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PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, JUNE 19, 2015 KeizerOpinion KEIZERTIMES.COM Future big Keizer projects The community build project is completed, a little later than hoped for, but the new big playground at Keizer Rapids Park will offi cially be open to the public on Saturday, June 20. All the volunteers who helped with the construction and those who donated money and materials can look upon their work and pat them- selves on the back. That’s one major project down, one to go: the turf fi eld at Mc- Nary High School. Construction is expected to begin in earnest this month. It should be completed in time for the McNary Athletic Boost- er Club’s Blue Day event in August. Once the turf fi eld is in, the com- munity can lean back, exhale and enjoy its new amenities. And think about the next community project. Think is the operative term. Keizer leaders need to think about how large community projects come to be, how to fi nance them and wha- how to operate and maintain them once completed. One person can make a difference. The big playground came about solely from the vision of a single west Keizer man, Will Stitt, who had seen similar big playgrounds in other towns. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board fell right in line and fast-tracked the project. It was never in doubt that the playground would be at Keizer Rapids Park. Relying on the experience of a New York con- sultant, a location within the park was chosen. Until it wasn’t. One voice rang out that it would be bet- ter to place it near Chemawa Road, to be more visible. That led to a delay of more than a year while the even- tual site was brought into the Urban Growth Boundary and the Keizer city limits. Once again, that was fast- tracked. When the consultants went to Keizer schools to to fi nd out what kids thought the playground should have, they walked away with hun- dreds of ideas that were translated into rough plans and drawings that were presented at a standing-room only crowd that same day. The com- munity was excited, but the kids were ecstatic. They were shortly dis- appointed by the whole relocation issue that caused a delay of more than a year. The community was to be re- cruited to volunteer to fi ll thou- sands of hours of shifts to help cut, screw, wrench, haul, rake and more. One-hundred fi fty volunteers were expected for each shift of the build. About half the expected number re- ported for duty, but those that did worked hard and passionately. Any big project must have a clear need and a clear vision of its use, where it will be sited and how it will fi t into its surroundings. A proj- ect—espeically if it is community based—should have its fi nancing in place before a shovel of dirt is turned over. The project’s maintenance and operation (as applicable) needs have to be planned. Future community projects will face two hurdles: manpower and money. Today’s busy family lives means there are fewer volunteers to cull from the citizens. There are scheduled activities for the kids, caretaking of family members, job duties—any number of reasons that would prevent someone to devote precious free time to a community project. As the playground and the turf fi eld projects have shown, it is not easy to amass the cash that is required after volunteer labor and in-kind donations are factored in. Each year brings more projects, organizations and causes that seek fi nancial sup- port. There is only so much money available in the community. That is why it is so important to have saavy people who know how to look be- yond our borders for donations from corporations and foundations. There are thousands of foundations that do- nate money; corporate America have departments devoted to community giving. Before the next project is initi- ated let us together decide if there is a need and a want from the people, assure it is fully funded. That will most likely include hiring people to do most of the work. Volunteerism is part of the city’s motto but the nature of the city has changed and our plans must refl ect that. —LAZ Impeachment in Oregon tical test before he could express his opinion in public? I doubt it. There seems to be a great deal of glee in the new background check requirements for Oregon res- idents. Especially domestic violence being a disqualifying factor. I guess the reasoning is that someone who assaults a member of their family can’t be trusted to own a fi rearm. With that in mind, let me point out that, according to a recent book au- thored by retired White House ser- vice staff, when Hillary found out that husband Bill had been involved in yet another affair, she threw an object at him that struck him with enough force to require sutures in his