By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

Sen. Ron Wyden was in Burns on April 19 for his annual town hall meeting, which took place at the Harney County Library.

About 50 people showed up to ask the senator questions on land exchanges, health care, fuel prices, school lunch funding, fire districts, the war in Iraq and veterans’ issues.

Wyden outlined his top four goals at this time and stated that renewing the secure rural schools act, which will provide much-needed funding for schools as well as county roads, is his No. 1 priority. He noted that while he believes the act will be reauthorized by the Senate, he’s not sure that the House will concur. “If we don’t get that passed, we’re going to lose rural counties in this state,” he said.
His second priority is to introduce legislation that will thin out second growth timber in forests, sending the timber to mills and putting people back to work.

His third priority is to focus on infrastructure, emphasizing transportation and the repair of state roads.

Wyden’s fourth priority is health care. He has introduced the Healthy Americans Act, which he said will help hold down health care costs for the average Oregonian. “We’re spending enough on health care,” he said. “We’re not spending it in the right places.” The act focuses not only on making health care more affordable, but on preventative care.

Judge Steve Grasty asked how the state plans to take care of all the soldiers who are now returning from the  war in Iraq.

“This country has no idea what is coming at us in terms of veterans’ expenses,” Wyden replied. While the soldiers have performed valiantly, Wyden said that this country cannot continue to referee a civil war in Iraq. “I think this country believes, as I do, that we need to change our mission there,” he said.

One issue that cropped up again and again during the town hall was that of a land exchange that involves 10,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land for 1,000 acres of privately owned property on Steens Mountain. The predominant viewpoint was that the proposed trade is unfair and hasn’t gone through the proper channels. While Wyden said he couldn’t speak to the particulars of that deal, he said he would look into the issue. “I’ve understood loud and clear that people feel the process hasn’t been fair,” he said.

After the town hall in Burns, Wyden headed off to John Day for a town hall meeting in Grant County.