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