A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
In search for
compromise,
Gov. Brown
must lead
G
ov. Kate Brown faces a
legacy-defining choice
as the 2017 Legislature
enters its final weeks: Will
she put the good of Oregon
ahead of her quest for re-
election next year?
The answer matters deeply
for Oregonians. For this
year’s legislative session to
succeed, Brown must stand
up to public-employee unions
and their allies.
The unions and some
Democrats on the left seem so
insistent on getting their own
way that they would rather
sink the ship of state than
accommodate reasonable,
meaningful compromise. The
difficulty for Brown is that
she counts on their money and
grass-roots activism for her
2018 election campaign, to
which she already is devoting
considerable time.
At stake in 2017 are
statewide transportation
improvements, taxes, and
cost savings in the Public
Employees Retirement System
and other areas.
As Scappoose Sen.
Betsy Johnson, a moderate
Democrat, and other veteran
legislators have noted, this
year’s big issues appear far
more intertwined than in the
past.
That makes it easier for any
interest group or partisan bloc
to thwart progress everywhere
if they don’t get their way in
one area.
The latest example is
the Service Employees
International Union’s threat
to overturn the Legislature’s
transportation-infrastructure
package, which has been a
priority for Democrats and
Republicans alike, unless
legislators pass a suitable tax
package to help schools and
human services.
This is last fall’s ballot
fight being replayed. In the
aftermath of its decisive but
divisive defeat of Ballot
Measure 97, the business
community has been unable
to coalesce and work with
unions on an alternative. As
a result, SEIU, the Oregon
Education Association and
their allies are continuing
their push to dramatically
increase business taxes.
The SEIU contends that
Oregon should increase
revenue for schools and
human services before
raising taxes and fees for
transportation projects. That
is a rational viewpoint. But
it would be irrational to fight
the transportation package
at the ballot box — as the
SEIU said it might do — if its
preferred revenue plan fails in
the Legislature.
The Democratic majority
in the Legislature needs
Republican votes to pass any
tax package.
Republicans want
meaningful cost savings,
including PERS reforms
beyond the meager proposal
unveiled last week.
Republicans, especially
in the Senate, are steadfast
against the unions’ preferred
gross receipts tax — a
commercial activity tax — to
replace Oregon’s existing
corporate income tax. That
plan would create such
winners and losers that some
companies could see their tax
bills triple.
Centrist legislators are
floating an alternative that
deserves consideration:
Temporarily raise corporate
and personal income taxes to
deal with the state’s budget
hole.
That is not a long-term
solution to Oregon’s unstable,
unpredictable tax system.
But neither is it a wrong-
way trip into the unintended
tax consequences of a new
business tax that, even if it is
doable, needs far more work.
Brown endorsed the
transportation package this
week. That is a welcome step
but by itself an inadequate
one. Oregonians need her
to campaign not for re-
election but for a worthwhile
transportation package,
meaningful PERS reforms and
pragmatic tax decisions.
Success will require
passion, persuasiveness and
willingness to defy her past
allies.
F ARMER ’ S F ATE
My bonbon life
By Brianna Walker
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
“Boy, what a life you have!” the
woman remarked.
I put the cap back on the sy-
ringe, and stuck it into the pocket
on my coveralls. “Yep,” I replied, “I
wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
The woman nodded her head, “I
mean, really, you are lucky, because
you have more time than most peo-
ple do.”
“More time?” I suddenly real-
ized where she was going with this.
“I thought we all had the same allot-
ted 24 hours?”
“Oh you know what I mean,”
she said.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Well, you don’t have to go
to work,” she said exasperatedly,
“which gives you time that most
people don’t have. Time that allows
you to do crafts and projects or just
whatever you want to do. Most peo-
ple don’t have that, you know.”
I smiled a fake smile, “Well,
speaking of time, I need to get back
to vaccinating these sheep.”
