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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 2017)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS Opinion / Politics — Editorial — Questioning Planning Commission appointments This month, three open positions within the Baker County Planning Commission were filled with incum- bents. That’s fine. Experience is good when not corrupted. What’s not fine was the vote by two of our three Commissioners—we believe Mark Bennett abstained—to simply reappoint when three other applicants from across the county had taken their time and effort to apply for those volunteer positions. Volunteers, these days, are hard to come by. Those applications weren’t even reviewed, which we find disrespectful. One of those three applications, which was initially confirmed as received, was then somehow lost in the shuffle on top of it all. To add insult to injury, one of those incumbents, Rob Crawford out of Halfway, is currently being investigat- ed as it turns out, for dodging the legal permitting and inspection process on his own construction project. Now, it bothers us to no end the fact that freedoms have slipped away to the point at which a private property owner has to ask permission from a government entity to build a house ad- dition on their own land. It grates. But Crawford, in his position on the Planning Commission, has faithfully agreed to help interpret and uphold those laws, and apply them fairly to permit applicants. Not follow- ing that process himself is a study in blatant hypocrisy at worst, ignorance at best—either of which makes him unsuitable for the position he holds. It’s ironic that in past cases, Craw- ford, who appears to lean to the far liberal side on most topics, has been one of the voices most opposed to upholding property owner rights and freedoms as evidenced during public discussions during Planning Commis- sion meetings this year. In addition, as this investigation was going on since spring, and was known by County officials, why, we ask, did Commissioners Nichols and Harvey vote to reinstate Crawford when there were three viable applicants they could have considered instead? Crawford should either resign or be removed. Commissioners should turn back to those three unconsidered ap- plicants and thoughtfully select one of them. —The Baker County Press Editorial Board Big employers face new scheduling law Governor Brown ceremonially signed the predictive scheduling bill at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, in the Governor's Ceremonial Office. Senate Bill 828, the na- tion's first statewide “fair scheduling” bill, requires large employers to give employees a week's notice regarding scheduling changes. Speakers at the ceremony included Governor Brown, Emerson Wood, a Port- land worker who will be impacted by SB 828, and Wendy Collie, CEO of New Seasons. Walden calls for forest management reform Rep. Greg Walden (R- Hood River) called for action last Wednesday on forest management reform. During a hearing of the Energy and Com- merce Committee, Walden stressed the urgent need to address the underlying is- sues leading to devastating fires, which pour pollutants into the atmosphere and pose a serious threat to air quality, water quality, and Oregon’s public lands. “I want to focus on this air quality issue, especially as it relates to wood stoves and what is happening in the West. Year after year, we have catastrophic wildfires on federal lands, some of which have been set aside and managed in a way that they have no management,” said Walden. “So if you want to do something that is extraordinarily impor- tant, join us in reforming the way we manage our precious public lands and federal forests to reduce the fuel loads.” Walden’s Energy and Commerce Committee ex- amined the impact of bur- densome regulations and policies on wood stoves in rural Oregon. Walden said overbearing regulations force rural communities in Oregon to decide between risking air quality restric- tions that could prohibit economic growth, or forc- ing residents to purchase expensive wood stoves that meet new regulations. Communities in Oregon have spent upwards of $1.5 million to help consumers afford new stoves. Walden said these communities are trying to scrape by to heat their homes in the winter, and are inundated with smoke from devastating fires in the summer that make it difficult to breathe. Walden also highlighted the need to pass the Resilient Federal Forests Act, marking the fifth time in five years the House is moving forward with major federal forest policy reforms. This legislation provides new tools and streamlines forest manage- ment to clean up the fuel loads that contribute to large-scale fires. Earlier, Walden joined U.S. Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke and his col- leagues in the Congres- sional and Senate Western Caucus at a news confer- ence on the pressing need for forest management reform. Wyden urges UAS use in fighting wildfires U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Peter De- Fazio today asked federal officials what’s being done to deploy more unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to fight wildfires raging throughout Oregon and the West. As Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. DeFazio last year authored legislation that di- rected the Federal Aviation Administration, Depart- ment of the Interior, and Department of Agriculture to expedite the safe use of UAS to support firefighting operations. The legislation was passed into law as part of the FAA Extension Act of 2016. Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker County Press reserves the right not to publish letters containing factu- al falsehoods or incoherent narrative. Letters promoting or detracting 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 Disclaimer: Opinions submitted as Guest Opinions or Letters to The letter from the two lawmakers seeking an- swers about using UAS as a firefighting tool comes in the wake of their meetings last weekend in Oregon with emergency responders battling wildfires around the state. Wildfires this year ripped through more than 7.65 million acres in Oregon and the west. 