Opinion
4A
Thursday, May 28, 2020
The Observer
EO Media Group file photo
The majority of voters in Union and Wallowa counties
returned their ballots in the May 19 primary. Voter turn-
out statewide fell below 50%.
OUR VIEW
Thank you,
local voters
nion County voter turnout in last week’s
election neared 58%, according to the
Oregon Secretary of State’s website,
while Wallowa County voters returned more than
66% of their ballots.
It’s heartening to see the residents of Union
and Wallowa counties take elections seriously
enough to surpass 50% turnout. Maybe the
sheriff races in each county helped generate
local interest in voting. But neighboring counties
and much of the rest of Oregon dragged down
the overall turnout.
Baker County was just shy of 50% turnout,
and Umatilla County, the most populous county
in Eastern Oregon, fell short at 36.6%.
The state average was 46.4%. Thus, once
again, most Oregon voters did not bother to
submit their mail-in ballots.
Voters in other states have to stand in line for
hours to cast a vote, and during a pandemic, no
less. Oregonians this year did not even have to
put a stamp on their return envelopes.
Complaining about politicians and public
policy and decrying long-serving public officials
are regular pastimes. But those who have held
office often know the problems facing all levels
of government are more complex than they seem
to the casual observer. Those whose names
appeared on the primary ballot were willing to
sign up for an often thankless job. And democ-
racy works best when the majority participates.
It was good voters had choices in plenty of
district and statewide races, and even in some
local races. We’re looking forward to seeing
those who rose to the top compete in November.
No doubt, the heat will rise once more in the
Union County sheriff race, where it looks deputy
Cody Bowen has a serious shot at unseating his
boss, Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen.
The real boon in that race, however, is the
opportunity for a face-to-face debate — or,
rather, a forum — between the candidates as
coronavirus restrictions ease. Here’s an idea:
How about in the fall, Rasmussen and Bowen
have an in-person forum where they answer
questions from Bill Miller and Shane Rol-
lins, the other two candidates who were in the
primary?
Well, unless Miller pulls ahead as the county
works through verifying the signatures on a
couple hundred ballots. That’s a long shot, but
not impossible. In either case, having the losing
challengers question the run-off candidates
could prove interesting.
We also want to thank those voters who par-
ticipated in choosing who will represent us in
our communities, the Oregon Capitol and Wash-
ington, D.C.
And much of the rest of Oregon can take a
lesson in democratic participation from those
of us in this corner of the state. We hope to see
more of you in November.
U
OTHER VIEWS
More than ever, corporate governance matters
he COVID-19 crisis has likely
leaders have sheepishly complied. He
changed American business
announced he’d be taking his com-
pany and the jobs he created to Texas
forever as politicians use the
or Nevada, where they would be wel-
deadly pandemic to push for changes
comed. Faced with that, Newsom and
that will have a major impact on how
company seem
corporations
to have backed
operate.
down.
How busi-
PETER ROFF
ness respond will
For every hero,
FRONTIERS OF FREEDOM
determine the
there are goats
future of Amer-
like Alan Arm-
ican commerce for years. Important
strong, the CEO of Williams Co., an
business leaders like Black Rock’s
energy pipeline company. According
Larry Fink are pushing companies
to recent allegations made in a Del-
aware court, he secretly worked to
to expand their mission beyond max-
imizing value for shareholders into
undermine a 2016 board-approved
things that are on progressives’ polit-
merger between his firm and Energy
ical wish list.
Transfer, a Texas-based pipeline com-
pany, that would have paid share-
What Fink and others are advo-
cating for drifts harmfully towards
holders a significant premium over
what progressives promote as they
the then-market value of their shares.
seek to control the business sector and
Nearly four years since it fell
move to a centrally planned economy. through, Williams continues to seek
If the American economy is to sur- more than a billion dollars in breakup
vive, let alone thrive, we need corpo-
fees, despite Armstrong’s recently
rate leaders to step up in defense of
alleged involvement in the deal’s
the free market. They need to eschew demise.
the insider deals and crony capi-
According to court documents, he
talism that have caused many Amer-
even worked behind the scenes with
icans, especially the young, to lose
a former Williams senior vice pres-
faith in what, as Churchill might have ident by using a personal account
and leaking inside information to
quipped, is the worst of all possible
assist a lawsuit filed to block the pro-
economic systems except for all the
posed and ultimately unconsummated
others.
