Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 26, 2019 -- THREE
~ Letters to the Editor ~
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HB 2020 is destructive
To the editor:
Oregon’s proposed
“cap and trade” (H.B. 2020)
is more than a sales tax
on all products, especially
food and fuel. According
to Carl Wilson, Republican
from Grants Pass, “This is
the most destructive bill
to ever come out of the
House of Representatives.
Workers will tremendously
suffer under Cap and Trade.
Thousands of jobs will be
lost. Wages will decline.
Gas prices will increase
and family budgets will be
strained. Climate change
is a global problem not
an Oregon problem. Or-
egon workers should not
be punished for reckless
environmental policies of
China and India.”
The fact is H.B. 2020
is a cap and trade tax; i.e. a
sales tax on all Oregonians,
especially the poor and mid-
dle class, that will have zero
impact on global warming
or climate change. The so-
cialist Democrat politicians
that control Oregon have no
regard for Oregonians east
of the Cascades or south of
Eugene. Their socialist pol-
icies foster homelessness
making Oregon the second
highest homeless state in
America per capita. These
Democrats prefer illegal
immigrants to Oregonians,
protecting predator wolves
instead of protecting cattle
ranchers and abolishing the
second amendment instead
of protecting legal gun
owner rights.
Stand behind our Or-
egon Republican senators
that have made a stand
against these Democrat
socialist politicians that
are usurping our constitu-
tional heritage and our way
of life. Abraham Lincoln
called our Declaration of
Independence a “rebuke
and stumbling-block to
tyranny and oppression.”
Our present Oregon gov-
ernment does not represent
most of Oregon nor does
it consider our grievances.
Our Republican senators
have made a stand against
the tyranny and oppression
of a government that no lon-
ger represents most of the
state of Oregon. This may
be our last opportunity to
thwart the socialist takeover
of our beloved state. Do not
return to the Oregon senate
senators until this oppres-
sion and bullying stops.
Let these patriot senators of
Oregon and America know
we stand with them and will
help bear the price of liberty
with our lives if need be.
Stuart Dick, Irrigon
Be encouraged Lexington
City Council, the citizens
are counting on you.
To the editor;
I write this letter to the
Lexington City Council. I
appreciate your willingness
to volunteer your time to
serve the city of Lexington.
My family and I have lived
and ministered in Lexing-
ton and from my experience
this city’s people are the
salt of the earth. I under-
stand there are difficult
issues causing division and
I appreciate both sides of
the conflict. I exhort the
council to rise above the
division separating you
and take encouragement
that your willingness to
represent and govern the
city of Lexington during
a most challenging and
potentially prosperous time
is greatly appreciated. My
father, L.E. Dick Jr., served
on community councils
all his adult life. He lost
a lot of business for the
positions he took. Serving
the public is not for sissies.
Be encouraged Lexington
City Council. The citizens
of Lexington are counting
on you.
Stuart Dick Irrigon
Personal vendetta and
public shaming: the new
norm?
Thompson’s letter of inter-
To the Editor:
It used to be that a person
interested in a job, posi-
tion, office, seat, etc., was
judged on their experi-
ence, qualifications, and
assets they would bring to
the table. That’s the way it
should be.
Sadly, that doesn’t
seem to be the way of it in
Lexington, not if you want
a seat on the town coun-
cil.
To say that June’s
meeting was “hostile” is to
say the very least.
As motions were
made by two councilmem-
bers, and the public de-
manded that Mayor Kemp
honor the motions made
in two previous monthly
meetings to vote on Curtis
est for the vacant council
seat, Kemp’s temper flared
and screaming matches en-
sued between her and the
public she allegedly rep-
resents.
But I get ahead of
myself.
The contentions
and hostilities first arose
after motions were made
by Councilwoman Gordon
and Councilman Beard
(based on advice from a
lawyer and the Oregon
League of Cities, respec-
tively) to clarify the in-
terpretation of the town’s
charter’s terminology as to
whether or not the may is
permitted a vote on council
positions.
Both Kemp and
Councilwoman
Marcia
Lexington Burn Ban
The Fire Chief of the Town
of Lexington is imposing a
closed season for open
burning effective
Friday June 27, 2019
until further notice.
The burning ban is for the Town of
Lexington and includes all burn
barrels and open burning.
~ Letters to the Editor ~
Sticka cited a letter which
says the interpretation is
that the mayor can vote.
Noteworthy is that the let-
ter is dated 2008 and pre-
cedes both May Kemp’s
election to office and the
current town charter, ap-
proved by the votes and
dated 2012.
Kemp even went
on to say that most of the
people in that room agreed
with her interpretation.
Naturally a suggestion
(made by yours truly) to
poll the gallery to test the
validity of her assertion
went
unacknowledged
save for her fiery glare.
