Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 7 , 2022 -- THREE
~ Letters to the Editor ~
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the
following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to
have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also
requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you
can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for
verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not
be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible
for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks
will be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net.
Recall
aftermath
Editor:
In case you may be
questioning what happened,
or more importantly, what is
about to happen in Morrow
County with the recall of
two commissioners: Here
is the why, the how and the
what comes next.
WHY. 1) Morrow
County Commissioners
Lindsay and Doherty were
requiring changes for CREZ
III. CREZ III is currently
negotiating tax abatement
for six new Amazon com-
plexes. A) Lindsay and
Doherty refused to ratify
CREZ III without all cities
of Morrow County includ-
ed, not just Boardman. B)
Lindsay and Doherty would
not expand Bombing Range
Road Amazon project for
tax-free abatement because
Amazon began construction
without a S.I. P. (Strate-
gic Investment Program)
approval. This means this
Amazon complex must pay
full tax instead of current
15 percent. C) Lindsay and
Doherty as county commis-
sioners had to ratify CREZ
III before it could be ap-
proved. D) Commissioner
Lindsay was appointed lead
county negotiator with Am-
azon for CREZ III. Lindsay
was requiring Bonding and
50 percent tax abatement
for the five new Amazon
complexes. Once Lindsay
was subject to a recall vote,
the Port of Morrow refused
to have her at the negotiat-
ing table. Now you know
why Lindsay had to be re-
called even though she lost
the election.
2) Morrow County
Commissioners Lindsay
and Doherty would not
sign a letter for Ambulance
Transport for the Boardman
Fire Department because
the BFD never filed an ap-
plication. The BFD wanted
Lindsay and Doherty to
circumvent the county’s
Emergency Medical Ser-
vices Board and a letter of
Documented Need required
by the Oregon Health Au-
thority. The Boardman Fire
Department Chief Hughes
led the recall effort to re-
move Lindsay and Doherty
to gain county Ambulance
Transport License approval
instead of submitting to the
regulatory process.
3) Lindsay and
Doherty were holding the
Port of Morrow account-
able to build the anaerobic
nitrogen digesters required
from their 2017 DEQ li-
cense permit to curtail the
nitrate contamination in
local public wells and farm
land. Instead, the Port spent
over 20 million dollars to
build multiple six-foot wa-
ter lines transporting Mor-
row County water to farms
in Umatilla County. With
Lindsay, and especially
Doherty, gone that pressure
has been recalled.
4) Columbia De-
velopment Authority chair
Don Russell was removed
and replaced by Commis-
sioner Doherty after he
subverted the regulatory
process in an attempt to
have the Port of Morrow
and Umatilla control the
property of the Umatilla
Chemical Site. Doherty
required equal management
from both counties. Now
that Doherty has been re-
called, Rep. Greg Smith
can establish an agenda fa-
vorable to his employer, the
Port of Morrow (i.e. more
CREZ tax abatement mon-
ey from more Amazons).
So, the next question
to be answered is HOW did
this happen? Money buys
elections. Money buys in-
fluence. Money buys power
and position. The CREZ
monopoly has $10,000,000
to distribute how it pleases.
Ten million dollars buys
a lot of votes and persua-
sion and intimidation. I
watched in Irrigon how the
Port and CREZ used their
money, their influence, their
position to persuade, de-
ceive and bully people into
supporting their campaign
to destroy two honorable
public servants they knew
nothing about. “Yes on the
recall” signs were plastered
everywhere. One prominent
main street house had four.
When I asked why, he ad-
mitted it does not mean he
would vote that way. The
Port of Morrow millionaire
Windwave owners could
easily spend a thousand for
every dollar Doherty and
Lindsay had to raise out
of their own pocket. This
recall was fixed from the
get-go. No public servant,
with a sound mind, will vol-
unteer to serve our county
in the future.
The most important
question to be answered is:
what will be the result of
this recall?
1) No public hearted,
honorable, citizen of in-
tegrity in Morrow County
will volunteer to run for
commissioner as long as
CREZ, the Port of Mor-
row, Windwave, Rep. Greg
Smith and prominent citi-
zens in every city control
our elections and abuse the
recall process.
2) Will the new coun-
ty commissioners require
Amazon to pay bonding
for our roads, schools and
health care? Will the new
commissioners require Am-
azon to pay a more fair
share of tax abatement?
Commissioner Lindsay was
recalled largely because she
was requiring 50 percent
instead of 15 percent.
3) Will the new com-
missioners make sure all the
cities of Morrow County re-
ceive a fair share of wealth
distribution from Amazon
through CREZ III?
4) Will the new com-
missioners allow the Board-
man Fire District to receive
an Ambulance Transport
License without going
through the regulatory pro-
cess? Will the new com-
missioners strip MCHD
of funding for their county
ambulance and medical ser-
vices? Will medical emer-
gency services be shattered
for Morrow County under
new commissioners?
5) Will the new com-
missioners require the Am-
azon Bombing Range road,
already under construction
with Windwave fiber optics,
to pay full county taxes as
required under current Stra-
tegic Investment Program
law or will they cave to the
Port and Windwave and
allot a puny 15 percent tax
abatement for CREZ III.
