TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2021
Baker City, Oregon
4A
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news@bakercityherald.com
OUR VIEW
Oregon
has a jury
dilemma
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Ramos v.
Louisiana, it clearly allowed the verdict to be tossed
out in many nonunanimous jury cases. Did it apply
retroactively? That was not clear.
Oregon and Louisiana were the only two states
for decades that had allowed people to be convicted
of many felonies with less than a unanimous jury
verdict. The Ramos decision allowed people who were
in the middle of appeals to have their convictions
overturned and retried. The decision did settle the
issue of retroactivity — in other words, could cases
that were completed be overturned and retried?
Some are calling on Oregon Attorney General
Ellen Rosenblum to allow that to happen. She has
decided to wait until that issue is clarifi ed in a court
decision.
What’s right?
If nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitu-
tional, it certainly seems unjust that because a case
is concluded the unconstitutionality of the verdict
does not matter. Retrying cases would put a burden
on Oregon’s justice system. It would be signifi cant.
It could be hundreds of cases or more, as The Orego-
nian reported. Should that burden make a differ-
ence? Ideally, no.
But it’s hard to argue that if Rosenblum does not
have a clear court ruling, yet, she is right to wait.
Even if she did not choose to wait, that decision could
face court challenges.
It could be years before such a ruling on retroactiv-
ity is clear in the Oregon Supreme Court. The U.S.
Supreme Court may rule on the matter in July.
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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Mail: To the Editor, Baker City Herald,
P.O. Box 807, Baker City, OR 97814
Email: news@bakercityherald.com
BMCC committed to community
In 1962, our community took on the
courageous challenge of opening one
of the fi rst community colleges in Or-
egon. In the nearly 60 years since Blue
Mountain Community College fi rst
opened its doors and began serving
students, much has changed.
The college has celebrated triumphs
and weathered challenges. The past
year has brought about a particularly
challenging time for our faculty and
staff, students, and the communities
we serve.
BMCC is working to address the
issues that most rural community
colleges in 2021 face — enrollment
decline, budget challenges, poverty and
COVID-limited contact that has re-
sulted in decreased connections to high
schools, universities, and businesses.
Despite these challenges, and what
you may have read elsewhere, BMCC
is committed to being your college and
meeting the needs of the communities
we serve in Umatilla, Morrow and
Baker counties.
Failing you is not an option.
As the interim president at BMCC,
my agreement with the Board of Edu-
cation is to address these issues openly,
and with the campus team and our
community partners working together
to create a stable two-year budget that
will provide predictable and stable
learning opportunities. This step
will ensure BMCC’s programs and
services to our students and partners
are strong and vibrant. In doing so, we
will also become fl exible and nimble to
ensure the connections and the results
increase as we all work together to
support communities and individuals
that thrive in Eastern Oregon.
So, yes, BMCC is experiencing
signifi cant transition and change to
meet the current reality. The college
will begin a search for a new president.
The intent is to not pass on current
budget challenges for a new president
to handle. The college and its Board of
Education recognize that for BMCC to
continue to meet the evolving needs of
CONNIE
GREEN
its students and communities, it, too,
must adapt. That means BMCC will
change how we are organized, how we
operate and how we partner. This can
be a scary endeavor.
It can also be an opportunity.
BMCC has an opportunity to renew
its commitment to students and
the community while reviewing its
internal organization and structure,
and right-sizing. It has an opportunity
to serve students in new ways in a
post-pandemic era that will see our
economy in recovery and our local
industries adapting to the challenges
of the past year.
So how did BMCC end up in its
current fi nancial challenge? The
answer is multi-pronged.
Like most community colleges
across the country, BMCC has experi-
enced enrollment decline for the past
several years. This was exacerbated
by the pandemic over the past year,
which forced us into virtual learning,
and became a major challenge for the
hands-on Career Technical Education
programs. Since community colleges
rely on enrollment for tuition revenue
and state funding, fewer students
mean less revenue.
The primary sources of funding for
Oregon’s 17 community colleges come
from three revenue sources. In 2019-
20, the College received 31.03% from
state funding, 32.38% from student
tuition and fees, and 36.59% from
local property tax revenue.
Many community colleges, includ-
ing BMCC, have had to raise tuition
to help cover costs. BMCC has also
taken steps to reduce its expenses
over the past year, reducing nearly
$2 million for the 2020-21 budget.
These reductions were in materials
and services and staff development,
as well as a reduction of 24 positions.
Last year had diffi cult decisions. The
intent of the Board is for the college
to make any additional reductions for
the 2021-22 budget so that the expen-
ditures and revenues balance and the
College is “right-sized” for the future.
How does BMCC do this? Through
inclusive conversations with faculty,
staff, students and the community.
