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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2022)
A8 The BulleTin • Thursday, OcTOBer 13, 2022 EDITORIALS & OPINIONS AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Heidi Wright Gerry O’Brien Richard Coe Publisher Editor Editorial Page Editor Vote for Jamie McLeod-Skinner for Congress O regon’s new Congressional district that stretches from Bend to Portland will get a new member of Congress. We endorse Jamie McLeod-Skinner over her opponent Lori Chavez-DeRemer. McLeod-Skinner as an advocate of de- Who you vote for is up to you, but funding the police. That is false. When we endorse McLeod-Skinner because McLeod-Skinner was city manager of we think she better mirrors the posi- Talent, the city actually in- tion of the editorial board on a creased funding for the po- variety of issues. lice. She is an advocate of high A key issue for many vot- standards for police and for ers is abortion. The difference wellness benefits for them. between these two candidates That is just common sense. is not as simple as one sup- McLeod-Skinner grew up ports and one opposes abor- supported by a single mom tion rights. McLeod-Skinner McLeod- working multiple jobs to stay does broadly support abor- Skinner afloat. It impresses us that tion rights. She would like McLeod-Skinner went to them codified into federal law. Chavez-DeRemer told us she supports war-torn Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s to help rebuild. She has a law access to abortion in the first trimester degree and serves on the board of the and all access in cases of rape, incest Jefferson County Education Service and the life of the mother. With the shooting at the Bend Safe- District and on the Oregon Watershed way and way before that, gun safety has Enhancement Board. And when she been a concern. Both candidates say was working as city manager in Tal- they will defend the Second Amend- ent, she helped lead the response to ment. McLeod-Skinner seeks to find wildfire recovery. Those experiences gun laws to keep people safe and allow will give her a strong foundation to responsible gun owners to keep their represent her district and figure out guns. She is interested in looking at age what the federal government should limits for purchase and wants to ensure be doing. laws are in place to block unregistered We would like to issue Mc- ghost guns. Chavez-DeRemer believes Leod-Skinner a challenge, as well. If in emphasis on mental health interven- you are elected, prove to us that you tions and fighting crime, not more gun can work across the aisle and create safety regulation. solutions with your Republican col- On the environment, health care, leagues. Oregonians are interested in government spending and many other solutions for the nation’s challenges, issues, the differences seem fairly clas- not partisan politics. She told us that sic differences between a Democrat in is what she wants, too — to “focus on McLeod-Skinner and a Republican in solving the problems.” So deliver. Chavez-DeRemer. Whoever you decide to support in Chavez-DeRemer has tried to paint this election, please vote. Vote no on Deschutes County psilocybin ban T he vote on the Deschutes County ballot on psilocybin mush- rooms is like Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone saying: “Sorry voters, we didn’t like how you voted before. Try again.” Oregon voters approved Measure 109 in 2020, legalizing hallucinogenic mushrooms in many ways in Ore- gon — production, processing and treatment. Deschutes County voters approved it, too. Does the county really need to vote on that again? We don’t think so. And we endorse voting “no” on the opt out measure on the November ballot. Adair and Tony DeBone voted to put it on the ballot. The measure would prohibit psilocybin manufacturing and treatment centers in the unincorpo- rated parts of the county. This measure █ would not change what happens in the city limits of Bend, La Pine, Redmond and Sisters. Everyone in the county gets to vote on this measure. There are sep- arate, similar measures on the ballot specifically for La Pine and Redmond. Many people are rightly concerned about what the regulations for psilocy- bin will be. That’s a concern with any- thing new government does — a tax, a policy, a building code, regulating a new type of business. And yes there is reason to be cautious about how a new drug will be regulated. The state is setting rules. The county is coming up with its own regulations. Get them right. If they aren’t producing the desired outcome, fix them. The vot- ers spoke. Carry out their wishes. We think you should vote “no” on the Deschutes County psilocybin ban. But whatever you do, please vote. 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. My Nickel’s Worth Ariel Méndez for Bend City Council For years my friends told me I needed to meet Ari. I had seen his name in the newspaper whenever trans- portation or parks issues were discussed. He is a prom- inent figure in shaping the direction Bend is going. “You two have so much to talk about,” they said. They were right. I finally met Ariel Méndez when I attended a City Club forum of city managers in the region. We sat next to each other during the luncheon and talked policy. Méndez is a Stanford grad and instructor of political science at O.S.U. Cascades. Civics is my day job, and I can tell you, this guy knows the Constitution. He un- derstands that democracy is a culture and participa- tion is key. And he isn’t just talk – he serves. He shows up. As a father of three and husband to a medical provider, Ariel Mendez has plenty to do, and still he makes time for this town. He is calm and humble, has integrity and good ideas. Please join me in supporting him for City Council where he can preserve the won- ders of our town while helping it grow responsibly. — Amy Sabbadini, Bend An open letter to Betsy Johnson Run, Betsy, run! Jump, Betsy, jump! Dance to the tune played — and funded — by Phil Knight. Wake up, Betsy! Wake from the nightmare that has you running solely as Phil’s stalking horse. You are more than a lap behind. It’s way past time to stop being Phil Knight’s lap dog. Your continued candidacy serves no other purpose than to hand governance of Oregon to the one whom Knight really wants to see in Salem, serving Knight’s divisive and dangerous Republican agenda. Do yourself — and us — a favor. Step aside; stop danc- ing; stop running, Betsy. — Paul White, Bend Christine Drazan for governor Oregon voters have a clear choice this election to turn things around. That choice is Christine Drazan. Oregon has had a void in leadership for at least two decades. Failure to fix problems of crime, homeless- ness, education and to rely on tax increases are just the tip of the iceberg. Drazan has the answers to turn Ore- gon around in her “Roadmap for