FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Politics / Local
— Editorial —
Sexes,
genders and
the great
unknown
Oregon just became the first state in the
U.S. to offer up a third sex option box that
citizens can check on their driver’s license
applications. (And no, we don’t mean
“Never,” “Often,” or “Heck yeah.”)
Now applicants can choose between
“Male,” “Female” and “Non-specific.”
To say this decision was controversial is
an understatement, and immediately those
in favor of it stepped up to argue that there
are a multitude of sexes possible, not just
male and female, and so of course the
third option makes sense.
Well, this was never our understanding
from Biology class. So we hit the inter-
net for some research, and sure enough,
human beings are either genetically male
or female roughly 99% of the time. This
means that males are born with the XY
genotype and display male characteristics
as a result. Females are XX with female
characteristics.
So what about that other 1%? Well,
they’re not so much considered techni-
cally belonging to other sexes, but rather
having chromosomal abnormalities sur-
rounding either the male or female sex.
An extra X or Y chromosome attached to
a male or female can produce issues like
Turner’s Syndrome, Klinefelter’s Syn-
drome, and so on. Apparently there is an
new argument out there that yes indeedy,
this situation does mean there is a whole
spectrum of different sexes. That seems
like a stretch.
But what about babies born with both
female and male genitalia? We used to call
that hermaphrodism. According to about
a hundred sites dedicated to political cor-
rectness, we could be lynched for using
that word. “Intersex” is now the only way
to describe this condition without offend-
ing a snowflake somewhere.
Doctors point out that those born with
most of the chromosomal abnormali-
ties mentioned above aren’t boys who
identify as girls or vice versa. These are
serious medical conditions that come with
features like severe learning disabilities,
shortened necks, muscular impairment,
etc. Do we really want to include a medi-
cal issue on a driver’s license to define a
person? And if one is “transgender” and/or
“identifies as” the opposite sex, an animal
or a piece of farm equipment, how then,
scientifically, does it make sense to use a
belief in one’s head as a physical identifier
either?
The World Health Organization ex-
plains: Gender and sex are no longer the
same thing, but gender can still define a
person. Sex is biology only. Gender is
how a person “feels.” Redefine the word,
and you can take it outside the realm of
science—and reality.
Think you’ve got the left’s thought
process figured out now? You don’t if you
don’t know what words like boi, cisgen-
der, butch, bottom surgery, deep stealth,
F2M, FFS, gender dysphoria/euphoria,
GG, gurl, ominsexual, non-op and so on
mean.
We’re waiting for the day we’re listen-
ing to the police scanner or get a press
release stating, “Law enforcement is seek-
ing the public’s help in locating a missing
5’9” non-specific dragon who outwardly
appears to be a human female with blond
hair and blue eyes ...” Sigh.
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
— Letters to the Editor —
Thank you for the pies!
To the Editor:
I would like to thank everyone who has
volunteered to make pies for the Bike
races this Saturday, June 24 from 11 a.m.
to 6 p.m.
We are still in need of more pies if there
are bakers who want to help.
We could also use ice chests (borrowed
of course) to keep the drinks cold.
Please drop items off at Random
Resales this Friday or at the Orpheum
Theatre on Main Street on Saturday morn-
ing around 10 a.m..
We’re still looking for volunteers to help
sale and serve the pies Sat. You don’t have
to be there all day. Shifts are 11 a.m.- 1:30
p.m., 1:30-3:30 p.m. and 3:30 - 6 p.m.
If you can help please give me a call at
541-554-5549.
This is a fundraiser for restoring the
Baker Orpheum Theatre. We need all the
help we can get!
Leanne Hinkle
President,
Eastern Oregon Regional Theater
Baker City
Greg Walden to lead panel
combatting opioid epidemic
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden
(R-Hood River), Chairman
of the House Energy and
Commerce Committee,
today announced that he
will lead a panel discus-
sion Wednesday morning
on efforts to combat opioid
addiction in Oregon and
nationwide.
The panel discussion,
“Addiction in America,” is
hosted by The Washington
Post and will feature policy
makers, researchers, and
health care experts to dis-
cuss solutions for combat-
ting addiction in America.
Walden's panel, “Addiction
Crisis: A Nation Re-
sponds,” will focus on how
the U.S. government and
Congress are responding to
the opioid epidemic.
“This is a vital conver-
sation to have across the
country and especially
in Oregon, where more
people die from drug
overdoses every year
than car accidents,” said
Walden. “Combatting the
opioid epidemic is going to
require a team effort from
our elected officials, health
care experts, and those on
the front lines of this fight
in our local communities. I
look forward to participat-
ing in this event and taking
our discussion back to Or-
egon as I continue to work
towards putting an end to
this crisis in our state.”
As Chairman of the
Energy and Commerce
Committee, Walden is at
the forefront of Congress’
response to the national
opioid epidemic. Details
on the event are included
below, and the event was
streamed live to Facebook
and online at www.wapo.
st/postlive.
ODOT announces sign
upgrades on U.S. 395, 26
An Oregon Department
of Transportation project
will replace highway signs
along sections of U.S. 395
and U.S. 26 in Umatilla
and Grant counties starting
later this year.
The project will go to bid
in August with some work
possibly occurring in the
fall.
All work will be com-
pleted by summer 2018.
The project will include
sign upgrades/replacement
along U.S. 395 between
the junction of OR244
(near Ukiah) and Mt.
Vernon, and along U.S. 26
between Mt. Vernon and
the west city limits of John
Day.
Travelers can expect
lane and shoulder closures
during the construction
activities, plus flaggers
Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker County Press
reserves the right not to publish letters containing factu-
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or detracting from specific for-profit businesses will not
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should be submitted to Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.
com.
