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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2020)
LOCAL & STATE 6A — BAKER CITY HERALD OREGON’S SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Elgin man hopes to replace Walden By Dick Mason The (La Grande) Observer ELGIN — Jeff Smith, an Elgin com- puter programmer running for Congress, believes his campaign is moving in the right direction. “The response I am receiving is very good. I am very encouraged,” Smith said Sunday. Smith is running for the Republican nomination for the 2nd Congressional District, which covers East- ern, Central and a portion of Southern Oregon. The Smith candidate, who has lived in Elgin almost all his life, is a graduate of Elgin High School and has a degree in manufacturing, engineering and technology from the Oregon Institute of Technology. Smith, who grew up on a cattle ranch outside Elgin, said in Congress he would be a strong advocate for the natural resource industries, including timber and agriculture. Oregon’s timber industry is a particular concern. Smith said timber companies decades ago could harvest about 4 billion board feet of wood from the Wallowa-Whit- man and Umatilla national forests, but today the limit is 50 million to 60 million board feet annually on these same lands. This has led to mill closures in Union and Wallowa counties and throughout the state. He said in the 1980s Union and Wal- lowa counties had 10 mills but today three remain, all in Union County. He attributed much of the decline in timber harvests and the mill closures to the listing of the northern spotted owl in 1990 as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. The list- ing meant cutting back on timber harvest on federal land to protect spotted owl habitat. Smith said as the 2nd District representative he would work to end the federal Endangered Species Act. He wrote on his website, www.sendjefftocongress. com, the ESA is no longer needed because many states have their own version of it. Smith also said he would work to boost academic achievement in Oregon schools, noting Oregon has poor graduation rates and lower student scores on achievement tests compared to other states. He said he wants the state to place more of a focus on vocational education. Many schools focus on getting students to college, he said, but that’s a bad idea for 50% to 60% of students unless they have signifi cant scholarships, because most students emerge from college with large student loan debts. He said a college graduate earning $25,000 a year with a $35,000 loan debt often is not in a good fi nancial situation. “For many it just does not pencil out,” he said. Rather than focusing on higher educa- tion at more expensive traditional colleges, Smith said Oregon schools should develop more vocational education programs to help students develop the skills they need to land jobs as machinists, electricians, linemen and in construction. He said ca- reers in these fi elds offer living-wage jobs and the training will not leave students over their heads in debt. Smith also is concerned about the future of Medicare, which he said will become insolvent in seven years without action. He said soaring health-care costs are endangering the program. “They are rising at twice the rate of infl ation and three times the rate of wage growth,” Smith said. He blamed the dearth of medical schools for the shortage of health-care provid- ers and cited Oregon as an example. He said Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, graduates 150 doctors a year, not enough to allow the state to main- tain a suffi cient level of physicians for its population of almost 4.2 million. He said he would like to see changes at the federal level in policies and funding that would allow more universities to offer medical de- grees and more health-care provider train- ing overall. He said medical organizations and their lobbyists are preventing the expansion of medical education programs. “This is the root cause of rising health- care costs,” Smith said. “The system is rigged.” Smith is among eight candidates run- ning to succeed incumbent Greg Walden, R-Hood River, who announced in October he will not will not seek reelection. Walden has served in Congress since 1999. Smith spoke highly of Walden’s work in Con- gress. “Greg Walden has done a good job of looking out for the people of Eastern Or- egon,” the Elgin candidate said. This is Smith’s second run for public offi ce. He ran in the Republican primary for Oregon governor in 2018, placing fi fth in a 10-candidate fi eld. Knute Buehler, a physician from Bend, won the nomination but lost to incumbent Kate Brown in the general election. Buehler also is running in the Republican primary to succeed Walden. Joining Buehler and Smith in this year’s GOP primary fi eld are state Sen. Cliff Bentz of Ontario; Mark Roberts of Med- ford, a former Independent Party member who ran for a congressional seat in 2018; and Kenneth Medenach of Klamath Coun- ty, who was part of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation in 2016. Three Democratic candidates are run- ning for their party’s nomination: Jack Howard, a La Grande attorney and former Union County commissioner; Medford resident John Holm; and community orga- nizer Isabella Tibbetts of Jackson County. Bend residents, school officials fear cell tower By Jackson Hogan The (Bend) Bulletin BEND — Trygve Bolken and his family could soon live directly behind a proposed Verizon cell tower in northeast Bend. In its planned location, the tower will be so close that it’ll stare Bolken right in the face from a