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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 2019)
OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle A4 Wednesday, October 9, 2019 Countries want our business, but does Congress want them to have it? F arm groups are lauding a new agri- cultural trade deal the administration has reached with Japan. During the 2016 elec- tion President Donald Trump campaigned against trade deals that he said put U.S. producers at a disadvan- tage. Once elected he made good on his promise to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Part- nership, which was the pact regulating trade among 12 Pacific Rim nations. Trump said he would replace TPP with bilateral trade deals. The new deal is good news for U.S. farmers and ranchers. Japan represents a $14 billion market for U.S. farm products. Without this deal, American agricul- ture would face significantly higher tariffs than compet- itors that are a part of the 11-party successor agree- ment to TPP. According to the deal, Japan will reduce tariffs on products valued at $2.9 bil- lion in stages. Among the products benefiting from this enhanced access will be fresh and frozen beef and pork. Tariffs will be elimi- nated immediately on more than $1.3 billion of U.S. farm products including, for example, almonds, blueber- ries, cranberries, walnuts, sweet corn, grain sorghum, food supplements, broccoli and prunes. Other products valued at $3 billion will benefit from staged tariff elimina- tion. This group of prod- ucts includes, for example, wine, cheese and whey, eth- anol, frozen poultry, pro- cessed pork, fresh cherries, beef offal, frozen potatoes, oranges, egg products and tomato paste. This deal with Japan underscores two obvi- ous points that make bilat- eral agreements possi- ble. Our trading partners want our goods. The Jap- anese, for example, have sought out wheat produced in the Pacific Northwest. More importantly, our part- ners are anxious to get their goods into the United States, the largest economy in the world. While we don’t pretend to understand the Trump nego- tiating strategy, and aren’t sure there is a strategy, new trade deals are being ham- mered out. The administration says its deal with Japan doesn’t substantially change U.S. law, so it doesn’t require congressional approval. That’s good news, if it’s true. Congress hasn’t done anything to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement announced a year ago. While it’s clear other countries want our busi- ness, it’s not clear Congress is interested in giving it to them. GUEST COMMENT Socialism isn’t the solution to unfair drug prices By Stacy Washington P resident Trump promised “America will never be a socialist country” — at least not while he’s in office. But some members of his administration didn’t get the memo. The Department of Health and Human Services still plans to impose socialist, Euro- pean-style price controls on advanced drugs administered through Medicare. The proposal would tie Medicare’s drug reimbursement rates to the average prices paid by governments that impose price controls on medicines. Officials hope their scheme will reduce pharmaceutical spending in America. Their plan would jeopardize Americans’ access to state-of- the-art drugs. The administration wants to overhaul Medicare Part B, cancer medicines. Price controls would also subvert efforts to develop cures for deadly diseases. Medical research is risky. It costs $2.6 billion to develop a new drug. Close to 90 percent of exper- imental treatments fail to gain FDA approval. Price controls make it dif- ficult for companies to recoup their upfront costs. They kill the incentive to invest in cures. If HHS adopts these price caps, drug development will grind to a halt — and patients will suffer. Fighting socialism with socialism will only harm patients. Let’s hope President Trump nixes HHS’ plan. Stacy Washington is a dec- orated Air Force veteran, an Emmy-nominated TV personal- ity and the host of the nationally syndicated radio program ‘Stacy on the Right.’ which covers advanced drugs administered in doctors’ offices. These drugs cost 80 percent more in America than in other developed countries. HHS’ plan would gradually ratchet down Medicare reimbursement rates, so that the government would pay, at most, 26 percent more than the average developed nation price. Copying socialist tactics will only make it harder for Ameri- cans to access new therapies. Many of the newest drugs aren’t available in developed countries that impose price controls. Only two-thirds of new drugs launched world- wide between 2011 and 2018 are available in the United Kingdom. Roughly half are available in France and Canada. By con- trast, 88 percent of those new drugs are available in the United States — including nearly 95 percent of new LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A destination every year — until this year WHERE TO WRITE 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@ cityoflongcreek.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: governor.state.or.us/governor.html. • Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Website: leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes). • Oregon Legislative Information — (For updates on bills, services, capitol or messages for legislators) — 800- 332-2313. • Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario – 900 Court St. NE, S-301, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-1730. Website: oregonlegislature.gov/Bentz. Email: Sen.CliffBentz@oregonlegislature. gov. • Rep. Lynn Findley, R-Vale – 900 Court St. NE, H-475, Salem 97301. Phone: 503- 986-1460. Website: oregonlegislature. gov/findley. Email: Rep.LynnFindley@ oregonlegislature.gov. Blue Mountain EAGLE Published every Wednesday by To the Editor: In July we planned a fam- ily gathering at Raddue Camp- ground. My sister-in-law spends every summer in her camper in Fox so using the Raddue Camp- ground has always been our des- tination — until this year. Before the date of our gathering, Arvilla stopped to check the camp- ground only to find that a ditch had been cut across the road. The outhouse (toilet) and picnic tables had been removed. My husband’s parents, Ardith Reed Moore and Sinice Moore, are Grant County pioneers, and that campground has been used by them, as well as extended families, for at least 70 years. ‘Is it ever going to end?’ To the Editor: Your headline story regarding the Hammond family was such a shock. My first thought was, “Are they ever going to leave this fam- ily alone?” The animosity toward them is beyond belief. It seems to me to be a vendetta against a family that is just trying to ranch and be able to be a respectful family in Harney County. The backfire that they set to save their cattle was nothing compared to the huge fires we have witnessed these last years that the federal Forest Service have let get out of control. There is no accountability for the loss of homes, animals, fences and more. Yet the Hammonds are treated like the worst criminals at best or terrorists at worst. My final thought is, “Is it ever going to end?” Darlene Nodine John Day 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 Publisher............ ......................................Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................Rudy Diaz, rudy@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, office@bmeagle.com Office Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, office@bmeagle.com MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION It is difficult to understand why this and other small camp- grounds are no longer main- tained. Areas like this one pro- mote a great deal of family togetherness and, therefore, fam- ily values. If, by chance, there is some- one that has an answer as to who or why the decision was made to ignore these historic sites, we would appreciate knowing that information — county govern- ment, state government, federal government? Norma L. Moore Belgrade, Montana Online: MyEagleNews.com 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .........................................$45 Everywhere else in U.S. .......................$57 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Phone: 541-575-0710 Copyright © 2019 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. 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