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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2015)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 15, 2015 Dem-GOP split H[HPSOL¿HGLQ school funding I WZDVQRVXUSULVHWKDW*RY Kate Brown signed Oregon’s HGXFDWLRQEXGJHWODVWZHHN following passage in both the Democratic-dominated state 6HQDWHDQG+RXVH ,WZDVDFOHDUH[DPSOHRI what happens when one party dominates all three seats of power – it has the ability to craft such OHJLVODWLRQH[DFWO\KRZLWSOHDVHV $QG'HPRFUDWVGLGMXVWWKDW (YHU\VLQJOH'HPRFUDWLFYRWH LQWKHVWDWH6HQDWHEDFNHGWKLV budget, but not one Republican GLG,WZDVDSDUW\OLQHYRWHLQWKH +RXVHWRR None of that should be VXUSULVLQJ3HRSOHZLWKSRZHU WHQGWRXVHWKDWSRZHU3HRSOHRI DQRWKHUSROLWLFDOSDUW\WHQGWRYRWH DJDLQVWLWVRSSRVLWLRQ¶VSODQV But here is what surprised VRPHREVHUYHUVWKH5HSXEOLFDQ education proposal would KDYHVSHQWPRUHPRQH\RQ the education budget than the 'HPRFUDWLFRQH<HV\RXUHDG WKDWULJKW7KHVWDQFHRIERWK parties came as an unusual twist WRVRPHSROLWLFRVHYHQRQWKH QDWLRQDOVFDOH Granted, there was some political grandstanding in those *23YRWHV The Oregonian reported that 6HQ$ODQ2OVHQ5&DQE\VDLG LQDÀRRUVSHHFK³7KHGD\DIWHU the resurrection of Christ, we will ZLWQHVVWKHGHDWKNQHOORIRXU HGXFDWLRQV\VWHP´2OVHQWKHQ SDXVHGIRUDPRPHQWRIVLOHQFH So yes, there was a little bit of K\SHUEROHLQYROYHG$QGSOHQW\ RIDWWHPSWVWRWDUWKHRWKHUVLGH %XWPDQ\RIWKRVHYRWHV weren’t grandstanding at DOO0DQ\ZHUHEDVHGRQWKH needs of their districts, needs that would not be met by the 'HPRFUDWLFEDFNHGEXGJHW That’s because most Oregon Republicans with seats in the Senate and House are from rural DUHDV0RVWRIWKRVHSODFHVDUH not growing at the pace of the state’s urban core, and most are not seeing steady economic JDLQ7KDWPHDQVD³VWDWXVTXR´ education budget will harm their GLVWULFWV $VORFDOVFKRRORI¿FLDOVQRWHG a month ago, some districts in *UDQW&RXQW\DUHH[SHFWLQJD VOLGHEDFNWRWKHEXGJHWFXWWLQJ days under this new biennial EXGJHW7KH\ZRUU\WKDWWKH UHFRYHU\WKH\KDGMXVWEHJXQLQ the current budget cycle will be ORVW So far, what the big-city Democrats are hoping is that this EXGJHWZLOOEHHQRXJKWRNHHS WKHVFKRROVDÀRDWZKLOHWKH\ ZRUNWRUHPDNHWKHV\VWHPIURP SUHVFKRRORQXS0HDQZKLOH rural Republicans predict it ZRQ¶WEHHQRXJKWRNHHSZKDW is already one of the worst state K-12 education systems in the QDWLRQIURPWDNLQJDQRWKHUVWHS EDFNZDUG :HNQRZPRQH\LVQ¶WWKHVROH answer to anything, and that just throwing dollars at a problem is QRZD\WRVROYHLW But in this case a chance has EHHQORVWWRFRQWLQXHLPSURYLQJ RXULQYHVWPHQWLQWKHVFKRROVDQG our youth, especially in the still economically depressed rural and IURQWLHUDUHDV ,W¶VDJLYHQWKDWVFKRROGLVWULFWV DFURVVWKHVWDWHZLOOPDNHGR with the dollars they get; there’s QRRWKHURSWLRQ%XWWKLVLVRQH FDVHZHEHOLHYHWKH/HJLVODWXUH¶V action will only deepen the urban- UXUDOGLYLGHDQGVWXGHQWVZLOOEHDU WKHEUXQW F ROM O THER V OICES Glyphosate cancer link should be weighed in context EO Media Group The World Health Organiza- tion’s International Agency for Research on Cancer last month issued a paper classifying gly- phosate herbicide, sold under the trade name Roundup by Monsanto &RDV³SUREDEO\FDUFLQRJHQLFWR KXPDQV´ The finding made headlines because