KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
ThURSDaY, FeBRUaRY 17, 2022
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Meetings
should
be open
to public
G
ov. Kate Brown did not achieve one of
her top priorities: She didn’t land Intel’s
expansion for Oregon.
It went to Ohio. That’s $20 billion in invest-
ment and 3,000 hired to build two new, high-
tech factories going to Ohio, not Oregon.
In The Oregonian’s reporting, we found this
intriguing sentence about what Brown did and
didn’t do to lure chip manufacturers: “While
her office suggested a number of measures to
lure chipmakers, though — including a ‘need
to evaluate the land use grand bargain’ —
Brown did not make any public proposals her
staff suggested for the chip industry.”
A newly formed task force of various
political and business officials, including the
governor, Sen. Ron Wyden and state Sen. Tim
Knopp, R-Bend, are going to be looking for
ways to ensure Oregon does not miss out any
more. It’s going to be looking at land issues,
workforce development, tax incentives, regula-
tions and more.
Those discussions could be fascinating and
intriguing to the public. Doesn’t the public
deserve to see how they come up with any
ideas that might translate into policies?
Will these discussions be open to the public
or behind closed doors? We think the meetings
should be open.
Why winter matters
MARC
AUSTIN
What should
Oregon do
with tax
windfall?
L
egislators already have plans in mind for
the predicted tax windfall of some addi-
tional $979 million estimated for this
two-year budget cycle.
Democrats are ready to spend it. On year-
round schools. Better training and recruitment
of police. Creating more housing. Programs
to find homes for the homeless, as The Orego-
nian reported. Gov. Kate Brown wants to see it
invested in her priorities of housing, child care,
workers and public safety.
Republican ideas are slightly different, as
you might expect. Senate Republicans want
$60 million for the Oregon State Police to help
local law enforcement with marijuana grows
and $50 million for forest thinning.
We thought a couple of representatives had
wise counsel. State Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend,
suggested setting aside money for the next
downturn. And both he and state Rep. Vikki
Breese Iverson, R-Prineville, worried about the
disparity between the state flush with revenue
and the inflation that Oregonians are feeling.
What do you think the state should do?
Let your legislator know. You can find how to
contact them here: bit.ly/3oW6jXP.
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
EYE TO THE SKY
W
inter weather can be very
inconvenient. The intru-
sion of cold air, coupled
with either fog or low clouds, makes
for dreary outdoor weather, which isn’t
optimal for being outside.
When storm systems sweep in,
whether it’s cold enough for snow to fall
in the low elevations or not, there are
frequently major travel impacts through
the mountain passes, and if snow
happens to impact any of the airports in
the region, these travel impacts can have
a domino effect. No matter how you
slice it, winter weather can be down-
right annoying at times.
It can also present some great recre-
ation opportunities if you happen to
enjoy winter sports like skiing, snow-
boarding, or snowmobiling, but that’s
for another article. We often hear the
statement “keep the snow up in the
mountains where it belongs” for that
very reason.
As frustrating as it may be trying
to plan outdoor events or slipping and
sliding as you make your way through
town, winter is critical for the stability
of our climate in the Inland Northwest.
Unlike areas west of the Cascades that
regularly receive precipitation into the
spring and summer months, areas east
of the Cascades struggle to get much
beneficial rainfall after mid-June, leav-
ing multiple consecutive months of hot
dry weather.
While this is a normal seasonal cycle,
if we don’t get enough precipitation
(rain, snow, ice, etc.) during the winter,
we find ourselves experiencing unusu-
ally hot dry summers and worsening
drought conditions. This can also lead to
longer, more active wildfire seasons.
The western U.S. has been in the
midst of a multi-year drought. Drought
is no stranger to the region, largely
due to the dry continental nature of
our climate and the rain shadow (area
that receives little rain due to block-
ing by mountains) east of the Cascades.
Despite these influences, extreme to
exceptional drought year after year is
rare, and it has a number of negative
effects on the region.
