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July 9 Opinions |
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—Editorial—
Animal Abandonment Deplorable
We are glad to see that the Baker County Sheriff’s Department is making progress on the horse abandonment case that took place earlier this year. We commend them for their time and effort in pursuing this.
It is absolutely deplorable that someone would leave a domestic animal in the country to fend for itself. And even more so in this instance where the young horses were not weaned and would have starved to death without their mother’s milk or a milk supplement.
It’s understandable in this depressed economy that many people might not have the means to care for large animals like horses, but there are other options. There are several horse rescue facilities in Oregon that you can relinquish your horse to. You can donate your horse to a therapeutic riding center or possibly a youth oriented camp or organization. You can lease your horse to someone who might not have the facilities to keep a horse to help pay for the horse’s food. Heck, you can give it away to someone who has the means to take care of it. You can also make efforts to stop breeding the horses you have in order to avoid producing more than you can care for.
If no other options exist, euthanasia is much kinder than letting an animal slowly starve to death, get hit by a car or attacked and killed by wild animals.
Some people think they are doing an animal a favor by turning it loose in the country when they can no longer care for it. Domestic animals and pets learn to trust humans and look to them for their food and care. They are not like wild animals who have grown up fending for themselves. Domestic animals don’t have the skills to survive on their own. Only wild animals can be returned to the wild. Setting animals free that were raised on a farm is not the same as is often depicted in some happy, feel good movie. They don’t run free and wild, they run free and scared for a little bit and then they die, usually a horrible death.
Never assume that some kind human will pick up your animal and give it a good home — that doesn’t happen as often as you would like to believe either.
We’re assuming you wouldn’t have the heart to take a family member and leave him or her by the roadside with no food, shelter or means to survive, so why would you do that to an animal that considers you its family? (DS)
—Letters To The Editor—
Motorcycles And Bikes Good For Baker City
To The Record-Courier:
Mr. Bill Todd has been making public complaints about several well-publicized community activities. He appears to be the classic curmudgeon. He objects to the motorcycle rally and the bicycle race and, apparently, to the concept of inviting people here to enjoy our beautiful mountains. Mr. Todd has a unique view of how Baker City should survive: put our heads in the sand and lock all gateways to the city. Obviously he doesn’t run a business that is dependent on commerce.
The motorcycle rally fills the hotels, motels and restaurants. Yes, Main Street is closed off for a period of time, but that encourages people to walk around and see new things in town. My wife located the great new Western women’s store on Main Street as we walked down to view the motorcycles.
Yes, the bike race shuts off several blocks for part of the day. On the other hand, 400 cyclists come to town, often with their family members, eat in the restaurants and purchase goods. They all talk about how beautiful Baker City and Baker County are.
If Mr. Todd would open his eyes he would see the beautifully cared for motorcycles at the motorcycle rally and some of the finest athletes in the West at the bike races, all putting forth more positive energy than Mr. Todd seems to exude.
In short, it is events like these that make Baker City unique and attract tourist dollars to our town. Mr. Todd will next probably object to the cows in the country because of what they leave in the fields or the methane they produce, or that they “moo” too loudly.
If he doesn’t like the events, maybe he can suggest something else that will bring 800 people to our city that will not offend his sensitive nature.
J. David Coughlin
Baker City, Ore.
Bikes Go, Cows Stay
To The Record-Courier:
David, David, David (I’m sorry J. David, wonder what the J. stands for? (A couple of things come to mind.) We haven’t even met and you are calling me names. How do you ever expect us to become best friends starting out this way, David?
I think you would be considered the classic.
My views are not unique, David.
I think you are putting words in my mouth David, when you say “lock all gateways to the city.” That’s a great idea you came up with though, David.
“It is events like these (rally, bike races) that make Baker City unique.” You should come into town more often from your country home. If you think motorcycle rallies and bike races will keep this town moving, you are a classic, David.
It’s wonderful that you discovered a new western store on Main street. I commend you for shopping local, David.
I think you have Cycle Oregon confused with the bike races, David. Cycle Oregon are the ones that fill the motels and restaurants with family and leave a lot of money behind, not the racers. You said, “they all talk about how beautiful Baker City and Baker County are.” “All,” that’s a lot of people, David. Are you sure you talked to “all” of them or maybe you meant just a few?
There you go again, David, “methane” gas, guess you don’t know the difference between dairy cattle and beef cattle. It’s all in what they eat. With dairy cattle, they make noise at both ends.
Historically Baker City is a cow town, David. Hopefully it will remain with crops and cattle. If you are suggesting that the motorcycle rallies and bike races maintain this town for the year, you really do need to get out more, David.
In short, David, why don’t you put your banana bunch on and go for a little ride in the pasture and get a little “green” on your wheels.
