FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local / Outdoor Rec
Minimum wage meeting
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Sumpter Mayor Leland Myers, Rep. Cliff Bentz and Baker County Commission Chair Bill Harvey.
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Bentz explained that
bombarding the Gover-
nor with emails would
raise her awareness that
something was going on
in eastern Oregon and she
would pay attention more
if she received numerous
emails from the area.
Ultimately the Governor
would have to sign into
law any bill passed so
her awareness of feelings
about the bill could help
in a decision of whether or
not to sign such a bill.
Bentz stressed the
importance of getting your
voice heard quickly. He
said, “These decisions
are going to be made next
week. On the 14th there
is going to be a hearing in
Salem in front of a com-
mittee I think most of these
people serve on.”
He referred to the names
on the email list he’d
provided. Bentz explained
he has attempted to get
his Republican colleges
across the state to hold
similar town hall meeting
in their areas. Not all agree
with Bentz’s position and
declined, but Bentz was
still hopeful that others
would. “At these meetings,
if you have your phone
and I hope you all have
one, you will tweet, email,
Facebook what you are
hearing. Let these people
know (again referring to
the email list) the damage
or value, depending on
what side you’re on, that
this will have.”
Bentz stressed the power
of social media.
He then launched into a
PowerPoint presentation
outlining current minimum
wages in surrounding
states that also outlined the
value of each dollar in that
state.
He compared unemploy-
ment rates with Idaho
counties just across the
border from us in the 4-5%
range verses our 7-8%.
“Could this have to do
with the higher minimum
wage?” Bentz asked rhe-
torically.
The presentation gave
information that there are
nearly four million work-
ers in the United States
that earn minimum wage
employed in the restaurant
and food service industry,
nearly one million em-
ployed in grocery stores
followed by department
and discount store workers,
construction workers and
elementary and secondary
school workers.
Coincidentally, in this
state Bentz pointed out,
school unions were the
biggest supporter of the
wage increase.
Bentz noted that only
3-5% of workers in the
Portland area earned
minimum wage while
nearly half of all work-
ers in Malheur County
earned minimum wage,
therefore the impact of a
wage increase from $9.25
to $15 would hit much
harder in that county (and
surrounding counties with
similar statistics) than in
the Portland area.
Represented on the
panel were Sumpter City
Mayor Leland Myers,
Baker County Commis-
sion Chair Bill Harvey,
Haines Mayor Jim Brown,
and Halfway Mayor Sheila
Farwell.
All Spoke in opposition
of the proposal.
Myers said, “I am anti-
legislation, anti-union and
I think we should get gov-
ernment out of our lives.
If I can get somebody to
work for me for a nickel
an hour and they are stupid
enough to do it, we should
be able to do it.”
He spoke of his daughter
who was a business owner
and how the increase
would affect her.
Brown said he felt that
perhaps setting wages
should be a local issue,
since each community
could be affected different-
ly, noting that Haines is a
largely agricultural indus-
try and “can’t raise their
prices” to absorb having to
pay out higher wages.
Farwell said she felt
the wage unfair to skilled
workers who are currently
paid higher wages but
would not be if all em-
ployees were paid higher
wages.
Small business owners
could not pay even more
to those skilled employees
therefore skilled and un-
skilled workers would earn
the same wage.
Harvey said, “Whether
directly or indirectly every-
body will be touched by
this. If you raise the wage
the cost of everything you
do, groceries you buy, the
services you use every-
thing is going to go up, that
is inflation. We don’t need
inflation.
“We are struggling to
come back in eastern Ore-
gon as it is now. We’re try-
ing to help the businesses
that are in place now. Help
them stay in business let
alone grow. We have had
to actually stop the idea of
encouraging businesses to
come here, our preference
is to help those businesses
that are here to grow or
stabilize. That is our only
opportunity. Just raising
prices is not the answer.
“When you raise the
price you lower your vol-
ume of business until you
flat line. On an operating
table that’s death. Please,
let’s not go there. I’m ask-
ing each person, contact
10 people, contact these
people (noting Bentz’
email list) letting them
know that out here it’s a
world of difference.”
The audience agreed that
this initiative if passed
could be the death of small
communities.
Several members of the
audience spoke, adding
their two-cents worth of
how detrimental they felt
this could be.
Kurt Hills said he was
concerned that if passed
the opportunity to hire “un-
der the table” was greater
costing the rest of Orego-
nians more in the long run.
Richard Chaves of
Chaves Consulting said
he would see an impact
in his business because
he had state contracts
with other states that had
already been negotiated. If
the wage increases he has
to abide by that wage. He
couldn’t make changes to
the contracts previously
negotiated at a lower wage,
that was just a cost he had
to absorb.
He also suggested
Bentz support an idea that
zoned Oregon into three
zones each reflecting dif-
ferent wages consistent
with economic factors in
the area so that impacts
would be less severe in
areas like eastern Oregon
in an effort to support our
communities rather than
destroy them.
Robert Brady, or as most
Baker City citizens know
him, Burger Bob who
owns Burger Bob’s Drive-
in said, “My family came
here in 1960 and opened
the first Arctic Circle Drive
in the state of Oregon.
Over the years we’ve
employed close to 1,000.
As of September 2014
we are the last indepen-
dently owned and operated
drive- in in Baker City. I
calculated in August and I
came to the conclusion that
I would have an increase
of approximately $30,500
per year in wages at $13.50
an hour.
“For my small work force
that’s at 142 hours a week.
In order for me to make the
profit I make right now, I’d
have to increase my sales
by about $140,000. And
I’m not in Portland where
I could have about 75,000-
100,000 people near me
to come by and patronize
my business I’m here and
I have to farm and re farm
the same acreage, the very
same people.
