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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Wednesday, June 29, 2016 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW The overlooked substance in Donald Trump’s speech AP Photo/Jae C. Hong A scorched tree and devastated mobile homes are backdropped by a wildire continuing to burn June 25 in South Lake, Calif. Fire season arrives M in Eastern Oregon Fire season oficially kicked off McNary and Umatilla. Those bans include ires of all sorts, even grills. Tuesday in Eastern Oregon. It has already been a brutal start ▪ Keep campires and debris ires to the season elsewhere across the under control. Even when and where West: Two people they are allowed, were killed in err on the side of There’s nothing caution. Scorching California wildires that have burned brisk winds more American weather, about 100,000 acres. and dry grass can Other dangerous and than ireworks cause even the destructive ires have of ires to on the Fourth of smallest lared up in Alaska, quickly erupt. Use Arizona, Colorado, ire rings July, but when established Montana and Utah. and don’t leave a you live in the campire unattended. Although locally course, when this was a more desert it’s best Of leaving make sure moisture-rich winter to abstain. the ire is dead out. and spring than in ▪ Bring the right recent years, Oregon tools. Water is a will certainly not must, obviously. But bring a shovel be spared the wrath of wildires. or axe when rooting around with a On Monday, a grass ire quickly motorized vehicle, and make sure imperiled a number of Pendleton homes, and a month ago a ire at the your ATV is equipped with a spark old chemical depot burned up plenty arrestor. They are required on most public lands, and there is a cleanout of acres and caused numerous car requirement, too, so be sure to invest accidents. in regular maintenance. How bad is it going to be? ▪ If you have to smoke, be smart The National Interagency Fire when discarding your embers. Center has the entire state rated Million-acre ires have been sparked “normal” for wildire potential by cigarette butts thrown in the most clear through September. That’s an careless of places. upgrade, actually. In recent years, ▪ There is nothing more American most of the state was in the “above- than ireworks on the Fourth of July, normal” danger category from June but it’s best to abstain when you live through August. in the desert. Be smart if you shoot We should be better off this off your own, but you’re better off year, with decent snowpack saving your money and letting a keeping things green and also professional put on the show. keeping recreationalists out of In general, the public won’t be the backcountry longer. But as able to stop every ire. Hot weather those areas open up, it’s important and lightning and unhealthy forests to remember the additional responsibilities required when out in mean there are bound to be plenty of blazes out of our control. But a parched world. if we can be protectors instead of ▪ Take heed of local ire contributors, Eastern Oregon will restrictions. As the season be a more comfortable place this progresses, they will be sure to get summer — not choked out by smoke more restrictive, and with good and not costing our government reason. Bans went in place today millions of dollars to ight for local wildlife refuges, including man-made ires. Cold Springs, McKay Creek, 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. Interpretation of the law has been ost coverage of Donald “inconsistent,” Miano said. In this Trump’s recent speech in way: A later clause stipulates that the New York focused on his provision just quoted “shall apply” attacks on Hillary Clinton. Or the to certain types of green cards. “The fact that he read the speech from a teleprompter. Or the fact that it came Department of Homeland Security and amid a period of disorder and change the Immigration and Naturalization in his campaign. Service have generally interpreted that But Trump included actual to mean ‘shall only apply’” to certain Byron substance in the speech — new types of green cards, Miano wrote. York policy proposals and promises — that “Trump’s team could change the Comment escaped many observers. In a series of regulations to interpret ‘shall apply’... pledges to take action in his irst 100 as applying to ‘any alien,’ as the plain days as president, Trump said he would move text reads.” on trade, business regulation, energy, and The result could be a decided shift toward several other topics. government enforcing laws directing that jobs One area in which Trump go to Americans before promised to take extensive foreign workers. and quick executive action is Ron Hira, of Howard immigration, with a pledge University, noted that for to “change immigration many immigrant work rules to give unemployed categories, a president Americans an opportunity to could change the so-called ill good-paying jobs.” “recruitment requirement,” What Trump meant that is, the requirement is that there are parts of that businesses make a U.S. immigration policy good faith effort to hire an — signiicant parts — that American worker before could be changed through executive action, hiring a foreign worker. Some immigration or regulation, or simply enforcing existing categories have weak and easily circumvented law. For example, there are programs for the recruitment requirements, and some have none admission of foreign workers — the various at all, Hira told me in an email exchange. alphabet programs like H-1B visas, EB-2 “For almost all H-1Bs, there is no and EB-3 green cards, etc. — that have weak recruitment requirement whatsoever,” Hira or nonexistent requirements that businesses said. “There are no recruitment requirements hire, or try to hire, an American irst. It’s a for L-1 workers. Ditto for B-1.” concept that has huge public support, but “I think there’s quite a bit of latitude for one the government does not enforce. A the next president to promulgate tighter President Trump could change that, on his recruitment rules for various work visas,” Hira own authority. wrote. “The upshot is that I think Trump could “A president could direct the Department write much tighter (better) rules to ensure of Homeland Security to promulgate rules that that the program operates more closely as it is interpret immigration laws in ways