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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2017)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Harassment much too common in halls of power he allegations of sexual harassment in the Oregon Capitol are disturbing, though not surprising. Sexual harassment occurs in too many workplaces, and capitols seem a prime breeding ground because of the inherent power imbalance. Victims of sexual harassment – whether lawmakers, lobbyists or legislative employees — often are reluctant to speak out for fear of losing their political infl uence or their jobs. It took courage for two female state senators — Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, and another unnamed senator — to report what they considered sexual harassment by a colleague, Sen. Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg. Kruse has denied the allegations, which are under investigation by legislative offi cials. What we do know, from a letter by Senate President Peter Courtney stripping Kruse of his committee assignments, is that legislative offi cials in 2016 instructed Kruse “not to touch women at work. Period.” Some Oregonians may argue that sexual harassment is an example of political correctness run amok. Or that changing generational standards make it diffi cult for people, men especially, to know how to act. Not so. Harassment or intimidation in the workplace is never OK. For anyone who is uncertain about what to do, here are tips: If you’re unsure whether T a remark will be heard as sexist, demeaning or harassing, don’t speak it. If you wonder whether a hug is appropriate, ask the person. If you want to compliment someone’s shirt, do so nicely — without praising the person’s body or letting your eyes linger. Sexual harassment is never acceptable, never understandable, never tolerable, and certainly not at the Oregon Capitol. Of all people, lawmakers have a responsibility to know and heed the rules and laws they create. The Oregon Legislature’s personnel rules clearly state that sexual harassment can constitute “unwelcome conduct in the form of a sexual advance, sexual comment, request for sexual favors, unwanted or offensive touching or physical contact of a sexual nature, unwanted closeness, impeding or blocking movement, sexual gesture, sexual innuendo, sexual joke, sexually charged language, intimate inquiry, persistent unwanted courting, sexist insult, gender stereotype, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature …” Before each legislative session, every legislator and every legislative employee — hundreds of people — must attend mandatory training on maintaining a harassment-free workplace and other policies. No one is exempt from that training. Yet sexual harassment still occurs. And it’s still inexcusable. G UEST C OMMENT Rural America needs high-speed internet By Ron Wyden U.S. Senate, D-OR Every year, I hold town halls in each of our state’s 36 counties to hear directly from Oregonians on the key issues facing rural and urban com- munities. During these meetings, and traveling between them, I have heard and seen fi rsthand the importance of getting affordable broadband in- ternet access, high-speed wireless broadband and strong, consistent cell service throughout Oregon. This past August, Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai pro- posed to lower the standard speed of internet access in rural America. This is just wrong. The Congress mandated the FCC work to expand access to high-speed internet to ev- ery American. Pai believes slower internet speeds are good enough for rural areas. I completely disagree. In my 850-plus town meetings, Oregonians have told me how frus- trated they are by slow internet ac- cess. Rural residents make it clear that lack of high-speed internet isn’t a trivial matter. High-speed internet access and cell coverage are critical for everything from reaching 911 and accessing health care to selling made-in-Oregon products around the world. But private sector investment has failed to bring wireless service to large parts of rural America. When power companies didn’t reach rural communities in the 1930s, Congress passed the Rural Electrifi cation Act and transformed rural lives. Now Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FCC have a respon- sibility to offer more consistent internet and voice infrastructure for rural Americans who Big Cable won’t U.S. Sen. serve. Ron Closing the digital Wyden divide is urgent busi- ness for fi ve reasons. First, there should never be an ac- cident victim who cannot reach 911 because there’s no cell signal. Limit- ed cell coverage leads to preventable tragedies. Second, small-town Oregon busi- ness owners shouldn’t be at a disad- vantage in reaching customers be- yond their city limits. Entrepreneurs need 24-7 access to their Facebook page or website to connect to the global economy. And in the recre- ation economy, smartphone access is crucial to connecting visitors with local small businesses. Third, U.S. farmers and ranchers are increasingly relying on preci- sion agriculture technologies. High- speed wireless support is a must to keep pace with the ongoing de- ployment of technology in the fi eld. Today, farmers can control water to their irrigation systems through their smartphones, allowing them to reduce costs, while also practicing responsible agriculture. Fourth, schools depend increas- ingly on the internet to improve ed- ucation with innovative coursework. Yet substandard internet