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 affiliates. Advertisements placed by political groups, candidates, businesses, etc., are printed as a paid service, which does not constitute an endorsement of or fulfillment ob- ligation by this newspaper for the products or services advertised. — Guest Opinion — This year’s audit plan By Dennis Richardson As Oregon’s Chief Auditor, I am proud to announce the 2017-18 Audit Plan. The Audit Plan is a new docu- ment our Secretary of State’s office will be releasing annually. It includes a brief overview of the functions of the Audits Division and a list of planned audits for 2017-2018, includ- ing initial scope and objectives. (Addi- tional audits may be added to the Plan, as circumstances warrant.) This year’s plan includes audits focused on security and information technology; vulnerable populations; finance, revenue, and fiscal sustain- ability; education; and, public health and safety. The Audit Plan addresses two com- mitments I made during last year’s campaign: first, we’ll be tracking edu- cation money from the Department of Education to Portland Public School District as a focal point (PPD is the state’s largest school district with 49,189 students). In addition, I heard the pleas of women who are angry and frustrated about the number of Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kits that are sitting on Oregon law en- forcement open investigation shelves, while rapists remain on the streets. The backlog of “rape kits” was the subject of a 2015 audit, which found the number of unprocessed SAFE kits was substantial. We’ll do a follow- up audit of the Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division to see what progress has been made in processing and closing these tragic criminal cases and putting the perpetrators behind bars. If you are interested in how our Au- dits Division functions, how audits are chosen, and the list of proposed audits for the next two years, please read the 2017-18 Audit Plan. What you will not see in the Au- dit Plan is a listing for the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) program, Cover Oregon, or the Columbia River Crossing project. I have not forgotten about my promises to audit these three incredibly expensive and wasteful boondoggles. Each of them will get at- tention during my term in office after more urgent audits are concluded. The BETC program was subject to an independent audit conducted in 2016. I have personally reviewed that Audit Report and other sources of relevant information, and I’ll write my analysis in an upcoming newsletter. Although during last year’s campaign, I promised a thorough audit of the BETC program, now that I have ac- cess to all the information available to the Secretary of State, I have sufficient Submitted Photo Former State Rep. Dennis Richardson is now Oregon’s Secretary of State. knowledge to provide the findings needed to avoid repeating the BETC debacle. In short, with the limited personnel and resources in our Audits Division, I’m making a “quarterback call” and will focus those resources where they can have the greatest im- pact for the future. The Cover Oregon audit will occur during my term, but must wait until after the more urgent Oregon Health Authority (OHA) audit and follow-up audits are completed. OHA continues to be a top audit priority and is em- broiled in scandal over wasting tens of millions of tax dollars for benefits paid to ineligible recipients. The waste fig- ures presented in last spring’s “OHA Audit Alert,” underestimated the true extent of the problem. Now, OHA has a new director, Pat Allen, who deserves to know the full extent of the hole OHA dug for itself. When current OHA audits are completed, we’ll refo- cus on determining the lessons learned from the Cover Oregon calamity. The Columbia River Crossing audit will have to wait until our transpor- tation industry/project auditors are available. This will occur during my term and before the next Columbia River bridge replacement project gets underway. In conclusion, making today’s 2017- 18 Audit Plan public is just another step we are taking in your Secretary of State’s Audits Division to make our government more open and trans- parent. By publicly announcing the agencies and topics we intend to audit, as well as by sharing our vision for the Audits Division moving forward, we hold ourselves to the same standards of accountability and transparency we are looking for in all state agencies. The money you pay in taxes is pre- cious, and you deserve to know that someone is watching out for your best interests. As your Secretary of State, it is my pledge to do all in my power to help Oregon state government be more economical, efficient, and effec- tive. It is an honor to serve as your Secre- tary of State. — 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. Jeff Merkley 503.326.3386 503.326.2900 fax Merkley.Senate.gov Phone: 541.519.0572 TheBakerCountyPress.com US Sen. Ron Wyden 541.962.7691 Wyden.Senate.gov Kerry McQuisten, Publisher Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.com US Rep. Greg Walden Wendee Morrissey, Advertising and Sales Wendee@TheBakerCountyPress.com 541.624.2402 fax David Conn, Advertising and Sales David@TheBakerCountyPress.com Published weekly every Friday. Subscription rates per year are $29.95 all areas, e-mail delivery. $39.95 print issue, home delivery, Baker City city limits only. $49.95 print issue, mail delivery, outside Baker City city limits only. Payment in advance. A division of Black Lyon Publishing, LLC 541.624.2400 Walden.House.gov Oregon Gov. Kate Brown 503.378.3111 Governor.Oregon.gov State Rep. Cliff Bentz 503.986.1460 State Sen. Ted Ferrioli 541.490.6528 Baker County Commissioners Bill Harvey; Mark Bennett; Bruce Nichols 541.523.8200 Copyright © 2014 -2017 541.523.8201
