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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 2016)
VIEWPOINTS Saturday, January 9, 2016 East Oregonian Page 5A Sagebrush rebels recycle Old West fantasies Quick takes By PAUL LARMER Writers on the Range Brouhaha boils in Burns People are sick and tired of the Federal Government interfering and grabbing our land, they are shutting us out more and more every year. There will be more and more of this if some things don’t change. — Jo Jean Culley-Nelson These thugs are just a bunch of self glorifying outside agitators who do not want to pay already low grazing fees and who are making up all kinds of excuses for it. Ranchers already have huge access to public lands. This is a land grab, nothing more. Arrest them. — Stephani Stephenson Best thought so far: hold them there until mosquito season does us all a favor. — Colleen Blackwood Ridiculous. The family has made their wishes clear. This is going to end badly. Mitilia, go home, please, before this escalates. — Robbie Eidson Don’t these people have jobs? What a terrible drain on society they are. — Chuck Saari I am glad there are people out there willing to stand up for what it right, because this land grabbing is really really wrong. — Dawn Murphy-Lewis Surround it, cut power, starve and freeze them out, then charge with a felony. Make each pay full amount of damages and call WKHPWHUURULVWVDQGSXWRQWKHQRÀ\OLVW — Les Brooks One of the great lessons of the Twitter age is that much can be summed up in just a few words. Here are some of this week’s takes. Tweet yours @Tim_Trainor or email editor@eastoregonian. com, and keep them to 140 characters. A mmon and Ryan Bundy, sons of VFRIÀDZ1HYDGDUDQFKHU&OLYH Bundy, appear to have made an DPELWLRXV1HZ<HDU¶VUHVROXWLRQ)RUFHWKH federal government, which has managed more than half of the American West’s lands for the past century, to relinquish them, at gun point if necessary, to the locals. Last weekend, the Bundy brothers and a group of a few dozen or so militiamen and their sympathizers took over the KHDGTXDUWHUVRIWKH0DOKHXU1DWLRQDO Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon and declared it a safe haven for well-armed “patriots” who oppose federal land management. The group is demanding that the federal government release local ranchers Dwight Hammond and his son, Stephen, who UHSRUWHGWRIHGHUDOSULVRQ0RQGD\WR¿QLVK VHUYLQJWLPHIRULQWHQWLRQDOO\VHWWLQJ¿UHV in 2001 and 2006, burning up thousands of acres of public lands. They also want the government to hand over the 1.7 million- DFUH0DOKHXU1DWLRQDO)RUHVW$FFRUGLQJ to OregonLive, Ryan Bundy said, “many ZRXOGEHZLOOLQJWR¿JKW²DQGGLHLI QHFHVVDU\²WRGHIHQGZKDWWKH\VHHDV constitutionally protected rights for states, counties and individuals to manage local lands.” This latest action, like the Bundy affair of 2014, is little more than the recycling of old gripes from a small cadre of ranchers and miners. Their main complaint: They don’t want to play by the rules that tens of thousands of other public land ranchers and miners abide by every day of the year, mostly involving minimal fees for the right to use federal lands owned by the public. &OLYHQ%XQG\VWDUWHGUHIXVLQJWRSD\ grazing fees in 1993, and the Hammonds began their “rebellion” against the feds in the early 1990s, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service built a fence to keep their cattle from trespassing on the (now-occupied) Malheur refuge. Though the militia folks attracted to the Bundy and Hammond tales of woe may not know it, the Sagebrush Rebellion is really a century- long pout over the end of the open and unregulated frontier. Its modern incarnations begin in the 1960s and 1970s, when &RQJUHVVSDVVHGDVOHZRI national environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Wilderness $FWDQGWKH1DWLRQDO Environmental Policy Act, and the agencies reluctantly began to implement them. By the early 1980s, disgruntled ranchers, who largely ran local and state politics, formed the “wise use” movement. Backed by opportunistic mining and logging companies, they pushed against environmental regulation and for increased resource extraction. For a while they found a sympathetic audience in the Reagan administration, but their dream of wresting the public lands from the feds gained no national traction. 7KHUHEHOOLRQÀDUHGDJDLQLQWKHV ZKHQ3UHVLGHQW%LOO&OLQWRQDQG,QWHULRU Secretary Bruce Babbitt tried to increase grazing and mining fees, brokered a VSRWWHGRZOSODQWKDWHQGHGWKH3DFL¿F 1RUWKZHVW¶VORJJLQJVSUHHDQGSURWHFWHG tens of millions of acres from development through executive orders. The “rebels,” led E\UDQFKHUVIURP1HZ0H[LFR2UHJRQ 8WDKDQG1HYDGDSXVKHGEDFNZLWKD “county supremacy” movement. Dozens of Western county commissions approved cookie-cutter ordinances declaring that the federal government had no authority within their borders, and they enlisted lawyers who thought they could, on constitutional grounds, “take back” the federal lands. The courts repeatedly rejected their arguments. 