A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Sheriff is professional,
kind and honest
Much at risk
in grazing
contract protests
T
he armed protesters
occupying the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge
in Oregon’s Harney County
want ranchers to tear up their
federal grazing contracts and
turn their cattle out on their
allotments without paying their
fees.
We understand how ranchers
might be tempted to go along
with the plan, if for no other
reason than to protest the
way the federal government
manages public lands. But
that would be a mistake that
could result in harsh ¿nancial
conseTuences for the individual
producers, and hand opponents
of public lands grazing the
ammunition they need to shut
down contested allotments.
The protesters made their
pitch to Harney County
ranchers last week. It’s based
on their misinterpretation of the
Constitution that holds that the
United States government can’t
own property within any state
not purchased or otherwise
deeded to it by that state. Public
lands in the West belong to the
states and the counties.
Because the federal
government can’t own the land,
it can’t charge ranchers grazing
fees or otherwise regulate the
use of the range. Easy-peasy.
That this arrangement isn’t
recognized by the federal
government, the state of
Oregon or the elected of¿cials
of Harney County — let alone
the surviving members of the
Burns Paiute Tribe, whose
ancestors were on the land prior
to white settlement — is of no
concern.
According to our colleagues
at Oregon Public Broadcasting,
LaVoy Finicum, an Arizona
rancher who has served as the
protesters’ de facto spokesman,
told ranchers that he’s done
it. More importantly, Cliven
Bundy, the father of refuge
occupation leader Ammon
Bundy, has been doing it for
more than 10 years.
The elder Bundy owes the
government more than $1
million in fees and penalties
while continuing to graze his
cattle on 90,000 acres of federal
land in Nevada.
That is probably the most
persuasive argument Finicum
could make. If Bundy can get
away with it for more than a
decade, all the while ignoring
the Endangered Species Act
and other federal regulations,
wouldn’t you be a chump to
pay and follow the rules?
Scott Horngren, an
attorney with the Western
Resources Legal Center who
has represented ranchers in
grazing lawsuits, says ranchers
shouldn’t use Bundy’s case as a
precedent.
He says breaches of grazing
contracts may effectively end a
rancher’s ability to ever again
release livestock onto public
lands. Government agencies
have a number of legal avenues
available to collect past-due
accounts.
Any of these conseTuences
could all but end a rancher’s
business.
Waiting in the wings are
the environmentalists who
want to end grazing on public
land. Ranchers tearing up their
grazing contracts and Àouting
the law would be a boon for
their agenda.
Ranchers, farmers and
loggers have legitimate
disputes with the way federal
lands are managed. The key
to settling these disputes is
constructive engagement with
the government and the public
at-large.
While protest can also be an
effective tool, ranchers must
always be mindful how their
actions will be judged in the
court of public opinion.
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.
/ong CreeN — P.O. Box 489, Long
Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax:
541-421-3075. Email: info@cityoÀongcreek.
com.
Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument
97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025.
Email: monument@oregontrail.net.
Mt 9ernon — P.O. Box 647, Mt. Vernon
97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax: 541-
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
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
Gov .ate Brown D — 254 State Capi-
tol, 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. Web-
site: www. leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon
Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes).
State Rep CliII Bent] R-Ontario
(District: 60), Room H-475, State Capitol, 900
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.
To the Editor:
Recently several letters and
opinions have been posted in the
Blue Mountain Eagle stating Sher-
iff Palmer should stick to his sheriff
duties and not have an opinion on
the Malheur refuge group.
, ¿nd it interesting that these
“writers” can express their own
opinions, but our sheriff is not al-
lowed to do the same. In the 37
years I’ve lived in this county, I’ve
found Sheriff Palmer to be profes-
sional yet kind and honest. Yes, he
believes in upholding our constitu-
tional rights. We’re Americans —
shouldn’t we all be thinking along
those lines?
To date, I’ve not seen or heard
that he has taken a stand for or
against the group. If he garners in-
formation from persons linked to
said group, that would be simply
good detective work, not a state-
ment he’s joined up!
In closing, I have a suggestion.
You’ve heard the saying “Love it or
leave it.” Many westsiders are kick-
ing the constitution to the curb. Eu-
gene would certainly love to have
you!
Marsha Christensen
John Day
Nothing wrong with
sheriff meeting
To the Editor:
I don’t see anything wrong with
the sheriff meeting with people
who voice concerns over constitu-
tional issues that could affect Grant
County. I attended that meeting and
found it informational.
