A4
East Oregonian
Tuesday, December 31, 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
New year a time for reflection
A
s the new year descends
upon us, it is fitting to step
back and remember a few
key items about our community,
state and nation.
That might be a tall order for
some if a casual glance at the news is
any indication. For some in our great
nation, a great deal of bitterness lin-
gers in the wake of the impeachment
of the president by the U.S. House of
Representatives. That is understand-
able, up to a point.
Fact is, though, Trump will
remain president through his four-
year term. The Senate will not
remove him from office, and he will
run for re-election. It is time to move
forward.
We are, it seems, bombarded with
a steady diet of “what is wrong” in
our nation and communities. That
isn’t all bad. The first step toward
fixing any issue is a strong dose of
Photo contributed by city of Hermiston
Hermiston Parks & Recreation is hosting a fireworks display and watermelon explosion for
New Year’s Eve on the city’s Festival Street.
the truth, and often the truth isn’t
very appealing.
Yet it is critical when we reflect on
the past year — and eye the future
with hope — we all realize that
overall, we are in a good shape as
a nation. There are problems — no
doubt about it — but there are also a
lot of great things about America.
For one, regardless of the rhet-
oric piped into the big pop-culture
machine of Americana, we remain a
nation of laws and specific freedoms.
We can, if we so choose, congregate
together and protest peacefully. We
still carry the right to defend our-
selves. We are a nation governed by
laws and a system of due process.
We can still hold free elections.
In short, there is an array of good
things about our nation and com-
munities that should be remembered
as the new year dawns. Locally,
we remain a community that cares.
We are a community that embraces
change while preserving our most
cherished traditions. We appear
to collectively seek answers and
develop solutions to challenges that
arise.
OTHER VIEWS
California’s population swells, but
leadership wants more immigration
T
YOUR VIEWS
New laws are just
harebrained schemes
Who is the harebrain that thinks up the
stupid laws? Bicyclists do not have to stop at
stop signs — a good way to get rid of some.
Why not say no one has to stop? A lot of peo-
ple do not anyway.
And the law that police cannot search a rig
if they stop someone for a broken light. Who’s
to say what or who may be in the trunk?
One thing is for certain from the way
things are looking in Oregon — Tom McCall
was sure right. Now they need more money,
so they raise registration fees and if you hap-
pen to drive a car with good gas mileage they
really sock it to you. Why don’t they take a
pay cut?
William Douglas
Echo
B2H offers no benefit
for Oregon
B2H is a for-profit plan for Idaho Power
with a projected profit of $80 million
expected for its investors. This line affects
700 private landowners and is approximately
85% on private lands in Morrow County
and an unbelievable 100% on private land in
Umatilla County.
One might ask, why is it 100% on pri-
vate land in Umatilla County and why does
it zig-zag across the counties involved, as
opposed to a straight line between Board-
man and Hemingway? There are several rea-
sons this is being done. The proposed route
is careful to avoid Tribal and public lands.
This because Idaho Power doesn’t have the
power to condemn lands owned by the afore-
mentioned entities. Tribal governments have
the resources to demand contracts favorable
to them, such as taxing of Idaho Power for
access to their lands, unlike that of private
small landowners. County governments,
who only see more and higher tax revenues,
welcome this line as another source of taxes.
Counties will most likely have to change
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.
the zoning of much of the land, which will
mean higher taxes and loss of uses by the
landowners.
The possibility of massive fires, such as
the ones last year in California, which were
started by this exact type of high-voltage
lines, is also a major concern to landowners.
Idaho Power says they are going to “clear-
cut” up to 500-foot-wide swaths through
the forests as well as killing the land under
the lines to allegedly stop fire-prone brush
from growing. This with the mistaken belief
it will stop massive fires. I ask, how did that
work in California, where thousands of acres
burned, people died, and homes and busi-
nesses were lost? It should be noted that now
California power companies are in the pro-
cess of burying all the replacement lines.
Idaho has tens of thousands of acres,
southwest of Boise, with far less value, that
are suitable for both wind and solar farms,
and are far closer to Hemingway. Why
wouldn’t it be a better investment to develop-
ing it, reducing the dangers of a high-kilovolt
line crossing Oregon?
The powers that be in Salem are once
again throwing landowners in Eastern Ore-
gon to the wolves. Livestock and wildlife
will lose water resources, and big game hab-
itat and environmentally sensitive land will
be forever scarred by the B2H transmission
line. The Oregon Facility Siting Council, and
the Oregon Department of Energy, are not
representing the landowners of Eastern Ore-
gon, as all they see is increases in revenue,
with this unneeded project. One-hundred-
fifty-foot-tall towers, with four holes 40 feet
deep blasted into the ground for each tower,
will destroy the ground, water and surround-
ing areas forever — and yet the so-called
“green state” has no desire to actually pro-
tect the lands, as tax money is the bottom
line.
