A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Transparency
loses with
Gov. Brown,
Legislature
W
ho owns government
information —
citizens, or the public
employees our taxes pay to
produce it?
Oregon continues to struggle
with this issue . Lawmakers
have twice failed to pass
legislation that would set
limits on the time and fees
for responding to public
records requests. And groups
that shape state policies and
laws, including political party
caucuses and work groups
that advise the governor and
Legislature, routinely meet in
secret.
Gov. Kate Brown succeeded
in some small efforts directed
at situations arising from the
Kitzhaber/Hayes scandal. But
more meaningful improvements
have died on the vine.
A legislative leader told
our Capital Bureau reporters
that a key reform stalled this
year because city and county
governments opposed deadlines
and fee limits in the bill.
It is always possible to
fi nd examples of gadfl ies
stretching open-records laws
by making overly broad
or burdensome requests.
However, the American system
of government deliberately
vests the news media and
citizen activists with a large
role in making certain the
public knows what civil
servants are doing and saying.
Inconvenience and expense
are never valid excuses when
an agency fails to live up to
fundamental expectations.
The rise of email — and
a trend of government
employees and elected leaders
using personal accounts to
conduct what is supposed to
be public business — makes
it particularly important that
transparency laws keep up
with changing technology. It is
reasonable to require offi cials
to promptly submit such emails
for offi cial archiving.
Beyond the issue of
government documents in all
formats, some public entities in
Oregon routinely shut the press
and public out of meetings, or
fail to publicize them. This is
never acceptable.
Oregon prides itself on
strong adherence to democratic
principles. Our leaders must
do much better at living up to
these aspirations.
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@cityofl 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.
Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes
Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised
Statutes).
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
• State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario (Dis-
trict: 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.
• State Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R — (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.
• The White House, 1600 Pennsylva-
nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500;
Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch-
board: 202-456-1414.
• U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 Hart
Senate Offi 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.
• U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D — 313 Hart
Senate Offi ce Building, Washington D.C.
20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email:
senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202-
228-3997. Oregon offi 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.
• U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R — (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 offi ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112,
Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646.
Fax: 541-779-0204.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Why protest
educational meeting?
To the Editor:
Feb. 22 at the Mt. Vernon
Grange, an interesting col-
lege-type class on range history
and use was presented by Angus
McIntosh, Ph.D., who is a pro-
fessor and author at New Mexico
State University.
Sixty-five local people lis-
tened to one of the few individ-
uals that is certified as an expert
on range issues able to testify in
federal court cases. It was an ed-
ucation class on early range use
from Spanish land grants, through
the first western states, up to the
current (Bureau of Land Manage-
ment) and (Forest Service) regu-
lations concerning grazing.
It was an enlightened evening
only marred by Judy Schuette
and several others that paraded
on the shoulder of the highway
with “protest” signs. Schuette’s
sign said, “Militias Threaten,
Intimidate,” and another placard
declared, “Obey the Law.”
What the nonsensical signs
had to do with the educational
meeting was a mystery. Those
attending concluded the people
were just ignorant and morphed
from being “protesters” with a
cause to simply being “crack-
pots.”
Tad Houpt
Canyon City
Faithful support for
Hammonds
and Bundys
To the Editor:
Better late than never. Aren’t
life’s punches fun? This snow
goose needs a good polar bear
thump about every five years to
keep this man humble.
I lend my faithful support be-
hind the Hammonds and Bundys
and a hearty thank you to Ms.
Odalis Sharp and her children,
who sang beautifully and lowered
my blood pressure as I sat quietly
at the machine the night of a trag-
edy in our own neighborhood. I
pray that Christians in ours and
Harney County saw fit to wel-
come Ms. Sharp and the riders
from various states (the law abid-
ing ones not disrupting the field
station, birders, wetlands or Pai-
ute culture).
I pray she and others made it
onward and upward to wherever
God intends them next (perhaps
to Klamath country to rally be-
hind farmers — while respecting
Klamath Indian and Modoc cul-
tural sites).
