>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

I am thankful that Oregon Trail Electric Co-op is focused on keeping electricity rates low; we all want low electricity bills. However, I am disappointed that OTEC is not actively embracing the future of energy production.

An editorial of April 21 states that OTEC officials are lobbying state legislators to avoid the requirements of state renewable energy goals. It seems to me that OTEC is spending money on lobbying efforts in order to avoid participation in energy supply planning that would actually be in OTEC's best interests. Instead of spending our money on politics, I think OTEC should be spending those funds on long-term planning that will give its customers stable and reasonable electricity rates.

OTEC apparently believes that the current practice of buying electricity from the BPA at favorable rates is a viable long-term strategy for keeping electricity rates low. However, this preferential treatment from the BPA expires in 2011, at which time OTEC will need to buy additional electricity on the open market.

Marginal-supply electricity sources are generally powered by fossil fuels and are the most expensive; OTEC will be dependent on these increasingly expensive energy sources if it fails to pursue the stable and predictable costs of wind and solar energy, where most of the costs are born during installation and the long-term costs are very stable and predictable.

Energy forecasters expect the price of fossil fuels to continue to increase over time. OTEC tells us that electricity rates would increase 25 to 40 percent if they meet the state renewable energy goals, but how would rates change if they don't? If OTEC doesn't build a long-term business plan with predictable future electricity sources, we might find ourselves in envy of electricity rates that went up only by 25 to 40 percent.

Courtney Loomis

La Grande

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I thought the editor's note in response to Linda Elegant's letter regarding the city manager affair fell completely flat. The very premise of a newspaper is investigative reporting. I would guess that the majority of people in Union and Wallowa counties look to The Observer as their primary news source.

In my opinion something is being covered up, and the fact that there are rumors means someone is talking, or has talked, regardless of Oregon's Public Meetings Law.

This involves the mayor, the city council and the former city manager. I say it also involves the citizens of La Grande by default.

Here's a quote from the Wikipedia entry on newspapers: "The Whistle-blowers, and those who ‘leak' stories of corruption in political circles often choose to inform newspapers before other mediums of communication, relying on the perceived willingness of newspaper editors to expose the secrets and lies of those who would rather cover them. However, there have been many circumstances of the political autonomy of newspapers being curtailed."

How curtailed is The Observer's political autonomy? It is absolutely your responsibility to investigate and report.

Bryan Bloebaum

La Grande

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Sandy Mendenhall suggests we wear red on Fridays as a gesture of support for our troops. I certainly have no problem with this. While most Americans may not support the war in Iraq, virtually all support our Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen.

The past four years have seen many such gestures, yet we still have a situation in which veterans must sometimes fight for decent treatment. Perhaps at this time more than gestures are needed.

For example, I know people with "support our troops" emblems on their vehicles who did not call their elected officials when the current administration attempted to close veterans hospitals or speak out when the administration floated the idea of ending combat pay for certain troops in Iraq.

Perhaps there will be people wearing red who did not speak out when the administration suggested that we begin charging veterans user fees rather than honoring the contracts under which these young women and men enlisted.

The administration seems to support the needs of our service people only when situations become scandals. If it takes the liberal media to expose situations such as our troops having inadequately armored vehicles or the conditions at Walter Reed, then God bless it and more power to it.

Since the Reagan era, we've had one party that tries to close veterans hospitals and one that works to keep them open. Perhaps we need a change.

I would also urge Americans to support organizations that aid our service members and their families, such as the USO. For former Marines, I would recommend Navy-Marine Corps Relief.

Or you could wear a red shirt. I'm sure the gesture would be appreciated.

Patrick Kelly

La Grande

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Mayor and city council, the one question that should be addressed is the origin and author of Oregon's public meetings law. Why is this law contrary to the law of public servants and the people's right to know? The executive session is a transparent veil that only highlights your inept ability to govern the city of La Grande.

Mayor and city council, when you take advice from the city attorney, you must understand he only offers advice and his opinion. He is a bureaucrat and cannot be held responsible.

Mayor and city council, if you remain on this path, your offices will be operated with rumor and innuendo.

