during the last
few weeks. Your newspaper is going to
be produced and delivered on the same
day. You won’t be receiving Monday’s
newspaper delivered with Tuesday’s
mail — it really will be Tuesday’s news-
paper delivered on Tuesday. The publi-
cation day swap gives us the opportu-
nity to provide grocery ads on Tuesdays
(when the sales begin) and Friday
night high school sports scores in your
Saturday newspaper. It also eliminates
having to deal with federal holidays
(that typically fall on Mondays) — days
where the post offi ce doesn’t deliver.
This schedule also allows for more
breaking news opportunities.
Q. What day will the grocery ads be
in the paper? TV Guide? Go Magazine?
Your grocery ads will be available
in your Tuesday paper. Look for Go
Magazine in your Thursday paper and
our TV Guide on Saturdays.
Q. When will single copy be available?
For those of you who prefer to pick
up a paper via rack or from one of our
local dealers, you can expect to see
The Observer and Baker City Herald
available by 9 a.m. each publishing
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
Karrine Brogoitti is the publisher
of The Observer.
STAFF
Phone:
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You can save up to 34% off the single-copy
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Call 541-963-3161
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day — the perfect complement to your
morning latte or danish (or chicken-
fried steak, if you love breakfast as
much as I do).
Q. Who do I call if I don’t get my pa-
per? The Observer/Baker City Herald
or the post offi ce?
If you have any issues with your
delivery or have billing questions, those
will still be directed to the offi ce staff at
The Observer and Baker City Herald.
Place a call and ask for circulation —
they’ll be happy to help.
Q. I get my mail at a post offi ce box
and check mail only a few times a week.
What other options do I have for getting
my news the same day?
As I addressed earlier, your newspa-
per subscription offers far more than
just the print edition three days a week.
Print subscriptions come with access to
the online edition, full unlimited access
to our website and a convenient, on-
the-go mobile news app (coming soon).
If you aren’t taking full advantage of
what your subscription to The Observ-
er and Baker City Herald have to offer,
call our offi ce today and let us help you
access these value-added perks.
Q. If I am out of town for a while, will
the post offi ce save my papers along with
my other mail? Do I request this at the
post offi ce or at The Observer/Baker City
Herald?
If you’re planning to be away for an
extended period of time, you’ll want to
contact the post offi ce to have your mail
held — they’ll hold your newspaper,
too, and then deliver when you return.
Or, if you’d prefer to put a hold on your
newspaper subscription and resume
service when you return, you’ll contact
our offi ce.
As we move closer to transition day,
you might have more questions. Reach
out and let us know — we’re happy to
answer them or address any concerns.
My door is always open.
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 © 2020
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.
Toll free (Oregon):
1-800-422-3110
Fax: 541-963-7804
Email:
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POSTMASTER
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Publisher........................................Karrine Brogoitti
Classifieds ........................................ Devi Mathson
Regional circulation director ....................Kelli Craft
Home delivery advisor.................Amanda Fredrick
Editor .....................................................Phil Wright
Customer service rep ......................... Mollie Lynch
News clerk....................................Lisa Lester Kelly
Advertising representative...............Juli Bloodgood
Sports editor .......................................Ronald Bond
Advertising representative...................... Amy Horn
Reporter................................................Dick Mason
Graphic design supervisor................Dorothy Kautz
Reporter....................................Sabrina Thompson
Graphic design ..............................Cheryl Christian
IT support ........................................Nicole Gilbride
Chris Rush, Regional Publisher