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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2016)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, July 6, 2016 Congress makes the law, the president enforces the law T he Supreme Court upheld the separation of powers as provided by the Constitution, ending President Barack Obama’s attempt to change immigration law by fiat. Driven by crushing poverty, illegal immigrants have flooded across the border. They have found ready employment, filling vital but tiring manual labor jobs Americans shun. But they have placed strains on public education, healthcare and law enforcement. Late in 2014, the president issued executive orders temporarily lifting the threat of deportation for as many as 5 million illegal immigrants who have been in the country for five years and who have children born in the United States, and to children brought here by their parents prior to Jan. 1, 2010. His orders also granted these immigrants temporary legal status and work permits. Twenty-six states sued, alleging the action violated the president’s constitutional duty to faithfully execute laws passed by Congress, and had not been carried out in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. The district court in Texas and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed. On a 4-4 vote due to the death this year of Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court leaves in place the ruling by the federal appeals court in New Orleans. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress sole power to “establish a uniform rule of naturalization.” Congress has enacted laws that outline the process for immigrants to be granted legal status in the United States. In granting illegal immigrants temporary legal status and work permits contrary to those laws, the president exceeded his constitutional authority. We concede the president and his law enforcement agencies have great prosecutorial discretion in pressing deportation cases, even if applying such discretion so broadly stretches the common exercise of the authority. We could argue that we have 12 million illegal immigrants and all the issues inherent in their presence in large part because presidents of both parties have not, for a variety of reasons practical and political, fully enforced existing law. While the president can within legal boundaries enforce laws as he sees fit, he cannot make or change those laws. That’s the job of Congress. And for the sake of this exercise, it matters not that Congress has failed to address these issues with changes to existing law despite nearly universal dissatisfaction with the status quo. This ruling set no national precedent and changes nothing in practical terms. Few illegal immigrants outside those convicted of felonies will be repatriated. The millions who, armed with fake papers, hold jobs and live quietly will continue to do so in the shadows without legal status. As we’ve said, the law should be changed to provide a pathway to permanent residency, but not citizenship, to deserving illegal immigrants living and working in the United States who meet strict requirements. But whether we let illegal immigrants stay or force them to go, in the end it is most important that we do so under laws passed by Congress and enforced by the executive branch. USPS 226-340 Blue Mountain EAGLE Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper Email: www.MyEagleNews.com John Day, Oregon Phone: 541-575-0710 MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR A DMINISTRATIVE 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 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 and additional mailing offi ces. 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 F ARMER ’ S F ATE Denver Joe’s baby buffalo By Briannna Walker For the Blue Mountain Eagle I squinted hard and could barely make out the “5” on the clock’s little hand. I rubbed my blurry eyes. What was that noise, that very loud noise, a deafening, earth shaking noise — then I woke up enough to recognize the phone. THE PHONE? Suddenly I was wide awake. What was wrong? Who was call- ing? Was there an accident? Did an animal get out? Get hit? My sleeping brain went into over- drive with horrible, tragic, wild thoughts. Then my husband mouthed the words: “Every- thing’s fine. It’s just my brother. Go back to bed.” I lay back down, my heart still racing and adrenaline surg- ing. I was awake. And not be- cause of a new baby, or the cats fighting, or a problem with the sheep. No, I was awake because my brother-in-law forgot about the time difference between Colora- do and Oregon. “A buffalo?” my husband exclaimed, eliminating the last chance I had at sleeping. I couldn’t help but listen to his side of the conver- sation. “Why would you buy a buffa- lo?” “Because your dog died?” Brianna “You thought Walker you’d replace your Lab with a buffa- lo?” “But you live in Denver! What would you do with it?” “Put it in your backyard?” “A city ordinance, huh?” “Only a goat, no other farm animals?” “Huh, imagine that — not be- ing able to have buffalo in your tiny backyard in Denver?” “It’s just a baby? You KNOW what babies do, don’t you?” “Oh, but it was at an auction.” “Oh, yes, of course, I get it. You HAD to bid on it — the buf- falo being at an auction and all.” “$900 seems a great price for a baby buffalo, to replace your Lab that died, that you can’t put in your tiny back- yard because of a city ordi- nance, in the small rural town of DENVER!” By now, I’m holding my sides from laughter. I’m not much of a morning person, but this was worth waking up for. “You want me to take it?” “What would I do with a buf- falo?” “I stand corrected, ‘baby’ buf- falo?” “Just feed it and bury it when it dies?” “Oh, well that’s making much more sense. Bid on a buf- falo to replace your pet, to send to your brother who lives 16 hours away, so we can feed it, and care for it and bury it when it dies. And since the buffa- lo is 16 hours away from you, so it can’t greet you when you come home, and you can’t take it for walks (in your small rural community), you’ll just get an- other dog to replace the absent buffalo, that you bought to re- place your old lab.” “Only you!” He lost the bid later that day, and no buffalo arrived, baby or otherwise — but I started thinking about maybe auction- ing off my barren goat. Af- ter all, goats meet Denver city ordinances. Brianna Walker occasion- ally writes about the Farmer’s Fate for the Blue Mountain Eagle. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR ‘We, too, stand with Todd McKinley’ To the Editor: We would like to offer a round of applause to Dan Maynard of John Day who wrote a letter to the Blue Mountain Eagle editor last week. His letter, “We need a new sheriff,” was well written and articulate. We sincerely hope that every citizen of Grant County will read his letter. Like Mr. May- nard, we, too, believe in honesty, integrity and the need for com- mon sense and competence in the office of our county sheriff. We, too, stand with Todd McKinley, and we encourage every citizen to get to know Todd between now and the election this fall. You will undoubtedly see these qualities in Mr. McKinley. Roy and Kris Beal Mt. Vernon Commissioner Britton should remain in offi ce To the Editor: We are facing another recall petition. The recall process is an important tool in our democratic society, but it can be abused and used for personal agendas. Boyd Britton has dedicated his time in office traveling thousands of miles to meetings from the east coast to the west, meeting with government officials and organi- zations to further the interests of Grant County. I commend him for his efforts. I may not agree with everything he or the court decides, but then I don’t agree with every- thing my best friend says either. In a population of our size, it will be hard to find an individu- al willing to commit to a task as complex as a public office who does not have a potential conflict of interest. If potential conflict of interest were a factor in an elec- tion, we would have no one to fill a public office. The turnout rate for recall vot- ing in Grant County is small com- pared to a regular election. That small voting block is making a big decision that effects everyone in our county. Julie Carr in her recall petition speaks of the “overwhelming con- tinued request by the majority of his constituents” who wanted the court to investigate the Canyon Creek Complex fi re. Grant County has over 7,400 people. A “majority” would be over 3,700 people. I was not polled, and I doubt 3,700 people were polled regarding any investi- gation. Forest Supervisor Steve Bever- lin’s report on the fi re was informa- tive and comprehensive. I applaud the court for their decision to not proceed with an independent inves- tigation. No elected offi cial will please everyone. They do not all please me. Boyd has worked as hard as any on our behalf and should remain in offi ce for the duration of his term. Eva Harris Canyon City Vote no on Britton recall To the Editor: On June 26, one day before the deadline to fi le, the signature-gath- erer we have all seen at various lo- cations around the county was set up on a side street in Prairie City. Baffl ed by the drive to recall Coun- ty Commissioner Boyd Britton, I took the opportunity to question her in depth. Here is what I learned: 1) Since the reasons for recall are expressed in broad terms, I asked if she could detail specifi cally even one instance in which Commission- er Britton had failed to perform his duties. She admitted she could not. 2) Then why work so hard to see him recalled? She stated she had nothing against Commissioner Brit- ton personally, but if her group tried to recall the whole County Court at once, the governor would step in and appoint replacements. 3) I asked who her “group” was. She stated, “The Committee of Correspondence.” The same Com- mittee of Correspondence, I asked, organized by Michael Emry, the self-proclaimed “Voice of Grant County” from Idaho, the Michael Emry who was camped at our coun- ty fairgrounds with a stolen ma- chine gun under the bed of his RV, arrested by the FBI, now awaiting trial on federal weapons charges? The committee established by this same Michael Emry from the armed militia takeover of Malheur Refuge, who told me himself that Jim Sproul and Tad Houpt had invited him to Grant County? Yes, she confi rmed, that committee, although since Em- ry’s arrest they were regrouping un- der another name. By the time this letter is pub- lished, we will know whether this group has gathered enough legit- imate signatures to advance their agenda via the expense and disrup- tion of a special election. Voters already elected Boyd Britton in the last general election. If a vacan- cy is created, the remaining two members of the County Court will appoint a replacement, someone the voters will not have the opportunity to choose. Citizens, voters, don’t sit idly by. Stop this divisive, deceptive movement while there is still time. If there is a recall election, vote no. Vote in big numbers, while your vote still means something. Lynn Larssen Seneca ‘A welcome wagon for criminals’ To the Editor: Michael Emry, who glowingly praised Sheriff Palmer, moved from Idaho to Grant County, illegally possessing a .50-caliber machine gun, which he stole from his Idaho employer. Emry is arrested, and two of Palmer’s Grant County deputies write letters of support after his ar- rest. Palmer’s Grant County deputies are a welcome wagon for criminals. Brian McDonough New Boston, New Hampshire
