Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2021)
Opinion A4 Tuesday, August 3, 2021 OUR VIEW Brown deal leaves bad aftertaste I t is not a political scandal by any means, but the recent news Gov. Kate Brown spent a large chunk of taxpayer dollars to pay one of her former advisers to serve as a political consul- tant leaves a bitter aftertaste. The news last week barely broke above the col- lective consciousness of the state and it certainly gained little traction in portions of the Willamette Valley, a traditional base for the governor. At its heart the news revolves around a deal brokered in 2020 where the governor hired her former communications director Chris Pair through a no-bid state contract. The deal pro- vides Pair with a salary of $6,500 a month to attend weekly meetings of the Western Gover- nors’ Association regarding enlarging the eff ort to create infrastructure for electric vehicles. So far, the state has paid Pair $91,000. Brown has also paid Pair money through one of her political action committees. When Pair — a longtime member of Brown’s staff — departed in January 2020, Brown made no mention he might be hired back. A month later, the governor’s offi ce asked state offi cials to prepare the no-bid contract for Pair’s consulting company. Now, on the face of it, none of this is illegal. In fact, former government offi cials turning around to work as independent contractors for their former bosses or agencies is commonplace. It just looks bad. Transparency in government is essential for a democracy to function properly. That means tax- payers have the right to know what their elected leaders are doing and why. The money paid out to Pair so far is, obviously, just a drop in the bucket of the multibillion-dollar budget of the state. But it is the principle that counts in this situation. If the governor was going to hire one of her former staff ers and let him or her be paid with tax dollars, she should have dis- closed it. State government — and especially the governor’s offi ce — isn’t a private company. It’s funded by taxpayers, and taxpayers have a right to know — no matter how low the sum — how their money is being used. The governor didn’t break the law, but bank- rolling one of her former staff ers on the tax- payers’ dime doesn’t sit well with us. EDITORIALS Unsigned editorials are the opinion of The Observer editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of The Observer. LETTERS • The Observer welcomes letters to the editor. We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We will not publish con- sumer complaints against busi- nesses, 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 verifi - cation only). We will not publish anonymous letters. • Letter writers are limited to one letter every two weeks. • Longer community comment col- umns, such as My Voice, must be no more than 700 words. Writers must provide a recent headshot and a one-sentence biography. Like letters to the editor, columns must refrain from complaints against businesses or personal attacks against private individ- uals. Submissions must carry the author’s name, address and phone number. • Submission does not guarantee publication, which is at the discre- tion of the editor. SEND LETTERS TO: letters@lagrandeobserver.com or via mail to Editor, 911 Jeff erson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850 LETTERS River Democracy Act shows ‘vision and determination’ Northeast Oregon connects the Rocky Mountains to the Blue Mountains, the Cascades and Coast Range beyond. Its waterways pro- vide a habitat connectivity corridor of continental importance. Flowing from some of Oregon’s tallest peaks into deep river canyons, including Hells Canyon — North America’s deepest — these water- ways fl ow through deserts and wet forests rivaling the rain forests of the coast. Ours is truly a landscape of superlatives. Currently, only 2% of Ore- gon’s 110,000 miles of rivers are protected under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. That is why I was thrilled to read about Sen. Wyden’s call for nomina- tions (“Nominate your favorite waterway for Wild and Scenic Act protection,” The Observer, Dec. 16, 2019): “Whether you are a white- water rafter, an angler or simply an Oregonian who believes strongly in protecting the river or stream that provides safe drinking water to your community, I want to hear from you.” Thousands of Oregonians from every county in our state answered that call by submitting more than 15,000 nominations of waterways to be included in the legislation. Congress passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968 to pro- tect our nation’s best free-fl owing rivers, to ensure clean drinking water, to safeguard fi sheries, and preserve cultural resources, scenery and outdoor recreation opportunities for all future genera- tions. Our Northeast Oregon water- ways do indeed provide many dis- tinctive wildlife habitats, clean water and recreation opportunities that make our region so unique. I applaud the senator’s vision and determination. Brock Evans La Grande Nature is still our greatest asset Union and Wallowa counties’ opposition to the Rivers Democ- racy Act was predictable given their records over the years. They opposed Rails to Trails and histor- ically oppose any natural resource protection. Yet, they take off ense at not being invited to the planning stages? Would an ex be invited to plan a new wedding? I recall a Rails to Trails meeting where Steve McClure, a long-time county commissioner, said, “I’d hate to tell my grandchildren I’d had our tracks removed.” With foresight