A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Underlying
conditions make
COVID-19
worse
E
veryone who has
died in Oregon from
COVID-19 has had an
underlying medical condition.
So, it was vital that the Oregon
Health Authority release the
data showing what those con-
ditions have been.
After EO Media Group
published an editorial online
last week calling on the OHA
to do so, the OHA made the
data public.
Cardiovascular disease was
the cause associated the most
— in 61% of the deaths. That
was followed by neurological
conditions with 46%, a cate-
gory that includes cancer and
other conditions with 41%,
and diabetes at 35%. There
are other categories, includ-
ing being a former smoker at
nearly 24%. The numbers add
up to more than 100% because
some people have more than
one underlying condition.
The data is based on an
analysis of 101 of the more
than 109 people who had died
from COVID-19 in Oregon
last week when the report was
issued. It is consistent with the
warnings from the Centers for
Disease Control and Preven-
tion about who is at higher risk
of the disease. You can see the
full chart on the OHA website.
Most people do not experi-
ence severe symptoms if they
contract COVID-19. It’s not
by any means pleasant, but
it’s primarily fever and cough.
Some people don’t have any
symptoms. If an infected per-
son is older or has an underly-
ing medical condition, though,
it can make it harder for their
bodies to combat the infection.
The disease can trigger the
immune system to overreact,
leading to devastation to the
lungs and other organs.
The message to take away
is this: The disease does hit
people harder who are older.
But anyone who has an under-
lying medical condition is at
more serious risk. So, if you
have a family member or a
friend in those categories,
please do what you can to help
them stay healthy.
Remember, it has killed
children in the United States,
too. Keep them safe. Follow
the precautions you know by
heart by now. Government
officials in Oregon are plan-
ning cautiously to gradually
reopen the state. It’s up to us
to work together to ensure
that succeeds and people stay
healthy.
GUEST COMMENT
Small businesses need cash
I
n the weeks since the Small
Business Administration rolled
out its lending program there
have been significant implementa-
tion challenges.
Big companies like the Los
Angeles Lakers, Ruth’s Chris, and
Shake Shack are being awarded
massive loans, only to return them
after public pressure.
Banks are putting concierge cli-
ents and those with high-powered
lobbyists at the front of the line.
And, Trump-connected busi-
nesses are raking in the dough.
At the same time, too many small
businesses that are the backbone of
our communities are not getting the
help they need. Without additional
help, I fear that many will not open
their doors again.
When the Senate returns to
Washington next week, help for the
truly small businesses needs to be
high on the priority list.
The good news is there is a sim-
ple solution to this crisis. Small
businesses need an influx of cash.
The latest research from Pew
shows that the typical American
business employs 11 workers earn-
ing an average of about $41,000
per year. These businesses don’t
have the cash flow to survive for
more than a few months and many
may not want to take on more debt
through the Paycheck Protection
Program (PPP).
Giving small businesses cash is
a simple proposal that would fill the
gaps left by the Paycheck Protection
Program and give these small busi-
nesses a fighting chance.
One significant problem with the
PPP program is that, while laud-
able, its requirement that 75 percent
of loans be spent on
payroll is not prac-
tical for all small
businesses.
One Oregon
small business
— 1188 Brewing
U.S. Sen.
Company in John
Ron Wyden,
Day — illustrates
D-Oregon
this perfectly.
Shannon Adair
and her family own
Grant County’s first modern-day
brewery. Shannon closed the brew-
ery in March and was forced to lay
off her workers.
Obtaining a PPP loan requires
hiring her workers back — possi-
bly before it is safe — but with the
brewery closed there are no tips to
be made and nothing for them to do.
Bars and restaurants are expected
to be among the last businesses to
reopen and when they do, will oper-
ate at a reduced capacity. Maintain-
ing a pre-pandemic payroll through-
out the crisis is simply not practical.
In addition, PPP does not cover
the significant start-up costs asso-
ciated with re-opening 1188 Brew-
ing Company. Shannon will need to
restock — she can’t save their craft
beers and fresh food for months and
months down the road.
And this is not a problem limited
to businesses like bars and brew-
pubs. Retailers will also have sig-
nificant start-up costs when they
reopen — they can’t sell their winter
inventory in the summer.
Cash assistance would supple-
ment the loans provided by PPP and
refundable retention credit to main-
tain payroll to help small businesses
stay afloat. It could be used for those
non-payroll expenses like paying
rent and restocking inventory that
every small business owner needs
to meet.
The small business rescue pack-
age I introduced with Sen. Ben Car-
din in March included direct cash
payments, as well as the retention
credit to maintain payroll.
While the retention credit was
included in the CARES Act, the
Trump administration did not support
direct cash assistance, but a month
of economic pain and implementa-
tion headaches should force Presi-
dent Trump to reconsider a simple,
straightforward proposal that won’t
get caught up in banks’ red tape.
