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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2015)
A4 Opinion wallowa.com July 1, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain Unfair drug pricing killing us :LWK6HQDWRU5RQ:\GHQFRPLQJWR(QWHUSULVHWKLV)ULGD\WR KROG D WRZQ KDOO PHHWLQJ LW¶V DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR HQJDJH KLP RQ WKH WRSLF RI SUHVFULSWLRQ GUXJ SULFLQJ ZKLFK LV KROGLQJ DOO RI $PHULFD KRVWDJH UHJDUGOHVV RI EDITORIAL DQ\RQH¶V FRQWUDU\ FODLP WKDW The voice of the Chieftain $PHULFDPD\¿QDOO\EHJHWWLQJD KDQGOHRQKHDOWKFDUHFRVWV7KH XQIRUWXQDWHWUXWKLVWKDWZHUHDOO\DUHQ¶WJDLQLQJVXFKFRQWURO ,QWKHSDVW:\GHQKDVEHHQDPDMRUSOD\HULQWKHDUHDRI0HGL FDUH UHIRUP -RVHSK UHVLGHQW -HDQ )DOER SHQQHG WKH IROORZLQJ DUJXPHQW DERXW ¿[LQJ RXU SUHVFULSWLRQ PHGLFLQH SUREOHP 2XU WKDQNVWRKHU²5&5 I QHTXLWLHVLQWKHFRVWRIPHGLFLQHDUHÀDJUDQWO\XQIDLU For example, Medicaid, which serves low income people, and the Department of Veterans Affairs use their purchasing power to good advantage to get their medications at a more reasonable price than that paid for the same drugs being used by Medicare patients. A recent study showed that these agencies were able to get the 10 most prescribed drugs at costs nearly 50% less than Medicare. 3HRSOHZKRWUDQVIHUIURP0HGLFDLGWR0HGLFDUHFDQ¿QG themselves suddenly paying more in co-pays for the exact same medication they were taking previously. Why is this VR"%HFDXVHHOHFWHGRI¿FLDOVRIERWKSDUWLHVVLJQHGRIIRQ restricting Medicare from bargaining with Big Pharma for the best deal for Americans! You may shop for a health care plan, but depending on what it offers and the price it costs, you may pay nothing RU\RXPD\¿QGWKDWRQO\DVPDOOSRUWLRQRI\RXUFRVWV are paid. You can, and this is particularly true for cancer GUXJV¿QG\RXUVHOIZLWKRXWRISRFNHWFRVWVRIXSWR thousand dollars a month! Major manufacturers of drugs in our country rarely limit their distribution to the United States. They are multinational corporations and one glaring inequity is that the very same product is often very much cheaper in Canada and Mexico. Very well, why not reimport those cheaper PHGLFLQHVEDFNLQWRWKH86"%HFDXVHRXUHOHFWHGRI¿FLDOV made it illegal to reimport drugs from another country! With the costs of medicine in the United States being the highest in the world, it is no wonder that many Americans are buying online to get a bargain. It is possible, in concert with your doctor identifying your needs and dosages, to work through registered international pharmacies. However, shopping online requires a personal risk assessment. You may get scammed. It doesn’t have to be this way. There has been a steady drum beat of proposed legislation and broken promises to end prohibitions against negotiations to use the buying power of Medicare, a huge market, to reduce the cost of health care. Legislation to address the issue always gets VWDOOHGLQFRPPLWWHHQHYHUUHDFKLQJWKHÀRRURI&RQJUHVV for debate. President Obama promised in his 2008 campaign to work towards reducing costs of drugs. He has asked Congress to act on the matter, but he has hardly used the SRZHURIKLVRI¿FHWRFKDPSLRQLW Why all the law-making to oppose market competition and negotiation? Why the inaction? I am of the opinion that it demonstrates the persuasive power of Big Pharma to lobby a sky’s-the-limit price on their product. The industry always points to the high costs of research, of testing and of bringing a product to market. That is true, but why does the same product cost different prices in different countries? If delivering a product is the main objective, why are many drug makers’ advertising budgets bigger than their research budgets? The Constitution guarantees us the right to “Life…” But all too many people have to choose between food or medicine, and what you give up with either choice is likely to ruin your health. 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 Kathleen Ellyn, kellyn@wallowa.com Elliott Seyler, eseyler@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. Our talent is tattering jeans Happy b-day, America. I’m going to write your name so big with sparklers when LWJHWVGDUNRQWKHWK,W¶VJRQQDEHVRFRRO Then I’m going to light some of those black snakes that just turn from a lump into a line of ash. Not sure why I like those. They’re NLQGRIWKHUHYHUVHRI¿UHZRUNV America, I’ve got a story for you. You know how people are always like, Amer- ica — yeah, apple pie, hot dogs and bald eagles ... well, I think we can put blue jeans in that category too for things that are very American. Used to be all about the Levi’s. Then there’s Wranglers and so forth. Car- hartts also have a devoted fan club, and for good