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February 19, 2009 Opinions |
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—Guest Opinions—
Think Locally, Shop Locally, Buy Locally
By Dean Brickey
With the economy tightening and residents watching their budgets, it’s a good time for a reminder that consumers should think locally when they begin considering purchasing goods and services.
We recognize there’s a certain allure to shopping out of town. Just taking a trip to Tri-Cities or Portland for something you think you can’t find locally and a certain degree of excitement for a trip that often involves a meal out with the family.
People often head up or down the freeway with the idea they will find a better selection, or better prices, or something they can’t find at home. Most of the time it’s not true. If we really look, we usually can find the item or service we’re looking for right in our own backyard, without spending money for ever-increasingly more costly fuel (and time) to get there.
But saving time and money are just a couple of reasons why we should shop at home. First, consider what you’d go through if your new widget went haywire. You’d have to make a long-distance call to the out-of-town merchant. Then you’d probably have to make a return trip to make arrangements or repairs, or at least, ship it off to have it fixed.
Think how much easier it is just taking your broken widget back to your local merchant who gladly will exchange it, give you a loaner, or in some other way make it right.
Second, remember where you go first when you’re raising money for your club or organization, or your schools’ special event, or your children’s sports team. That’s right, it’s your local businesses. We often think, “They’ve got lots of money, and they probably have a budget for charitable giving, so they’re an easy target for a $50 check, or for a discount coupon, or for a giveaway for our auction.” You name it, you’ve probably hit up your friendly local merchants for it.
If for no other reason, why, then, would you drive right past those local merchants when you’re on a shopping trip, and head up or down the freeway to that other city? It makes no sense.
There’s absolutely no reason we should have to leave town for any purchase or service. Our local merchants support the community and we should, in turn, support them. So the next time you’re looking for any goods or services, think locally first. It’s the least you can do for the businesses that support your causes.
Soap Operas and Change I Can Believe In
By Steve Culley
The number 175 sticks in my mind this week. At a meeting where Sen. Ferrioli spoke he mentioned that Oregon has lost 175,000 jobs to this recession/depression. The Oregonian reported a while back that there are about 175,000 illegal aliens in Oregon and the Oregon legislature just passed at $175 million dollar stimulus package for Oregon. Maybe I have my own conspiracy theory here. Ferrioli did mention that Latino applications for drivers licenses by Latinos are down 90 percent since we started asking for proof of citizenship before issuing drivers licenses. There doesn’t seem to be much interest in the E-Verify system though. The talking points for LA RASA are that it just causes illegals to drive without licenses seems to be catching on in the Oregon legislature. Deportation and enforcement seems to be off the table so that we an get in step with the national program of more open borders programs. The Democrats cut the funding for the E-Verify program in the stimulus package. It will expire on March 9 unless the American people really rise up. They use the La Rasa and U.S. Chamber of Commerce talking points that it isn’t reliable. That’s bull crap. The reason they want it killed is that it is 99.7 percent instantly affective and the other .3 of a percent is resolved in 30 days or less. The conspiracy by the globalists multinational corporations, the U.S, Chamber of Commerce and Latino pro open borders coalition are working hard to sell out America. Soon we will get another amnesty bill like the one that helped John McCain lose an election and was back ground for Gordon Smith’s defeat. the resulting population increase will help Thousand Friends of Oregon in their campaign to end sprawl.
