A4
East Oregonian
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Town halls offer chance to
participate in government
V
oters across the region
will gain an excellent
opportunity to give input
and ask questions at a series of
town hall meetings this week
sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jeff
Merkley.
The Democratic lawmaker
will be in Wheeler County for
a 2 p.m. Thursday session at
the Wheeler High School gym.
Later that afternoon, he will
hold a town hall meeting in
Gilliam County at the Gron-
quist Building in Arlington at
5:30 p.m.
Merkley will also sponsor
town halls in Harney and Grant
counties.
Merkley likes to tout the fact
that since he took office in 2009
he has held a town hall in every
one of Oregon’s 36 counties at
least once a year, and that kind
of effort deserves praise.
His willingness to step into
the rural sections of the state
that are — for the most part —
deeply conservative shows he
is not a “democratic” lawmaker
but the senator that represents
all the people of this state.
While Merkley surely
Staff photo by Kathy Aney, File
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, speaks to a crowd at BMCC’s Bob Clapp Theatre in 2018.
deserves credit for canvassing
the state to gather input, the real
focus of the town halls should
be — and is — voters.
Whether you are Republi-
can or a Democrat, town hall
sessions like the ones spon-
sored by Merkley are invaluable
tools for democracy. Each ses-
sion gives folks from rural areas
the opportunity to voice con-
cerns or offer praise to the men
and women who represent us in
Washington, D.C.
Venues for a give-and-take
kind of discussion with senior
lawmakers are dwindling.
That’s why when a town hall
— such as the two hosted by
Merkley — is announced voters
should mark it on their calendar
or clear their schedule to attend.
Democracy works only when
the people who make up that
type of government actually
participate. And political partic-
ipation often lags in the United
States. We’re not talking about
the quick blurb on Facebook or
the last tweet on Twitter. For
far too long, social medial has
served as a new type of political
discourse that is both interesting
and, in the end, discouraging.
Americans must partici-
pate in their government for it
to succeed. That means pay-
ing attention to what city gov-
ernment does or how county
elected leaders are doing their
work, and it also means taking
time out to attend town hall ses-
sions like Merkley’s. We are all
creatures of habit, and once in
the routine of shrugging off a
lawmaker as a “Democrat” or
a “Liberal” or a “Republican”
then we stop being active in our
democracy.
Town halls offer one of the
best ways to participate in our
form of government that, when
it works, is pretty extraordinary.
OTHER VIEWS
B2H is the right project
at the right time
rowth has come to the Northwest.
will benefit from this project. Millions of
businesses and residents across the Pacific
The signs are everywhere: new
Northwest and Mountain West would
buildings, new roads, more cars,
receive power from B2H.
more people. And lights.
The public utilities commissions of
It’s Idaho Power’s job to make sure
Oregon and Idaho — state agen-
those lights come on for cus-
cies that regulate utility com-
tomers in Oregon and Idaho.
panies — have acknowledged
Repeated, in-depth studies show
Idaho Power’s long-range
we’ll need new energy resources to
plan, of which B2H is a key
keep doing that. That need could
component.
become more urgent as Idaho
In Eastern Oregon, B2H
Power and other energy compa-
nies transition away from coal and
would help local governments
toward clean energy.
through tax money the proj-
M itch
ect generates. Local businesses
The Boardman to Hemingway
c olburn
would benefit from increased
line offers the most cost-effective
COMMENT
spending in the area during con-
way to meet growing needs and
struction. More favorable prices
continue Idaho Power’s 100-plus-
and reliable service will be available to
year tradition of reliable, affordable, clean
electric service providers that buy energy
energy. And it will be crucial to our goal
from Bonneville Power Administration,
of a 100% clean energy mix by 2045, help-
ing us deliver energy from clean, intermit-
including the Oregon Trail Electric Coop-
tent sources like wind and solar without
erative and the Umatilla Electric Coopera-
tive in Eastern Oregon.
sacrificing reliability or affordability.
Idaho Power is committed to minimiz-
The 300-mile, 500-kilovolt (kV) line
ing the line’s impacts. We’re working with
will connect a substation near Boardman,
the public, local and state governments,
to another west of Boise, Idaho. It will
federal agencies, private landowners and
provide extra capacity to move energy
businesses to finalize the route for the
back and forth between the Pacific North-
west and Mountain West. Utilities in both
line. Most towers would be about half as
regions will be able to buy energy when
tall as a typical wind turbine.
their customers need a little extra. Others
B2H is a key piece of the Northwest’s
can sell what they’re not using.
energy and economic future. It will help
B2H, as the project is called, also
Idaho Power, PacifiCorp and BPA pro-
vide our customers an energy mix that’s
would benefit areas that aren’t seeing as
cleaner, more reliable and more affordable.
much growth. It would free up capacity
———
on existing lines so that local businesses
Mitch Colburn is resource planning
can expand or new ones can take root. It
and operations director for Idaho Power,
would give entrepreneurs an opportunity
which is taking the lead on planning and
to connect new energy projects to the grid.
obtaining permits for the Boardman to
From Boardman to Ontario to Pocatello
Hemingway transmission line.
and beyond, homes, farms and businesses
G
YOUR VIEWS
Not all grass roots citizens
favor a new county
government
Well, citizens of Umatilla County, we
have a big challenge ahead. The Uma-
tilla County Charter Review Commit-
tee is wrapping up its work. Per the East
Oregonian, Wednesday, May 1, 2019,
edition, they will “be pitching the rec-
ommendations” to the board on May
29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Umatilla County
Courthouse, Pendleton.”
According to the board’s schedule,
they have a Charter Review Commit-
tee Workshop scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on
May 29.
In the EO article, committee chair-
woman Michele Grable said the recom-
mendation “is to change the structure of
our county government.” She also said,
“This is government at its best,” and,
“This is grass roots.” Well, based on the
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of
the East Oregonian editorial board. Other
columns, letters and cartoons on this page
express the opinions of the authors and not
necessarily that of the East Oregonian.
“fruit” of this committee’s work, I’d say
that this committee is made up mostly
of people not of the Umatilla County
Grassroots. The “fruit” looks like it
came from a Washington, D.C., commit-
tee hooked on transferring accountabil-
ity to an enlarging “bureaucracy.”
This move on our county citizens is
like the one we recently experienced by
the Oregon Extension Service. Yes, there
are a number of citizens that would wel-
come an ever-enlarging, ever-distancing
(from the citizen) local government, but
that is not the majority, nor does it repre-
sent the culture of Umatilla County.
In short, show up to the “workshop”
and let this committee of “grass roots”
members know that we, the “other”
grass roots citizens, want to keep “in
touch” with “our commissioners”!
Please let your commissioners know
how you stand on this issue.
Larry and Jean Nye
Athena
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