MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2020
Baker City, Oregon
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OUR VIEW
Legislature
can affect
agriculture
Agriculture is big business in Oregon. Statistics
from the Oregon Department of Agriculture help
build a picture of the scope:
The state has 37,200 farms and 16 million acres in
farmland;
Oregon produces $1.8 billion in agricultural ex-
ports;
And Oregon is also the No. 1 producer in the coun-
try of hazelnuts, many types of seed, Christmas trees,
blueberries and rhubarb.
So what the Oregon Legislature will do in the 2020
legislative session that will alter agriculture is also a
big deal. The Capital Press recently outlined some of
the bills that are expected to change the agricultural
economic outlook.
Chief among the changes will come in the proposed
carbon cap legislation. Agriculture is almost always
rural, which usually means added travel distances.
And it also means machinery that runs on fuel is
used to grow, tend and harvest crops. An increase
in gasoline, diesel and natural gas prices means an
increase in the cost of doing business.
One proposal fl oating around the Legislature is
that the carbon cap bill would gradually implement
increased fuels costs in the state, starting fi rst in the
more metropolitan Portland area. In a few years, it
would cover the whole state. That would give the ru-
ral parts of the state more time to adapt before price
increases hit. But the price increases will still hit.
The state’s new corporate activity tax is another
area of concern for agriculture. Basically companies
bringing in more than $1 million in Oregon have
to pay $250 plus 0.57% of those revenues in tax.
The law gets tricky when it comes to crops taken to
wholesalers. The crops that are sold out of state are
not subject to the tax. The crops sold in state are. So
once the grain is loaded into an elevator how is that
to be tracked?
Water rights are always a concern for agriculture.
The Oregon Farm Bureau is watching a possible
change. Under the law, an order to stop the fl ow to
a junior water rights holder can at least be delayed
while it is appealed. Senior water rights holders and
tribes want that changed. Legislators won’t have an
easy time resolving that dispute or any of the other
changes that will impact agriculture this session.
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the Baker City Herald.
Columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions
of the authors and not necessarily that of the Baker City Herald.
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A list of 2020’s likely top issues
As we head into the new year and
the kickoff to the Roaring ’20s 2.0 (and
they will roar), policymakers will be
faced with some incredibly important
decisions. Several issues will take
center stage, ones with the potential to
signifi cantly shape our future, from im-
migration reform to college loan debt.
Certainly one of the biggest will be
the Senate impeachment trial of Presi-
dent Trump. Although the outcome is
nearly certain — there aren’t enough
votes to remove the president from
offi ce — the issue will steal the air from
other issues until the trial is concluded.
Post-trial, here are some issues likely
to dominate 2020. Each represents a
fork in the road, and the direction the
nation chooses will be critical:
IMMIGRATION
President Trump could roll out a new
immigration plan as we head toward
the elections. In addition to trying to
secure more funding for desperately
needed border security, a part of the
plan could include another attempt at
creating a merit-based legal immigra-
tion system, rather than one that’s
based primarily on family ties.
A system that favors applicants with
desirable job skills would shift legal im-
migration’s focus from being centered
on the desires of immigrants to being
centered on the needs of the American
people and our economy.
A merit-based system also more eas-
ily allows “patriotic assimilation,” creat-
ing a more unifi ed nation( rather than
one divided into special-interest groups
based on where we came from.
ELECTION INTEGRITY
With the 2020 elections coming,
citizens must be assured that the elec-
toral process for federal, state and local
elections is fair.
Although many on the left deny it,
voter fraud exists. Even the Supreme
Court has noted that voter fraud is a
clearly documented part of our nation’s
Wish I had never seen nor ever
saw
This thing that’s worse than
your mother-in-law
Verizon’s back with cards up
their sleeve
Tangling more web than what
they weave
Twice now planning has
turned them down
A 70-foot tower will damage
our town
Appealing to the council to
build a tower
Verizon’s gonna be fl exing
their power
For Verizon a 50-feet tower
isn’t plenty
But now they’re adding an
extra 20
If the city council doesn’t vote
history. Unfortunately, politicians and
advocacy groups on the left continue to
fi ght laws that require an ID to vote.
They’ve even sued states that have
tried to purge voter rolls of people
registered in multiple jurisdictions
who could vote more than once in an
election.
Moreover, the push to eliminate the
Electoral College would increase the
infl uence of large urban centers at the
expense of small states and rural areas,
striking at our constitutional structure
that balances the rule of the majority
with protections for minority interests
and state governments.
EDUCATION
Politicians have fl oated proposals
of free college tuition for all and loan
forgiveness for everyone carrying col-
lege debt.
Characterized as “investments in
our future,” the reality is they would
be a suffocating fi nancial burden on
every taxpayer, especially middle- and
lower-income citizens. There’s also
an inherent unfairness to forcing
Americans who couldn’t afford to go to
college themselves to pay off the loans
of those who could.
One also has to question what kind
of return taxpayers would get for
their “investment.” Many colleges are
indoctrinating students into a social-
ist, “America is evil” ideology, and often
students graduate unprepared for a
career and unable to pay off the enor-
mous college debt they accumulated.
Forty% of those who start college don’t
even fi nish within six years.
Despite these issues, because fed-
eral loan money is handed out with
little scrutiny as to students’ ability to
pay it back, colleges have had free rein
to raise prices at rates often double
that of infl ation. In addition, more
CHINA
Under the brutal governance of
the Chinese Communist Party, China
presents a combination of risks our
nation has never before faced.
