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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 2015)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, February 11, 2015 Continuing saga bodes ill for JRYHUQRU¿UVWODG\ 7 KHVDJDRI*RY-RKQ Kitzhaber and Cylvia Hayes continues to unfold much like an old- IDVKLRQHGGLVDVWHUÀLFN±RQH that doesn’t seem likely to have a happy ending for the stars of WKHVKRZ 7KHODWHVWLQGLFDWLRQVWKDW things are going very, very wrong for the pair came this week, when news reports revealed: • Hayes hired a criminal defense lawyer to represent her, as questions mount about her consulting income and tax ¿OLQJV 7KHJRYHUQRUDVNHG WKH$WWRUQH\*HQHUDO Ellen Rosenblum to do an “independent factual review” of the allegations facing the couple – only to be told she ZDVDOUHDG\RQLW Amid these developments came the astonishing assertion by the Kitzhaber and Hayes camp that she is not a SXEOLFRI¿FLDODQGWKXVWKH 2UHJRQ*RYHUQPHQW(WKLFV Commission has no jurisdiction RYHUKHU 7KDW¶VJRW³GRGJH´ZULWWHQ DOORYHULW7KLVFODLPPD\ work, at least temporarily, by delaying the release of some of Hayes’ records and complicating the various LQYHVWLJDWLRQVLQSURJUHVV5RQ Bersin, the Ethics Commission executive director, told RUHJRQOLYHFRPWKDWKLVRI¿FH¶V review of actions by Kitzhaber and Hayes may have to be put on hold if the state has a criminal investigation under ZD\ %XWLWVWLOOSOD\VOLNHDGRGJH From a practical standpoint, the private citizen claim just GRHVQ¶WIO\,WGRHVQ¶WWDNHD government salary to meet the GHILQLWLRQRISXEOLFRIILFLDO In addition, until now, Kitzhaber has been promoting, even showcasing +D\HVDV2UHJRQ¶VILUVWODG\ 7KDW¶VDWLWOHWKDWJHQHUDOO\ garners a certain amount of stature and respect, and the record indicates she hasn’t been shy about claiming that GLYLGHQG $V¿UVWODG\+D\HVKDVKDG XVHRIDQRI¿FHDQG0DKRQLD +DOOWKHJRYHUQRU¶VPDQVLRQ She’s been featured on a page of the governor’s website and given speeches with Kitzhaber and on her own at various HYHQWV6KH¶VHYHQGLUHFWHG public employees to do her bidding – from taking care of her cat to making travel DUUDQJHPHQWV+RZPDQ\SODLQ ol’ private citizens get those SHUNV" It’s hard to tell if this new strategy stems from arrogance, obliviousness or bad advice, RUDOLWWOHRIHDFK:KDWHYHU the source, it shows a disdain IRUWKHSXEOLF¶VLQWHOOLJHQFH And that doesn’t bode well for .LW]KDEHU¶VIRXUWKWHUP,W¶V barely begun and already, he faces calls for his resignation DQGWZRUHFDOOPRYHPHQWV 7KHSXEOLFPHDQZKLOHKDV every right to wonder how well the state’s business will be conducted with such a high OHYHORIGLVWUDFWLRQDWWKHWRS We suspect that when this political drama comes to a close, the only happy faces will EHWKRVHRIWKHODZ\HUV Blue Mountain EAGLE 195 N. Canyon Blvd. • John Day, OR 97845 541-575-0710 • Fax 541-575-1244 Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper USPS 226-340 John Day, Oregon MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT E DITORIAL A SSISTANT C OMMUNITY N EWS S PORTS M ARKETING R EP C USTOMER S ERVICE R EP Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Scotta Callister, editor@bmeagle.com Kristina Kreger, kristina@bmeagle.com Cheryl Hoefler, cheryl@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Lindsay Bullock office@bmeagle.com PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY: EO Media Group 3HULRGLFDOV3RVWDJH3DLGDW-RKQ'D\DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County Elsewhere in Oregon Continental U.S., Outside Oregon Outside Continental U.S. 1 year $40.00 $48.00 $55.00 $60.00 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery See the Blue Mountain Eagle on the Internet www.MyEagleNews.com POSTMASTER — send address changes to Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 Copyright © 2015 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Let’s coordinate To the Editor: I’d like to recognize the coun- ty commissioners from Baker and Wallowa Counties for sticking up for their