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East Oregonian
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
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
Here’s why Oregon’s public records law matters
T
here couldn’t be a clearer case
about both the value and fl aws in
Oregon’s public records law than
the current one in Douglas County.
The Oregonian, having spent about
$2,000 to obtain records of how the
county spent some $43,000 in fed-
eral Secure Rural Schools Act funds,
reported this week on what it found.
The newspaper has since been billed
another $693.77 to have a county offi -
cial spend 13 hours reviewing it so the
county could answer questions about
records the newspaper received.
The newspaper found plenty. Some
of the $43,000 went to pay a $75 fee
to Sunriver Resort to allow Douglas
County Commissioner Tim Freeman
to keep a dog in his room. Another
$205 went to the Brix Chill, a Rose-
burg cocktail lounge and restaurant.
The receipt was not itemized, as county
policy requires, making it impossible to
tell if he had purchased alcohol as part
of the meal. County policy forbids the
purchase of alcohol with public funds.
Freeman also fl ew fi rst class to Wash-
ington, D.C., in 2019 because he was
Photo courtesy of the Association of Oregon Counties
Douglas County commissioners, like Tim Freeman, spent $43,000 in federal money meant
to help their struggling county over the past fi ve years. The trips were underwritten by the
Secure Rural Schools program, which pays jurisdictions like Douglas County that suff ered
fi nancially after endangered species listings curtailed federal logging.
invited on short notice to hear a speech
by President Donald Trump. Federal
funds paid for part of the upgrade from
the standard coach seat that Oregon
offi cials usually use. A county spokes-
woman said no coach seats were avail-
able for the fl ight.
If private businesses want to spend
their money that way, it’s one thing,
but for public offi cials from a poor
county in rural Oregon to do so, it’s
unconscionable.
We don’t know what voters in Doug-
las County will do about the situation,
but one thing is clear. Had it not been
for this state’s public records law and
The Oregonian‘s willingness to spend
nearly $3,000 getting information that’s
supposedly available to the public, vot-
ers may never have found out about the
commission’s free-spending ways.
That brings up a problem with the
current law. It allows a requester — in
this case, The Oregonian — to appeal
proposed fees to the local district attor-
ney, Richard Wesenberg. Wesenberg
refused to reduce or cancel the fees,
arguing that the newspaper’s parent
company could well afford them. That’s
despite the law, which says reducing
fees is what should be done if making
the record public benefi ts the general
public. It’s hard to see how spending of
government funds doesn’t qualify as
information that meets that test.
Lawmakers may not have time to
change the law so that getting records
is both fast and relatively inexpensive
in the coming 30-day session. If not,
it should be put at the top of the 2021
to-do list. The law does not require
means testing to determine if fees
should be waived, and public interest,
not a requester’s fi nancial statement,
should be the standard by which the
request is judged.
SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE
In the middle of mad skills
o the plastic bag ban has come to Ore-
better for produce when made out of plas-
tic yarn). Plarn bags can be machine washed
gon, and I am so glad I live in Uma-
and drip-dried. Since I can’t crochet, I don’t
tilla County. Yes, there are a myriad
know how many plastic bags it takes to make
of reasons to be glad to live here. The one
I’m thinking of now is that our area is full of enough plarn for a net bag, so I imagine
every bag still in your possession is valuable.
people with mad skills.
On Etsy, plarn bags go for anywhere from
I’m talking about all the constructive,
$10 to $35. And all a person needs is scis-
artisanal abilities that I have neither the
sors, a crochet hook, plastic shopping bags
fi ne motor nor spatial skills to master. One
doesn’t have to be craft-challenged to appre- and skilled hands. Lacking skilled hands,
I’ll just pay you the money. (College-bound
ciate one’s neighbors, but it certainly helps.
