A4
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
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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
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