ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
SATURDAy, APRIl 2, 2022
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Oregon
public at a
disadvantage
W
hen President Joe Biden gave
his State of the Union speech
earlier this month, one part
stung.
“If you travel 20 miles east of Colum-
bus, Ohio, you’ll find 1,000 empty acres
of land,” Biden said. “It won’t look like
much, but if you stop and look closely,
you’ll see a ‘Field of dreams,’ the ground
on which America’s future will be
built. This is where Intel, the American
company that helped build Silicon Valley,
is going to build its $20 billion semicon-
ductor mega site. Up to eight state-of-
the-art factories in one place. 10,000 new
good-paying jobs.”
We know that’s a long quote. That’s
what made it sting all the more. Intel
chose Ohio for that $20 billion invest-
ment. Not Oregon. Gov. Brown had made
courting Intel expansion a priority. Intel
went to Ohio.
Congratulations Ohio.
Oregon officials — government and
business — responded. A chip industry
task force was formed and staffed by the
Oregon Business Council. The co-chairs
are Gov. Brown, Sen. Ron Wyden and
Portland General Electric CEO Maria
Pope. There are a lot more big names in
government and in business on that task
force. It met recently with one of Intel’s
top executives. That’s an effort to develop
a road map to bring more semiconductor
manufacturing and research to the state,
according to reporting by The Oregonian.
We appreciate the Oregon Business
Council’s work in making this happen. It
needs to get done.
But here’s something else that stings.
These meetings are being held behind
closed doors. Critical decisions that will
form the basis for policy in Oregon are
being discussed behind those closed
doors. What trade-offs or promises are
being considered? Which ones are passed
over and why? Are they considering
exceptions to state land use law?
There are reasons to believe these
meetings are under no legal obligation
to be open to the public. The task force
wasn’t created by a government entity. It
doesn’t have the authority to create laws
or regulations.
There’s also, though, the intent of
the requirement for public meetings in
Oregon. It’s not only for Oregonians to
be able to witness final decisions. It’s
also to be able to witness the making of
policy, the things leading up to decisions.
That can tell you important things about
elected officials, too. Oregon government
bodies even find ways to hold executive
sessions to discuss proprietary business
matters and pivot to open sessions to have
policy discussions. Gov. Brown’s office
pointed out any policy that originated
from the discussions would go through
a public process. And Wyden’s office
said he would ensure there would be a
public report from the task force. They
both mentioned proprietary information.
Behind closed doors, there could be frank
discussions about what Intel needed
without putting Oregon at a disadvantage
competing with other states.
We understand that point. It’s not
completely true, though. Intel can go
from state to state, having proprietary
discussions with state leaders behind
closed doors, and know what states might
do to lure its billions. It’s Intel that is the
one not at a disadvantage. It’s the Oregon
public that certainly is.
YOUR VIEWS
The burden of Alzheimer’s
The number of Americans living
with Alzheimer’s is growing — and
growing fast.
According to the Alzheimer’s Asso-
ciation 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts
and Figures report, more than 6 million
Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s.
In Oregon, there are more than 69,000
people living with Alzheimer’s disease
and more than 130,000 family members
and friends providing care.
As a daughter who watched her
father suffer, battle and die from Alzhei-
mer’s, I have seen firsthand how cruel
and devastating Alzheimer’s is on an
individual, the family and the commu-
nity. My mother served as my father’s
caregiver. The emotional, physical and
financial stress of this disease on care-
givers also is a crucial issue. My family
and I have experienced the Alzheimer’s
Association’s resources as a lifeline of
hope and a reminder that we are not
alone.
Through this we’ve also grasped the
depth and reality of how Alzheimer’s
affects so many people like us, too many
people. The association brings hope and
support to all of us.
In recent years Congress has made
funding Alzheimer’s research a priority
and it must continue. It is my hope that
Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and
Rep. Cliff Bentz will support increasing
funding for Alzheimer’s research at the
NIH by $226 million for the 2023 fiscal
year.
To learn more about the Alzheimer’s
Association, available resources and
how you can get involved in the fight to
end Alzheimer’s, visit alz.org/advocate.
Jennifer Chance
Redmond
No candidate should
quell free speech
Isn’t it ironic that a Republican candi-
date running on a freedom platform
participated in a forum sponsored by
Baker County Republicans with “rules”
that violated basic rights?
I attended a local Republican Party
event hosted for candidates for governor
where “rules” were enforced: No record-
ing audio/video, no livestreaming, and
no voicing of support or clapping until
the end. Penalty: eviction; no second
chances. Rules were imposed with no
consideration to out-of-towners, citizen
journalists nor those with disabilities
who might want to watch/listen to the
event. Candidate McQuisten’s folks
were allowed to record and video as
“officials” of the event. This twist was
not articulated in their “rules.”
To enforce their mandates against
“nonofficial” attendees, Suzan Ellis
Jones (Republican Party chair/candi-
date McQuisten’s campaign manager/
candidate McQuisten’s mother) had a
McQuisten campaign worker actively
monitor the room for “violators.” When
one was spotted, Mrs. Jones ordered the
police called and hometown citizens
were threatened with forceable ejection
in handcuffs.
There was no heckling or boisterous
behavior before the police were called;
the “violators” were seated on the side
wall in the back of the room politely
listening to the opening statements. The
event became disruptive only after Mrs.
Jones summoned the police on peaceful
citizens exercising their constitutional
rights at an advertised gathering open to
the public.
In an effort to spin this debacle,
candidate McQuisten posted on Face-
book about the event, further dispar-
aging her hometown citizens and
misrepresenting what really occurred
that evening. She also claimed that the
mandates were common practice, justi-
fying the actions since a few other coun-
ties followed the same protocol at their
own events.
I am an American. It’s not OK to
impose mandates limiting lawful behav-
ior because other counties think it’s OK
to violate our legal rights. It’s not OK
for a candidate to hide from constituents
by imposing such mandates. It’s not OK
to impose mandates because a candi-
date is afraid of differing opinions or her
performance on stage with her peers.
No candidate should stoop to these
measures to quell free speech. We
should elect a real conservative Republi-
can for governor, not an imposter.
Susan Bland
Baker City
Editor’s Note: The rules against
applauding, outbursts and recording/
livestreaming at the candidates forum in
Baker City are typical of rules for most
candidate forums.
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