A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Governor,
legislators are
meeting in secret
G
ov. Kate Brown and
Oregon legislators are
meeting behind your
back. They are more interested
in expediency than the public’s
right to know.
Brown has held more than
50 daily meetings by phone
for all the legislators. They
have been holding the meet-
ings without allowing the pub-
lic to listen. We only know
about the meetings thanks to
the reporting of The Orego-
nian newspaper.
The meetings have featured
updates on the latest news
about the pandemic. Shouldn’t
the public be able to hear that
discussion among its elected
leaders?
There have been weekly
updates from the head of Ore-
gon’s Department of Human
Services. He apparently
spoke about what a cut of
17% in funding would mean
for the department. Orego-
nians have heard far too many
heart-wrenching stories of
how the state has failed some
of its most vulnerable chil-
dren — those in the foster care
system.
Fariborz Pakseresht, the
department’s director, said he
had to freeze hiring for the
child welfare program. Why
not let the public listen in?
The struggling state
Employment Department
has also given presentations.
It has some 38,000 unpro-
cessed claims. And there’s
another staggering figure:
200,000 claims have not been
paid during the pandemic.
Shouldn’t Oregonians be able
to hear what the department is
saying to legislators and what
legislators are asking? Appar-
ently Gov. Brown and legisla-
tors don’t think so. And this is
where things get really inter-
esting. The intent of Oregon’s
open meetings law is that the
public is allowed to know
what the government is doing.
And it’s not only that the deci-
sions are made in public.
Deliberations are import-
ant, too.
That enables the public to
know the choices that must be
made and the information on
which those choices are based.
“Officials in the governor’s
office and the Legislature’s top
lawyer argue” that these meet-
ings that the governor is hav-
ing with legislators don’t trig-
ger the state’s open meetings
law, The Oregonian wrote.
They are getting informa-
tion, the argument goes, not
making decisions.
Baloney.
The information legislators
get in these meetings helps
them make decisions. Legisla-
tors will meet in a special ses-
sion to make choices about
how state budgets will be cut.
Gov. Brown and legislators
say they believe in transparent
and accountable government.
But that’s not what they do.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Spring into action
L
ooking at nature show signs
of spring arriving with trees
budding, crocuses spouting,
birds chirping, calves arriving, new
births and temperature fluctuating.
What do we do to prepare? Trees and
shrubs get pruned, ranchers watch
and assist their cattle and livestock,
farmers prepare their fields, car own-
ers wash the inside of their muddy
wet car, windows get washed and
opened, decks get a fresh coat of
stain and contractors transition from
inside projects to outside projects.
We pack away the winter clothing,
tools and toys, but not too soon.
The stock market is similar to
the transition of seasons. Watching
for signs, preparing for your future,
making unforeseen predictions and
deciding whether to invest, hold
steady or pull out is how we prepare
for retirement, college funds, wed-
ding funds or the unexpected events.
Many decisions are based on com-
mon sense, professional advice,
knowledge of stock market swings
and emotions. If you plant too soon
the frost kills your crops, but if you
wait too long to plant, the hot sum-
mer sun burns some crops or your
growing season is too short. This
widely to recessions in our country as
stockholders hastily and emotionally
sold their stocks. Banks almost went
under again, when the media and
emotions drove people to not keep
money in the bank, but to store it
under their mattress or personal safe
(not making any interest and chanc-
ing theft). It is all a risk. Let’s not for-
get the international market finance
options to purchase foreign coins
because “one day they will be worth
more than the America dollar.” In
2008, the Bitcoin was invented and
started in 2009. A Bitcoin is a decen-
tralized digital currency, cryptocur-
rency that can be sent from user to
user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin net-
work without the need for interme-
diaries. It too is affected by variable
markets, another risk. If you want
a “bottom line,” listen to wisdom
not social media, don’t panic or let
your emotions drive your decisions
and spread your seeds so they don’t
choke each other out — have a diver-
sified portfolio. When the broccoli
doesn’t produce, at least you have
the kale and cabbage to eat.
Dorothy Nestlerode is a Grant
County resident, mother
and local author.
supports the strat-
egy of variety, ver-
satility and timing.
Wisdom says,
“The more you
make, the more you
spend.” Wise peo-
Dorothy
ple pay themselves
Nestlerode
first and budget the
rest. This is called
savings and managing your money,
not letting your money manage you.
If you don’t have it, don’t spend it;
instead save for it and then make the
decision to purchase or not. Build
your savings by paying off debt.
Don’t put all of your beans in the
same pot. Stocks and real estate have
levels of unpredictable risk, but you
can be sure the market will swing
up and down and stabilize for peri-
ods of time. When emotions drive
your spending and investments, they
are driving you. Be wise, learn, seek
wise council, watch market trends
and manage your money, don’t let it
manage you.
When the American people pan-
icked and “ran on the banks” with-
drawing all their money because of
fear, this contributed to the Great
Depression. Panic also contributed
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
‘Walk a mile or
two in their shoes’
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.
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Published every
Wednesday by
To the Editor:
With all due respect I must
take issue with Mr. Colbeth’s
criticism of the various store
clerks in John Day and sur-
rounding communities in a pre-
vious letter to the editor. Per-
haps if I were to buy a gallon of
milk should I expect the clerk
to suggest I purchase a glass to
pour it in?
I would like to point out what
many of the folks who wait on
us at cash registers, gas pumps
and restaurant tables are really
dealing with. I, for one, don’t
want to have to wear a mask and
stand behind a plexigass screen
all day waiting on an oftentimes
impatient public.
More times than not I have
had a polite exchange with
clerks, administrative personnel
and waiters or waitresses asking
me “Is there anything else I can
get for you or help you with?”
I find this especially true in our
small community.
Perhaps in these days of
social stress and impersonal
mass media venues, we should
take a moment to pause and
reflect on what the person who
is tirelessly waiting on the rest
of us in a public business envi-
ronment deals with on a daily
basis. Walk a mile or two in
their shoes. Give them the
respect a fellow citizen is due.
Dan Maynard
John Day
Call ahead before
dropping off food
To the Editor:
Some people are leaving food
at the Grant County Food Bank
office without calling 541-575-
0299 to tell us that food is being
left at the Food Bank office.
We do not man the Food Bank
office on any regular schedule.
Any food that is dropped off
without calling may go to waste.
The food may be in the sun for a
long period of time and exceed
the temperature for storing food.
If that happens, we have to dis-
pose of the food.
The phone number for the Food
Bank is on the door of the office.
We are happy to accept food from
people who want to donate food.
We like to have the name,
address and phone number of
the people so the Food Bank can
Budget bungling
To the Editor:
EOC coordinating officer
overspends and then runs —
leaving the county on the hook.
What a surprise!
Since this was non-communi-
cative, non-transparent Sheriff
Palmer’s great idea (and his dep-
uty), let’s let his department take
care of the overrun.
What did county citizens get
out of this boondoggle?
Where is purchased equip-
ment going now?
How did the sheriff”s “mas-
ter plan” differ from the plan
already in place by the previous
emergency coordinator?
Did the sheriff’s plan accom-
plish so much more? If it did,
let’s hear what it was.
Sandy and Mark Murray
Prairie City
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.
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Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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send address changes to:
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MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
send a thank you letter/receipt,
but anonymous donations are OK.
Just let us know you are dropping
food off. We ask people to call
541-575-0299 before they drop
food off. Food costs so much.
We do not want any of it to go to
waste.
Tom Sutton, chairman
Grant County Food Bank
Phone: 541-575-0710
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