Chinese authorities direct attacks
on our government cyber networks,
steal the intellectual property of our
companies, and threaten the travel of
ships and planes over international
waters. The authoritarian regime is
also spending enormous amounts of
money to build up its offensive mili-
tary machine.
As U.S. policymakers start to pay
more attention to China’s threats, we
can expect to see more recommenda-
tions for rebuilding America’s military
to keep China’s in check.
Moreover, while the national
security threat is very real, because
so many raw materials and fi nished
goods come from China, the U.S. will
continue attempting to build more
positive trade relations with the coun-
try. Besides being good for Americans
economically, a better trade relation-
ship also serves as a deterrent to
Chinese aggression, since there’s little
incentive to attack a major market for
its goods.
What we do about any one of these
issues in 2020 — China, electoral
integrity, education, or immigration —
could represent a major turning point
for America. From safeguarding the
right to vote, to protecting the nation
from foreign aggression, to deciding
whether more taxpayer money is the
solution to rising college debt, the
new year will certainly provide several
opportunities to make pivotal decisions
about America’s future.
Kay C. James is president of The Heritage
Foundation (heritage.org).
CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
Your views
In verse, why I’m
averse to Verizon’s cell
tower
KAY C. JAMES
than a million people default on their
loans annually, leaving taxpayers to
pick up the tab. “Free” college tuition
would only make things worse.
them a “no”
There’s no end to where this
path will go
They insist their towers will
look like trees
But who has seen trees like
these?
A tree that looks like a Lego
toy
It’s just a cheap techno ploy
What do they care what’s on
the horizon?
They don’t have to: they’re
Verizon
The time is ripe to take a
stand
Because who here wants to
live in Lego Land?
Poems are written by fools like
me
But only God can make a tree
Not you Verizon.
Whit Deschner
Baker City
President Donald Trump: The
White House, 1600 Pennsylvania
Ave., Washington, D.C. 20500; 202-
456-1414; fax 202-456-2461; to send
comments, go to www.whitehouse.
gov/contact.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley: D.C.
offi ce: 313 Hart Senate Offi ce
Building, U.S. Senate, Washington,
D.C., 20510; 202-224-3753; fax 202-
228-3997. Portland offi ce: One World
Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St.
Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204;
503-326-3386; fax 503-326-2900.
Pendleton offi ce: 310 S.E. Second
St. Suite 105, Pendleton 97801; 541-
278-1129; merkley.senate.gov.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden: D.C.
offi ce: 221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce
Building, Washington, D.C., 20510;
202-224-5244; fax 202-228-2717. La
Grande offi ce: 105 Fir St., No. 210,
La Grande, OR 97850; 541-962-7691;
fax, 541-963-0885; wyden.senate.
gov.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (2nd
District): D.C. offi ce: 2182 Rayburn
Offi ce Building, Washington, D.C.,
20515, 202-225-6730; fax 202-
225-5774. La Grande offi ce: 1211
Washington Ave., La Grande, OR
97850; 541-624-2400, fax, 541-624-
2402; walden.house.gov.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 254
State Capitol, Salem, OR 97310;
503-378-3111; www.governor.
oregon.gov.
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias
Read: oregon.treasurer@ost.state.
or.us; 350 Winter St. NE, Suite 100,
Salem OR 97301-3896; 503-378-
4000.
Oregon Attorney General
Ellen F. Rosenblum: Justice
Building, Salem, OR 97301-4096;
503-378-4400.
Oregon Legislature: Legislative
documents and information are
available online at www.leg.state.
or.us.
State Sen. Cliff Bentz
(R-Ontario): Salem offi ce: 900 Court
St. N.E., S-301, Salem, OR 97301;
503-986-1730. District offi ce: P.O.
Box 1027, Ontario, OR 97914; 541-
889-8866.
State Rep. Lynn Findley
(R-Vale): Salem offi ce: 900 Court St.
N.E., H-475, Salem, OR 97301; 503-
986-1460. Email: Rep.LynnFindley@
oregonlegislature.gov
Baker City Hall: 1655 First
Street, P.O. Box 650, Baker City, OR
97814; 541-523-6541; fax 541-524-
2049. City Council meets the second
and fourth Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in
Council Chambers. Mike Downing,
Loran Joseph, Randy Schiewe,
Lynette Perry, Arvid Andersen, Ken
Gross and Doni Bruland.
Baker City administration:
541-523-6541. Fred Warner Jr., city
manager; Ray Duman, police chief;
John Clark, fi re chief; Michelle
Owen, public works director.
Baker County Commission:
Baker County Courthouse 1995
3rd St., Baker City, OR 97814;
541-523-8200. Meets the fi rst and
third Wednesdays at 9 a.m.; Bill
Harvey (chair), Mark Bennett, Bruce
Nichols.
Baker County departments:
541-523-8200. Travis Ash, sheriff;
Jeff Smith, roadmaster; Greg
Baxter, district attorney; Alice
Durfl inger, county treasurer;
Stefanie Kirby, county clerk; Kerry
Savage, county assessor.
Baker School District: 2090
4th Street, Baker City, OR 97814;
541-524-2260; fax 541-524-2564.
Superintendent: Mark Witty. Board
meets the third Tuesday of the
month at 6 p.m. Council Chambers,
Baker City Hall,1655 First St.;
Andrew Bryan, Kevin Cassidy, Chris
Hawkins, Katie Lamb and Julie
Huntington.