BMCC has already begun intensive
work internally, reviewing depart-
ment budgets, organizational struc-
tures, and potential revenue options.
Nothing is off the table for discussion
as we review budgets and options.
Now, a discussion does not neces-
sarily mean all things change. A
discussion means we learn, listen,
and consider implications so that we
can make informed decisions mov-
ing forward. We need a structural
organization, plan and budget that
is sustainable and provides students
and the community with college
programs and services that are stable
and predictable, as well as fl exible
and nimble.
While this process will be challeng-
ing — and even heart-breaking — for
many, BMCC’s faculty and staff are
resilient. They have weathered past
storms, and each time the college
comes out stronger.
With these impending changes,
there remains one constant — BMCC
is committed to the students and com-
munities it serves. Our administration,
faculty, staff and Board of Education
are committed to strengthening BMCC
so that it can thrive and be the afford-
able, high-quality educational option
for Eastern Oregon. We are committed
to working with local industries to put
Eastern Oregonians back to work and
reinvigorate our local economy. We are
committed to being “Students First.”
And, just like when we fi rst opened
our doors in 1962, we are committed at
BMCC to you — our community.
Dr. Connie Green is the interim president
of Blue Mountain Community College.
Your views
America needs immigration
control, not immigration reform
In light of the recent border surge
caused by President Joe Biden’s executive
order essentially sending word south that
the border is open, we are going to hear a
lot about immigration reform.
We have been hearing that for years
and nothing happens. Illegal aliens/un-
documented workers just keep coming.
We hear much about a pathway to citi-
zenship. There already is one. It starts in
Guatemala, heads north through Mexico
and ends when an illegal alien contacts
the border patrol and says, “Here I am.”
They are then transported to a facility,
names taken, bus fare paid to a new desti-
nation with a warning to come back for a
court hearing, which is ignored, while they
wait for amnesty and citizenship. It’s good
politics: eventually they and their families
will vote Democratic.
It is time to replace the immigration
reform policies with immigration control.
The fi rst part of that is to defi ne who an
American is. The criteria should be having
an American parent. As it is now, you can
hop the border pregnant, deliver a brand-
new anchor baby and start the chain
migration of a family.
America’s birthright citizenship comes
about by abuse of the 14th Amendment
Civil War reconstruction that was in-
tended to make citizens of those who had
previously been slaves. It didn’t even
cover Native Americans. It was 1924 be-
fore they thought to extend it to those who
had been here for centuries.
At one time I heard of a case heading
to the Supreme Court that would settle
the matter, but I have heard no more. The
court needs to weigh in.
The next thing that should happen is
a national mandatory E-VERIFY where
Social Security numbers are checked
against names before you can get a job. If
the name matches — fi ne. But if it doesn’t,
you are here illegally and can’t work.
Those who employ illegals should get
big fi nes. Desperate illegals will work a
lot cheaper than native born who compete
with them.
It should also be used when applying
to any federal housing program. Also, the
Social Security Administration should
check to see how many are using the same
number and those who have stolen one
need to be reported to ICE. It’s no secret
why there hasn’t been any enforcement.
Illegal workers pay in but don’t draw So-
cial Security. That brings in a lot money.
The Supreme Court needs to make
it clear that the federal government is
responsible for immigration. Sanctuary
cities and states need to be abolished and
illegals turned over to ICE.
The wall needs to be completed. The
construction can be fi nanced by a tax on
wire transfers to Latin America, which
total about $40 billion a year. Walls work.
Scare a Democrat and you get a wall
around Congress.
So those who think with that organ in
their chest that pumps blood are probably
feeling pretty angry at this letter, but I
think that in an overpopulated country
with housing shortages, homeless by the
thousands, cities that swallow farmland,
microwaving power lines and ever-widen-
ing freeways, it is time call a halt.
Native-born Americans have a negative
birthrate. Liberal legal immigration quo-
tas are ridiculous and by adding illegals
we are exploding in numbers. When I was
born in 1947 we had 137 million, we are
at least 337 million now.
Too much immigration, too fast, stops
assimilation and we end up with tribes
instead of Americans.
So, do I lack compassion for those des-
perate people I see on the border?
No. I would like to see massive help in
their home countries, and we should.
China is fi lling the void caused by our
inaction. We have good people who would
help, such as Doctors Without Borders,
a revived Peace Corps and a lot of young
Marines and soldiers who would be will-
ing to eliminate a dictator, gangs and
cartels.
Not everyone who thinks there is a limit
to numbers is a racist, xenophobic, white
supremacist, but if people don’t think
their government will protect our borders
there will be a surge in their numbers.
Steve Culley
Baker City