1RZWKHUXUDO:HVWLV going through yet another wave of rebellion, sparked by the anxieties of a recession- scrambled, increasingly multicultural world, one that has left places like Eastern Oregon grasping for a future. The rhetoric the Bundys are serving up this week sounds mighty enticing yet all-too- familiar. In a video posted on OregonLive, Ammon Bundy says the refuge takeover, which could last “several years,” aims to get “loggers back to logging, ranchers back to ranching and miners back WRPLQLQJ$WRQHWLPH+DUQH\&RXQW\ Oregon) was the wealthiest county in the state; today it is one of the poorest,” he says. “We’re going to be reversing this in just a few years by freeing up these lands and resources … by getting them back to where they belong.” $QHZDQGQREOH1HZ<HDU¶VUHVROXWLRQ" 1R-XVWDZRUQRXWIDQWDV\WKDWVKRXOGEH rejected by anyone who understands that the public lands are an irreplaceable national asset and that the West has moved on. Ŷ Paul Larmer is a contributor to Writers on the Range, an opinion service of High Country News. He is executive director and publisher of High Country News, which has covered the American West for 45 years. This latest action is little more than a recycling of old gripes from a small cadre of ranchers and miners. Views from around the state emotion and seek facts. The debate over the minimum wage poses a different challenge to voters. The disagreements are The Oregonian more subtle. Few deny the need for higher wages in Oregon. The ach new year brings a FKDOOHQJHLV¿QGLQJWKHEHVWZD\ measure of both excitement and uncertainty. But rarely is to achieve that goal. And even among those who believe a higher it as clear on January 1 that a year will have historical consequence as statewide minimum wage must be part of the solution, there are it is at the start of 2016 in Oregon. myriad opinions about how big Before the year is over, the increase should be and the Oregonians will decide whether best way to set it. Should it be Gov. Kate Brown gets to serve the $13.50, $15 or something lower? rest of the term that she inherited Should the minimum be the same when Gov. John Kitzhaber statewide, as is the case now, or UHVLJQHGDPLGLQÀXHQFHSHGGOLQJ should cities and/or counties be allegations. We also likely will allowed to set their own higher vote on measures to increase the minimum wage and raise corporate rates, as has happened in places such as Seattle, San Francisco and WD[HV²XQOHVVWKH/HJLVODWXUH Los Angeles? The answers aren’t brokers compromises that keep clear cut. those issues off the ballot. In The Portland mayor’s race, Portland, voters will choose a new likewise, will require careful PD\RUDIWHULQFXPEHQW&KDUOLH consideration. The differences Hales decided not to seek another EHWZHHQWKHWZRKLJKHVWSUR¿OH term. Legislative elections could candidates, state Treasurer Ted push the Republican Party further :KHHOHUDQG0XOWQRPDK&RXQW\ toward irrelevancy. And there’s a &RPPLVVLRQHU-XOHV%DLOH\DUH presidential election, too. subtle. They mostly agree on This is not the time to tell what issues are important and the Oregonians how they should handle the decisions ahead of them, general direction in which the city should go. though you can expect plenty of Unfortunately, it’s not clear information and opinions as the whether Oregonians will have year progresses. It is a good time, much of a choice in the governor’s however, to urge all of the state’s race or how many legislative seats voters to make a resolution to be will be competitive. The Oregon at the top of their game this year. Republican Party, in disarray, If ever there was a year that cried KDV\HWWR¿HOGDJXEHUQDWRULDO out for peak citizen involvement, candidate with elective experience this is it. It will require work for YRWHUVWR¿OWHUWKURXJKWKHUKHWRULF and likely will struggle to hang on WKDWLVVXUHWRÀRRGDLUZDYHVVRFLDO to the seats it has in the Legislature, much less pick up new ones. Those media and mailboxes (traditional who think a viable opposition party and digital) for groups on all sides is important should look for ways of these campaigns. to become more active. Some are &RQVLGHUWKDW6HQDWH3UHVLGHQW doing that through the Independent 3HWHU&RXUWQH\'6DOHPKDV Party of Oregon, which appears already compared the looming SRLVHGWR¿HOGFRPSHWLWLYH WD[¿JKWWRWKH%DWWOHRI$QWLHWDP candidates in a handful of races. LQWKH&LYLO:DUDQG6HQ0DUN This year could unleash the Hass, D-Beaverton, has labeled state’s potential or doom it to it a potential Armageddon. repeat past mistakes. One way or And those are the words of two another, the decisions made by legislators who would like to see HOHFWHGRI¿FLDOVDQGYRWHUVLQ a compromise. So imagine the will write an important chapter in verbiage soon to come from the Oregon history. The question to be unions pushing the ballot measure answered is whether the title of that and the business groups dedicated chapter will be Groundhog Day or to its defeat. To make good The Force Awakens. decisions, voters must ignore the On Oregon’s big decisions in 2016: E 2Q¿QDQFLQJPDMRU WUDFNDQG¿HOGHYHQWV yield $30 million or more over a two-year period. If the UO remains intent on obtaining revenue from this source, it should make the idea The (Eugene) Register-Guard of a temporary increase a central part of its argument. ome state resources will But even a temporary increase undoubtedly be required when in the lodging tax would be the