The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current, March 30, 2016, Page A4, Image 4

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Presidential
politics run
against TPP
RXURIWKH¿YH
remaining candidates
IRUWKH5HSXEOLFDQDQG
Democratic nominations for
SUHVLGHQWRSSRVHWKH7UDQV
3DFL¿F3DUWQHUVKLSWKHELJ
12-nation trade pact awaiting
&RQJUHVVLRQDODSSURYDO
7KDWGRHVQ¶WERGHZHOOIRU
DJULFXOWXUHLQWKH1RUWKZHVW
'RQDOG7UXPSVD\VWKH733
LV³LQVDQLW\´D³KRUULEOHGHDO
designed for China to come
in, as they always do, through
WKHEDFNGRRUDQGWRWDOO\WDNH
DGYDQWDJHRIHYHU\RQH´
7HG&UX]RSSRVHVWKHSDFW
DQGDOZD\VKDV
Hillary Clinton was for it,
when she was secretary of
state, and then was against it
ZKHQVKHEHFDPHDFDQGLGDWH
IRUSUHVLGHQW6KHVD\VWKHGHDO
doesn’t meet her standard for
providing Americans good-
SD\LQJMREV
Bernie Sanders has called it
“a disastrous trade agreement
designed to protect the interests
of the largest multi-national
corporations at the expense
of workers, consumers,
the environment and the
foundations of American
GHPRFUDF\´
F
Only John Kasich, the long-
VKRW5HSXEOLFDQFDQGLGDWH
IDYRUVWKHGHDO+HFDOOVLW
“critical” to creating economic
DQGVWUDWHJLFDOOLDQFHV
Seven years in the
PDNLQJWKH733LVLPSRUWDQW
IRUIDUPHUVLQWKH3DFL¿F
1RUWKZHVW
86DJULFXOWXUHLVWUDGH
dependent, especially in the
:HVW2UHJRQ:DVKLQJWRQ
Idaho and California export
DERXWELOOLRQD\HDULQ
agricultural goods overseas,
PDLQO\WR3DFL¿F5LPQDWLRQV
,QFOXGHGLQWKH733DUHQHDUO\
DOORIWKRVHQDWLRQV&DQDGD
Mexico, Japan, Australia,
Malaysia, Peru, Vietnam, Chile,
Brunei, Singapore and New
=HDODQG
No trade deal is perfect, and
WKHUHDUHPDQ\WKLQJVDERXWWKLV
one that give even proponents
SDXVH%XWZDONLQJDZD\IURP
WKHGHDOZRXOGEHDGLVDVWHUIRU
DJULFXOWXUHEHFDXVH86JRRGV
ZRXOGKDYHLPSRVVLEOHEDUULHUV
not imposed on signatories who
DUHDOVRRXUFRPSHWLWRUV
We hope Congress will
DSSURYHWKHGHDOEHIRUHLWJHWV
too caught up in election year
SROLWLFNLQJ
W HERE TO W RITE
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.
• Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long
Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax:
541-421-3075. Email: info@cityoÀ ong-
creek.com.
• Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument
97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025.
Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net.
• Mt. Vernon — 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: senecaoregon@gmail.com.
SALEM
• Gov. Kate Brown, D — 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. Web-
site: www. leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon
Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes).
USPS 226-340
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
Email: www.MyEagleNews.com
Phone: 541-575-0710
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
O FFICE M ANAGER
Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com
Sean Hart, 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
Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day
DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV
1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(including online access)
Grant County .....................................$40
Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51
Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60
Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery
POSTMASTER — send address changes to
Blue Mountain Eagle
195 N. Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845-1187
Copyright © 2016 Blue Mountain Eagle
All rights reserved. No part of this publication cov-
ered 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.
