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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2020)
4A SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 The Observer Across the Fence What does Union County need to do to fully participate in a sustainable economy? ‘If we don’t participate in the decision process, we will be its victims’ LOIS BARRY A pig farm near Island City? A pesticide plant outside of Union? Not every new business proposal is a good one, and our economic choices affect us every day. If we don’t participate in the decision process, we will be its victims. Always ask, “Who benefits? How does this project make this a healthier, safer, more integrated community?” Obviously we need projects that enrich Union County, not out-of- state corporations. We’re still recovering from Walmart’s assault on our downtown businesses. The Thriving Places Index, recently devel- oped in England, goes beyond the fl aws of the GDP, which considers only goods and services exchanged for money. It measures sustain- ability, equality and local conditions based on three questions: Is it a fair and equal place to live? Is it sustainable enough so that future generations can fl ourish? Are the conditions present for everyone to do well? How would Union County rate? Without focus on sustainability, we can be sure that future generations will not fl ourish, and success will not be measured by economic vitality alone. It will include a healthy envi- ronment and a welcoming, interconnected diverse community. What do we need? Job opportunities that improve the envi- ronment: sustainable agriculture, vocational training in skills needed to build affordable housing and to upgrade homes and build- ings with energy-effi ciencies, development of green energy sources, stream rehabilitation and forest thinning projects. Subsidies for local individuals who have a skill, a talent or a passion to share with us. Incubator business plans have been offered. They need to be developed and supported. Plans to shelter and feed hundreds of refu- gees from the western side of the state in the event of a massive earthquake. That will also assure essential resilience in the face of local natural disasters or toxic spills. What do we value? Our beautiful natural setting and the wonderful facilities that make living here so pleasant: the university, theaters, restau- rants, farmers market, museums, art center, bookstores, libraries, hospital and public services. None of these comes without a cost. UNION COUNTY PROGRESSIVES/ DEMOCRATS We should willingly support them through our taxes and our patronage. Get to know your county. Stop by non- profi t offi ces. You’ll be impressed by all their activities and projects; perhaps you’ll want to volunteer. Attend city and county meet- ings; elected offi cials need to hear from you. Explore the local shops. They usually offer far more than their signs indicate. It’s fun to chat with owners and staff. Whether they’ve been here for decades or just started up, they’re dedicated to providing the best service or products. They care about us. Amazon doesn’t. Shopping locally brings us together, and that helps us fl ourish as a community. We thrive when people volunteer their time and money for projects like the Elgin Opera House and the Elgin Health Center. We wouldn’t have the Cook Memorial Li- brary or the Liberty Theatre without gener- ous citizens who invested in the community rather than the stock market. Unlike many rural communities across the U.S., Union County isn’t declining. Our popu- lation is growing at a measured rate, surely the envy of people who moved to Bend 20 years ago. We live in a beautiful natural area, unpolluted by major industries, with vast areas open for recreation. We have a wealth of talented, competent people. Retirees are moving here and young professionals are set- ting up new practices. Union County is on its way to economic sustainability, and global challenges are cre- ating opportunities for sustainable economies that we can’t afford to ignore. What were the county’s priorities 10 years ago? Be an informed citizen. Google UCEDC Publica- tions, dive into the 2009 Strategic Plan and read pages 103-106. We need volunteers and activists to share their skills and experience, to cooperate and develop a new set of priorities, work on them together. We can avoid past errors and build on our successes to create a new economic vision for Union County. Lois Barry is a member of the Union County Progressives/Democrats and a retired English faculty member from Eastern Oregon University, La Grande. ‘Look for ways to encourage creativity, support novelty and promote courage’ I t seems there are as many ways to inter- pret this question as there are to answer it. The word “fully” calls for a measurement we would likely never agree upon. “Partici- pate” requires we ask who is concerned — county residents or some larger group? And “sustainable.” What does this word mean? Let me begin with an opinion: A county, city or state is no more than a refl ection of its population. This being the case, our county government must look fi rst to the real rather than hypothetical, felt, as com- pared to imagined, needs of its citizens. Our economy is the wealth we’ve created and the means by which we employ wealth (mental, physical and resource based) to generate more for ourselves and others. Our economy is only indirectly the concern and never the responsibility of government. If Union County’s primary duty is concern for the needs of the population, county government would do well to develop strate- gies that support our ability to produce and trade, all with a minimum of restrictions. This is not to say that considerations of ac- cess and supply never benefi t from oversight. But oversight and restriction often consume too much government attention, thereby too much of our economy. Add to this, there are larger, more interesting concerns. The many fortunate circumstances that underlie a healthy economy cannot be ensured. They can be studied and, in some cases, understood. They must continually be re-evaluated as the physical world and societies change. Some call this examination “future proofi ng.” Future proofi ng attempts to look over the hills and around the corners of time and cir- cumstance. Future proofi ng could be called an investigative consideration of the now- real and the future-possible. Future proofi ng considers that things do not stay the same, that changes may likely be to our benefi t and occur for reasons known or suspected but, often, not known at all. Most important, in the face of uncertainty, future proofi ng is an affi rmation of the human spirit’s adapt- ability — our ability to encounter change and thrive. By comparison, when the word “sustain- able” is used, I hear the fearful voices of those who would tell me the resources we have now must be forever preserved to SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Subscription rates per month: Union & Wallowa Co. .......................................$11.80 By mail, all other U.S. ....................................... $15 A division of UNION COUNTY REPUBLICANS ensure a life similar to but probably less fun than the one we’ve created. How unimagina- tive. How very unhopeful. What does future proofi ng suggest citi- zens of Union County will do between now and some unspecifi c future date? Much! So many things that can’t be adequately described because for the most part, they’ve yet to be imagined and created. Sustainability is an illusion, as nothing — literally nothing — is sustainable for more than some limited time. This earth is always changing, as are we, the individuals who spend a little time here. By comparison, future proofi ng is a term that recognizes life’s promise to always fi nd a way forward. The landscape may change. The people who see and participate with it certainly will be different. What will not change is life, its relentless reach for the good, the true and the beautiful. However much things change, “things” will be good, and we will make them better. Life and we, her children, insist upon it. Grand as this sounds, why can’t Union County be part of all this? As stated above, it can, we can, and in so many ways we’re already doing them. But looking back at the original question — “What does Union County need to do to fully participate in a sustainable economy?” — this sounds more like word-salad than a way to help us, as a county, to face the inevitable, always exciting changes happen- ing even as I write this. But again, the question: What does Union County need to do…? Our county would do well to continue its support of law and order, transportation, public health and many other important things that don’t readily come to mind. But we should continue to look for ways to encourage creativity, sup- port novelty and promote courage in the face of inevitable change. Other than these? Not very much at all, I think. Tom Carroll has been a La Grande resident since 1959 and a member of the Union County Republicans. He enjoys coffee but dogs not so much. 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. TOM CARROLL 541-963-3161 An independent newspaper founded in 1896 (USPS 299-260) Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, Oregon 97801. Published Tuedays, Thursdays and Saturdays (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): 1-800-781-3214 Fax: 541-963-7804 Email: news@lagrandeobserver.com Website: www.lagrandeobserver.com Street address: 1406 Fifth St., La Grande POSTMASTER Send address changes to: The Observer, 1406 Fifth St., La Grande, OR 97850 Periodicals postage paid at: Pendleton, Oregon 97801 Publisher........................................Karrine Brogoitti Classifieds ........................................ 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