A4
BAKER CITY
Opinion
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news@bakercityherald.com
Thursday, October 13, 2022 • Baker City, Oregon
EDITORIAL
State officials
need to release
details on
foothill fire
I
t’s not clear, as of this writing, what started
the fi re that burned close to Baker City on
Oct. 6, causing considerable anxiety among
many people as they watched fl ames and smoke
rising from the foothill just southwest of the city
limits.
If fi re investigators from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Forestry have reached a conclusion, they
haven’t announced their fi ndings publicly.
Th e state agency should release those results as
soon as possible.
Moreover, if the circumstances warrant, state
offi cials need to try to recoup the fi refi ghting
costs from whoever was responsible for the fi re.
Th at bill will run well into fi ve digits and
potentially higher. Operating aircraft such as the
MD-87 jet tanker that dropped several thousand
gallons of retardant, potentially preventing the
fl ames from reaching homes, is quite expensive.
Th e point here isn’t merely to punish, although
that’s certainly reasonable when public dollars
paid the fi refi ghting tab.
Holding someone responsible could be even
more valuable, though, as a reminder of how
dangerous fi re can be. Th e knowledge that even
a brief moment of carelessness can have severe
fi nancial repercussions ought to serve as a com-
pelling lesson, and potentially persuade someone
in the future not to take what might seem a very
small risk.
It’s possible, of course, that investigators will
conclude that the ignition source was something
that even a careful person couldn’t reasonably
have foreseen or prevented.
But even if the facts don’t justify the state sad-
dling someone with a big bill, it can only be ben-
efi cial in the long run to explain to people exactly
what happened on Oct. 6.
We learn from mistakes — even inadvertent
ones.
But we can’t learn if we don’t know what
happened.
— Jayson Jacoby, Baker City Herald editor
COLUMN
Republicans hold cards to cutting wasteful spending
BY MATTHEW DICKERSON
It’s no secret that govern-
ment spending has been out
of control for years. But come
December, Congress will have
a golden opportunity to stem
the tide of red ink.
Whether or not that hap-
pens is entirely up to Senate
Republicans.
Congressional Demo-
crats have been on an un-
precedented spending spree
ever since Joe Biden took the
White House. This has fueled
crippling inflation, which has
cost the average U.S. worker
$3,000 in purchasing power
and added more than $3 tril-
lion to the national debt.
But there is a way for sena-
tors to rein in some of this ir-
responsible spending and start
getting the economy back on
track. That’s because Biden’s
multitrillion-dollar spend-
ing blowout — including the
bloated American Rescue Plan
and the misleadingly named
Inflation Reduction Act —
violated the budgetary rules
put in place more than a de-
cade ago to prevent this sort
of abuse.
The Statutory Pay-As-
You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO)
requires any new spending
that increases the federal defi-
cit to be offset with spending
cuts elsewhere. If Congress
fails to pass the necessary
spending reductions by year’s
end, the president is required
to make the cuts.
Bottom line: The act re-
quires Congress — or the
president — to trim more
than $130 billion this year. In
comparison to the $6 trillion
in deficit spending they’ve
pushed through over the last
year and a half, that’s a rel-
atively small amount. But it
would be an important step in
the right direction and signal
that the spending binge will
no longer be considered “busi-
ness as usual.”
Of course, neither Biden
nor the liberal majority in
Congress want any part of
this. They’d much prefer to
waive the PAYGO rules and
keep spending wildly — just
as they did last year.
But waiving the statutory
PAYGO requirement to cut
spending requires Congress
to pass a new law. That poses
no obstacle in the Demo-
crat-controlled House, but to
get through the evenly divided
Senate, a number of Republi-
cans would need to join ranks
with the Democrats to over-
come the required 60-vote
threshold.
What would be the conse-
quences if Senate Republicans
helped Biden waive statutory
PAYGO? Government spend-
ing would be more than $100
billion higher than what is
required under the current
law. That would mean higher
deficits financed by money
printed by the Federal Re-
serve, which would translate
into even higher inflation —
with higher prices for gas, gro-
ceries and other necessities for
already-struggling American
families.
