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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 2020)
Opinion 4A Thursday, April 23, 2020 The Observer OTHER VIEWS We need to get through this time W e need to get through this time and tighten our belts, just as we have through two World Wars, terrorist attacks and other epidemics. Newspapers in the United States have trav- eled rough seas to the First Amendment free- doms we enjoy today. From the colonial Stamp Act through wartime censorship to today, when MATTHEW ADELMAN NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT thousands of newspapers were slammed with the public health emergency known as COVID-19, people who work for newspapers have never had completely smooth sailing. Now most of the businesses that advertise with us are shut down. The pipeline to make our payroll shut down with them. People are rest- lessly waiting in their locked-down homes for us to bring the news nonetheless. Across the country, journalists and the thou- sands of people it takes to let them do their work — from publishers to ad sales people to printers — are figuring out ways to keep the news coming. We do our work as bravely as we can, even when we, too, are masked up and dodging possibly lethal infections. A disheartening chord is sounding here and there across America’s mournful song about this tragic era: why should Americans still support newspapers? Some in our business don’t like the very notion of “media.” We newspaper folk argue that “media” is not us. We are the “press,” the ones mentioned in the Constitution. Even so, we know some people don’t trust even us, though we work and play and worship and vote in our own communities. Distrust and dissension are making this tough era even tougher. Let us speak our piece here. We are not driven by ratings. We cover events and issues and write the news as best we can in the worst of times. We do have to have rev- enue to pay people, just as the even braver front- line hospitals, ambulance companies and urgent care centers do. We are large and small, owned by local owners or sometimes people from far away. But in most small communities, the news- paper is a hometown thing. We’re here to cover the news, love us or hate us. Through our national organizations, we’re asking Congress to give us a little support. We need those federal advertising messages to go into the local paper, not onto Facebook or Ins- tagram. We need the short-term payroll loans to pay our staff and cover printing costs for a while. If these are bailouts or handouts, they are no more so for us than for the millions of other businesses covered by Congress’s $2 trillion stimulus bill. Yes, we are worried about federal debt. But if the economy collapses, the debt will surely spiral out of control. We need to get through this time and tighten our belts, just as we have through two World Wars, terrorist attacks and other epidemics. Are we worth the investment? You tell us. Without journalism, how does this bold 244-year experiment in self-government continue to work? We aren’t perfect, nor is democracy. But it is the best we have. About the Author Matthew Adelman, publisher of the Douglas (Wyo- ming) Budget, is the president of the National News- paper Association, which represents community newspa- pers — such as this one — across the U.S. Your views Bill Miller knows all areas of law enforcement There is no better person to teach and guide others than a person who has actually done the work and has the skills himself. For example, most basketball coaches have once been part of a basketball team, and they understand what it is to actually play the game. They know the rules and how to teach the skills and tactics to be successful on the court. Our next Union County sheriff needs to be the man who also has done the work and has the skills. He should be a seasoned, experienced leader who will pass his skills and knowledge on to his employees. He should strive to make them a better and more successful team. Bill Miller has a proven record of excellent training and service. The fact that he has held positions in cor- rections, patrol, and parole and pro- bation makes him the most viable candidate for the position. He knows how to ensure that his charges are trained effectively because he has done the jobs himself and knows what skills are needed. Bill knows all areas of law enforcement, and he is inspired to pass on his skills and knowledge to his employees so they can better serve the citizens of Union County. Our county needs Bill at the helm of the sheriff’s office. Please join me in voting for Bill Miller as our next Union County sheriff. Terri Miller Elgin Donna Beverage gets the job done Thank you for giving our local residents an opportunity to be heard, especially when it comes to writing a letter to voice our opinion on the Union County commissioner’s race. Also, we are subscribers to The Observer, and we are relieved our local paper is thriving and doing so well. We have personally observed the good things happening in our county, and our current commissioners are doing everything and more to ensure our county is successful. We truly have the dream team with Donna Beverage, Matt Scarfo and Paul Anderes. My wife and I wanted to specif- ically address our complete confi- dence and trust in Donna Beverage, who is up for reelection. Donna is local, smart and willing to get the job done. Donna under- stands the struggles we face in our rural area. She knows how to tackle them head-on and bring them to resolution. Some of the issues that concern us most are: 1. Economic development: Donna has brought new businesses into the county, and she has enhanced the business park to make it more attrac- tive for existing businesses to grow. 2. Environmental issues and forest management: Donna has leveraged her partners in the appropriate envi- ronmental agencies to work together for the good of Union County. When our local resources are leveraged appropriately, we all win. 3. Donna is wired to give back to the community: Donna is focused on doing the right thing every time for her community. She’s always been this way. Donna started volunteering years ago, and her sense of service above self splashes into her everyday life. She is a true servant leader. In the challenging times we are dealing with we need strong, mindful, faith-based servant leaders like Donna Beverage. Sherry and I strongly endorse Donna Beverage for a second term as our Union County commissioner. Bob & Sherry Kavanaugh La Grande Union County would benefit from Mike Barry’s qualities I would like to encourage the res- idents of Union County to vote for Michael Barry for Union County commissioner. I am not a resident but I can speak to the qualities Mike would bring to this office. I worked for the City of Sumpter for a good many years, and during that time Mike was an Oregon Transporta- tion Department employee. I worked with Mike as ODOT’s representative on a number of projects for the city. These projects were funded through different ODOT programs. Mike was a great asset for the small cities of our Eastern Oregon region. Mike represented us on the League of Oregon’s Small Cities Regional Group. He also represented us on the Northeast Oregon Regional Transportation Committee. He helped the city of Sumpter and all the other small cities in our region to get our fair share of state transpor- tation dollars by way of grant dol- lars awarded to us. We used these dollars to do much needed work on our streets and also got equipment to maintain those streets. Mike is very organized and com- municates extremely well. These two qualities definitely helped him in his work with our group. Mike also is very focused and sees clearly the direction that needs to be taken in order to get the job done. I believe these qualities have helped him as the fire chief of Imbler, and they will be much needed in the upcoming months as we all struggle to rebound from the effects of the coronavirus and the shutdown of most things due to it. I believe you in Union County will have a much better chance of dealing successfully with these problems with Mike on the commission. Toni L. Thompson Sumpter We can sleep easier at night, thanks to Sheriff Rasmussen We were recently at the Union County Sheriff’s Office and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly our visit was arranged and our needs addressed. The whole process, from making the appointment to getting our business completed, was handled very efficiently and professionally. As we walked away, we left with a sense of competence and willingness to work with community members. We began to reflect how long we had known Boyd Rasmussen. We first met Boyd when he was in pri- mary grade school. We watched him become a leader in his class and respected by his peers. His honesty, politeness, demeanor and conviction of right and wrong were strong at a very young age. Continuing into his high school years, it was easy to watch Boyd and his teammates play sports. Even though Boyd was a standout ath- lete, he was not a one-man show; he always led by example and was a team player. Because of this, it was not surprising to us that Boyd made a career in law enforcement. Going forward to his years as sheriff, Boyd developed a team of professional law enforcement officers that we are proud to see in our com- munities, helping keep us safe. He has officers in our schools being pos- itive role models for our students. Serious crimes have been com- mitted in our communities that have had us all on edge. Boyd and his team have done their investigations and have apprehended the suspects. We can all sleep easier at night, thanks to Sheriff Rasmussen and his deputies. Thinking back to our visit to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the professionalism we experienced didn’t just happen. It came from the same leadership and integrity we have always seen in Boyd. Without hesitation, we will be voting to keep Boyd Rasmussen as our sheriff. Ross and Carrie Bingaman Imbler
