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