www.facebook.com/MyEagleNews
@MyEagleNews
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Replacing our
County Court
DQ\RQH¶V IUHHGRPV" +H VKRXOG EH
applauded for his leadership and his
message of inclusiveness protected
To the Editor:
E\ODZIXOQHVV8QOLNH6KHULII*OHQQ
It’s almost voting, and we need to Palmer who was at that meeting,
VWDUWUHSODFLQJRXU&RXQW\&RXUW:H &KULV/DEKDUWZDVQRWLQXQLIRUPDV
need to start replacing our County sociating with armed occupiers from
&RXUW2QHPRUHWLPHQRZ:HQHHG the refuge who were involved in ille-
WRVWDUWUHSODFLQJRXU&RXQW\&RXUW
JDODFWLRQV
5HFHQWO\WKHFRXUWKRXVHZDV¿OOHG
Kay Steele
from wall to wall with county resi-
Ritter
dents asking the county to institute an
investigation of the Forest Service as
to why many of us lost our homes in Consider the actions
WKH&DQ\RQ&UHHN¿UH,WZDVDVLP
ple request coming out of the mouths To the Editor:
Loyalty to a friend is a good
of the many residents that helped put
WKHPLQRI¿FHDQGWKH&RXQW\&RXUW TXDOLW\EXWVRPHWLPHVLWFDQJHWLQ
ÀDWWXUQHGWKHLUEDFNRQWKHVHGHVHUY WKH ZD\ RI JRRG MXGJPHQW 0DQ\
SHRSOH VXSSRUW 6KHULII *OHQQ
LQJWD[SD\HUV
With a huge surplus of money in 3DOPHURQWKHEDVLVRIWKHLUSRVLWLYH
their coffers, it wouldn’t have hurt at LQWHUDFWLRQV ZLWK KLP DV D SHUVRQ
all to help this county get some an- But those relationships do not mean
that he is a good sheriff for the com-
VZHUV
It is really hard to stomach the PXQLW\DVVKRZQE\WKHLQIRUPDWLRQ
fact that life seems to go on for the reported in news articles in the Blue
decision makers that cost us our home Mountain Eagle, the Oregonian and
DQG HYHU\WKLQJ ZH KDG 7KH\ ZHQW other state and national newspapers
home after, to a home-cooked meal, a RYHUWKHODVWWZRPRQWKV
7DNHWKHWLPHWRUHDGODVWZHHN¶V
ZDUPEHGWKHLURZQKRPH1RWKLQJ
article, “DOJ Opens Case Against
FKDQJHG
7KHUHVWRIXV":HOOZHJUDEEHG Palmer,” in the Blue Mountain
a meal in a restaurant, stayed at the (DJOH ,W LV D FRQFLVH VXPPDU\ RI
house of a relative or friend or a mo- Sheriff Palmer’s actions during his
WHO:HUHQWHGDQGWKHQKDGWRJRRQ IRXU WHUPV DV DQ HOHFWHG RI¿FLDO
VHDUFKRIDQRWKHUKRXVHRUUHEXLOGRXU A second article in the same issue
reports “Refuge Occupier Arrested
EXUQHGRXWPHVV
And the County Court turned their LQ0W9HUQRQ7KUHDWHQHGWR6KRRW
EDFNRQXV'R,ZDQWWRSD\P\WD[ )HGHUDO$JHQWV´
Sheriff Palmer’s own actions
es to a county that won’t even give us
WKHWLPHRIGD\LQUHWXUQ":HOO\RX and statements encourage militia
VXSSRUWHUV WR EHOLHYH WKDW *UDQW
¿JXUHLWRXW
,¶YHDOUHDG\¿JXUHGLWRXW-RLQPH County welcomes their anti-gov-
and a lot of others in replacing our HUQPHQWEHOLHIVDQGYLROHQWWDFWLFV
DQG YLRODWHV WKH RI¿FLDO RDWK KH
&RXQW\&RXUW
Dean Elliott swore to “support the Constitutions
Prairie City of the United States and Oregon,
DQGWKHODZVWKHUHRI´
Sheriff Palmer has chosen to
An elected leader — LQWHUSUHW WKH &RQVWLWXWLRQ WR ¿W KLV
protesting for all of us RZQEHOLHIVDQGWRUHIXVHWRHQIRUFH
ODZVWKDWKHGLVDJUHHVZLWK,QGR
To the Editor:
ing so, he is putting the safety and
/DVW PRQWK DERXW SURPL VHFXULW\RI*UDQW&RXQW\¶VUHVLGHQWV
litia, self-declared “patriots,” rallied DW ULVN7KH VWUHQJWK RI RXU FRXQW\
in front of the Harney County Court DQGVWDWHDQGQDWLRQLVEDVHGRQWKH
House to demand the resignation of UXOHRIRQHODZIRUDOO
HOHFWHGRI¿FLDOV&RXQWHULQJWKHPLOL
7KH VKHULII¶V DFWLRQV DQG ZRUGV
WLDPHQPRUHWKDQORFDOVUDQFK VSHDN ORXG DQG FOHDU$V LQIRUPHG
ers, main street merchants, students, UHVLGHQWVRI*UDQW&RXQW\ZHQHHG
federal employees, retirees) and a WR VSHDN RXW DJDLQVW WKHVH DFWLRQV
QXPEHURILQYLWHG*UDQW&RXQW\UHVL Remaining silent is accepting this
dents formed a human wall in support EHKDYLRU
RIWKHHOHFWHGORFDORI¿FLDOV7KHUDOO\
3OHDVH EHFRPH LQIRUPHG DQG
ZDVORXGDQG¿OOHGZLWKWHQVLRQDWWKH VSHDNRXW
climax of several hours of chanting
Adele and Mark Cerny
DQGFRXQWHUFKDQWLQJ
Bear Valley
At one point, a man among the
pro-militiamen that I recognized as a
friend of our county sheriff, stepped Vote yes on
XS WR 7HUU\ DQG PH WRRN RXU SLF
WXUHZLWKRXU³*UDQW&RXQW\+DUQH\ Initiative 12-58
County United” signs, noted our To the Editor:
:KR¶V ¿JKWLQJ DJDLQVW PDUL
names and with a threatening tone
declared, “I promise you, this will go juana and hemp legalization in our
FRXQWU\" :K\ IRU VR PDQ\ \HDUV
viral!”
