O
Letters
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your thoughts to editor@bendsource.com.
Letters must be received by noon Friday for inclusion in the following week’s paper. Please limit letters to 250 words. Submission does not guarantee publication. Opinions printed here do not constitute an editorial endorsement of said opinions. Letter of the week receives $5 to Palate! is not in fact reduced, but instead is at an all-time high, as is currently the case in Central Oregon, then the “back to school” part no longer follows. Nevertheless, the district, hearing what it wants to hear and disregarding the rest, is reopening. It’s often OK to let natural consequences teach a hard lesson to children about ignoring good advice, except that in this instance the natural (and inevitable) consequences will cost lives, and the people who are making the decision to reopen in-person learning are not children. The district needs to reconsider. —Matt Orr
END BOTTLE RECYCLING
What is the purpose of the bottle recycling law? The purpose has been lost in the massive program. Citizens are forced to (1) pay tax on bottles, then (2) collect those bottles, then (3) take them to a nasty stinking facility, then (4) wait in a line before actually spending precious time feeding the machines while standing in puddles of beer and soda. And oh yes, the facility is a hangout for bums and troublemakers. It’s not worth it. My bottles are going in the trash. —James Scott
A TIP OF THE HAT
Through lack of participation in OUR democracy we have allowed the Constitution to be battered and bruised, misinterpreted, corrupted, diluted and misused by any narcissist with a political agenda. The Fairness Doctrine of the Federal Communication Commission,
introduced in 1949, required broadcasters to present information to the public in an honest, equitable and balanced manner. This doctrine was eliminated in 1987, paving the way for the distribution of misinformation, half-truths and lies shamelessly hucked to the masses by a few loudmouth hucksters, (Rush Limbaugh I am looking at you!). Misinformation has increased exponentially with the arrival of Social Media platforms. It’s not the fault of Social Media or Media in general. It’s our fault for how we use them. It’s worth noting that being able to hide behind anonymity pushes the tendency to lie and deceive further than it has a right to go. It’s also worth noting that 8kun, with its notorious, anonymous Q Anon has done great damage to the already weakened foundations of Democracy with its particular brand of vile falsehoods and toxic hate. So speak up! And remember to LISTEN too. But Civil Society demands civil behavior. Democracy demands citizen participation. If I can take a moment out of my busy life and speak up for what is noble and just then so can you. I tip my hat to Woody Peasas who wrote in last week encouraging us all to participate in OUR democracy. —Michael Ingram
Letter of the Week:
Thanks for your letter, Michael. March on down for your gift card to Palate! —Nicole Vulcan
EXCLUSIVE THIS WEEK IN: See the Source’s stories come alive! When you subscribe to the Cascades Reader, you’ll get access to our video and podcasts as soon as they go live. This week, hear from a pro cyclocross racer about his favorite bikes, his racing schedule and much more. Start your day with Central Oregon’s best source for news and local events. SIGN UP AT: BENDSOURCE.COM/NEWSLETTERS
@sourceweekly
Keep in the know of what's going on in Central Oregon, follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
5 VOLUME 25 ISSUE 03 / JANUARY 21, 2021 / THE SOURCE WEEKLY
declining to the point that some residential wells are going dry. GUEST OPINION: DESCHUTES RIVER HABITAT The merits of canal piping and CONSERVATION PLAN on-farm efficiency are undeniable, but Local irrigation districts and the city they are expensive and will take decades of Prineville all withdraw water from the to provide marginal benefit to the upper Deschutes River and are seeking a legal Deschutes, Wychus Creek, and the shield from the Endangered Species Act. Crooked River, and no real benefit to the In the Deschutes Basin, Oregon Middle Deschutes. Spotted Frog, Bull Trout, and Mid-CoOregon water laws were written over lumbia Summer Steelhead are all cov- 100 years ago at a time when the state ered by the Endangered Species Act. was being settled. Are these laws still The Act requires that a recovery plan be appropriate? What is the most beneput in place and that activities that will ficial use of the public’s water today? kill (“take”) these species be covered by Clearly, agriculture plays a critical role, an “Incidental Take Permit” (ITP). In but should it get 90% of water use? How other words, it’s OK to kill endangered can we shift the discussion to making species, but only “incidentally.” equitable, fundamental changes rather After 12 years the irrigation districts than merely quibbling about which tacand City of Prineville have delivered a tic is best for spending massive amounts Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that of taxpayer dollars to achieve minor has been deemed at least partly accept- benefit over decades? able by the US government (the deciCurrently, it seems we are simply sion on steelhead has not been made). rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The latest version of the HCP has —George Wuerthner is an ecologist and improved significantly from its truly has published 38 books on environmenlaughable beginnings. The applicants tal and natural history topics. He is a for(irrigators and the City of Prineville) mer river ranger with the Bureau of Land have put significant effort into crafting Management who has advocated for rivers a plan that would result in the issuance for decades. He is currently ED of Restore of an ITP. The HCP now has some mer- Our Deschutes and also on the board of the it, but there are good reasons to believe Montana Rivers Action Network. that this plan will not lead to recovery. The problem is that species need more water than planned, and they need SCHOOL REOPENING The reopening of the schools in Febit much more quickly. In addition, other problems with the ruary teaches the children of Central plan are the outrageous cost of canal pip- Oregon an important lesson before they ing (overwhelmingly funded by taxpayers), set foot back in a classroom: It’s OK the omittance of the Middle Deschutes in to ignore good advice, unless someone any meaningful manner, and the complete actually forces you to follow it. As soon lack of consideration for water quality. as Governor Brown announced that Our rivers need more water, but it can’t be common sense rules to stem the spread severely polluted like it is in the Crooked of a deadly pandemic are “advisory” River and Lake Billy Chinook, home to bull rather than “mandatory,” the district reacted. To restate Brown’s advisory: “It trout and steelhead. There is a bigger picture that is has become clear that when communiignored. Our climate is clearly heating. ty spread is reduced and schools follow Wickiup Reservoir will not fill again required health and safety protocols, this winter, in fact it will likely start there is low risk of transmission and illnext irrigation season at its lowest lev- ness when students resume in-person el ever. Central Oregon has been in a instruction.” This advice is in the form of state of drought for most of the past 20+ an if-then statement, but the Bend-LaPyears, ranging from “abnormally dry” to ine district has jumped straight to the “extreme.” At the same time our popu- “then” portion without dwelling on lation is booming and our aquifers are the “if” premise. If community spread
