East Oregonian : E.O., October 08, 2019, Page 4, Image 4

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East Oregonian
Tuesday, October 8, 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
Helix project highlights what a group can do
A
big shout out to all the indi-
viduals involved in the effort
to restore the Helix City
Hall.
The small, but mighty, nonprofit
Helix Advancement Partnership Net-
work kicked off restoration work on
the building in September and their
effort should be lauded.
The project is one of those rare
feel-good ventures the community,
the state and the nation need a whole
lot more of.
The network, founded in 2004,
will be able to move forward on the
project because of help and donations
from area residents. The renovation
work will include new insulation
and wiring along with a host of other
much-needed upgrades.
The best part of the whole proj-
ect is that it is a grassroots project,
developed to preserve a piece of local
history.
Spearheaded by former Helix
Mayor Jack Bascome — who is also
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
The historic Helix City Hall building got its start as a schoolhouse back in the 1900s. Some-
time before 1955, the school sold the building to the city for just $1. It eventually became
home to the library, city hall and a single-room historical museum jam-packed with relics of
centuries past. The building is currently under renovation.
the president of the partnership net-
work — the goals of the project are
as about as straightforward and wor-
thy as any local effort in a long time.
As a society we tend to abandon
the past and its relics fast. Ameri-
cans are, after all, a forward-looking
nation. We constantly look toward
the horizon and sometimes don’t give
the past and its lessons much thought.
The Helix project is one that will,
hopefully, carve out a little bit of the
past for all to see. The building is
already steeped in history tied to a
small county town that was once a
bustling township.
Grassroots projects are so import-
ant because they show that we have
area residents who care about mak-
ing a difference and go out and get
involved. Getting involved isn’t as
easy as one would think, and anytime
anyone can step up and get a project
like the Helix venture off the ground,
it reflects well on all of us.
Another good thing about the
effort in Helix is that it illustrates
what a group of like-minded individ-
uals can do. Determination and com-
mitment can take a person — or a
community — a long way.
We focus a great deal on all that is
wrong in our country, state, county
and communities. We should never
shrink from pointing out how our
politicians and policymakers could
do things better. But we also owe it to
those who find a way to make a dif-
ference to highlight their work.
Without them, we would not be a
strong community.
OTHER VIEWS
Hotel Heroin is last
thing any city needs
P
YOUR VIEWS
An open letter to
Congressman Walden
As a retired college administrator I
worked through processes to address
employee performance problems, and
where necessary, follow steps leading to
dismissal. In that setting Donald Trump
would have lost his job by now.
The current impeachment investiga-
tion in the House of Representatives is a
process of holding him accountable for
abuses of his position, in particular the
violation of his oath of office and his flout-
ing of the Constitution’s requirements of
him.
I recently heard your comments
expressing concern for the process on
impeachment proceedings, not surprised
that you have finally broken your silence
to criticize protocol being carried out by
your colleagues across the aisle, while
you defend by your silence the man who
daily tramples them. I wonder when that
might change. Where is your red line
in regard to destructive behavior by the
holder of the nation’s highest office that
would prompt you to speak out against his
abuses, and take seriously your respon-
sibility for oversight of performance and
work product in the executive branch?
He continues to damage our country’s
relationships with allies, cozy up to dic-
tators, and bully the most expert mem-
bers of his administration into leaving 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.
executive branch of government. And yet
that does not seem to concern you.
He has stood by leaders of nations
whose power ploys are meant to weaken
our nation’s values and electoral pro-
cesses, toadying up to Russia’s Putin,
North Korea’s Kim, and Saudi Arabia’s
bin Salman. And yet that behavior does
not appear to bother you.
Most recently we have seen him yet
again fire and hound into retirement
agency experts thereby depriving our
nation of their service, further degrade
the quality of expertise in essential gov-
ernment agencies through acting appoint-
ments that bypass congressional approval,
and schedule his workdays on behalf of
his own personal political and business
interests. And still this workplace perfor-
mance merits no criticism from you.
