Eastern Oregon farmers seek Columbia River water help
By MITCH LIES
Capital Press
PORTLAND — Until recently, Oregon Wheat Growers League president Craig Reeder said he thought the world revolved around wheat, potatoes, onions and corn.
After spending a year across the table from environmental advocate Joe Whitworth, Reeder said his priorities have changed.
Today, Reeder said, he cares as much about protecting fish as protecting crop yields.
Whitworth, president of the Freshwater Trust, said Reeder isn’t the only farmer to change priorities in recent years.
“We have a sensibility (among farmers) that I haven’t see in my dozen years of running this show,” Whitworth said. “I think there is an opportunity and spirit of collaboration.”
Also, Whitworth said, the environmental community needs to shift strategies from suing agencies over minor missteps to an outcomes-based strategy.
“The point is to get (salmon) off the (endangered species) list,” he said.
Reeder and Whitworth were among five presenters in a breakout session at the Oregon Leadership Summit Dec. 12. The session gave rise to hopes Oregon can increase water withdrawals from the Columbia River.
In Oregon, just 10,500 acres of irrigated farmland have been developed since 1992, said Fred Ziari, an irrigation consultant from Hermiston. In that same time, Ziari said, Washington has developed 48,000 acres of irrigated farmland.
“Oregon needs to catch up,” Ziari said.
Obtaining an additional 350,000 acre-feet of water would add 125,000 acres of new irrigated ground to the basin, $275 million to the area’s farm-gate value, $1.01 billion to the area’s annual economic activity and 4,226 jobs, Ziari said.
Restrictions on new water rights in Oregon are in place to protect threatened and endangered Columbia River salmon runs.
Restrictions on groundwater in the lower Columbia Basin also limit farm access to irrigation water, Ziari said.
Participants in the summit said it was significant that the Oregon Business Council placed Columbia River withdrawals on the agenda.
“Having water be an element of the Oregon Leadership Summit emphasizes that folks are serious about looking at Oregon’s natural resources, and how we can use them and have an immediate impact on jobs and the economy,” said Cindy Finlayson of Umatilla Electric Cooperative.
Finlayson has been working behind the scenes to increase water withdrawals from the Columbia since 2006.
Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, who participated in the breakout session, said he, too, was encouraged.
“There is absolutely an opportunity to do something,” McLane said.
“We don’t want to drain aquifers. We don’t want to do harm,” he said. “That being said, everyone is saying we need more acres in production.”
McLane said he is considering developing legislation pushing forward negotiations for increasing irrigation water supplies.
“I think we need a bill that puts a deadline on that discussion, brings people to the table, equips them and says, ‘Great, take your agreement, take your great ideas, and within ‘X’ amount of months, get it done,’” he said.
“While we debate, there are people out there who will skip meals so they can buy fuel,” he said. “There are people out there who will go to bed hungry. There are people out there who are unemployed.”
McLane said the bill would mandate certain acre-feet be allocated to new water rights and new production, and take into consideration the needs of conservation, fish habitat and aquifer levels…
McLane to propose solution to enterprise zone tax issue soon
Legislative ‘fix’ is receiving bi-partisan support
Jason Chaney
The threat of central assessment taxation on data centers has left Facebook and other data center companies considering Prineville concerned about future development in Crook County.
The local government offers an enterprise zone that provides property tax exemptions to qualifying new companies that last up to 15 years. With the new central assessment by the Oregon Department of Revenue, Facebook and other data centers could face a tax that essentially offsets that tax break.
Representative Mike McLane (R-Dist. 55) and other Oregon legislators want to change that and recently drafted new legislation intended to prevent such taxes down the road.
Currently two potential data center companies are looking at Prineville to do business. They are code-named Cloud and Maverick – the latter is rumored to be Apple Inc.
“Despite the Department of Revenue’s backtracking and statements to the press, I and many others have seen the copy of the proposed order assessing Facebook through the centralized assessment, so this is real,” McLane said, “and bureaucrats in Salem were trying to dictate how our enterprise zones would in essence be administered, and worse, they introduced uncertainty, which of course made economic development pause.”
The bill is designed to take that concern off the table, and keep the job creation and production in enterprise zones going. McLane said it has a narrow focus that applies to all enterprise zones and any data centers looking to locate in those zones.
In addition, the legislation will make a point of empowering local governments, so they can reach suitable agreements for whatever situations they encounter.
Rep. Mike McLane to introduce legislation in 2012 to protect a growing industry
By Oregon Prosperity Project
Instead of honoring the agreement between Facebook and Crook County, the Oregon Department of Revenue swooped in and notified Facebook that its property taxes would no longer be governed by the terms of the local enterprise zone agreement. Instead, their property taxes would be assessed by the state.
Why is this such a big deal? Because the state, unlike counties, assesses property taxes based on “intangible” assets – things like brand value, goodwill, reputation, computer files and patents. These “intangible” assets massively increase the value of a company, and massively increase property tax bills.
