A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
County should
let voters decide
marijuana issue
A
lot of information has
been tossed around
at the public hearings
about banning commercial
marijuana operations in
Grant County. A lot of that
information, however, turns out
to be inaccurate.
The County Court should be
commended for maintaining an
open and public process while
considering the ordinance, but
the court must also ensure it
proceeds based on accurate
information.
County Judge Scott Myers
has said, if the county is to
pass an ordinance prohibiting
marijuana businesses it must
do so by its Dec. 30 meeting.
However, the deadline to
do so is actually Dec. 27.
Section 133 of House Bill
3300 clearly states a local
government can prohibit
commercial pot operations but
not more than 180 days after
the effective date of the bill,
June 30, 2015. If the county
waits until its Dec. 30 meeting
to adopt the ordinance, it
would be invalid.
Section 134 of the same
bill states a local government
can adopt an ordinance
prohibiting marijuana
businesses and refer the
matter to local voters for
final say at the next general
election. This is an option the
court has not mentioned.
Myers said no matter what
the court’s final decision on
the ordinance is, somebody
will be upset. However, some
people arguing for the ban and
some people arguing against
it said the court should let the
voters decide. Not only is it
the easiest route politically for
the county’s elected leaders, it
is also the most democratic.
Some might argue the
public spoke loud and clear in
the November 2014 election
when about 65 percent of
Grant County’s votes were
against Measure 91 to legalize
the recreational use of
marijuana. But the situation is
fundamentally different now
because the measure passed at
the state level.
Now that every residence in
the state can legally grow up
to four pot plants and people
can legally possess and use
the drug, the question voters
would decide is whether their
local government should
allow commercial operations
as well, which can generate
tax revenue. And that is a
question voters should decide.
However, another piece
of false information has
entered the debate of which
voters should be aware.
Although many of the people
who argued they should be
allowed to grow marijuana
commercially claimed the
county could implement a
3-percent tax on growers, this
appears to be inaccurate.
Andrea Chiapella, a policy
analyst for Oregon Sen.
Ted Ferrioli and the Senate
5HSXEOLFDQ2I¿FHVDLGWD[HV
can only be collected on retail
marijuana sales, not growing
operations. Further, she said
unless a local government
allows all types of commercial
marijuana operations
— growers, processors,
wholesalers and retailers — the
city or county cannot receive
any portion of the 17-percent
state retail marijuana sales
tax. These are important
distinctions.
Given the amount and
complexity of information
regarding the new recreational
marijuana laws — and the
apparent lack of a county expert
on the issue — the County
Court should let the voters
decide how to proceed.
W HERE TO WRITE
GRANT COUNTY
Grant County Courthouse — 201
S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City
97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-
575-2248.
Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon
City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax:
541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@centu-
rylink.net.
Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville
97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541-
987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net
John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day,
97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541-
575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.net.
/RQJ&UHHN — P.O. Box 489, Long
Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax:
541-421-3075. Email: info@cityoÀong-
creek.com.
Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monu-
ment 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-
2025. Email: monument@oregontrail.net.
0W9HUQRQ — P.O. Box 647, Mt.
Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax:
541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net.
Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie
City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax:
820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net.
Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca
97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161.
Email: cityseneca@centurytel.net.
SALEM
*RY.DWH%URZQ' — 254 State
Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378-
3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www.
governor.state.or.us/governor.html.
Oregon Legislature — State Capitol,
Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180.
Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes
Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised
Statutes).
6WDWH5HS&OLII%HQW]5-Ontario (Dis-
trict: 60), Room H-475, State Capitol, 900
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
Court St. N.E., Salem OR 97301. Phone:
503-986-1460. Email: rep.cliffbentz@state.
or.us. Website: www.leg.state.or.us/bentz/
home.htm.
6WDWH6HQ7HG)HUULROL5 — (District
30) Room S-223, State Capitol, Salem
97310. Phone: 503-986-1950. Email: sen.
tedferrioli@state.or.us. Email: TFER2@aol.
com. Phone: 541-490-6528. Website: www.
leg.state.or.us/ferrioli.
Oregon Legislative Information —
(For updates on bills, services, capitol or
messages for legislators) — 800-332-2313.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
7KH:KLWH+RXVH 1600 Pennsylva-
nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500;
Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch-
board: 202-456-1414.
866HQ5RQ:\GHQ D — 516 Hart
Senate Of¿ce Building, Washington D.C.
20510. Phone: 202-224-5244. Email:
wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.gov Website:
http://wyden.senate.gov Fax: 202-228-2717.
866HQ-HII0HUNOH\'— 313 Hart
Senate Of¿ce Building, Washington D.C.
20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email:
senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202-
228-3997. Oregon of¿ces include One
World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St.,
Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; and 310
S.E. Second St., Suite 105, Pendleton, OR
97801. Phone: 503-326-3386; 541-278-
1129. Fax: 503-326-2990.
865HS*UHJ:DOGHQ5 — (Second
District) 1404 Longworth Building, Wash-
ington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730.
No direct email because of spam. Website:
www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774.
Medford of¿ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112,
Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646.
Fax: 541-779-0204.
Pending Bills: For information on bills in
Congress, Phone: 202-225-1772.
G UEST COMMENT
Maintaining the greatest
country in the world
To the Editor:
The U.S.A. is the greatest coun-
try in the world. Hundreds of thou-
sands of men and women have given
their lives for this great nation (one
nation under God) to give us the op-
portunity to experience life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.