Lawmakers cannot allow
this to happen. Spending cuts
are needed now more than
ever.
Congress has two options
to make that happen. They
can do nothing, thereby forc-
ing Biden to make the specific
cuts prescribed by PAYGO, or
they can pass bipartisan legis-
lation that specifies a different
set of spending cuts totaling
$130 billion.
And specifics matter.
PAYGO would not force the
president to make “across-
the-board” cuts. The act ex-
plicitly exempts many popu-
lar programs: Social Security,
military spending, veterans’
programs, welfare and more.
Only about 2 percent of the
$5.9 trillion budget is subject
to presidential cuts under stat-
utory PAYGO.
Biden might trot out the
old scare tactic that PAYGO
would force him to slash se-
niors’ Medicare benefits. That
just isn’t accurate either. Any
reduction of payments to pro-
viders would be capped at no
more than 4 percent out of
the $923 billion in anticipated
Medicare spending this year.
The nonpartisan Congressio-
nal Research Service says that
Medicare beneficiaries would
“see few direct impacts” as a
result of the slightly smaller
payments to providers and
plans.
If the president doesn’t like
the specific cuts that PAYGO
says he has to make, Biden can
always ask Congress to replace
them with other targeted cuts
and reforms.
A good place to start would
be rolling back the $80 billion
IRS slush fund, which will
nearly double the number of
IRS agents and subject more
small businesses to audits. An-
other ripe-for-the-cutting pro-
gram is the student loan bail-
out for lawyers and doctors,
which will cost taxpayers up to
$1 trillion.
Washington has flouted the
budget rules meant to control
deficit spending for far too
long. Now excessive govern-
ment spending has pushed the
American economy into stag-
flation.
Statutory PAYGO rules are
the law of the land. Senate Re-
publicans should make sure
that Congress and the pres-
ident use them to make re-
sponsible spending cuts and
start steering the economy
back on track.
Matthew Dickerson is the director
of The Heritage Foundation’s
Hermann Center for the Federal
Budget.
YOUR VIEWS
County had better
options with opening roads
Regarding your Oct. 4 article re-
garding the road closure on Look-
out Mountain, I want to make the
following comments clear. The
Forsea River Ranch LLC never re-
ceived any of the $125,000 paid by
the county. The county spent that
amount, plus lawyer fees, which
was taxpayer monies. Those monies
could have been used for much bet-
ter purposes within the county. It
has never been published as to how
much taxpayer monies were spent
on this issue.
There was already access to pub-
lic ground up from Conner Creek
that had been used in case of fire.
Harvey lied to cover his butt on
making such a statement on the
need for more access. Nichols must
have been asleep when it was an of-
fer on the table to leave the Loop
Road open if Todd Longgood could
keep Conner Creek road locked.
He’s also trying to cover his butt.
Hunters and visitors already had
access to the public lands. Harvey
only wanted the road open from
point A to point B (Conner Creek
to Daly Creek Road) and wouldn’t
listen to anything else.
In the meantime, I have put in
three more locked gates on my pri-
vate roads, and at this point by per-
mission only I have given access to
hunters by walking only. No vehi-
cles or ATVs. If we have problems
with hunters, I may have to close
our land altogether. Hunters should
realize it is a privilege to hunt on
private ground and land should be
respected.
Keeping the Loop Road open
makes more sense because it’s a bet-
ter road and less maintenance. You
fast approaching and it is up to the
voters to choose someone they be-
lieve to be a good leader for Baker
County.
After eight years of experience
as your Baker County Commission
Chairman, I know what it takes to
do this job on a daily basis and the
commitment you have to make to
the citizens of Baker County.
Family thankful for Calvary
I believe that Dan Garrick can
Baptist Church in Baker City
fulfill this role and he has spent
My family wishes to share the ap- the past six months attending most
preciation we feel for the Calvary
of the Commission session meet-
Baptist Church of Baker City where ings to learn the important issues
we held a memorial service last Au- that we are presently dealing with.
gust for our mother who had been To me that shows commitment to
a member there. Although Joyce
learn the job before you are elected
Walter had not been able to attend into the position. I believe that Dan
for many years and many current
Garrick can fill this role as a leader
members there did not know her,
and be a strong representative for
they served us as if we were their
the citizens of Baker County.
family. As their ministry they pro-
I am asking my friends and sup-
vided COVID-appropriate atmo-
porters to please join me in voting
sphere and food with kitchen staff. for Dan Garrick as Commission
They printed our programs and
Chair position 3. He has demon-
gave us a key in order to set up
strated that he is the best choice.
early.
