Opinion
A4
Saturday, July 30, 2022
OUR VIEW
Voters want
results from
elected offi cials
O
ur elected leaders on both sides of the
aisles politically need to do much more
to realign themselves with the middle
ground of America and shun the high-powered
rhetoric and shouts of the lunatic fringe.
True, everyone in our great nation has the right
to express an opinion, and that right is a sacred
one that must be guarded. However, during the
past decade it seems those who sit on the opposite
poles of the right and left have gained new prom-
inence, their voices louder, their dogma more
militant.
In the Oregon Legislature there is a clear
divide among Democrats and Republicans with
the GOP vastly outnumbered and relegated to an
ineff ective minority. The state assembly polit-
ical roster mirrors our own national stage politics
in the sense there apparently exists a wide gulf
between what each side desires. In Oregon, the
majority Democrats have the power and use it in
ways lawmakers believe their constituents want.
Usually, when major political confl icts erupt,
Republican lawmakers face few alternatives
other than simply leaving the building to erase a
quorum needed for votes.
That means, essentially, that on really critical
issues, the normal discourse needed by a Democ-
racy to succeed breaks down. One side gains the
advantage, or in Oregon’s case at times, one side
is left standing alone on the dance fl oor while the
other is long gone.
What those types of actions accomplish is
create a wider dissatisfaction that continues to
grow.
Oregonians have shown in polls they want
more out of this year’s gubernatorial race than
the usual name-calling added to a good dose of
fear-mongering from the far edges of both par-
ties. Voters don’t want more fi ghting. They want
results.
Therein lies the problem. Because results are
not being measured — either here at home or
on the national political stage — by practicable
results but instead by which part of the far left or
right can gain ascendency.
Our elected lawmakers on both sides of the
political fence need to begin to work together
and to develop concrete solutions to diffi cult
problems. Calling Democrats liberals bent on
destroying the Republic and Republicans as
people who want to create some kind of Hand-
maid’s Tale system is not only ludicrous but pre-
vents problem-solving and creates more turmoil.
The future of our nation and state rests on our
lawmakers’ ability to work through problems.
Not fi ghting.
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The Observer newsroom is addressing
feedback from surveys, reader comments
KARRINE
BROGOITTI
FROM THE PUBLISHER
K
en Blanchard, known best as
a business consultant, man-
agement expert and speaker,
has been credited for a quote that’s
fl oated in and out of my head on
many occasions over the course of
my newspaper career.
“Feedback is the breakfast of
champions.”
It’s taken on slightly diff erent
meanings over the years, but the foun-
dational message has resonated and
stuck with me like a nice, hearty bowl
of oatmeal. Just as breakfast is said
to be the most important meal of the
day (ask any mother or grandmother),
feedback from our readers and the
communities we serve gives us the
opportunity to take stock of our oper-
ations and our coverage and ensures
that we’re putting our valuable, but
limited, resources and energy into
what matters most to you. Not into the
things that we think matters.
A well-balanced breakfast helps
refuel your body and mind, restoring
focus and helping lift your mood. Your
feedback serves a very similar pur-
pose for our business and our shared
community. When you’re hungry, it’s
more diffi cult to perform at your best.
Likewise for The Observer. Without
feedback, news organizations like
ourselves “starve” without the fuel of
input from readers — operating in a
vacuum and limiting our opportunities
to improve and enhance our news and
advertising content.
Very recently, we conducted a
survey of The Observer’s readers,
asking them to provide us with feed-
back (oatmeal) on various aspects of
the paper, including questions about
what topics interest them and what
types of stories they would like to see
more or less of. We also posed scarier
questions (What could we do better?
What are we missing from our con-
tent?), hoping we’d get some honest
responses.
And we did.
The valuable input you shared
breathes new energy and focus
into our newsrooms and gives us a
roadmap for future features and sto-
ries. Based on your candid sugges-
tions, constructive criticism and a
slew of heartfelt compliments, we’ve
already added resources and energy
into expanded business coverage —
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Karrine Brogoitti is the publisher of The Observer
and the Baker City Herald.
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
STAFF
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both new businesses and features on
existing businesses, as well as local
reactions to wider business trends.
Many responders said they’d like to see
more stories related to news and topics
impacting our smaller communities
and we agreed. You’ll see enhanced
coverage and stories from the out-
skirts of La Grande in print and online
— and so far, readers are enjoying it.
We’re looking forward to delivering
more of what you’ve asked for in the
coming weeks and months. I hope for
some, you recognize these enhance-
ments as something you yourself indi-
cated as important or overlooked when
contributing to our survey.
A very special thank you to our
print and digital subscribers who were
willing to participate in our survey
and to share the good (and often-
times great!), the bad and the ugly.
And to those of you who weren’t part
of our May reader survey, consider
this your personal invitation to reach
out to me with your own “breakfast
suggestions.”
If feedback is indeed the breakfast
of champions, The Observer is eating
like a king.
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Phone:
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Regional publisher ....................... Karrine Brogoitti
Home delivery adviser.......... Amanda Turkington
Interim editor ....................................Andrew Cutler
Advertising representative ..................... Kelli Craft
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Reporter...........................................Isabella Crowley
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Reporter..........................................Shannon Golden
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