that are intended.” more favorable to American workers,” noted Miano and Hira both listed other John Miano of the Center for Immigration areas in which a president could make Studies, a group that favors more restrictions immigration and employment policy more on immigration, in an email exchange. American-friendly. It’s an approach that many Miano pointed to one provision of the politicians, including Barack Obama, have law, 8 USC 1182(a)(5), which he said gives said they favor but have not, in fact, pursued. a president enormous leeway in pursuing an The immigration and work pledge in Americans-irst policy. “Any alien who seeks Trump’s speech was all of 13 words long. But to enter the United States for the purpose there was a lot of thinking behind it. It meant of performing skilled or unskilled labor is something. And it was just one part of a wide- inadmissible,” the law reads, “unless the ranging address; Trump placed his plans in a Secretary of Labor has determined that ... 1) bigger context that could have real resonance there are not suficient workers who are able, in the general election campaign, especially in willing, qualiied ... and available at the time the rust-belt states which could play a big role of application for a visa and admission to the in the outcome. United States and at the place where the alien “There is one common theme in all of is to perform such skilled or unskilled labor, these reforms,” Trump said. “It’s going to be and 2) the employment of such alien will America First.” not adversely affect the wages and working ■ conditions of workers in the United States Byron York is chief political correspondent similarly employed.” for The Washington Examiner. Trump promised to take extensive and quick executive action on immigration. LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. YOUR VIEWS Leave Til Taylor Park alone, keep sheriff’s legacy intact Fire Chief Mike Ciraulo and Pendleton City Council: It is with deep regret that again we are discussing the destruction of the Til Taylor Park, a historical part of Pendleton. Til Taylor was my great-grandfather and a wonderful man who for many years represented not only law enforcement but the Pendleton Round-Up. He stands tall and proud before the wall of fallen law enforcement oficers who died while protecting not only people of Umatilla County but the whole state of Oregon. Our family has twice in my lifetime had to defend the moving of my great- grandfather’s statue and the closing of the park. First it was Sheriff John Trumbo wanting to move it to the Umatilla County Jail site, where the memorial would not be seen; the next was the city wanting to move it to Main Street, where there are fewer and fewer businesses, where again the fallen would not be remembered. Already two of the relecting pools have been removed. The one that remains has been converted to a wonderful place for young people to enjoy their summers, a place to picnic and play. It is sad to see our parks being eliminated. It is hard enough to encourage our young people to know where their heritage came from without destroying what little evidence and places of enjoyment we have left. As Mayor Phil Houk stated in the tribute to my great-grandfather and other law enforcement oficers who have been killed in the line of duty, this is a prime location for people to see and respect their courage in the protection of the citizens of Umatilla County and the state of Oregon. People drive by this monument everyday coming into and out of Pendleton. You would rather give up Pendleton’s history than put a ire station on property that is already vacant, all because of the almighty dollar. Money is not everything in the decision that is to be made. It should also be for the history and enjoyment of people who use the park. My mother Dolores G. (Taylor) Sheard, my uncle Tillman Taylor and my aunt Nylene (Taylor) Graham have all in the past voice a strong no in moving his statue or destroying a place for families to enjoy. Since all three have passed I ind that it has fallen to his great-grandchildren to also voice our no. Debra (Sheard) Carter Athena Union Paciic has no ability to change brake system Your recent criticism of the Union Paciic Railroad (“Tip of the hat; kick in the pants,” June 24) grossly misrepresented both the company’s responsibility regarding the brake systems used on oil trains and the facts of the diesel fuel leak near Troutdale. The piece quotes a sound bite that the railroad uses a “brake system that is from the Civil War era.” While that is an accurate description of a system invented in 1868, it fails to convey that the Union Paciic lacks the ability to use another system. The railroad does not own the oil cars in question; they are leased to customers by a third party. Furthermore, American railroads interchange cars with each other and with Canadian and Mexican railroads. Cars are required to meet Association of American Railroads (AAR) interchange rules to ensure compatibility with other lines. You also misrepresented the impact of the fuel spill and the amount of fuel spilled. The editorial stated that “thousands of gallons of diesel” leaked “into the water table and the Columbia River.” It was nice to see the correction buried at the bottom of the page the next day, that none of the 300 gallons of spilled fuel contaminated the water table, (Correction June 25), but you failed to report that no fuel leaked into the river either. Regarding Thomas Jameson’s comment in “Quick takes” (June 25), I have good news: Union Paciic does not run oil trains through Pendleton, they run south out of Spokane and turn west at the yard near Hermiston. William W. Webb Jr. Echo Wolves doing ine, thank you I found a game camera that is interactive. It was located near den number 77. The camera helped me learn how Fish and Game humans were going to manage my packs. I really don’t need their help. I managed to spread our packs out to Washington, California and Nevada since we arrived from Idaho. I managed to get $800,000 from humans in Salem to protect us. I managed to teach my packs how to kill cattle and sheep without leaving enough evidence behind to identify the meal as a wolf kill and, inally, I have managed to increase our pack numbers dramatically in the short time we have been here. A. Wolf, grand packmaster (as told to Mike Mehren, wolf listener Hermiston)