“My number of custom-
ers I’ve had has dropped in
half over the last 12 years,
various reasons.
“For those that don’t
know, McDonalds Corpo-
ration said that they would
give pay raises and benefits
to their employees at the
corporate restaurants. They
could not force the fran-
chises to do that. By April
2015 they had already
closed 375 of their corpo-
rate restaurants. That is the
kind of effect it’s going to
have on us.”
For more information
surrounding these propos-
als Bentz invites the public
to visit his Facebook page
where he has links to infor-
mation.
He also provides links
to the email addresses he
provided at the meeting as
well as the Governor.
Bentz closed the meet-
ing saying, “The key value
of tonight’s meeting is
raise awareness of how
quickly this is going to
happen. I believe this bill
or something like it will
pass in February, in about a
month we will have a new
minimum wage law, that is
my opinion. It will damage
the state.”
ODFW fund task force to meet
The legislative task force
on Funding for Fish, Wild-
life and Related Outdoor
Recreation and Education
will hold its first meeting
at the State Capitol on
Tuesday, Jan 12 from 8:30
a.m. -12:30 p.m.
A room location will be
announced.
A list of task force
members, meeting agendas
and materials can be found
on the Oregon Legislative
Information System at
https://olis.leg.state.or.us/
liz/2015I1/Committees/
JTFFFW/Overview.
The task force’s work is
directly related to current
and future potential conser-
vation, outdoor recreation
and education programs
and partnerships.
New resolutions
from the ODFW
reg book
I began the
New Year
last week
wondering,
in addition
to exactly
which resolu-
tions, held
over from
the last
New Year,
I should at
least make a
mediocre at-
tempt to fol-
THE OUTDOOR COLUMN
low through
By Todd Arriola
with, what
new surprises
2016 has in
store for us all. I literally acted out a movie-worthy dou-
ble-take when I noticed the new editions of the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) game bird, big
game hunting, and sport fishing regulations books.
This isn’t to say that I generally become terribly excited
and flustered in my love for the new editions of the hunt-
ing and fishing regulations. Far from it. But, one can
do far worse than discover these gems, usually hidden
behind some counter with their magazine-type quality
and glossy covers, seemingly appealing to even the most
distracted, bored young lad or lass. Hey, if it pulls them
away from social media for two microseconds, it can’t be
all that bad.
The sport fishing (I just call it “fishing”) regulations
were the most exciting find, a far cry from the last edi-
tion, and I thought I might discover a pop-up page or two
by chance. Hunting’s more my style, but this book made
me want to get out and fish more. Maybe it’s because
I’ve fallen into the same inevitable trap as some younger
hunters and anglers have, mesmerized by the flash factor
and the plain coolness of an object, without fully realizing
what user-friendly improvements were actually made.
Maybe, it’s because it’s a new year, and, I’m just excited
to see something new, which can be a source of excite-
ment and inspiration for others, too. Maybe, I don’t care
about the reasons why, because the books certainly com-
manded my attention.
I said to several people at the store where I acquired the
three regulations books, who were nearly mildly interest-
ed in what I had to say, that, “After I’m through reading
these, I should be given a Certificate of Completion, so I
can frame it, and, hang it on my wall.” I was half-joking
because despite the length of each book, I’ve noticed that
they seem to be easier to read, at least, in my opinion.
Granted, I don’t have to use glasses or a magnifying
glass yet to read, but a different style and color of printing
does make a difference with consumers, and hunters and
anglers are exactly that, providing over 40% of ODFW’s
funding.
Credit should be given for this marketing plan, in the
form of colorful, glossy guidebooks, and new ways of
displaying needed information, in order to showcase the
inspirational excitement towards hunting and fishing, tra-
ditions practiced and loved by generations of Oregonians
and non-Oregonians alike.
These books are free, of course, but, I can’t help but to
treat them like the hunting and fishing magazines which
I read periodically, avoiding dog-earing a page or two,
or, damaging them somehow. They will, no doubt, see a
fate similar to a once-new vehicle, religiously cared for
in the beginning, but, in the end, a sad victim of time and
too much use. Ah, but, they will indeed be useful in the
interim…
ODFW Weekly
Recreation Report
BAKER COUNTY HUNTING
Chukar, Hun, and California Quail - The season ends
Jan. 31. Hunters should expect another season similar
to last years. Chukar numbers were up from last year
however.
Grouse season continues. Blue grouse can be found in
the higher elevations while ruffed grouse are more com-
mon in wetter areas. Hunters should expect an average
year for grouse.
Cougars can be found throughout Baker County but
hunters should target areas with high concentrations of
deer and elk. Setting up on a fresh kill or using distress
calls can all be productive techniques. Hunters are re-
quired to check in the hide of any cougar taken, with skull
and proof of sex attached. Remember to pick up a 2016
tag.
Coyote numbers are good throughout the district. Try
calling in early morning and late afternoon. Remember to
ask for permission before hunting on private properties.
BAKER COUNTY VIEWING
Bighorn sheep can be seen in the Burnt River Canyon
west of Durkee or along the Snake River Road south of
Richland. The best viewing is in the early morning and late
in the evening.
Winter bird species are starting to migrate through the
area.
Elkhorn Wildlife Area. Elkhorn Wildlife Area is known for
the Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer herds that frequent
the area during the winter. When snow covers the ground,
ODFW staff feed elk and deer to encourage them to stay
in the higher elevations and out of agricultural fields.
There are two good viewing sites. The Anthony Creek site
is located about eight miles west of I-84 on North Powder
River Lane and up Old Auburn Lane. 150 elk approx.