Bill Todd
Baker City, Ore.
MVMH’s Secrecy Culture Is Wrong
To The Record-Courier:
“We need to congratulate Vicki for turning this ship around and not having a roomful of angry people,” said County Commission Chair Fred Warner at last week’s meeting with MVMH Director Vicki (Long) Levinger and board of directors members Milo Pope and Kent Bailey.
High praise for Levinger, who the board appointed director after demoting former director Tim Mahoney, an appointment made even though Levinger had no administrative experience. The board made no attempt to recruit qualified applicants outside the agency.
After her appointment, Levinger—under supervision of her husband-to-be MVMH board chair Dr. Larry Levinger—presided over a mass exodus of the most qualified and experienced MVMH employees.
The employees had been eager to work with management on problems that began under Mahoney. But instead of working with employees to iron things out, Levinger clamped down on the complainers. Which led to a hostile work environment. Which led to employees leaving. Which led to firing of two employees. Which led to a finding of illegal retaliation by an Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries investigator. Which led to a Federal whistle-blower lawsuit.
In May, the lawsuit ended in a secret settlement.
But we do know this. At last week’s meeting, Kent Bailey disclosed the costs of the lawsuit: $130,290 for lawyers; and most of a year-end surplus of $155,000 for settlement. That’s money that could have been spent on services to clients, if Levinger and MVMH board of directors had followed common sense employer-employee practices, and if MVMH did not operate in secret.
MVMH’s biggest problem is its culture of secrecy. The lawsuit would have been avoided, if MVMH board meetings were open to the public. The only reason the public knows MVMH’s insurance carrier refuses to indemnify MVMH is my disclosure of information contained in an internal letter written by Pope sent to me anonymously by a brave MVMH employee.
With old board members going off and new ones going on, I hope, for the sake of the health of the County’s mental health service provider, that the MVMH board abandons its culture of secrecy.
Gary Dielman
Baker City
Brocato Had Workplace Issues Elsewhere
To The Record-Courier:
As a former colleague of Steve Brocato at Cronos Containers I was interested to read about his recent termination as City Manager. Because of his personality and way of dealing with people, I predicted that Steve would last around two years as City Manager so I was about right on this.
Steve is a very bright and talented individual, but he clearly has issues in several areas that make it difficult for him to work in an organized fashion and get along with others. He had this problem at Cronos so it's not surprising the same problems arose during his tenure as City Manager. Reading the comments on both sides of this issue brought back memories of our days at Cronos where some people loved him while others deplored his every move.
As an outsider my recommendation to the City Council would be to put aside your differences, and after careful evaluation find a City Manager who can more easily work with all members of the community. Given what appears to be a great deal of divisiveness on the Council this will be no easy task.
After working at Cronos Containers for 23 tumultuous years I retired in September, 2007 and now live outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where, so far, life is wonderful.
John Foy
Punta de Mita
Nayarit, Mexico
Issues Of A Robot’s Life
To The Record-Courier:
Seems to me I can't let go of this robot issue and all the ways they are creating the issue itself to serve mankind so to speak.
I no sooner once again mention the kitchen robot, that they were amusing themselves with, that lo and behold, here they are creating one with emotions just like us humans, to relate to the elderly.
Once again, while in the store was relating the issue so to speak to a former classmate, and while at the check register even made mention of a robot to do our grocery shopping, you should have seen all the faces — many chuckles were apparent at that. Just think can you imagine being confined to home and all and having a computerized robot to make connections and report back to you at home while attending other duties to be done that never seem to get done, and all, and at last they are getting done so to speak? Hogwash—wishful thinking at that.
Back to the emotion issue that would probably be a detriment to some of the doctors that seem to think they can solve the human behavior at that out of business. Why not robots in our city council? Maybe they can get the job done and not have all the issues that seem to disrupt etc. of what they were elected for to begin with and not themselves, maybe we should do a recall on the whole bunch at that and see if anything better can come forth. Personality etc. problems should never be at that, it should be business and nothing more. Maybe if robots were in place without emotions and all business would get done at that.
Now one more issue of Peter Cottontail. I actually had an opportunity to get away for a few days to see my brother and family. in Vancouver, Wash. Well while out in his back yard our Annie girl was being entertained by something different to her and it was a rabbit at that. Then I wondered how fast did that Peter Cottontail actually travel from my back yard. Was he possibly a bionic rabbit they were trying out to see what the future held for them?
Seems like he wasted no time keeping the pace with us but sad to say it was a neighborhood rabbit and apparently they run wild there. He was off in a flash not wasting anytime for picture taking. So getting away you never know what follows you from where you left off and what you left behind.
Coffee Anyone?
Brenda Dickison
Baker City
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