A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Should Oregon
legislators
get a raise?
O
regon’s Legislature
is proposing Sen-
ate Bill 959, which
addresses legislative fi nancial
compensation. As it stands,
Oregon lawmakers earn
$31,200 a year and a $149
per diem payment for meals
and lodging, roughly averag-
ing around $2,000 a month.
SB 959 changes the way
Oregon legislators are com-
pensated by correlating it to
the annual average salary of
all Oregonians — increasing
policy-maker’s pay by about
63 percent.
PRO: There’s a common
mantra that politicians are
paid too much and do too lit-
tle. The point is well taken.
But is this notion based on
fact or frustration? More
importantly, does it represent
the best analytical framework?
At fi rst glance, who among
us is going to rally behind a
roughly $20,000 pay increase
for our lawmakers? Proba-
bly more folks than you might
think. Oregonians and their
unique character should bene-
fi t from an equally unique rep-
resentative legislature. The
problem: Low-end legislative
salaries preclude many qual-
ifi ed voices from represent-
ing a large constituency of
Oregonians.
Consequentially, the current
system benefi ts independently
wealthy or retired individuals
— often out of touch with the
people they represent. Where
are the teachers, the social
workers or the nurses? Do we
not benefi t from a demograph-
ically well-rounded legislative
body?
It’s time to accept that the
same demographic that’s been
running this state for years
could use some diversity. Per-
haps they could even learn
a thing or two from those in
the middle-income bracket
who work with common Ore-
gonians daily. Furthermore,
tying salaries to average
incomes will affect lawmak-
ers the same as the rest of us
during economic downturns.
According to nonpartisan
think tank FiveThirtyEight,
a Missouri lawmaker, noting
insuffi cient funding, described
lobbyists as “unpaid staff.” Is
that what we want in Oregon?
And while it’s easy to
falsely presume the motiva-
tion behind a proposed wage
increase as greed, research
out of Stanford University,
according to FiveThirtyEight,
suggests that lawmakers ask-
ing for raises “are responding
to the demands of an increas-
ingly complicated job … to
be compensated adequately
for the work they are already
doing.”
The fact of the matter is
this: Current legislative sala-
ries make it nearly impossi-
ble to survive on that income
alone, but it’s also diffi cult
to maintain sustainable work
while requiring so much of the
year off. Again, this restricts
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Published every
Wednesday by
middle-class but compe-
tent wage earners from run-
ning for offi ce while pav-
ing the way for the wealthier
among us. Is that representa-
tive democracy?
CON: In a world of pure
intentions and perfect out-
comes, giving Oregon’s leg-
islators a $20,000 annual pay
raise could make the state
a more equally represented
place.
But in reality, there’s lit-
tle evidence that such a raise
would achieve that goal. And
it certainly would move the
state government even fur-
ther from its founding princi-
ple of being led by a citizen
legislature.
Forget the additional $1.8
million it would cost taxpay-
ers to cover the raises. Think
about the job we want our
legislators to do, and why it
should pay the equivalent of a
full year’s salary for the aver-
age Oregonian.
What we want are repre-
sentatives who can bring their
expertise in a variety of trades
and their knowledge of their
home constituencies to the
statehouse for one sustained
session every two years. They
need to be knowledgeable in
the workings of state govern-
ment, but more focused on
being a conduit and voice for
their district than a full-time
professional politician.
Also, the biennial “short
session” year shouldn’t war-
rant a full year’s salary. It
should follow its original pur-
pose of adjusting the budget
when necessary and address-
ing true emergencies between
sessions. In the decade since it
was implemented, it has gone
far off course.
While raising the pay may
draw more candidates, it’s
unlikely to change the com-
plexion of the legislature.
Self-funded, white-collar can-
didates will still have the
upper hand when it comes to
campaigning, and would be
even more incentivized to run
for the higher salary.