During the pan-
demonium and more or
less pointless bickering,
one very intelligent and
highly relevant point was
made by Will Lemmon. He
stated to Mrs. Kemp that
even if she were permitted
to vote, which she’s not,
she doesn’t have to vote. .
. that in the interest of de-
mocracy and progress for
the Lexington Community
he would think she’d want
to abstain as opposed to
continuing deadlocks on
filling a seat left vacant for
several months.
This succinct ob-
servation was met with
further temper tantrums,
feet stamping, and threats
to walk out by the Mar-
cias.
In a brief revisit
to the denial of the seat to
Sheila Miller, Kemp re-
peatedly cited conflict of
interest as her husband is
a fireman. This brings two
points to mind:
1)I
personally
know of a past Lexington
mayor who was also a fire-
man without conflict.
2)How much of a
conflict is it that someone
who once sued the town
of Lexington now sites as
mayor.
Which brings me
back to Mr. Thompson and
the purpose of this com-
munication.
Listen up folks,
this applies to you as well.
During the rather
loud discussion of the vote
on Mr. Thompson’s inter-
est in the council seat he’s
been waiting on for two
months, defamation, slan-
der and shaming appeared
to be the means the Mar-
cias chose. You know that
low road I spoke of in my
last letter?
If you recall my first let-
ter, “Allegation without
Validation,” in April, it
mentioned that Kemp had
refused to answer a fellow
council member’s question
pertaining to Mr. Thomp-
son’s alleged harassment
of a city employee which
resulted in her refusal to
consider him for the coun-
cil seat (a position she has
since acknowledged she
did not have the authority
to take and apologized for.
She stated, as reason for
not answering the ques-
tion, that doing so in an
open meeting could open
the city up for liability.
Well, it seems she has not
only abandoned that con-
cern, but jumped head first
into the deep, dark, treach-
erous hole of liability,
while again refusing to al-
low a vote on Mr. Thomp-
son and issuing threats
if the vote went forward.
People asked the obvious,
“Why?”
She stated simply, “I don’t
like him.” Of course the
begged the natural out-
bursts and outrage from
the gallery, mostly from
Mr. Thompson, Himself
who stated, “Like me?
You don’t even know
me.” To validate his point
he asked several ques-
tions in rapid-fire succes-
sion, such as, “How long
have I lived here?”, “How
many kids do I have?” and
so on. At one point, Ms.
Dorothy Edwards thought
it courteous and respect-
ful to tell Mr. Thompson,
“Oh why don’t you shut
up!”
Yes, this is the nature of
the town council meet-
ings in Lexington, folks.
Grab your popcorn and
join the fun.
Bowing to public pres-
sure, not comes the time
for Ms. Kemp to explain
just why she doesn’t like
Mr. Thompson. (That is,
after her “I don’t have to
explain,” wasn’t well re-
ceived.
1)
He failed to pay
his water bill once about
a year ago.
This was followed by Ms.
Sticka’s, “Why do we
want someone who won’t
pay his bills?”
Did you get that folks?
If you ever fall on hard
times, overlook your bill,
etc., you will be talked
about by name in your
town council’s public
meeting. This happens
regularly under the “de-
linquent accounts” por-
tion of the agenda at ev-
ery meeting.
2)
The rest of her
“reasons” were based on
hearsay. . . something
about a dog,” etc. and
whether or not he pays
property taxes (as a rent-
er). All of the above led
her to conclude, “He’s not
a good neighbor.”
Of course, the relevance
of any of that to a seat on
the town council remains
unclear to me.
Now, after Mr. Sykes’s
once again excellent cov-
erage of the meeting, we
all know the vote eventu-
ally did take place and Mr.
Thompson was sworn in
as a member of the coun-
cil, bringing with him the
benefit of eight years of
valuable experience as
a city water man. But to
what end? Kemp had al-
ready stated prior to the
vote that she would ac-
tively seek to overturn his
appointment and punish
the two council members
who pushed it, with the
help of the Ethics Board.
We wish Mr. Thompson,
Mr. Beard and Ms. Gor-
don luck and courage as
they strive to make prog-
ress for Lexington in the
face of such adversity.
Yes, Lexington,
this is your mayor in ac-
tion. Caveat emptor. . .let
the buyer beware.
In closing, I
would like to address Ms.
Kemp directly. You stated
that you had “been called
all sorts of horrible things
in the paper recently.”
This is completely untrue,
as Mr. Sykes will not print
anything with any name
calling. It is your actions
that are being called out.
That being said,
if you can’t handle the
hear, I suggest you get out
of the kitchen because I,
for one, have not yet be-
gun to cook. . . merely
been warming the pan.
(s) Cheyenne M. Rogers
Heppner, OR
Community lunch menu
~ Letters to the Editor ~
EPA regulations costly,
bring little benefit
To the Editor:
The Senate just
confirmed Andrew Wheeler
to lead the Environmental
Protection Agency.
