Around 150 people braved the weather to attend a town hall by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River). A long list hoped to ask Walden a question during last Fridays town hall meeting at Oregon Tech.

“We hear from a lot of people in a lot of different ways,” says Walden. “We have responded to more than 168,000 emails, letters, phone calls just in the last 2 years. Of which Klamath County has accounted for 9,610. There are so many ways we hear from people, like town halls like this.”

Klamath Falls News streamed the Town Hall live for those who were unable to attend [watch above or here].

Due to a limited time frame. If people wish to ask a question, they had to register and get a number. The numbers were then be randomly drawn by Walden on stage.

Several questions were asked including; CTE, Upper Klamath Basin Irrigators, political processes, Klamath Project, immigration, border security, environment and more.

Walden’s Congressional Summary

Walden began his 151st town hall with a report of what he has been working on in Washington and what is coming forward in the next session. Walden spoke of the shutdown, border security, immigration, Klamath Basin Emergency Drought Relief, Kingsley Field, Wildfire, Secure Rural Schools, hydro energy, opioids, and health care.

Shutdown
“Many of you may have noticed, I broke from my party a bit and voted to re-open the Forest Service, the BLM and these agencies that have no beef, no part, no dog in the fight over border security,” said Walden. “I don’t know what a BLM worker in Vail or a Forest Service worker in John Day or someone in Fish and Wildlife down here has to do with this debate that is going on in Washington right now.”

“I also very much support getting border security in place,” continued Walden. “That didn’t used to be a partisan issue.”

Walden states that in 2006 with the fence act – from Oregon; Wyden, Walden, DeFazio, former congresswoman Darlene Hooley and Diane Feinstein from California all voted for 700 miles of fence and border security.

Walden feels that a country that does not have control of its border, it does not have control of it’s security.

Klamath Water
“We were successful last year in getting authorized in law $10 million a year for the Klamath Basin Emergency Drought Relief. That’s now in place and I know $10 million of it came in and has finally been distributed. There was some hiccups over the original language. But going forward now it is authorized. So that if we have another rotten water year, this year, next year, whenever. The authorizes were clear to place and provide up to $10 million in disaster relief for farmers in the Klamath Basin,” said Walden.

Kingsley Field
Walden talked about what he called, “One of the fun things” being the visitation of Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and the Secretary of the Air Force to the Klamath Basin.

“We had meetings with veterans, we had meetings with community leaders, and we spent time at Kingsley,” said Walden. “Neither Thornberry nor Wilson, prior to the invite and getting to come out, had any idea about both the long-term positive relationship this community has with the Air Force and the enormous fly space out here where you can go practice.”

In one of the meetings Colonel Smith, Commander of the 173rd Fighter Wing shown a slide that shown the airspace that has a “footprint as large as Nellis….it really got their attention,” said Walden.

Because of this visit Walden is hopeful that Kingley Field will have a future flying mission that keeps the base at full capacity.

Wildfires
Walden summarized the 2018 wildfire season and what he and others had been working on in Washington. “I am not satisfied that we have done enough to take care of our forests to reduce the threat of fire,” said Walden. “I pushed hard in the last congress to get more authorities that are proven and work to reduce fuel loads in our forests in a timely basis.”

“I was pushing to take these tools that are proven, effective and used in the east side of the district and make them available to every forest,” said Walden. “Unfortunately, we got a lot of push back and we could not keep that in the negotiations with the senate. That is something we need to keep working for.”

Together with Senator Wyden, Walden was successful in going beyond the notion of ‘Fire Borrowing’ where Forest Service funds are used to fight fire instead of proper management of the forest.

“It means you don’t get the work done to prevent fire, you just pay to fight the fire and you never get ahead, said Walden. “We got that changed starting 2020. They won’t be robbing those accounts anymore. From then on, for the next eight years they will have a separate fund to fight fire and won’t diminish the work that needs to be done here.”

Walden then began discussing the removal of dead burned trees before they lose their value.

“I thought was important that we should do on federal ground, like we do on private, tribal and state ground,” said Walden. “After the fire go in where it makes sense and remove the burned dead trees while they have value. Creating jobs and replanting a healthy new forest for the next generation,” said Walden. “We could pass that in the House, we could not get the support we needed in the Senate. So that fell off as well but remains on my to do list going forward.”

While pointing to a slide on stage Walden states, “2018 California Wildfires according to the USGS, 68 million tons of carbon in the atmosphere, that’s equal to the emissions from a year’s worth of electricity for California.” Continuing to the next slide, Walden states, “In Oregon the 2015 wildfire emissions was equivalent to the emissions from three million cars or three and a half coal fired plants. So, if you want to reduce carbon and all that, we should be dealing with our wildfires faster as well.”

Hydro Energy
Walden mentioned the Swan Lake Hydroelectric Project. A hydroelectric pumping station that would produce energy for up to 600,000 homes and how changing the licensing laws in America it would make projects like this easier for construction.

