FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Politics
— Editorial —
in the moment anymore, but rather,
always chasing what’s ahead.
Why are we working so hard to
tie our children’s happiest, most
joy-filled memories to receiving
the hot new toy or glitziest elec-
tronic?
What happened to the spiritual
side of Christmas? The part of the
We walked into some local stores
holiday where we simply enjoy
this week only to see the Christ-
family time together?
mas displays out, with decorations
We suppose gifts have always
and gifts already for sale. Friends
been somewhat at the center of the
around town said these things have
holiday, going back for decades,
been out for weeks and we’re just
but it seems as if the scale has
slow in noticing it.
tipped to where getting outweighs
This means Americans are now
giving, and the stress of budgeting
devoting about one-third of our
and spending is consuming what
calendar year to either thinking
peace was once there in between
about or planning for Christmas
preparing for holiday activities.
shopping.
We think it’s time to take Santa
We’ve skipped right past celebrat-
Claus, his elves, and that Elf on a
ing the beautiful beginning of fall,
Shelf down a peg and get a grip
right past Halloween, right over
on Christmas before its meaning
the top of Thanksgiving, and all
is further lost beneath mounds of
the way to Christmas in one giant
wrapping paper and ribbons.
materialistic leap. We aren’t living
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
That holiday
merch
— Letters to the Editor —
Support amazing for recent
petition drive
To the Editor:
This past September the Baker County
Republican Party began a petition drive to
get several measures on the ballot so the
people can make the decision on impor-
tant issues rather than Salem.
We had over 25 people circulating peti-
tions in the county. We had all the peti-
tions at our booth at the Halfway fair over
Labor Day weekend.
We did two petition drives in Baker City
at the park. The response was overwhelm-
ingly positive. Almost 100% of the people
who came to the tables thanked us pro-
fusely for doing this. We had people from
all political parties and walks of life come
to sign. People are visibly mad at what is
going on with the State Legislature and
the Governor’s office. We had hundreds of
people create a steady backed up line each
day we set up the table at the park.
All total Baker County submitted almost
1,000 signatures for all five measures.
These were Initiative Petition #1 to Stop
tax dollars for abortions. #5 Proof of
citizenship for voter registration. #22 Stop
sanctuary state status. #301 Stop tax on
health care insurance premiums, and #302
Repeal gun confiscation law.
Here are the results: #302, to repeal the
gun confiscation bill did not get enough
signatures. Please remember Governor
Brown delayed signing this bill and cost
us 39 days of petition gathering time.
Another thirty days and we would have
qualified. This being a referendum we
cannot get an extension. But rest assured
we are not done with this issue.
#301 will be on the ballot. Signatures
collected were certified and this petition
had the full legal time to collect signa-
tures.
Initiative petition #1 has an extension to
the end of the year. #5 and #22, both can
be collected through July 2018.
If anyone wants to help collect signa-
tures, please let me know and we will get
you the petition forms and instructions.
Call me at: 541-519-5035.
It was heartwarming to have the good
citizens of Baker County, from all parties
participate in the petition drive. All is not
lost here in Oregon and meeting and talk-
ing with each one of you who signed, who
circulated petitions proved that.
Suzan Ellis Jones
Bridgeport
Baker County Republican Chair
Congressional District 2 Alternate Chair
ORP Natural Resource Committee Chair
Rep. Walden applauds
reopening of sage-grouse
public comment period
Rep. Greg Walden (R-
Hood River) this week
released the following
statement applauding the
reopening of the comment
period for sage grouse
plans in Oregon:
“I am pleased that Sec-
retary Zinke has reopened
the comment period for
sage grouse plans in
Oregon and across the
West. Oregon’s ranchers
and landowners have done
great cooperative work to
improve sage grouse habi-
tat, and this is a chance for
their firsthand knowledge
to be incorporated into the
planning process. Lift-
ing the overreaching sage
grouse mineral withdrawal
is also welcome news in
Lake County, where I’ve
heard strong concerns
about how the withdrawal
would impact sunstone
tourism in the area.
“The BLM’s decision is
a step in the right direction
towards working with our
rural communities in these
planning processes, rather
than just burdening them
with rules from Washing-
ton, D.C.
