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East Oregonian
Thursday, December 21, 2017
STANDOFF: Cliven Bundy remained in federal detention
Continued from 1A
and demanding the federal govern-
ment turn over public land to local
control.
This year, prosecutors in Nevada
failed to gain full convictions in
two trials against six defendants in
the Bundy case who acknowledged
carrying assault-style weapons
during the April 2014 confrontation
outside Bunkerville, 80 miles
northeast of Las Vegas.
Two of them, from Idaho,
were memorably photographed
on a highway overpass pointing
weapons at heavily armed federal
agents facing hundreds of flag-
waving protesters in a dry riverbed
below.
The display forced a smaller
group of agents to quit rounding up
Bundy cattle and sent a shock wave
across Western states, where the
federal government owns most of
the land and many ranchers chafe at
grazing restrictions.
Cliven Bundy, 71, has become
a states’ rights icon. Hundreds
answered calls on social media to
protest and protect him.
His trial on 15 felony charges,
including conspiracy, weapon
counts and threatening and
impeding a federal officer, had
been expected to last four months.
The defendants face the prospect of
decades in prison.
“Awesome. But not yet
complete,” Ryan Bundy said
outside the courtroom where he
had asked the judge to remove
house arrest restrictions for him,
his brother and Payne. Navarro said
she’d decide that question later.
“I believe there is no jury in
this country that will convict us,”
Ammon Bundy said. “We have
something most powerful, and
that’s the truth.”
Cliven Bundy remained in
federal detention in protest,
although his lawyer was seeking
his release. Payne declined to
comment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Steven
Myhre didn’t immediately say
whether he would retry the case.
Navarro spent 30 minutes in a
packed courtroom citing evidence
of misconduct by Myhre and his
team.
The judge recalled prosecutors
describing efforts to obtain records
a “fantastic fishing expedition,”
“urban legend” and a “shiny object
to distract the court” as they denied
the existence of video and log book
evidence of a sweeping government
operation covering a vast range half
the size of Delaware.
Agents also set up corrals for
protesters well away from the
activity and designated them “free
speech zones.”
Navarro said she was dismayed
to learn some 3,300 pages of previ-
ously undisclosed FBI and Bureau
of Land Management records were
turned over to defense attorneys
since Oct. 10. The deadline had
been Oct. 1 ahead of the trial that
opened in mid-November.
Some contained references to
snipers and surveillance cameras
on hilltops around the Bundy ranch,
which prosecutors had insisted did
not exist.
The judge called it impossible
for defense teams to have fully
prepared for the trial. She also
offered some stunning disclosures.
Despite
written
reports
predicting the Bundys would not
resort to violence, Navarro said
government officials mounted a
“Bundy media campaign.”
Government news releases later
asserted that Bundy cattle were
being rounded up because he failed
to pay more than $1.1 million
grazing fees and penalties.
One threat assessment said the
Bundys “will probably get in your
face, but not into a shootout,” the
judge said.
Another report undercut a key
claim by environmentalists and
the government that Bundy cattle
grazing in what is now Gold Butte
National Monument caused any
documented injury to tortoises.
The judge made no mention of
a whistleblower memo by a former
Bureau of Land Management
investigator in the case that was
made public last week.
It alleged widespread bad judg-
ment, bias and misconduct during
the planning and operation of the
cattle roundup, as well as “likely
policy, ethical and legal violations
among senior and supervisory
staff.”
CHARITY: Online shopping has impacted Red Kettle donations
Continued from 1A
requests haven’t led to
“donor fatigue” for many
people.
“Most of it’s unsolic-
ited,” he said. “I had a
relative pass away, and her
family suggested I give
donations to one of their
charities. They’ve been
sending me requests ever
since.”
———
Lt. Ricky Scruggs of the
Salvation Army in Pend-
leton said his organization
is one of those experiencing
a drop in donations at their
Red Kettle stations outside
local stores.
“The season isn’t over,
but it’s probably going to be
down 12 to 15 percent from
last year,” he said.
Scruggs, who coordi-
nates Salvation Army efforts
for the county, attributed the
decrease to a few factors.
First, he said, the number
of people that use cash
has gone down, and many
times, the Salvation Army
bell-ringers are nowhere
near an ATM. The Salvation
Army counts on change and
small bills, and many people
don’t carry them anymore.
Scruggs said online
shopping has also impacted
the Salvation Army’s collec-
tions, as more shoppers
don’t even set foot in a store
for holiday gifts anymore.
Finally, he said dips in
giving usually coincide
with an improvement in the
economy.
“When it’s weaker,
people know that people are
struggling,” he said. “When
the economy is better, giving
is actually a little less.”
One generous mystery
donor also appears to have
disappeared.