Instead, state leaders should
consider ways other than
pay to attract a more diverse
body. For instance, an educa-
tor might be willing to step
out of the school if the job
was directed toward develop-
ing and implementing poli-
cies they care about instead of
juggling hundreds of bills and
lobbyists and murky politics.
Same goes for a contractor,
a farmer or any other profes-
sion that is sorely under-repre-
sented in the statehouse.
Having a comfortable
income shouldn’t be a require-
ment for representation. But
instead of letting legislators
give themselves a raise, we
should fi nd ways to make the
job more welcoming, achiev-
able and satisfying to the aver-
age Oregonian.
GUEST COMMENT
Breaking the silence — now it’s our turn
By Dwight Holton
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
S
omething amazing happened
last week in Oregon: In cof-
fee shops, at the gym, driv-
ing carpools, meeting friends —
just about everywhere people
gather in Oregon — we have been
talking about suicide and suicide
prevention. Over 30 news orga-
nizations across the state teamed
up to shine a light on the pub-
lic health crisis of suicide. Doz-
ens and dozens of news stories
have appeared on our favorite
TV stations, in newspapers big
and small, on podcasts and on the
radio — each article and broad-
cast telling stories of hope and of
healing and of overcoming the
risk and pain of suicide.
Never before have journal-
ists linked arms like this to shine
the light on suicide and suicide
prevention.
It feels like that moment —
Oregonians know it well — when
the sun fi rst peeks through the
clouds after many months of gray
and rain. It’s bright and it’s warm
and it’s promising.
For far too long, suicide has
remained in the shadows —
something we just didn’t talk
about. The reasons are complex.
We want to respect the privacy of
families enduring the pain of sui-
cide, and we want to be careful
not to prompt contagion — a very
real risk.
But the silent treatment has
not worked. Ignoring the real-
ity and scope of the suicide crisis
has helped erect a wall of stigma
that discourages people from get-
ting help. When even talking
about suicide is taboo, many peo-
ple struggling with depression feel
that they just can’t show vulnera-
bility — they feel that they should
it works. Here at our crisis line
at Lines for Life, we help each
caller make a plan to stay safe —
and we deescalate over 95 per-
cent of our calls without needing
to involve emergency services.
Research of National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline crisis centers
like ours shows that most call-
ers feel signifi cantly less emo-
tional distress and suicidal after
their call.
Oregon journalists have
launched this conversation. Now
it’s time for us in the community
to do our part. We need to take
care of ourselves and our loved
ones, we need our policymak-
ers to do more to support suicide
prevention efforts and we need to
learn more about what actions we
can all take to prevent suicide.
Here are some specifi c steps you
can take:
• Reach out: If you or a loved
one is struggling, connect with
the lifeline. You can fi nd a wel-
coming voice at any time of day
or night at 1-800-273-8255.
• Make change: Call your leg-
islator now. Demand support for
suicide prevention bills currently
being considered in Salem.
• Learn more: Check out the
steps for how to help others who
could be suicidal at Bethe1to.
com, how to help yourself at sui-
cidepreventionlifeline.org and
linesforlife.org and how to get
involved with more suicide pre-
vention community events at
afsp.org.
Together we can break the
silence and shine the light on sui-
cide and suicide prevention to
save lives, save our families and
save our communities.
Dwight Holton is chief exec-
utive of Lines for Life and previ-
ously served as U.S. Attorney for
Oregon. He lives in Portland.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editor’s note: The property tax
Is John Day being out to be fi nancially sustainable,
so who will pay for the sustain-
rates for Grant County, each city
a good neighbor?
ability once the wants are pushed
within the county and all other
To the Editor:
I applaud the letter written and
published in the Blue Mountain
Eagle on April 3 by Pete Hettinga
of Dayville. Pete’s letter stated
facts backed by common sense
that should not be dismissed by
the citizens of Grant County.
