ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2021
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
A tip of
the hat,
a kick in
the pants
A
tip of the hat to Umatilla
County for moving down from
high to moderate risk this week.
The change allows businesses, such as
restaurants, gyms and theaters to oper-
ate at higher capacity, and signals a safer
environment for county residents in
general. It comes at a time when Oregon
as a whole is seeing a new upward trend
in cases, as are most other states.
The world is in a race between new,
more contagious and dangerous variants
of COVID-19 and our ability to protect
people through vaccination. The time
period we are in now is crucial to deter-
mining how quickly we can get back
to “normal” life. Our actions now will
determine what events, such as the Pend-
leton Round-Up and Umatilla County
Fair, will look like later this year.
We know the recipe for reopening —
quickly getting as many people vacci-
nated as possible, and until we have
reached safe herd immunity levels, wear-
ing masks properly over the nose and
mouth while around people not in our
household, social distancing, avoiding
large gatherings and moving more things
outside.
Umatilla County has been doing much
better than last year. Let’s stay on that
path.
A kick in the pants to the dispute that
has caused the American Legion to stop
meeting at the VFW building in Herm-
iston. Different people we have talked to
about the situation, both on and off the
record, have varying accounts of what
happened and who is to blame. But what-
ever is going on, the interpersonal drama
that seems to be at play is a distraction
from serving veterans — a mission both
organizations share.
We hope to see those involved put
aside any differences they may have and
work together to make both organizations
a strong asset to local veterans and their
families.
A tip of the hat to Bailey Munck,
the 17-year-old Weston-McEwen High
School student who testified to the Senate
Judiciary Committee of the Oregon
Legislature in favor of a bill named after
her, which would increase penalties for
sexually abusing a minor if the defendant
is the victim’s teacher.
Munck’s bravery in sharing her story
of abuse with the committee in March
and with readers of the East Oregonian
this week is something she should be
proud of for the rest of her life, and will
likely lead to changes that help future
generations of students find justice.
EDITORIALS
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.
LETTERS
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 of private citizens. Letters
must be signed by the author and include the
city of residence and a daytime phone number.
The phone number will not be published.
Unsigned letters will not be published.
SEND LETTERS TO:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801
YOUR VIEWS
BPA salmon claims
need clarification
LETTERS DEADLINE FOR MAY 18 ELECTIONS
I frequently read newspaper articles
claiming the Bonneville Power Admin-
istration has spent at least $17 billion
attempting to recover Columbia Basin
threatened and endangered salmon and
steelhead. This claim needs clarifica-
tion.
Federal law requires BPA to be
self-sustaining. A more accurate state-
ment: Private citizens and business
owners across the Pacific Northwest
have paid the lion’s share of that $17
billion, month by month, when they pay
their electricity bills.
Fish and wildlife costs make up
24% of BPA’s nearly $3 billion annual
budget, or around $700 million each
year. Meanwhile, BPA is $15 billion
in debt, recently burned through $900
million of its financial reserves, raised
power prices by 30% over eight years,
and will soon max out its $7-plus billion
credit card from the U.S. Treasury. Add
to the mix aging assets that require
increasingly greater capital expendi-
tures, along with falling prices for BPA’s
surplus energy.
Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson has
crafted a proposal that would give BPA
a chance for financial survival. Ignore or
oppose Simpson’s proposal and Pacific
Northwesterners stand to lose more than
Snake River salmon and steelhead.
Bonnie Schonefeld
Kooskia, Idaho
Gregg invested in
Pendleton and its schools
I am writing this letter to express
my support for Pat Gregg, who is
running for Pendleton School Board,
Position 7. I have known Pat for over
10 years and find him to be intelligent,
The East Oregonian does not run endorsements of more than 400 words.
The East Oregonian will institute a deadline for letters to the editor, so we can be fair
with all the letters we receive and allow for responses before Election Day, if neces-
sary.
We run the letters on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please submit your endorsement letters to the editor by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 7. You
can email them to editor@eastoregonian.com, or mail them to East Oregonian, c/o
Andrew Cutler, 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801.
We will publish our last letters on Saturday, May 15. Any letters received after the
deadline will not run. Election Day is May 18.
hard-working and invested in Pendle-
ton.
Pat is a true leader who cares about
this community. Since moving to
Pendleton, Pat has served as a board
member of the Umatilla County
Historical Society, Cason’s Place and
Pendleton on Wheels, in addition to
the many professional organizations to
which he belongs.
He and his wife Jill have three
young children who attend (or will
soon attend) Pendleton public schools,
so he has a dedicated interest in our
local schools.
Please join me in voting for Pat
Gregg for Pendleton School Board,
Position 7.
Darcey Ridgway
Pendleton
Munck is my
hometown hero
Bailey Munck. What an incredible
“silence breaker” at 17 years old. She
too deserves to be on the cover of Time
magazine, like the women in 2017 who
launched the “me too” movement and
began to hold accountable men who
abuse their power and take.
I’m proud of my dad, Senator Bill
Hansell, for not just listening to his
constituents but taking action, for
advocating to close the existing loop-
hole that allows teachers be held to a
lesser account in how they behave with
students then coaches are. It’s time to
fix that loophole. Bailey and her family
picked the right senator. My dad, with
five daughters, has been advocating
for equity and opportunity for women
throughout his entire career.
Your April 6 article on “Bailey’s
Bill” literally brought me to tears. As
described, Bailey “enduring” sexual
harassment from her English teacher,
at home, during school and at sporting
events shows that more must be done
to ready consequences for teachers that
take and abuse.
I’d put her friends, the ones on the
bus that came alongside Bailey and
heard her story and encouraged her to
share, on the cover of Time magazine
as well. They are young women that are
saying “No More” and holding their
predator teacher DeYoe accountable. I
hope and encourage them to keep their
voice and use it always.
Bailey, with courage, is sharing her
story, speaking a powerful truth, and
seeking justice.
I have a new hero from my Athena
hometown — Bailey Munck.
Elizabeth Hansell
Santa Monica, California
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
REPRESENTATIVES
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Cliff Bentz
2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford office: 541-776-4646
SENATOR
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-415
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us