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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2020)
Opinion 4A Tuesday, October 13, 2020 Our View Vote no on Measure 110 rug abuse and addiction are huge prob- lems in Oregon. Methamphetamine, opi- ates (heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone and others) and cocaine damage and kill thou- sands of people every year. Few of us reach adult- hood without knowing someone whose life was destroyed by drug or alcohol addiction. Some of us have been victims of crime in which the perpe- trator was seeking a way to fund their addiction. There is considerable tension between those who believe that dangerous drugs should be illegal, with criminal penalties for their posses- sion versus those who believe use of these drugs is primarily an addiction and thus a mental health and behavioral health issue. Ideally, we should have a behavioral health system that can inter- vene before the criminal justice system needs to. Measure 110 on the November ballot would redistribute marijuana tax revenue above $11.25 million per quarter — reducing revenue to schools, state police, mental health programs and local governments. This revenue would be redi- rected to a new “Drug Treatment and Recovery Services Fund” that would grant money to fund “Addiction Recovery Centers” in each existing coordinated care organization service area in the state, as well as “organizations providing sub- stance use disorder treatment, peer support and recovery services, permanent supportive housing, and harm reduction interventions” at no cost to the recipients. It also decriminalizes certain drug offenses for juveniles and adults, such as possession of heroin (1 gram or less), cocaine (2 grams or less), meth- amphetamine (2 grams or less), MDMA (less than 1 gram or 5 pills), LSD (less than 40 user units), psilocybin (less than 12 grams), metha- done (less than 40 user units) and oxycodone (less than 40 pills, tablets or capsules). In doing so, it removes the judicial system’s authority to man- date participation in drug courts or other addic- tion treatment for those found in possession. The Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police oppose Measure 110, along with 26 out of 36 district attorneys in the state. They believe law enforcement plays an important role in getting people the help they need — and we agree. The Oregon Council for Behavioral Health is opposed to Measure 110 because it does not address fundamental problems in Oregon’s addic- tion treatment and recovery system. While the measure provides for screenings and assessments, it does not, for example, create treatment beds and outpatient care. Oregon desperately needs more detox centers, residential and outpatient treatment options, and supports for ongoing recovery. We appreciate all efforts to provide treatment for those whose lives are controlled by their addiction and to keep them out of the criminal justice system, but we don’t think this ballot measure — which seems to be a test case for the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance — is the way to do it. We recommend a “No” vote on Measure 110. D Write to us Mail: The Observer, 911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande 97850 Email: news@lagrandeobserver.com • The Observer welcomes letters to the editor. We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We will not publish consumer complaints against businesses, personal attacks against private individuals or comments that can incite violence. We also discourage thank-you letters. • Letters should be no longer than 350 words and must be signed and carry the author’s name, address and phone number (for verification only). We will not publish anonymous letters. • Letter writers are limited to one letter every two weeks. Letters Pet pigs are welcome in country town I have lived in Union for 40-plus years and we love living in our little country town. Our pet pigs are just like other pets, just like your dogs, cats, horses, goats or even cows. That is one of the reasons why we like our little town. So, yes, pigs for (pets) are wel- come. If you don’t like country living, maybe Union is not for you to move to then. Jodi Falk Union B2H route the wrong choice for wildfire prevention Recent attention on the Boardman to Hemingway transmission line and which route might be permitted in Union County brings me to share another option that doesn’t get enough attention. I have commented on this option since 2015, at the Oregon Public Utility Commission. While I honestly did not have wildfires on my mind back then, it’s all I can think about these days. This option needs to be surfaced and discussed widely — especially among land use planners and utility regulators. The idea is the current 230 kilovolt line coming through Union County could be upgraded and “re-conductored.” This means if Idaho Power really needed “more capacity,” which Stop B2H and others dispute, they could upgrade to a 345 kilovolt line on the same poles in the same corridor. While doing so, the company could digitize the line in preparation for future energy distribution, and it could fire-harden the line and clean the cor- ridor, making us all more secure and safe. There are actually three of these existing 230 lines going into Idaho (the others go through the Hells Canyon complex). Upgrading these three lines could yield another 345 kilovolts of transmission capacity for the compa- ny’s profits. I guess that’s still not enough profits for the hungry profiteers? Do they really need 500 kilovolt — when their lines are not constrained and people are using less energy? Apparently, Idaho Power would rather risk our lives, our livelihoods, and our cherished land- scapes and habitats. Get involved — join www.stopb2h.org — and help Stop B2H. It’s obviously such a wrong and risky choice. Fuji Kreider La Grande Vote for Steve Clements, a proactive public official My name is Jim Whitbeck and I am writing in support of Steve Clement in his campaign for reelection to mayor of La Grande. I had the pleasure of working with Steve in multiple capacities, but would first like to focus on my time as a city councilor. I believe one of the most important competencies for his posi- tion is a willingness to engage with new and different ideas, seek compro- mise and, where necessary, be willing to “agree to disagree.” Steve not only demonstrated this capability many times over, but brought a sense of lead- ership and responsibility that is often needed to build consensus and move challenging conversations forward. Steve has one of the strongest foun- dations of public service experience of anyone in our community. Put simply, he knows how the processes of our local government work (no small feat) and has built the relationships needed to drive progress. Further, Steve is nothing if not accessible and open to input from any citizen seeking to be heard. Speaking as the owner of a small local business, from my earliest days through the present Steve has been both a supportive customer and proac- tive public official in seeking out how the city can help us thrive. I have also seen him at every major community event I can remember, not that I could miss his energy and enthusiasm if I wanted to. Please consider voting for Steve Clements for La Grande mayor. Jim Whitbeck La Grande Nicole Howard is always prepared and compassionate I have lived in the city of La Grande for just over a year. One of the ways that helped me acclimate to this com- munity was to attend the La Grande city council meetings each month. Magic happens when you observe a city council in person; you get to know what the community cares about, and you get to know your council represen- tatives on a human level. (This is also a letter to advocate for civic involvement. More people should follow what hap- pens on city council.) One of the things I miss most about attending the city council meet- ings in person is watching how coun- cilor Nicole Howard engages with the people of this community. No matter the concern, she comes prepared. She clearly does her homework regarding council decisions and is always ready to ask the fact-finding questions. Nicole also offers a sense of compassion to everyone with a civil concern. She carefully considers the needs of the full community and advocates for the bet- terment of La Grande. Once when she noticed two millennials were showing up to city council month after month, with no stake outside of interest in their community, Nicole introduced herself and asked how she could work for a better La Grande for us. I see Nicole Howard as someone who deeply cares about our commu- nity, and is working to build bridges that make our city whole. I encourage everyone in La Grande to vote for Nicole Howard to serve another term on our city council. Taylor Gould La Grande
