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December 15, 2011 Opinions |
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—EDITORIAL—
This We Think...
Governor Kitzhaber's recent announcement that he will not allow the execution of Gary Haugen —or any death row inmate — to take place while he is in office raises some concerns. Kitzhaber had stated, "The policy of this state on capital punishment is not mine alone to decide. It is a matter for all Oregonians to decide." Oregonians did decide when they reinstated the death penalty in 1984.
Haugen had been serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for beating to death his ex-girlfriend’s mother with his fists, a baseball bat and a roofing hammer in 1981. While serving his time, in 2003, he and another prisoner were convicted of fatally stabbing an inmate 84 times and crushing his head. A jury convicted Haugen and sentenced him to death. He was scheduled to be executed earlier this month, but was given a reprieve when Governor Kitzhaber declared a moratorium on executions.
Regardless of personal/moral beliefs on the death penalty, whether or not it is a deterrent to murder, and if it is a perversion of justice as Kitzhaber said, the Governor didn't follow the wishes of his constituents.
If at some point Oregon voters decide to repeal the death penalty, so be it, but until then Kitzhaber should comply with current mandates and refrain from making blanket decisions that are in direct conflict with Oregon's current legal system.
Otherwise, why should Oregon residents participate in the voting process if the governor overrides them? As far as we know, we are still a democracy.
The state's capital punishment system may be broken, as Kitzhaber states, and we certainly don't object to re-opening this discussion or to putting it up for vote again. However, we do object to an elected official imposing his personal moral beliefs ahead of those he represents, and not even showing a willingness to evaluate each individual case by stating that legal execution — apparently no matter how heinous the crime — just won't happen on his watch. (DS)
—LETTERS—
Right To Repair Act Ensures Competitive Automotive Repair Industry
To The Record-Courier:
The Engine Repower Council strongly supports the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 1449) to foster a competitive automotive repair industry where car owners, not car companies, decide who repowers or repairs their vehicles.
The Right to Repair Act simply ensures that vehicle owners and their trusted independent repair shops have access to all the information necessary to accurately repair, repower or reprogram today’s modern vehicles. Without complete access to critical safety and repair information, motorists will be forced back to the dealer for vehicle service, which may not be convenient or easily accessible to the car owner. Right to Repair would not require car manufacturers to disclose their trade secrets and would not affect the dealer's warranty agreement.
Engine repowering by installing a rebuilt/remanufactured engine is an excellent option for many motorists when their original engine cannot be repaired. A rebuilt/remanufactured engine is as good as or better than the original, extending the life of a vehicle and offering engine performance, cost savings and environmental benefits. Passage of the Right to Repair Act is critical to ensure this option continues to be available to all car owners.
We encourage all vehicle owners to visit www.righttorepair.org to send a letter to each of their congressional representatives urging them to support the Right to Repair Act. For more information on rebuilt/remanufactured engines and those qualified to provide and install them, visit the Engine Repower Council’s website at www.enginerepower.org.
Ken Carter
Chairman
Engine Repower Council
Best Friends Seeks Foster Homes, Financial Donations — Please Care
To The Record-Courier:
My name is Carmen Ott and I am a member of Best Friends of Baker, Inc. I became involved with Best Friends of Baker, Inc. in May 2005. I never realized how important it was to become involved with the rescue of cats and dogs in Baker County until I was asked to foster a dog. A black lab was abandoned at Washington Gulch and found by some students of mine. Jack was our first foster dog and was fortunate enough to find a wonderful “forever” home with a family on the Oregon Coast. Since that first dog, my husband and I have taken in over 100 dogs and cats into our home and fostered them from days to weeks and even months until they were ready to be adopted and placed in “forever” homes.
As we sit here tonight in our warm home, we watch a young rescued pup as he sleeps with a full stomach and a clean bed, wondering how he would have survived these past few cold nights had he not been rescued. It makes us ask “what makes people dump puppies, kittens, dogs and cats out in the cold without food, water or a warm place to sleep?” Why not spay or neuter your pets so that they do not reproduce unwanted litters. Why purchase a pet without researching whether it will fit your family or whether you have time for it or can actually afford to care for it? Why dump it after the cuteness of a puppy wears off and you find out that it requires more work than you are willing to put into it? If you cannot keep a pet or need help finding a home for it, please ask for help from Best Friends of Baker, Inc. before dumping it.
The past two years has been extremely difficult for Best Friends of Baker, Inc. The economy has taken its toll on Best Friends, the same as it has on other organizations in Baker County. The donations are down, yet the demands of animal rescues have increased. We are now dealing with “foreclosure” pets, those whose owners have lost their homes, jobs and have no place to take their pets along with family members. People cannot afford to feed their family members and pets, so the pet must go, whether it is out on the street to be picked up by the police and taken to the impound facility, killed on the highways and freeways or dumped at the end of lanes near farms and ranches to starve and freeze to death., or become a meal for cougars in the mountains.
Best Friends of Baker could care for more animals if they had more foster homes to care for rescued animals. Best Friends needs more foster homes for large and small dogs and especially foster homes for cats and kittens. There are only two foster homes for cats and at this time. Consequently many cats and kittens are not helped. Best Friends of Baker provides food, beds, bowls, collars and leashes for each animal so there is minimal cost to the foster home. The main requirement is the means to house the animal, gives lots of love and attention and care for the animal until it is adopted.
Best Friends of Baker, Inc. has been rescuing animals since 1989 when it was first incorporated and became a 501©3 non-profit organization. There are a lot of animals out there that need to be rescued. They do not deserve to die because there is nobody to provide care.
