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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, November 6, 2015 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Tip of the hat; kick in the pants On the Wednesday agenda of the Umatilla County Commissioners meeting for a “construction update,” EOTEC board members somehow came away with $600,000 without ever having to give that pesky update. Commissioners Larry Givens and Bill Elfering’s votes to award the money — against the advice of county staff and without asking a single question of the EOTEC and Umatilla County Fair board members — was a questionable use of funds given to the county for economic development, as well as funds set aside for maintenance and operations of the facility. Certainly, the county has a lot to gain by getting rid of the old, obsolete fairgrounds and trading up to a newer facility south of Hermiston. But the county has a lot to lose, too. And commissioners should be questioning why they were petitioned to contribute to a $2.2 million last-minute ask for a project that has been in the works for years and well short of its fundraising goals the whole time. EOTEC fair board member Don Miller said that without the county’s $600,000, the authority is in jeopardy of not being ready in 2017 — the absolutely must-move date. “If we don’t continue to move forward, we have no place, no access, no ability (to host the fair and rodeo in 2017),” he said. The next question is pretty obvious: Why? No one asked it. Nor the dozens of other questions that still need to be answered. Clearly, everyone in Umatilla County thinks EOTEC is important, everyone thinks it’s a great idea and everyone thinks a multi-million dollar building is going to be good for developing south Hermiston. But everyone is not of the same mind on how construction is progressing at the site, if the design is dialed in, the planning was precise and the scope is apropos. At the very least, commissioners should have asked EOTEC authority to make the case on all of the above, like the Hermiston City Council did just a week prior. George Murdock refused to vote, saying he was not prepared to make a decision on the matter. Givens and Elfering just handed over a check — not knowing if they had the funds to cover it, nor where those funds would come from. They deserve a kick in the pants for it. A tip of the hat to Jude Schimmel for helping moderate part of the White House Tribal Nations Conference Thursday with President Barack Obama. Schimmel did an excellent job describing her own perspective and keeping the conversation moving between the panel and — oh yeah— the most powerful person on the planet. It would be nerve-wracking enough just to shake hands with the president, more so to converse with him, and nearly unbelievable as a 21-year-old to tell him when and when not to speak. She handled it well, and represented her tribe, her generation and Eastern Oregon well. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. YOUR VIEWS 2UHJRQFRPPHUFLDO¿VKLQJ changing, but still strong The Daily Astorian/EO Media Group )RU¿VKLQJFRPPXQLWLHV12$$ Fisheries’ annual publication about commercial landings makes for great reading — in much the way farmers enjoy the crop report. Make no bones about it: Irrespective of decades of impressive economic GLYHUVL¿FDWLRQWKH/RZHU&ROXPELDDQG nearby places like Garibaldi, Willapa %D\DQG:HVWSRUW:DVKDUH¿VKLQJ communities in essential cultural and monetary senses. Our story last week focused on the horse race between Astoria and 1HZSRUWIRUWRS:HVW&RDVW¿VKLQJSRUW — Newport edged us out in poundage in this latest tally — but there is much else to be gleaned from “Fisheries of the United States 2014.” (www.tinyurl. com/2014FishReport) Here are a few eye-catching items and our reaction to them: ƒ(VWLPDWHG86SHUFDSLWD FRQVXPSWLRQRI¿VKDQGVKHOO¿VKZDV 14.6 pounds of edible meat in 2014, up from 14.5 pounds in 2013. It is safe to guess that some in our area eat several times this amount. ƒ1DWLRQZLGH86¿VKHUPHQODQGHG 9.5 billion pounds valued at $5.4 billion in 2014. This was a decrease of 394 million pounds and $43 million from 2013, but the average ex-vessel price paid increased 57 cents a pound, compared to 55 cents a year earlier. Normal economic theory suggests that higher prices go hand in hand with a diminishing supply. ƒ2\VWHUV²ZKLFKSOD\DQHQRUPRXV UROHLQ:DVKLQJWRQ¶V3DFL¿F&RXQW\¶V