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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 2016)
Page 8A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian Wednesday, February 24, 2016 U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s northwest director visits Hermiston By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Hermiston Chamber of Commerce members got an update Tuesday on federal legislation affecting businesses. Chris Eyler, executive director of the northwest region of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, spoke about legislative victories for busi- ness at the chamber’s Business to Business luncheon. Eyler said with an upcoming presidential election and Supreme Court nomination taking up most of the political discourse this year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is being “realistic” about how much it can accomplish compared to 2015. The chamber does want to build on its success in regulatory reform, however. Eyler said the federal government’s regulatory system is “out of control,” costing businesses $1.75 trillion per year to comply. Last year Congress passed legislation to help streamline the process for dealing with multiple federal agencies, designating a point agency to shepherd the applications through the process. The legislation also required the government to make a decision on SURMHFWVZLWKLQ¿YH\HDUVLQVWHDGRI OHDYLQJWKHPKDQJLQJLQGH¿QLWHO\ “You may not get the answer you want but at least you know you will get an answer,” Eyler said. New legislation supported by the chamber this year would require agencies to release the data used to make regulatory decisions and require them to justify to the public any time they choose a more expensive option. A separate piece of legislation would seek to curb the practice of regulatory law being created by environmental groups suing for changes. “It circumvents the public process,” Eyler said. Other pieces of legislation proposed for 2016 are concerned with improving the Affordable Care Act, which Eyler said the chamber has accepted is “here to stay,” but could be improved. And WKH FKDPEHU LV ¿JKWLQJ SURSRVHG rules for a number of agencies. One Eyler discussed was from the Department of Labor, which would require salaried employees to be paid overtime if they make more than $50,000 per year, instead of the current $23,000. The chamber also has a goal of VHHLQJ WKH 7UDQV3DFL¿F 3DUWQHU- ship trade deal passed. Eyler said 90,000 jobs in Oregon are directly supported by overseas trade and 44 percent of Oregon’s exports go to countries involved in the TAX: Bill would result in $27.4M in new tax revenue Continued from 1A Bill 4146 would allow the state to spend that money on any “tourism programs,” including to subsidize the costs of events such as the track championship. The bill would require the state’s tourism commission, TravelOregon, to distribute set amounts of lodging tax revenue around the state through regional allocations and competitive grants. In the two-year budget that begins in mid-2017, the bill would result in $27.4 million in new tax revenue, according to an estimate from the Legislative 5HYHQXH 2I¿FH 7KH VWDWH would send $11 million in existing and new tax revenue to regional tourism agencies around the state during that period, and award $5.4 million in competitive grants to encourage tourism. Lawmakers in the House were originally scheduled WR KROG D ÀRRU YRWH RQ the bill Feb. 19, but in response to criticism from both Portland-area tourism RI¿FLDOVDQGUXUDOOHJLVODWRUV Nathanson asked for it to be referred back to the House Committee on Revenue for changes. Rural Republicans said “Folks are not coming to District 57 for tourism related reasons. They don’t stop in Rufus or Biggs for an afternoon of tourism ... We’re industrial, we’re agricultural.” — Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner hotel and motel owners in their districts did not H[SHFW WR EHQH¿W IURP WKH additional tax revenues, ZKLOH WRXULVP RI¿FLDOV LQ the Portland metropolitan area worried that doubling the state lodging tax would put Portland at a competitive disadvantage to other cities with lower tax rates. Democrats from the coast spoke and a Republican from Eastern Oregon also spoke in favor of the bill. “I’m going to support this bill because what’s good for tourism is good for the coast,” said Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, although he added that “most of the people that visit dwell- ings on the coast are from your districts, not from out of state.” Rep. Caddy McKeown, D-Coos Bay, is a chief sponsor of the bill and had high praise for the 2021 track championship. McKeown said the event will take place at the track center of the United States and “arguably the world,” and broadcast in hundreds of countries. “There will be people traveling here to train,” McKeown said. “There will be a spotlight on this state of the magnitude that is mind boggling. I’m very proud of the opportunity that we have to bring visitors from across the state to our small state.” Rep. Greg Smith, R-Hep- pner, said tourism is not a major industry in his district but he expects the bill will EHQH¿W RWKHU FRPPXQLWLHV around the state. “Folks are not coming to District 57 for tourism related reasons,” Smith said. “They don’t stop in Rufus or Biggs for an afternoon of tourism ... We’re indus- trial, we’re agricultural.” However, Smith said this bill is about the good of Oregon as a whole. Rep. Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, voted against the bill and said it would make it PRUH GLI¿FXOW IRU FLWLHV DQG counties to increase local lodging taxes, which Whis- nant said provide a greater EHQH¿WWRWKRVHFRPPXQLWLHV The League of Oregon Cities, which represents the interest of city govern- ments around the state, has remained neutral on the bill because cities around the state disagree on the issue. “The League continues to not take a position on the state lodging tax increase itself due to a lack of municipal consensus on the proposal,” Wendy Johnson, an intergov- ernmental relations associate for the league wrote in an email Tuesday afternoon. However, Johnson wrote that the league supported the increased regional alloca- tions of tourism tax revenue and the “relaxation of restric- tions on how state lodging tax revenues are spent — to focus less on marketing and more on facilities and events.” ——— The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. Hillary Borrud can be reached at 503-364-4431 or hborrud@ eomediagroup.com. OBAMA: Proposal would transfer 35 of the 91 detainees to other countries Continued from 1A the U.S. a new facility would be located and whether it could be completed by the end of Obama’s term. Moving detainees to U.S. soil is currently prohibited under U.S. law and lawmakers have shown little interest in removing the restrictions. “We will review President Obama’s plan but since it includes bringing dangerous terrorists to facilities in U.S. communities, he knows that the bipartisan will of Congress has already been expressed against that proposal,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Obama had yet to convince Ameri- cans that moving detainees to U.S. soil is “smart or safe.” “It is against the law — and it will stay against the law,” Ryan said. Even Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a former prisoner of war and an advocate of closing the prison, called Obama’s report a “vague menu of options,” which does not include a policy for dealing with future terrorist detainees. Obama has “missed a major chance to convince the Congress and the Amer- ican people that he has a responsible plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility,” he said. It’s not clear whether that chance ever existed. Momentum to close the facility has slowed dramati- cally under Obama’s tenure. Congress remains dead- locked on far less conten- tious matters, and the issue has little resonance on the presidential campaign trail. Still, for Obama, the facility stands as a major XQ¿OOHG SURPLVH DQG D painful reminder of the OLPLWVRQKLVSRZHU+LV¿UVW executive order sketched out a timeline for closing the prison, but was ultimately derailed by Congress. The White House has not ruled out the possibility that the president may again attempt to close the prison through executive action — a move that would directly challenge Congress’ authority. The plan submitted Tuesday does not address that option. The proposal underscores the administration’s strategy of shrinking the population, hoping the massive cost for housing the diminished population would ultimately make closure inevitable. Under the plan, roughly 35 of the 91 current detainees will be transferred to other countries in the coming months, leaving up to 60 detainees who are either facing trial by military commission or have been determined to be too dangerous to release but are not facing charges. Those detainees would be relocated to a U.S. facility that could cost up to $475 million to build, but would ultimately be offset by as much as $180 million per year in operating cost savings. The annual oper- ating cost for Guantanamo is $445 million. The U.S. facilities would cost between $265 million and $305 million to operate each year, according to the proposal. The plan considers 13 different locations in the U.S., including seven existing prison facilities in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, as well as six other locations at current correctional facilities on state, federal or military sites in several states. It also notes that there could be all new construction on existing mili- tary bases. The plan doesn’t recommend a preferred site and the cost estimates are meant to provide a starting point for a conversation with Congress. More detailed spending ¿JXUHVZKLFKDUHFRQVLGHUHG FODVVL¿HGZLOOEHSURYLGHGWR Congress. Lawmakers have been demanding the Guan- tanamo plan for months, and those representing South Carolina, Kansas and Colo- rado have voiced opposition to housing the detainees in their states. “We must safeguard the missions on Fort Leavenworth, the nearly 14,000 military and civilian personnel and their family members, and the thousands STUDENT OF THE WEEK Megan Glynn P ILOT R OCK H IGH S CHOOL Pilot Rock High School student of the week is senior Megan Glynn. Megan has many outstanding qualities, but foremost is her positive attitude in all situations. Her infectious smile makes anyone she meets in the hallway feel better immediately. Megan is