Edward W. Roben

La Grande

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The letters about Mayor Colleen Johnson and former City Manager Ron Singel struck a familiar note with me.

I was recruited nationally to become dean of the current College of Arts and Sciences at EOU, receiving excellent performance reviews, told I was "the best dean" administration had ever seen, even selected to lead national seminars teaching new deans.

Then word came that Colleen Johnson, an EOU professor, was involved in meetings of selected faculty held off-campus at a local motel. Everyone who attended was sworn to secrecy, and their purpose was to organize an attack against the dean, according to an attendee. I do not know what the actual allegations were.

Through what I believe was a secretive conspiracy avoiding face-to-face honesty, Johnson and her group made it impossible to maintain credibility; I had to resign. I suffered a $20,000 per year pay cut, a career change and prolonged emotional damage. My lost wages and accrued contributions to my retirement account total about $750,000 over my career.

Costs also include six years and three national searches for EOU to find its present good dean, years of the college not moving ahead and thousands of dollars of state taxpayers' money spent needlessly.

Last year I witnessed Colleen Johnson advocate a no-confidence vote against EOU's president. Similarly, before he left EOU for Pacific University, our former president told me that a group "was trying to do the same thing" to him as they had done to me.

This makes a pattern that reveals a lot about our mayor. The citizens of La Grande have a right to expect openness, integrity and nondestructive behavior from their civic leaders.

It breaks my heart to see what happened to me now happen to the city manager, from the same source and with the same tactics.

Sandra K. Ellston, Ph.D.

La Grande

Editor's note: Ron Singel and his wife are renting the Ellstons' home in La Grande.

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This is in response to the article written about the North Powder City Council meeting held on April 2. I would like to clarify the remarks I made regarding properties that may have been in violation of our nuisance ordinance.

The majority of the North Powder residents have lovely homes and well-kept yards that show their sense of pride and make a positive contribution to our community's image.

When I took the oath as councilwoman, the city's concerns and goals became a priority. The comment regarding lack of changes in the past 10 years pertained to specific properties, not the community as a whole. The properties that I was referring to have continuously contained safety and/or fire hazard violations such as abandoned vehicles, unattended vacant lots, piles of rubbish and trash and vacant buildings (including mobile homes) in disrepair. In addition, this comment was my personal opinion, not the opinion of the city council.

I encourage residents to speak out. Communication is important. Please attend council meetings and become involved in the community. The council represents the city, but we can't do it alone. We need your feedback regarding issues that concern you.

I look forward to serving North Powder as an efficient and effective member of the city council.

Carolyn Flynn

North Powder

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We are writing in response to Mrs Flynn's remarks about the "unchanged" city of North Powder in the past 10 years. A lot of things have changed here. First of all, the $1 million+ highway improvement. It has been widened to include two bike lanes, one on each side of the street, the full length of town, plus our new sidewalks and grass strips, also the full length of town.

New houses have been added and several remodeled (even on Second Street), plus there are several new manufactured homes. There are also four new business, two of which are on Second Street. The new health and classroom at the school are just a couple more changes.

As for the debris in town, some people cannot afford the garbage service offered since we lost our own refuge center, and some do not have the transportation to haul their own garbage to Haines or elsewhere. This is a problem. And as a city councilor we can only hope Mrs. Flynn can find a solution to that.

We are sure most of us here were also "disgusted" with Mrs. Flynn's remarks about our hometown.

Steve and Judy Nelson

North Powder

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I have a simple question for those who think that we should remain and fight in Iraq: When do we know that this isn't going to work?

If the president's new surge strategy succeeds and we are victorious, that moment will be relatively easily defined, and obviously we will be able to leave. I will admit it is possible that this may come to pass, and, if it does, I will be happy. On the other hand (since no one can truly predict the future), those who presently believe in this war must also admit (if they are honest) it is also possible that we will never arrive at the day when we can declare victory.

At what point do we realize that our chances of success are so low that continuing to ask our military to do this job becomes a waste of time, lots of money and too many lives?

I'm not asking for a date — we all know that would just be coddling the enemy. I'm asking for a set of conditions so that I know when I can expect those who support the war at present will decide that enough is enough and call for an end to the war.

