Wednesday, March 9, 2022
A4
OPINION
OTHER VIEWS
Reviewing
two years of
COVID-19
O
n Saturday, the indoor mask man-
dates imposed by the governors of
Oregon, Washington and Califor-
nia will be lifted.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has also
announced that the state of emergency that
was put in place on March 8, 2020, will
expire April 1.
Huzzah!
Officially, the lifting of the mask
requirement reflects declining
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in
the West Coast states. Others suggest the
announcements were coordinated with
other Blue state governments to sug-
gest a return to “normalcy” before Pres-
ident Biden’s State of the Union address
and in advance of the midterm election
campaign.
Whatever the reason, we are nonethe-
less thankful for the reprieve — even if it
later proves temporary.
Two years and change into the pan-
demic, it behooves us to take stock of
where we have been and offer some
observations.
• COVID-19 qualified as a clear and
present danger as it unfolded in the early
spring of 2020. Little was known about
the disease when it arrived in the United
States.
In that context, the “two-weeks-to-
flatten-the-curve” shutdown made some
sense. But as those “two weeks” dragged
into more than three months, this seemed
less like a thoughtful strategy and more
like a desperate effort to outlast the virus.
• While government can quickly shut
the economy down, starting it back up
again isn’t that easy.
• State government was unprepared to
deal with the impacts its measures inflicted
on working people and their employers.
Shuttering the economy left more than half
a million people on the West Coast scram-
bling for a paycheck.
• We have been told to “follow the sci-
ence.” Being strong believers of facts, we
put a lot of stock in science.
But, the exhortation to “follow the sci-
ence” has too often been used as a cudgel
with which to beat critics.
Science is not religious dogma. It is an
open question, not a declarative statement.
We don’t say this to benefit crackpots and
conspiracy theorists, but to encourage rea-
soned debate.
Officials conveying science have too
often failed to concede that the body of
knowledge is ever changing.
We have always been strong advocates
for vaccinations, and still are. Initially,
we were told the vaccines would prevent
infections and transmission in most cases.
Then we were told that in most cases it
would only keep people from getting
really sick. That’s still a worthy outcome,
but not what conveyors of science prom-
ised in the beginning.
Policy makers have been the strongest
proponents of “the science,” but have been
willing to forego the science for political
expediency.
• No elected official should be allowed
to rule indefinitely by decree. Emergency
powers should be limited in duration and
subject to mandatory legislative oversight.
A benevolent dictatorship in all but name
is nonetheless tyranny.
Most people learned to live with the
virus months ago. We are happy that the
governors are learning it, too. We hope in
future emergencies that they put more trust
in the instincts of their constituents.
— Capital Press
LETTERS to the EDITOR
House Bill 4002 is
why Eastern Oregon
should join Idaho
Do you really wonder why Eastern Ore-
gon wants to join with Idaho?
Here’s a big hint. House Bill 4002 has
to be one of the most “irresponsible” regu-
lations passed. Why not just pass a law that
all farmers should sign their property over
to the liberal West side? I have farmed in
Washington and then starting in 1991 for
several years in Oregon. Under this foolish
law, how could I possibly stay in business?
If I have 600 or 6,000 acres of wheat to
be harvested, my crew and I would work
12 hours a day until the crop was safely
in storage. I personally always paid over
minimum wage and gave a bonus for fin-
ishing the harvest. Let’s stop and look at
an example: Seven days at 12 hour days
comes to 84 hours. The first 40 hours
would come to $600. The next 44 hours
at $22.50 (time and half) would add $990
for a total $1,590 a week. The reality of
weather fluctuations required me to get
the harvest completed in a timely way.
Farmers don’t set the selling price of their
wheat. The going rate is set by world
demand.
Just stop and think of me going to a
grain dealer and saying I need an addi-
tional $5 a bushel just to make ends meet.
The reason is my wonderful state of Ore-
gon has more than doubled my expenses
by micro-managing how I personally oper-
ate my farm. I would receive nothing but
laughter.
Kenneth Parsons
La Grande
Oveson deserves
coach of the year honor
Greg Oveson’s selection as girls bas-
ketball coach of the year in the Old Ore-
gon League was richly deserved. After a
pandemic-impaired 2020-21 season, he
CONTACT your REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us
EDITORIALS: Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the Wallowa County Chieftain
editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions
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Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
• • •
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-423
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
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SENATOR
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
Member Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
USPS No. 665-100
Cliff Bentz
1239 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford office: 541-776-4646
REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
Wallowa County’s Newspaper Since 1884
VOLUME 134
guided Wallowa High School’s 11-player
team to a 16-9 season and third place
in the league, guaranteeing a spot in the
state tournament.
This was the Cougars’ best showing in
a decade. Greg was appointed last season
after Coach David Howe felt he had to
resign over a controversy about his sched-
uling of games in Idaho so the girls could
play at all. David likewise had improved
the team’s performance.
Greg has a long history with Wallowa
athletics beginning with his performance
as a guard on the school’s state champi-
onship team in 1970 and continuing as
coach of the boys 1995 state champion-
ship squad. He has coached girls basket-
ball on and off for many years.
I, for one, salute Greg for his commit-
ment to our female student-athletes and
the Wallowa athletic program. He has
earned our respect and acclamation. Next
season ought to be spectacular.
Chuck Anderson
Enterprise
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