All of you who don’t think about how cool it crafters, missionary fundraisers, local ser-
vice clubs — take note.) An internet search,
is that you sew, quilt, crochet or knit, please
“how to make plarn,” will fi ll in any gaps in
know that you are admired.
your knowledge, far faster than the
Do you not realize how valu-
gaps in my skills.
able and valued your skills are? Is
Of course, since many combine
that why none of last season’s farm-
crafty hands with compassionate
ers’ markets and craft bazaars were
hearts, you can also donate your
fl ooded with handmade produce
old plastic bags. I’ve heard that the
bags, grocery bags and gift bags?
peer center at Lifeways is collect-
True, some here are combining
ing bags and making plarn sleep-
confi dence with a nose for a good
ing mats for homeless folks. Since
market. I know members of the Ath-
V IKIIRNA
I’ve started buying compostable
ena-Weston 4-H are looking at all
W ENZEL
bags for trash, I’ll be able to pass
the empty feed sacks, looking at all
COMMENT
my extra plastic bags along to have
their skilled clothiers and saying,
longer, more fulfi lling lives.
“We got this.” No word yet of when
So in the middle of Umatilla County, we
their durable, rinsable sacks — emblazoned
have the knowledge of both how to use less
with the farm animal of your choice — will
plastic — don’t forget Yellowhawk’s classes
be on the market. I, for one, am waiting.
to make beeswax food wraps — and how to
A cashier at the Athena Grocery told
make used plastic do more. This opens the
me he has a pile of old jeans he was think-
discussion for other large-scale upcycling
ing about sewing up into bags. Please don’t
or recycling projects. Our country needs
waste another day, sir. Jean bags would be
onshore plastic, cardboard and electronic
durable and machine washable. And if you
recycling. We’ve got land and people and
do it right, they can have little pockets to
skills and lots of train tracks. Why not build
carry change and grocery lists. I wouldn’t
it here? (Maybe we can talk about that next
have to carry my purse to the store.
time.)
I know of at least one neighbor who’s
———
wondering if Safeway will still accept shop-
Vikiirna Wenzel is a learner and a teacher,
ping bags for “recycling.” I actually hope
somewhere in the middle of East Umatilla
not, because we will be needing lots of
County.
plarn. (Crocheted mesh and net bags are
S
YOUR VIEWS
Cooperation and
negotiation are key
In small towns and rural areas,
depending on your neighbors is a way of
life. We pride ourselves in taking care
of each other when needed, regardless
of the things that separate us, like poli-
tics or religion.
It would be good for our state sena-
tors to take a clue from this cooperative
style, so they can work together effec-
tively on legislation that affects all of
us. There are important items on Ore-
gon’s 2020 legislative agenda, like fund-
ing for police and wildfi re protection,
that are important to all of us and that
need to be dealt with conscientiously,
not be thrown under the bus by partisan
politics.
This year our state senators need to
stay in Salem and negotiate all legisla-
tion before them in good faith, instead
of sowing seeds of mistrust among us
and taking off for the hills as they did
last year.
Pamela Starling
Mosier
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.
Scott Fairley a rare individual
I want to add my name to the list of
people who are mourning the untimely
death of one great guy — Scott Fair-
ley. Scott was not a close friend, but you
didn’t have to be one to be treated like one
by Scott. I met him years ago while I was
mayor of Irrigon, and he was the gover-
nor’s representative for Eastern Oregon.
Scott would drop in occasionally to see
how things were going and what we might
need from the state. He genuinely cared
about the small towns in Eastern Oregon
and did everything he could to help them
get grants and to address our city needs.
Scott always had a smile on his face
and always seemed glad to run into you.
He was one of those rare individuals who
never seemed to have a bad day. Scott was
one of the very few people who went out
of his way to come visit me during my
lowest time of fi ghting cancer. How tragic
to be suddenly taken while on vacation
and way too early in life. The only thing
left to do now is try my best to appreciate
his memory and try to bemore like him.
David Burns
Pendleton
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. SENATORS
REPRESENTATIVES
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande offi ce: 541-962-7691
Greg Barreto, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-38
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.GregBarreto@state.or.us
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton offi ce: 541-278-1129
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
SENATOR
Greg Walden
185 Rayburn House Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
La Grande offi ce: 541-624-2400
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-423
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies
for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold
letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights
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Send letters to the editor to
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave.
Pendleton, OR 97801