A4 Opinion wallowa.com January 7, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain Courtney hesitant on minimum wage hike O regon’s minimum wage increased 15 EDITORIAL cents on Jan. 1. The The voice of the Chieftain new rate – $9.25 per hour – remains the second-highest in the nation, behind only our neighbor to the north, Washington. Yet several Oregon politicians already are ginning up support for a $15 minimum wage. We’re pleased to read that Peter Courtney, president of the state Senate, is lukewarm to the idea. He cautioned fellow Democrats not to over-reach on the issue, saying it could jeopardize their party’s new majority in Salem. Courtney’s advice is wise for more than reasons of political power. A sharp increase in the minimum wage in a state that is still recovering from a brutal recession is risky. There is scant evidence that such a boost ZRXOGEHQH¿WWKHVWDWHRUORFDOHFRQRPLHV The economic impact of hiking minimum wages is unclear. There are dozens of research papers on the VXEMHFW7KHLUFRQFOXVLRQVDUHFRQÀLFWLQJ Some argue that minimum wage increases boost consumer spending. Others say the impact is short- term, encouraging low-wage workers to take on more debt for big-ticket items such as cars. Much depends on how employers would react to a large increase in the minimum wage. They could hire fewer workers. Or raise prices. Or lay off higher- paid employees. Again, economists disagree on the potential response. Oregon’s minimum wage is adjusted each year for LQÀDWLRQ7KLVKDVNHSWLWDWKDOIWKHPHGLDQKRXUO\ wage for all Oregon workers. That is a sound level for a wage for unskilled workers compared with employees with years of experience or specialized skills. The $15 minimum wage appears to be the new gold standard for activists, unions and others doing battle in the name of economic equality. The city of Seattle ZDVWKH¿UVWWRPDNHWKHOHDSWKRXJKLWVFLW\FRXQFLO tempered the impact by phasing the increase over several years. San Francisco soon followed suit. Oregon legislators should at least wait to see how those jurisdictions fare under the $15 minimum before following their lead. As Mark Twain said: “Get your IDFWV¿UVWWKHQ\RXFDQGLVWRUWWKHPDV\RXSOHDVH´ Justice jackpot for longhouse I’m feeling pretty good about a new fund I’ve got set up for donating a lit- tle bit of money. Emphasis on little. But these particular funds were being relocated out of my bank account in a way that didn’t seem right and I decided while trying to get them back that, if I succeeded, I’d send those dollars back out somewhere nice. My phone company and I had a little disagreement last year about one of the ¿QHU SRLQWV RI RXU ZULWWHQ DJUHHPHQW 7KH\ WKRXJKW LW ZRXOG EH ¿QH WR LJQRUH what we agreed on and charge me more. I took the opposite stance. Fast-forward through a bunch of being on hold and get- ting nowhere, then an arbitration process arranged by the shockingly helpful folks at the Better Business Bureau. Turns out the arbitrator also knew how to read, so things went my way and I’m pleased to announce the Rombach vs. Big Wireless Provider Triumph For Justice Fund. Sadly, all that hassle amounts to only ten bucks a month. But it was the principle of the thing. And, hey, that’s a hundred-some- thing a year. Not to mention the fortune I’ll save on blood pressure medication now that seeing my phone bill doesn’t make steam whistle out my ears. 7KH¿UVWFKHFNLVKHDGHGWRWKH+RPH- land Project. They’re close to going ahead on construction of a new longhouse that’s been on the drawing board for years. The bucks to the Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center, Inc., which is the AND FURTHERMORE VXSHUORQJRI¿FLDOQDPHRIWKH+RPHODQG Project. Actually, I just abbreviated it to Jon WBNPTIC. Much easier. See, giving is Rombach easy. So here’s my plan. My check goes toward matching funds and if you match 3,200-square-foot spiritual and commu- my match or come up with an even big- nity gathering place will be at the site off ger match, then someone matches your Whiskey Creek Road, where Tamkaliks match and so on, we put all these matches and the Friendship Feast happen each in a box and call it: The Strike Anywhere summer. Years ago I heard that thing about Fund. Brilliant, right? Because, you know, how if the whole world could sit down and matches. If you want to help ignite the Strike eat dinner together we might just all get along. So that Friendship Feast and gath- Anywhere Fund: Project Longhouse, you