economy — are on a sharp upward trend in terms of price. The average price was $7.04 in 2014, up from $4.85 the year before. Overall, the U.S. produced 34.1 million pounds valued at $240.3 million. Gulf states produced 16.4 million pounds, the West Coast 10.6 million and Middle Atlantic states 5.3 million. Washington state alone produced 9.1 million pounds, 86 percent of the West’s total. ƒ6KULPSDUHVXUSULVLQJO\ODUJHIDFWRU LQ:HVW&RDVW¿VKHULHV2UHJRQODQGHG 51.7 million pounds (up 9 percent) and Washington 31.4 million pound (up over 120 percent). ƒ'XQJHQHVVFUDEDUHDPD]LQJO\ lucrative but 2014 was an off year. Landings were 54.5 million pounds valued at $209.5 million, a 38 percent decrease in poundage and 17 percent decrease in dollars from 2013. Washington leads, with 19.3 million pounds and 35 percent of landings, followed by California (18 million pounds, 33 percent) and Oregon (11.9 million pounds, 21.8 percent). The average ex-vessel price was $3.84 in 2014, way up from $2.88 in 2013 ƒ6DOPRQRQFHWKHIRXQGDWLRQRI the Lower Columbia economy, are now pretty tiny here in a commercial sense. Alaska accounted for 95 percent of 2014 landings, Washington nearly 4 percent. Oregon, California and the Great Lakes combined for the remaining 1 percent. Even so, 2014 was a comparatively good year for Oregon salmon, up 82 percent in poundage and 62 percent in value. This all is much to discuss and ZRQGHURYHUIRUROG¿VKHUPHQJDWKHULQJ for strong black coffee. LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. OTHER VIEWS GOP campaigns ponder if it’s safe to attack Ben Carson E ven before Ben Carson shot voters have deeply resented the to the lead of the Republican accusation from the left that they presidential race in Iowa, rival oppose the president because of his campaigns from Donald Trump down race; they are intensely frustrated began grappling with the question: by what they view as Democrats How to defeat the genial, soft-spoken, repeatedly playing the race card African-American brain surgeon who against them. To those Republicans, has quietly captured the imagination of supporting Carson is proof that the so many GOP voters? slanders aren’t true: Here’s a black Byron The answer: very carefully. “I candidate who shares our beliefs, and York don’t think we run against Carson,” we support him wholeheartedly. Comment said a strategist for a GOP campaign In addition, Carson offers recently. “He’s just so well-liked that Republican voters a broader sort of it is tough.” The problem, of course, is that if DEVROXWLRQRQUDFH,QWKH¿UVW*23GHEDWHLQ Carson remains atop the polls Cleveland in August, Carson in Iowa, and sits in a solid made a statement on race second place in the national that has since become wildly polls, other candidates will popular with Republicans, likely feel compelled to go shared millions of times on after him. social media: “When I take And it’s not just because someone to the operating that’s the way campaigns work. room, I’m actually operating It’s because rival operatives on the thing that makes them see Carson as ultimately who they are,” Carson said. vulnerable. As much as they “The skin doesn’t make them respect Carson as a human who they are. The hair doesn’t being, and are awed by his make them who they are. And record of medical achievement, it’s time for us to move beyond PDQ\ULYDORSHUDWLYHV¿UPO\ that. Because our strength as a believe Carson knows next nation comes in our unity.” to nothing when it comes to After the debate, pollster governing. Frank Luntz conducted a focus “The lack of knowledge group of Republican voters and Carson has is staggering,” said was struck by the off-the-scale the strategist. “Where are his positive response to Carson’s voters going to go when people realize that remarks. Carson doesn’t know anything about policy?” “Ben Carson represents a powerful vehicle With any other candidate, competitors for conservatives to be able to say out loud — might pounce now. But not with Ben Carson. I am a conservative, and that does not make For three reasons. me a racist,” Luntz said. “When Carson said 7KH¿UVWLVOLNDELOLW\&DUVRQ¶VSHUVRQDO LQWKH¿UVWGHEDWHWKDWKHGRHVQ¶WVHHHWKQLFLW\ favorability ratings with Republican voters are in his patients, our focus group dials shot WKURXJKWKHURRIHDVLO\WKHEHVWLQWKH¿HOG through the roof. ‘Finally!’ several participants :KRHYHUDWWDFNVKLPZRXOGE\GH¿QLWLRQ said. ‘Finally we have a credible conservative have a lower favorability rating than Carson, who thinks like we do, and you can’t use the and the fear is that such an attack would just race card against him.’” drive the attacker’s rating lower and Carson’s So beyond agreeing with him on issues, or higher. admiring his personal story, many Republicans The second is fairness. Carson hasn’t gone are grateful to Ben Carson for relieving after his fellow candidates. Indeed, part of his them of the burden of all those accumulated DSSHDOLVWKDWKHKDVVSHFL¿FDOO\HVFKHZHG accusations of racism. That’s a big deal. Republican-on-Republican violence. Which is why rival campaigns almost “I really refuse to really get into the mud instinctively sense that they should tread pit,” Carson said on Fox News recently. lightly with Carson. “I’m not sure I have the Voters respond well to that, even if they also best answer for it,” says another strategist sometimes reward candidate attacks. So far, at with another GOP campaign when asked how least, Carson has particularly impressed those to deal with Carson. The hope in his camp is voters who want to see Republicans attack that Carson will begin to attract the normal, Democrats, and not each other. heightened scrutiny that comes with leading a The third reason is race, and it is by far the race, even if it’s just in one state. most complicated. Carson is the only black So Republican candidates have a Ben candidate in the contest. Republican voters Carson problem. He’s ahead of most of them. admire his rise-from-poverty life story, and They want to win. But how do they defeat him Carson represents a chance for the GOP to without offending the voters who admire him? connect with black voters in a way the party No one has yet found the answer. hasn’t done in generations. Ŷ Perhaps more importantly, in the years of Byron York is chief political correspondent Barack Obama’s presidency, many Republican for The Washington Examiner. Many Republicans are grateful to Carson for relieving them of the burden of all those accumulated accusations of racism. YOUR VIEWS Reason for voting down tax was to protest city government There was an EO editorial published Thursday with this statement as to why the gas tax was resoundedly defeated: “The reason that nearly two out of every three voters were against is not quite clear.” I beg to differ. It is very clear. This issue was much more than a 5 cent increase on a gallon of gasoline. This election was a mandate by the people to criticize the performance of its city’s leaders. The East Oregonian evaluated the city’s decision to subsidize Makad’s $45 million data center. This project “includes an immediate expense of $300,000 to install water and sewer connections to the proposed site” despite the company’s shady record for its performance. Let’s consider another decision that impacts the city’s ability to maintain its streets. This information was published in the EO on June 3, 2014. In return for matching funds from the county, the city agreed to proceed with the Eighth St. Bridge project and to maintain 10.6 miles of county roads. The city can’t even patch potholes in the city. How can it maintain another 10.6 miles of roads? Here is a headline from the EO that illustrates what the modus operandi is for the city’s capital projects: “Pendleton to borrow $700k from sewer fund.” This H[SHQGLWXUHZDVWR¿QDQFHWKHURDGDQGXWLOLW\ infrastructure of the Olney Housing project. The city’s practice of using interagency ORDQVWR¿QDQFHSHWSURMHFWVKDVEHHQVR common that the EO had this headline on February 6, 2014: “Pendleton audit clean, but not without issues.” When Dickey and Tremper performed its annual audit, Rob Tremper had this to say: “The largest issue may be the number of inter-fund loans the city carries over from year to year.” More LPSRUWDQWO\³7KH¿UPUHFRPPHQGHGWKH FLW\¿JXUHRXWKRZWRFHDVHRSHUDWLQJDWD GH¿FLWDQGEHJLQUHSD\PHQWRIWKHODUJHORDQ balance.” Now, the city wants to spend matching funds for radar for the airport. The airport has lost millions of dollars year after year and resulted in the city taking $650,000 from the OLEUDU\EXGJHWWRWU\WRSXWD¿QJHULQWKHGLNH Then, Chrisman said this today, “UAS 5DQJHKDV\HWWRVLJQLWV¿UVWFXVWRPHU´7KH city has spent over $500,000 on the project. I’ve just scratched the surface. Time for a recall and continue the momentum of the gas tax defeat. Jerry Cronin Pendleton