President Obama’s economics guru Tim Giethner attended the meeting of G-7 nations and told them that the Buy American provisions in the stimulus bill won’t be enforced if it interferes with already signed trade deals with China and the NAFTA deals. When Ron Wyden was here I mentioned that Americans might be a little mad if we ended up building steel bridges with Chinese steel and Mexican labor but the press didn’t think his answer was important enough to mention it. Same with the land use bill that is sailing through the Oregon legislature. After a couple of years of Big Look testimony that said Oregonians want more local control our Democratic legislature is going to give us 2229 that adds another layer of LCDC more of the same. I really like one part of it, just for laughs. Seems like they want to cluster any housing that might be allowed outside of their urban growth boundaries. The argument is that we can’t afford the infrastructure. Bull crap again. The infrastructure consists of county roads that are already built. If you want a house in the country the driveway is your responsibility, the county or state doesn’t contribute a dime. And then there is the old carbon imprint thing. If you live in the country you will warm Oregon’s earth. Oregon has about 40 million tons of CO2 annually and Texas has about 400 million tons and China’s coal fired plants are the biggest source of CO2 but we continue to trade with them. Half of our mercury comes from China. They regularly hack into the Pentagon and have even penetrated the fire walls. And I get to watch a commercial on TV featuring the Tin Man who needs a brain pushing for a national power grid with the need for more huge power lines to connect it all together. In the future there won’t be any need to blow up a tower or plant or a dam if you want to make the nation go dark. Just find a good hacker and shut it down with a computer. If my leaders only had a brain.
Then there is the latest on the immigration wide open borders soap opera. Pressure is building to stop the building of the fence. Obama has debts to pay to his supporters. And Sheriff Joe Arpio is being sued by La RASA for discrimination. The woman who is head of La RASA appears on Lou Dobbs regularly and Lou lets her speak her mind and give her point of view. Turns out that the judge who is hearing the Joe Arpio case happens to be her sister and they forgot to inform the Sheriff’s defense team that there might be a conflict of interest.
So change we can believe in goes on. The open borders crow are looking for pay back and you can bet the fun control crowd already has their legislation typed up. The right wing untier just left office and now the left wing is about to unite us. We saw that with the stimulus bill, 99 percent Democrat.
There is a saying around election in America that I voted for that guy because he couldn’t be any worse than the last one. we are proven wrong time and again. We’ll see.
—Letters To The Editor—
Citizens Concerned With Idaho Power
To The Record-Courier:
I have been involved in a citizens group in Baker County that is concerned about a proposal from Idaho Power to run 500kV electrical lines from Boardman, Oregon to Hemingway, ID. Oregon will have 250 of the 298 mile run. 88% of the project will be on private lands. The proposed routes were determined by a committee consisting only of Idaho residents. None of the four Oregon counties affected (Umatilla, Union, Baker and Malheur) were consulted or will benefit from the additional power. I have lately become aware that this line would eventually be part of a large grid that would connect the metropolitan areas of Seattle, Portland, Boise and population bases in Nevada and Wyoming. The establishment of this corridor will lay the ground work for other entities to use this route. It seems to me that our local rural lands are being sacrificed to serve the needs of urban growth. When I first saw the wind mills at Telocaset, I was thinking this is great alternative power. But traveling along the Columbia River lately has caused me to rethink. Our scenic vistas are being co-opted in a never ending pursuit for more consumption.
The Baker group has concentrated their energies on the placement of the lines. Maybe this explains why there hasn’t been as much concern in Union County. The proposed line does not march into the city limits of La Grande like the proposed corridor does in Baker City. The alternative corridor is partially in Union County but primarily in Baker County. This route passes through the Medical Springs, Keating area. This is how I became involved. The alternative route would place 180 foot high towers with 40’x 40’ bases directly on my property. Thoughts arise concerning health; soil erosion and disturbance; recreation; aesthetic and scenic impact; and plant and animal habitat compromises. The list goes on and on. However, this kind of “not in my back yard” discussion is not where we need to exert our energies. We need to gather more information and question the efficacy of the project.
A coalition of NW communities from Baker, Union, Malheur, Morrow and Umatilla counties are sponsoring a petition that calls for individuals to sign if: 1) You believe that the new Idaho Power proposed high voltage transmission line is a NW regional issue and not just a local one; 2) You feel that more time is needed to receive clear information about the proposed high voltage transmission line, possible technological alternatives, and all the complex short and long-term consequences; 3)You are willing to discuss “WHERE” to locate the power line but you are yet to receive convincing arguments that explain the “NEED” and the benefits to our communities.