“The last four or five
years, someone put $100
bills wrapped in a $1 bill,”
he said. “We’d find that
in kettles throughout the
season.”
Scruggs said this year,
staff have not found the
unique donations.
“That almost accounted
for the 12 to 15 percent,” he
said.
Scruggs was quick to
point out that he wasn’t
complaining, and that when
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Mike Ferguson loads donated gifts and a food box in the back of an SUV while
working at the Salvation Army on Wednesday in Pendleton.
“The season
isn’t over, but it’s
probably going
to be down 12 to
15 percent from
last year.”
— Lt. Ricky Scruggs,
of the Salvation Army in
Pendleton
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Food boxes containing all of the ingredients for a
turkey dinner sit organized in the gymnasium at the
Salvation Army waiting to be distributed on Wednes-
day in Pendleton.
people do give, they’re
charitable. This week, he
said, the Salvation Army
was passing out full turkey
dinners to people who
signed up. Fundraising for
those turkeys received a lot
of support and assistance
from the community.
John Carraher said he
and Lynda are members
of AARP, and wondered
if they were targeted more
because they’re retired.
Virgina Beebe, of the
Hermiston Senior Center,
said she hadn’t heard the
same complaints from her
peers about excessive pleas
for money. But she said
she has noticed some unso-
licited donation requests.
She said her mother passed
away in 2008, and had been
a donor to the Alzheimer’s
Association.
“In the last month,
I’ve received three letters
saying, ‘This is a reminder
you asked for,’” Beebe said.
“I was kind of amazed, as
there had never been any
request in the first place.”
———
Kricket
Nicholson,
Executive Director of
United Way of Umatilla and
Morrow counties, said orga-
nizations have to consider
specific things when solic-
iting from those who may
be tired of opening their
wallets.
“Part of what United
Way does is make sure
there’s a real need, and
make sure they handle the
money right,” Nicholson
said. United Way represents
about 20 local organizations
such as the Boardman
Senior Citizens, Children’s
Museum of Eastern Oregon,
Domestic Violence Services
and the Stanfield Food
Basket. Each year, Nich-
olson visits local businesses
and organizations, gives a
presentation about United
Way and asks people to
donate.
Nicholson said she
understands why people
might get tired of being
asked to give.
“When you open your
mailbox messages, if you do
give, they triple the amount
of junk mail you get,” she
said.
But she added that when
people are looking at their
taxes and considering a
charitable contribution, it
can be appealing to give to
a needy organization.
“It’s always a matter of
picking and choosing,” she
said. “Some people are so
tender-hearted, they try to
give a little bit to a lot of
places.”
Nicholson said often,
giving to local organizations
can ensure the money will
actually go where the donor
intends.
“Oftentimes, people will
get things in the mail, and
think it’s a good cause. But
the money goes far away,
and doesn’t benefit our
area,” she said.
Lynda Carraher agreed.
“A lot of websites will
tell you what percentage
of the donations go to the
actual cause,” she said.
The Carrahers said the
deluge of requests hasn’t
changed the organizations
they continue to support.
But John said it made him a
little less eager to give.
“I don’t think I’ve
stopped donating, but I
may have delayed it,” he
said. “The Red Cross — I
probably got two or three
letters before I got around
to donating. It’s just over-
board.”
Nicholson said United
Way tries to identify organi-
zations in the area that are in
genuine need of help.
“When I talk to people,
I ask them to keep their
money at home, to help
friends, neighbors and
co-workers,” she said.
Consolidating fundraising
efforts into one organiza-
tion, she said, as opposed to
all those groups asking for
money, may mitigate some
of the strain of donor fatigue
as well.
Scruggs said they were
also trying to limit the
amount of handouts they
ask for by giving people
more long-term solutions.
“We’re moving toward
rehabilitation and devel-
opment of people, rather
than just aid,” he said. “If
someone is sick or there’s
a fire, an actual emergency,
then we give assistance. But
otherwise, we’re trying to
do more permanent solu-
tions. Temporary band-aid
solutions don’t work.”
–——
Contact
Jayati
Ramakrishnan at 541-564-
4534 or jramakrishnan@
eastoregonian.com.
LEACH: Horizon Project started in Milton-Freewater in 1978
Continued from 1A
He also has the important job
of emptying used grease from the
fryers into a special dumpster, and
sweeping up garbage from the
parking lot. Avila said seeing all of
the cigarette butts on the ground out
front always makes him frustrated
that people don’t clean up after
themselves.
He keeps a good attitude,
though.
“He’s a huge jokester,” she said.
“Your shoe’s untied,” he
responded, looking at Shockman.
She laughed, but refused to fall for
the trick.
“I tease these guys all the time,”
Leach said.
