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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2021)
THE BULLETIN • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 B5 EDITORIALS & OPINIONS AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Heidi Wright Gerry O’Brien Richard Coe Publisher Editor Editorial Page Editor Quotas come to the wilderness Y ou have had to get up very early in recent summers to be able to enjoy a hike up Green Lakes Trail in the Cascades without being escorted by a generous flock of fellow hikers and happy dogs. It’s one of the most coveted hikes recreation.gov. The balance will be around. Rushing water is by your held on a 7-day rolling window so side most of the way. If you are am- people can be slightly more sponta- bitious and in sufficient shape, you neous. You can also call for reserva- can keep right on going and summit tions at 1-877-444-6777 or visit a lo- the South Sister. cal Forest Service office, The hike has been open. It’s not hard to if it It’s is not a sensational bargain. hard to un- There has long been a understand why derstand why the For- requirement for a park- Service has forced the Forest Service est ing pass and a wilder- the public into quotas ness permit. But buying has forced the for access to the wilder- a seasonal parking pass ness areas. The trails public into quotas are popular. Access is was a simple-enough hurdle, and the permits close to a wil- for access to the relatively were free. derness-hungry popula- This summer, it wilderness areas. tion. And some people changes — for sure — treat the areas alongside The trails are the U.S. Forest Service the trail with less re- announced this week. It popular. … Could spect than a trash can will still be a relative bar- or a bathroom in their the Forest Service home. Could the Forest gain, but you won’t be able to go unless you can Service have stepped up have stepped snag one of the limited enforcement, instead? permits. “Beginning Fri- up enforcement, That would take a very day, May 28 and ending like level instead? That unwilderness on Friday, September 24, of security. 2021 day-use permits We still can’t stop feel- would take a very will be required for 19 ing a sense of loss, be- unwilderness like cause there is loss. Ac- out of 79 trails in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washing- to the wilderness level of security. cess ton, and Three Sisters has become more exclu- wilderness areas,” the an- sive. People with time nouncement read. A day-use permit and money are less likely to suffer is only $1 per person per outing. An much of an inconvenience. It could overnight permit is $6 per person lead to diminished appreciation per outing . of the wild spaces close by — even Some permits will go on sale though they will be more protected starting at 7 a.m. on April 6 at www. than ever. Historical editorials: Mail run by children e e Editor’s note: The following editorials originally appeared in the Jan. 27, 1905 edition of what was then called The Bend Bulletin. B y a change in the mail sched- ule up the river, designed to avoid a Sunday layover there, there is a layover of two days instead of one, as formerly. This mail route seems to be the toy of a bunch of kids. Changes are made without regard to the public inter- ests involved, without much no- tice and without sense, as a result of which some part of the route is continually and needlessly “balled up.” … Let us not be too much harrowed by displays of domestic infelicity, such as has occupied attention here in the past week. People of acute sensibilities do not get into such troubles and it is useless for those of finer feelings to imagine how they would suffer in such circumstances. Dramatic acting is not suffering. It is pretty clear that these people knew each other before marriage, knew the traits which must inevitably lead to just what has happened in one form or another. The harvest is not pleasant, of course, but we do not gather figs from thistles nor grapes from thorns. No sensible person ex- pects it. There is one great law, none can fool or escape from, it would be well to remember in these kind and kindred matters: As ye sow, so shall ye reap. Editorials reflect the views of The Bulletin’s editorial board, Publisher Heidi Wright, Editor Gerry O’Brien and Editorial Page Editor Richard Coe. They are written by Richard Coe. Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press My Nickel’s Worth Protect our rivers While fishing along the Lower De- schutes last fall, I stopped at a high point above the water and watched a pair of salmon spawn. As they hov- ered over a shallow gravel bar, the female used her tail to sweep depres- sions in the river bed to deposit her eggs. The male seemed more preoc- cupied with chasing rival males away than spawning. Watching them reminded me of how rare and fragile this spectacle has become, and how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to wit- ness it. It also reminded me of how connected these fish are to the wider landscape around them. The water in the Deschutes drains from the east slope of the Cascades, flows from al- pine meadows in the Ochocos, and bubbles up from the porous rocks of Central Oregon. Those salmon re- minded me that unless we as a society value them and protect their habitat through legislation like the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, they won’t be able to survive. If clean water and healthy habitats are a value to us, then it’s time to de- clare it by expanding our inventory of protected waterways. Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley’s new rivers bill does just that. Passing this bill will not only help salmon and all the other plants and animals that de- pend on those habitats. It will also help each of us fulfill our responsibil- ity to our children and grandchildren by leaving them a landscape where they too can marvel at this great natu- ral spectacle. — Ed Putnam Bend Not such a great job Listen to Gov. Kate Brown’s press conference last week? Under the im- pression the state is doing a bang-up job administering COVID-19 vac- cines? Sunday’s Oregonian headlines and accompanying stories tell a differ- ent story. Front page “State warns of ‘chaos’ for seniors.” “Starting Monday, Ore- gon will become one of the last states in the country to make seniors 80 and older eligible for the vaccines.” The state admits there are not enough vac- cines to meet the demand. But they proudly announce a weekly rollout for seniors 65 and older, adding to the chaos. Page 12: “Hundreds of large care homes yet to receive coronavirus vaccine” and “The governor errone- ously claimed all residents had gotten a shot.” According to her, “We have gone through and vaccinated every senior who’s wanted a vaccine that lives in assisted living, that lives in congregate care and in skilled nurs- ing.” Facts, “as many as 307 of the state’s 588 assisted living homes state- wide have not been offered a first round of the vaccines” and the same for “more than 1,200 of the state’s 1,400 adult foster homes.” Facts: “77% of Oregon’s 2,019 COVID-19 deaths occurred in Or- egonians 70 and older.” Gov. Brown chose vaccinating teachers before se- niors in a “push to re-open schools.” But schools have been slow to reopen, fearful of face-to-face instruction. “Federal officials have said schools can safely re-open without vaccinat- ing teachers.” The Page 13 headline “State expected to begin vaccinating inmates this week.” Explain to vul- nerable seniors why “Governor Kate Brown has authorized the Oregon Health Authority to provide the state prison system with 10,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine for its inmate population beginning this week.” Thank you, Gov. Brown for telling us you are doing such a great job. — Jim Hannah, Redmond Stop coyote killing contests Coyote killing contests are bar- baric and cruel! I would like to thank Reps. Brad Witt, Rob Nosse, Sheri Schouten, Janeen Sollman and Marty Wilde for their support and spon- sorship of House Bill 2728. I’m ask- ing all representatives to vote for HB 2728, and put an end to these gro- tesque coyote killing contests. There is overwhelming support, across the state of Oregon, to stop this awful practice; it simply does not represent the majority of Oregonians and their support for science-based, humane and ethical wildlife management pol- icies. Studies have shown that the killing contests do not reduce coyote popu- lations, but instead can cause splin- tered packs, and increased reproduc- tion rates. These contests have also not proven to be an effective means to reduce conflict with livestock or increase game species. Please follow suit with Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Massachusetts, Cal- ifornia, and Vermont, and finally stop coyote killing contests and pass HB 2728! — Renee Espenel, Portland Letters policy Guest columns How to submit We welcome your letters. Letters should be limited to one issue, contain no more than 250 words and include the writer’s signature, phone number and address for verification. We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We re- ject poetry, personal attacks, form letters, letters submitted elsewhere and those appropriate for other sections of The Bul- letin. Writers are limited to one letter or guest column every 30 days. Your submissions should be between 550 and 650 words; they must be signed; and they must include the writer’s phone number and address for verification. We edit submissions for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We reject those submitted elsewhere. Locally submitted columns alternate with national colum- nists and commentaries. Writers are lim- ited to one letter or guest column every 30 days. Please address your submission to either My Nickel’s Worth or Guest Column and mail, fax or email it to The Bulletin. Email submissions are preferred. Email: letters@bendbulletin.com Write: My Nickel’s Worth/Guest Column P.O. Box 6020 Bend, OR 97708 Fax: 541-385-5804 Why people who work in nursing homes aren’t getting