You can access the petition on line at www.ipetitions.com/petition/b2coalition/ (In order to use this site without paying a minimal fee of $2 use the signatures tab at the top of the page after clicking “sign petition". This will let you know if you are registered. It should be noted that this money goes to the site, not the cause.) Written input: Oregon Energy Siting Council. c/o Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion St. NE, Salem, OR 97301-4040.
Linda Carlsen
Spring Is Around The Corner
To The Record-Courier:
Well now, with spring just around the corner and a few more weeks of winter weather, it makes me wonder how many of us are gearing up for that wonderful thing called “spring cleaning.” When you are house bound so to speak and spring is lurking in the air we get a little more than anxious to see what beholds in our cupboards etc. With the few breaks in between the winter weather I did manage to get out some unlike last winter. Our winters are so different every year and before you know it they will be talking of water shortage. Doesn’t seem like we have as much as last year so it does make you wonder what will be in store on that issue.
We have had a lot of safety aspects with our food resources, especially peanut butter, and problems with spinach, tomatoes, etc. I was made aware of what our yeast products can do if the expiration dates have passed — not good. It is suggested that you toss any pancake mixes etc. that are outdated. For further information on this see Page 2 of The Record-Courier.
Now on yet another related issue if anyone sees my latest ad in the classifieds of this paper, at times my printer does look like that until I feel my letter is acceptable to fax or email to The Record-Courier and then at that there maybe times when a little adjustment is still necessary to make it right. Yes, I am at my best in the forefront! Would like to thank the newspaper for getting my ads together and all.
And yes, last but not least, I bet all of us, if not most of us, are getting ready for our gardens etc.
Some who drive by later on might notice part of our yard being turned into another little spot for more gardening, it has a hard time greening because of the slant in our yard, but perfect for sunlight. I’m looking forward to seeing my wonderful little critters that have adapted themselves around here not to mention, those pesky little flies showing up now.
And not to mention that my husband kind of grunted some about another little spot in the yard. At the price of food these days it pays to have a garden and he does enjoy eating at that.
Coffee Anyone,
Brenda Dickison
Baker City
Here We Go Again
To The Record-Courier:
The Northern Rockie’s Ecosystem Protection Act has been introduced again by Rep. Carolyn Maloney from New York. This must be the 5th time with not one change in the text. Christopher Shay introduced the Bill in 1995 from Connecticut and Blumenauer from Oregon. It was introduced again on April 20, 2007 with 82 co-sponsors on that day. It had garnered 139 sponsors by Election Day 2008.
According to her website this would put 23 million more acres into Wilderness. Why in the world are we trying to close up our resources to exploration (logging, mining, drilling, ranching and farming) and suggesting digressing back to the C.C.C. days?
Have these people even seen this area they are trying to close up? Bugs, non-management and fires, not clear-cutting have caused most of the devastation.
Over 50% of the landmass in the Pacific Northwest is supposed to be managed, not owned, by some form of government. We have lost millions of dollars of natural resources waiting for our leaders to come up with a viable solution.
Something has to be extracted from the earth to create new wealth. As Ken Anderson, the miner, keeps reminding us, every dollar of mineral taken creates $66 in new wealth. We cannot keep scavenging from each other. We have to turn our true entrepreneurs loose to dig us out of this hole we are in. We cannot depend on government bailouts alone to save the day.
Alice Knapp
Baker City
Restoring Our Economy Begins With Housing Stabilization
To The Record-Courier:
Realtors® across the country have been advocating for a comprehensive stimulus package to reduce housing inventory, make mortgages more affordable and available, and help deserving families refinance or modify their loans so they can keep their home. We are committed to these goals and to getting something done immediately. There can be no doubt that stabilizing home prices and restoring confidence in the housing market are critical to an overall economic recovery.
It is vitally important for President Obama and Congress to complete a bipartisan stimulus package focused on housing. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is a good start but much more needs to be done. It is imperative that the federal government act immediately to encourage homebuyers to re-enter the market and to stop families from losing their homes to foreclosure.