Tim Hoffnagle

La Grande

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With Bible in hand, our very liberal senator Gordon Smith stood before the U.S. Senate and read: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed breath into his nostrils and the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). He followed with his own statement that without both, there was neither.

At the time of creation, he is correct, but he failed to mention that this breath of life has perpetuated down through the age of mankind by the uniting of a living egg with a living sperm to create a new living human entity called a human fetus.

Since the rest of his testimony promoted stem cell research, his motive could only have been to imply that this new human entity, in whatever stage of maturity, was not a living being until the Lord breathed in the breath of life, and was therefore acceptable to sacrifice for stem cell research.

He seems to have failed to realize that this new human entity has something contained within that tells it that it is not a fish or one of the creatures it resembles prior to assuming human form.

It is a human being in one maturing living form or another, beginning at the uniting of the living egg and sperm. At that time it begins to metamorphose from one shape to another until completion as a recognizable human being, and is living through all those phases.

Sen. Smith should cease abusing the Bible to suit his personal purposes. The Lord would probably frown upon such abuses.

Gene Erwin

La Grande

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"House OKs gay-rights package," declares an article in the April 18 Observer. Hurrah for Greg Smith. These issues of marriage rights are out of control. The 10 Command-ments have been the foundation upon which much of America's legal system has been built. To deny this fact, one would have to rewrite American history.

Based on historical heritage of the 10 Commandments, the knowledge of the law and its interpretation must be viewed as an historical document upon which almost all of America is based, not as an establishment of religion.

When our nation forsakes the moral basis provided by the 10 Commandments, respect for all law weakens. This potentially results in social anarchy and makes America a far more dangerous place to live. Once the moral basis for laws is removed, we increasingly move toward a society where anything goes at any time.

Former President Harry S Truman said: "The fundamental basis of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings. If we don't have the proper fundamental moral background, we will finally wind up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the state."

One cannot enter the National Archives and see the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution without noticing the 10 Commandments posted at the entrance. Moses occupies a central position in the U.S. House Chamber and he faces forward, perched over the Chief Justice's seat at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Everyone needs to take a stand and write Gov. Ted Kulongoski at 254 State Capitol, Salem 97310 and anyone else you can think of. We the people can make a difference if we come together as one nation under God.

Sandy Mendenall

Cove

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I am writing this letter to express my gratitude to the hardworking City of La Grande volunteers who helped us plant our new street trees. What a great program.

Several months ago Teresa Gustafson came to our home and patiently went over a long list of trees the city would provide to us. When the trees arrived, they were much larger than we expected or could have ever afforded on our own. The trees are big and beautiful and should add to the display of fall colors for years to come.

Anyone who missed out on this great program will hopefully get the chance to sign up for next year's trees.

Kerry Loewen

La Grande

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Why a city manager? In light of our most recent city manager's forced resignation, this may be a good time to ask city of

La Grande voters to answer this question. The City Council is about to embark on its second city manager search in two years. These searches are costly and then there is the expense of relocation in addition to the annual salary and benefits of over $100,000.

Do we need a city manager? According to the City Charter we do. Ours is a city manager/city council form of government with a "soft mayor" at the head of the legislative body and a city manager as the administrator of the day-to-day business of the city.

During Wes Hare's lengthy absences and after his departure (now once again until a new city manager is hired) the city was in the hands of Mayor Johnson and City Recorder Sandy Lund (with Eldon Slippy acting as Interim City Manager, in name only). The two of them (with the passive approval of the other councilors) have in all practical aspects been running the city for many years. And, as I stated previously, they seem to be reluctant to give up this control.

If the city manager is not allowed to independently carry-out the authority and responsibility of his position then, why a city manager? Why not change the city charter, eliminating this costly position and just let the current regime continue running the city? We would have a mayor/city recorder form of government which is not unheard of.

I highly encourage the citizens of this city to understand your governing body and their politics. Attend council meetings as well as the upcoming budget committee meeting, Monday 6 p.m at the Library.

Josey Fast

La Grande