FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion
— Guest Opinion —
— Letters to the Editor —
PILT and
SRS: my
thoughts
1-63 hides candidates’ beliefs
By Dennis Linthicum
Special to The Baker County Press
Federal Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes
(PILT) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS)
payment schemes are not in the best long-
term interests of Oregon’s citizens. I have
attended countless budget meetings where
hard-working folks strive to manage their
limited resources. However, the hard-truth
is that relying on these monies will only
place us on the same street corner next
year, with the same cardboard sign, asking
once again, “Please, Sir, More …”
All of these federal disbursement models
are outdated, whimsically amended, and
hobbled by bureaucratic ineptitude. They
are built on a mishmash of legislative
actions from self-interested parties that
are forged deep within the marbled halls
of our nation’s distant capital. Worse yet,
most federal actions are rank with either
executive or legislative over-reach or
pregnant with deplorable raids on the US
Treasury.
• Executive Over-reach #1 – Between
1904 and 1906, President Roosevelt went
tearing through Oregon maps creating ten
new forest reserves: 1904 – Baker City;
1905 – Chesnimnus, Maury Mountain,
Wallowa and Wenaha; 1906 – Blue Moun-
tains, Fremont, Goose Lake, Heppner and
Siskiyou.
• Defensive Response – In 1907,
Oregon’s U.S. senator Charles W. Fulton
introduced an amendment to eliminate the
president’s authority to establish national
forests in Oregon. This amendment ap-
propriately gave responsibility back to
Congress and changed the name from
forest re-serves to national forests in order
to make it clear that the forests were to be
used, not preserved.
• Executive Over-reach #2 – In 1907,
the night before signing Sen. Fulton’s bill,
Roosevelt grabbed another 16 million
acres, deridingly known as the “Midnight
Reserves.” Opponents were furious, but
five new national forests were proclaimed
in Oregon: Blue Mountains National For-
est (added to the older Maury Mountain
Forest Reserve), Coquille National Forest,
Imnaha National Forest (created from the
older Wallowa and Chesnimnus Forest
Reserves), Tillamook National Forest, and
Umpqua National Forest (Coast Range).
• Congressional Pandering—The next
year, 1908, Congress invented the 25
percent annualized receipts sharing plan to
placate states and counties whose land as-
sets were completely nationalized through
Roosevelt’s takings.
• Whimsically bureaucratic—Since
counties first impaled themselves in this
economic death trap, Congress has never
repealed federal misdoings but have only
amended or modified the original acts
with cheery acronyms like, “Payment in
Lieu of Taxes,” “Safety Net Payments,”
“Secure Rural Schools and Community
Self-Determination Act,” “Moving Ahead
for Progress in the 21st Century Act,”
“Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act,” “The Emergency Economic
Submitted Photo
Dennis Linthicum is a former Klamath
County Commissioner and is a local
businessman, rancher, and irrigator. He
currently speaks and writes about free-
market economics and the problems
with unwarranted political interventions
which distort local economic decision-
making. Visit dirtroadeconomist.com.
Stabilization Act” and the “American
Taxpayer Relief Act.”
This ought to remind everyone of the
Obamacare debacle. It’s cleverly named
the “Affordable Care Act” but there’s little
that’s affordable or caring about it. What
was sold as a well-intentioned new idea
has turned into a wasteful, ineffective
nightmare. We should know better than to
believe the cleverly named bad policies
from Washington, D.C.
Look at the 1976 Federal Land Policy
Management Act (FLPMA). This is where
PILT was birthed. This is also where Con-
gress declared a fundamental transforma-
tion of its Public Land goals. Up until this
single event the federal government had a
legislative mandate for disposing of public
lands. After FLPMA the focus became one
of land retention.
Land retention is the skunk in the
woodpile. This is exactly why PILT and
SRS exist. These monies are aimed at
buying your complacency through the
bankrupt budget and monetary policies
of our federal government. Don’t mistake
their offer for a mere 25 percent of the
revenue as the answer to your county’s
difficulties
Instead of talking about PILT, SRS and
O&C monies, it is time to start talking
about the Transfer of Public Lands to
states, counties and private enterprises.
Dismantling federal land jurisdiction
would give local communities control
and management over their own natural
resources.
It’s time for us, as loggers, ranchers,
entrepreneurs and elected officials to b -
lieve in our own future. Do not allow the
Politburo in Washington D.C. to plan your
life for you. Focusing on government
handouts is never the right answer.
I know local families, businesses and
communities are hurting. I know county
services will face constraints but Con-
gress needs to admit that it has promised
more than it can deliver. The feds have
over-spent your hard-earned money by
throwing $18.2 trillion down the prover-
bial rat-hole while your commissioners
are scrounging the pavement looking for
Road Fund nickels and dimes.
Instead of being placated by the empty
words of career politicians we should
place our faith in local control and open
markets as the best means of restoring and
preserving our water, fish, game, timbe ,
and mineral resources. This is the road
we must be willing to travel to secure the
blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our
posterity.
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To the Editor:
I believe measure 1-63 is based on
nothing more than a straw man: one who
is set up as a cover or front man for a
questionable enterprise.
The idea that only Republicans can
vote for County Commission positions
is that straw man. The real story is the
Baker County Democrats didn’t put forth
a single candidate for the Commission.
I believe the Democrat party did this on
purpose so that they could set up this
straw man.
