A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Pass bill
to ensure
transparency
about
COVID-19
O
regon state Sen. Mike
Dembrow, D-Portland,
has been noisy about
the need for the Oregon Health
Authority to be transparent
about the COVID-19 data it
releases.
His bill, Senate Bill 719,
would ensure that transpar-
ency. And though the bill
should have long since passed
the Oregon Legislature, it
would seem to be in good
hands. It’s in the committee
Dembrow chairs, Joint Ways
and Means.
The central premise of Ore-
gon’s public records law is
that the public has a right to
know what its government is
doing. Meetings are open to
the public. Government doc-
uments and the data behind
them should be open to the
public if requested.
As good as Oregon’s law is,
it teems with exceptions. One
is for public health investiga-
tions, Oregon Revised Stat-
utes 433.008. It reads in part:
“Information obtained by the
Oregon Health Authority or a
local public health administra-
tor in the course of an investi-
gation of a reportable disease
or disease outbreak is confi -
dential and is exempt from
disclosure.” So when journal-
ists and others have requested
information about testing rates
by ZIP code, for instance, the
request was denied.
ORS 433.008 doesn’t mean
that the information must be
denied to the public. It means
it can be denied. And when
government can deny the pub-
lic information, it often does.
Dembrow’s bill simply
requires the Oregon Health
Authority or local public
health administrator to release
aggregate information about
reportable disease investiga-
tions that does not identify
individual cases or sources
of information after receiv-
ing a public records request.
This would not only apply
to COVID-19. It would also
apply to salmonella and E. coli
outbreaks.
State offi cials are trying to
encourage Oregonians to get
vaccinated and continue to
obey COVID-19 restrictions
and guidelines. It would send
the wrong signal for the Legis-
lature to now tell Oregonians,
“Let’s keep the secrecy,” and
not pass this bill.
GUEST COMMENT
One community, one fi ght
T
John Day City Council
he time has come to put aside
our diff erences and work
together toward common goals
and a unifi ed mission.
The John Day City Council has
identifi ed and begun combating the
complex issues that have led to a
steady decline in the county’s popu-
lation and growing poverty over the
last 30 years. Over a thousand resi-
dents have moved out of our area. As
a result, Main Street businesses were
closing, jobs diminishing and our tax
base was fl at. In some cases, revenues
had decreased to the point we could no
longer fund basic services.
Four years ago, we recognized that
we could no longer continue to operate
the way we used to. Too few homes
were being built, the age and condition
of our housing stock and infrastructure
was deteriorating and, without a delib-
erate change in our policies and proce-
dures, we were going to continue los-
ing ground.
We realized we had to do things
diff erently.
We needed to run the city more like
a business. We had to get leaner, more
effi cient and more strategic in our
investment decisions. We had to start
looking further down the road at what
was coming next so we would be bet-
ter prepared. We needed to act now to
start repairing our core infrastructure
like our wastewater treatment plant
and our aging roads and bridges before
it was too late.
The city of John Day has worked
hard toward these goals. We recog-
nized we needed to get back the pop-
ulation we had lost, and to do so, we
also needed to create new amenities
that people want — parks and trails
along our riverfront, more buildable
commercial and residential lands and
basic building blocks of a 21st century
economy like broadband internet.
As a result of these policy changes
and others, John Day grew in popula-
tion last year for the fi rst time in over
two decades, and we are gaining new
private sector development at a pace
we haven’t seen in many years.
We maintain the belief that what
is good for one community in Grant
County is good for them all. For this
reason, we have looked beyond our
city boundaries, raising nearly $10
million dollars to build high-speed
internet to the other cities in the county
and off ering $30,000 in free water to
Prairie City residents when their well
failed. There has never been a greater
need for collaboration to get back to a
sustainable quality of life.
Roads and bridges in John Day
are driven on by all county residents
and continue to deteriorate faster than
we can repair them, while the County
Court sits on over $50 million in fed-
eral funding that was specifi cally ded-
icated for these uses, intentionally
withholding their resources from our
residents.
County Judge Scott Myers has
repeatedly ignored our eff orts to meet
with him to discuss these issues on the
pretext that it requires a legal review,
which he has not produced and is not
necessary. To encourage him to act,
our attorneys sent him our own legal
opinion, which so far he has ignored.
As a result of the county’s deliber-
ate neglect, our residents might have
to go into debt to repair fl ood damage
to Fourth Street, a critical access road
to the Grant County Regional Airport
used by fi refi ghters, the local hospital
and county residents.
While Judge Myers has been clear
about his unwillingness to meet with
the city of John Day, the other com-
missioners have not acted decisively.
Our families in every community in
Grant County deserve better than this!
We can and must work together to
fulfi ll our oath of offi ce to serve our
residents.
We call on our residents and all
responsible citizens in Grant County
to contact Judge Myers, Commis-
sioner Jim Hamsher and Commis-
sioner Sam Palmer to encourage them
to stand with us in our fi ght to rebuild
our community.
One community. One fi ght.
We remain dedicated to our mis-
sion to serve John Day residents and
ask you to join us in asking our elected
offi cials to recommit to working
together.
The John Day City Council
includes Mayor Ron Lundbom, Coun-
cil President Paul Smith and Coun-
cilors Shannon Adair, Gregg Haberly,
Dave Holland, Elliot Sky and Heather
Rookstool.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
John Day should get ‘Commonsense or
‘Be part of that
nonsense?’
change’
‘its act together’
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@cityofl ongcreek.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.
