OPINION
Wallowa.com
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Trump crony
undermines justice
Some news trickled in this week that
was surely overshadowed by the passing of
Justice Ginsburg and the blatant hypocrisy
of filling her seat.
A defamation lawsuit from a registered
Republican, former Playboy centerfold and
mistress of President Trump was dropped
by a Trump-appointed judge against Tucker
Carlson because apparently what Mr. Carl-
son says is not taken seriously by his over
4 million viewers and is therefore not to be
considered “news” or factual.
I would argue that at least 2 million of
them do. Now he must feel empowered to
say whatever he wants, i.e., “Democrats
must hate America” and not worry if it is
false, misleading or could further fuel the
divisiveness that plagues this country that
we must all pray for more than ever.
Jeff Irish
Enterprise
Presidential election about
more than personalities
Before I sat down to write this letter,
some wise counsel was given. Instead of
writing a multitude of phrases or persua-
sion, this letter will be shorter and to the
point.
If you believe in the Constitution and
the Bill of Rights, limited abortion, secure
borders, a strong military and police force,
vote for President Trump.
If you believe the Constitution is out-
dated and needs to be rewritten, and our
Second Amendment rights eliminated,
abortion on demand, late-term and even
after birth, that socialism is good for this
country, then vote for Biden and his social-
ist running mate.
Before you cast your ballot think care-
fully: Do you want our country to be
another Russia?
This election, as I see it, isn’t about per-
sonalities or winning debates. It is about
whether we will keep or lose our Constitu-
tion and our country as we know and love
it.
Carol McCrae
Wallowa
Trump supporters should
do their research
Vietnam Navy veteran Michael McLain
believes the current president has a “record
of working for and helping veterans”
(Trump, a man with a record of working
for and helping veterans, Oct. 7, 2020.) My
wife and I believe the credit given Don-
ald Trump is far more likely due to many
others before him, not the least Oregon’s
senior Sen. Ron Wyden, who worked hard
to get a VA facility in Eastern Oregon.
I, too, served during the Vietnam era,
enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1967 and retir-
ing in 1987, so we appreciate your service,
Mr. McLain. For someone concerned about
law and order, it’s worrisome that you con-
done the corruption and lawlessness of this
president and his entire administration. And
for someone concerned about socialism, it’s
amazing that you are willing to accept VA
assistance — socialized medicine, like our
Medicare and TriCare for Life.
Social Security is also a socialized pro-
gram to assist seniors to live decent lives
in their declining years. As for question-
ing what the president may or may not have
said regarding veterans, think only about
what he said about John McCain, whom he
called “a loser.” When pressed, he said, “I
like people who don’t get caught, OK?”
Well, Donald Trump certainly never
risked getting caught. He used bone spurs
to avoid military service during the Viet-
nam era, although they seem not to bother
him on the golf course. He was so sensi-
tive about John McCain, in fact, that aides
had to cover the name on the stern of the
destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56)
before he would be seen speaking on it.
A letter addressed to “fellow citizens,”
whose 489 signatories identify as “generals,
admirals, senior noncommissioned officers,
ambassadors and senior civilian national
security leaders,” reads: “We are Republi-
cans, Democrats and Independents. We love
our country. Unfortunately, we also fear for
it. The current president has demonstrated
he is not equal to the enormous responsi-
bilities of his office; he cannot rise to meet
challenges large or small. Thanks to his dis-
dainful attitude and his failures, our allies
no longer trust or respect us, and our ene-
mies no longer fear us.”
We urge you to do a little more research
before you cast your ballot, Mr. McLain,
and again, thanks for serving our country.
Dan Blair, Lt. j.g. (USN Ret.),
and Jan Blair
Joseph
Trump supporters don’t
understand the danger
Driving around the county I see a lot of
Trump-Pence signs, and I wonder what are
the political issues that these supporters
find so important that they want others to
know they are eager to have this adminis-
tration in office for another four years.
What I feel concerned about are efforts
by the Trump administration to compro-
mise two major elements of American lives
and livelihoods: Social Security/Medicare
and the U.S. Postal Service.
President Trump has stated that if he
ENDORSEMENT LETTERS MUST BE TURNED IN BY SUNDAY
Editor’s Note: Wednesday, Oct. 28, is the last edition that endorsement letters will run prior to the
Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. Any endorsements must be received by Sunday, Oct. 25, in order to be
considered for publication.
is reelected, he will defund Social Secu-
rity and Medicare as we know it today.
For years, I and other workers have been
paying into Social Security and Medicare
through our payroll tax deductions. And
now I and millions of Americans count
on those funds to help with our retirement
income and medical care. To take those
away and make them funded by general
taxes, which are allocated at the whims of
the congressional budget process, is to me,
catastrophic.
Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I’m a fan
of the U.S. Postal Service. I don’t use it as
much as I used to (email), but I rely on it
for all the reasons it exists, not the least of
which is voting by mail. We Oregonians are
very fortunate. Mail-in voting is not so easy
in the majority of other states in the coun-
try. Now we are faced with a pandemic that
has turned the world as we knew it upside
down.
So mail-in voting, which is so much
safer in our current COVID world, and
which has never been proven to be any-
thing but reliable and fraud-resistant, in
spite of what some impartial media sug-
gests, is being compromised by the pres-
ident’s vocal opposition to its implemen-
tation in other states across the country.
He appointed a major Trump campaign
donor to be postmaster general and since
then, changes have caused mail sorting and
delivery to be slowed down.
I believe our country is being damaged
by these changes. Why would any president
want to suppress voting and why would he
not want to make sure that our voting rights
were protected during these unusual times?
So I’m wondering what issues are so
important that Trump/Pence supporters
are willing to give up these two very fun-
damental rights — financial security and
health care, and voter rights — that have
been part of the fabric of our American
lives up until now?
Stanlynn Daugherty
Joseph
My name is Bryce Yanke, and I am a
sixth-grade student in Mr. Dakota Hull’s
classroom. I am going to inform you about
the bond our school is hoping to pass. This
bond will install many important mod-
ern day things in our 100-year-old school.
Some examples are replacing the leaky
roof and damaged sidewalks, installing
energy efficient windows, and remodeling
restrooms to make them more accessible
for everyone. The future of this town is in
our hands, so please help our school out and
make it a better place to learn in. Vote yes
in November to help us kids learn, succeed,
and eventually graduate. We need YOU to
invest in our futures.
Bryce Yanke
Enterprise
Sajonia has been
good for Joseph
Joseph is ‘lucky’ Sajonia is
seeking reelection
The city of Joseph is lucky to have two
good candidates for mayor. However, my
wife and I, owners of two shops in Joseph
for nearly 30 years, are supporting Teresa
Sajonia for the following reasons:
1) Teresa is pro-business, which means
she is pro-community. A vibrant Main
Street (very difficult in small, rural towns
these days) means more stores and services
for locals and more jobs for us and our
children.
2) Since Teresa became mayor, suddenly
potholes were filled, streets paved, flower
boxes cared for and the city administration
and council settled down and functioned
properly for the first time in years.
3) She had the guts to enforce city ordi-
nances — cleaning up out-of-compliant
Main Street eyesores.
I want to thank Teresa for all the years
she has served in this unpaid, some would
say “thankless,” position.
Rob and Ary Lamb
Joseph
The residents of Joseph are extremely
lucky to have Mayor Teresa Sajonia run-
ning for another term.
Teresa has served as a city councilor and
mayor for the past 14 years. I can’t imag-
ine a more qualified candidate. I served on
the council for seven of those years and was
always impressed with her understanding
of all agenda items and willingness to lis-
ten to resident input. She definitely did her
homework.
Teresa’s work ethic is incredible. When
she starts a project she sees it through to
completion. That type of leadership and
tenacity is what we need in city govern-
ment. It would be a step backwards to vote
in someone with no experience. We need
consistency.
I would like to remind everyone that the
mayor and all council positions are strictly
voluntary. Nobody gets paid, and it is a
thankless job. Unfortunately folks are quick
to criticize anything they don’t agree with
or that doesn’t personally benefit them.
“Change, we need change” has become
a common rant in all elections — big and
small. You want change? Get involved.
Attend meetings. Volunteer for local boards
and committees. Or better yet, run for a
position on the city council where your vote
really gets counted.
Teresa runs one of the busiest, most suc-
cessful businesses in Joseph and has been
on Main Street for 32 years. She doesn’t
need another job, especially one with no
compensation.
We should be thankful she is willing to
serve another term. Let’s let her finish the
job.
Jim Zacharias
Joseph
Water decisions not
engineers’ fault
I subscribe to the Chieftain even though
I moved to Arizona 17 months ago. Joseph
and Wallowa County will always have a
special place in my heart.
I eagerly await Wednesday morning so I
can read the paper with my first cup of cof-
fee. I read with great interest your article on
the upcoming election for mayor of Joseph,
as I was the mayor from 2009 until Novem-
ber 2018.
I was particularly interested in the
responses to the question about the sewer
and water upgrades. Mayor Sajonia stated
that if the city had followed the recommen-
dations of the city engineer, Anderson and
Perry, in the previous decade the cost would
be much smaller. I beg to differ.
I cannot think of a single A&P recom-
mendation that the city did not follow. The
sewer plant has averaged about 55% capac-
ity since 1998. What prompted the costly
sewer upgrade was DEQ implementing new
standards, which were completed in 2018.
We knew they were doing a review but
needed to wait for the final report before the
city could implement the required upgrades.