genetically modified ³5RXQGXS 5HDG\´ FRUQ VR\EHDQV DQGRWKHUFURSVDUHVWDSOHVRI86 DJULFXOWXUH &ULWLFV KDYH XVHG WKH report to call into question the safety of GMOs generally and of glyphosate-resistant crops specif- LFDOO\ It’s disturbing any time com- monly used products are found to KDYH D OLQN WR FDQFHU :KLOH WKH cancer research agency’s find- ing shouldn’t be dismissed out of KDQGLWPXVWEHWDNHQLQFRQWH[W The finding is the opposite of ZKDW WKH (QYLURQPHQWDO 3URWHF- tion Agency and other regulatory DQG UHVHDUFK DJHQFLHV KDYH FRQ- FOXGHG The European Union’s Glypho- VDWH 7DVN )RUFH VDLG HYDOXDWLRQV GRQH RYHU WKH SDVW \HDUV FRQ- sistently confirmed glyphosate ³SRVHV QR XQDFFHSWDEOH ULVN WR KXPDQV DQLPDOV RU WKH HQYLURQ- PHQW´ 2QH RI WKH ODUJHVW HSLGH- PLRORJ\ VWXGLHV LQYROYHG DSSUR[- LPDWHO\ 86 IDUPHUV ZKR DSSO\ KHUELFLGHV WKH WDVN IRUFH VDLGLQDSUHSDUHGVWDWHPHQW 7KH WDVN IRUFH VDLG WKHUH DUH ³VHULRXV GHILFLHQFLHV LQ WHUPV RI PHWKRGRORJLFDO DSSURDFK´ LQ ,Q- ternational Agency for Research on Cancer’s findings and that the classification should be with- GUDZQ In reaching its findings, the agency does not conduct original UHVHDUFK,WHYDOXDWHVDYDLODEOHOLW- HUDWXUH 7KH *HUPDQ )HGHUDO ,QVWLWXWH RI 5LVN $VVHVVPHQW ZKLFK LQ 2014 declared glyphosate non-car- cinogenic, called the agency’s FODVVLILFDWLRQ D ³VXUSULVH´ DQG contrary to studies done by the 86 (QYLURQPHQWDO 3URWHFWLRQ $JHQF\DQGHYHQDSULRUVWXG\E\ :+2 7KH ILQGLQJ LV QRW FRQFOXVLYH The agency classifies substances RQDVFDOHRIWR6XEVWDQFHVLQ *URXS DUH FODVVLILHG ³FDUFLQR- JHQLF WR KXPDQV´ EHFDXVH WKHUH¶V HQRXJK HYLGHQFH WR FRQFOXGH WKDW WKH\ FDXVH FDQFHU *URXS LQ- cludes birth control pills, alcohol- LFEHYHUDJHVPLQHUDORLOVDQGWKH VXQ Glyphosate is classified in *URXSDZKLFKPHDQV³WKHUHLV OLPLWHG HYLGHQFH RI FDUFLQRJHQLF- LW\ LQ KXPDQV DQG VXIILFLHQW HYL- GHQFHRIFDUFLQRJHQLFLW\LQH[SHU- LPHQWDODQLPDOV´ 7KH UHSRUW VDLG ³OLPLWHG HYL- GHQFH´ PHDQV D SRVLWLYH DVVRFLD- WLRQ KDV EHHQ REVHUYHG EXW RWKHU H[SODQDWLRQV KDYH QRW EHHQ UXOHG RXW´ While glyphosate and oth- er chemicals warrant continuing study, nothing in the agency’s re- port suggests it shouldn’t continue WREHXVHGUHVSRQVLEO\ And what of the implications for biotechnology? It’s a con- YHQWLRQDO KHUELFLGH QRW JHQHWLF HQJLQHHULQJ WKDW¶V DW LVVXH 7KH technology still presents the best RSSRUWXQLW\ WR SURYLGH IDUPHUV with increased yields to feed an LQFUHDVLQJSRSXODWLRQ – The Capital Press C OMMENTARY There is hope for alcoholics By Terry Steele To the Blue Mountain Eagle 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 In recent times, I began to hear WKH GLDJQRVWLF WHUP RI ³LQFXUDEOH DOFRKROLF´ ,¶YH EHHQ VRPHZKDW FRQIXVHG RI MXVW ZKDW WKLV FRXOG PHDQ ,W has always been my understand- ing that the only way an alcoholic FRXOGTXLWGULQNLQJDQGVWD\TXLW ZDVLIWKH\WKHPVHOYHVWUXO\ZDQW- HGWR6R,DVVXPHWKLVWHUPZRXOG refer to any alcoholic who did not ZDQW WR UHFRYHU IURP DFWLYH DOFR- KROLVP , KDG D IULHQG ZKR GLHG OHDY- ing his family and friends way too HDUO\7KLVSHUVRQZDVDVVXPHGWR EHDQLQFXUDEOHDOFRKROLF 7KH SUREOHP , KDYH ZLWK WKLV WHUP LV WKDW LW OHDYHV DQ DOFRKRO- LF LQGLYLGXDO ZLWK DQ H[FXVH WR FRQWLQXH WR GULQN DOFRKRO %XW for those of you who truly want WR TXLW