In the case of Facebook, the massive increase in taxes more than eliminates the cost advantages of locating and expanding in Oregon. What’s more…Crook County, doesn’t even want the extra tax revenue from the state assessment. They want the long-term jobs!
So the Department of Revenue’s decision has huge implications not only for the valuation and property tax burden incurred by Facebook’s data center, but more importantly, Facebook’s immediate plans to expand its facilities and workforce in Central Oregon are thrown into limbo.And here’s the kicker. Oregon’s enterprise zone program is a key factor in attracting a number of companies to consider locating data centers here. Will the Department of Revenue thwart these job opportunities, too?
Not if Rep. Mike McLane has a say. He’s introducing legislation in 2012 to protect Facebook and other data centers with enterprise zone agreements from being upended by the Department of Revenue.
This is a critical issue we’ll be advocating for in the 2012 Oregon legislature. When the time is right, we’ll be asking you to contact your local legislator to support this important legislation.
Oregon can ill-afford to continue to hassle businesses that want to locate and create job opportunities here. McLane’s pending legislation is a step toward giving us one more viable, job creating industry in Oregon.
Two local lawmakers questioned the decision by the State Board of Higher Education to not retain University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere once his contract expires in June.
In his two-year tenure, Lariviere has had a rocky relationship with the governor and the state board. In a note to students and faculty Tuesday night, he said was being sacked because of a “difference of opinion over the future of the UO.”
The board president says Lariviere is being dismissed for personnel reasons. The board meets Monday in Portland to vote on his contract in a public meeting. Lariviere said Wednesday he will continue as president until his contract expires.
Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, said he received many emails in support of Lariviere, mainly from people affiliated with the University of Oregon.
“I haven’t received a single email or call in support of the higher education board’s decision to not renew his contract,” McLane said. “That tells me this decision may not have been in the best interest of the University of Oregon,” McLane said, “but I need more information before I can decide for myself. Certainly based on what I’ve learned so far, I don’t think it was a great decision.”
McLane said there was a possibility that lawmakers could apply pressure to have the decision reviewed.
New state lawmaker hopes to push for job creation
Posted: Thursday, December 9, 2010 11:32 am
New Oregon State Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, hopes to use his seat in the Oregon House of Representatives to push for rural job development.
McLane is taking over Oregon’s 55th District Representative seat, replacing the retiring Rep. George Gilman, R-Medford. The district covers northern Klamath County and part of Jackson County, as well as all of Lake County and Crook County.
When the Legislature meets in January 2011, McLane will be among a handful of state representatives in Salem without any legislative experience.
But McLane feels his inexperience could be a positive. Previous legislators under outgoing Gov. Ted Kulongoski have neglected the plight of rural Oregonians, McLane said, and he hopes to capitalize on his new position by pushing for revised forest policies that will put Oregonians to work in the state’s forestlands, particularly for gathering biomass fuels.
The H&N view: McLane should add more political clout for Eastern Oregon
Posted: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 11:13 pm
Primary election winner’s roots grow deep in high desert soil
On Election Day, Eastern Oregon picked up a bit more influence in Salem when Mike McLane, who has strong ties to Klamath County, won the state legislative District 55 primary for the Republican nomination.
McLane, an attorney who lives in Powell Butte in rural Crook County, defeated Mike Wendel, the mayor of Prineville, in a one-sided contest. No one filed for the Democratic nomination.
District 55 is Oregon’s second largest legislative district, stretching from Jackson County north of Medford across northern Klamath County and takes in all of Lake County and part of Crook County east of Bend. It includes lots of hay fields, jackrabbits and rimrock but, per square mile, not many people.
Assuming that nobody launches a successful write-in effort, McLane will take over as state representative in January. He replaces George Gilman, a Medford Republican who retired.
We weren’t uncomfortable with Gilman and wish him well in retirement, but believe it’s a plus that McLane’s roots sink deeper into Eastern Oregon’s high desert soil. He also has a strong attachment to Klamath County’s Kingsley Field, where he is staff judge advocate with the Air Guard.
McLane ran on a platform that included a call for fiscal responsibility and job creation.
McLane to serve House District 55
Powell Butte resident bests fellow Republican, won’t face Democratic challenger in November for seat held by Medford’s George Gilman
May 19, 2010
Mike McLane won the Oregon House District 55 primary Tuesday night, making him the de facto winner of the general election in November.
McLane and fellow Republican Mike Wendel, both Crook County residents, were the only two candidates in the race. The seat formerly was held by Medford resident George Gilman.
McLane, 45, who lives in Powell Butte, is an attorney who also started a publishing business. By late Tuesday, he had 74 percent of the vote statewide and 75 percent of the vote in Jackson County.
During his campaign, McLane said he wanted to create an environment in Oregon that is friendly to business and allows rural communities to tap into natural resources to develop more jobs.
House District 55 is the second largest district in the state, stretching from the eastern edge of Medford to Prineville in the north and Lakeview in the south.
