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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2015)
FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015 4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS Opinion / Local — Editorial — Econ dev services worth six figures? We definitely raised our eyebrows this week after the Economic Development Board voted to renew Representative Greg Smith’s contract to continue providing economic development services—to the tune of $96K per year in Smith’s salary alone. First, we were surprised because we didn’t see a mention of Smith’s contract negotiation on any agenda. Maybe we managed to miss it somehow. However, if we hadn’t been a little curious and scheduled a reporter for that meeting, this bit of information would have slipped by unnoticed. Though the County’s Budget Com- mittee added the funds to the economic development line item during the budget- ing process two weeks ago, which enabled the Economic Development Board to vote on whether to extend the contract, there was quite a bit of concern among the Budget Committee members. Member Pat Sullivan, for one, found Smith’s salary exorbitant and the benefits provided to the County minimal. In the interest of full and honest dis- closure, we had one incredibly negative experience ourselves when one of our own turned to that office for “confidential” assistance back in 2012 and 2013. We’re trying not to let that experience taint our opinion of the issue. And that issue is whether or not the ben- efits of the Economic Development office are worth six figures to local taxpayers. Keep in mind that Smith’s salary is just the beginning. That office is staffed with one other employee. There are other expenses such as rent and utilities. There are even expenses past that for marketing materials development, travel, trade show attendance, etc. This doesn’t add up to chump change. In addition, for years Smith himself has provided similar economic development services for some of our neighboring counties. We don’t believe it would be possible for anyone under those circum- stances to remain loyal or faithful to just one county. Not if they wanted to keep those two or three other paychecks com- ing in. Wouldn’t it be wiser to simply hire one person, dedicated solely to Baker County’s interests? Or ask Smith to stay ... fiscally monogamous? In addition, since Smith is a legislator, when session is in, he isn’t here. At all. We can safely say from experience that entry-level economic development coordi- nators in the private sector, whose posted duties are identical or nearly identical to Smith’s, begin around the $40-45K range. Besides, we have several resources in our area that are already here to promote and market us. We have the Chamber of Commerce. We have Historic Baker City, which is currently rising back from the ashes. We have the Small Business Devel- opment Center hosted by Blue Mountain Community College with Gene Stackle and Jeff Nelson. We’ve seen these guys get things done. The Base Camp Baker site, featuring a huge Facebook follow- ing created by the photography there is another asset. The loan assistance the Eco- nomic Development office offers really amounts to referrals to local banks or to the Northeast Oregon Economic Devel- opment District, all of which will advise applicants on their own without a middle- man, as we discovered. Does anyone else see an expensive duplication of effort? Trade shows, presentations, pretty speeches, and smoke and mirrors are not bringing new businesses into the County. And yet that same Economic Develop- ment Board also gave Smith the go-ahead to attend one particular trade show in Utah for the third year. What businesses came to Baker County as a result of those first two years? We think it’s time for change. Sadly, with the signing of this contract renewal, we’re in for two more years of the same. —The Baker County Press Editorial Board — Letters to the Editor — Does BLM listens when public speaks? To the Editor: The comments are in and the public has spoken — or has it? Over 400 letters sent to the BLM in response to the Board- man to Hemingway Draft Environmental Impact Statement all nicely sorted by cat- egory of responder — federal, tribal, state, county, local, non-governmental organiza- tions, educational institutions, businesses, and finally individuals. The next sort the BLM says will be by subject, wonderful! Most letters are well-written, thought- ful, sincere and provide many suggestions for improvement. You can count on both hands the number of letters in support of the project. Even Idaho Power spends 391 pages “improving” the DEIS that so many of us have found inadequate. There has been no indication that the BLM, with the Wallowa-Whitman tagging along, is considering significant changes. With all governmental bodies critical if not outright opposed, and many of our friends and neighbors in the same posi- tion, to continue with the same project makes no sense at all. The need is questioned, the route is out- right opposed by most, Oregon receives no real benefit, sage grouse legislation is changing and the cost is now estimated at $1.2 billion. Please read the letters, they are an eye- opener. Letters are here: http://www.boardma- ntohemingway.com/deiscomments.aspx Regardless of what and when the BLM decides, we will have only 30 days to respond. The Wallowa-Whitman has its Travel Management Plan, the BLM has its Boardman to Hemingway project and each of them seems to be ignoring the public that they should be serving. Gail Carbeiner Bend — Contact Us — The Baker County Press PO Box 567 Baker City, Ore. 97814 Open Monday-Thursday for calls 9 AM - 4 PM Open 24/7 for emails Office location: TBA Phone: 541.519.0572 TheBakerCountyPress.com Kerry McQuisten, Publisher Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.com Wendee Morrissey, Advertising and Sales Wendee@TheBakerCountyPress.com David Conn, Advertising and Sales David@TheBakerCountyPress.com Published weekly every Friday. Subscription rates per year are $29.95 all areas, e-mail delivery. $39.95 print issue, home delivery, Baker City city limits only. $49.95 print issue, mail delivery, outside Baker City city limits only. Payment in advance. A division of Black Lyon Publishing, LLC Copyright © 2014 YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS President Barack Obama 202.456.1414 202.456.2461 fax Whitehouse.gov/contact US Sen. Jeff Merkley 503.326.3386 503.326.2900 fax Merkley.Senate.gov US Sen. Ron Wyden 541.962.7691 Wyden.Senate.gov US Rep. Greg Walden 541.624.2400 541.624.2402 fax Walden.House.gov Oregon Gov. Kate Brown 503.378.3111 