the senior class president, National Honor Society president, and a member of Key club and leadership class. She is also involved in athletics and can be seen after school sprinting around town in preparation for the upcoming track season. Megan likes to set goals and is looking forward to attending college in the fall. Proudly Sponsored by of Kansans who live in the Leavenworth community,” Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said in a statement Tuesday. Advocates of closing Guantanamo say the prison has long been a recruiting tool for militant groups and that holding extremists suspected of violent acts LQGH¿QLWHO\ ZLWKRXW FKDUJHV or trial sparks anger and dismay among U.S. allies. Opponents, however, say changing the detention center’s ZIP code won’t eliminate that problem. Obama’s proposal faced criticism even from those who endorse closing the detention center. His initial campaign pledge was widely viewed as a promise to end the practice of detaining SULVRQHUV LQGH¿QLWHO\ without charge, not to bring that practice to the U.S., said Naureen Shah, director of Amnesty International USA’s Security and Human Rights Program. “Whatever the president proposes, even if it doesn’t come to fruition, the admin- istration is changing the goal posts on this issue,” she said. 7UDQV3DFL¿F3DUWQHUVKLS Local business owners asked Eyler for his response to Oregon’s new minimum wage hike that will raise wages to $14.75 in Portland, $13.50 in mid-sized population areas and $12.50 in rural counties (including Umatilla County) by 2022. He said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce generally leaves it to state and local chambers to address minimum wage hikes, but the chamber has been keeping a close H\H RQ WKH ¿JKW RYHU 2UHJRQ¶V unprecedented increase. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536. LAWSUIT: City denies negligence on Fourth Street water line Continued from 1A The city admitted a six-inch water line running under Southeast Fourth Street experienced an “unexpected fracture,” causing “some water” to collect on the property, but denied any negligence. “Plaintiffs failed to take measure to protect their property when they knew or should have known pipe failures could occur and had previously occurred, and they failed to create an adequate French drain or other system to divert water around their property, thereby contributing to their damage,” Warren wrote. Neither Blanc nor Warren returned requests for comment as of press time. While the city has specif- ically denied negligence on the Fourth Street water line, RI¿FLDOV KDYH SUHYLRXVO\ acknowledged that the city’s water system as a whole is in need of serious maintenance. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0836. COUNCIL: Changes in jail policies have increased inmates from 135 to 187 “I would say overall our satis- faction with the dispatch center is not where it needs to be.” Continued from 1A The department now has matching uniforms and vehicle decals. Before, he said, vehicles were breaking down on the way to respond to emergencies but now he has implemented a rotation for replacing them before that happens. Rowan said one of the most frequent compliments he gets is on upgrades in the HI¿FLHQF\RIWKHFLYLOGLYL- VLRQ5RZDQVDLGWKHRI¿FH used to need more than 45 days to process concealed carry permits, but now they’re processed in only a couple of days. He also noted changes in jail policies, which have increased the number of inmates from 135 to 187. %HIRUH KH WRRN RI¿FH Rowan said there were times when he would bring someone to jail and complete the paperwork, only to have the inmate ask him for a ride home on his way out the door because they had already been released. That doesn’t happen anymore, he said. Councilor John Kirwan said he was happy to see — John Kirwan, Hermiston city councilor Rowan at a city council meeting after not seeing him there for a couple of years. He said the changes to jail policy had made a noticeable difference in keeping offenders off the streets, but he was less pleased with how things had gone with the city’s decision to combine dispatch services with the county. “I would say overall our satisfaction with the dispatch center is not where it needs to be,” Kirwan said. “To be a collaborative effort you have to have collaboration.” ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS Submit information to: community@eastoregonian. com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541- 966-0818 with questions. Eastern Oregon Forum “Living with the Challenges of Mental Health” featuring: Gordon Smith Tuesday, March 8 th , 2016 at 7:00 p.m. BMCC, Rm ST-200, 2411 NW Carden Ave., Pendleton For more information please call Karen at 541-966-3177. Need not be member to attend. Please detach and send with payment Name Phone # Address City E-mail address Please include a season fee of $20 per individual member. Please make checks payable to BMCC. $6.00 at the door, students free Lecture reminders will be sent via E-mail, as will weather cancellation notices, if necessary . 2801 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR • 541-276-5121 Thank you for mailing your membership forms to: InterMountain ESD (IMESD) 2001 SW Nye Ave. Pendleton, OR • Attn: Karen Parker