The people were not the Bun-
dy group. Sheriff Palmer listened
to what they said. You apparently
have minimal knowledge of the
U.S. Constitution or you would
recognize that the owning of more
than 50 percent of 12 western states
is a serious problem. The eastern
United States has only 4 percent
federal ownership. This whole is-
sue is about the Hammond family
being attacked by rogue BLM em-
ployees and a rogue U.S. attorney in
an attempt to force the sale of their
ranch to the federal government!
To charge them with terrorism is
outrageous! This could be resolved
by President Obama releasing
the Hammonds from prison. This
whole incident reÀects poorly on
the government. Black Lives Matter
and associated groups riot and burn
cars and buildings and shoot police
of¿cers over what they feel are in-
justices. Why is a peaceful protest
such a big deal in Eastern Oregon?
I suspect part of it is because
they are white Christians. If it was
Occupy or any of the left wing
radical Democrat organizations it
would be no big deal!
H. Stangel
Dayville
We are lucky to
have sheriff Palmer
To the Editor:
Recently there have been some
letters criticizing Sheriff Palmer.
I have lived in Grant County ever
since Tom Negus was sheriff. We have
had a couple who weren’t too good. I
have known Glenn Palmer a long time.
He has always been a strong supporter
of the county in so many ways I have
lost count. If he had lunch with some
of the Burns occupiers, it was to ¿nd
out what their plans were that might
have affected Grant County.
A lot of us agree with the people
who are on that reserve, but not the
guns. Don’t get me wrong, I think all
of us need to be armed.
We have a ¿ne sheriff, and those
that try to detract him are wrong. No
one is perfect all the time, but we are
lucky to have Glenn.
Joe Clarke
Long Creek
Sheriff candidate
explains decision
To the Editor:
Today, Jan. 25, after observing
the sheer audacity of individu-
als who think they can dictate the
course of Grant County, without the
input of all, I have decided to ¿le
for the position of sheriff.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
P UBLISHER ............................... M ARISSA W ILLIAMS , MARISSA @ BMEAGLE . COM
E DITOR .................................... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM
A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT ........ K RISTINA K REGER , KRISTINA @ BMEAGLE . COM
E DITORIAL A SSISTANT ................ C HERYL H OEFLER , CHERYL @ BMEAGLE . COM
C OMMUNITY N EWS .................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM
S PORTS ................................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM
M ARKETING R EP ....................... K IM K ELL , ADS @ BMEAGLE . COM
O FFICE M ANAGER ..................... L INDSAY B ULLOCK , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM
MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
I understand the magnitude of
the situation and that this decision
of mine can help steer the course
of Grant County’s future, no matter
which way the voters choose.
I believe Grant County is part
of a republic, and not an oligarchy,
which is what it appears it is trying
to become. Let us keep it a republic.
When I took my ¿rst oath of of-
¿ce as a reserve deputy on April 3,
2000, it was that I would support
the Constitution and the laws of the
United States and of the state of Or-
egon, and to honestly and faithfully
perform the duties imposed upon
the member under the laws of Or-
egon.
I do not remember that there
were any clauses that told me this
was optional, and up to my interpre-
tation of the Constitution and laws.
People of Grant County, this is
our county, not exclusively some
individual group’s. You have a
voice. Let it be heard, as it has been
heard in the past.
Todd McKinley
John Day
Refuge occupation
an attack on tax-
paying citizens
To the Editor:
The Bundy occupation is an at-
tack on every law-abiding, tax-pay-
ing citizen of Oregon. They have
no legal or moral right to take the
law into their own hands and make
demands. Their only power comes
from their guns and the threat of vi-
olence. The Malheur refuge belongs
to all Oregonians, and is beloved by
thousands upon thousands of hunt-
ers, ¿sherman, bird watchers and
outdoorsmen. The Bundys and their
followers will take all that away,
giving nothing of value in return.
They dishonor all Americans in
uniform, whether in the military or
in law enforcement. They are anar-
chists, criminals and bullies.
If you want to see what happens
to citizens who act independently of
Bundy and his vigilantes, just look
to Harney County and Burns. They
are shadowed, harassed and in-
timidated. Ultimately, they will be
“tried” in a court of jurors selected
by the vigilantes, judged by some-
one selected by the vigilantes and
the inevitable guilt sentence will be
carried out by the vigilantes. Does
this sound like justice? Bundy and
his group are trying to spread their
tyranny to Grant County. Please
stand up to them as the courageous
people of Burns have done. Bundy
is a wolf in sheep’s clothing who
will devour your rights to satisfy his
lust for power.
