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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 2022)
ANDREW CUTLER Publisher/Editor KATHRYN B. BROWN Owner ERICK PETERSON Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2022 A4 Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW States can best manage wolves F or all of the gnashing of teeth and worries about the impend- ing decline of Idaho’s wolves, any predictions of their demise are greatly exaggerated. Last year, the Idaho Legislature modi- fied the law related to hunting and trap- ping wolves. Since it’s the state’s job to manage them, such laws were well within the purview of lawmakers. Wolf advocates said the legislators were threatening the state’s 1,500 wolves and any efforts to reduce that number would mark the beginning of the end for the predators. In the year since the law was passed, not much has happened. The state’s wild- life managers keep tabs on the wolves that have taken up residence in Idaho. What they found is — drum roll, please — the wolf population is about the same as before. The wolf population peaks in the summer, after the pups are born. After that, any deaths are counted. The popula- tion’s annual low point is about 900 in the early spring, before the next batch of pups is born. State wildlife managers say if for some reason the population began to decrease too far, they could make mid-course adjustments. That’s the sort of thing wildlife manag- ers do. Montana’s Legislature passed similar legislation. For the vast majority of the state the new hunting and trapping rules had little impact on the overall popu- lation. However, they found that some wolves from Yellowstone National Park had a tendency to drift outside the park and were killed by hunters and trappers. When wildlife managers saw this, the hunts in that area were called off. The Yellowstone wolf packs will no doubt rebuild. There is a concept that continues to be circulated about wolves: They are timid creatures that need the help of man to survive in the wild. Environmental groups use that concept to build a case for protecting wolves and raising money. Unfortunately for them, wolves are robust, smart and reproduce rapidly. Idaho started with 35 wolves imported from Canada in the mid-1990s. Now the population peaks at 1,500 each year, even with hunting, trapping and culling wolves that attack livestock. Similarly, the wolf populations in Washington state and Oregon are healthy, yet the way they are managed has frus- trated many ranchers. Idaho and Montana have shouldered the responsibility of managing wolves in those states. They are held accountable and able to make changes as needed to maintain the health of the wolf popula- tions without sacrificing the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. Our hope is that, some day, political leaders in the nation’s capital, Washing- ton state and Oregon will allow wildlife managers to do the same statewide. The last thing any of those states need is for the federal government to take over all management of wolves. Idaho and Montana have demonstrated that it’s not needed, or wanted. YOUR VIEWS Did Zuck Bucks influence the 2020 election? There have been both articles and letters about the election being bought, but no information that would ever point in that direction, or disprove it that I have seen in the East Oregonian. I would like to point out that Mark Zuck- erberg has provided what is known as Zuck Bucks to the tune of more than $400 million to nonprofit groups that were in positions to influence the elec- tion. Most was funneled through the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a group led by three Democrats with a long history of activism, and the Center for Election Innovation and Research with connections to People for the Amer- ican Way, that group funneled Zuck Bucks to governmental entities, accord- ing to influencewatch.org/non-profit/ center-for-election-innovation-research. According to the Foundation for Government Accountability, Geor- gia received more than $31 million in Zuck Bucks for the general election alone. The money went to salaries, laptops, vehicle rentals, attorney’s fees for public records requests and mail-in balloting. Trump leaning counties received $1.91 per registered voter, Biden leaning counties received on average $7.13 per voter. The money flowed into the run-off election as well. Democratic counties in Pennsylva- nia also were targeted for Zuck Bucks infusion. Wisconsin received Zuck Bucks, which outsourced much of their election operation to private liberal groups. A statement that the election was bought has to be backed up, and a state- ment saying it ain’t so needs proof, too. Check out the Foundation for Govern- ment Accountability, Feb. 25, 2021, NPR on Zuck Bucks, or the Capital Research Center May 20, 2021, Broad and Liberty April 13, 2021, NPR Dec. 8, 2020, to name just a few sources. These sources certainly give pause to think about the undue influence bought and paid for, and certainly concern about the consequences of such expenditures from a moral/integrity perspective. One man’s influence in elections to this level is cause for concern. There are other financial influences, not just this one. I don’t know that goes as far as saying it was bought, but it certainly has an odor of impropriety and outright corruption to it. It is one area of many that I would like to see cleaned up for future election integrity. Granella Thompson Weston City shouldn’t play favorites The summary of the Pendleton City Council discussion regarding Uber posed two instances of mis-thinking regarding allowing Uber and the like in Pendleton. First is Councilor Dale Primmer’s question about a guarantee that Uber would, or would not, be successful. I pose this question back to Primmer: Where is there a guarantee that any city effort is guaranteed to be a success? Or stated another way, the city should provide the opportunity for Uber and then let entrepreneurship take its course. After all, Mr. Primmer, you have the same hope for the new South Hill road. As to a compromise on splitting service hours, really? The city’s role is to support a diverse economic base that encourages entrepreneurship and then let success be at the hands of the owners. Or did I miss something when the city decided that four legalized marijuana stores was equal to one liquor store? Neither taxi and Uber are so select that they should be given an elite posi- tion in the city, rather selection is up to the user and Uber and the like should be given the opportunity in Pendleton. It is that easy. Carl Culham Athena Oregon needs to invest in cloud seeding Oregon legislators are harming Oregon. For Oregon legislators to ignore the benefits of working with Idaho on drought relief measures comes at the expense of all Oregon species and envi- ronments. I’m a rancher in Powell Butte and the drought has become critically damaging to everything and everyone. This Idaho project has been being developed by Idaho for more than 20 years, and in the last five years it has advanced technol- ogy to the point of being able to deliver a extra 1 million acre-feet of water a year. That’s five Wickiup Reservoirs a year of extra water in my irrigation district. Seems to me all the leaders in irriga- tion districts and the state Legislature should have had this on their radar if they were looking out for the people like they all campaign saying they will do. Idaho and Utah have unambigu- ous data to use as proof, as cited in this Washington Post article, www.washing- tonpost.com/weather/2021/11/21/cloud- seeding-drought-west/. Oregon needs to do what Idaho and other states are doing with this. Tony Newbill Powell Butte CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES U.S. PRESIDENT Joe Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20500 Comments: 202-456-1111 GOVERNOR Kate Brown 160 State Capitol 900 Court St. 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