If you care, please remember that Best Friends is here to help. You can make a financial donation with a check to Best Friends of Baker, Inc., P.O. Box 183, Baker City, Oregon. You can make food donations for cats, kittens, puppies and adult dogs. You can make a memorial to someone who has passed away or make a donation instead of giving a gift to a loved one. Tax Season is just around the corner. If you are looking for a donation for the end of 2011, please remember, Best Friends of Baker, Inc. needs your support.
Last but not least, if you cannot afford to make a monetary donation, you can provide a foster home which can make a difference in caring for an animal. The time spent in a foster home can make the difference in whether the animal lives and is adopted or dies because there is no place for it to be safe until it can be adopted.
“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.” Mark Twain
Thank you for your support.
Carmen Ott
Baker City, Ore.
Grateful To Reading Program Volunteers
To The Record-Courier:
The purpose of this letter is to thank the many community volunteers, businesses and service organizations who promote reading as a positive experience for children in Baker County. In the Read Everyday And Learn (REAL) program, 45 volunteers read with almost 170, 1st - 6th grade children in four schools every week. Volunteers also read with students who need extra help with their reading in the after school programs. Students get to pick out a book to keep four times per year. Last summer, for the first time, volunteers read with children twice per week during the YMCA free summer lunch program.
Additionally, volunteers provided at least three months of tutoring to five people who wanted to improve their reading skills.
The Baker County Community Literacy Coalition (BCCLC) has promoted literacy in Baker County since 2001. The BCCLC sponsors Read Everyday And Learn (REAL), a reading program for 1st-6th grade students. REAL is an expanded version of the K-3, SMART reading program.
We are very grateful to the Lions Club; Community Bank; AAUW; YMCA; Chaves Consulting; Guyer and Assoc.; Eastern Oregon Medical Assoc.; Baker City Herald; Leo Adler; and D.E. and Jane Clark for their generous financial support. Several businesses allow their employees to read with the children at school during work hours. We also appreciate the contributions of individual donors who help us sustain our program. The Baker County Library provides office space and a place to store our books. We also want to thank all of the teachers and school district staff who work with us to make the reading program operate as smoothly as possible.
Strong reading and comprehension skills are needed to be successful in life. Without the volunteers and financial support from the community we would not be able to run our successful program and serve so many children. This is a great example of a community in action working toward a common goal!
Jim Tomlinson, Literacy Coordinator
Baker City, Ore.
Safety And Learning Are School District’s First Priority
To The Record-Courier:
I should at least get a by-line in the paper. We currently have weapons rule version 7 functioning. Because we continue to follow the law, there is no change in our practice.
Our schools are showing steady growth and improvement. Our school board is working through very difficult deliberations about a clearly emotionally charged subject; weapons in schools. Here we are again, continued public deliberations with high emotions.
When we trespass, it is for being a nuisance. Although rare, it does happen.
It is a class C felony to come onto public property with a weapon. Then there are exceptions and defenses. We accept that it is complex, the police do it. When the police come, they may arrest the individual for a felony and for us it ends.
What do we do about weapons on campus? We protect our children and execute appropriate actions. We make the necessary calls and confirmations and treat the visitor properly, depending on the circumstances. If the intruder is a potential felon, the police handle it. If someone thinks they have a legitimate civil action, we cannot stop them. Safety and learning are our first priority; we have legal counsel on retainer.
Access to our schools is not unrestricted or universal. There is a protocol; check in, give information, be escorted and supervised. Has nothing to do with weapons. Has to do with safety and orderly running of the schools. Has to do with in parentis localis, we become the parents.
There are laws in this case that are intended to work together to regulate weapons in a safe and sensible manner. People who sign-in, talk politely and do their business are appropriately checked and treated with courtesy.
There have been two recent court cases. Baker 5J is not like either of them. We are about an existing law for schools that is specific to the inside workings of a legally defined K-12 school system. There is a difference between K-12 schools and universities.
As for those who are enjoying this drama, don’t let your subscription lapse. Although we are currently on version 7, there is at least one more major player (PACE) to weigh in officially. When that happens, the language may change yet again. Through all of this, we continue to focus on our purpose and mission: safety and learning. Each day, each child, in each subject will make a memory.
Walt Wegener, Superintendent,
Baker School District 5J
A National Security Threat
To The Record-Courier:
This letter liberally references Brig. Gen. Jim Cash’s article titled “Another Government Cover-up” in the January 2011 edition of Military. I agree with his assessment that the contrail observed off the coast of California in November 2010 resembled a missile launch contrail, not an aircraft contrail.
In the 1980’s Brig. Gen. Cash was a command director and assistant director of operations for the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). NORAD is responsible for the detection and reporting of aircraft and missile threats to the President for action. Brig. Gen. Cash was a USAF fighter pilot for over 25 years.
Why did the Obama administration put out information that the contrail recorded off the California coast was made by an aircraft. My initial reaction was the contrail came from an inadvertent launch of a missile by one of our Navy’s surface ships or a submarine. Although this continues to be a possibility, I believe the likelihood of this event is somewhat remote because of the number of people who would have been aware of this occurrence. The other possibility is the launch came from a foreign submarine, probably Russian or Chinese, which went undetected across the Pacific Ocean to our coastline.
If it was a missile launch from a Russian or Chinese submarine, it calls into question our ability to detect the approach of potential threats to our national security and our ability to defend this country. It should also alert our President, the Secretary of Defense and Congress to the increasing capabilities of foreign militaries, especially Chinese and Russian armed forces; and the need to maintain a strong U.S. military establishment. We should not be cutting back our military forces in the face of a threatening environment.
I agree with Brig. Gen. Cash. The integrity of our administration is under scrutiny and “once again the leader of this nation chose to disguise the truth and keep the American people in the dark on an issue that possibly constitutes a major threat to the entire U.S. population.”
Donald A. Moskowitz
Londonderry, NH
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