FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Politics
— Editorial —
Sanctuary,
sanctuary ...
We keep hearing Oregon Governor Kate
Brown refer to Oregon as a “sanctuary
state” for illegals. By executive order back
in February, Brown gave Oregon a stron-
ger version of this designation than had
existed before, hanging a welcome sign
out not for legal immigrants, but rather for
those who are here breaking the law and
acting as a drain on taxpayer resources.
Brown’s confused declaration means that
state agencies, including law enforcement
can’t seek out or detain illegals if the only
specifi c law they broke is the very act of
their being here to begin with. But here’s
another head-scratcher—no State em-
ployee should break State or Federal law,
her order states, in order to comply with
her order. Hmm.
Then we skip down south to California,
where a sanctuary state bill has passed
through the senate and is headed to the
house.
Senate Bill 54, if passed, means that no
state or local agency could comply with a
“hold request” from U.S. Immigration and
Customs. It bars agencies from arrest-
ing, searching, or interviewing an illegal
alien—essentially hamstringing law
enforcement entirely. Schools, libraries,
hospitals, courthouses, jails and the like
become “safe zones” from deportation if
you’re in the U.S. illegally.
Sheriffs around that state have pointed
out that the new law would send peace
offi cers into communities, which are not
safe zones, looking for criminals who
have broken laws in addition to immigra-
tion laws, rather than being able to simply
search the prison system. In response,
bill authors added that law enforcement
would be notifi ed if a violent felon who
happened to be an illegal alien is to be
released back into the community from
jail. Comforting, no?
How long California’s economy can hold
up under millions who drain it via receipt
of free benefi ts, and put nothing back in,
is questionable. Combine this problem
with California’s extreme taxation and fee
system, with other legislation stripping
away basic rights—such as medical deci-
sions about which, if any vaccines your
own child should have injected into his/
her little body—and it’s a wonder anyone
still lives in California.
They shouldn’t fl ee to Oregon; it’s be-
coming California Lite more by the day.
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
ORP files complaint against judge
Oregon Republican Party
Chairman Bill Currier
fi led an offi cial Judicial
Complaint with the Oregon
Commission on Judicial
Fitness and Disability
against Multnomah County
Judge Monica Herranz for
her role in helping a crimi-
nal defendant to escape
Federal ICE Agents on
January 27th, 2017.
The complaint fi led by
Currier alleges, based on
an audio recording and
local press accounts, that
Judge Herranz aided and
abetted Diddier Pacheco-
Salazar, a suspected illegal
alien, in escaping ICE
agents by opening a secure
door in the back of the
judge’s chambers to help
him evade capture by the
agents who were wait-
The
ing to detain him in the
hallway outside of Judge
Herranz’s courtroom. Mr.
Pacheco-Salazar had just
pleaded guilty to a DUII in
her court prior to escaping
the Multnomah County
Courthouse by means of
the Judge’s private route.
On the audio recording
of the court proceedings
after Pacheco-Salazar’s
guilty plea and the conclu-
sion of the hearing, Judge
Herranz can be clearly
heard stating, “We don’t
want him to go back out
there,” in an apparent state-
ment of her intent to help
Pacheco-Salazar avoid
capture. It is also believed
that the door opened to
enable Pacheco-Salazar to
exit the Judge’s chambers
and avoid the notice of the
ICE agents is a secure door
that can be opened only by
authorized personnel using
a credential unique to each.
The Oregon Code of
Judicial Conduct prohibits
a judge from committing a
criminal act. OCJC 2.1(B).
A judge may not use the
judicial position to gain
personal advantage of any
kind for another person.
OCJC 2.2.
Any willful action by
the Judge with the intent
of circumventing court-
house security protocols to
help an admitted criminal
who may pose a danger to
the community to evade
Federal law enforcement
offi cials is a severe ethical
breach, and may qualify as
a violation of the judicial
code of conduct.
Baker County Press
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An update
on Brownlee
Reservoir
By Idaho Power
Idaho Power frequently receives
questions and comments regarding its
operations in Hells Canyon and their
impact on reservoir levels. The com-
pany understands the impact changing
water levels in Brownlee Reservoir
has on public recreation and busi-
nesses that rely on boating and other
reservoir-based recreation.