citizens and rejecting the Forest Service’s attempt at getting them to sign a cooperation agree- ment trading their rights just for a VHDWDWWKHWDEOH I hope the rest of the coun- ties that are involved in the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision will take a hard look at what the two above counties have done to protect the rights of the coun- W\ $VN \RXU FRPPLVVLRQHUV WR give the Baker and Wallowa County Commissioners a call and find out why they made the stand WKDWWKH\GLG People concerned about losing their roads need to call or email their respective commissioners and ask about just where they LQWHQG WR WDNH WKH FRXQW\ ,I LW LV anything but “coordination,” get ready for a big loss of roads in \RXUFRXQW\ It is crunch time – We either stand our ground or loose a major portion of your roads and trails DFFHVV%HSURDFWLYHDQGJRWRWKH commissioners’ meetings, make an appointment with them, email RU WH[W WKHP 7KH 7ULEHV VDLG LW all, no cooperation for them; it is government to government using FRRUGLQDWLRQ :K\ QRW XV" 'RQ¶W ZHGHVHUYHWKHVDPHDVWKH7ULEHV" Chuck Chase Baker City Act” introduced in this Congress and become an issue during the HOHFWLRQ F\FOH ,W SUREDEO\ won’t get a lot of traction, until ISIS shows the left wing that you can be attacked here, right in your shopping malls and maybe even at D9$KRVSLWDO7KHLGHDWKDWWKRVH who fought them over there might be attacked here for revenge is not LQFRQFHLYDEOH$QG OLNH WKH\ VD\ “When seconds count, the police DUHRQO\PLQXWHVDZD\´ Steve Culley Richland Rebels take stand To the Editor: My father stood on the beach at Normandy with fellow Americans who spilled their blood and gave their lives for our nation and our IUHHGRPV $ ³JUDWHIXO QDWLRQ´ KDV since forgotten those who fought and died to protect our citizens from fall- LQJXQGHUDGLFWDWRUVKLSRUZRUVH 7KDW QDWLRQ KDV QRZ JLYHQ RYHU our rights to the narrow vision of an entity of their own making whose dedicated efforts are to curtail our IUHHGRPV6SHFL¿FDOO\DFFHVVWRWKH lands our fathers fought, bled, and GLHGIRU,WLVDOVRDSSDUHQWWKDWWKLV ³HQWLW\´KDVOXUHGPDQ\HOHFWHGRI¿- cials, moneyed individuals, and any- one they could romance away from their values and patriotism we once DGPLUHGWKHPIRU 7KRVH EDWWOLQJ WR UHJDLQ FRQWURO of our freedoms are labeled as “reb- el rousers” and are wrongly being demeaned for their effort in behalf RIRXUFLWL]HQV5HEHOVWKH\PD\EH Vets have rights, too because they refuse to sit back and watch a raft of fanatical Napoleon- To the Editor: ic twits reduce our forest access to When I was 19 my country ³GHVLJQDWHG´URXWHV gave me a used M14 and quite a We have sat back too long and bit of ammunition free and they the “entity” has grown deep roots in even gave me $55 extra a month to our county without our united stand VKRRWDWVRPHSHRSOH-XVWLQFDVH DJDLQVWWKHP:HKDYHWKHRSSRUWX- they gave me a foot-long knife to nity to stand up now by writing to DWWDFKWRWKHHQGRIP\ULIOHEDUUHO WKH *UDQW &RXQW\ &RXUW OHWWHUV WR I survived and came home, and WKH HGLWRU SXEOLF RI¿FLDOV RU \RXU now I go to the Veteran’s hospital neighbors demanding our rights be LQ%RLVHIRUPHGLFDOWUHDWPHQW JLYHQEDFNWRWKHSHRSOH 7KLQJVKDYHFKDQJHG(YLGHQW- Judy Kerr ly some people I suspect were not Canyon City veterans wrote some laws; one of them is in great big letters as I enter the VA grounds, promis- Let’s talk, not snipe ing a year in jail should I possess D ZHDSRQ 7KH SUDFWLFDO HIIHFW LV To the Editor: Regarding the on-going road clo- that even though I am a veteran and a noncriminal, I have to travel sure debate failure: I have 40 years 168 miles one way unarmed be- of expertise designing sustainable cause my final destination is the QDWLRQDOIRUHVWURDGV,ILQGWKHDQ- tics and posturing between sheriff, 9$ Inside are some more signs: *UDQW&RXQW\&RXUWDQGDORFDOQR “for your protection no guns or road closure group of private citi- ]HQVKXPRURXV NQLYHVDUHDOORZHG´ Reminds me of two or three +RZ WKH ZRUOG KDV FKDQJHG Combat