To the editor:

First, let me say that I agree with Randy Joseph’s recent letter of June 13 in which he stated that andquot;we need to quit thinking as Democrats or Republicans.andquot;

Considering that Mr. Joseph is active in the Democratic party as a write-in candidate for county commissioner, I am puzzled about what his real motives were in attacking Congressman Greg Walden.

Like the Baker City Herald said in a June 6 editorial, we here in Baker County care about reality, and our dedicated and honest Congressman, Greg Walden, opposed a false promise for the county payments program put forth by Congressman Peter DeFazio from Eugene.

DeFazio proposed to pay for the county payments program by breaking federal contracts with other American companies, an idea that has been killed three times by the U.S. Senate. It was bound to go nowhere and doesn’t solve the problem. This bill was so disingenuous and full of counterfeit money that it failed miserably by 56 votes, including opposition from many Democrats.

I am sure if anyone had a contract from the Bonneville Power Administration to move wind-generated energy from Baker County to other American consumers, he or she would demand that the federal government honor those contracts.

We want a leader like Congressman Greg Walden standing up for us. I for one am grateful that Eastern Oregon can count Greg Walden as our own.

Alice Knapp

Baker City