FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Politics
— Editorial —
The rat hole:
part deux
If we were disappointed before with the
Baker County Commissioners’ decision to
renew the contract for economic developer
Gregory Smith and Company, LLC with a
raise—for a total of $108,000 this coming
year—we were equally disappointed with
their justifi cation of that unanimous vote
given during the next session.
The criticism being expressed commu-
nity-wide over this decision is justifi ed.
Having come from a business develop-
ment and marketing background at an
executive level for larger corporations
prior to entering the publishing industry,
our editor is perhaps looking at this area
of expertise in a far different way than our
Commissioners.
You see, media relations goes hand
in hand with business development and
marketing, where even the greenest rookie
is aware of a great little tactic involving
defl ection and distraction. This, amusingly
enough, is the defense we heard given by
Smith at this last meeting. To paraphrase,
“I don’t really have a performance prob-
lem—it’s more of a communications prob-
lem. We just aren’t able to great across all
the great things we’ve done.” The idea,
using this media relations 101 tactic, is to
take the attention off the fatal fl aw (that of
failing to bring in an adequate Return on
Investment or ROI) and instead shift the
focus onto correcting something more in-
nocuous such as communication style.
Then, Smith laid that communication
issue off on the need for confi dential-
ity. Granted, his offi ce should prize that
quality. However, we’ve heard promises
of great things just down the pike—things
that were too secret to disclose just yet—
since 2011. Very little came to fruition.
Maintaining a web site does not cut it.
Designing marketing materials does not
cut it. In private industry, these are but
two of the many tasks typically inside the
scope of work assigned to a $40K/year
marketing employee in larger corpora-
tions—or personally done at the director
level in smaller offi ces without layers of
employees beneath. Having an assistant in
an offi ce here rather than the actual busi-
ness development director here full-time
also does not cut it. Pulling stats from the
local employment offi ce does not cut it—
anyone can do this.
Contracting Smith as a middleman to
schedule Bureau of Labor and Industries
(BOLI) trainings, which are already avail-
able free of charge, or directing potential
local entrepreneurs toward loans or grants
is also not a great ROI. Northeast Oregon
Economic Development District and the
loan offi cers at local banks provide these
services for free—no middleman required.
Assigning Smith to roles in ongoing
construction tasks is not business develop-
ment. Contract with one of our local real
estate agents to help rent those spaces out.
Bragging that one’s offi ce is “re-
sponsive” to every call it receives is not
business development. Gifted marketers
are not reactionary. Rather, they exist
full-time emailing, calling and visiting
with the singular relentless focus of inking
contracts and selling their product. In our
case, that product is Baker County.
Smith recently pointed out that maybe
the County’s expectations of him aren’t
clear enough. We agree. Let’s make it
simple: Bring in one, just one, out-of-
area company into the County per year
employing 20 people or more, a lead that
Smith fi nds himself—and he’s proven his
worth. Maybe something grand—like a
Cabela’s—or even something lower key—
such as Grocery Outlet—would be just
fi ne by us.
To the Editor:
Monday, Aug. 14, 5 p.m, another ‘last
input’ meeting will be at the courthouse
concerning the proposed Boardman to
Hemingway high voltage powerline. This
Idaho Power boondoggle has been on the
table for over ten years now, still threaten-
ing our county. We never were given a
vote whether we wanted it or not and now
we are being forced to choose between the
lesser of evils: The fi nal route through the
county that, no matter where it goes is go-
ing to harm the entire county. Remember,
Idaho Power is a for-profi t company worth
multi-million dollars earning healthy prof-
its annually. The powers who run it don’t
live here nor do they care if a powerline
runs through our front yards as they don’t
see it or deal with its consequences, like:
Whether the lines are routed behind or
in front of the BLM’s Interpretive center
it is an act of arrogance to even consider
desecrating this view scape. It is a defi le-
ment of history and our heritage. Why did
the BLM spend 16 million on the center
then destroy its purpose by bisected this
unique window into the past with pylons
and wires?
Electric magnetic fi elds are not allowed
as a complaint against powerlines yet
damning evidence reveal powerlines emit
harmful radiation to both humans and
livestock.
There is little in Idaho Power’s plan
to check the spread of weeds. Building
and maintenance will spread weeds like
wildfi re—just what an agricultural-based
community needs.
Who pays for forest fi res started by
shorts or line breakage?
Idaho Power gives diddly back to the
community.
Who pays for road damage caused by
heavy equipment building and maintain-
ing this project? And dust abatement?
County Commissioners’ comments are
due to ODOE by Sept. 1. There are
concerns Idaho Power has only paid
lip service to so far— (Remember the
contractual fi sh ladders that Idaho Power
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
detracting from specifi c for-profi t business-
es 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@TheBakerCounty-
Press.com.
Advertising and Opinion Page Dis-
claimer: Opinions submitted as Guest
Governor Kate Brown’s
request for federal disaster
aid was approved for state,
tribal, and local recovery
efforts in four Oregon
counties affected by the
January 2017 severe winter
storms.
While the storms im-
pacted 12 Oregon counties
this past year, including
several in eastern Oregon,
only Columbia, Deschutes,
Hood River, and Josephine
Counties are eligible for
public assistance for emer-
gency work and the repair
or replacement of disaster-
damaged facilities, as well
as hazard mitigation funds.
Hazard mitigation funds
are available statewide;
however, priority is given
to counties impacted by the
recent storms.
