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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 4, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Saturday, July 4, 2015 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor (O M(DIA GROUP East Oregonian • The Daily Astorian • Capital Press • Hermiston Herald Blue Mountain Eagle • Wallowa County Chieftain • Chinook Observer • Coast River Business Journal Oregon Coast Today • Coast Weekend • Seaside Signal • Cannon Beach Gazette Eastern Oregon Real Estate Guide • Eastern Oregon Marketplace • Coast Marketplace OnlyAg.com • FarmSeller.com • Seaside-Sun.com • NorthwestOpinions.com • DiscoverOurCoast.com MIKE FORRESTER Pendleton Chairman of the Board STEVE FORRESTER Astoria President TOM BROWN Bigfork, Mont. Director KATHRYN B. BROWN Pendleton Secretary/Treasurer JEFF ROGERS Indianapolis, Ind. Director OUR VIEW Dispatch center too important to fail Every 9-1-1 call in Umatilla especially when we shell out big County is directed through the bucks for it. dispatch center in Pendleton, After all, a palm-sized device which connects residents in need carried by nearly every American WRDQHDUE\RI¿FHU¿UH¿JKWHURU over the age of 14 can make a call paramedic who can help no matter to anywhere in the world. Why can’t where the call comes from. an expensive network of software It’s a critical service. And it must stay connected through a barrage of work. calls? That’s the exact scenario in That’s why it’s disconcerting to which you need to be able to stay see the level of miscommunication logged in. and confusion surrounding the We’re not tech experts, but software, network and funding at we expect both Sun Ridge and the center, which is managed by the county to be. According to WKHFRXQW\VKHULII¶VRI¿FH$QG the president of Sun Ridge, this it certainly week the hasn’t helped company found the relationship some network It’s disconcerting between local problems, to see the level of and dispatch police who rely on the center and miscommunication communications the sheriff who commander Lt. administers it. Kathy Lieuallen and confusion When said the county surrounding the Hermiston is in the process agreed to join the buying new software, network of dispatch center servers. We’re and funding at the crossing our in 2013, part of the deal was the ¿QJHUVWKDW¶VWKH center, which is VKHULII¶VRI¿FH ¿[IRUWKHORFNXSV managed by the would upgrade and shutdowns. its software. But the matter sheriff’s office. After demos of not billing from several small cities for providers, the their service local police chiefs and Sheriff Terry until now, that’s all in the county’s Rowan unanimously agreed that Sun lap. Years of not charging when Ridge made the best pitch. It helped WKH\VKRXOGKDYHEHHQLVDGLI¿FXOW that Hermiston had been using Sun precedent to break, but sending out Ridge in its own center and was the bill in full without a heads-up happy with the service and the fact isn’t the way to handle it. We’re glad that the company provides service the county has opted to slowly ramp to hundreds of other agencies of all up payments over time, but it took sizes with a proven track record. way too long to get everyone in the But, according to those police same room to talk it out. chiefs, the decision to go with Sun As the software kinks and billing Ridge was the last time they were options are being worked out, brought into the conversation about the county is right to develop an how the center operates. oversight board with members from Fast forward a year. Small town each of the center’s users. It seems city councils start receiving bills at least some of the problems could for service they have never been have been avoided if the police asked to pay before. The dispatch chiefs were informed about tech and center is complaining of frequent funding issues as they developed, glitches in the software that tracks instead of after they blew up. calls, including crashes at critical Fortunately we haven’t had a moments. Sun Ridge is pointing at major meltdown or loss of life connectivity problems that it says because of the system failures. WKHFRXQW\PXVW¿[WRJHWWKHPRVW But making sure each part of this out of their software. shared resource is working together In this day and age we expect is crucial in keeping that from ever our technology to be fool-proof, happening. H Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. Oregon looking for love from feds on marijuana issue Although Valentine’s Day is long past, the Oregon