Since joining the
Trump administration ear-
ly last year, Wheeler has
eagerly pared back en-
vironmental regulations.
He’s sure to continue these
rollbacks now that he’s the
EPA’s official head.
Radical environmental-
ists were dismayed by his
confirmation. But every-
day Americans should be
thrilled. Wheeler is merely
targeting unnecessary rules
that raise the cost of living
for middle-class families.
By cutting pointless red
tape, Wheeler and other
Trump administration of-
ficials can grow the econ-
omy and create jobs while
simultaneously protecting
the environment.
Under the Obama
administration, overzeal-
ous regulators buried en-
ergy companies under a
mountain of new rules and
restrictions. In 2015 alone,
new rules from the Environ-
mental Protection Agency
created over $11 billion in
regulatory costs for busi-
nesses.
If left unchecked,
those rules would have
dampened economic
growth, causing the govern-
ment to lose out on $33 bil-
lion in tax revenue by 2025.
The ensuing drop in energy
production would have
caused fuel and electricity
prices to rise, costing the
average family an addition-
al $255 each year. Regula-
tory overreach would have
also destroyed an estimated
830,000 jobs by 2035.
Excessive regula-
tions also jeopardize na-
tional security. The Obama
administration’s rules could
have reduced U.S. oil pro-
duction by 3 million barrels
a day by 2035 -- about a
quarter of current U.S. pro-
duction. The United States
would have had to import
that fuel from hostile na-
tions like Venezuela.
By trimming need-
less regulations, Wheeler
and his colleagues at the
EPA can empower busi-
nesses to realize their full
potential. Oil and gas pro-
duction already adds $1.3
trillion to the American
economy each year. By
one estimate, a light-touch
regulatory approach could
enlarge the economy by
$1.9 trillion 2035.
Somewhat coun-
terintuitively, this light-
touch approach actually
helps the environment
by spurring higher natu-
ral gas production. Many
power plants have recent-
ly switched from burning
coal to burning natural gas.
Since natural gas produces
only half as much carbon
as coal, this transition has
done wonders for the en-
vironment. Over the last
decade, as U.S. natural-gas
production has skyrocket-
ed, U.S. carbon emissions
have plummeted by nearly
one-quarter.
Energy companies
like Exxon Mobil, Shell,
and British Petroleum are
also proactively fighting
climate change. These firms
have pledged to upgrade
their equipment and drill-
ing techniques to decrease
emissions of methane, a
greenhouse gas.
In short, individual
companies and the invis-
ible hand of the market
are already helping slash
emissions. There’s simply
no need for red tape from
Washington.
The dangers of ex-
cessive energy-sector regu-
lations are no secret to most
Americans. Seven out of 10
voters in the 2016 elections
opposed any taxes or laws
that would harm domestic
energy development.
A light-touch approach to
regulations will promote
energy production, thereby
creating jobs, bolstering the
economy, and combatting
climate change. Ameri-
cans should cheer Andrew
Wheeler’s confirmation as
EPA administrator.
Drew Johnson
Senior Fellow at the
National Center for Public
Policy Research.
Washington DC
Give your family an
international flair: host
an exchange student
ASSE invites fam-
ilies to “bring the world
together by hosting a for-
eign exchan ge studen t.”
ASSE International Student
Excha nge Progr ams, a
public benefit organization,
is seeking local host families
for high school studen ts
from over 30 countr ies:
Spain, Germany, Thailand,
Denmark, Portugal, South
Korea, Italy, France , the
former Soviet Union Coun-
tries, Norwa y and more.
Couples, single parents,
and families with & without
children in the home are all
encouraged to host. You
can choose to host a student
for a semester or for the
school year.
Each ASSE student is
fully insured, brings his/
her own personal spending
money and expects to con-
tribute to his/her share of
household responsibilities,
as well as being included
in normal family activities
and lifestyles.
“Imagine the world of
peace and greater under-
standing. Imagine your-
self as part of the solu-
tion. Today’s teens are
tomorrow’s parents, inter-
national businesspeople,
and possibly even future
political leaders. Share
your corner of America by
helping a foreign exchange
student experience life in
your area,” said an ASSE
spokesperson.
If you are interested
in opening your home and
sharing your family life
with a young person from
abroad, please contact us
today for more information,
call (800) 733-2773, go
online at www.ASSEhosts.
com or email asseusawest@
asse.com
Need To Get The
Word Out?
Let Us Help!
Willow Creek Baptist volunteers will serve lunch on
Wednesday, July 3 at St. Patrick’s Senior Center. Lunch
Advertising
will be beef and cheese enchiladas, Mexican black beans,
Deadline is
mixed vegies, tossed salad and strawberry sunshine Jell-O
Monday by 5pm
salad for dessert.
Milk, coffee and tea is served at each meal. Suggested
541-676-9228
donation is $3.50 per meal. Menu is subject to change.
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