Looking out over the two groups, KDV WKHUH EHHQ FRPSOHWH GHQLDO RI
,UHÀHFWHG³:KDWLVLWJRLQJWRWDNH DQ\PHGLFDOEHQH¿WVIURPPDULMXD
WR EULQJ DOO WKHVH SHRSOH WRJHWKHU"´ QDE\RXUJRYHUQPHQWDQGWKHPHGL
Later, I saw a photo of four people at FDOFRPPXQLW\"$IWHUDOOPDULMXDQD
WKLV UDOO\ IRUPLQJ D FLUFOH DQG ERZ is a plant, and the fact is 74 percent
LQJ WKHLU KHDGV LQ SUD\HU7ZR ZHUH RI PHGLFDWLRQV KDYH EHHQ GHULYHG
pro-militia/occupiers protesters, and IURP SODQWV 3ODQWV DUH RXU ELJJHVW
two were pro-“our own voice” for VRXUFH RI KRSH LQ WKH ¿JKW DJDLQVW
+DUQH\ &RXQW\ , KRSH WKH\ ZHUH GLVHDVHDQGWKHFXUHIRUFDQFHU6R
praying that wisdom prevails for the ZK\VLQJOHWKLVRQHSODQWRXW"
Congress even placed marijua-
VDNHRIHYHU\RQH
In a letter to the editor last week, na on the same schedule drug as
&RXQW\&RPPLVVLRQHU&KULV/DEKDUW heroin, claiming it had no medical
ZDVFULWLFL]HGIRUSURWHVWLQJWKH-DQ EHQH¿WV PDNLQJ FOLQLFDO WULDOV LP
26 community meeting at the Senior SRVVLEOH :HOO WKH )'$ FDQ WKDQN
Center in John Day, where several patients in 23 states for conducting
militiamen from the refuge takeover \HDUV RI FOLQLFDO WULDOV IRU WKHP
were present and waiting for the Bun- 3DWLHQW WHVWLPRQLDO LV SUREDEO\ WKH
G\EXQFKWRDUULYH7KHZULWHUFODLPHG PRVW YDOXDEOH LQIRUPDWLRQ FOLQLFDO
KHUFLYLOOLEHUWLHVZHUHEHLQJWUDPSOHG WULDOVJDWKHU7HQVRIWKRXVDQGVZLOO
XSRQEHFDXVHDQHOHFWHGRI¿FLDOZKR WHVWLI\WKH\EHQH¿WPHGLFDOO\'RF
was not on duty) was holding a pro- WRUVQRZSUHVFULEHFDQQDELVIRUHY
erything from chronic pain to can-
WHVWVLJQ
, UHPHPEHU VHHLQJ &RPPLVVLRQ FHU (YLGHQFH VKRZV LW¶V ZRUNLQJ
HU /DEKDUW WKHUH WKDW QLJKW KLV VLJQ 6WLOOQRFOLQLFDOWULDOV:K\"0D\EH
KDG WZR PHVVDJHV IURQW DQG EDFN SUR¿WV+DYH\RXHYHUKHDUGRIORE
“America — a Nation of Laws” and E\LVWV"
7KH JX\V LQ :DVKLQJWRQ '&
³*UDQW &RXQW\ LV IRU $// 3HRSOH´
How in the world is that trashing ZRUNLQJ IRU ELJ SKDUPDFHXWLFDO
FRPSDQLHVDQGRQEHKDOIRIRWKHUELJ
EXVLQHVVHV 7KHLU MRE LV WR LQÀXHQFH
politicians into making decisions that
SURWHFWWKHLUHPSOR\HU¶VERWWRPOLQH
6R IROORZ WKH PRQH\ :KR VWDQGV
to lose the most from marijuana and
KHPSSURGXFWLRQ"
Pharmaceutical sales of opiate pain
NLOOHUV WRSSHG ELOOLRQ ODVW \HDU
6RGRWKHPDWK,IHYHQSHUFHQWRI
patients used marijuana, an inexpen-
sive pain reliever you can grow your-
VHOI DW KRPH ELJ SKDUPD ORVHV RYHU
ELOOLRQ
7KHGHQLPLQGXVWU\LVDELOOLRQ
LQGXVWU\,¶PVXUHWKH\ZDQWQRWKLQJ
WRGRZLWKFRPSHWLQJDJDLQVWKHPS
Clothing made from hemp is far more