forehead. Most reaction to this revelation was that he probably de- served it, and he probably did. But if the people involved were Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the police had been called, they would have been required to have arrested Hillary for—domestic violence. The fact that Ms. Clinton got away with it doesn’t change the mindset of the act. Had she not gotten away with it, she would be prohibited from owning a fi rearm in Oregon. Is this who you want to have her fi nger on the nuclear trigger and be the Commander in Chief of the world’s most powerful military force? Just a thought. Wayne A. Moreland Keizer To the Editor: The Oregon Legislature is the only one in the country lacking im- peachment power over state execu- tives. House Joint Resolution 31 is designed to correct that defi ciency, and is long overdue. This bill was voted out of the house and is now in the senate, in Senator Rosenbaum’s Rules Com- mittee. Please contact your senators and have them support this bill, and contact Senator Rosenbaum to en- courage her to have a hearing on this proposal. Our previous governor’s be- havior, and the tragedies related to Cover Oregon and the Oregon Health Department underscore the need for this legislation. Erin B. Thurber Salem Rights versus privileges To the Editor: It appears that Mr. Don Vowell (Why is a gun different than a car?, June 12), doesn’t know the difference be- tween a right and a privilege, so let me explain slowly for him. A right is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitu- tion, while a privilege comes from government. That’s why the state can regulate qualifi cations for driv- ing a motor vehicle. Looking at the 1st Amendment, would Mr. Vowell be for requiring a written and prac- letters Keizertimes Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com NEWS EDITOR Craig Murphy editor@keizertimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eric A. Howald news@keizertimes.com ADVERTISING Paula Moseley advertising@keizertimes.com Lyndon Zaitz publisher@keizertimes.com One year: $25 in Marion County, $33 outside Marion County, $45 outside Oregon PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Publication No: USPS 679-430 POSTMASTER PRODUCTION MANAGER Send address changes to: BUSINESS MANAGER Keizertimes Circulation 142 Chemawa Road N. Keizer, OR 97303 Andrew Jackson graphics@keizertimes.com EDITOR & PUBLISHER SUBSCRIPTIONS Laurie Painter billing@keizertimes.com OFFICE INTERN Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon Allie Kehret LEGAL NOTICES legals@keizertimes.com facebook.com/keizertimes twitter.com/keizertimes The therapy of helping a community By CRAIG MURPHY Apparently I wasn’t the only one who noticed her. While at the Big Toy build site multiple times in the past week or so, I began to see some familiar faces. I’m not just talking familiar in terms of people like city councilors or department heads I see on a regu- lar basis. I’m talking familiar in terms of people who seemed to be there ev- ery time I stopped by. As mentioned elsewhere in this issue, volunteers started building the new play structure at Keizer Rapids Park last Wednesday, June 10. The goal was to be done by 5 p.m. last Sunday, but that didn’t happen. As this is being written, fi nal steps are being done in anticipation of the structure being open this weekend. During my frequent visits, I of- ten noticed a lady walking around, making sure volunteers had water. Mayor Cathy Clark and others made mention of her as well during Mon- day’s Keizer City Council meeting. That lady was 68-year- old Patsy Smith. “I want to call out Patsy Smith, who came with her daughter and granddaughter,” the mayor said. “She made sure every person was hydrated and had sunblock. If some- one wanted Gatorade, she made sure that person had Gatorade. She wanted to make sure no one out there got sick because of dehydra- tion. People like that made the event so amazing.” Indeed. On Sunday afternoon I talked with Smith. “I’ve been out here eight hours a day,” she said. “There’s not too much I can do. I had my spine worked on last month. I’m supposed to be do- ing some walking each day, but I’ve been wishy-washy with my therapy. This has helped with that.” checkered fl ag In other words, Smith was intent on helping with the build like her daughter and granddaughter did. When she became limited in her options, she became a key person all the other volunteers depended on. After all, the weather was pretty hot and water was in high demand. Smith delivered. Smith’s family will be using the Big Toy. She has four great-grand- children who will enjoy it for years to come. “This has been wonderful,” Smith said. “This is awesome. Bless their hearts. Everyone is just so glad to be here. This is going to be heav- ily used. It’s so awesome.” The work put in by countless volunteers was impressive, whether it was for one shift or the entire build. All who participated are to be commended – from project coor- dinator Mark Caillier to those who did the heavy lifting to those who carried the water. (Craig Murphy is the news editor of the Keizertimes.) 