Advertising and Opinion Page Disclaimer:
Opinions submitted as Guest Opinions or Letters to
and delays of up to twenty
minutes at times.
Traffic fines are double
the amount in all highway
work zones.
Drive with extra caution
when you see those orange
road construction signs.
For updated informa-
tion on highway work and
current travel information
throughout Oregon, visit
www.tripcheck.com.
the Editor express the opinions of their authors, and
have not been authored by and are not necessarily
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Advertisements placed by political groups, candidates,
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City Council
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
She also noted that as in
previous years, care would
be taken to locate vehicle
owners that were parked
in restricted areas rather
than immediately issuing
violations as the event was
intended to be enjoyed by
all. Joseph moved to ap-
prove the resolution with
a second by Councilor
McQuisten. A unanimous
vote was cast.
Third reading of
Ordinance #3354 Public
Safety Fee
Before City Manager
Warner read the Ordinance
for the third and final time,
Downing opened the floor
to public comment remind-
ing everyone that the meet-
ing was being broadcast
and to keep language and
comments appropriate for
all ages that may be watch-
ing.
Citizens then began to
come forward one by one.
In all, nine spoke, none in
favor of the fee.
Carl Myers voiced con-
cern over the golf course
and the fact that the City is
still funding $20,000 per
year plus additional for
maintenance.
Warner confirmed an ad-
ditional $10,000 had been
budgeted for a total of
$30,000 for the year.
Myers cited other
instances that he felt past
City Councils had ap-
proved funding for at
the expense of citizens
such as City support of a
“convention center” that
never materialized and the
Campbell Street project
many years ago.
Myers said, “The City
hired an engineering firm
out of Portland to tell them
what to do. Paid $90,000
to tell them the best thing
to do with that street and
they didn’t follow one
recommendation. $90,000
out the window.”
Myers pointed out sev-
eral other projects he felt
the City had been wasting
money on he also brought
up the sidewalk fee that
would be discontinued and
replaced with the Public
Safety Fee.
He said, “I argued against
it in the first place, if
people need to fix their
sidewalks they set it up on
a payment plan or you put
a lien on their property.”
Myers felt that the City
employs more police than
the population requires and
that the Public Safety Fee
that is proposed to retain
current staffing levels is
unnecessary.
Valerie Oman spoke to
Council stating she is on a
fixed income and although
$3 didn’t seem like much,
to her it made a huge dif-
ference. She also thought
that the fee would never
truly go away, be renamed
for something else and go
up over time. She, as most
others felt, something like
this needed to be voted on
by the people.
Rick Leggett, who also
is on a fixed income told
Council, “At the end of
the month $3 could mean
whether or not I eat that
night. I’m sure there are
a lot of other seniors and
disabled people that will be
in the ship.”
Sam Bass told Council
that he was at the meeting
to find out what this was
all about. He told Council
this was “going to be a
hardship on a lot people.”
Kenneth Martin spoke,
as he had in the last meet-
ing still expressing anger
and frustration over the
proposed fee calling the
City Council a bunch of
“communists, mafia and
dictators.” He accused
Council of “not listening to
the poor people.”
Joseph Martin stepped
forward stating, “If this
ordinance passes I intend
to place Baker City Coun-
cil under citizen’s arrest
for conspiracy to commit
extortion, conspiracy to
commit racketeering, con-
spiracy to overthrow the
Constitution of the United
States of America.”
Anthony Constantine told
Council he also disagreed
with the safety fee.
He cited an article that
ran in The Baker City
Herald in 2015 regard-
ing crime within the City,
which stated FBI statistics
reported 56 aggravated as-
saults in Baker City.
Constantine said the
article quoted Police Chief
Wyn Lohner as saying,
“Those numbers are com-
pletely inaccurate.”
According to Constan-
tine in the article Lohner
reported that number to be
11 aggravated assaults.
Constantine went on to
say, “That’s less than one
assault per officer for an
entire year. Baker City was
also called ‘Safest City
in Oregon’ and that was
with the amount of officers
standing on the force at
— Contact Us —
that time. I don’t believe
that calls for an increase
in uniformed Police Of-
ficers.”
Tom Muller again ad-
dressed Council as he has
previously at Budget and
Council meetings in oppo-
sition of the Public Safety
Fee. He continued to state
the passing of the fee was
“taxation without represen-
tation.”
Kevin Luckini voiced
concern that once passed
the fee would never go
away. He added that to
fund police and fire ser-
vices the City was “hold-
ing our water hostage.”
He felt the matter
should go to the people for
a vote but said, “You seven
people think you know bet-
ter than us. I think you’re
all good people but I think
the way you’re going about
this is wrong. Give us a
chance, be fair and let us
vote on this.”
Tommy Constantine was
the last to address council.
He questioned the numbers
that City Finance Director
Jeanie Dexter had estimat-
ed as revenue generated by
the fee, fearing an inflated
number could result in an
even bigger shortfall in the
future.
He also questioned if the
City anticipated a budget
shortfall for the next three
years, while the fee was
being collected. Accord-
ing to Dexter the answer
was yes due to mandated
increases to PERS, which
the City elected to partici-
pate in during the 1950’s
and cannot withdraw from.
Constantine, who has prior
City budget experience,
scolded Councilors and
staff present saying that
“a budget should never
be based on anticipated
revenue,” as it had the
previous year leading to
this debacle.
After hearing all public
comment Councilors
discussed the fee among
themselves. Councilor
Joseph said, “It is not my
intention to keep this fee.”
Citing the three-year sun-
set clause, Joseph indicated
he hoped the City would
be in a financial position
next year to eliminate the
fee completely.
Nilsson said, “I have had
concerns and questioned
the fee all along, but time
is of the essence.”
SEE CITY COUNCIL
PAGE 5
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