6) Will the new com-
missioners support equal
county management for
the Columbia Development
Authority, or will they serve
the Port of Morrow and
their interests? Morrow
County citizens and busi-
ness have a huge stake in
this decision.
7) Will the new com-
missioners allow Morrow
County water, already at a
critical level, to be pumped
into Umatilla County, es-
pecially for more Amazon
complexes? Will the new
commissioners address the
stress Amazon is putting on
Morrow County water and
power?
8) Will the new com-
missioners require the Port
of Morrow to build the An-
aerobic nitrogen digesters
required by the DEQ permit
to end or at least limit ni-
trate poisoning? Or will the
feel-good band-aid of home
filters and trucked water
continue to bribe those
families with poisoned well
water?
9) Will the new com-
missioners allow special
interests (Don Russell,
Windwave, Jeff Wenholz,
Umatilla Electric) to de-
termine their position on
decisions that impact all
Morrow County citizens?
Either citizens of Mor-
row County hold those
responsible for this recall
travesty accountable or find
another county or state to
move to. I say draw a line
in the sand because there is
no place left.
Stuart Dick
Irrigon, OR
New Rules
Sometimes it’s hard to
figure right from wrong.
Everybody has an opin-
ion and no matter what
you do, there’s always
someone ready to let you
know that you missed
the mark. It seems to me
that it’s gotten even more
difficult over the course of
my lifetime. When I was
young, rules were clear.
Don’t lie, cheat, steal, kill,
talk back to your mom
or smack your sibling.
Cussing would get you
a free bar of Dial soap,
administered orally, and
a trip to the woodshed.
Spitting in public was also
frowned upon. Yes, clear
and concise…as were the
consequences.
But times have certain-
ly changed and the morals
that Once Were have been
hijacked. Though the orig-
ination of the new moral
code is a little sketchy, I
think it would behoove us
all to at least try to get a
handle on this new set of
rules. So, in the spirit of in-
clusion, I would like to give
the reader my best attempt
at defining them.
Current Moral Code:
1. When describing
someone, always point out
their skin color. If you miss
this one, you are a racist.
2. Recycle, drive elec-
tric and look to 15-year-
olds for advice on how to
save the planet.
3. Never assume that
old pronouns still work.
4. Always apologize
for your ancestor’s actions,
no matter how long ago.
Understand that this apol-
ogy will never actually be
accepted. This is called
reparation.
5. Do not consume dairy
products. Cows should not
have to lose their lives just
so you can drink milk.
6. Do not own a gun of
any kind because this caus-
es school shootings.
7. Never call someone
entering the country illegal-
ly an “illegal.” And remem-
ber…walls are bad, and
fentanyl is not a problem.
8. Never question vac-
cines, elections, taxes, in-
flation or the mental state
of the president. This will
make you a Conspiracy
Theorist.
9. There are no “curse
words.” Freedom of speech
is imperative.
10. Never use offensive
terms like “Christian,” “Je-
sus,” and “Hell.”
11. Trust the science,
except biology.
12. Always fight for the
rights of women, except for
the ones in the womb.
You’re welcome,
Susie Crosby
Heppner, OR
Heppner FFA begins Greens
workshop, adopts local
families for Christmas
It’s that time of year
again for the Heppner High
School Ag students to have
their Greens workshop.
Anyone needing holiday
décor to add to their door
can order an evergreen cen-
terpiece or wreath, candy
cane or cross. Costs range
from $15 to $30. Contact
any Ag student with an
order or reach out to FFA
Advisor Beth Dickenson at
541-676-9138 or Elizabeth.
Dickenson@morrow.k12.
or.us. Orders need to be in
by Thursday, Dec. 8, and
decorations will be avail-
able for pickup between
1-4 p.m. Dec. 6-Dec. 8.
Heppner FFA is also
continuing a long-standing
tradition called Adopt a
Family, in which the chap-
ter will adopt a few families
in the local community
who could use a little as-
sistance this Christmas.
The funds raised from the
Greensburg shop go toward
shopping for those families.
Students will do their
shopping this Saturday,
Dec. 10, and then the FFA
chapter members will fin-
ish wrapping them and get
them delivered before the
holidays.
This is the Heppner
FFA chapter’s 15 th year
adopting local families.
217 North Main St.,
Heppner, OR
Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426
murraysdrug.com
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm • Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 9am-2pm
Murraysdrug.com
Pharmacy-
Mon-Fri 9am-6pm
Agricultural / Commercial,
and Home Loans.
We’ve got You Covered!
HEPPNER
AMBER SCHLAICH
Ag and Commercial
Loan Officer
279 N. Main Street / 541-676-9125
IONE
280 Main Street / 541-422-7466
MORTGAGE
269 N. Main Street, Heppner / 541-676-9884
RAYMOND SEASTONE
Mortgage Loan Officer
NMLS# 937744
Rates & terms may vary. All loans subject to credit approval. NMLS #414459 MEMBER FDIC
The Heppner Gazette-Times wants to
share the holiday spirit!
Please send us photos of Christmas
lights and decorations.
We want to share the wondrous beauty
of the season with our readers and
spread some Christmas cheer.
Please send your photos to
editor@rapidserve.net
Include the city where the photo was taken.