FDQ JHW PRUH VSHFL¿FV RQ WKH ORQJKRXVH HULQJDOZD\VVWUXFNPHDVD¿QHWKLQJ This longhouse will go a long way by shooting an email to tamkaliks@gmail. toward furthering the Homeland Project com or calling 541-886-3101. Both of goal of creating a place in the Wallowa those will reach Mary Hawkins. She’s real country to celebrate Nez Perce traditions, nice. If you’re ready to roll, you can mail where new generations of Nez Perce, local your match to WBNPTIC: Strike Any- folks and visitors from all over the world where Longhouse Project, PO Box 15, can get together and get along. I think the Wallowa OR – Our Fair City – 97885. I world could probably use more of this would say to put a strike anywhere match inside the envelope, but I bet the postal type of thing. So I’m dropping my little contribution service frowns on that. Happy New Year to you. Hope 2015 into the bucket. It’s a pretty good-sized bucket because this is going to be one is smooth and you never spend any time spiffy longhouse. But the good news is on hold waiting for customer service. That that over 90% has been raised and there’s should go a long way toward promoting D ¿QDO SXVK WR FROOHFW DERXW LQ peace on earth. Jon Rombach is a local columnist for matching funds so construction can get the Chieftain and board member of the going. I just wrote out my check for a hundred WBNPTIC. Role models in short supply By Rocky Wilson L etters to the Editor are subject to editing and should be limited to 275 words. Writers should also include a phone number with their signature so we can call to verify identity. The Chieftain does not run anonymous letters. In terms of content, writers should refrain from person- al attacks. It’s acceptable, however, to attack (or support) another party’s ideas. We do not routinely run thank-you letters, a policy we’ll consider waiving only in unusual situations where reason compels the exception. You can submit a letter to the Wallowa County Chieftain in person; by mail to P.O. Box 338, Enterprise, OR 97828; by email to editor@wallowa.com; or via the submission form at the newspaper’s website, located at wallowa.com. 'URSGRZQWKH³2SLQLRQ´PHQXRQWKHQDYLJDWLRQEDUWR see the relevant link). USPS No. 665-100 P.O. Box 338 • Enterprise, OR 97828 2I¿FH1:)LUVW6W(QWHUSULVH2UH 3KRQH)D[ :DOORZD&RXQW\¶V1HZVSDSHU6LQFH Enterprise, Oregon M EMBER O REGON N EWSPAPER P UBLISHERS A SSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR R EPORTER R EPORTER N EWSROOM ASSISTANT A D S ALES CONSULTANT G RAPHIC D ESIGNER O FFICE MANAGER Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Rob Ruth, editor@wallowa.com Stephen Tool, stool@wallowa.com Rocky Wilson, rwilson@wallowa.com Rich Rautenstrauch, rrautenstrauch@wallowa.com Brooke Pace, bpace@wallowa.com Robby Day, rday@wallowa.com Cheryl Jenkins, cjenkins@wallowa.com P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY : EO Media Group 3HULRGLFDO3RVWDJH3DLGDW(QWHUSULVHDQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV Subscription rates (includes online access) Wallowa County Out-of-County 1 Year $40.00 $57.00 6XEVFULSWLRQVPXVWEHSDLGSULRUWRGHOLYHU\ See the Wallowa County Chieftain on the Internet www.wallowa.com facebook.com/Wallowa | twitter.com/wcchieftain POSTMASTER — Send address changes to Wallowa County Chieftain P.O. Box 338 Enterprise, OR 97828 Contents copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. football. A few memories, like playing one game at the University of San Quen- JABBERWOCK II Let’s face it, Martin Luther and Win- tin, never will be repeated nor forgotten, VWRQ &KXUFKLOO DUH GHDG KHQFH ¿QGLQJ yet reality outweighed aspirations when a second shoulder surgery was required. quality role models to look up to is daunt- The closest to a role model I experi- ing. mise that O.J. is my anti-role model. Fortunately, sports have been ham- The antithesis of O.J., in my mind, is enced in those days was a brash foot- mered into my soul forever, hence the P\ DOOWLPH IDYRULWH VSRUWV ¿JXUH %MRUQ ball-playing dude from the University of overall genre from which to choose a role Borg. On the tennis court, Borg was an ex- Alabama named Joe Namath. As quar- PRGHOVLJQL¿FDQWO\QDUURZVWKH¿HOG hibition of poetry in motion. He never lost WHUEDFNIRUWKHÀHGJOLQJ1HZ<RUN-HWV Years back I watched O.J. run up and his cool, simply wore out his opponents on January 12, 1969, Namath – after GRZQ D PXGG\ ¿HOG LQ &RUYDOOLV ZKHQ by methodically returning each and every