Oregon.” The idea that Oregon can keep voting the same way and expecting a different result does not make sense. I think it is time to clean house and take the state back from a failed agenda. Let’s not make the same mistakes of the past. Let’s elect Christine Drazan for new direction. — John Brenneman, Bend Deschutes County treasurer needs expertise We have an opportunity to ensure we’ll have an ex- perienced financial expert to oversee the management of our county’s finances by electing Bill Kuhn as De- schutes County Treasurer. Bill has over 30 years of financial management ex- perience right here in the county. He has directly sup- ported the county with its banking needs as Bend President of First Interstate Bank. There’s no one in the community better prepared to serve as the steward of our more than $600 million in county revenues than Bill. In addition to his financial acumen, Bill has been a staunch supporter of the non-profits serving Bend and Central Oregon volunteering his time, efforts and expertise. Under his watch, First Interstate has sup- ported numerous local non-profits with grants for their operations and expansion. Bill personally has volunteered hundreds of hours to nonprofits; he has a passion and commitment to issues surrounding af- fordable housing and food insecurity. He has a proven understanding of and a commitment to our commu- nity. We don’t need a businessperson or a tech expert to manage our money, we need a financier, and Bill Kuhn is that person. As someone who has known Bill or over twenty years, both as former client and by work- ing with him in his volunteer efforts, I can attest to his ethics, financial knowledge and skill. That’s why I’m voting for him in the upcoming election and hope you will too. — Jeff Robberson, Bend 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 phone number and ad- dress for verification. We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We reject poetry, personal attacks, form letters, letters submitted elsewhere and those appropriate for other sections of The Bulletin. Writers are limited to one letter or guest col- umn every 30 days. your submissions should be between 550 and 650 words and must include the writer’s phone number and ad- dress for verification. We edit submis- sions for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We reject those submit- ted elsewhere. locally submitted col- umns alternate with national colum- nists and commentaries. Writers are limited to one letter or guest column every 30 days. Please address your submission to either My nickel’s Worth or Guest col- umn and mail, fax or email it to The Bulletin. email submissions are pre- ferred. email: letters@bendbulletin.com Write: My nickel’s Worth/Guest col- umn P.O. Box 6020 Bend, Or 97708 Fax: 541-385-5804 Measure 114 will hamper recreation and habitat conservation BY ED MAY A s we contend with unprece- dented drought in much of the state, it’s important to max- imize funding for conservation ef- forts. Places like the Klamath Basin in Southern Oregon have completely dry wetlands for the first time in history, leaving millions of migrating water- fowl without critical habitat. This Fall, a ballot measure aimed at reforming gun safety laws would have an adverse effect on conservation efforts in Ore- gon. While we support common sense firearm safety provisions, we have concerns over the unintended conse- quences of Oregon Measure 114, its impact on outdoor recreation, and the effect that will have on funding for fu- ture conservation efforts. Hunters are conservationists. We rely on the integrity of wide-open spaces and the health of wildlife pop- ulations for our recreation. It’s no coincidence that Ducks Unlimited, the nation’s leading nonprofit in wet- lands conservation, was founded by hunters in 1937. Because of our close connection to the land, hunters are some of the most active in preserv- ing internationally important hab- itats and wildlife populations along the Pacific Flyway and in Oregon. Measure 114’s overly burdensome requirements will place unnecessary hurdles on families and hunters that have already taken gun safety train- ing courses, resulting in lower par- ticipation, particularly for our youth and the next generation of hunters. Eliminating opportunities for well- trained, responsible recreationalists will take away much needed funding from conservation efforts, further harming delicate wildlife habitats. Hunter safety training, offered for a fee by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and ODFW approved entities, is already required when applying for a hunting license GUEST COLUMN Hunters are conservationists. We rely on the integrity of wide-open spaces and the health of wildlife populations for our recreation. … Because of our close connection to the land, hunters are some of the most active in preserving internationally important habitats and wildlife populations along the Pacific Flyway and in Oregon. for the first time or for hunters under the age of 18. Under Measure 114, trained and responsible gun own- ers will have to sign up and pay for an additional training course not yet even designed and endure long de- lays. We have heard from sheriff de- partments that the training course envisioned by this measure may not be logistically possible, which will re- sult in long delays, and possibly, the end of all firearm sales. Additionally, this measure will eliminate the cur- rent three-day timeline to conduct background checks and could result in indefinite delays for firearm pur- chase approvals. These uncertainties will limit hunter participation and reduce sales of hunting licenses, firearms, and ammunition, which will reduce con- servation funding and cause a ripple effect that will impact wildlife and habitat management for decades. The Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937, which created a tax on fire- arms and ammunition for conser- vation and hunter safety, generates over $1 billion annually for criti- cal habitat restoration projects and hunter safety training through state agencies. In fact, sportsmen and sportswomen provide as much as 47% of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s budget annually. Mea- sure 114 will reduce this vital conser- vation funding source and negatively impact resources available to ODFW for wildlife management and teach- ing responsible gun ownership. There is no doubt that gun safety should remain a top priority, but Measure 114 is not the answer for Oregon. Should the measure pass, we look forward to working with the proponents and the Oregon State Legislature to find solutions and ad- dress unintended consequences. Let’s work together for responsible gun ownership, while maintaining access to family recreation opportunities and preserving critical funding that our wildlife need to survive. █ Ed May lives in Banks.