Ted Gaty
Salem
Were sheriff’s
comments personal
or professional?
To the Editor:
In response to Jan Mead’s letter
to the editor published in the Jan. 20
edition of the Blue Mountain Eagle,
the editor posted a clari¿cation say-
ing that our sheriff had responded,
“I don’t know” when asked whether
he approved of the occupiers at the
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge,
who are using public buildings and
vehicles, destroying fence that is
not theirs, endangering or destroy-
ing artifacts with their road-build-
ing, illegally using computers and
preventing public access to public
lands.
Sheriff Palmer praised the
armed occupiers as “patriots” and
indicated he didn’t go down to visit
them only because Harney County
Sheriff David Ward asked him not
to. It’s hard not to see that as ap-
proval of their illegal actions with-
out a clear statement from him to
the contrary.
It is always dif¿cult to separate
the professional and the person-
al, and it’s even more dif¿cult in a
small community. It is not clear to
me at this point whether the sher-
iff was expressing himself as a pri-
vate citizen or a public of¿cial, and
whether the meetings took place on
work time or when the sheriff was
off work. I hope Sheriff Palmer and
the Eagle will clarify these import-
ant points as soon as possible.
If the support is purely personal,
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Government should
honor commitment
to veterans
To the Editor:
Recently I went to the Veterans
Hospital in Portland. The sign enter-
ing the approach to the hospital read
“The Price of Freedom is Visible
Here.” It certainly is!
People, men and women, with no
limbs, eyes, numerous bodily inju-
ries. It is appalling knowing the fact
our veterans have been betrayed by
our government of¿cials not keep-
ing promises/contracts. I joined the
United States Marines in October
1969 with the promise of free health
care for the rest of my life (for veter-
ans honorably discharged).
George W. Bush could not even
make his Army Reserve meetings in
Texas. Didn’t have to. Daddy was a
senator. No prosecution of deserting.
Long story short, vets have lost
travel pay, payment for medications,
etc. Horrible medical care. And by
the way, vets have taken cuts in their
bene¿ts right and left. When is the
last time a senator, congressman or
president took a pay cut?
Tim Jewell
Kimberly
Libelous allegations
shouldn’t be aired
in public forum
To the Editor:
The comments in a letter to the
editor written by Jan Mead and the
large paid advertisement by Judy
Schuette (both in the Jan. 20 of the
Eagle), demonstrate the most libel-
ous and unwarranted attacks I have
ever observed in this newspaper.
Both were aimed at Sheriff Palmer
and reÀect completely unbalanced
views about what is legal and what
is not.
The list of allegations range
from “supporting criminal actions”
to having “anti-government feel-
ings.” I wonder which government
these complainers consider them-
selves part of.
Sheriff Glenn Palmer is the most
law abiding and skilled member
of our county’s law enforcement
community. He and his family are
among the most giving and honor-
able people in Grant County. Sher-
iff Palmer does not sit at a desk all
day. He is directly involved in the
daily rescue operations and crimi-
nal investigations as well as appro-
priate contacts with many ongoing
events. Why would anyone attack
this valued man who has the highest
ethical standards and puts his life on
the line for our residents every day?
The hidden agenda of the com-
plainers has most to do with the fact
that this Sheriff supports our U.S.
Constitution while others do not.
This Sheriff made an oath that is
not to partisan politicians, not to the
Forest Service and not to the federal
government.
Our country has been divided by
the current federal administration,
which has an incredible amount of
litigation ongoing in response to
their violations of our Constitution.
Communist and Islamic factions
strongly support throwing out our
law while discrediting our law en-
forcement across the nation. Never
before has a president endorsed such
lawless actions and inactions in their
selective application of laws.
This is a time to support our law
abiding sheriff. He and the other
members of law enforcement put
their lives on the line for our resi-
dents. Those who have joined the
other “faction” need to send their
allegations to an appropriate inves-
tigative body — not to air libelous
false allegations in a public forum.
Tom McHatton
Long Creek
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I hope the occupiers do not mistake
it for an invitation from a public
¿gure to come here and disrupt the
life and economy of Grant County
as they have already done to Harney
County. If it was offered as a pub-
lic ¿gure, many of us will Tuestion
the ability of our public servants to
represent all their constituents fair-
ly and to stick to their job descrip-
tions, which are available from the
county.
Janine Goodwin
Prairie City
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