A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Voters should
approve
Measure 107 to
limit campaign
contributions
ampaign finance
reform seems like a
no-brainer.
Everyone says they are for
it — even the politicians and
candidates who benefit from
unlimited campaign donations.
Oregon voters have approved
limits by three statewide initia-
tives since 1994.
And yet, the money pours
into campaign coffers.
As reported by our Ore-
gon Capital Bureau last week,
Gov. Kate Brown’s politi-
cal action committee donated
$50,000 to the Democratic
secretary of state candidate,
Shemia Fagan. Incumbent
Treasurer Tobias Read’s three
largest contributions are from
out-of-state law firms, total-
ing $60,000. Incumbent Attor-
ney General Ellen Rosenblum
received over $138,000 from
the Democratic Attorney Gen-
erals Association, $10,000
from Nike Inc. and a num-
ber of other large donations
from businesses, law firms and
labor unions.
There are many more
examples of candidates from
both major political parties
all around the state accepting
large donations.
For statewide ballot mea-
sures, there’s more big money
rolling in. Multiple hospi-
tal systems and hospital asso-
ciations have each donated
between $500,000 and $3.29
million to the political action
committees backing Measure
108, which would raise taxes
on cigarettes, cigars, e-ciga-
rettes and vaping devices and
use that money to fund health
programs.
How can Oregon allow
unlimited contributions to can-
didates and ballot measures, if
the voters first approved strict
limits in 1994?
Well, Oregon’s Legislature
never adopted these limits. In
1997, the Oregon Supreme
Court said campaign lim-
C
its violate the state’s consti-
tutional protections for free
speech.
Then, in 2006, Oregon vot-
ers passed Measure 47, cap-
ping donations for statewide
races at $500 and donations
for other races at $100. But
voters simultaneously rejected
Measure 46, which would
have made these limits legal
under the state constitution.
Then, this April, the Oregon
Supreme Court decided that
limits on campaign donations
do not violate the state consti-
tution. This ruling referenced
a 2016 vote in Multnomah
County that placed limits on
contributions to candidates. (In
2018, Portland voters passed
a similar measure.) Some
believe this is a clear rever-
sal of the court’s 1997 deci-
sion, and so allows contribu-
tion limits. Others believe it
doesn’t go that far.
Before the May election,
Oregon Secretary of State
Bev Clarno and the Depart-
ment of Justice decided that
candidates can continue to
accept donations that exceed
the limits voters approved in
2006, 2016 and 2018. And the
money keeps pouring in, in
advance of the November gen-
eral election.
So where does this leave
us? Will Oregon continue to
be without campaign finance
limits, or will the voters’ will
prevail?
Oregon voters: It is up to
you.
On the November ballot,
Measure 107 would amend
the state constitution to allow
laws limiting political cam-
paign contributions and expen-
ditures. We recommend a yes
vote.
But that will just be the
start. Then, it’s up to the Ore-
gon Legislature, local govern-
ments and/or voters (by initia-
tive) to set limits. Setting those
limits should be a top priority
for all Oregonians.
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.
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Published every
Wednesday by
GUEST COMMENT
Small manufacturing firms drive economy
L
ocal manufacturing busi-
nesses and jobs have experi-
enced a resurgence in recent
years that needs to continue for our
state’s livelihood and connection to
the global economy.
Before the pandemic, the manu-
facturing sector employed 11.6 mil-
lion workers in the United States.
During the past three years, approx-
imately 500,000 manufacturing
jobs were added to the economy. In
2018 alone, 264,000 manufacturing
jobs were added, the most created
in any single year in more than two
decades.
In Oregon, there were nearly
175,000 manufacturing jobs. Of
those, 48% were employed by small
firms.
While manufacturers have not
been immune to the hit we’ve seen
many sectors take during 2020 due
to the pandemic, we’re already see-
ing the manufacturing sector start to
rebound. In fact, 29,000 manufactur-
ing jobs were added in August 2020
alone.
This is both encouraging and
necessary for our region as con-
sumers worldwide are increasingly
seeking “Made in the USA” prod-
ucts and services. On a macro level
during the past couple decades,
U.S.-manufactured goods that are
exported to other countries have
Jeremy Field
marketplace.
In North America specifically,
the passage of the U.S.-Mexi-
co-Canada Agreement earlier this
year has and will continue to drive
job creation and strengthen manu-
facturing in Oregon. And since the
USMCA establishes a committee
on small business issues for the first
time in any U.S. trade agreement,
it will ensure small manufacturing
voices are heard.
As local manufacturers are piv-
oting and innovating to operate in
a new environment — and in some
cases, switching production to sup-
port critical needs of medical equip-
ment and personal protective equip-
ment — it takes public and private
entities working together for small
manufacturing firms to succeed.