Federal “rescue” dollars should be directed to buy down mortgage rates — a half million additional homes could be sold if interest rates were lowered by just 1 percentage point. Additionally, banks must find ways to help prevent foreclosures and unclog the credit market. These steps are necessary to stabilize housing and ensure that home values do not become artificially low, exacerbating today’s problems.
Realtors® support a $15,000 homebuyer’s tax credit and its expansion to include all homebuyers, not just first timers. The elimination of the repayment feature and the credit extension through December 2009 will have a meaningful impact for home buyers. Reinstating the increased FHA, Fannie and Freddie loan limits that expired on Dec. 31, 2008 will also help the recovery by increasing mortgage liquidity. Banks need to begin lending again.
The federal government, Realtors®, lenders and local municipalities need to work together to turn the economy around. President Obama and Congress will have to move quickly to get a comprehensive housing recovery plan in place to protect families, homes and jobs. A stable housing market is the only way to begin an economic recovery.
We urge all parties to work together — and work quickly — to restore confidence in the housing market and the U.S. financial system.
Baker County Association of Realtors
Baker County History Came To Life
To The Record-Courier:
On Feb. 14 we were privileged to see the Past their Prime players performance of the “Baker Bunch.” And what a bunch it was! Many early Baker County citizens came to life right there on the stage of the Adler Theater at OTIC.
We saw and heard from Col. Edward and Mrs. Baker, the Packwoods, George and Mary Chandler, Doc Hay, James Virtue, Mike Hoff, the Rev. Nevius and others including the ill fated Spanish Tom.
This was one of the very best local presentations we have seen. This performance should be repeated many times. We appreciate the dedicated players who really brought Baker County History to life.
Frances Burgess
Baker City
Remembering Feb. 19, 1942
To The Record-Courier:
Americans of Japanese decent and others often celebrate Feb. 19 as a sad day in American history‚ because that is the date in 1942 that President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. They claim that it singled out Japanese by race.
That order directed the Secretary of War to designate critical “military areas” that should exclude “any and all persons” from them. E.O. 9066 applied to persons whose countries of origin, not race, were at war with the United States. This included German, Italian, Japanese, Rumanian, Hungarian, and others.
First generation Japanese, or Issei, along with German and Italian citizens became enemy aliens after war was declared. Joe DiMaggio’s mother, an Italian enemy alien, was asked to leave her Terminal Island home in California.
All of the second two nationalities and 8,000 of the Japanese moved until late in March 1942 when for various reasons the U.S. government found itself in the relocation business. Throughout the war 30,000 more Japanese left Assembly or Relocation centers permanently and others did for seasonal work, recreation of educational reasons. Japanese residing in the 44 non-critical states asked for, and were granted, permission to live in the Centers.
The U.S. had broken the Japanese diplomatic code a year before Pearl Harbor revealing the vast spy network on the West Coast. The FBI did round up those spies and trained saboteurs immediately after Pearl Harbor and sent them to four Department of Justice camps along with German and Italian spies. Over 31,000 of all three enemy aliens including their spouses and children were deported after the war.
About 5,000 American born Japanese Nisei asked and were given permission to give up their American citizenship. Additionally 18,000 Japanese in Relocation Centers including parents who refused to give unqualified allegiance to the U.S. and renounce allegiance to the Japanese Emperor were deported along with the 5,000 Nisei. These and many other facts are available that refute the falsehoods and half-truths with which the media has bombarded the American public these past 60+ years
I recommend that readers avail themselves of books by the late Pulitzer prize nominee, Lillian Baker. The book “MAGIC,” “The Untold Story of U.S. Intelligence” and the “Evacuation of Japanese Residents from the West Coast During WWII” by David Lowman published in 2000 tells the truth more completely. A more recent book In Defense of Internment by Michelle Malkin published in 2004 reveals other helpful information, much of it from the eight volume series released in 1980 called The Magic Background of Pearl Harbor available from most public libraries.
Val Don Hickerson
Bandon, Ore.
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