I hear good things are hap-
pening there, but it’s not heav-
en ’til heaven, and even if Chi-
nook salmon, lamprey, steelhead
and Lost River suckers all reach
their historic ranges and thrive,
there will be tensions on dry
years — ditches to clear, weeds
to pull and burn, fences to mend,
conveyance pipes to repair and
biological opinions to adhere
to.
I agree with Mr. Lent’s com-
ment about the militia’s right
to be in Oregon. (Minas Tirith
[Gondor] is going to need assis-
tance from Helm’s Deep and all
Rohirrim in our fight against the
ensuing storm of goblins and orcs
[violent gangs and drug cartels],
Southrons and the Haradrim [de-
ceived occupiers, confused en-
vironmentalists — including the
Monkey Wrench Gang], Nazgul,
Angmar, Sauron [Muslim broth-
erhood, Islamic State terrorists,
other dark forces]).
I do not agree with his com-
ment about the FBI being 100
percent tainted as they do still
have a majority of solid storm
troopers.
I agree partially with Mr.
Mead except to comment that
things are more dire today than
when professor Leopold roamed
our great land and when Annie
Dillard wrote about that vile cat,
Osage orange and Tinker Creek
while that giant waterbug slurped
bullfrog guts and Miss America
ate apple pie and enjoyed base-
ball on lazy Sunday afternoons.
Scott Cotter
John Day
Public servant
protects the rights
usurped by
the government
To the Editor:
Let’s see if I have this right. We
have an elected public servant who
has openly stated that he will pro-
tect our rights, even and especially
from the federal government’s en-
croachment.
And that makes us — angry?
Seriously?
Krista Griffi n
John Day
Healthier forests
and stronger
communities
To the Editor:
Ms. Preston, I encourage you
to read last week’s well-written
article, “Restoring the Forest.”
It describes how informed com-
munity involvement and collabo-
ration has significantly increased
federal investment on the Mal-
heur (National Forest) and result-
ed in healthier forests and stron-
ger communities.
The Public Forest Commission
(PFC) isn’t mentioned because it
hasn’t participated in this effort
or contributed to its success.
I cautioned PFC against sup-
porting the “Grant County, Or-
egon Public Lands Natural Re-
sources Plan” because it’s illegal
(not to mention a striking exam-
ple of government overreach). I
challenged putting it on the bal-
lot because doing so would be
unconstitutional.
As you know, Circuit Court
agreed and ordered it removed.
Grant County is better off as a
result.
Mark Webb
Mt. Vernon
Questions for sheriff
detractors
To the Editor:
Foundation of all government
must be truth and full disclosure
to the people — which, through
ignorance or conspiracy, is not
now the case. If any “judge” or
alleged officer of Oregon tells a
lie or refuses to answer a ques-
tion, they, not Sheriff (Glenn)
Palmer, must be prosecuted for
crimes against the people. There-
fore, the detractors of Sheriff
Palmer must answer:
Q1. Who owns the laws of
the fictional “this state,” ORS
131.205, and “in this state,” ORS
323.010, and do those laws have
anything to do with the Grant
County created in 1864, its cre-
ator, the 33rd union state of Ore-
gon and their 1:2:1-3 (1787 Con-
stitution for the United States of
America) people, citizens and
free persons?
Q2. Are the detractors of Sher-
iff Palmer allegedly granted pow-
er to bring false claims against
him via ORS 9.528?
Q3. Have the detractors of
Sheriff Palmer taken the Arti-
cle 6 Oath of said 1787 Consti-
tution and is their Grant County
and state of Oregon the Grant
County created in 1864 and its
creator, the 33rd union state of
Oregon?
Q4. Have the detractors of
Sheriff Palmer brought claims
against him, the living man on
the land, or only against Sheriff
Palmer, a US Trust in the Buck
Act state of “OR”?
Consequently, aforesaid ques-
tions going unanswered by igno-
rant county commissioners (that
answer to the bar) and fake bar
“judges,” the only gaff commit-
ted by Sheriff Palmer is his hir-
ing a bar associate as counsel,
which is a contract into the evil
sham of this state and in this
state.
The solution is for the people
to demand answers to aforesaid
and resume original 1859 and
1864 governments by county
charter when the impostors fail to
answer.
Hank Albertson
Lakeview
L
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195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
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