Wednesday, April 28, 2021
A4
OPINION
VOICE of the CHIEFTAIN
Council
should
share how
it was
advised
L
ight is the best disinfectant, and
transparency is vital to establish-
ing trust.
That is why it’s concerning that the
Joseph City Council, last week, declined
to comment on how it was advised by
City Attorney Wyatt Baum regarding
whether it should indeed investigate the
alleged harassment by now former city
Administrator/Recorder Larry Braden,
who submitted his resignation April 16.
Yes, Oregon law allows for items dis-
cussed in executive session by a city
council to remain behind closed doors.
But in this instance, we at the Chief-
tain believe doing so is not the correct
move.
A citizen who spoke up at the emer-
gency council meeting last week stated
the reason why it’s concerning: It allows
a “fog” to linger over the council.
That fog is doubt — doubt of whether
or not the council will do what is right.
If the council has been advised to
have an investigation — even if it hasn’t
decided yet if it will — the residents of
Joseph deserve to know as much. On the
flip side, if the opposite is the case, and
an investigation has not been advised,
the residents deserve to know that.
The “no comment” given by Mayor
Belinda Buswell to the question of if
there will be an investigation — even if
it is the answer she gives after any exec-
utive session — is not sufficient here.
That nobody else on the council shared
what was advised is equally concerning.
Does it mean a decision is still being
made? Has new information been made
known that steered the adviser — Attor-
ney Baum — one way or the other in his
guidance? Does the council intend to go
with or against whatever Baum has said?
And if so, why?
The Chieftain maintains that the right
move for the council is to have an inves-
tigation. It seems like an easy decision,
especially given what has been alleged.
Granted, the Chieftain is not privy
to the information Baum or the council
may have that could ultimately influence
how they move forward. Nobody cur-
rently is.
And therein lies the problem, the
cloud, the fog.
As long as there is doubt of whether
or not an investigation takes place, there
is doubt about the council’s ability to
govern properly. It is a serious allega-
tion — the claim of harassment — that
has the council in this position in the first
place. The “no comment” adds to that
doubt.
A simple “yes,” “no,” or even “we’ve
been advised a certain way and are still
deciding if that is correct,” would give
the people of Joseph what they need
right now. It would help serve as a light-
house to start cutting through the fog.
That transparency and light are needed
to bring peace of mind in Joseph.
And right now, they are missing.
LETTER to the EDITOR
What happened to
‘flatten the curve’?
What ever happened to “flatten the
curve”?
Surely most of us can remember
when, more than a year ago, lockdown
measures hailed from on high and we all
donned our masks, sheltered in place and
submitted to the politicians’ decisions to
shut down our economy for the sake of
not overwhelming the health care system.
The message was clear: flattening the
curve (decreasing the rate of spread of
the virus) would help ensure that hospi-
tals were not overwhelmed with patients;
it was never intended to eradicate the
virus or minimize the total number of
deaths.
“Two weeks to flatten the curve” has
turned into 52. We still have huge por-
tions of our economy shut down or ham-
strung by burdensome regulations. Travel
is restricted. There are limited sporting
events. We also seem to have forgotten
the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention’s own guidance that a COVID-
19 “exposure” occurs after a patient has
had “close contact” (within 6 feet for 15
minutes or more) with someone who has
coronavirus.
Instead of acknowledging that we’re
CONTACT your REPRESENTATIVES
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Salem, OR 97301
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Bill Hansell, District 29
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Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
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Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
SENATOR
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
EDITORIALS: Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the Wallowa County Chieftain
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Cliff Bentz
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Washington, DC 20515
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Medford office: 541-776-4646
REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
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Jeff Merkley
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Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
Wallowa County’s Newspaper Since 1884
VOLUME 134
all responsible citizens capable of assess-
ing our own level of risk tolerance, we
have sanctimonious ne’er-do-wells up
at Fergi (and on our hiking trails) mak-
ing snide comments and criticizing those
who dare enjoy the great outdoors mask-
less. Bullies and politicians alike are hap-
pily taking advantage of this corona-cri-
sis in order to gain power.
Perhaps instead of seeking to control
others, we can focus our efforts toward
taking care of ourselves and our own
families, and trust that others will do the
same.
Rebecca Patton
Enterprise
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