“Yeah, I need to get some stuff
taken care of too,” she smiled. “Af-
ter all, some of us have to work for
a living!”
It was a beautiful day to work the
animals. I kicked the mud off my
Muck boots as I climbed back over
the rickety fence. I really should fi x
that thing, I mumbled to myself.
Good thing I have all the time in the
world to do it.
So in all my free time — in be-
tween
watching
soaps and eating
bonbons — I de-
cided to write up
a bonbon recipe
for all the women
in agriculture that
Brianna
“are really lucky”
Walker
because they have
“more time than
most people do.”
My bonbon recipe
• Start with coffee. This is an im-
portant fi rst step.
• Mix in something for breakfast.
You can substitute coffee for this
step if you choose.
• Brush your teeth. You can use
coffee for this step as well. This is
known as multi-tasking.
• The fuel fi lter on the tractor is
back ordered, and the battery on the
ATV is dead, so you pack hay to the
animals by hand.
• Read the “to do” list you made
last night and start on the fi rst one.
• Before you complete the fi rst
item on your list, answer the phone
to discover another tractor has bro-
ken down and the closest part is
three hours away.
• Drink another cup of coffee.
It’s going to be a long day. (Good
thing farmers have more time than
most people).
• Load up the kids. Bring their
schoolwork along — may as well
get their reading done on the drive.
• Six hours later, part in hand, it’s
time to fi nd some food for lunch.
• Gourmet, home-cooked, all
natural sounds great, but everyone’s
stomachs are growling, and the “to
do” list hasn’t even been started
on. So gourmet soup out of a can
works. And coffee.
• Finally ready to climb in the
tractor, where you will disc and
play fl ash cards with the kids — at
least until it’s too dark in the cab to
see what 9x3 is.
• Upon arriving home, feed the
animals, feed the kids, restart the
washing machine (maybe if you’re
lucky you’ll get it in the dryer this
time).
• Make another “to do” list for
tomorrow. Basically, just add a few
more things to your existing list —
as you never even checked off the
fi rst item. If you can, set your coffee
pot for the next morning. A rancher
friend once told me the reason she
drinks so much coffee is because
she’s too poor to buy alcohol.
• Sit down to pay bills and hear
a loud commotion outside. There
are sheep prancing on porch, which
awakened the cats, which awakened
the rooster, which awakened the
hound — insert phone call — which
has now awakened the neighbors.
• Drink coffee, sleep when you
can, repeat every day. Slight varia-
tions may occur in different eleva-
tions, seasons or the type of agricul-
ture you fi nd yourself in.
The woman was right about one
thing, though. I wouldn’t know
what to do with a 40 hour work
week.
Forget 9-5. Farmers and ranch-
ers prefer 5-life.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Access to
public lands
To the Editor:
“Access,” as defi ned by Webster,
is: approach, admittance, admission
or accessibility. The issue of access
keeps raising its head. Access to
our public lands by existing roads
and trails. Public lands, not Forest
Service lands or BLM lands. These
agencies have no lands. They are
public servants hired to care for
public lands consistent with local
county land use plans and policies.
The Federal Land Management and
Policy Act, section 202(c)(9), re-
quires this.
Let’s hear the conclusion of this
matter. Grant County Ordinance
2013-01 states: all roads, trails,
stock driveways and byways across
public lands in Grant County...shall
remain open...unless otherwise au-
thorized for closure by the Grant
County Court and the Grant Coun-
ty sheriff. I ask the Grant County
Court to see that these public em-
ployees adhere to their own creed of
“caring for the land and serving the
people.”
Michael R. Christensen
John Day
L
Blue Mountain
USPS 226-340
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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 ongcreek.
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.gover-
nor.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).
• State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario (District: 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.tedferri-
oli@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 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switchboard: 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, Port-
land, 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 Long-
worth Building, Washington 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.
• Pending Bills: For information on bills in Congress, Phone:
202-225-1772.