Hazard mitigation is
assistance for actions
taken to prevent or reduce
long-term risk to life and
property from natural haz-
ards, and up to 75 percent
in matching federal aid
will be available for costs
incurred in recovering
from storm damage.
“While it’s disappoint-
ing Oregon did not get the
full level of assistance we
requested, I’ll continue
working with our fed-
eral partners to ensure the
available aid supports state
and local recovery efforts
in areas of most need,”
said Governor Brown.
“Our communities are
resilient, and with support
from the Oregon Offi ce of
Emergency Management,
Department of Agriculture,
and other state agencies,
these communities are
on the road to recovery.
I appreciate the commit-
ment of our state agen-
cies to continue assisting
local partners and thank
the Offi ce of Emergency
Management for working
to secure additional federal
recovery funding.”
Governor Brown
declared a state of emer-
gency in January due to the
dangerous levels of snow
accumulating and fl ood-
ing risks in the region.
Record-breaking snow
from consecutive winter
storms crushed crop stor-
age facilities, damaged
homes and infrastructure,
and negatively impacted
the local economy.
Although a Presiden-
tial disaster declaration
to assist with recovery
was requested on March
8, 2017, the request was
denied. However, the state
appealed the denial on
June 9.
In addition to continuing
to pursue federal assis-
tance, Governor Brown
convened legislative
leaders earlier this year
and directed state agency
directors to continue to
explore options to stream-
line recovery and support
rebuilding efforts.
The Governor also issued
an executive order to ac-
celerate DEQ-approved de-
molition and removal plans
of buildings collapsed as
result of Malheur County’s
severe winter storms.
Zinke releases statement
on sage-grouse report
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
— Letters to the Editor —
Your voice needed re: B2H
Eastern Oregon will not
get disaster aid for last
winter’s damages
were supposed to build at their dams?).
Your concerns are important for the health
of this community. Baker is a unique and
special place to live: If you don’t want
this invasive development then please, it
is easy, attend this meeting. Voice your
concerns.
Whit Deschner
Baker City
Economic Development contract
needs cancelled
To the Editor:
Representative Greg Smith should have
disclosed to the Baker County Commis-
sioners and the EDC board that he was
a full-time employee of the Columbia
Development Authority when his contract
came up for renewal.
One wonders how a State Representa-
tive even in off-session, can work 40
hours a week for CDA and also fairly
market Baker County, Malheur County
and Umatilla County for business devel-
opment in all three counties.
I have not heard of any success Mr.
Smith has brought into Baker County. Of
course he also represents a county in his
district, in addition to Baker and Malheur
Counties. How can he fairly represent any
of the counties?
It was just announced Mr. Smith was
successful at getting a $7 million grant for
Columbia Development Authority. Baker
County is truly the stepchild of Mr. Smith.
I fi nd it deceptive this important infor-
mation was not shared with the Board and
the Commissioners during contract nego-
tiations. It also is completely inappropri-
ate that Commissioner Nichols to meet
for lunch with Smith prior to the vote to
renew the contract. Seems like collusion
to me.
This contract needs to be cancelled. The
County Commissioners hold the purse
strings on fi nancial business and they need
to protect Baker County from back door
deals such as this.
Kasey Wright
Halfway
Opinions or 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, management, independent
contractors or affi liates. Advertisements
placed by political groups, candidates,
businesses, etc., are printed as a paid
service, which does not constitute an
endorsement of or fulfi llment obligation
by this newspaper for the products or
services advertised.
U.S. Secretary of the In-
terior Ryan Zinke received
a report from the Depart-
ment of the Interior Sage-
Grouse Review Team (DOI
Team) regarding possible
plan and policy modifi ca-
tions to complement state
efforts to improve Greater
Sage-Grouse conservation
and economic development
on public lands.
The report is the fi nal
product required by Secre-
tarial Order 3353 "Greater
Sage-Grouse Conserva-
tion and Cooperation with
Western States" issued
June 7, 2017.
The report, the cover
letter from the Bureau of
Land Management to the
Secretary, and the memo
from Secretary Zinke to
Deputy Secretary David
Bernhardt are avail-
able at https://on.doi.
gov/2vGwuaf.
"I'm thankful to all of
the DOI team members as
well as the bureau staff and
the state partners who put
in the hard work and time
to develop this report,"
said Secretary Zinke. "I've
directed Deputy Secretary
David Bernhardt to begin
implementation of the
recommendations and to
direct the Bureau of Land
Management, in coordina-
tion with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, the
U.S. Geological Survey,
and other offi ces in the
Department, to immedi-
ately follow through on
the short- and long-term
recommendations."
In addition to offi cials
from the U.S. Department
of the Interior, Fish and
Wildlife Service, Bureau
of Land Management, U.S.
Geological Survey, and the
U.S. Forest Service, rep-
resentatives from 11 states
that have sage-grouse habi-
tat were involved in the
creation of the document.
Secretarial Order 3353
aims to improve sage-
grouse conservation and to
strengthen communication
and collaboration between
states and the federal gov-
ernment.
Together, the federal
government and the states
are working to conserve
and protect sage-grouse
and their habitat while
also ensuring conservation
efforts do not impede local
economic opportunities.
In signing Secretarial
Order 3353, Secretary Zin-
ke established an internal
review team that, among
other things, evaluated
both federal sage-grouse
plans and state plans and
programs to ensure they
are complementary and
explored possible plan
modifi cations with local
economic growth and job
creation in mind.
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