second-story bedroom on N.E. Jill Court. Although Bolken, who lives with his spouse and his 10-year-old daughter, said he’s not happy about the aesthetics of living in the shadow of a 50-foot cell tower, he’s most concerned about the radiation that he believes could accompany it. “Seventy years ago, smok- ing wasn’t really considered hazardous, and over time, we’ve realized it’s terrible for you,” he said. “That’s exactly how I feel about these tow- ers.” Bolken and other resi- dents of his Mountain View neighborhood, including the head of Trinity Lutheran School, are upset at the proposed placement of the tower near homes and across the street from the private Christian school. The proposed tower, designed to look like a large tree, will stand 60 feet tall, with fake foliage adding height. Verizon has not yet submitted a formal applica- tion for the proposed tower. A neighborhood association open house, held Tuesday at Mountain View High School, was required before an ap- plication could be submitted, according to city documents. Experts say there’s no evidence that cell towers cause health issues. Gretchen Groves, spokesperson for the Oregon branch of the American Cancer Society, told The Bulletin in July that although high levels of radio frequency waves can heat up body tissue, the level of radio waves used by cellphones and towers is much lower. The leader of Trinity Lutheran School — which teaches 305 students from preschool through 12th grade — said he would pre- fer that Verizon build its cell tower farther from homes and schools. “It seems like a business area would be much more acceptable to people than a residential area,” said Gregg Pinick, executive director and head of schools for Trin- ity Lutheran School. Pinick told his school’s parents about the proposed tower after he heard about it this fall and encouraged them to attend the open house Tuesday, where Ve- rizon representatives were present. “My focus is on the con- cern for my families and our children,” Pinick said before the Tuesday meeting. “I want to keep them informed of what’s going on.” Community concerns echo a similar situation last summer, when a group of concerned parents were upset by an under- construction cell tower near Elk Meadow Elementary in southwest Bend. Bolken, whose daughter attends fourth grade at Trinity Lutheran, said he was still concerned about radiation despite reading industry experts who said otherwise. Not everyone in the area is concerned about the proposed cell tower. Eric Priller’s business, Trigger Happy Guns, is right next to the tower’s planned location. He said he didn’t have a problem with it. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020 Cigarette tax hike backers stockpiling campaign money ■ $2-per-pack increase will go to voters in November By Jeff Mapes Oregon Public Broadcasting Supporters of a proposed $2-per-pack increase in Oregon tobacco taxes are con- tinuing to stockpile money as they face the prospect of one of the most expensive political campaigns in state history. With a recent $500,000 contribution from the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, support- ers now have nearly $11.4 million in the bank, all of it raised from the health care industry. It’s an unusually early start to fundraising for a No- vember ballot measure, and it raises the question: Are they trying to scare the tobacco industry away from a fi ght in Oregon? Patty Wentz, a spokes- woman for Oregonians for a Smoke Free Tomorrow, said her group carries no such illusions. “We do expect them to come into Oregon and come in big,” Wentz said. “They’re going to dump a lot of money into the state, so it’s going to be a tough campaign.” She said her group is getting an early start on fundraising to help build their coalition and show their determination to win. Oregon lobbyists for the country’s two major tobacco companies — Altria and R.J. Reynolds — did not return calls for comment. It’s not unusual for the companies to hold their cards close to their vests while assessing their political prospects. “I don’t have any way of knowing” if the tobacco com- panies will fi ght the tax, said Chris Girard, chief execu- tive offi cer of Plaid Pantry. The convenience store chain leader said the 150% tax increase is “pretty unreason- able.” But convenience stores and other retailers don’t have the fi nancial resources of the tobacco giants. The tobacco industry has poured huge sums into ballot tax fi ghts in recent years. Last year, it spent $17.5 mil- lion in Montana — a state with a fourth of Oregon’s population — to defeat a $2-per-pack increase. That was nearly twice the $9.7 mil- lion spent by supporters. In the last decade, the industry has defeated six of the seven votes on statewide tobacco taxes. But supporters of the Oregon tax hope the industry’s 2016 loss on a $2-a- pack increase in California will provide them with a roadmap to victory. In California, the industry outspent proponents by 2-1, $71 million to $35.5 million — but voters still gave the measure a big thumbs -up. They approved it with a 64% “yes” vote. Supporters say that’s as strong as their poll- ing was before the onslaught of TV advertising against the tax. “They did get to the point where they couldn’t break through,” said Jim DeBoo, who managed the campaign in favor of the tax. He said proponents, while outspent, had enough money to get their message out. In addition to promoting the tax as a way to provide money for health care and tobacco prevention programs, they also accused the industry of trying to hook a new generation of users through vaping. Dr. Stanton Glanz, director