Bill Harvey
Tamara Pierce, their office ad-
Baker County
ministrator, was warm and friendly,
going the extra mile. When a family Alderson the best choice
tragedy occurred the day before the for county commission
service, they wrapped their arms
There is one candidate for Baker
around us. One of Joyce’s grand-
County
Commission Position 3
daughters was in an accident in
who merits your attention. ... Shane
Germany sustaining severe brain
Alderson. We know Shane to be a
damage. Olivia remains on their
forthright, honest, enthusiastic man
prayer chain as she rehabilitates.
Baker City is truly blessed to have a who is committed to Baker County.
He will seek advice and counsel
church such as Calvary Baptist.
Gaylene Golden from many persons whether or not
Otis, Oregon they necessarily agree with his posi-
and the family of Joyce Walter, tion on any given issue.
Voters from across the political
former Baker City resident
spectrum appreciate Shane’s ap-
proach to working together and wel-
County commission
come his commitment to addressing
chairman endorsing Garrick
the issues of Baker County. He is
not distracted by labels from those
As we all know, Election Day is
would think that our public offi-
cials would try to use more com-
mon sense in making decisions us-
ing taxpayer monies wastefully and
instead using it where it does the
most good for the most people.
Dan Forsea
Richland
supporting a different candidate
and will focus his energies on do-
ing what’s right for us, equally and
fairly. His support for our natural
resources and for small businesses,
while seeking reasonable solutions
for our housing shortage for work-
ers in those businesses, is what we
should expect from our county lead-
ers.
Shane is driven by an old-fash-
ioned desire to serve us in Baker
County with honor and integrity.
Let’s reward that desire by voting for
him in November.
Dave and Joyce Hunsaker
Baker City
Garrick prepared,
respectful, a good listener
Dan Garrick loves Baker and will
serve the interests of all of Baker
County. He and I served on the lo-
cal school board. He never came to
a meeting unprepared. Dan was al-
ways respectful of others even those
that had a different opinion. He was
and still is a good listener. Dan has
an inquisitive mind. He wants to
know what could make things eas-
ier or more profitable for our ranch.
He is interested in all natural re-
source industries and will work for
all of Baker County. I would trust
Dan in the management of Baker
County.
I hope you will too. Please join
me in voting for Dan Garrick for
Baker County Commissioner.
John Boyer
Haines
Garden Club helped keep
Adler pathway beautiful
Barbara’s garden on the Leo Ad-
ler pathway is a beautiful garden
that needed some TLC this sum-
mer. We attended a meeting of the
Baker County Garden Club to help
us maintain the flower bed and help
us come up with things to plant. We
asked if they would be willing to be
part of a work party. They said yes,
and we rejoiced. We had a work
party on Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. A great
group of ladies from the Garden Club
showed up and came up with ideas
and helped us weed the area. We are
so impressed and thankful for Karen,
Janice, Liza, Deanna, Sue and Gayle.
We would encourage those that are
interested in gardening and conser-
vation to check out the Baker County
Garden Club.
Sigrid Johnson
Jerri Wickert
Baker City
Garrick is the best choice
for county commission
I have watched Bill Harvey and
the great job he has done for Baker
County as the Commission Chair. I
have questioned many of my friends
about the two choices we have to re-
place him. We decided that most of
our information comes from news
articles, other friends and different
meetings both candidates have or
have not attended. Both candidates
are very personable but Dan seems to
have the most experience in oversee-
ing many employees and running a
business.
At the Christine Drazan town hall,
Dan was sitting in the front row and
at the candidate forum Dan did a
good job answering questions and
seemed to be the most knowledgeable
about forest access, mining and how
the county budget seems to work.
My vote is for Dan and I believe he
will be the best choice.
Harold Reed
Baker City