GXUDEOH WKDQ GHQLP 7KHVH DUH MXVW
WZR H[DPSOHV , FRXOG JR GRZQ D
long list of people who stand to lose
from legalization of marijuana and
KHPSSURGXFWLRQEXW,¶POLPLWHGWR
ZRUGVLQWKLVOHWWHU6RUHVHDUFK
marijuana as a pain reliever, the uses
IRUKHPSDQGKHPSVHHGV
7KHQ FRPH WR \RXU RZQ FRQFOX
VLRQ2Q0D\YRWH\HVRQ,QLWLD
WLYH
Damon Olson
Mt. Vernon
Forest partners and
commission have
same mission
To the Editor:
7KLV OHWWHU LV LQ UHVSRQVH WR
)UDQFHV 3UHVWRQ¶V OHWWHU SXEOLVKHG
0DUFKLQWKH(DJOH
0V3UHVWRQ,¶YHEHHQZLWK%OXH
0RXQWDLQV )RUHVW 3DUWQHUV %0)3
VLQFH , EHFDPH LWV H[HFXWLYH
GLUHFWRUDSDLGSRVLWLRQODVW0DUFK
My BMFP work does not include
UXQQLQJ IRU SXEOLF RI¿FH 1R RQH
outside the county supports my cam-
SDLJQ
7KH PDMRULW\ RI %0)3 YRWLQJ
PHPEHUV DUH ORFDO DQG LQFOXGH
ranchers, loggers, mill operators and
LQWHUHVWHG FRPPXQLW\ PHPEHUV ²
HYHQ VRPH 3XEOLF )RUHVW &RPPLV
VLRQ3)&PHPEHUV)RUHVW6HUYLFH
and other agency staff regularly par-
WLFLSDWH LQ RXU PHHWLQJV EXW QRW DV
YRWLQJPHPEHUV
BMFP and PFC are hardly “po-
ODU RSSRVLWHV´ 7KH\ KDYH WKH VDPH
IRFXV SXEOLF ODQG PDQDJHPHQW LQ
*UDQW&RXQW\$QGWKHVDPHPLVVLRQ
creating healthy forests and strong
FRPPXQLWLHVLQ*UDQW&RXQW\
BMFP and PFC do approach their
ZRUN GLIIHUHQWO\ WKRXJK %0)3 UH
spects the efforts of Malheur National
Forest staff who live in this coun-
W\ DQG ZRUN KDUG WR PDNH LW EHWWHU
BMFP is also solution oriented and
EHOLHYHV LW LV VPDUWHU DQG PRUH HI
fective to work with the Forest Ser-
vice and other interested parties even
WKRXJKZHVRPHWLPHVGLVDJUHHDERXW
WKHEHVWZD\WRPRYHIRUZDUG3)&
doesn’t have the same respect for the
Forest Service, and its approach to
SXEOLFODQGPDQDJHPHQWLVDGYHUVDU
LDO
And that is the important dif-
IHUHQFH :RUNLQJ ZLWK FRPPXQLW\
PHPEHUV DQG +DUQH\ &RXQW\ 5HV
WRUDWLRQ &ROODERUDWLYH %0)3 KDV
helped the Malheur increase the pace
DQGVFDOHRILWVUHVWRUDWLRQZRUNEH
yond what is happening on any other
1DWLRQDO )RUHVW LQ WKH QDWLRQ 7KLV
has resulted in healthier forests, a
WKUHHIROG LQFUHDVH LQ WLPEHU KDUYHVW
with more logs for area mills, reduced
XQHPSOR\PHQW KLJKHU VWXGHQW ERG\
enrollments in some school districts
and new interest in forest-related in-
YHVWPHQWVE\RXWVLGHHQWLWLHV%0)3
is helping make good things happen
LQ*UDQW&RXQW\
BMFP’s approach to creating
healthy forests and strong commu-
QLWLHVLVZRUNLQJ3)&¶VDSSURDFKWR
creating healthy forests and strong
FRPPXQLWLHVLVQRWZRUNLQJ,IHOHFW
ed, my intent is to help make PFC an
DVVHWWRWKHFRXQW\
Mark Webb
Mt Vernon