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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2017)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, May 24, 2017 Land sales have big impact on ag economy T here’s more to an agricultural land sale than a willing buyer and a willing seller. A farm or ranch changing hands can impact neighbors and the local economy almost as much as the parties directly involved. That’s why when ag land goes up for sale it’s a big deal — far more important than just dollars and cents. The price of exclusive farm use land — a designation used by the state to identify the best ag land — has skyrocketed in recent years as it changed hands. Some remained orchards, vineyards, farms or ranchland, but other tracts were taken out of production for a variety of purposes including conservation, recreation and even a state park. In each case, the sale can have a profound impact. Some examples: • Neighboring farmers and ranchers see the price of expansion increasing, potentially beyond their means. At the same time, the comparable value of their land continues to grow, impacting their fi nances. • The area where the state purchased ranchland for conversion to a state park has seen mixed impacts. Neighbors have seen the pool of grazing land shrink, but nearby towns have seen the number of visitors increase. Overall, the biggest impact is when land is taken out of production. Because agricultural land is more than real estate, buyers and sellers need to take the local economy into account. For example, taking vast swaths of ranchland out of production will impact other ranchers and their ability to graze livestock. If livestock is no longer raised, that will impact the economy. Equipment will no long be bought or serviced in nearby towns. Seed and fertilizer dealers will see the number of customers shrink. Cattle will no longer go to market, impacting livestock auctions. Considering that the average age of farmers across the West is about 60, what happens when agricultural land changes hands takes on added importance. Whether land stays in the family or is sold to absentee landowners, how it is used profoundly impacts the region. Overall, the best case scenario is the land will remain in agriculture, supporting ranchers, farmers and the economy. Whether, or how, that can be mandated will remain a continuing debate across the West. G UEST C OMMENT Courage, honor, sacrifi ce By Cameron Smith To the Blue Mountain Eagle Memorial Day is a holiday root- ed in tradition. Every year, thou- sands of Oregonians participate in ceremonies, parades and other sol- emn events. But long before the fi rst Memorial Day processions wound their way down city streets, long before dignitaries across the country took to podiums to honor service and sacrifi ce, the holiday started, infor- mally, with a much simpler tradition: the laying of fl owers upon the grave of a fallen service member. It was in the wake of the Amer- ican Civil War that communities began the practice of decorating sol- diers’ graves with fl owers. This mili- tary family and community tradition was later formalized as a national day of honor in Decoration Day, and what we now call Memorial Day. In 1866, no family or communi- ty was untouched by the Civil War. America’s bloodiest confl ict result- ed in over 1 million casualties and claimed over 620,000 lives. The im- pacts of the war were intensely and personally felt across the nation. Today, over 320,000 veterans call Oregon home. We are a strong and diverse community, spanning four gen- erations across fi ve major wars. With every veteran count- ed, we must also recognize the sacri- Cameron fi ce of their spouses Smith and families, who served on the home front while their loved ones were in uniform. At the same time, we must ac- knowledge that today’s battles are fought by less than 1 percent of our population. The weight of the most recent confl icts in Iraq and Afghani- stan has been borne by the few. Most of our citizens today have not been directly impacted by war. The same cannot be said for our Gold Star families, who have lost a loved one in service to our nation. We can never forget the true cost of war — a cost far beyond dollars and cents. A hundred years ago, in World War I, we lost over 115,000 dedicated service members — al- most 1,000 of whom were from Oregon. Those who survived the battlefi elds in Europe did not come home to a robust system of veterans’ health care and benefi ts. But they banded together in service organiza- tions and fought to advocate for the nationwide network of support we have today. Across the ages, from the beach- es of Normandy and the Pacifi c is- lands to the mountains and jungles in Asia, countless Americans have stood up to serve and have laid down their lives. At the most basic level, they fought to protect the one on their right and the one on their left, but ultimately their fi ght protects us all and preserves the values we hold dear. This Memorial Day, as we kick off the start of summer and turn to enjoy Oregon’s incredible parks, beaches, rivers and mountains, we must encourage all citizens to pause and honor our fallen and Gold Star families. We stand on the shoulders of all those who came before us and will never forget our veterans’ ser- vice, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifi ce. Thank you for your support of Oregon’s military, veterans and their families! Cameron Smith served three tours in Iraq as a Marine and is the director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs. F INANCIAL PLANNING Mom and dad, did you cover everything? By JJ Montanaro To the Blue Mountain Eagle 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. It’s the American coming- of-age: After high school grad- uation, proud parents send their kids off to college, the service or the wider world, with one simple instruction: Go figure it out. “Johnny, Jane: At long last, it’s time to start thinking about your values, your beliefs, your work ethic. Finally, you can be- gin to explore life’s most import- ant truths.” Not! Good parents just don’t do that. We spend years nurtur- ing and preparing our chil- dren, cultivating the qualities they will need to be success- ful, productive, happy human beings. Too often, though, we forget about preparing them in a cru- cial area that will have lifelong effects: personal finance. How much time do we spend teaching kids about money and how to use it wisely? Do we think they’ll just figure it out once they leave home? A reader recently shared her success story. She focused on teaching her son about finances, helping him learn about making smart choices. Now, years later, her son and daughter-in-law have a beautiful home, no credit card debt, robust TSP accounts and a solid financial foundation. Their good position didn’t come by ac- cident; it came from sound finan- cial training that began during childhood and has continued over the years. Here are five lesson plans that I hope you’ll consider building into your effort to help equip your kids with the financial tools they’ll need to be successful: 1. Differentiating needs from wants. Understanding the differ- ence – and knowing to satisfy the former before the latter – will prove essential in day-to-day fi- nancial decisions. 2. Avoid falling victim to peer pressure. You’ve certainly hit on this as it relates to other ar- eas of your kids’ lives – drugs, alcohol and the like, but there’s also a money slant to it. Wheth- er it’s buying the latest gad- gets, a slick vehicle or trendy fashions, kids shouldn’t blindly follow the herd into financial problems. 3. Capitalizing on the pow- er of time. Time and compound returns are your child’s best fi- nancial friend. Make sure they know it. Matching what they save, setting up a Roth IRA with their part-time employment in- come and sharing your own experiences with long-term in- vesting can help drive home this message. 4. Make saving and investing a priority. There’s not a right or wrong here, but they are differ- ent and there’s probably a place for both in their financial life. It’s important to create savings for short-term goals and emergencies and invest money for longer-term plans like retirement and, here’s the kicker, not only with what’s left over at the end of the month. 5. Understand the rules of the credit game. Credit can be a useful financial tool and a dan- gerous temptation. How our kids manage it can affect them in a lot of different areas. Getting a job, renting or buying a house, insur- ing a car, receiving government security clearance or being ap- proved for a competitive loan are all examples of where effectively managing credit can yield posi- tive results. Outfit your kids with the tools they need to succeed. And re- member, the parenting doesn’t stop after their initial venture into adulthood. It’s a lifelong en- deavor. The good news: If your kids are like mine, the older they get, the more receptive they become. JJ Montanaro is a certified financial planner with USAA Military Affairs. This article was published in the American Legion Magazine April 2017 and was re- published with permission. L etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. We must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244. 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 ........ C AITLIN B ROOKS , CAITLIN @ BMEAGLE . 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