shots BY ASIF MERCHANT Special to The Washington Post I n almost two decades working in nursing homes, I’ve never been through a time as dire as last spring. Facilities like mine, in the greater Boston area, were working with minimal to no protective gear, very little infection-control training, limited laboratory services and con- stantly changing public-health guide- lines. Residents with COVID-19 de- teriorated so quickly that they’d crash right in front of me, before we even got their test results. Staff members got sick, and oth- ers stayed home because they were scared to get sick. While many doctors stopped going into nurs- ing homes out of fear for their own safety, my team of physicians and nurse practitioners felt it was our duty to continue seeing patients ev- ery day. The need was so great: Units that usually had one certified nurs- ing assistant for every eight to 10 residents suddenly had one person in charge of 30 to 40; we were also short on nurses. People weren’t get- ting their meals or personal care on time; they suffered from dehydra- tion, bedsores and social isolation. It was a heartbreaking time. I lost over 100 patients. As we learned more about the vi- rus — treatments, proper infection control — conditions improved. Then the vaccine offered our first real hope that this pandemic would eventually end. I got my shots in Jan- uary, as soon as I could. But I soon realized that not every- one shared my enthusiasm. About half the staff in the four facilities where I serve as medical director said they would not take the vaccine. This might seem shocking: We work in the medical field, and we saw some of the worst ravages of this disease up close. And yet, despite the misery we’d witnessed, my colleagues were wary of the one intervention that of- fered a light at the end of the tunnel. Health authorities across the coun- try have reported widespread vac- cine hesitancy among nursing home staff. Uptake among residents is high. But a national survey of certi- fied nursing assistants late last year found that nearly 72% didn’t want to be vaccinated. The governor of Ohio reported in late December that around 60% of his state’s nursing home staffers had elected not to take the vaccine yet. Last month, a union representing nursing home staff in Maryland and D.C. estimated that up to 80% of its members opted not to be vaccinated in the first push at their facilities. One Miami health system found that only half its em- ployees wanted to get vaccinated im- mediately; about 15% said they were not interested in getting vaccinated at all. Those statistics are much less surprising when you consider who works in nursing homes. A lot of the certified nursing assistants I work with are people of color. Their mis- trust has deep roots: The United States has a long, ugly history of doc- tors experimenting on Black people without regard for their consent or needs. And working with the elderly — another population our society marginalizes and neglects — has done little to shore up my colleagues’ faith that the government is acting in their best interests. Nursing homes were among the first and hardest-hit settings in this pandemic, and we never had enough N95 masks or even simple surgical face coverings. So when nursing home employees are informed that they’ll be among the first to get the vaccine — that they’re in the highest- priority group — they’re skeptical. It doesn’t help that many of the most widely avail- able educational materials about the vaccine are produced only in English, shutting out my co-workers who primarily speak Spanish or Haitian Creole. I started running town halls, in person and over video, to talk to the staff in various Massachusetts nurs- ing homes about the vaccine. Some people come with questions about their specific situations: autoimmune conditions, allergies to food or medi- cine, pregnancy. I’ve heard more lurid worries, too. Some people thought the shot had a GPS tracker in it that would allow the government to fol- low their movements. Others claimed that the vaccine changed your DNA and that any future children could in- herit the mutation. No matter how outlandish some fears seem, I can’t shrug them off. People’s concerns aren’t totally ran- dom; it’s counterproductive to just dismiss them. Instead, I try to figure out where their understanding went wrong and to offer an explanation for that misunderstanding. I also talk about why I took the vaccine: I see COVID-19 patients every day. I got the shot to protect myself, of course, and to protect my family members — especially my parents, who are elderly and live at home with me. I also want to keep my nursing home residents and co-workers safe; I have a responsibil- ity to my community. And, I add, I’m tired of all the precautions that have become life-or-death necessities in the pandemic. We all want normalcy. Vaccine uptake is our ticket there. e e Asif Merchant is a geriatrician who serves on the COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group for the governor of Massachusetts.