reason — they’re a solid pant, Amer- ica. Them double-front logger versions are just the thing for working on stuff. You better sit down for this, America. If you ask me, it doesn’t bode real well for the state of the union. Or humanity. I just heard a story about a Wallowa County guy, Patrick Baird, who was down in Los Ange- AND FURTHERMORE Jon Rombach les visiting a friend and at a get-together some stranger walked up and asked, “Who does your Carhartts?” Patrick replied, “What?” The strang- er repeated it. “Who does your Carhartts? They’re great.” Patrick had to admit he did not understand the words coming out of the person’s mouth. So get this. After it was explained, here’s what Patrick learned. Down in Los Angeles, apparently it’s a real thing to buy a new pair of Carhartts, then pay somebody to break them in for you and make them look old and abused. I’m told a grinder is one of the tools used. Patrick explained to the person that he bought the pants four years ago and, well, just did stuff while wearing them. Chores. &XWWLQJ¿UHZRRG&DPSLQJ:HDULQJWKHP when he works as a river guide. This tale of authentic, genuine pants-aging was met with effusive admiration and another round of compliments on his distressed dunga- rees. I mean, sure. It was Los Angeles. If something like this had to happen it was going to be LA or New York. But ... c’mon. $W¿UVW,ODXJKHGZKHQ,KHDUGDERXWVHQG- ing your pants out for a beating. That was followed by icy discomfort and suddenly I knew what it must have been like to be appalled with that Elvis Presley fellow and his provocative dancing. Kids these days and their crazy antics. The good news is, Wallowa County can probably set up a lively export pipe- line by shipping however many pairs of genuinely tattered jeans we have here over to the city folks. 6HH520%$&+3DJH$ That river project near Hwy 82 It’s come to my attention that concerns KDYHEHHQH[SUHVVHGDERXWWKHODWHVW¿VK habitat/river restoration project taking place on the 6 Ranch, a couple of miles west of Enterprise on the south side of Highway 82. My intention is to both an- swer questions as well as promote public awareness about this endeavor with this brief column. The project currently being construct- ed is designed to enhance habitat, pri- marily for spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead, as well as all other aquatic species native to the Wallowa 5LYHU:KLOHWKHVH¿VKPD\QRWVWULNHD chord for everyone, I hope this editori- al will help provide understanding as to why others care and how it affects you. In 1980, the US Congress passed the Northwest Power Act, a law that in its simplest terms, requires Bonneville Pow- er Administration, Bureau of Reclama- tion, and the Army Corps of Engineers (the action agencies who built, own, and manage the dams on the Snake and Co- lumbia Rivers) to mitigate for the nega- tive effects the dams have on Endangered Species Act-listed salmon and steelhead. The undesirable impact of the dams on tion: if you’re going to continue to gen- erate and distribute cheap electricity, you must create a process whereby the loss Jeff Oveson at the dams is offset by the enhancement of habitat in Snake and Columbia River ¿VK SRSXODWLRQV SDUWLFXODUO\ WKRVH DQDG- tributaries. Many decades ago, the 6 Ranch was romous species (salmon, steelhead and lamprey) who must pass over or through the site of a publicly-funded project to the dams on their juvenile migration to the channelize the river against the nearby ocean and again on their return trip to their hillside, a common practice for the time WR DOOHYLDWH ÀRRGLQJ LQ WKH YDOOH\ 7KLV natal rivers to spawn, is unmistakable. Why should that matter to you? When W\SHRIVWUHDPPRGL¿FDWLRQZDVIRUPHU- you turn on anything from a computer ly a popular course of action, repeated to an irrigation pump, you will be us- throughout the Grande Ronde and Wal- ing electricity purchased through one of lowa watersheds, and certainly aligned the action agencies (in Wallowa County, with values of that era. Flash forward most of the electricity comes through to present, where the 6 Ranch project is 3DFL¿F3RZHUGLVWULEXWHGHQHUJ\ERXJKW XVLQJ PLWLJDWLRQ IXQGV WR EHQH¿W QDWLYH from Bonneville Power). What we tend ¿VKWKHUDQFKLWVHOIHPSOR\FRQWUDFWRUV WRIRUJHWLVWKH3DFL¿F1RUWKZHVWHQMR\V and ultimately invest a large chunk of the cheapest electricity in the country, change in the local economy. This project thanks largely to the action agencies’ is a prime example of restoration which construction and operation of the dams landowners can rarely achieve on their on the Snake and Columbia Rivers. In own, and demonstrates the value in using fact, despite the use of