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
USPS 226-340
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
Email: www.MyEagleNews.com
Phone: 541-575-0710
John Day, Oregon
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To the Editor:
There are so many things wrong
with the city of John Day’s (CJD) bud-
get this go around. It appears to me that
the administration has come up with
a diff erent view of their recent town
hall meeting than I walked away with.
First off , their minds were made up
before the meeting. My take was that
the fi ne folks wanted the administra-
tion to scale down project creation and
focus on mainly the wastewater proj-
ect. However, the CJD chose only to
act on the police department problem.
While they left out the alternative ver-
sion to a solution of tightening their
budget and funding their police depart-
ment with a little less spent in all areas
of the city. Going through their pro-
posed budget in the police funding I
noticed that there was a statement that
read “we no longer have reserve funds
from the 9-1-1 account ... to draw on
to off set operating costs.” The ques-
tion in my mind, have they been pull-
ing 9-1-1 funds in the past to fund the
police? The current budget has some
infused funding, which came as a sur-
prise to me last year, and this year also
budgeted, I think, $24.00 to close that
line item. The town hall meeting was a
short-term fi x and now, as all of Mayor
Lundbom’s funding estimates, increase
when an actual fi gure comes up before
the electorate. This has turned out now
to be another long-term spending spree
to his constituents which was not what
was brought up at the meeting. Bait and
switch.
In a reply to a letter to the editor in
last week’s Eagle, why Grant County
Court should not fund any part of the
CJD’s bad budgeting and spending plan
disguised as economic growth: First
was 9-1-1 mis-managed funds (now
under control but more is needed); the
Fourth Avenue road work, $400,000;
another $220,000 then turned into
$250,000 for private land development.
In the past a $4.5 million pool project
turned to $6.5 million plus $90,000 in
perpetuity. No, the county should not
spend a dime until the CJD gets its act
together.
Bob Pereira
John Day
To the Editor:
Open our borders to more illegal
aliens. Open our prisons and set free
the criminals because they might catch
COVID-19. Legalize drugs so there are
more people in our towns and on our
streets that may be a threat to our fami-
lies and homes. Then defund our police
or tell them to stand down when these
people threaten the law-abiding citizens
in their own homes and businesses.
Then, in the name of safety, take away
the people’s right to a quick response
to defend themselves and their fami-
lies in their own homes against those
you have allowed free reign. Your leg-
islation is wrong and House Bill 2510
will make common criminals out of the
common citizen while the real crimi-
nals, who will in no way abide by lock-
ing up their weapons, have no fear
while breaking into the disarmed peo-
ple’s homes. Does this make sense? Is
it commonsense or nonsense? I think
commonsense is dead in the street!
Mike Christensen
John Day
Present-day laws
were once resisted
To the Editor:
Oregon is presently now No. 1 in
COVID-19 infections in the country,
and here in Grant County the known
number is over 500:
Here is a short list of present-day
laws that were, at fi rst, resisted and
fought against, and are now taken for
granted as they do work and do save
millions of lives a year: operating room
masks; smoking restrictions; speed lim-
its; seat belts; restaurant health codes;
no shoes, no shirt, no service; machine
guns; safety glass; noise ear protec-
tion; driver’s licenses; passports; stop
signs; the right to vote; segregation;
equal education; littering; spitting on
the fl oor; freedom of religion. These are
now permanent and totally accepted.
And, the present mandate for closures,
masks and distancing is only tempo-
rary. If we follow them!
Otherwise, we will continue to get
what we resist: sickness and death.
Jim Bay
John Day
To the Editor:
I understand folks in Grant County
wanting a government and represen-
tation that more closely resembles the
conservative values and ideals of East-
ern Oregonians. But for those of you
who have not spent years living in
Idaho, have you though through what
living under Idaho politics truly means?
Are you ready to pay an additional 6%
sales tax for already expensive grocer-
ies? Or an additional 6% for ATVs, or
that really nice four-door four-wheel
drive truck? And you will be paying
6% on your Amazon purchases as well.
I can even understand a lot of you
not caring that medical marijuana or
recreational marijuana will promptly
go away. But with the re-criminaliz-
ing of it, along will come the Idaho
justice system, who’s laws are much
harsher than the current Oregon ones.
What does that mean? That means that
instead of six months in jail or a cou-
ple of years in prison, the sentence will
follow Idaho’s structure, and they will
be sentenced to fi ve years fi xed and
15 years indeterminate time (parole).
How does that actually play out? Sev-
enty percent of Idaho inmates serve all
of their sentences. So while you might
think that the sales tax dollars are going
for a better education system, instead
the money is going to keep guys locked
up for years.
Becoming a part of “Greater Idaho”
is not the answer. If you really want to
live in Idaho, please just move there
and experience it for yourself. No? If
you like what you have here in Ore-
gon, then work to change the politics.
Get busy writing letters on a weekly, or
even daily, basis to your representative
like my wife does, who did grow up
in Idaho. If you want things to change,
then step up to the plate and be a part of
that change.
I don’t want to go back to paying
6% sales tax on every purchase. Nor
do I want to return to living in a state
that my brother’s brother-in-law (a for-
mer attorney) describes as not just
being conservative, but being militantly
ultra-conservative. It is called “My Pri-
vate Idaho” for a reason.
Thomas Harris
Prairie City