The federal government is clear-
ing red tape out of the way for small
manufacturing firms by reducing
regulations. During the past few
years, federal agencies have issued
multiple deregulatory actions for
every new significant regulatory
action, saving businesses billions in
regulatory costs.
In light of the coronavirus pan-
demic, many federal regulations
have been temporarily lifted, and
regional advocates from the SBA
Office of Advocacy are talking to
businesses to explore opportunities
to permanently clear some of these
regulations if they have been bur-
densome to small firms.
In the span of a week this past
spring, the SBA rolled out one of the
largest economic recovery programs
the country has ever seen. Financ-
ing programs like the Paycheck Pro-
tection Program, Economic Injury
Disaster Loan program and tradi-
tional SBA loan programs have pre-
served Oregon jobs and infused
approximately $9.7 billion into Ore-
gon small businesses in 2020.
With federal programs, local
government and industry and busi-
ness organizations working together
— combined with the ingenuity
of Oregon small businesses — the
manufacturing industry will prevail
and ultimately thrive.
Jeremy Field is the regional
administrator for the U.S. Small
Business Administration Pacific
Northwest Region, which serves
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Alaska.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editor ‘should look with who I bought my horses from, restaurants and most of the retail
stores are open (except the many
and any political connections that
for another line of
would benefit them. Then there were that have been looted and destroyed
by people who are too lazy to hold a
the judges without bias, who knew
work’
To the Editor:
In the past months, photos have
been posted on the front page of
the Blue Mountain Eagle featuring
thieves, drug dealers and murder-
ers. But “Sex talk” with its large let-
ters and red-letter subtitle is right up
there with tabloids that have the title
of “yellow journalism.”
Not one nor two photos but three
of the same people were in the arti-
cle. The courthouse was prominent
covering a quarter page (does any-
one not know where the courthouse
is?). Is it important to know where
the sheriff parks, except for showing
a ballot receiving box prominently
in the foreground of the photo? A
subtle reminder that the sheriff is up
for reelection.
If this is the best that the edi-
tor of the Blue Mountain Eagle can
do for a weekly newspaper, perhaps
he should look for another line of
work.
Ron Bright
Mt. Vernon
‘Vote for
Rob Raschio’
To the Editor:
I’m writing to remind ourselves
of the qualities a person must have
to become a judge. I spent a lot of
years in front of judges. I showed
horses. I learned quickly there are
at least two types of judges in the
arena. Some were more concerned
what a good performance should
look like. They were really tough
to find favor with. They couldn’t
be swayed by who I knew, or how
much I paid for my horse. If I won,
I earned it. If I lost, I had work to
do for next time. Being a judge in
the circuit court arena is like the
example of those judges at the horse
show; bias has no place in the court-
room. The Rob Raschio I know
and worked for is open-minded and
impartial, not hypocritical. He will
not hold it against or favor a per-
son for who they support politically
or their position in the community.
Further, I know him to be honest,
caring and respectful. The important
part is that he will decide fairly with
much thought and research. Attor-
neys have attitudes or we wouldn’t
have those wonderful attorney
jokes to share at parties. In some
ways I am saddened that the attor-
ney personality part of Rob is fading
out. He is turning into an individ-
ual ready to become the Honor-
able Judge Raschio. Vote for Rob
Raschio this November.
Crish Hamilton
Mt. Vernon
The elite DMV
To the Editor:
I just have a few comments and
then a few questions that maybe
someone out there can help me
with. First, the comments. It has
come to my attention that our banks
are open, grocery stores are open,
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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Phone: 541-575-0710
job and therefore need to find enter-
tainment on the streets).
I also noticed that state highway
employees are on the job along with
Oregon Department of Revenue
folks. Oregon Department of For-
estry seems to be working.
Now for the questions. Do the
employees of the Department of
Motor Vehicles consider themselves
to be part of an elite organization
that needs to be treated as royalty?
Why would I pose that question?
Here is why.
There is a number of transac-
tions that cannot be performed over
the mail or the internet. If you buy a
vehicle out of the state of Oregon, it
must be inspected by DMV before
it can be titled. If you want to take
a driver’s test, forget it. If you want
to talk to a real person on the phone,
be prepared to be on hold for up to
two hours.
That option has also been
removed as of two days ago. If you
call the DMV number now, you will
get a recording that says they are no
longer excepting any calls due to
smoke from the fires that are burn-
ing. Hmmm.
Will the smoke come through
the phones? The truth of this mat-
ter is that DMV employees are hid-
ing under their desks. Maybe since
DMV uses the virus and smoke as
excuses to draw their pay while not
working, do we really need them at
all?
Ed Butler
Prairie City
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MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
quadrupled. Plus,
nearly six in 10
U.S. export dollars
come from man-
ufacturers, estab-
lishing them as
a crucial compo-
nent to our role in
the international
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Blue Mountain Eagle
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