of the Center for Tobacco Con- trol Research and Education at the University of Califor- nia, San Francisco, said he saw two keys to the victory As we close the books on our 25th year of Bull Riding and the 23rd year of Bronc riding we want to send out a heartfelt thank you to the Baker County Community. It’s been an unbelievable ride and 25 years of memories with family & friends from near and far. For 2020 and beyond, Baker City Bronc & Bull Riding is joining forces with “Challenge of Champions Tour” www. challengeofchampionstour.com. Jason Mattox and his team will be taking over operation in 2020 and we will be joining the tour as one of 18 events throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and Nevada. As spectators, volunteers and sponsors; 2020 will bring unequalled exposure with Th e Cowboy Channel televising the event, over 370K Facebook followers, 45K Twitter followers, 10K YouTube subscribers and more than 24K Instagram followers. Get ready, we are excited to move forward with Bronc & Bull Riding action in Baker City with Challenge of Champions Tour. Sponsorship and Reserved Seating letters will go out on schedule and planning is underway. We look forward to your continued support as we bring more exposure and commerce to our community during Miner’s Jubilee in July! Conventional wisdom says that most people’s greatest need is to be part of something bigger than themselves. For 2020, our need continues and if you have volunteered to work at this event in the arena opening gates, at the front gate selling tickets, serving beer or selling tokens, pulling saddles and bull ropes in the stripping chutes, selling programs in the stands, prepping the arena in the weeks preceding the event, making burgers for a service organization you belong to, if you have been a sponsor, if you have bought tickets to attend or even if you just bought a beer in the beer garden Friday or Saturday night you have fulfi lled this basic human need for yourself. Give yourself a pat on the back and thank your friends and community members for joining you as the results of your eff orts have generated over $600,000 in charitable donations since the inception of this event in 1994. Th e Bull and Bronc riding is a non- profi t organization and is put together with 100% volunteer eff orts. Th e fruits of our community coming together have helped many in need, have made contributions for much needed community resources, have allowed donations to be made for medical research, have funded the many diverse of the tax. One was that it included money to discourage people from smoking. That shows voters they’re not just taxing smokers to spend the money on other things. In addition, “they really went after and exposed the tobacco industry,” he said, arguing that a 2012 Califor- nia measure to raise tobacco taxes failed because the cam- paign was “much softer.” The California measure included a tax on vaping products, just as the measure headed for the Oregon ballot. Tobacco tax proponents say that raises the stakes for the industry. “Vaping is an important market for them, and they have to protect that,” said Wentz, the Oregon campaign’s spokeswoman. “There’s no tax on vaping and so they have to try to keep that affordable so that young people will continue to use it as the fi rst step in the nicotine addiction, which all the research shows.” Don’t text and drive... you won’t have to come see us! 2390 Broadway, Baker City 541-523-5223 interests of our youth, have allowed gratitude to be shown to our Veteran’s and have helped to keep our community safe. Below are many of the benefi ciaries of your eff orts. We thank you all for your contributions and we hope you will all rise to be part of something bigger than yourselves again next year and for many years to come: Baker City Fire Department EMT’s, Baker City Police Department K9 Unit, Baker County 4-H Leaders Association, Poco-wing Club, Raise ‘Em Right Club Livestock Auction, Baker County Community Literacy Coalition, Baker County Halfway Fair, Baker County Search & Rescue, Baker Elks Relief Fund, Baker High School Rodeo Club, Quarterback Club, BCLA –Beef to Schools, BHS Athletics, BHS Girls Soccer, FBLA, New Basketball Backboards Fund, Cheerleading, Honor Society, Baker Lions Club, Bingham Family Relief Fund, BMCC Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, Brian Sorenson Memorial Fund, Casey Eye Institute, Cody Stewart Relief Fund, Coats for Kids, Eagles Relief Fund, Eastern Oregon Celtic Society, Casey Eye Institute, Elks Children’s Eye Clinic, Elks National Foundation, Elwyn Justus Benefi t Fund, Hunt of a Lifetime Isabella Evans Benefi t Fund, James Irish Relief Fund, Jean Main Benefi t Fund, Joel Cummings Benefi t Fund, Learn and Grow to Go, Meadowood Speech and Hearing Program, Nancy Basche Benefi t Fund, Roger Coles Benefi t Fund, St. Alphonsus Healthcare, Billie Ruth Bootsma Center Infusion Chair, Festival of Trees Cancer Research, VFW Club Wounded Warrior Project, YMCA Summer Fun Program, Pre-School Program Swim Team Scoreboard. Over the past 25 years, the Bronc and Bull Riding has also invested and installed the following upgrades to the fair/rodeo grounds as well as performing annual repairs and maintenance: New Crow’s Nest, New Rodeo Offi ce, New Chutes and Fence Panels, Addition of Box Seats on both sides of the arena, New Corrals for horses and bulls, New Paint and repairs to the Grandstands. With respect and gratitude for the last 25 years and optimism for the next 25 years, Ken McPheron, Dirk Lien, Shane Pierce, Ken Helgerson, Rich Lien, Greg Hammond and Nick Lien Th e Board of Directors