Under our proposal, small busi-
nesses with $1 million or less in
gross receipts and 50 or fewer
employees will receive a check equal
to 30 percent of the gross receipts
reported in a previous year, up to
$75,000. Pew data show that this
threshold would cover 74% of Amer-
ican companies with paid employ-
ees and it could always be adjusted if
needed.
Small businesses owners like
Shannon would also not be caught up
in the mad dash to get to the front of
the PPP line. The IRS would make
these payments automatically based
on the previous year’s tax return data.
While there have been head-
aches, the IRS has done a competent
job getting payments out to indi-
viduals and with additional support
could do the same for businesses.
Nearly two months into this cri-
sis it is clear that Congress has not
done enough to help small busi-
nesses weather the storm. We can fix
that with cash payments.
Ron Wyden is a Democratic U.S.
senator from Oregon.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
• The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania
Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500;
Phone-comments: 202-456-1111;
Switchboard: 202-456-1414.
• U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 Hart
Senate Office Building, Washington
D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224-5244.
Email: wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.
gov Website: http://wyden.senate.gov
Fax: 202-228-2717.
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Published every
Wednesday by
Carpenter didn’t
learn from
reprimand
To the Editor:
The Eagle interviewed both candi-
dates in the 2014 election. One promi-
nent issue was the 2004 “public repri-
mand” by the Oregon Supreme Court
(SC S50321) stating that Mr. Car-
penter “violated DR 1-102(A)(3)” by
actions that disregarded a teacher’s
civil rights, which raised the question
as to (Mr. Carpenter’s) fitness to prac-
tice law, and whether he possesses the
requisite trustworthiness and integrity
to handle important matters involv-
ing legal rights of clients. According
to Mr. Carpenter, his act of defamation
(alleged sexual depravity, imperson-
ation) by/of a teacher, and by exten-
sion, students, was fabricated as a
joke. Official case documentation can
be obtained on JUSTIA website, topic:
In Re. Jim Carpenter.
In 2014, Mr. Carpenter also spoke
of the necessity to uphold the Consti-
tution and laws, preserve the safety of
the public, protect rights of crime vic-
tims and pursue justice for all with
skill, honor and integrity.
In regard to assuring the “safety of
the public and pursuing justice for all,”
this is my experience:
In 2017, I was threatened with
impending death by a band of wild-
life scouting juveniles on the public
road through my property. Verbatim:
“You are (expletive deleted) dead!” A
911 call and a sheriff’s report exist for
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
Reporter ...................................................... Steven Mitchell, steven@bmeagle.com
Sports ........................................................sports@bmeagle.com
verification. Mr. Carpenter chose not
to prosecute. He cited the 1971 Ore-
gon statute for harassment, which does
not include death threats. He ignored
the 2016 version which does, and of
course, applied in 2017 (ORS 166.065
(4)(D)(i, ii, iii)). Since no action was
taken, victim’s rights didn’t rise as
issue, also leaving integrity, skill and
honor somewhere far behind.
Brushing aside a death threat with
purposely misconstrued application
of the law is as egregious as the 2004
“joke.” The OSC reprimand did not
take root; lesson was not learned.
Best not to take the risk to test this
reality on the bench into the future!
Vega Nunez
Ritter
Carpenter
‘possesses the
temperament and
the humility needed’
To the Editor:
Grant and Harney county resi-
dents are capable, hard-working,
proud Americans. Our right to
participate in our own destiny is
something we hold near and dear.
With that right comes the duty to
elect the candidates that will best
serve our communities.
Jim Carpenter is one of three
candidates now running to be our
next Grant/Harney circuit court
judge. Each of the candidates is
an attorney, is well-educated and
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
Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com
MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Online: MyEagleNews.com
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
Office Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, office@bmeagle.com
Phone: 541-575-0710
has legal experience. Jim Car-
penter has practiced both civil
and criminal law in Grant and
Harney counties and is currently
working as Grant County district
attorney. Having served as both a
defense attorney and a prosecutor
has allowed Jim to gain the per-
spective needed to be an impar-
tial judge. Moreover, Jim truly
understands our rural ideals and
values.
My name is Kathy Stinnett,
and I have served as Grant Coun-
ty’s justice of the peace since
2013. In addition to the work I
perform in my court, I have par-
ticipated in statewide efforts to
keep local court systems, such as
justice courts, open.
Jim Carpenter recognizes
that both state circuit courts and
local justice courts have a role to
play in providing access to jus-
tice for our communities. I know
that, as a circuit court judge, Jim
Carpenter will maintain the cur-
rent positive working relation-
ship between the courts in both
Grant and Harney counties. Jim
possesses the temperament and
the humility needed to work
effectively with the prosecutors,
defense attorneys, court staff and
other judges.
I invite you to join me in voting
to elect Jim Carpenter as our next
Grant/Harney circuit court judge.
Kathy Stinnett
John Day
Copyright © 2020
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