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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 2017)
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2017 4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS Opinion / Politics — Letters to the Editor — Group seeks to tarnish Walden’s reputation To the Editor: Recent weeks have shown a concerted effort to tarnish Congressman Greg Walden’s reputation throughout his dis- trict. This is part of a formal game plan put forth by a George Soros-funded group: www.indivisibleguide.com. I would not be surprised if they aren’t working with ROP or Rural Organizing Project (www.rop.org) which is another Soros trained and funded group which has dabbled in controlling local political is- sues here in Baker County and other east- ern Oregon counties. Their game plan is right in line with Saul Alinsky’s socialistic game plan as laid out in his book, “Rules for Radicals.” Congressman Walden was in Baker City just a couple of weeks ago. He was in Ontario this past week touring the snow damage of the regions onion harvest, in addition to a town hall in Ontario. Again some people are promoting fake news, fake information in hopes that the general public is stupid enough to believe it. Currently hired protestors are harassing and pestering all of Greg’s offices in Or- egon. They keep the phone lines jammed so people who have legitimate business have a hard time getting through. It is all in their game plan in the link above. Congressman Walden is back in his dis- trict almost every weekend. Congressional District 2 is the largest district in the state, being 20 of Oregon’s 36 counties. Be- come informed, don’t buy the fake news and also try to have a little patience and understanding of one of hardest working representatives we have. Suzan Ellis Jones Bridgeport Chair Baker County Republican Party Alt. Chair, ORP Congressional District 2 Chair, ORP Natural Resource Committee Walden speaks to Trump’s stand regarding Waters of the United States rule U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) issued the following statement on President Trump’s execu- tive order regarding the Waters of the United States rule: “Today, the President took the first step to ditch this awful rule. Finally, we have a President who actu- ally listens to rural Oregon communities. “This is a big victory for farmers, ranchers, and property owners in rural Oregon and throughout the nation. The flawed WOTUS rule would have expanded federal authority over virtually any water in the nation, including canals, irrigation ditches, vernal pools, and stock ponds. I have long said that this blatant federal overreach would drasti- cally increase uncertainty and threaten jobs and livelihoods throughout the West.” Zinke to expand access to public lands On his first day on duty, Department of the Inte- rior Secretary Ryan Zinke (pronounced ZINK-ee) is- sued two secretarial orders which expand access to public lands and increase hunting, fishing, and recreation opportunities nationwide. These orders deliver on promises made by both President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Zinke to expand access to America’s public lands. The action was hailed by representatives from sportsmen, conservation, and recreation organiza- tions. “Outdoor recreation is about both our heritage and our economy. Between hunting, fishing, motorized recreation, camping and more, the industry gener- ates thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity,” said Zinke. “Over the past eight years however, hunting, and recreation enthusiasts have seen trails closed and dramatic decreases in ac- cess to public lands across the board. It worries me to think about hunting and fishing becoming activities for the land-owning elite. This package of secretarial orders will expand access for outdoor enthusiasts and also make sure the commu- nity’s voice is heard.” The two secretarial or- ders include: Secretarial Order 3346 advances conservation stewardship, improves game and habitat man- agement, and increases outdoor recreation op- portunities by directing bureaus and agencies to immediately identify areas where recreation and fishing can be expanded. The order also requests input from the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council and Sport Fishing and Boat- ing Partnership Council to provide recommendations on enhancing and expand- ing access on public lands and improving habitat for fish and wildlife. Secretarial Order 3347 overturns the recent ban lead ammunition and fish tackle used on Fish and Wildlife Service lands, waters, and facilities. The order highlights the need for additional review and consultation with local stakeholders. Secretary Zinke was joined by representatives from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Boone and Crockett Club, Wild Sheep Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, National Rifle Association, Safari Club, National Wild Turkey Foundation, Archery Trade Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agen- cies, American Recre- ation Council, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, and National Marine Manufacturers As- sociation. Rep. Post introduces pro-2A bills SALEM – Representa- tive Bill Post (R-Keizer) has introduced multiple bills to protect Oregonians’ 2nd Amendment rights. HB 3271 pushes back against a recent adminis- trative rule. This bill pro- hibits state agencies from drafting rules that would prohibit their employees who have a concealed carry permit from bringing a weapon to their work- place. HB 2974 This would exempt people who are certified participants in the Address Confidential- ity Program from SB941, the universal background check bill from 2015. Many of these people have their addresses pro- tected because of severe threats to their lives. Cur- rently, they are prohibited