For one, drought is profoundly
impactful on agriculture, including
crops, livestock and farmers and their
families. These directly impact the
regional and national economy, espe-
cially items the Inland Northwest is
known for, such as wheat, peas, apples
and potatoes. Another more short-term
aspect of lacking precipitation in the
winter months deals with wildfires and
their frequency during the summer and
autumn months. With little soil mois-
ture, the vegetation that fuels wildfires,
such as grasses, shrubs and even trees,
dry out and cure much more rapidly.
This leads to an earlier onset of
conditions favoring the spread and
maintenance of wildfires, meaning the
fire season is longer than it otherwise
might be given a wetter winter. Those
that live in fire-prone areas are at a
greater risk of experiencing fire near
their homes. Even those who may not
be directly impacted by fire are likely to
see indirect impacts to air quality due to
expansive smoke, as many in the Pacific
Northwest have experienced over the
last few years.
So the next time you’re itching to
head outside and catch some sun, but
instead find yourself facing fog and low
clouds, or snowy icy conditions, take a
minute to appreciate the winter weather.
It really is our water-supply lifeline,
aiding our agricultural interests, allevi-
ating or regulating drought and prevent-
ing our fire and smoke seasons from
becoming so severe.
———
Marc Austin is a warning coordi-
nation meteorologist for the National
Weather Service in Pendleton. Austin
leads outreach and weather prepared-
ness programs, and engages the media,
emergency management and public safety
communities in building a weather ready
nation.
a flawed theory.
I have gotten off my subject, but we
can’t keep removing statues because
someone does not agree with its subject
matter. All the issues stated by the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation for the uprising of
the Cayuse (property encroachment,
immigration of settlers and illnesses)
would have happened anyway, so why
blame it on just Marcus Whitman? I say
keep the statue as is, where it is, and
don’t touch it.
Gail Baker
La Grande
form of government in Oregon, we need
to challenge the 1964 Supreme Court
ruling of Reynolds vs. Sims.
The court ruled that voting districts
should be based on population. The one
dissenting justice felt it was an over
reach of the federal court verse states
rights to dictate state elections. I feel
the same principle that applies to states
should apply to counties within a state.
The founders wanted to ensure no matter
how small or populated a state may be
they had an equal say in the governance.
That is why each state regardless of
size only has two senators. It was their
feeling that each state played a role the
makeup of the Union and should have an
equal say in the administration of laws
and governance.
Oregon’s own constitution says state
senators can be selected by county or
districts. I contend the 36 counties that
make up the state of Oregon should have
an equal say in the governance. The
only way to finally put to rest the urban/
rural divide is to allow each county to be
represented in Salem by one senator. Just
my opinion.
Joe Mesteth
Hermiston
YOUR VIEWS
Leave Marcus
Whitman statue alone
I read the article about the consider-
ation of removing the Marcus Whitman
statue. This is very upsetting.
Marcus Whitman and his wife left
a footprint in the history of the then-
known Oregon Territory. he was not the
first settler in the region. The hudson
Bay Company was the first, and was still
there when Whitman had his mission.
This leads me to ask: Why is Whit-
man being blamed for the outbreak of
measles? he may have had nothing to do
with its outbreak. Look at us now, and
the flu that began in China and trans-
ported here.
Then there is the comment on how
he is dressed on the statue. Let’s face it,
clothes wear out, and material for cloth-
ing was something that was not avail-
able. So what do you wear? You make
your clothes out of what you can find:
animal skins. I respect the Native amer-
icans, but this issue reeks of “cancel
culture” and, worse, “critical race
theory” (which many say is not a theory).
I was taught this in college and rejected
it, not based on my race, but because it’s
Funny, how some
things never change
I read a recent editorial concerning
the urban/rural divide in Oregon. This
divide dates back to more than 100 years
ago.
I was reading “On this date in
history” section that in the early 1900s,
residents of Eastern Oregon were
discussing joining Idaho. Funny, how
some things never change. I think if we
ever want to have a truly represented