“I am confident Secretary
Zinke will use their input
as he develops a better path
forward for Oregon and the
West.”
Oregon wants to tax roads
modeled after California
The U.S. Department
of Transportation last
week awarded Oregon
a grant of $2,315,000 to
enhance Oregon’s exist-
ing road usage charge
program (OReGO), as well
as a $2,590,000 grant to
implement a joint project
with California that will
integrate the states’ road
charging programs. Both
grants will help expand
the state’s understanding
of the technology used in
the OReGO program and
its ability to support local,
state, regional and even
national transportation
funding needs.
“The principal method
of funding the road sys-
tem—the fuels tax—is
not sustainable in the
long-term because of the
much-improved efficiency
of vehicles,” explained
Maureen Bock, OReGO
Program Manager. “Econo-
mists expect this trend to
continue and for the gap in
road funding to get much
worse over the next several
decades. An alternative to
the gas tax is needed to
ensure all drivers pay their
fair share of road costs.”
“We know we need
reforms to transportation
funding to create a system
that benefits everyone,”
said Elissa Gertler, Plan-
ning Director for Oregon
Metro. “Exploring the
innovative tools that could
be at our disposal is a
critical part of making sure
our transportation system
is equitable, efficient, and
affordable for everyone in
our region. It’s great to see
that ODOT’s innovative
efforts to reform our trans-
portation funding system
are being recognized and
supported.”
ODOT successfully
launched OReGO July
1, 2015. The fully opera-
tional system is function-
ing effectively with 1,404
vehicles enrolled to date.
In creating the program,
Senate Bill 810 (2013)
authorized ODOT to assess
and collect a charge of 1.5
cents per mile for up to
5,000 vehicles. OReGO
volunteer drivers receive
a fuels tax credit while
enrolled.
Adapting road charging
for local transportation
funding
The first OReGO grant
will support testing of
three options for adapt-
ing road charging to local
jurisdictions. In most
states, counties and cities
levy a local-option fuels
tax. These taxes are then
remitted back to the local
government for their use.
More than ever, local
jurisdictions need differ-
ent revenue sources to
maintain their roadways as
roads age and the popula-
tion of Oregon grows,
increasing congestion and
wear and tear.
While OReGO dem-
onstrates that road charg-
ing works for the state, it
remains unproven at the
local level. Better under-
standing of OReGO’s tech-
nological capabilities may
provide local jurisdictions
with alternative funding
options.
How local area road
charging technology will
be tested
ODOT will examine
three local road usage
charge options with up to
500 volunteer participants
each. Each option will ex-
plore technical feasibility
of various local per-mile
— Contact Us —
scenarios such as: geo-
fencing a city or county
for additional per-mile
rates during specific travel
times; and, incentivizing
freeway corridors during
certain times of day for
longer through trips.
The test scenarios will
launch in 2019 in the Port-
land metropolitan area and
run concurrently for one
year. The tests will illumi-
nate whether the OReGO
system can handle local
option road usage charges,
and provide some insight
as to whether different
pricing scenarios inspire
drivers to plan their trips
differently.
The RUC West regional
California-Oregon interop-
erability project
With the second grant,
RUC West—a consortium
of 14 western states—will
demonstrate a regional
system between member
states Oregon and Cali-
fornia, creating a platform
that other states may join
as they become ready.
The demonstration will
provide a starting point for
potential future nationwide
adoption and implementa-
tion. The pilot is expected
to go live with volunteer
drivers in 2019.
California’s road charge
program launched July 1,
2016 and concluded March
31, 2017. Oregon’s pro-
gram (OReGO) launched
July 1, 2015 and contin-
ues to operate. Testing
interoperability of these
two inaugural systems is
the next step in developing
road usage charging as a
viable transportation fund-
ing alternative across the
country.
For more information
visit RUCwest.org.
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
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 specific for-profit 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
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 affiliates. Advertisements
placed by political groups, candidates,
businesses, etc., are printed as a paid
service, which does not constitute an
endorsement of or fulfillment obligation
by this newspaper for the products or
services advertised.
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