Above-average snowpack means the
volume of water fl owing into Brown-
lee Reservoir is higher than normal,
and infl ow is expected to remain
elevated for several weeks. At the
direction of the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Idaho
Power is required to lower the reser-
voir level to capture this runoff as part
of regional fl ood-control efforts.
Snowpack in the basins that feed the
Snake River above Brownlee are
seeing some of their highest levels in
decades.
The amount of water fl owing into
Brownlee is already very high com-
pared to recent years, with average
daily infl ows well over 60,000 cubic
feet per second in April. Those fl ows
will remain high during the spring
runoff.
Idaho Power is committed to refi ll-
ing the reservoir as rapidly as con-
ditions allow once we are released
from fl ood control constraints in May.
Water in Brownlee not only benefi ts
boaters, campers and anglers, it en-
ables Idaho Power to generate clean,
renewable electricity for our custom-
ers in Idaho and Oregon. Brownlee is
the largest single generation resource
on our system, and the three-dam
Hells Canyon Complex accounts for
about 70 percent of our total hydro-
electric capacity.
Brownlee is considered full when
the water elevation is at 2,077 feet
above sea level. As of the second
week of April, the elevation was ap-
proximately 2,020 feet.
This is below the level at which
existing boat ramps reach the water.
The April 30 target set by the Corps
of Engineers is 2,012.6 feet (about 64
feet below full), so further drawdown
should be expected.
The Corps manages reservoirs
throughout the region to reduce the
risk of fl ooding in the Columbia River
Basin.
Idaho Power hopes to raise the
reservoir to 2,069 feet (within eight
feet of full) by the end of May. All
developed boat ramps on Brownlee
are usable at 2,055 feet.
In addition, the company plans to
open a new public boat ramp at Moon-
shine Mine near Richland, Oregon,
sometime in May.
This new facility, which includes
some camping spots, vault toilets and
trailer parking, will reach the reservoir
all the way down to 2,020 feet (57 feet
below full).
Future expansion will extend the
ramp further.
Idaho Power research shows the an-
nual spring drawdown does not affect
the overall spawning success of small-
mouth bass or crappie. Most spawning
for these fi sh happens after mid-April.
Spawning will be delayed this year
due to cooler water temperatures.
More information about bass and
crappie in Brownlee Reservoir is
available at the link below.
Idaho Power appreciates the public’s
understanding of the need to balance
fl ood control, power generation and
recreational opportunities at Brownlee
Reservoir.
Reservoir Facts:
Dam completed: 1958
Generation capacity: 728 megawatts
Length: 58 miles
Capacity: 1,426,700 acre feet
Surface area: 15,000 acres
Namesake: The Brownlee family
settled the area in 1862 and operated a
ferry across the Snake River in the late
1800s.
Daly Creek Updates:
Spring has brought a lot of activity
to Idaho Power’s Daly Creek Habitat
Management Area. Idaho Power owns
and manages more than 20,000 acres
in Hells Canyon, most of it at Daly
Creek. Th ese lands are intended to
mitigate for the ongoing operation
of the company’s three hydroelectric
projects in the canyon.
Management is guided by the terms
of our federal license to operate the
Hells Canyon Complex.
Here’s a brief update on some of the
things happening at Daly Creek
New headquarters: Management of
our habitat land programs in Hells
Canyon is based in Daly Creek, south
of Richland, Oregon. Th e building that
had served as the primary offi ce for
our employees there was demolished
and will be replaced this year.
What’s Going on at Daly Creek?
Riparian restoration: In 2016, Idaho
Power planted several rows of native
plants near the confl uence of Eagle
Creek and the Powder River. Th e
purpose is to demonstrate how similar
projects might work on tributaries of
the Snake River to improve shading,
bank stability and habitat. High river
fl ows damaged part of the planting
over the winter, while a signifi cant
portion remained intact.
Ongoing habitat improvement: Idaho
Power continues to develop wildlife
food plots and restore degraded range-
lands to perennial grasses and shrubs.
Our biologists also control noxious
and invasive weeds .
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