access currently leaves many students at a great disadvantage. Students lacking 24-7 internet access at home must depend on limited hours at local li- braries, friends’ houses or communi- ty centers to do research online. Fifth, tele-health promises to transform how rural and remote communities access health care. For example, a health care provider can now examine a patient via an in-home video consultation, and di- abetes patients can remotely monitor their blood glucose levels. These op- tions rely on reliable, fast and low- cost internet coverage. What’s the solution? The fi rst step is fi nding out who has coverage now. I’m co-sponsor- ing a bill to require the FCC to create more accurate mobile service maps, especially in rural areas. That will ensure the government more accu- rately directs resources to the com- munities that need access the most. Next, if Big Cable won’t serve rural areas, communities should have the right to build their own high-speed networks. I introduced The Community Broadband Act this year with Sen. Cory Booker to do just that. And fi nally, our country needs robust investment for broad- band internet buildout, which I’ve called for as part of an upgrade to America’s infrastructure. Trump’s FCC wants to tell ru- ral Americans that they don’t need faster internet or increased internet access. I believe that Congress, the Department of Agriculture and the FCC should expand access to high- speed internet to everyone, not tell rural America its current marginal service is good enough. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, is a U.S. senator from Oregon. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Don’t shoot the messenger 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@centurylink.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: sene- caoregon@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, Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Web- site: 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.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. To the Editor: Friends, and some not so friend- ly, have been chatting with me about my papering the Post Offi ce bulletin boards with my opinion on the 911 issue. Well, maybe my method was a little over the top, and I apologize for that, but I hope that people will not shoot the messenger but zero in on the message: that being that 541-575- 0030 is a wonderful free local substi- tute for 911 because it is the same lo- cal person answering the phone. Sure it’s only another $38 charge; well, no snowfl ake ever wants to be accused of starting an avalanche — $38 here, $38 dollars there, pretty soon you can’t afford a snow cone. I’m a dis- abled veteran on a fi xed income and seek to cut every expense I can; if the extra redundant charge doesn’t bother most of my neighbors, I’ll suck it up and pay the fee. Richie Colbeth John Day Editor’s note: The phone number 541-575-0030 is the nonemergency line for the John Day dispatch cen- ter, which also receives 911 calls from Grant County. If the dispatch center closes, it will impact both 911 and the nonemergency line; the nonemergency line will not be staffed 24/7 because the city will no longer employ the dispatchers who answer those calls. Misinformation about 911 dispatch measure To the Editor: Got our ballots in the post the other day. I know there is a lot of controversy over this “Keep 911 Lo- cal” issue, but I am still voting yes. I have asked a lot of questions, had a lot of folks share their opinions, which led to more questions, got answers, and although no one likes to shell out more money for taxes, I still feel this is the right thing to do. I have heard all sorts of things against keeping our dispatch center here in Grant County: how this will become a permanent tax (no it will not; it would have to be voted on as it has a sunset clause), how it can go up 3 percent without any vote (no, it can not be arbitrarily raised), how it will be cheaper outsourcing to Frontier Dispatch center in Condon (not necessarily; Frontier makes money by having the counties they dispatch for pay dispatch fees; plus by consolidating other counties un- der them they are awarded the 911 telephone tax fees for each county by the state; Grant County would still have to pay Frontier, or whom- ever they outsource to, for dispatch- ing each agency John Day currently dispatches). This whole issue for me boils down to local dispatchers who know the area and can get help dispatched on the way to those who need emer- gency services faster. When even the local Oregon State Police sergeant expresses his concern about Grant County’s dispatch center being out- sourced, well that speaks volumes! I have had cause to call the state police offi ce numerous times over the past few days, getting their dispatch cen- ter in Salem every time. True, it was not an emergency, but not one of the dispatchers had any idea where Mon- ument was nor how far it was away from John Day. So to me, despite the added cost on my tax bill for the short term, I would like to keep our 911 dispatch center local. If you have questions like I did, do call and ask! Rose and Darrell Howe Monument 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 R EPORTER ............................... R ICHARD H ANNERS , RICK @ 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 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 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. 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