Today, our great nation’s life
blood is being drained. Our industries
are shut down — timber, oil, coal,
steel, agriculture and manufacturing
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the name of worldwide advancement
giving billions of dollars to OPEC.
(They don’t love America or her val-
ues, and we don’t need their oil; we
have plenty at home.)
We give millions to United Na-
tions countries, paying them to stay in
this organization. We give China our
aluminum market, because our reg-
ulations prohibit honest competition
with a communistic country. They
will even be allowed to burn our coal
without our pollution standards. We
should not accept any product from
other countries that do not comply
with the same fair-wage and work
conditions and pollution standards
that American businesses are required
to follow.
We’re told there is no shortage of
jobs in the U.S. but fail to mention
to use missiles or bombs to stop oil
from being transferred. Even if the oil
is allowed to be transferred, the money
should not be allowed to transfer (We
do have the technology and strength
to stop this). We must stop the money
IURP ÀRZLQJ WR DQ HYLO HQWLW\ FDOOHG
ISIS. ISIS, or Muslim extremists, are
cowardice scum. They don’t attack
armed places or people. They like to
attack defenseless people with illegal
guns and bombs.
Our citizens that are not law break-
ers and pass a criminal background
check should be given an incentive
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concealed weapons permit with a tax
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permit. We, the people, need the abili-
ty to protect ourselves from cowardly
terrorist scum when they sneak in and
start killing innocent people.
We cannot allow communism,
terrorism or treasonous acts outside
or within our U.S. borders, or within
our leadership, to destroy the greatest
country in the world.
I am truly concerned with the
well being of our nation and wanted
to share some of my thoughts and
concerns. I do not know the answers
to my concerns, but I would like to.
Warren Dunn
Long Creek
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Wolf kill punishment Seeing the future
too extensive
To the Editor:
To the Editor:
I am furious. In 2009 we had a
600-lb. yearling shot at least ten
times by four fellows. We had a
cop that worked on this for three
years and caught them. He worked
very hard. What did they do when
it went to court? They changed it
to $400 and threw out abuse to an
animal. They slapped their hands
and turned them loose. That is our
livelihood for the year.
I just got my Blue Mountain
Eagle and read the article where
the two fellows killed what they
thought was a coyote. They came
and admitted they had killed a wolf,
and they are being charged $6,250
each and a year in jail. I think that’s
BS; these two came and admitted
what they had done.
We fought the wolves being
brought into Oregon; now, I’d like
to know why every time one of our
livestock gets killed, you the game
cops don’t pay us $6,000-plus and
give a year in jail. I don’t know ei-
ther of these men, but I think they
got a little much for one wolf. So
you might think about this every
time we ranchers have a wolf kill.
Darlene Forrest
Dufur and Monument
The edge of the pioneer and the
edge of the plow.
The logger, the gold and the
range cow.
Timber mills and forests of trees,
that’s not this valley now.
And all of the government know-
how needs to see the future now.
W. Toop
Canyon City
help. You helped turn a truly stress-
ful and embarrassing event into a real
blessing.
Lisa Pereira and “Murphy”
John Day
County road dept.
maintaining roads well
To the Editor:
I would like to take a moment
and thank the Grant County Road
Department for the great job they are
Good Samaritan
doing maintaining our roads.
helps during parade
I do a lot of traveling on county
roads, especially in the Long Creek,
To the Editor:
Ritter and Monument area, and I am so
I want to send out a big thank you pleased to see how well they are main-
to the gentleman in the newer white tained. The trees, brush and debris have
full-sized pickup who stopped to help been cleared off and the roads opened
me out during the light parade when up so you can see a long ways on both
my little tractor “Murphy” decided to sides. It has made traveling a lot safer.
die on me. I didn’t get his name, and
The crews are doing a great job
he was gone before I could truly say maintaining these roads even when
thank you to him and his family for there’s issues beyond their control,
stepping in to try to help.
such as a very low water year with
This truly shows the big hearts that no moisture to speak of.
Grant County has.
I am very thankful to have the shop
After moving away for two years, in Long Creek operating again and a
this helped show me that moving big thanks to the crews and supervisors.
“home” was the best thing we could
Thanks again for doing a great job
have ever done.
and keeping us safe while we drive the
Bless you for helping rescue me.
county roads.
Also a big thank you to the young
Dan Morrow
SROLFHRI¿FHUZKRDOVRVWHSSHGLQWR
Long Creek
L
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. We
must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. 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.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
that a very big percentage of these
jobs don’t provide a living wage.
Over 40 percent of the work force is
receiving some kind of government
assistance. Our government contin-
ues to counterfeit money, devaluing
our currency, turning it into Monop-
oly money.
We gladly accept billions of dol-
lars from China to keep our economy
rolling (America accepting money
from communists? Huston, we have
a problem). We are over $19 trillion
in the hole, and we pretend we have
so much money to burn that our pres-
ident wants to spend over $60,000
per person to bring Muslims into the
U.S., thousands and thousands of
people. Even if we really had money
to use, what about the security of the
U.S.A.?
We have no business importing
problems. If we felt it necessary to
bring in some of these people, they
would need a strict background check
and, after passing, put into concentra-
tion camps until the terrorism problem
is eradicated in the U.S. We did that in
World War II. It worked well. Right
now, we need to worry about self-pres-
ervation.
Today, ISIS receives millions of
dollars per day for oil purchased by
Turkey, and our military is not allowed
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