“I am excited about the Swan Lake pump hydro project that is under consideration and licensing here,” staged Walden. “This is one of those pump storage projects that would produce enough electricity for 600,000 homes. As we look to renewable energy and things we can do and value we can build. That sort of thing makes sense to change the hydro licensing laws in America. We can generate a lot more clean, renewable energy on hydro facilities.”

Community Questions

Gary Jackson, Representative International Labors Union

“What do we have setup for long term funding for the CTE program to keep it going more than the next few years?” asked Jackson.

“We recognize, in congress, the need for CTE. We recognize the need for a funding stream behind that,” answers Walden. “Our workforce is not adequate where we are right now.” Walden then asked Mr. Jackson, what he would like to see done.

“I would like to see more pre-apprenticeship programs in the schools,” answered Jackson. “We are running out of a young workforce. We need to educate and instill a sense of pride in our work like we used to have. Something that I think we should do is lighten up the regulations allowing youngsters to work. We used to work in the hay fields [‘cherry orchards,’ says Walden] and all kinds of things and we are not allowed to do that anymore.”

Michael Fitzgerald, Klamath Falls Resident since 1981

“My concern is that the political process is largely unresponsive to the will of the people. Many consider the process corrupt. Corrupt by the influence of big money. It serves a few and exploits the people. Do you recognize and intend to remedy this calculated formula for inequity?” asked Fitzgerald.

“We need a couple of things,” replied Walden. “We don’t need other governments, ‘Russia,’ involved in our elections or the way we conduct our public processes. We need to be able to have faith in our electoral process and our votes. When they are cast, they are cast by people who are legally allowed to vote in America. And that we can trust that piece because voting integrity is really important.”

“In the area of campaigns and contributions, it has gotten murky, in many respects. From the federal campaign side since Teddy Roosevelt was president corporations cannot contribute to federal campaigns. That’s been prohibited.”

Watch the full town hall, above or at, https://www.facebook.com/KlamathFallsNews/videos/604678543316804/ for the remainder of Walden’s response.

Leslie Lowe asks her question to Rep. Greg Walden. January 18. 2019 (Brian Gailey)

Leslie Lowe, Klamath Basin Resident since 1973

“We’ve had problems getting you here and to speak with you,” stated Lowe. “I just wanted to let you know that you rarely represent my views, especially with immigration, Jordan Cove LNG, environmental issues, and especially President Trump’s behaviors.”

“My hope is that you are open to change the way you vote so that voters not corporations are better represented. I would like to know what you are willing to do to change the way you vote, so that voters, and not just money are better represented in our district?” asks Lowe.

Walden responds, “Before we go there, and I am happy to go there; tell me what you think should happen on immigration?”

“Well that is a very complicated subject and I am sure we don’t have time for all of that,” responds Lowe. “Very simply, we are a sanctuary state, that voters supported in the last election. I would like to remind everybody that is in this room, that unless you are Native American you came from someplace else.”

“I am concerned that we are treating immigration families in a way that is incredibly disrespectful and harmful,” stated Lowe. “I am aware Senator Merkley has gone to a number of the camps down on the border. It is very clear that many of the border towns do not want a wall. And to hold up 800,000 family checks … as a result of that... I know that the House of Representatives and the Senate are willing to move forward from this, but I don’t know what you as a Republican can do with our President to keep them from holding those hostage.”

“Thank you for that, it is a good dialog to have. It was actually Grants Pass when I said, unless you are a Native American, we’re all immigrants and we should embrace immigration, legal immigration and we always have.” stated Walden. “The problem is we may differ here, but I don’t support open borders – not saying you do – but I do support border security. That does not mean it is a wall the whole way. There is technology that makes more sense in some areas, there is fencing that makes sense, there are different ways.”

“I too went to the border,” stated Walden. “I led a bi-partisan congressional delegation, we went to the same place Merkley went. Four places we went, because I did not support child separation. I did not think that was a good policy and I am the only member of the delegation that voted to change the law to prevent child separation – that was in June.”

Walden continued, “If we’re going to have a fight over border funding. That should be on the Homeland Security Bill. Because that is the appropriation bill that security gets funded.”

“We tried on the House Floor yesterday to pay them through this pay period, and it was voted down on partisan lines,” said Walden. “If we are going to reopen the government, at least may them now, we have to pay them later we have already signed that into law. So why not issue the checks now? At least pay them. This was voted down by the Democrats in the House. You don’t read a lot about that stuff, but it does happen. The President would have signed that bill, and it was defeated in the House.”

Walden continues to address the remainder of Lowe’s statements and question in the live streamed video. Several other questions are asked and responded to in the video.

In all, Walden’s Klamath Falls town hall was helpful to many but fell short in the eyes of others.

Walden is scheduled to hold town hall meetings throughout Oregon’s second district over the next several days. Meeting locations include; Banker, Wallowa, Union, Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam, Hood and Wasco Counties.