There is evidence of misuse of taxpay-
ers’ resources to unauthorized uses, arbi-
trary withholding of aid to Ukraine to
stand against Russia, recruitment of for-
eign governments for opposition research,
and public threats to whistle-blowers and
all who oppose him. Even this escalation
of events is not enough to bring you to
speak out.
With each new abuse your silence
paves the road of capitulation and com-
plicity. When will you stand up for your
oath of office, and speak out?
Regina Braker
Pendleton
hiladelphia is one step closer to
using drugs. That means shooting up. That
means checking into Hotel Heroin with
opening a Hotel Heroin in beautiful,
your little overnight bag and getting high.
downtown Kensington.
That means everything that Safehouse is
Those of us here in the suburbs will
intent upon doing.
be able to just hop on the train and sched-
ule a nice overnight stay in what prom-
According to McHugh, legislators in
ises to be attractive accommodations.
1986 were trying to address the horrific
Among the expected amenities will be
urban crisis that swept the nation three
clean, lighted areas where one can shoot
decades ago that resulted in people dying
up in peace, consultations with counselors
in so-called “crack houses.” Many have
criticized that law as being racist, because
and rehab specialists and, in the event that
the vast majority of people using crack in
you get too carried away, plentiful Narcan
the 1980s and 1990s were minorities, who
to reverse the unfortunate but not totally
bore the greatest legal and social
unexpected overdose.
burden of the federal controlled
Of course, they haven’t yet bro-
ken ground on the facility. There
substance prohibitions.
are still a few wrinkles that need to
But that is all irrelevant to
be ironed out, including opposition
this case. McHugh completely
from neighbors who already feel
abdicated his obligation to inter-
pret the law, and his legal deci-
squeezed by the outdoor amenities
sion ignores the clear language
set up in the streets, places where
that states it shall be unlawful to
some visitors just set up shop by
C hristine
manage a facility for the purpose
the curb and leave their needles
F lowers
of using controlled substances.
and other baggage out in the open.
COMMENT
It is hard to imagine how much
But last week, one big hurdle
clearer the statute needed to be.
seemed to have been eliminated
It doesn’t matter that the idea of a safe
when U.S. District Judge Gerald McHugh
injection site might not have occurred
ruled that the establishment of what is
to the legislators in 1986. It doesn’t mat-
more commonly known as a “Safe Injec-
tion Site” does not violate federal law.
ter, from a legal perspective, whether the
McHugh ruled that a law passed in
people who are advocating for these sites
1986 to combat the crack crisis did not
argue that they want to save lives (that’s
debatable, but I suppose they are acting in
prevent the non-profit Safehouse from
good faith.)
opening up a safe injection site. He noted
Legislators pass laws. Judges inter-
that he did not have jurisdiction to deal
pret them, and are not supposed to wander
with whether those sites were an appropri-
ate solution for the opioid crisis, nor did
off in their legal perorations toward some
he have authority to address the concerns
social utopia. McHugh’s decision is disas-
trous for those of us who still believe that
of Kensington neighbors. His only job,
the law actually means something, and
he noted, was to determine whether the
that individual jurists are not mini-legis-
law prevented people from opening up an
latures who can remake a statute to their
establishment where “visitors” can bring
own liking.
their own drugs and use them in the light
The Safehouse supporters and all of
of day. As I said, “Hotel Heroin.”
those opioid activists might have their
In a decision that seems motivated
hearts in the right place. I’m sure McHugh
more by social engineering and wishful
does, too. But if they are not willing to
thinking than actual legal principle, the
actually follow the law as written and
judge made us think he wanted to avoid
honor the work of Congress, perhaps they
dealing with social policy. He was not.
might listen to another group of people
This is the relevant portion of the 1986
with equally clear opinions, the Rolling
law:
Stones:
“It shall be unlawful to ... manage or
You can’t always get what you want.
control any place ... for the purposes of
And Hotel Heroin is not what anyone
unlawfully manufacturing, storing, dis-
tributing or using controlled substances.”
needs.
There is no ambiguity in the statute:
Stay tuned for the appeal.
Congress clearly stated that it shall be
———
illegal, unlawful and prohibited to open
Christine Flowers is a syndicated free-
lance columnist.
or maintain a facility where people are
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