rate payer dollars local direction to spend public funds in funding habitat restoration, on average a way which aligns with the priorities of Oregon pays half the price per kilowatt residents. hour of New York and Connecticut. The 6HH352-(&73DJH$ Northwest Power Act created an equa- GUEST COLUMN Ombudsman involved at WVSL The Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) program provides advocacy ser- vices for residents in residential care fa- cilities under the federal Older Americans Act, and Oregon law. Broadly, the pro- gram has two vital functions: direct ad- vocacy services to residents and systemic advocacy efforts on behalf of all residents. Recently, three Wallowa Valley Senior Living (WSVL) residents received Invol- untary Move Out Notices claiming their needs had exceeded the care provided. 7KH UHVLGHQWV ¿OHG FRPSODLQWV ZLWK WKH Ombudsman program stating they did not agree that the needs of these residents had increased, that their needs did not exceed the level of care provided under the facil- ity license, and that they had been prom- ised they could stay in the facility for the remainder of their lives. Other community members contact- HGRXURI¿FHVWDWLQJWKHIDFLOLW\KDGEHHQ built with local taxpayer funds and they were led to believe that it was done so to insure local seniors would not have to move to other locales to receive LTC ser- The second concern is the lack of clar- ity surrounding residents who had resided GUEST COLUMN in the old nursing home and when exactly Todd Steele and David Berger someone would have to move out of the facility as their care needs increased. In vices. WVSL is owned by Wallowa Valley 0D\ZHSRVHGTXHVWLRQVWR$UWHJDQ Health Care District and is managed by on behalf of residents and family mem- Artegan, LLC. Recent Letters to the Ed- bers. At that time, Artegan stated they itor and high turnout for the Health Care would exhaust every option to keep res- District board meeting, illustrates much idents in their home as long as possible. public concern for county seniors and a Furthermore, Artegan stated they expect- need to clarify what services will be pro- ed and anticipated a higher level of care provided by WVSL versus other assisted vided by WVSL moving forward. The Ombudsman program, in repre- living communities. Finally, they said they would work senting resident interests, had three specif- LFDUHDVRIFRQFHUQ7KH¿UVWZDVWRDVVLVW with regulators to meet higher needs to those residents who had been asked to keep county seniors close to families and move from their home in exercising their in the county they call home. A commu- right to appeal the notice at a hearing. nity discussion must occur to clarify the Each individual’s situation was addressed situation, publicly, disseminate the results, separately and presented in an informal and set a course for whatever is decided. The third area of concern is a lack conference held with the resident’s repre- sentative, the DHS Licensor, the facility, of services normally available to support and the Ombudsman. The Move Out No- residents outside nursing facilities, either tices were rescinded and thankfully these 6HH352*5$03DJH$ residents remain in their homes. Sheriff upholding Constitution To the Editor: There was a letter to the editor on June 17th with a theme that the Sheriff does not have the authority to make a judg- ment on whether to enforce a particular law, in this case whether to enforce a re- cently passed UNCONSTITUTIONAL gun law! Sadly the author has it all wrong as it is unconstitutional. The Sheriff takes an oath to Uphold the Constitution of the 8QLWHG6WDWHV$OOODZHQIRUFHPHQWRI¿- cers as well as those in the military take the same oath ... I took that oath during my entrance into the military and was LETTERS TO THE EDITOR proud to have the privilege. Instead of being critical of the Sher- iff the letter writer should be thanking him because he is honoring the greatest law of the land and one of our most ba- sic rights. I applaud Sheriff Rogers for having the courage to refuse to enforce a horrible and stupid law ... If we were to wait for the idiots to erase this bill that was so foolishly rushed into law it could take forever. I read an article that Lane Coun- ty passed a resolution to not honor this pathetic legislation and also many or all other County Sheriff’s are refusing to en- force it. Every hunter, gun owner and collec- tor should be thanking God we have a 6KHULIIWKDWLVKRQRULQJKLVRDWKRIRI¿FH and cares for those whom he represents. There should be so many letters pouring in to Editor, Rob Ruth that he will have to KLUHD6KHUSDJXLGHMXVWWR¿QGKLVRI¿FH Stormy Burns USN (Ret’d) -RVHSK