from legally purchasing a firearm for their safety because their address is not printed on their driver’s license. HB 2171 creates reci- procity for concealed carry Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker County Press reserves the right not to pub- lish letters containing factual falsehoods or incoherent narrative. Letters promoting or de- tracting from specific for-profit businesses will not be published. Word limit is 375 words per letter. Letters are limited to one every other week per author. Letters should be submitted to Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.com. Advertising and Opinion Page Disclaim- er: Opinions submitted as Guest Opinions or permit holders from other states who meet Oregon’s standards of training. HB 2973 completely repeals SB 941. Representative Post rep- resents the communities of Keizer, St. Paul and New- berg in the Oregon House. He currently serves on the House Judiciary Commit- tee, the House Economic Development and Trade Committee and the House Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee. Letters 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, manage- ment, independent contractors or affiliates. Advertisements 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. — Special Column — So I was thinking ... Cabin Fever By Jimmy Ingram Special to The Baker County Press Submitted Photo The last week has been a rough one in my household. The normal five to six hours of inter- rupted sleep my wife and I usually get was reduced significantly by one of our two kids being sick. Considering both my wife and I have careers, it becomes a balancing act de- termining who will stay home with the kids and who will be going to work. Things worked out better for me to stay home on this particular week. And though I feel bad that my son is sick, I do enjoy spending extra time with him and my daughter. It also gave me a chance to reflect on what to do on a cold winter day spent in the house with one sick kid, one bored kid, and a dad with cabin fever. 7 a.m. breakfast: In my house, preparing breakfast for the kids is like surgery. Bread crusts shall be care- fully trimmed, eggs shall be seasoned to perfection, and liberal use of butter/ jam encouraged. Even so, roughly half of the food that gets prepared remains uneaten. What I have learned as a father is that my children’s “leftovers” help me avoid having to prepare breakfast for myself. It turns out that bread crusts, half a container of yogurt, and 1.25 eggs can offer enough satiety to get me through my morning. 8 a.m. cartoons: The DVR has pro- vided most modern parents with hour upon hour of cartoons for kids to watch on demand. While we do our best within our house to limit time behind the TV, it is an inevitable daily occur- rence. I’ve spent many brain dead hours exploring with Dora, watching the rescue missions of Paw Patrol, and experienced the sensory overload of Spongebob Squarepants. But as most parents know, some- times the 30 minutes your children spend watching cartoons is the only thing keeping parents sane. A welcome reprieve from the “Mom? Dad? Mom! Dad!” requests. 10 a.m. Legos: I have a love/hate relationship with Legos. They encour- age kids to build, engineer, and follow instructions. They also feel like a house of cards waiting to fall into a tear-in- ducing pile of rubble at any point dur- ing and following the building process. They seem to be magnetically drawn to two things: bare feet, and vacuum cleaners. I’m certain a statistical analysis of adult time spent with Legos Jimmy Ingram is a local farmer and father of two who enjoys people watching within our wonderful community and beyond. would reveal the following. Lego construction: 20% Picking up Legos: 40% Digging Legos out of the vacuum: 15% Searching for lost Legos: 15% Stepping on Legos: 10% Even as I write this my children are searching for a missing Lego piece. But I suppose building with Legos could be a good metaphor for life: Spend time building something, try and keep it from falling apart, and constantly wonder where the missing pieces are. 2 p.m. nap: Nap time is like a paren- tal investment of sorts: Take the time now to get your tired child to sleep off their grouchiness, or endure an entire evening of it which, in turn, will make you grouchy. Fail to make this investment, and din- ner time becomes a gauntlet of terror. Well rested kids are challenging enough, tired kids will drive you to the looney bin. Invest wisely. 6 p.m. dinner: This is always inter- esting for parents of small children. Spend 10 minutes making hot dogs and macaroni, you’re a hero. Spend 90 minutes preparing a four- course meal and you’ll be asked why it isn’t hot dogs and macaroni. This meal also tends to result in the larg- est amount of food being spilled and or thrown on the floor. A nuisance for parents, an all you can eat buffet for the dog(s) of the house. 8 p.m. bedtime: Ahh, the end of the day. The time when all the stuffed ani- mals are gathered, books are read, teeth are brushed (reluctantly), and the lights go down. And while there’s an enjoyable comfort tucking your kids into bed, it’s soon erased when parents realize they still have four loads of laundry to do, a sink full of dishes, and a stack of book- keeping that awaits. As many people know, being a parent is an awesome experience. I wouldn’t trade anything for the time my wife and I spend with our kids. We would, however like to trade something for a full night of sleep, and a few missing (and very important) Lego pieces. — Contact Us — YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS The Baker County Press President Donald Trump PO Box 567 Baker City, Ore. 97814 202.456.2461 fax Open Monday-Thursday for calls 9 AM - 4 PM Open 24/7 for emails 202.456.1414 Whitehouse.gov/contact US Sen. 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