The water line project was implemented
after a water line broke on Mill Street, and
after digging it up to repair found that it
was a steel line past its useful life. The city
immediately engaged A&P to determine
which water lines were in the same condi-
tion, and that water line project is close.
I remember budget hearings where it
was recommended to raise water and sewer
rates on a yearly basis per A&P recom-
mendations, and certain councilors voted
against it. Would be interesting to read old
minutes of council meetings to identify
those councilors.
As someone who served the city for 12
years and wants the city to prosper, I rec-
ommend Belinda Buswell for mayor.
Dennis Sands
Sierra Vista, Arizona
Vote ‘Yes’ on Enterprise
school bond
Three reasons to vote for
Enterprise school bond
As a member of the Enterprise School
Bond Committee that spent six months dis-
cussing the bond proposal on the ballot that
arrived in your mailbox recently, I’d like to
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
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highlight three important reasons why you
should vote YES for the Enterprise School
Bond:
1) We have the opportunity to access
100% matching funds from the state. For the
$4 million price tag, we can do $8 million
worth of work. This opportunity goes away
and is not guaranteed to be available again if
we don’t pass this bond this November.
2) I, too, asked if we shouldn’t just bite
the bullet and build a whole new school to
replace our 100-plus-year-old one. The con-
sultants who guided us through our six-
month discussion ran a quick calculation
that came back at over $50 million to build
a new school. I do not think that my fam-
ily nor yours can afford that kind of tax
increase.
3) This bond is modest and only fixes the
bare necessities. The roof is past its useful
life span and is failing. Stormwater floods
the school building and neighboring build-
ings most years. Lack of accessibility is
a real hindrance to students and the com-
munity. Our kids deserve to be safe in the
buildings where they spend a majority of
their time.
Please join me, your neighbors and
your friends in voting YES for Enterprise
schools.
Autumn Wilburn
Enterprise
Grateful for those who have
helped during COVID-19
As the season changes and OHA records
are updated to reflect the second COVID-
19 death in our county, and as I await news
of friends who were recently exposed in
other counties, I want to turn your attention
to the people who care for and about us,
right here, right now.
Thank you to the doctors, nurses, coun-
selors and caregivers who are helping us be
healthy, sometimes at their own risk.
Thank you to the quilt guild mem-
bers and needlecrafters who sewed quan-
tities of facemasks and distributed them
for free when masks were not available for
purchase.
Thanks to the many volunteers of Wal-
lowa County Community Action Network
who have and are prepared to support our
caregivers and community.
Thanks to Slow Food Wallowas and
Community Connection and generous
neighbors for your efforts in ensuring those
who lost work this year have the resources
to feed their kids and elders.
Thanks to all the other nonprofits, agen-
cies, and contractors and businesses who
worked hard to adapt their services, ranging
from online art shows, presentations, and
book clubs to permitting, licenses, essential
goods and services, and food delivery to
help us AND keep us safe.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
KC Bowman
Joseph
Local sports coverage needs
improvement
It is a tough time to be in the newspaper
industry. We have been subscribers to the
Chieftain and The Observer for years. It’s
quite easy to see that the two are becoming
more and more integrated.
My family has been a part of, and sup-
porters of, local school athletic programs
for years. We have supported our daugh-
ter and countless community youths as we
have been kept abreast on their athletic
achievements via the Chieftain sports arti-
cles. Now, those reports are nearly impossi-
ble to find. A picture — maybe. No articles.
COVID-19 has taken away much of the
kids activities, but there is school volley-
ball and touch football being played. And
who doesn’t want to keep up with the local
cross-country squad success?
I once advised an editor that if he wanted
to sell papers, he needed to play up local
sports, FFA and 4-H news. Parents and
grandparents love to read about their kids
in the paper. I am now offered articles by
Baker City reporters in the Chieftain. I
might understand it in The Observer, but I
don’t expect local sports to be bumped out
of our paper for the same news article from
Baker City.
I hope you’ll reconsider the latest edi-
torial decisions. Quite a few will make
their decisions on whether or not we need
to read about local news in the Chieftain
or Observer — there may not be a need to
keep both. Anyone else agree?
David E. Bruce
Enterprise
Arguing politics won’t
change the outcome
I grew up in Wallowa County in the
1950s and ’60s reading the Chieftain. Now
50 years later, I’ve been amused at the
opinions expressed on the upcoming pres-
idential election. Many of you are try-
ing desperately to change your neighbors’
minds about the candidates.
You’d be far better off having cof-
fee together and discussing the weather.
Because it doesn’t matter how you vote on
national or even state matters. Multnomah
and Lane counties will deliver Oregon’s
Electoral College votes to Biden/Harris no
matter what you think. The best you could
do is help Medford send a Republican 2nd
District congressman back to Congress.
However, you’ll have to get off the
“Hate Trump” bandwagon to do so. Can
you say “Speaker Pelosi” four more years?
Ed Glenn
Boardman