QRWKLQJ ZLOO ZRUN H[FHSW 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. WRWDO DEVWLQHQFH 1R SURPLVHV RI ³D FXUH´ QR H[SHFWDWLRQV RI FRQ- WUROOLQJ \RXU GULQNLQJ DEVROXWHO\ nothing but total abstinence will ZRUNWRDFKLHYHPDLQWDLQHGVREUL- HW\ 7KLV ODVW 0DUFK , KDG DQ H[- WUHPHO\ LPSRUWDQW DQQLYHUVDU\ , PDUNHG \HDUV IUHH IURP D GLV- ease that had ruined my life and had dealt misery to those around PH ,KDYHNQRZQDIHZDOFRKROLFV ZKRUHPDLQHGGHFHQWSHRSOHHYHQ WKRXJK WKH\ GUDQN KHDYLO\ +RZ- HYHU ZKHQ , ERR]HG , ZDV DERXW as far as you could get from being D GHFHQW SHUVRQ 3HUKDSV P\ EDG EHKDYLRUKHOSHGWRPRWLYDWHPHWR EHIUHHRIDFWLYHDOFRKROLVP ,KDYHDQHQRUPRXVUHVSHFWIRU Alcoholics Anonymous and fully EHOLHYHWKH\KDYHGRQHZD\PRUH to help the alcoholic maintain so- briety than all the other different PHWKRGV XVHG , FKRVH QRW WR JR this route simply because I am for WKHPRVWSDUWDORQHU AA has a number of good steps that they encourage an alcoholic WR DELGH E\ 2QH JXLGHOLQH LV WR VWD\ VREHU ³RQH GD\ DW D WLPH´ , ZDVQRWDSHUVRQZKRFRXOGWKLQN LQWHUPVRIMXVWRQHGD\DWDWLPH )RUPHLWKDGWRPHDQWKDW,ZRXOG raise myself up from the mire of D ZRUWKOHVV H[LVWHQFH DQG UHPDLQ VREHUIRUWKHUHVWRIP\OLIH One of their truly worthwhile steps is to apologize to those they KDYH KXUW 6R WR DQ\RQH UHDGLQJ WKLVWKDW,¶YHKDUPHGSK\VLFDOO\RU emotionally, or by any other pos- sible abuse, I want to say from the ERWWRPRIP\KHDUW³,DPVRUU\´ And finally, I want to say to DQ\DFWLYHDOFRKROLFUHDGLQJWKLV SOHDVH GRQ¶W JLYH XS WKH ILJKW because it is a battle that can be ZRQ Terry Steele, a writer and pho- tographer, lives in the Ritter area. W HERE TO WRITE Washington, D.C. The White House, 1600 3HQQV\OYDQLD $YH 1: :DVKLQJWRQ '& Phone-comments: 202- 456-1111; Switchboard: 86 6HQ 5RQ :\GHQ D — 516 Hart Senate Of- ¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVKLQJWRQ '& 3KRQH (PDLO ZD\QHB NLQQH\#Z\GHQVHQDWH JRY:HEVLWHKWWSZ\GHQ VHQDWHJRY )D[ 86 6HQ -HII 0HUN- ley, D — 313 Hart Senate 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVKLQJ- WRQ '& " 3KRQH (PDLO VHQDWRU#PHUNOH\VHQDWH L JRY )D[ 2UHJRQ RI¿FHV LQFOXGH One World Trade Center, 6:6DOPRQ6W6XLWH 3RUWODQG25 DQG 6( 6HFRQG 6W Suite 105, Pendleton, OR 3KRQH )D[ 865HS*UHJ:DOGHQ R — (Second District) 1404 Longworth Building, :DVKLQJWRQ '& 3KRQH No direct e-mail because RI VSDP :HEVLWH ZZZ ZDOGHQKRXVHJRY )D[ 0HGIRUG RI¿FH 1RUWK &HQWUDO Suite 112, Medford, OR 3KRQH Room H-475, State Cap- LWRO &RXUW 6W 1( 6DOHP 25 3KRQH (PDLO UHS FOLIIEHQW]#VWDWHRUXV :HEVLWH ZZZOHJVWDWH Salem RUXVEHQW]KRPHKWP *RY.DWH%URZQ'² 6WDWH 6HQ 7HG )HUULROL 254 State Capitol, Salem R — (District 30) Room 3KRQH S-223, State Capitol, Salem )D[ 3KRQH :HEVLWH ZZZJRYHUQRU (PDLO VHQWHGIHU- VWDWHRUXVJRYHUQRUKWPO ULROL#VWDWHRUXV (PDLO Oregon Legislature 7)(5#DROFRP 3KRQH — State Capitol, Salem, :HEVLWH 3KRQH ZZZOHJVWDWHRUXVIHUUL- :HEVLWH ZZZ OHJ ROL VWDWHRUXV LQFOXGHV 2UH- 2UHJRQ /HJLVODWLYH ,Q- gon Constitution and Ore- IRUPDWLRQ²)RUXSGDWHV JRQ5HYLVHG6WDWXWHV RQELOOVVHUYLFHVFDSLWRORU 6WDWH 5HS &OLII %HQW] messages for legislators) R-Ontario (District: 60), ² )D[ 3HQGLQJ %LOOV )RU LQ- formation on bills in Con- gress, Phone: 202-225- 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.