Governor.Oregon.gov State Rep. Cliff Bentz 503.986.1460 State Sen. Ted Ferrioli 541.490.6528 Baker County Commissioners Bill Harvey; Mark Bennett; Tim Kerns 541.523.8200 541.523.8201 — Guest Opinion — Closed meetings and conspiracies: Creating controversy out of thin air By Suzan Ellis Jones Submitted Photo I would like to put to rest the silly accusations stated about the Baker County Republicans in the last two issues of The Record-Courier. They are born of ignorance. That paper’s editor raises questions about the local Republicans holding “closed” rather than “open” meetings. She expresses anger that only the 46 existing Re- publican PCPs are allowed to attend when the meetings are closed. “That’s a whole lot of Baker County citizens … who aren’t allowed to attend,” she complains. Well, yes! Because these are meet- ings for Republican PCPs – the same PCPs who donate money as well as hundreds of hours of volunteer time in this community. If you’re on the Board of Directors for Pepsi, are you offended when you’re not allowed to sit in on a Board meeting for Coke? If you’re a Boy Scout are you angry when you’re not notified about Girl Scout meetings? In the past three years, only a hand- ful of our monthly meetings have been closed. The remainder, including the one last week, were open to the pub- lic. The Democrats and Republicans in most counties across most states hold closed meetings. By comparison, we’re extremely open. Our closed meetings were specifically to hold the nominating convention for the replacement County Commissioner, which required ballot security, as most would imagine. Other closed meetings have been to handle internal business such as the welcoming of new PCPs, election of new officers, resolution de- bate, etc. Holding a closed meeting to deal with internal business is just good common sense. Apparently to some it is suddenly fodder for a conspiracy theory. That paper’s editor, who signs off only as “GDP,” also questions whether our group may be violating public meeting law. The answer is no! A little legal research would have shown that fact prior to print. Political central com- mittees aren’t governed under public meeting law the way City Council members or County Commissioners are. ORS 248.015 Sec. 3 (7) states we shall not be considered a public of- ficer. We’re treated, by law, more as a private political action committee. We realize the complaints about the legality of closed meetings are com- ing primarily from a handful of people who signed on to support non-partisan initiative 1-63, along with GDP and her family. Our group opposed that initiative. Suzan Ellis Jones is the current Chair of the Baker County Republi- cans. We saw this complaint pop up on- line in various venues, in some odd ef- fort to detract from the local party we suppose—to detract and distract from the actual issue at hand. Now that 1-63 has failed, it seems the proponents’ axe still needs grinding. GDP refers to our monthly meet- ings as “secret.” The meeting schedule is announced at the beginning of the calendar year, and then again two weeks in advance to all 46 members, and when they’re open, announced in press releases to most local news- papers in advance. I guess we need to look up the definition of “secret.” Somebody sure has it wrong. This same editorial then skips on to accuse the County Commissioners of having a hidden agenda regarding a Public Lands Resolution presented to them by our group. She accuses them of suppressing information from the agenda, when this just isn’t so. The editorial also reads: ”One of the im- portant items which was absent from the May 20th agenda was a represen- tative from the Baker County Republi- can Central Committee …” Chuck Chase, who presented our draft of the resolution is a duly elected precinct committeeman and Chair of the committee’s Natural Resource Committee, which drafted this reso- lution. Who better to present this resolution? He chose to attend the Commissioners’ session and present the resolution during the Citizens Par- ticipation section of the meeting. This section of the meeting is open to all, and items within it are never specified in advance in an agenda. When Mr. Chase tried to respond with a Letter to the Editor to The Record-Courier, GDP refused to print it, and sent a letter to him calling him rude, said he was “spewing hate” and that his opin- ion was “nonsense.” GDP goes on to question why Mon- tana Rep. Kerry White attended the same meeting as Chase, and why his visit also wasn’t on the agenda. Well, because it was a public meeting and people can show up without notice – which is exactly what White did while here on vacation with family. It’s ironic that in one breath, the editorial complains about Republicans not being open enough with meetings, and in the next, has a problem with us legally attending them. It’s enough to make your head spin. Wallowa Mountain Loop Road construction schedule set Southern 13 miles closed and gated until June 18. June 18 – June 30: Southern 13 miles closed and gated Tuesday at 8 am thru Thursday at 5 p.m. July 1 – October 15: Open every day but travel- ers can expect up to 1 hour delays and a flagger / pilot car. Forest Service Road (FSR) 66 to Fish Lake is open and free and clear of snow all the way through from Halfway to the 39 rd. This is the detour route for the construction on the 39 road. The detour route is 30 miles in length and is a well-maintained single- Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker Coun- ty Press reserves the right not to publish letters containing factual falsehoods or incoherent nar- rative. Letters promoting or detracting from spe- cific for-profit businesses may not be published. Word limit is 375 words per letter. Letters are lim- ited to one every other week per author. Letters should be submitted to Editor@TheBakerCoun- tyPress.com. Advertising and Opinion Page Disclaimer: Opinions submitted as Guest Opinions or Let- lane gravel road with pull- outs. The route is suitable for vehicles with trailers; however it is not recom- mended for motor homes. If unsure of suitability, please contact the Wallowa Mountains Office at 541- 426-5546 or the Pine Field Office at 541-742-7511. ters to the Editor express the opinions of their authors, and have not been authored by and are not necessarily the opinions of The Baker County Press, any of our staff, management, independent contractors or affiliates. Advertise- ments placed by political groups, candidates, businesses, etc., are printed as a paid service, which does not constitute an endorsement of or fulfillment obligation by this newspaper for the products or services advertised.
