FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion
— Editorial —
Time for a
change
With this issue, The Baker County
Press as an official newspaper will come
to an end. This was a decision a year in
the making, and certainly not an easy
one.
When I started building this news-
paper more than four years ago, things
were very different in my family. In the
past two years, my kids and I have gone
through just about every major stressful
life change imaginable—death, divorce,
illness—which changed our household in
many ways.
In my former career I was trained that
when a major detail in a project or situ-
ation changes, then the scope of work
going into that project would no longer
fit. I was taught to stop and revise the
work scope before moving ahead again.
This approach seems like good, common
sense.
The kids and I are now looking at more
big changes over the coming months, all
extremely positive ones this time, and
the newspaper part of my business can’t
be bent to operate around everything we
need as a healthy family. So I stopped,
changed the work plan, and made this
decision.
Part of the newspaper’s creation came
from a desire to do something in ser-
vice to the community. I’ll continue the
Facebook feed for an undetermined time.
Maybe months. Maybe years! We will
be posting, free of charge, press releases,
anything that immediately affects public
safety, maybe an article or two, and pos-
sibly some other ideas that at least one
of my reporters has been batting around.
We may begin to offer low-cost, flat-fee
advertising opportunities there as well.
I’ll also keep running the book publish-
ing side of this company just like I have
for 11 years (www.blacklyonpublishing.
com).
What does this mean for current sub-
scribers or for advertisers who prepaid?
You’ll receive refunds. We’ve already
begun. Give us a few weeks – this is go-
ing to be a long, tedious process.
I sincerely apologize for the disappoint-
ment and inconvenience. I’ve been thank-
ful for your kindness and support.
Finally, I want to thank all those who
reported, sold ads, delivered papers and
otherwise helped print and produce this
paper. I’ve been very blessed to have
worked with you all, and will likely still
be regularly in touch with most of you as
I begin this new path.
Kerry McQuisten
Publisher
— Letters to the Editor —
Vote No on 101
To the Editor:
How are our current healthcare dollars
really being spent?
1. A $1.2 Million-Dollar annual salary
for the Oregon Hospitals Association’s
executive director (WWeek.com).
2. $8,86264.56 spent on campaign con-
tributions by six medicaid groups/political
action committees (oregonvotes.org).
3. A $50 Million Dollar taxpayer
funded loan to MODA Insurance - you
know, the same one that spent $40 million
plastering their name on the side of the
Rose Garden* (*Oregonian.com)
4. $66,666/Month PERS payout to
Oregon Health Sciences University’s
president - FOR LIFE!!! (Oregonian.com)
5. And millions of dollars hiring an
army of health care lobbyists who get paid
to protect financial interests of hospitals
and insurance CEO’s, while ensuring their
clients won’t pay new healthcare taxes
like the rest of us (oregon.gov/ogec).
Remember, an “assessment” used in this
bill is a tax, pure and simple to continue
to fill the aforementioned pockets with our
healthcare dollars.
Please join me in voting NO on Measure
101!
Lorri Speelman
Baker City
Tax, tax, tax
To the Editor:
Tax, Tax, Tax, our Democratic con-
trolled state legislature recently voted to
push another tax on the people of Oregon.
This insidious tax measure is disguised
as an assessment by the drafters of this
measure. By calling this tax an assessment
is like putting lipstick on a pig hoping to
fool the Oregon voters into thinking their
eating beef.
This tax raiser for Medicaid is to fund
abortions and open the door for a flood of
free medical care for illegal’s Migrants.
It is a tax on you, the tax payer, a tax on
our health care insurance, state health care
organizations, school medical insurance,
collage student insurance, small busi-
ness, non profits and our hospitals. But of
course exempting big corporations, unions
and insurance companies and of course
the State Legislature from this tax. It is a
tax on our health care system for you and
me exempting the elite. Make no mistake
the costs incurred by business will be
passed on to you.
The sneaky little Democrats moved the
election to January when everybody is still
recovering from the holidays, hoping for
a low voter turn out. The Democrats that
wrote this bill along with the Governor
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
were bought and paid for by accepting
Medicaid campaign cash after the law
pass’s. (Source: Voters Pamphlet) Tell
these greedy Democrat politicians “no”
and take back our health care system.
It’s too bad they couldn’t use that gas
tax they passed to subsidize the alcohol
producers, or the bike tax, or maybe the
vehicle registration tax to prop up Med-
icaid for illegal’s? Been waiting for the
Democrat controlled legislature to start
taxing toilet paper, that’s about the only
thing they haven’t tried putting a tax on.
Chuck Chase
Baker City
Oregon voters beware
To the Editor:
Measure 101 is no good. Purported
“temporary assessments” translates to
another list of permanent taxes. “May not
increase rates on health insurance premi-
ums” likely means it shall happen. HB
2391 has already socked it to us this past
October. Carefully read the summaries
and see who really benefits from this, and
it certainly isn’t the public taxpayer. It is
the politicians, insurance companies and
the Public Employees Benefit Board who
want the 1.5% assessments on premiums
and premium equivalents for two years
and then another increase of 0.7%.
Read page 16: “Text of Measure.”