Wendel, 40, is the mayor of Prineville.
McLane supports some government safety net programs that have helped many unemployed families in his district, but he doesn’t support state cuts in law enforcement and schools.
To emerge from the economic slump, McLane said it will require helping businesses get back on their feet and promoting more job growth.
McLane GOP nominee in District 55
Mike McLane will face no Democratic opponent in the November election
By staff report The Bulletin
Powell Butte attorney Mike McLane appeared to defeat Prineville Mayor Mike Wendel Tuesday night, winning the Republican nomination for Oregon House District 55. As of 10:40 p.m., McLane was ahead by a 74 percent to 26 percent….
Pair of Republicans vie for Oregon House seat
Both cite conservative credentials as they seek the post vacated by Rep. George Gilman
With four-term Rep. George Gilman of Medford stepping down — and no Democrat bothering to file in Oregon’s 55th House District — the seat seems certain to go to a Republican from Crook County named Mike.
The two Republican candidates — attorney Mike McLane of Powell Butte and Prineville Mayor Mike Wendel — cite their conservative credentials and experience in government and policy-making. Both speak of the need for jobs, and say the way to get them is to shrink government, open forests to more logging and reduce taxes.
McLane, 44, offers specific goals, such as repealing the voter-approved tax increases in Measures 66 and 67 and proclaims he’s a lifelong Republican.
“I’m not a government insider, like my opponent,” said McLane, who has never held elective office. “The problems that face our state are big and must immediately be addressed. He (Wendel) doesn’t believe there is a problem; he just wants to listen and learn.”
Wendel, 40, doesn’t disagree and, in fact, considers listening a virtue.
“I’m not going in with an agenda,” he said. “It’s the same thing I do as a city official, to help solve problems. The Republicans and Democrats go in there and fight against each other and end up not representing the will of the people of the district and the state of Oregon.”
Wendel said business needs better tax breaks to be successful. He joked that the recent voter-approved tax increases “should be enacted in counties that approved them and just leave us alone, the counties that voted against them.”
Wendel acknowledges he was registered as a Democrat since he checked that box while getting his first driver’s license, but said he has been a Republican for many years and finally changed his registration two years ago.
The district they want to represent is the second largest in Oregon, stretching from Medford to Prineville to Lakeview. It includes Crook and Lake counties and the more rural parts of Deschutes, Klamath and (northeast) Jackson counties.
It’s a district “very hurt by the Great Recession,” said McLane, because of the downturn in construction and the “lockup of the national forests by state and federal regulation with an eye to preservation, instead of stewardship and sustainability.”
House District 55: McLane
The lawyer and publishing entrepreneur would make a stronger legislator
May 07, 2010
It’s been a quiet primary season for Southern Oregon legislative candidates, because nearly all are unopposed for their party’s nomination. The only contested race is in House District 55, where two Republicans are running what amounts to a general election campaign six months early.
No Democrat filed for the seat now held by Rep. George Gilman, R-Medford, who is retiring. That’s not surprising, given that Republican voters in the sprawling rural district outnumber Democrats by more than 6,000.
The district is the second-largest in the state, encompassing all of Crook and Lake counties and portions of Deschutes, Klamath and Jackson. The Jackson County portion includes Eagle Point, Butte Falls, Shady Cove and the northeast outskirts of Medford.
Both candidates this year live in Crook County. Mike Wendel, 40, a maintenance specialist for the Oregon Department of Transportation, is the mayor of Prineville. Mike McLane, 45, an attorney and book publisher, lives in Powell Butte.
On the issues, there isn’t much to separate the two. Both advocate limiting government spending and returning more control over issues such as land use and resource industries to the local level.
Both were born and raised east of the Cascades, Wendel in Prineville and McLane in Condon. After that, their paths diverged.
Wendel has lived in Prineville all his life, and lacks a college degree. McLane earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Oregon State University and a law degree from Lewis and Clark, and clerked for an Oregon Supreme Court judge. He served as a special prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and practiced law in Portland before returning to Eastern Oregon, where he practices in Redmond.
McLane also has served as a Circuit Court judge pro tem, and is a member of the Crook County/Prineville Economic Development Advisory Board. He is a major in the Oregon Air National Guard, serving as a staff judge advocate. McLane also is co-founder of a publishing company that produced the popular Flying Rhino series of children’s books.
He’s assembled an impressive list of endorsements, including Jackson County Commissioner C.W. Smith and State Sen. Jason Atkinson.
Wendel touts his local government experience, noting that McLane has never held public office. While that’s true, it doesn’t necessarily make Wendel a stronger candidate. His campaign has been lackluster compared with McLane’s. He has raised little campaign money, and didn’t respond to a candidate questionnaire from The Oregonian. As a result, McLane’s detailed answers appear alone in The Oregonian’s online voters guide.
Either candidate would reflect the views of most voters in the conservative rural district. But it’s clear to us that McLane would be a stronger legislator.
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