It is time to stop this project before Ore-
gon taxpayers, outdoor enthusiasts, hunters,
fishermen and especially private landowners
all lose out to this unneeded land grab.
John Harvey
Stanfield
he California Department of
But SPUR naively called for more
Finance announced that the state’s
investments in passenger rail service to
population fell just 40,000 people
stop sprawl and reduce emissions. SPUR
short of a historic 40 million residents.
contends more efficient, more frequent
Sacramento demographers, as well as
rail service would let people leave their
population experts nationwide, agree that
cars at home, enable a low-carbon life-
style and, at the same time, reduce the
California will reach a nightmarish 50
cost of living for strapped Californians.
million people by mid-decade.
In a perfect world, SPUR’s call for
The easiest way to understand the
more rail transport service would be an
effect of 50 million residents on Califor-
nians’ quality of life is to imagine 25 per-
ideal solution. But given the colossal fail-
ure of former Gov. Jerry Brown’s bul-
cent more drivers on the roads, more stu-
let train — years of delays, cost
dents in the classrooms, more
overruns, lawsuits and, on all lev-
housing and more patients in hos-
pital waiting rooms.
els, staggering ineptitude — rail
service expansion is a pipe dream.
No one disputes this fright-
ening inevitability. The already
Never mentioned in the estab-
lishment media or in the think
overcrowded and housing-short
tank analysis of California’s pop-
San Joaquin Valley, River-
ulation, sprawl and environmen-
side county and San Bernardino
tal struggles is the immigration
county experienced the largest
J oe
variable. Immigration is not man-
population increases, and can
G uzzardi
dated. And while the federal gov-
ill-afford yet more growth. Cal-
COMMENT
ernment makes immigration pol-
ifornia’s relentless and unsus-
icy, California as the union’s
tainable year-after-year growth
largest state could use its considerable
has sent residents with financial and pro-
fessional options fleeing from the state.
power and influence to help enforce exist-
ing immigration laws and to work toward
For the first time since 2010, more people
sensible immigration reform.
moved out of the state than moved in.
Instead, Gov. Gavin Newsom and sen-
Unsustainable defined: In 1900, Cal-
ifornia was home to less than 2 million
ators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Har-
ris, as well as 90% of California’s U.S.
people, but by 1950 the population had
representatives, are determined immigra-
reached 10 million. California’s popula-
tion nearly tripled in the last half of the
tion advocates, and blind to the dramatic
20th century, and its growth has been
adverse consequences of immigration on
much higher than that of the rest of the
population growth and the environment.
United States. As the most populous
Foreign-born California residents num-
ber more than 10.7 million, or 27%, of
state, California has 10 million more peo-
ple than the second most populated state,
the state’s total population, and twice the
national foreign-born percentage per state.
Texas, with 29 million people.
Even former Gov. Brown had a brief
Californians can run, but cannot hide,
realization of limits to growth. In June
from the consequences of population
2015 while addressing the Metropoli-
growth. Between 2017 and 2018, 21,000
tan Water District of Southern Califor-
Californians moved to Idaho. The result:
nia Board, Brown asked, “At some point,
Boise home prices increased about 17%,
how many people can we accommodate?”
and new subdivisions and schools were
Then, answering his own question, Brown
built — the same sprawl elements Califor-
nians hope to escape.
added, “As we put more people with more
impact on this constant natural environ-
Once an eco-friendly paradise, Cal-
ifornia’s population growth has created
ment, we run into certain limits.” Brown’s
insightful comments fell on deaf ears.
a demand for cars that require highway
California’s leaders can’t have it both
construction and more housing, mak-
ing environmentally sound conditions
ways. All vigorously assert themselves as
pro-environment. But at the same time,
impossible. In its October newsletter,
their immigration advocacy stances doom
the San Francisco Bay Area Planning
the environment. Time is short. Califor-
and Urban Research Association (SPUR)
nia’s leadership needs to put political cor-
acknowledged California’s population
rectness aside, or watch the state fall into
crisis and its vehicle dependence, and
further environmental degradation.
noted that the state’s car-based trans-
portation system has stalled efforts to
———
curb greenhouse gases. Roughly 40% of
Joe Guzzardi has written about immi-
gration for more than 30 years. Contact
California’s emissions come from cars,
him at jguzzardi@pfirdc.org.
trucks and buses.
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