Legislature has spent time and energy in the last days of this session composing love notes. Well, one love note, as reported by Hillary Borrud of the Capital Bureau in an article printed in the East Oregonian on June 30. The note, called Senate “Joint” Memorial 12, is a tender plea for the U.S. Congress to rescue marijuana from the awful stigma of EHLQJFODVVL¿HGDVDGDQJHURXVGUXJRQHRI the most dangerous, in fact, at the national level, thus greasing the skids for nationwide legalization. Yippy Skippy! Another endearment in this message is for Congress to make it look more appealing for banks to get into the action. I’ve read that banks in Colorado have been a little skittish, fearing embarrassing entanglements, spotted reputations, investigations, and so forth. Yes, E\DOOPHDQV/HW¶VIUHHWKHHQWLUH¿QDQFLDO sector from any restraints on their activities and on how their business is conducted. There has been some rosy conjecturing, before and since the passage of Measure 91, about tax revenues dancing into state coffers like sugarplums. That, however, according to a projection reported at a Pendleton City &RXQFLOPHHWLQJDZKLOHEDFNXVLQJ¿JXUHV available at the time, is apt to be more like Fourth of July quiz 8. Rick Perry has a campaign appy upcoming Independence theme song that goes, “Rick Perry Day! Let’s celebrate with a supporter ... presidential primary quiz. A. “... I love law and order.” 1. Gov. Chris Christie of New B. “... Let’s protect our border.” Jersey is the latest Republican C. “... Can you spare a quarter?” candidate for president. His slogan D. “... Take your hands off my is: daughter.” A. “Telling it like it is.” Gail 9. Gov. Scott Walker of B. “Yelling it like it is.” Collins Wisconsin: &³7LPHIRUVRPHWUDI¿FSUREOHPV Comment A. Delivered his college in Fort Lee.” valedictorian speech on women’s D.”I don’t need any stupid slogan. rights. You got a problem with that?” B. Got an across-the-board endorsement 2. Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, the second latest Republican to announce he’s a from the cast of “Duck Dynasty.” C. Responded to a child’s question about presidential candidate: global warming by saying that he is a former A. Is known in New Orleans as “Les Bon Boy Scout who “always thought maybe Temps Bobby.” campsites should be cleaner.” B. Said he once participated in an D. Responded to a child’s question about exorcism. global warming by complaining about C. Gave a thrilling Republican response to “gotcha” inquiries. the State of the Union speech. 10. Which Democrat used part of the D. Is less popular in Louisiana than presidential announcement speech to call anybody but Barack Obama. for adoption of the metric system? 3. Jeb Bush told a gathering of wealthy A. Hillary Clinton. 0anhattan ¿nanciers that his most B. Bernie Sanders. inÀuential adviser on the 0iddle (ast was: C. Martin O’Malley. A. His brother George. D. Lincoln Chafee. B. His brother Marvin. 11. One candidate for president seemed C. The billionaire casino magnate Sheldon sure that the mass murder of nine black Adelson. people in a historic black church was an '³$ZHDOWK\0DQKDWWDQ¿QDQFLHU,MXVW attack on religion. (“What other rationale had a great talk with in this very room.” could there be?”) That was: 4. In one of her emails as secretary of A. Carly Fiorina. state, Hillary Clinton: B. Ben Carson. A. Misspelled “Benghazi.” C. Rick Santorum. B. Urged John Podesta to wear socks to D. Marco Rubio. bed. 12. Donald Trump: C. Debated whether her playlist should A. Showed his support for the American include something from the Marvelettes. worker by having his line of ties manufactured D. Tutored an aide on how to use a fax. in Kansas. 5. Which of the following statements B. Has signed up to host a repackaged about Mike Huckabee is NOT true? quiz show called “Who Wants to Be a A. Hosted an infomercial promoting a Thousandaire?” cinnamon-heavy “Diabetes Solution Kit.” C. Is vowing to “Do for America what I did B. Has trouble relating to people who don’t for Atlantic City.” “order fried green tomatoes for an appetizer.” D. Says he has a secret plan to defeat ISIS C. Wrote a strange essay about rape and bondage 40 years ago, which he describes as a but doesn’t “want the enemy to know what I’m doing.” precursor to “Fifty Shades of Grey.” 13. The ¿rst presidential primary D. Enjoyed frying squirrels in a popcorn debate, featuring the top 10 Republicans, popper as a college student. will be in Ohio in August. It’s already 6. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky: causing controversy because: A. Loves squirrels. A. Fox News, the broadcaster, wants to B. Once attempted to equate abortion rights raise ratings by requiring the candidates to WRJRYHUQPHQWVXSSRUWIRUORZÀXVKWRLOHWV answer questions while suspended over the C. Is the son of guitar legend Les Paul. Grand Canyon. ''HFRUDWHGKLVRI¿FHOLNHDVFHQHIURP B. The governor of Ohio might not make “Downton Abbey.” the cut. 7. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas once: C. Rand Paul has called for a more A. Put together a group of advisers who millennial-friendly “Twitter-off.” described early childhood education as a D. Jeb Bush asks that all his male relatives “Godless environment.” be permitted to pass him notes. B. Tweeted a picture of himself posing ANSW(RS: 1-A; 2-B (Jindal’s poll with what looked like a rug made from an numbers are actually worse than Obama’s); endangered species. C. Demanded the return of deep-fried foods 3-A; 4-B; 5-C (the bondage essayist was Bernie Sanders); 6-B; 7-B (the other to school cafeterias. (“It’s not about french WKUHHDUHDOOE\WRSRI¿FLDOVLQ7H[DVVWDWH fries; it’s about freedom.”) government); 8-B; 9-C (“Duck Dynasty” is D. Called for special supervision of U.S. pro-Jindal); 10-D; 11-C; 12-D (the ties are still military exercises this summer because of manufactured in China); 13-B. concerns that the soldiers might take over and — Gail Collins, The New York Times FRQ¿VFDWHHYHU\RQH¶VJXQV YOUR VIEWS “pie in the sky.” The return to the state of Oregon since allowing the installation of gambling machines has been a minuscule part of total annual revenue; and the portion of income from gambling dedicated to the treatment of gambling addiction is embarrassing! In the present situation, post 91, I’m more FRQFHUQHGDERXWWKHLQWHUSRVLQJRI¿QDQFLDO middlemen than the advent of legal pot itself. Without grand expectations of money to be made by growers and handlers of pot, there would not have been a push to legalize it in WKH¿UVWSODFH I wonder just what special ingredient some of our amorous representatives in Salem have been adding to their food lately. Have they been privileged to “jump the gun?” Harvey Foreman Pendleton Be safe in area’s powerful and dangerous rivers I live in Vernal, Utah, and subscribe to the East Oregonian. I follow the news out there where I once lived. I heard about the recent tragedy in Irrigon, where a young man lost his life in the Columbia River. I want to send my condolences to the family. This is a very sad situation and I am very sorry for your loss. I send my condolences to his friends. This river is a monster. It’s fun to watch but if you must enter to stay cool during these long, hot summer months, please be careful. We all need to pay attention to the Columbia, the Snake, etc. These rivers are very powerful; they can take your life in an instant. Again, family and friends, you all have my deepest sorrow over this and let’s all be careful out there. No more drownings. This is a goal we can all live with. Have a nice summer, y’all. Be safe, not sorry. Jerry Anderson Vernal, Utah Suspicious that lead ammo study results unreleased I’m writing in response to an article written in your paper last week: “A year later, lead ammo survey results still not available from the ODFW.” The article’s report that the results from a study conducted last summer are still missing is disconcerting, to say the least. And the absence of survey information on lead ammunition hit on a very important issue for hunters. A ban on lead bullets would do serious damage to Oregon’s hunting participation rates, considering that most types of non-lead bullets are banned by the federal government. Talk about being put in between a rock and a hard place! This apparent concealment of the data behind the lead ammo survey is reminiscent of California, where a report on the blood lead levels in condors was intentionally withheld until after their lead ban was passed through the legislature and signed by the governor. The reason it was withheld is that it showed that condors were still getting lead poisoning, despite an existing ban in condor country that had a 98 percent compliance rate from hunters. Could it be that Oregon ’s survey didn’t bring back favorable data? Will we ever know? Stan Steele Chairman, Oregon Outdoor Council LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspa- per reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual ser- vices and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