veterans remember rely- bull elk trying to push their weight ing on guns and knives for protec- DURXQG,WPD\LPSUHVVWKHHONOD- tion and would like to have one in dies; but this belligerent style does our personal cars instead of rely- QRWKLQJWRIXUWKHUORQJWHUPJRDOV 7KLV WKUHHULQJ FLUFXV KDV FUH- LQJRQOHIWLVWVLJQV , PHQWLRQHG WKLV WR 5HS *UHJ ated a destructive turkey-shoot at- Walden in one of his town meet- mosphere: the problem is who is a ings; he took notes but I am still IDXOW" 1LFN\ 6SUDXYH¶V FROXPQ ³7R waiting to see if does any good to elect a Republican when it achieve forest goals hold officials comes to rolling back the liberal DFFRXQWDEOH´ -DQ VHHPV WR JXQDJHQGD,WVXUHZRXOGEHQLFH fault our elected county officials to see some pushback in Oregon for troubles on the road closure ZKHQ*LQQ\%XUGLFNGURSVILYHRU IURQW OLQHV $FFHVV ERDUG PHPEHU six gun bills in the Legislature but Jim Sproul says we are the ones at Oregon’s law-making body is de- fault, as stakeholders – “and it got cidedly short of any veteran per- WKLVEDGEHFDXVHZHOHWLW´ Frankly, I find this fault- VSHFWLYH I would like to see a “Veteran’s finding a waste of energy, like ILUHSODFH VPRNH Second Amendment Restoration VKRYHOLQJ L Let’s solve it instead! *UDQW &RXQW\ FLWL]HQV FDQ DQG must seriously and calmly discuss their concerns about national forest road closures, and Malheur Nation- al Forest Supervisor Steve Bever- lin seems ready to have a friendly discussion or hearing with all con- cerned, local forest landowners and UHFUHDWLRQLVWV +H LV D SDLG SURIHV- VLRQDOSUREOHPVROYHU Cliffs and landslides are good reasons for closing a road; so are elk calving areas, and culturally special historical sites are another legitimate VFLHQWL¿F UHDVRQ WR FORVH D IRUHVW URDG Economics, also, can cause road closures; we can’t pave or blade ev- HU\JUDYHOULJKWDZD\LQ2UHJRQ Where is the happy spot of com- SURPLVH"1DPHFDOOLQJZRQ¶W¿QGLW County Commissioner Boyd %ULWWRQVWDWHVLQWKH-DQ³)XWXUH of the Forest” article:”I think we really plowed through some new JURXQG:HKDYHWKHRSSRUWXQLW\WR have a really, really big time impact RQRXU3ODQ´ Our grandkids will be proud of us if we keep the forests open for business and outdoor recreation for IXWXUHJHQHUDWLRQV 7RPRUURZLVDQHZGD\ZRXOGQ¶W it be great to be friends of Malheur 1DWLRQDO)RUHVWLQVWHDGRIDQHQHP\" No more snipe hunting with out a license! Dave Sandersfeld Canyon City Oppose covert tax To the Editor: 2QHRIWKH¿UVWSXEOLFKHDULQJVRI the Oregon Legislature’s 2015 ses- sion was for Senate Bill 324, which extends the sunset for a low carbon fuel standards (LCFS) program set WRH[SLUH'HF 7KHDOOHJHGSXUSRVHRI/&)6LVWR reduce the “carbon intensity” of fos- VLO IXHOV 3URGXFHUV RI ELRIXHOV ZLOO be given “carbon intensity credits” for their production of “renewable” HQHUJ\SURGXFWV6XSSOLHUVRIJDV- oline and diesel will be forced to purchase these “carbon intensity credits” to “mitigate” their carbon GLR[LGHHPLVVLRQV 7KH 'HSDUWPHQW RI (QYLURQ- mental Quality estimates this will increase the price of gasoline by DERXWFHQWVSHUJDOORQ&RQVXP- er user groups are estimating costs WREHFORVHUWRSHUJDOORQ SB 324 requires no notification of the covert tax to be provided WR FRQVXPHUV 0RVW 2UHJRQLDQV won’t realize that they are paying an extra $2 to $20 to fill up their JDVWDQNV 7KH /&)6 LV QRW UHDOO\ DERXW VDYLQJ WKH SODQHW (YHQ WKH FRP- plete elimination of all Oregon greenhouse gas emissions would not result in a measurable differ- HQFHLQJOREDOHPLVVLRQV It’s not about social justice, HLWKHU )DPLOLHV OLYLQJ DW RU QHDU poverty levels spend the highest percentage of their income for en- HUJ\ 7KH\ ZLOO VXIIHU WKH JUHDWHVW harm by forcing artificial and unaf- fordable increases in energy prices XSRQWKHP Oregonians concerned about this misguided policy should con- tact their state representatives and senators and urge them to oppose 6% Sen. Doug Whitsett (R-Dist. 28) Klamath Falls etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.