ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Morrow
County
needs a
help up
T
he Oregon Health Authority plans
to ask the Legislature’s Emergency
Board next month for $800,000 to
help Morrow County tackle a lingering
water crisis.
The money will be used, at least
partially, to deliver better water fi lters and
well testing to combat nitrate contamina-
tion in Morrow County homes.
We hope the Emergency Board acts
promptly to OK the funding.
Initially, Morrow County Commis-
sioner Jim Doherty sought a far larger
contribution — around $4 million — to
be funneled into the budgets of either the
Oregon Health Authority or the Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality to
address the high nitrate levels in domestic
wells.
Doherty sent a letter to Rep. Greg
Smith, R-Heppner, to ask for the extra
funding for the two state agencies. Smith
later reported that Gov. Kate Brown
requested the $800,000 for well monitor-
ing and fi lters.
We’re not sure where or how the gover-
nor came up with that number and we
certainly don’t want to quibble. We would
be remiss, though, if we did not point out
that more than $800,000 is going to be
needed in the long term to fi x a problem
that has lingered, unsolved, for a long time.
State leaders and the governor can’t
skimp on this particular crisis. We under-
stand Morrow County is a long way from
Salem, and we understand there isn’t an
infi nite amount of money for the E-Board
to disburse.
Still, it is inexcusable that in the 21st
century a county in a prosperous state
must deal with a water issue that harkens
to the worst days of the 19th century mega
cities.
We know the lawmakers on the E-Board
do not have an easy task. They must weigh
— we are sure — a lengthy list of fund-
ing priorities. Every one of those funding
priorities have support, everyone is seen by
those who need it as essential.
We understand the burden E-Board
members must embrace.
Yet we also believe the board can see
how important the $800,000 will be for
Morrow County. Will it solve all the prob-
lems? No. Will it be a huge help? Yes.
Morrow County needs state help. Not
a handout, but a help up. That is a key
diff erence, and we hope lawmakers on the
E-Board get educated about the water issue
and they see the need to allocate the funds
to help alleviate a serious problem.
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
City of Pendleton to blame
for Uber debacle
Concerning the latest twist in the
ride-hailing and Uber debacle created
by the city of Pendleton, one can only
say, “What the heck?”
You have a city subsidized entity,
Elite Taxi, that has taken an independent
approach to adding malice to the conten-
tious history of ride-hailing services.
Ride-hailing services add substance,
convenience and alternatives to Pendle-
ton’s transportation needs while the city
sits back and does nothing.
The city fi ddles while Pendleton
burns with yet one more controversy
that could have been easily solved in the
very beginning.
Carl Culham
Athena
The climate crisis is
actually a crime
As someone who follows local and
national news reports, I must tell you
I am worried about the recent extreme
heat and wildfi res raging across the
country. I feel for people who lose
their lives and livelihoods to extreme
weather, and I’m scared that it’s only a
matter of time until it directly hits me
and my community.
Seeing headlines in local news
outlets covering these climate disasters
made me realize that most news stories
show no connection between them and
their main cause: fossil fuels. This is
dangerous, because many people will
continue to refuse to see that longer,
hotter and deadlier summers are caused
and perpetuated by the disastrous coal,
oil and gas projects — and the fossil
fuel industry.
The science is clear — the longer we
allow coal, oil and gas companies to dig
and burn, the worse the impacts of the
climate crisis will be. With every frac-
tion of a degree of warming, we’ll see
and suff er more extreme heat, droughts,
fl oods, wildfi res and hurricanes. But the
fossil fuel industry continues to ignore
these alerts and undermine our chances
for a safer future, and CO2 emissions
keep rising. We all know this is causing
global heating and resulting in extreme
weather events, yet they keep digging,
burning and profi ting, with zero
accountability.
Climate impacts — like the recent
heat waves and wildfi res — dispro-
portionately aff ect people and commu-
nities who are already marginalized
and disadvantaged. People who did the
least to cause the climate crisis suff er
the worst from its impacts — they lose
livelihoods, hope and worse: their lives
— while oil companies continue to hit
record profi ts. This is wrong on so many
levels.
Local, regional and national media
have an important role to play — and
a moral obligation to tell the whole
truth. It’s time to make one thing about
extreme weather very clear: It’s not a
“crisis” that just happens to us — it’s a
crime, and the fossil fuel industry is to
blame. And saying it once isn’t enough.
Media has an important job to do to
turn the tide of public opinion and help
the world avoid the worst of the climate
impacts.
Please tell the real story about the
climate crisis.
Louise Squire
La Grande
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 Offi ce Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande offi ce: 541-962-7691
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton offi ce: 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 Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford offi ce: 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