University of Oregon hard to sell to legislators from hosts the International Association DQ\ZKHUHEXW/DQH&RXQW\7KH of Athletics Federations’ world bulk of any increase in tourism WUDFNDQG¿HOGFKDPSLRQVKLSV directly associated with the in 2021. Persuading legislators FKDPSLRQVKLSVZLOOÀRZWR(XJHQH from Portland or Klamath Falls and surrounding areas, while the to support a state contribution entire Willamette Valley accounts will involve making the case for only 12 percent of lodging tax that the money will bring revenues. Forty percent comes VWDWHZLGHEHQH¿WV7KDWFDVHLV from Portland, and 22 percent from not convincingly made by the the coast. Just over half of this 82¶VGUDIWSODQIRU¿QDQFLQJWKH revenue comes from Oregonians, championships, released by Gov. because in-state travel accounts for .DWH%URZQ¶VRI¿FHDIWHUDSXEOLF half of overnight stays. Hotel and records request. motel owners in those areas would The draft states that hosting be charging their guests, including the championships will cost $108 PDQ\2UHJRQLDQVWR¿QDQFHDQ million, with $45 million coming event they will not attend. from state government. To get that A connection between the DPRXQWRIPRQH\82RI¿FLDOVZLOO championships and the state have to be able to characterize the ORGJLQJWD[FDQEHFODLPHG²WKH contribution as an investment, not event will burnish all of Oregon’s an expense. In return for its $45 image as a tourist destination. But million the state should expect to resistance can be expected. A 1 receive improvements at the UO percentage point increase would that will serve Oregonians long come on top of existing city and after the championships are over. county taxes that add noticeably Instead, the preliminary budget to the cost of a hotel or motel stay would have the state paying $7.2 ²SHUFHQWLQ3RUWODQGIRU million for athletes’ prizes, $6 instance. Any tax increase would million for a festival outside the UHTXLUHWKHDSSURYDORIWKUHH¿IWKV gates of the event, and millions of the members of both legislative more for other ephemera. chambers, some of whom will see There are problems with the the championships as a low priority source of the state contribution as for their constituents. well as its purposes. Most of the The draft plan was prepared state money would come from when TrackTown USA, the an increase in the state’s transient QRQSUR¿WJURXSWKDWSURPRWHG lodging tax. The tax, approved by the Legislature in 2003, is collected Eugene as the site of the championships, was bidding for from people who stay in motels, the 2019 IAAF championships. hotels, vacation rentals and other 7KH¿QDQFLDOSLFWXUHIRUWKH short-term accommodations. The championships is probably much current rate is 1 percent, and in the same, but TrackTown USA, 2014 the tax raised $14.8 million the UO and the state of Oregon to support programs run by the have a little more time to get the 2UHJRQ7RXULVP&RPPLVVLRQ budgetary details nailed down. The UO proposes doubling Judging from the draft, the extra the tax to 2 percent, and using the time is needed. For Eugene and LQFUHDVHGUHYHQXHWRKHOS¿QDQFH the UO, the IAAF championships the championships. Presumably present a great opportunity. All of any increase could be temporary Oregon will need to see the event ²UHYHQXHVIURPWKHORGJLQJWD[ in the same light before signing on are growing, and an increase of 1 DVDPDMRU¿QDQFLDOSDUWQHU percentage point would probably S On increasing access to DQWLRYHUGRVHGUXJ The (Bend) Bulletin S tate Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, heads into his second session in the Oregon Legislature hoping for approval for his measure that may save lives in a state with one of the highest national rates of abuse of opioid drugs such as heroin and morphine. 1DUFDQZRUNVZKHUHRSLRLG overdose is concerned. Given to an overdose victim, it quickly reverses the impact of opioid drugs and can save lives in the process. Moreover, according to physicians IDPLOLDUZLWKWKHGUXJ1DUFDQGRHV nothing when given to someone without an opioid overdose. 7KRXJKD¿QDOELOOKDV\HWWREH written, Buehler hopes to persuade lawmakers to rewrite Oregon law. +HZDQWVWRPDNH1DUFDQDYDLODEOH without a physician’s prescription to family members, shelters and others who routinely come in contact with opioid addicts. If he’s successful, Oregon would join 14 other states with similar laws. In 2012, about 900,000 prescriptions for opioid medications were written in Oregon, or one for every four persons in the state. But what’s critical about those numbers is some 15 percent of Oregonians between the ages of 18 and 25 were using the drugs for nonmedical purposes, such as getting high, according to a 2012 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Overall, the survey found, Oregon led the nation for nonmedical opioid use. There have already been some changes at the state level. A drug database helps doctors check on those who may be prescription shopping for opioids. The Oregon Health Plan begins paying for many alternative pain-management treat- ments this month. And so on. 0DNLQJ1DUFDQDYDLODEOHZRQ¶W end opioid abuse, but it should save lives in a state where more than 200 people die of opioid overdose each year. For their loved ones, that’s money well spent.
