Feds force Catholics to violate beliefs

To the editor:

The Department of Human and Health Services has issued a mandate which will force the Catholic Church to act against its own teachings by providing insurance coverage for contraception, sterilization, and some abortifacient drugs to its employees.

This “contraception mandate” strikes not only against the “conscience rights” of the Catholic Church, but also against religious freedom in this country — a freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment. Every American — regardless of religious affiliation — should stand against it.

The event that happened Tuesday at the National Guard Armory in Baker City was at once heart-warming and heart-rending.

We were gratified that so many people — about 60 —turned out to learn how to help soldiers readjust to civilian life.

No group is more deserving of aid.

You’d think, on a TV show called “Finding Bigfoot,” that maybe just once in a while, if only to mollify the habitual channel-changers, the cast would actually find, well, a Bigfoot.

And I mean a real Bigfoot.

Not that CGI beast that roars before and after each commercial break.

The cast members from The Animal Planet program, which recently started its second season, frequently imply that they’re practically surrounded by unidentified, but apparently quite elusive, primates.

Buffett, and other people's taxes

To the editor:

Recently we have heard a great deal about Mr. Warren Buffett and his advice on taxes. He thinks that taxes should be increased, especially on wealthier taxpayers.  Mr. Buffett is considered by many to be America's best investor and is one of the wealthiest so his words carry some weight. He has become a great favorite of President Obama. His secretary sat right beside Mrs. Obama at the State of the Union address.

Now we often hear that Buffett pays less in taxes than his secretary. How can this be explained? Either his secretary is very highly paid or Buffett pays very little tax. The truth is that Buffett has never liked to pay taxes. His principal source of wealth is his ownership of Berkshire Hathaway, a company that he bought many years ago for a few dollars a share and which is now selling for $115,000 a share.  The company has never paid dividends since he has controlled it. Owners who receive dividends on their shares have to pay taxes on the dividends. Horrors! Buffett doesn't like to pay taxes. He wants other people to pay (more) taxes.

Carl Kostol

Baker City

The Oregon Legislature didn't do Baker County any favors last year when it passed a law that, starting Jan. 1, diverts a significant amount of money from fines and fees paid to Baker Justice Court to the state.

That law, HB 2712, could siphon $180,000 from the Court's coffers over the next 18 months.

Lawmakers might reconsider their decision during the session that started this week.

But with a big shortfall in the state budget, and major education and healthcare proposals from Gov. John Kitzhaber to consider during the month-long session, we're not confident that HB 2712 will get ironed out.

Keep full-time Justice Court

Friday's paper details a possible plan by the county commissioners to reduce Baker's Justice Court down to a half-time position after all comments received at their Jan. 18 meeting were asking them to not reduce the court and leave it as it has been historically — a full-service court serving the needs of our city and county every day of the week.

Moving the criminal cases up to Baker Circuit Court, thereby eliminating the need for the public defender's contract, will do nothing short of clogging up the already full docket Judge Baxter handles plus creating big delays in getting cases adjudicated. Just remember that we (you and I) are still paying for the costs of these cases with taxpayer dollars no matter at which level they are processed, state or county.

Volunteers make banquet work

To the editor:

What is the Baker County Chamber Banquet all about?

Volunteers, that’s the short answer. The long answer: An opportunity for the community to thank individuals in Baker County that make a career out of volunteering to run community events, championing charitable projects, participating in community infrastructure missions and leadership projects that support and encourage economic commerce in our community.

The financial storm bearing down on a few Oregon counties has so far raised scarcely a breeze in Baker County.

But although the tempest threatening Curry, Josephine and some other counties with insolvency remains distant, the heavy weather could come to Eastern Oregon as well.

Michael Hendriks doesn’t mind admitting that he was about as scared as he’s ever been while driving.

Scared enough, at any rate, to stop by the Herald office and tell me his tale.

I’m glad he did.

Hendriks’ story belongs to that category of precautions which, as the cliche goes, can’t be repeated too often.

Notice anything about the appearance of today's issue of the Herald that seemed, well, unusual?

I suspect, if you've given the paper more than a cursory glance, that your answer is "yes."

Some of these differences probably were intentional.

Others, perhaps not.

The explanation, in a word: computers.