In reality, a small percentage of Demo-
crats turned their backs on their “firmly
held” beliefs and changed their party
registration so as to try to influence the
primary vote. I guess the county Repub-
lican voter registration numbers took a
nose dive after election day.
Now we get to the real charade: 1-63.
Nonpartisan positions result in candi-
dates that don’t want the voters to know
what their ultimate goals are, once
elected. The electorate gets a homog-
enized group of candidates who have not
figured out where they want to go or how
to get there. Or, the candidate who won’t
tell you their goals and aims because this
is a nonpartisan post and, “I will do my
best after study and introspection on a
case-by-case basis.” Read: “There is no
way I will ever tell the electorate who I
am or what I am.”
I happen to like knowing a person’s
beliefs, past actions and possible future
actions, by knowing their affiliation with
like-minded people. The R, D, L, I, etc.
is a good place to start.
At least that’s how it looks from the
back of the turnip wagon.
Al Aschenbrenner
Baker City
1-63 tries to fix a system that
isn’t broken
To the Editor:
I would like to share my thoughts per-
taining to the measure 1-63 making the
county commissioners positions nonpar-
tisan. I have read several arguments in
favor of this measure.
I feel like I am being asked to vote for
some fantastic candidate who has not
been identified. This person represents
everyone equally and is able to fix all of
our problems with just a quick swipe of
their pen. In my experience this person
does not exist. If there were one person
capable of single-handedly fixing all the
issues affecting our county, I am sure
they would wear a cape.
I had the opportunity recently to read
a letter to the editor written by Kate
Rohner. Although I disagree with Mrs.
Rohner on measure 1-63, she mentioned
her volunteering on the county budget
committee. I appreciate her contribution
to the county and I would argue that the
county’s past success can be attributed to
the talented people on the various com-
mittees rather than the achievement of
one person.
In fact, an accurate cross-section of the
views of the county can only be achieved
through committee. One committee
that comes to mind is the central com-
mittee of each political party. These are
one of the few committees with elected
members rather than appointees. Do you
know who the PCP representing your
party is in your precinct? If so have
you talked to this person about current
issues? Has your party formed a central
committee? If you answered no to any
of these questions maybe the system isn’t
broke it just needs more involvement.
The candidate that comes to mind to
receive support from all parties was Fred
Warner. When he changed his party af-
filiation, most felt he was being dece -
tive. I don’t know if Fred got some bad
advice or what, but the system didn’t fail.
It was trying to manipulate the system
and political maneuvering that affected
his ability to stay in office the most
negatively.
I passionately advocate for local
Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker
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control and keeping all decisions local.
I feel we need to covet our ability to
disagree. Once we allow decisions to be
made elsewhere, be it Salem or Washing-
ton DC, our opinions will have no effect
on the outcome.
I feel this measure champions having
no opinion and does little or nothing to
protect our ability to make decisions as
a community. I urge you to vote no on
measure 1-63.
Kody Justus
Baker City
1-63 promotes Democrat
movement
To the Editor:
It looks like we will be voting on a
ballot measure 1-63 in May, making
voting for a Baker County Commissioner
non partisan.
This means they don’t have to let you
know what kind of values they posses, or
the core beliefs that drives them.
This ballot measure is the brain child
of the Democrats. We already know what
the Democrat values are from what is
going on in the Democrat controlled state
legislature.
Raising the price of gas with a carbon
tax that goes to enrich the alcohol pro-
ducers at our expense, as well as a busi-
ness having to pay sick leave if they have
over five employees. Democrats are
sponsoring five di ferent bills that would
raise the minimum wage up to $15 dol-
lars an hour. They are also shutting down
all mining in Oregon unless you want to
pay through the nose for the privilege.
Oh and by the way they are grabbing
your kicker refund too. And on and on.
Last November Baker County rejected
the nonpartisan state ballot measure, but
that didn’t deter them, oh no. Democrats
are trying again to slip this through the
back door in Baker County by having
you vote for non partisan County Com-
missioners.
I don’t know about you but I kind of
like to know what the candidates running
for office believe, we darn sure know
what the Democrats believe and where
they want to take our state and county.
Stand with me and vote no on measure
63.
Chuck Chase
Baker City
Vote no on 1-63
To the Editor:
The concept of Non-Partisan County
Commissioners is being advanced by
those who possess beliefs contrary to the
conservative principals of the majority
of people in Baker County. The current
office holders have been elected by the
people to represent them.
All individuals, including Non-Affil -
ated with any party, have the opportunity
to vote if they want to vote in the general
election.
Currently under Oregon statute there
are three (3) types of County Govern-
ment structure:
1) General Law – County Courts;
2) General Law – County Commis-
sioner (currently Baker County form);
3) Home Rule Counties.
I view the non-partisan initiative as
an attack on the current party system
promoting a move toward a single party
political system
Under our current form of government
if someone resigns, or is deceased, the
replacement process allows for repre-
sentation from all over the county to
participate in the selection of nominees
for appointment to the vacant position,
which is true local representation.
Don’t forget this issue was voted down
in a similar state-wide measure last No-
vember with the State initiative, and both
Democrats and Republicans agreed this
was a bad idea.
Maintain local control and keep core
beliefs of candidates part of the selection
process.
Vote no on Measure 1-63.
Peggie Longwell
Baker City
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