When he’s not working at Taco
Bell, Leach builds model cars,
erector sets and other hands-on
projects. One of his favorite things
to do is shop at Hobby Lobby in the
Tri-Cities for new models and then
“tinkering” with them.
Leach grew up in California,
then moved to Oregon with family
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Mark Leach walks past his fellow employees in the kitchen carrying
fountain drink lids while working Tuesday at Taco Bell in Hermiston.
after his brother got a job in Nyssa.
After both of his parents passed
away, Leach moved to a group
home run by Horizon Project,
which he has been involved with
for nearly a decade.
Horizon Project started in
Milton-Freewater in 1978 and
expanded its services to Hermiston
in 2002 and Pendleton in 2004,
according to their website. The
organization aims to give individ-
uals with intellectual disabilities
more independence and an oppor-
tunity to participate in activities
outside their home. The organiza-
tion offers employment services
such as job training, community
job placement and direct employ-
ment at their recycling operation in
Milton-Freewater. They also offer
housing services, including group
homes and semi-independent living
arrangements, and provide daytime
activities for individuals who are
not able to be employed.
Longtime Pendleton residents
might recognize the name Mark
Leach from the Mark Leach Memo-
rial Award, given to Pendleton High
School athletes in remembrance
of an intellectually disabled man
known as “Pendleton’s number
one sports fan” who passed away
in 2003. The two Mark Leaches
are not related, as far as anyone at
Horizon Project knows.
———
Contact Jade McDowell at
jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com or
541-564-4536.
CARBON: Bill
scheduled to be
released Jan. 8
Continued from 1A
their progress is light in the
early years,” Dembrow said.
“Heavy emitters that are at risk
of competition from other states
or countries that don’t have high
standards they are going to be
given allowances in early years
to help them transition into the
program. We want to keep it
predictable and not have rate
shocks.”
The bill is scheduled to be
drafted by Jan. 8 and released
to the public that same week.
Some of the highlights of the
changes are:
• About 20 percent of the
hundreds of millions of dollars
generated from carbon allow-
ance sales would go toward
projects only in rural areas,
addressing a concern that a
cap-and-invest law would
largely benefit already-thriving
urban centers, such as the Port-
land metro area.
• Some of the proceeds also
could be used to pay for “carbon
sequestration” on farms, which
could involve changes in cover
plants and reducing soil distur-
bances.
• Rulemaking for the program
will have legislative oversight.
Some members of the business
community resisted the idea
of the Department of Environ-
mental Quality having unilateral
authority in rulemaking.
• Commissions and advisory
groups on global warming
would be consolidated into one
advisory committee and one
legislative committee.
Despite the changes, some
business groups said they’re still
opposed to the idea.
Jenny Dresler, director of
state public policy at the Oregon
Farm Bureau, is a member of a
coalition campaigning against
cap and invest, Oregonians for
Balanced Climate Policy.
“Oregon has made tremen-
dous progress toward reducing
our carbon emissions and is now
one of the cleanest economies
in the country,” Dresler said.
“Driving up gas and energy
prices on consumers, farmers
and employers — as a cap and
trade bill will do — will only
result in fewer jobs and more
pressure on family budgets.
There are better ways to fight
climate change, and Oregon is
already at the forefront of that
effort.”
What’s the cap, and what’s
the investment?
The cap limits the amount
of carbon a business may emit
to less than 25,000 tons of CO2
per year, beginning in 2021.
Those that emit more than that
amount — currently about 100
businesses in Oregon — would
be required to buy market-priced
allowances for the excess. The
program essentially puts a
“price” on emissions.
Meanwhile, the allowances
would be sold at a North
American auction and generate
revenue that would then be
invested in projects that slow
climate change.
Supporters say the bill could
generate hundreds of millions of
dollars a year for those projects.
Investments could include
rebates for electric vehicles,
solar panels on homes or safety
improvements on bicycle lanes,
among other things, said Brad
Reed of environmental advo-
cacy group Renew Oregon.
“Oregonians really value
where we live and making a
cleaner economy. … Once those
investments start to show, then
people are going to understand
how beneficial this program is
going to be,” Reed said.
How much would it cost?
Cost estimates for starting
the program have yet to be
calculated. That process will
begin once the bill is finished,
Dembrow said.
The state will achieve some
cost savings by participating
in the same auction market as
California and the Canadian
provinces of Quebec and
Ontario, the senator said.
The program will drive up
the cost of fuel and electricity.
Electric rates could climb by
about 1 to 3 percent, Dembrow
said. It’s unclear how much fuel
prices could increase.
A study by the Oregon
Department of Environmental
Quality indicated the costs
could have an inordinate effect
on people in low-income and
rural communities because they
already spend a larger percent of
their income on fuel.
Dembrow has proposed
using another chunk of the
program’s proceeds for utility
payment assistance for low-in-
come Oregonians.