guaranteeing a Jets win three days before his USC Trojans, rated No. 1 in the na- shot returned to his side of the net, and squaring off against the heavily favored tion at the time, fell 3-0 to the Beavers. FRQVLVWHQWO\ZDVVPRRWKDQGÀXLG$ULJKW Baltimore Colts – backed his words by Simpson ran for more than 200 yards, yet hander, his two-handed backhand looked engineering a shocking victory. But that role model thing faded quick- QHYHUFURVVHGWKHJRDOOLQHQRUÀLFNHUHG every bit as natural as his forehand and, if any inklings about becoming my role memory serves me, his comfort anywhere ly when Namath tried to expand his hori- zons as an actor. Simply stated, Joe was model. Shortly thereafter O.J. made big along the baseline was awesome. money hurdling turnstiles in airports, yet A bucket list thing, I guess, I did see bad. A piece of football trivia in regard to my resolve to aspire to someone greater Borg play in person once later in his ca- prevailed. Not even the fact that my ex- reer during a professional exhibition that Super Bowl III: Who was the Colt tremely old dictionary has a thumbnail match held in Portland. He wasn’t much QB who came off the bench late in the photo of O.J. in it (and notes in its text different then than the many times I’d game, when the Jets led 16-0, to drive the that his football heroics were major) put watched him win Wimbledon and the Colts to their solitary touchdown? Sorry, I’m not going to make it easy on me in O.J.’s camp. French Open on television, though maybe As if he didn’t get enough press run- the headband and wrist bands were differ- you, but I guarantee if you know anything at all about football that you’ll recognize ning the football, Simpson next appealed ent. to viewers around the world when cam- Other than Bjorn Borg, there haven’t the name. While you’re googling the answer, eras in helicopters captured him trying to been many I’ve felt warmed enough by to feel free to check out Luther and Chur- elude the police at low speed on Califor- consider being my role model. nia freeways. I’ve often wondered how My best sport, as a participant, was chill: being dead doesn’t erase one’s many bucks O.J. paid lawyers to get him football. I was OK in high school, but achievements. Jabberwock II columnist Rocky Wilson out of that pickle. SUREDEO\P\VNLOOVDQGGH¿QLWHO\P\ERG\ Anyway, it didn’t take me long to sur- were not up to the challenge of college is a reporter for the Chieftain. Reader wishes new doctor well To the Editor: What a wonderful front-page story announcing Dr. Laurel Witt’s arrival (the 12-31-14 edition). I suspect all of Wallowa County is welcoming and wishing her a long, long career. Given her background, there seems no doubt she will listen to patients’ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR stories and enjoy every moment, as she weaves health care into one of the most trusted of personal relation- ships. We should recognize, however, that there will be a few cases (hopefully very rare) where she will no longer be of help to a patient, where one could VD\VKHZRXOGEHDWKHU³:LWWVHQG´ ps: Sorry; it’s genetic! M. Boyd Wilcox Corvallis Where to write Washington, D.C. The White House, 1600 Pennsyl- vania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202-456- 1111; Switchboard: 202-456-1414. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 +DUW 6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVK- ington D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224- 5244. E-mail: wayne_kinney@wyden. senate.gov Web site: http://wyden. senate.gov Fax: 202-228-2717. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D — 313 +DUW 6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVK- ington D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224- 3753. E-mail: senator@merkley.sen- ate.gov. Fax: 202-228-3997. 2UHJRQRI¿FHVLQFOXGH2QH:RUOG Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St., Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; and 310 S.E. Second St., Suite 105, Pend- leton, OR 97801. Phone: 503-326- 3386; 541-278-1129. Fax: 503-326- 2990. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R — (Second District) 1404 Longworth Building, Washington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730. No direct e-mail because of spam. Web site: www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202- 0HGIRUG RI¿FH 1RUWK Central, Suite 112, Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-0204.