he could now be crediting himself for helping create Union Wallowa Rails to Trails. Logging, ranching, railroading and farming sustained our past. Those employment options are all in steady decline in North- eastern Oregon. Forests, decimated by intensive logging, may never recover. Ranchers facing invasive weeds, overgrazed summer pastures and disappearing water sources struggle to turn a profi t. Trucks and cars drastically reduced rail trans- portation. Farmers drill deeper and deeper wells as the water table rap- idly falls. So young would-be log- gers, ranchers, railroaders and farmers must fi nd other employment here or leave. Nature, as degraded as it has become, is still our greatest asset. This month I again vacationed with friends along Idaho’s Rails to Trails. Towns built around coal mining and trains were about aban- doned before their tracks were pulled and replaced by a trail. Now it’s a bustling area once again with fully booked motels and license plates from across the country. Urban vacationers of all ages pedal scenic rural trails and patronize local businesses. Things change. We need leaders who accept change and envision new and vibrant futures. There are far better places to build industrial parks. But few places other than national and state parks rival our natural beauty. That fact should guide us into the future. Mary McCracken Island City Saddened by small-town rigidity A week ago our horse Beau drA week ago our horse, Beau, dropped dead in the 1/2-acre fi eld behind our house after a brief illness. A friend came over and buried him there. Then the Union city manager drove up to say someone turned us in for burying our horse within city limits, which is against city ordi- nance. Our choice was to go before SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Subscription rates: Monthly Autopay ...............................$10.75 13 weeks.................................................$37.00 26 weeks.................................................$71.00 52 weeks ..............................................$135.00 Take an honest look at the For the People Act Wow, great pretzel logic. Let’s be honest here. The For the People Act isn’t for the people. It is for the Democratic Party — period. This is bill HR1, which will allow anyone to vote in our elections without showing any form of ID. to show that they are American and they have the right to vote here in this nation. Teresa Smith-Dixon’s letter in the July 13 Observer makes it sound like you are anti-American if you don’t vote for it when in fact just the opposite is true. Is it not the American way to have honest and fair elections? The election of 2020 showed what happens when the rules are changed: Anyone from anywhere in the world can and did come in and vote. Now as far as Jim Crow goes, just look at the beginnings of the Democratic Party and you will see where it came from. Our Joe Biden in 1974 voted to keep from busing black students into his area to keep it white. Joe Biden in 1994 helped to pass the crime law that put many Black people in jail. Joe Biden has now at only six months in offi ce allowed hundreds of thousands of illegals from all parts of the world to come here to vote in our upcoming elections without any ID to prove who they are. This is the true intent of the bill HR1. If you read Teresa Smith-Dix- on’s letter and listen to Joe Biden on TV, you will see that they both say the same thing, almost word for word. If you take just a few minutes and see if what I have written here is true, you will know the truth. J.R. Kauff man La Grande STAFF SUBSCRIBEAND SAVE NEWSSTAND PRICE: $1.50 You can save up to 55% off the single-copy price with home delivery. Call 800-781-3214 to subscribe. a judge and be fi ned a hefty sum, Or dig him up, winch him into a trailer and take him to the Baker landfi ll. So we dug him up, winched him onto our fl atbed and he was on his way to the dump the same day. A neighbor had called city hall and turned us in. I have not stopped crying over this. This has been a cruel wake-up call regarding small- town rigidity. Our neighbors are not close by, no utilities in our fi eld, no close water. It’s just sad. Jane Wentzel Union Anindependent newspaper foundedin1896 www.lagrandeobserver.com Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, Oregon 97801 Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (except postal holidays) by EO Media Group, 911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850 (USPS 299-260) 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. COPYRIGHT © 2021 Phone: 541-963-3161 Toll free (Oregon): 1-800-781-3214 Email: news@lagrandeobserver.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to: The Observer, 911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850 Regional publisher. ...................... Karrine Brogoitti Multimedia journalist.........................Alex Wittwer Regional circulation director .................. Kelli Craft Home delivery advisor ............... Amanda Fredrick Interim editor ....................................Andrew Cutler Advertising representative ...........Juli Bloodgood News clerk ........................................Lisa Lester Kelly Advertising representative .................... Amy Horn Reporter....................................................Dick Mason National accounts coordinator ...... Devi Mathson Reporter............................................Davis Carbaugh Graphic design .................................. Dorothy Kautz Intern ...................................................Carlos Fuentes A division of