2015 campaign has truly started By MICHAEL GERSON Stealthily demonstrating one of Jeb Bush’s more controversial pol- icy views—the need for Common Core history standards—an “anon- ymous ally” is quoted in The New York Times as saying that “the culture of the Bush operation will now be a Pickett’s Charge engagement with his main opponents.” Republican politicians have gen- erally preferred Teddy Roosevelt’s San Juan Hill model of political en- gagement—a guaranteed outcome with maximum press coverage. But it will be interesting to see Bush strategist Mike Murphy roll out his Gallipoli-inspired social media campaign. Meaningless historical errors by unnamed sources aside, the start- ing gun of the 2016 campaign has been fi red, and three Republicans are clearly in the fi rst tier of plausi- bility —Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Marco Rubio. The conventional wisdom about these candidates is interesting for being mostly wrong. Jeb’s role: The Establishment Moderate. Reporters who have covered Bush for decades fi nd this risible. If his record as governor shows anything, it is a visceral dis- trust of government bureaucracy, expressed through the aggressive privatization of public functions and the elimination of thousands of state government jobs. Bush cut tax- es and championed gun rights and school vouchers. He was, in his own self-assessment, “probably the most pro-life governor in modern times.” Members of team Bush see op- portunity in this gap between im- pression and reality. Familiarity, they think, will reduce contempt among conservatives. Bush is banking on memory. Bush’s advisers think that Walker, who has sometimes trimmed to win in a pro- gressive state, is banking on forgetfulness. It is not quite that sim- ple. The best ideological description of Bush comes via National Review’s Rich Lowry, who calls him a “pre-Obama conservative.” Bush was essentially out of politics during the trau- matic, formative period of modern conservatism—the election and re- election of a faculty-lounge liberal who set out to transform America. Bush didn’t fi ght in these ideologi- cal trenches and doesn’t share the scars from conservatism’s real Pick- ett’s Charge (Ted Cruz’s govern- ment shutdown). What a few fi nd disqualifying might be refreshing to the broader electorate. When George W. Bush ran and won in 2000, he distanced himself, not only from Clinton era, but from the scorched-earth GOP of Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay and crew. “After all of the shouting and all of the scandal,” George W. Bush said in his Philadelphia conven- tion speech. “After all of the bitter- ness and broken faith, we can be- gin again.” The younger Bush has a chance to distance himself from the whole mess in Washington during the Obama era, not just the Demo- cratic portion of it. The role ascribed to Walker by conventional wisdom is quite differ- ent: The Top Tier’s Tea Party Favor- ite. In fi ghts against public-sector unions, he has earned a serious rep- utation. Grover Norquist recounts: “when you meet him, it’s like seeing somebody who sits on a throne on the skulls of his enemies.” This is what passes as a compli- other views ment in some conservative circles. But this impression disguises a boldly moderate maneuver. Of all the Republican candidates, Walker has been most forthright in his in- tention to downplay cultural issues in favor of economic ones. When pressed on gay marriage last year, he said, “When I talk about things, I talk about the economic and fi scal crisis in our state and in our coun- try. That’s what people want to reso- nate about.” And again: “I don’t talk about [gay marriage] at all. I don’t talk about anything but fi scal and economic issues in the state.” On the abortion issue, he has said, “I don’t obsess with it.” It is true that the GOP will need a changed tone and approach when it comes to social issues. And the portion of the tea party that leans libertarian will have no objection to Walker’s instinct for silence. But this comes closest to the ar- gument made by Gov. Mitch Dan- iels during the last presidential cycle that Republicans should accept a “truce” on social issues while em- phasizing economic ones. Religious conservatives—who have consid- erable overlap with the tea party and disproportionate infl uence in Iowa—were not pleased then, and may not be now. None of this myth-busting does much to clarify the Republican race. When candidates refuse to play their assigned roles, it adds uncer- tainty and interest. My only con- clusion: This contest is unlikely to move along expected ideological grooves. Which brings us to the conven- tional wisdom about Rubio: The Riser With Limitless Potential. That is, well, pretty much accurate. (Washington Group) Post Writers Why Bernie Sanders deserves a look Refreshing is what it is when a member of Congress who seeks the presidency lets us know what’s on his mind rather than echoing what’s on the mind of a billionaire who under- writes his campaign. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is that refreshing can- didate who will run for the highest political offi ce in the U.S. where he says he’ll lead a “political revolution” for working families and against mon- ey in politics. Furthermore, Sanders has said that he is the only candidate who’s pre- pared to take on the billionaires. He seeks residency in the White House where he can lead millions of Ameri- cans who are ready now to stand up to say “Enough is enough!” to the super- wealthy, elections-manipulating Citi- zens United crowd. Although a life-long Independent, he will run as a Democrat so it is easier for him to get on the primary ballot in all 50 states. He’s not in- clined to criticize Hillary Clinton, he says, as he considers her someone he likes and respects but sees as a “seri- ous problem”—the millions of dollars fl owing into the Clinton Foundation, presumed by many to secure favors through Clinton connections. Sanders could also challenge Hill- ary due to her support for the war with Iraq and her unwillingness to deny support to the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership trade agreement which he staunchly opposes due to antici- pated American job losses and salary reductions due to the notoriously low wages in partnership nations, just like the consequences of NAFTA. Then, too, Sanders wants to take action on the political class of which Hillary is a long-standing member, with a lot of support from Wall Street, and thereby enact a “real political shakeup in this country.” Of course, how he’d persuade a GOP Congress to go along remains a big question. He has raised a few million dol- lars since announcing his campaign in April, and has done so without a super PAC at the rate of average con- tribution amounting to $45. He sees himself as a socialist which won’t help him in a country where social- ism is widely considered threateningly un-American, even though we have many a farmer, banker, manufacturer and others who receive help big-time from the U.S. government. Sanders has won, under the In- dependent designation, elections for mayor of Burlington, Vermont, the U.S. House and the senate while es- pousing his views. When asked about socialism he likes to cite the examples of Denmark, Norway and Sweden as nations where everyone has health care, a post-secondary education is free and warring is anathema. If there is such a thing as a presiden- tial look, Sanders has little chance of passing that litmus test as he is stoop- shouldered, usually wears a head of tussled hair and presents a Brooklyn- accent, which we know out west is a foreign place. Nevertheless, when he’s gene h. mcintyre heard to speak on his convictions, the listener quickly realizes this guy is no fl ake and, though in his early 70s, not one by whom age or energy has ap- parently slowed. Should he succeed at securing the Democratic nod, he will face in de- bate the GOP nominee who could be one of the many among that party’s neo-con or Tea Party look-alikes, dedicated contenders who are known for their determination to eradicate all things wrought under the administra- tions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson. A debate by him with one of these Koch broth- ers’ disciples and other billionaires with abundant cash would be worthy of every American’s time and attention as progressive gains like social security, Medicare, civil rights laws and ne- gotiated treaties are promised termi- nation by each neo-con contender, should any one of them be charge of the nation’s fate. Someone like Bernie Sanders, with his progressive views right out of Scan- dinavia, where the Danish-Norwe- gian-Swedish dream is generally made possible, may sound good to many an American nowadays who fi nds fewer and fewer opportunities to em- brace the American dream. Sanders, however, would only be electable in a very different U.S.: One where a ma- jority cared for and did something about the welfare of all Americans and in a nation where the rich didn’t have an absolute stranglehold on the mem- bers of Congress who no longer serve as representatives of the people. (Gene H. McIntyre’s column ap- pears weekly in the Keizertimes.)