Opinion
A4
Thursday, July 28, 2022
OUR VIEW
Let’s improve
access to our
public records
t’s one thing to be frustrated with how costs
block the public’s access to public records
in Oregon. That’s easy. Editorial writers are
good at that.
Figuring out how to solve it is another matter.
Oregon’s Public Records Advisory Council
is working on solutions. Next week it’s going to
be tackling a host of issues about making public
records reform a reality. The policy questions
include:
• If fees are eliminated for public records,
there’s much less reason for people to limit the
size of their request. How could that work?
• If media should get a discount for fees, who
defi nes what media is? Is a blogger? Is someone
who writes a newsletter for a group?
• If other individuals or groups should get a
fee discount because a request is in the “public
interest,” who decides what is a public interest?
Many records retained by governments in
Oregon are not easily searchable. Should that be a
requirement moving forward when governments
in the state upgrade technology? Related to that
issue is that often personal information that is
not supposed to be publicly released is commin-
gled in government data with other information
that can be released. Should forms and databases
be revised to make separating such information
simpler?
You can email the public records advocate with
suggestions at PublicRecordsAdvocate.PRC@
PRA.oregon.gov.
I
Life is bett er
with Q&As
e like it when government makes gov-
ernment easy to understand. And the
state’s task force coming up with a
health care plan for people who bounce in and out
of health care coverage has made it easier.
Staff prepared a series of questions and
answers. There’s little you can do to simplify the
jargon of Medicaid waivers but the Q&A format
sure makes the policy issues much more acces-
sible to the public. You can see it here: tinyurl.
com/ORBridgeqna.
The state task force is trying to come up with
a program to cover about 55,000 people who fall
into a health care gap. Their employment status
may change and suddenly they go on or off health
care, being it the Oregon Health Plan or private
insurance.
The lack of continuity of health coverage can
mean they are less likely to get regular preventive
care or health care when they should be getting it.
The Q&A marches through what is known
about the population, what some of the policy
options are and the implications for the state
budget. But it puts it altogether in an easier to
digest format. Why don’t state committees do this
more often? We hope they will.
W
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
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reasons. We will not publish con-
sumer complaints against busi-
nesses, personal attacks against
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• Letters should be no longer than
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cation only). We will not publish
Address unknowns of joining Idaho
KEN
PARSONS
OTHER VIEWS
read Anne Morrison’s
Thinking Out Loud column
in The Observer (July 9, 2022)
regarding Greater Idaho. I would
mostly agree with many of her
thoughts. However, rather than look
at all the negatives, I prefer to look
at investigating and answering the
unknowns one at a time.
I would recommend that a task
force including the county commis-
sioners and interested parties start
down the path of seeking knowl-
edge and facts. This is a positive way
to proceed so that by the fall 2022
meeting of the Union County Com-
missioners there will be some local
analysis to consider.
Examples of local contacts might
include: the Union County assessor,
attorney, sheriff and clerk; school
superintendents and Eastern Oregon
University administrators; and the
county offi ce of the Oregon Farm
Bureau.
Each would have ideas on how
their local “institutions” would be
aff ected by the annexation. Without
input from local leaders, we (leaders
and citizens) don’t know any answers.
The problems and positive outcomes
I
are likely many, but without working
locally the possibility of such a transi-
tion would be unknown.
Examples of information you seek
might include: the impact on taxes;
sheriff and deputies need for new cer-
tifi cation; compatibility of Oregon
ordinances with Idaho ordinances;
teacher and/or county retirements;
and agriculture business perspective.
I am sure all leaders and citizens
can come up with hundreds of ques-
tions, but seeking input is a critical
fi rst step.
I understand there is an ordinance
for you requiring one meeting on this
annexation topic per quarter. How-
ever, couldn’t there be more than one
meeting if interest was expressed by
citizens or commissioners? Certainly
notices in all media (county website,
radio, newspaper) will help the com-
munity become aware of the reasons
behind the potential move, the cur-
rent process and the many issues that
would need to be addressed likely
over an extended time period.
Here are just a few of my reasons
for dissatisfaction with laws Oregon
has passed and other issues that have
a negative eff ect on us in rural areas:
1. Rural Oregonians can’t con-
trol cougars, bears and wolves in
their backyards. All three preda-
tors kill baby deer and elk along
with ranchers’ cattle. City people of
course don’t want such animals at
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Ken Parsons, of La Grande, has been a supporter
of the Greater Idaho proposal since the
beginning. Learn more at www.greateridaho.
org.
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande offi ce: 541-962-7691
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton offi ce: 541-278-1129
Cliff Bentz
2185 Rayburn House Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford offi ce: 541-776-4646
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us
STATE SENATOR
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-415
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
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their home/business.
2. Urbanites can change farm
labor laws, and the farmers are
forced to pay the extra costs. And, in
balancing the budget, farmers have
no control over the income for their
crop.
3. Urbanites live in crime-ridden
communities and yet have legalized
many former illegal issues, including
possession/use of certain drugs.
4. Tax burdens according to
https://taxfoundation.org/tax-free-
dom-day-2019 indicate Idaho has the
eighth smallest taxation, whereas
Oregon ranks 33rd. I’ve read that
in 2019, Idahoans paid $1,722 less
per year than the average Oregon
resident.
5. Prevention of destruction of
housing from huge wildfi res is more
eff ective in Idaho. Rural areas func-
tion better with less regulation, which
is prevalent in Idaho.
I have heard from some that even
if this move seems like an over-
whelming issue, there is hope that
the Oregon Legislature might realize
that Union County along with sev-
eral other counties are serious about
addressing solutions to the issues
above.
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