There are heroes out there like Tes- merger. As a result, half of his board
la’s Elon Musk, who recently stood
of directors resigned days after the
up to California Gov. Gavin Newsom deal was called off, citing a lack of
and other officials who would not
confidence in his ability to lead the
permit his California manufacturing
company.
plant to reopen and get people back to
The reason he acted as he did, the
work. To Musk’s credit, even though
court was told, was out of a desire to
his empire is built on questionable
maintain his position as CEO even if
tax breaks, credits, and subsidies, he
his continued leadership of the com-
pany was detrimental to shareholder
pushed back where other business
T
interests.
Actions like these in the corpo-
rate community have regular Amer-
icans – more and more of whom join
the investor class every day through
their 401(k)s, Roth IRAs, and by
trading stocks online – wondering if
their money is safe, or if they’re just
feeding corporate cats growing fat off
their investments.
Warren Buffet, one of the coun-
try’s most respected financial leaders,
argued in a recent interview that not
enough attention is paid to corporate
leadership and governance.
“Almost all of the directors I have
met over the years have been decent,
likable and intelligent,” he said.
“Nevertheless, many of these good
souls are people whom I would never
have chosen to handle money or busi-
ness matters. It simply was not their
game.”
If the CEOs and boards of Amer-
ica’s companies don’t step up to
restore public confidence in who they
are and what they do, then the pol-
iticians will — as House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi tried to do in the first
coronavirus relief bill. Other than the
privileged few that would have been
picked to serve on boards if her pro-
posed amendment requiring diver-
sity on corporate boards had been
adopted, it would have been bad for
business and everyone else.
The clock is running.
About the Author
Peter Roff is a senior fellow at
Frontiers of Freedom and a former
U.S. News and World Report contrib-
uting editor who appears regularly as
a commentator on the One America
News network.
CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
President Donald Trump: The White
House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington,
D.C. 20500; 202-456-1414; fax 202-456-2461;
to send comments, go to www.whitehouse.
gov/contact.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley: D.C. office:
313 Hart Senate Office Building, U.S. Sen-
ate, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-3753;
fax 202-228-3997. Portland office: One World
Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St. Suite
1250, Portland, OR 97204; 503-326-3386;
fax 503-326-2900. Pendleton office: 310 S.E.
Second St. Suite 105, Pendleton 97801; 541-
278-1129; merkley.senate.gov.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden: D.C. office: 221
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washing-
ton, D.C., 20510; 202-224-5244; fax 202-228-
2717. La Grande office: 105 Fir St., No. 210,
La Grande, OR 97850; 541-962-7691; fax,
541-963-0885; wyden.senate.gov.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (2nd District):
D.C. office: 2182 Rayburn Office Building,
Washington, D.C., 20515, 202-225-6730; fax
202-225-5774. La Grande office: 1211 Wash-
ington Ave., La Grande, OR 97850; 541-624-
2400, fax, 541-624-2402; walden.house.gov.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 254 State
Capitol, Salem, OR 97310; 503-378-3111;
www.governor.oregon.gov.
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias
Read: oregon.treasurer@ost.state.or.us;
350 Winter St. NE, Suite 100, Salem OR
97301-3896; 503-378-4000.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen F.
Rosenblum: Justice Building, Salem, OR
97301-4096; 503-378-4400.
State Sen. William S. Hansell (29th
District/Pendleton): Salem office: 900
Court St. NE., S-423, Salem, OR 97301;
503-986-1729. Website: www.oregonlegis-
lature.gov/ hansell. Email: sen.billhansell@
oregonlegislature. gov.
State Rep. Greg Barreto (58th Dis-
trict/ Cove): Salem office: 900 Court St.
NE., H-384, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-1458.
Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/barre-
to. Email: rep.gregbarreto@oregonlegisla-
ture.gov.
State Rep. Greg Smith (57th Dis-
trict): Salem office: 900 Court St. NE.,
H-482, Salem, OR, 97301; 503-986-1457.
Heppner office: P.O. Box 219, Heppner,
OR 97836; 541-676-5154; Website: www.
oregonlegislature.gov/smithg. Email: rep.
gregsmith@oregonlegislature.gov.
Oregon Legislature: Legislative docu-
ments and information are available online
at www.leg.state.or.us.
City of La Grande: Mayor Steve Clem-
ents, City Manager Robert Strope; P.O. Box
670, La Grande, OR 97850; 541-962-1309; fax
541-963-3333.
Union County Commissioners: Donna
Beverage, Matt Scarfo and Paul Anderes;
1106 K Ave., La Grande, OR 97850; 541-963-
1001; fax 541-963-1079.