I am fairly concerned that
many citizens of Grant County do
not understand that the decisions
of the John Day City Council con-
cerning the wants of their city
manager will spill over to the rest
of the county to pay for through
taxation. The businesses of John
Day are sustainable because of the
Grant County residents. We sup-
port them for our main grocery
needs, medical, auto parts, fur-
niture, fl ooring, ATVs, livestock
feed, tires, etc. Neighbors have
always relied on neighbors, and
we, the neighboring communities
of Grant County, are good neigh-
bors to John Day. The wants of
John Day are not being penciled
Publisher............ ......................................Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com
Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com
Reporter ...................................................Richard Hanners, rick@bmeagle.com
Community News .................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com
Sports ........................................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com
Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com
Administrative Assistant ..................Makenna Adair, offi ce@bmeagle.com
Offi ce Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, offi ce@bmeagle.com
through? That would be us, the
neighboring communities of John
Day through the rise of our county
taxes. Would that make the city of
John Day good neighbors to their
neighbors?
As I see it, the Grant County
citizens all have a stake in the
changes that are being proposed
in John Day. Do they really need
a new pool? Or a new high-speed
internet? Or a change in the John
Day River channel? Or a green-
house? Remember, if the city of
John Day cannot fi nd a way to pay
upfront for these proposed wants
and guarantee their sustainabil-
ity, we will pay for them through
higher taxes. How many resi-
dents will be pushed out of Grant
County if that happens? Does
John Day want to lose the busi-
ness the area neighbors bring to
them? Like Pete stated, today’s
shopping can be delivered most of
the time for a less expensive cost.
Rusty Clark
Monument
1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(including online access)
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
just keep it to themselves. And all
too often, left alone, these folks
can’t fi nd a way forward — a way
to live.
I can’t tell you how many par-
ents have told me they lost their
child because of stigma — their
son or daughter just didn’t think
they could reach out for help
because suicide is not something
we are supposed to talk about.
And while we have remained
silent, the suicide crisis has
grown. About 825 Oregonians
died by suicide in 2017, up 35
percent since the year 2000. Sui-
cide is now the second-leading
cause of death among young Ore-
gonians. Nationally, more than
42,000 people died by suicide last
year — more than the number of
Americans killed in action in the
Vietnam War.
This week, Oregon journal-
ists decided to break the silence
— to shine a light on this pub-
lic health crisis with responsible
reporting on suicide. I am hope-
ful this will launch a commu-
nity conversation and help erase
the stigma that keeps people from
getting help. We need to embrace
the reality that it’s OK to feel sad
or depressed — and it’s OK to get
help.
This week has also been about
breaking the silence on suicide
prevention. Help, hope and heal-
ing are happening in communi-
ties all over Oregon — and we are
fi nally hearing those stories. For
every one person who dies by sui-
cide in this country, there are 280
people who think seriously about
suicide who do not kill them-
selves. Those are 280 remarkable
stories of hope. Research shows
that telling these untold stories of
suicide prevention can save more
lives. At Lines for Life, we know
that when people do get help,
Grant County .........................................$45
Everywhere else in U.S. .......................$57
Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60
Online: BlueMountainEagle.com
Subscriptions must be paid
prior to delivery
Reynolds was
intelligent and
generous
To the Editor:
Last week’s Eagle did an excel-
lent job describing Judge Den-
nis Reynolds’ keen sense of civic
responsibility and commitment
to Grant County — his passion
for its communities, children and
families. I’ll miss his intelligence,
generous nature and ready smile.
Mark Webb
Mt. Vernon
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
Phone: 541-575-0710
taxing districts are permanent and
cannot be raised. Additional tax-
ing districts, as well as tempo-
rary bonds and local option taxes,
can add to property tax bills but
must fi rst be approved by the vot-
ers who would pay them. For
other types of taxes, Oregon law
requires voter approval before
tax-related ordinances take effect.
Copyright © 2019
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.
facebook.com/MyEagleNews
@MyEagleNews