The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current, August 23, 2017, Image 4

The Blue Mountain eagle., August 23, 2017, Page A4, Image 4

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Newspaper Page TextA4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, August 23, 2017 Privatizing BPA bad for Northwest R ick Perry, the former Texas governor with aspirations for the presidency and now head of the Department of Energy, visited Eastern Oregon recently. Perry stopped at McNary Dam and toured the Bonneville Power Administration transmission facility operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That tour was off limits to reporters, but Perry was joined by congressmen Greg Walden (R-Oregon) and Dan Newhouse (R-Washington), when they briefly addressed the press outside the dam. Perry said hydroelectricity will continue to play an important role in America’s energy strategy, even though the Trump administration has proposed selling off the BPA to private energy companies. Northwest lawmakers — including Walden and Newhouse — have roundly criticized that plan, saying it will raise rates for consumers and affect reliability in rural areas. Yet Perry was mum when asked where he stood on the issue, saying only that they should not be afraid to have that conversation. There’s no need to be afraid, and in fact the Northwest has been having that discussion for decades. We’ve thought about it and argued about it, and lawmakers of both political parties now agree that privatizing the BPA is a bad idea. To new minds in Washington, D.C., the short-term windfall of a selloff has them salivating. But those of us who have to live with the result — not just for a political term — know that in the long run, the BPA must remain as is. G UEST C OMMENT Eclipse visitors underscore need to address deferred maintenance at Fossil Beds By Jim Hammett To the Blue Mountain Eagle We are lucky for all of the ben- eﬁ ts the John Day Fossil Beds Na- tional Monument brings to our local communities, offering an amazing natural wonder that enriches our local economy. To protect this trea- sure, particularly after the inﬂ ux of visitors for the solar eclipse, it is crit- ical that we ﬁ x our national parks. I worked in the National Park System for over 40 years, 19 of which as superintendent of John Day Fossil Beds. Its beauty and geological signiﬁ cance make it truly one of a kind. In 2016, over 200,000 visitors to the park were able to see that for themselves. The number of visitors is expected to skyrocket in 2017 thanks, in no small part, to the solar eclipse. Estimates are that the Fossil Beds welcomed roughly 50,000 visitors for the eclipse. Keeping the Fossil Beds safe and accessible for the regular volume of visitors is a challenge. The inﬂ ux of 50,000 visitors over the eclipse weekend challenged the park’s facilities and infrastructure to keep up and should serve as a reminder about the im- portance of ensuring our National Monument and the National Park System as a whole have the resourc- es necessary to keep up the mainte- nance and repairs that allow hikers, scientists and eclipse watchers alike to enjoy the Fossil Beds. Years of underfunding from Congress, an increase in visitation and normal infrastructure aging have left John Day Fossil Beds with a backlog of $1,565,383 of neces- sary repairs. We have a responsibility to preserve the Fossil Beds for fu- ture generations. We also have a responsibility to today’s area res- idents and businesses who beneﬁ t economically from the tourism gen- erated by the Fossil Beds. In 2016, visitors spent an estimated $10 million in local communities while visiting John Day Fossil Beds Na- tional Monument and those dollars supported 153 local jobs. For those local communities and businesses supported by the Monument, it is important to ensure that the John Day Fossil Beds are able to con- tinue offering a quality experience that entices visitors to return to our community. Living here, we know that once those 50,000 visitors learn what a special place this is, they’ll want to return. It is also important to understand the enormity of this issue to the en- tire National Park System. There is over $11.3 billion worth of deferred maintenance projects across the Na- tional Park System and over $105 million worth of backlogged proj- ects here in Oregon alone. To help address the backlog is- sue, Sens. Warner (D-Virginia) and Portman (R-Ohio) and Representa- tives Hurd (R-Texas) and Kilmer (D-Washington) introduced bipar- tisan legislation, H.R. 2584 or the National Park Service Legacy Act. This legislation would provide ded- icated federal funds annually to ad- dress park maintenance needs. As a result, the National Park Service would be able to preserve our na- tion’s most signiﬁ cant natural and cultural treasures like John Day Fossil Beds. I hope that Oregon’s congressio- nal delegation will show their sup- port for our national parks both here in their home state and throughout the country by cosponsoring the Legacy Act. The 50,000 eclipse watchers that came to the Fossil Beds are a tes- tament to the popularity of our Na- tional Parks System. Protecting our parks means protecting our econ- omy, our recreation opportunities, and our state’s natural heritage. We cannot allow this growing backlog to cast a shadow over our national parks. It is time to act. Jim Hammet was superintendent of the John Day Fossil Beds Nation- al Monument for 19 years before re- tiring four years ago. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR 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). • State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario (Dis- Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY 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. Confederate Flag a symbol of white supremacy To the Editor: Since hearing about the recent violence in Charlottesville and seeing the images of hate and de- struction surrounded by the tokens of white supremacy, I can’t stop thinking about this year’s Prairie City Independence Day parade. In the midst of this family-friendly community event, I was shocked and confused to see a Confederate Flag on the back of the Prairie City Hall ﬂ oat. The Confederate Flag is a sym- bol of white supremacy. Full stop. The last few months of embold- ened neo-Nazis and white nation- alists waving stars and bars, while mosques are bombed, legal immi- grants are threatened and deported, allies are stabbed and protesters are mowed down in cars, have un- derlined this fact. Why was there a Confederate Flag on the Prairie City Hall ﬂ oat? The history of the Confederate Flag should not be forgotten. We must never forget the long histo- ry of slavery and genocide in our country. The legacy of institutional- ized racism that continues to haunt and harm us today is part of a larger story, one that will continue to be told in cycles of violence and op- pression, if we do not learn from, understand and act with responsi- bility for our history. But the sym- Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper P UBLISHER ............................... M ARISSA W ILLIAMS , MARISSA @ BMEAGLE . COM E DITOR .................................... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM R EPORTER ............................... R YLAN B OGGS , RYLAN @ BMEAGLE . COM C OMMUNITY N EWS .................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM S PORTS ................................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM M ARKETING R EP ....................... K IM K ELL , ADS @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE M ANAGER ..................... L INDSAY B ULLOCK , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE A SSISTANT .................... A LIXANDRA P ERKINS , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM bols of racist evil in this country do not belong in places of honor: not at our celebrations, not in our commu- nity spaces and not under the aus- pices of our representatives, at the federal, state, county or city level. As we mourn Charlottesville, we owe it to those harmed and fallen to be courageous, to meet hate with love, and to examine and confront the forces of extremism in our own communities. What is unacceptable in Charlottesville is unacceptable in Grant County, and the brutality and terror of white supremacy is unacceptable every last place we encounter it. Morgan Michel John Day Bentz’s leadership led to successful transportation package To the Editor: This letter is to acknowledge, on behalf of Oregon’s 242 cities, the leadership and hard work displayed by Rep. Cliff Bentz that resulted in passage of a $5.3 billion, multi- modal transportation package as the 2017 legislative session drew to a close. Despite a number of issues that could have once again derailed a transportation package, Rep. Bentz’s focus and caucus leadership were instrumental to a successful outcome. Also, on behalf of Oregon’s 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 MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Email: www.MyEagleNews.com Phone: 541-575-0710 small cities (less than 5,000 in popu- lation), I want to acknowledge Rep. Bentz for including a ﬁ ve-fold in- crease in the Special City Allotment funding as part of HB 2017. This supplemental grant program, now expanded to $5 million per year, will allow these cities to ﬁ nally make signiﬁ cant improvements in a street system previously underfund- ed by the regular per capita-based state highway fund allocation. Mike McCauley Executive director League of Oregon Cities Analyze and debate events, rather than silencing opponents To the Editor: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Just as some peo- ple shout-down “hate-speech” on campus and tear down hate statues in the public park, other people eliminate the websites of hateful groups from the internet. They forget that the most hated group started out burning books and ended up burning people. They have misplaced priorities and are captives of the moment. Rather than realisti- cally analyze and debate unfolding events, they silence their opponents. Our capacity to learn enables us to imagine the future and to prepare for it. Michael F. McCarthy Hayward, California Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing ofﬁ ces. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Copyright © 2017 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered 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