These assessments are in addition to cur-
rent assessments, not in lieu of them. Pay
particular attention to pages 39 and 40
of your Voter Pamphlet, then follow the
money trail. Oregon doesn’t need more
taxes, it needs to learn to budget its expen-
ditures like the taxpayers have to do.
VOTE NO on 101
Peggie Longwell
Baker City
Definite NO on 101
To the Editor:
Ballot wording for Measure 101 tries to
mislead us that this isn’t another new TAX
that our Salem politicians have come up
up with. By calling it an assessment, they
try to fool us into voting for it. Calling a
TAX an assessment is like calling a rose
by another name—it is still a rose.
In reality Measure 101 is nothing but
a new TAX on hospitals, health insurers,
and coordinated care organizations. This
new TAX will be passed on to you and me
thus driving up the cost of our health care.
It is time to tell Salem to live within their
means just as we have to do. If you are
tired of new TAXes.
Vote NO on Measure 101.
Terry Speelman
Baker City
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
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services advertised.
— Special Column —
So I was
thinking ...
About
really bad
drivers!
By Jimmy Ingram
Special to The Baker County Press
Ever since the invention of the au-
tomobile there have been bad drivers.
The world is inhabited by a percentage
of the population unqualified to ride a
bicycle, let alone navigate a two-ton
machine capable of traveling at 100
mph. Cell phones and the public’s
obsession with them have made road
travel even more unsafe. But let’s be
real, cell phones are just one of many
things that distract people from driving
responsibly.
Mr. No Turn Signal. To you, the
flickering red beams indicating which
direction you plan to turn are just
too much of a nuisance. It could be
laziness, it could be a self-perceived
ownership of the road. Either way, it
doesn’t matter. You refuse to use it.
Sometimes for fun I like to narrate
your movement in front of me like Vin
Scully announcing play by play of a
Dodger game.
“And here comes the stop. Are they
going to turn left? Yes they are, they’re
rounding the corner headed left and ...
NO it’s back to the right. Stay tuned
at the next intersection folks, traveling
unmarked intersections behind this car
should have you on the edge of your
seat.”
The Speeder. We get it. You’re in
a hurry. So much so that you bob and
weave back and forth across the lanes,
not unlike the race car arcade games
we played as kids. Difference being,
this is real life, and depositing 50
cents into the machine doesn’t get you
another chance after you’ve totaled
your car. Unless you are delivering
your nine-months-pregnant wife to the
hospital, you’re just being an idiot. It
comes as no surprise your ‘89 Toyota
Camry is missing both bumpers, a side
window, and looks like it once took
first (or last) place in a demolition
derby. Ironically after 12 miles of you
darting in and out of cars (without any
turn signals) you arrive at the freeway
offramp 10 seconds before the rest of
us. Looks like you too were going to
the grocery store. You must be really
hungry. Call me spiteful but I hope you
end up in the slowest checkout line.
The Slowpoke. The goal of the
painfully slow driver is apparently no
goal other than to take in the landscape
Submitted Photo
Jimmy Ingram is a local farmer and
father of two who enjoys people
watching within our wonderful
community and beyond.
and turn a 30-minute trip into an all-
day adventure. A trip to the store for
you must feel like a shuttle launch to
the moon. You like to remind people
the speed limit is 55, but you choose to
be rebellious by traveling at half that
speed.
Fourth gear in your car is considered
by you to be “warp speed,” saved only
for emergencies and/or a trip to Bi-
Mart for lucky number Tuesday. You
consider everyone else to be a reckless
driver, even though your snail’s pace
is the ultimate in disrupting the flow of
traffic.
You consider yourself a “safe driv-
er” proven by your stoppage at every
single unmarked intersection and com-
mitment to wait at stop signs for entire
afternoons. But your unwillingness
to commit to pressing the gas pedal at
green traffic lights means we’re all late
for work, school, dentist appointments,
and possibly even voting in the 2020
election.
It’s my hope that someday you and
the “speeder” listed above can have a
mutual intervention and agree to meet
in the middle somehow.
Mr. Obnoxious. There’s always a
few of these drivers out there. Squeal-
ing tires, black diesel smoke, off-road
only high beam lights, etc.
Clearly your parents didn’t give you
enough attention as a child because
your desire to be noticed at every stop
sign and traffic light knows no bounds.
Here’s a tip for you: no woman has
ever seen a man squeal his tires at a
green light and said, “Who was that?”
in a sexy voice. Imagining all the fuel
and rubber you go through in a year
makes me want to invest in petroleum
stocks. I wish no ill on you, but some-
day your motor will blow up and push-
ing your truck through an intersection
may not exactly be the “badass” look
you’re hoping for.
On a different note, this will be the
last issue of The Baker County Press.
I appreciate the hard work of the
BCP, and those of you who have taken
the time to read my printed thoughts
and rants over the last couple years.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing them
and hope my attempt at humor was
taken as just that—humor.
— Contact Us —
YOUR ELECTED
OFFICIALS
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503.326.3386
503.326.2900 fax
Merkley.Senate.gov
Phone: 541.519.0572
TheBakerCountyPress.com
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541.962.7691
Wyden.Senate.gov
Kerry McQuisten, Publisher
Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.com
US Rep. Greg Walden
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Esa@TheBakerCountyPress.com
541.624.2402 fax
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David@TheBakerCountyPress.com
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