4A
MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2020
The Observer
OUR VIEW
Trump still
has rural
support
A recent story in the Capital Press tried to gauge
whether rural voters still support Donald Trump. It
appears that they do.
We don’t think potential opponents in the up-
coming campaign are doing much to understand
Trump’s appeal to those voters and address their
concerns.
Rural voters accounted for 17% of the electorate
in the 2016 elections and Trump carried 62% of the
rural vote, according to exit polls. Electoral maps
show the president largely carried rural counties in
the Pacifi c Northwest.
A recent poll by Grinnell College in Iowa shows
that Trump’s approval rating among rural voters
ranges from 56% to 63% on issues such as his perfor-
mance as president, the economy and immigration.
Support for Trump in rural areas is not unani-
mous or homogenous. Even among supporters it’s
not uncommon to hear frank discussions of the presi-
dent’s shortcomings — both in policy and manners.
The president has delivered a mixed bag for farm-
ers and ranchers.
On the campaign trail Trump railed against trade
deals he said were unfair to the United States. Agri-
culture depends on foreign trade and the prospect of
more advantageous treaties was just as appealing in
rural America as it was in the industrial Midwest.
His on-again, off-again trade war with China has
had a huge impact on farmers. His imposition of pu-
nitive tariffs on Mexico and Canada even as he was
announcing a replacement for the North American
Free Trade Agreement led to retaliatory duties on
farm products.
But that deal has now passed the House. There are
bilateral agreements with Japan and South Korea.
Phase One of a multi-part agreement has been an-
nounced with China.
The president has delivered on his promise to
reduce government regulation, most notably in
reversing the controversial “Waters of the U.S.” rule.
Farmers and ranchers have mostly benefi tted from
the 2017 tax reforms.
Rural voters largely felt left out of the conversation
during the eight years of the Obama administra-
tion. But our sources say the Trump administration
is listening and they are being heard — even if they
don’t always get what they want.
Trump has twice addressed the American Farm
Bureau Federation’s national convention and has
addressed the FFA’s convention once. No president
since George H.W. Bush has done either.
A frenetic spellbinder, Trump is a master at keep-
ing the attention of both friends and foes focused on
himself and his agenda.
It would be a mistake for challengers to believe
that his rural supporters are being manipulated.
Trump is merely giving voice to positions on trade,
regulation, taxes and the role of government that
they already had.
If they want the rural vote, challengers must come
more in line with those views.
In 2016 many rural voters saw Trump as the lesser
of two evils. With just 10 months until the next elec-
tion, they aren’t seeing a viable alternative in 2020.
MY VOICE
Vietnam vets another year older,
still without a capital city memorial
T
he United States of America Com-
memoration of the Vietnam War
is currently ongoing. This national
commemoration was authorized by
Congress, established under the sec-
retary of defense and launched by the
president in May 2012.
It will continue through Veterans
Day, Nov. 11, 2025. This program com-
memorates the 50th anniversary of the
Vietnam War and recognizes all who
served on active duty in the U.S. Armed
Forces, regardless of location, during
the period of Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15,
1975, as a Vietnam veteran.
While 2020 brings another year, our
Vietnam veterans are a year older and
there is still not a Vietnam War memo-
rial in Oregon’s capital city of Salem.
During the Vietnam War era, more
than 9 million Americans served in the
United States military. More than 2.7
million served in Vietnam, of which
about 57,000 were Oregonians. It is
estimated that a total of 180,000 from
Oregon served during the Vietnam War
era. Currently, it is estimated with data
provided by the United States Census
Bureau, that there about 100,000 Or-
egon Vietnam era veterans alive today.
The average age of our Vietnam
veterans is now over 70. The Vietnam
Veterans of America announced that
the average age of their membership in
2019 was 72.
The United States Department of
Veterans Affairs published a report that
forecast 14,000 Oregon Vietnam veter-
ans either have passed away or will die
between 2015 and 2020 at a rate of 8
veterans per day.
It is inevitable that our Vietnam
veterans will leave us.
Vietnam veteran and United Mine
Workers of America, International
Union President Cecil E. Roberts made
this statement in March 2019: “With an
estimated 390 Vietnam veterans pass-
ing each day there will be few, if any
alive in 10 years.”
The state of Oregon dedicated a
beautiful World War II Memorial on
the Oregon Capitol Grounds on June 6,
2014. At that time, over 95% of all World
War II veterans were gone already.
It has been said by several Orego-
nians that we have an urgent situation.
Time is running out. The window of
opportunity is slowly closing for the
state of Oregon to honor its Vietnam
veterans while they are still with us. A
Vietnam War memorial on the Oregon
Capitol Grounds is needed sooner
rather than later.
During the 2020 legislative session,
it is anticipated that a Senate bill will
be introduced which will establish a
Vietnam War memorial on the Oregon
Capitol Grounds. Currently, the Oregon
Parks and Recreation Department and
the Oregon State Historic Preservation
Offi ce are reviewing a proposed design
for such a memorial.
You can see the proposed design at
www.vietnamwarmemorialfund.org.
It is estimated that the proposed
Vietnam War memorial on the Oregon
Capitol Grounds will cost 2.7 million
dollars. A nonprofi t corporation exists
to raise these needed funds. The stated
goal is to raise these funds from the
private sector.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 900 Court St.
N.E., Salem, OR 97301; 503-378-4582.
Oregon Secretary of State Bev Clarno:
136 State Capitol. Salem OR 97310-0722;
503-986-1523.
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Reed: 350
Winter St. N.E., Suite 100, Salem, OR 97301-
3896; 503-378-4329.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosen-
blum: Justice Building, Salem, OR 97301-
4096; 503-378-4400.
State Sen. William S. Hansell (29th
District/Pendleton): Salem offi ce: 900 Court
St. NE., S-423, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-
1729. Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/
hansell. Email: sen.billhansell@oregonleg-
islature.gov.
State Rep. Greg Barreto (58th District/
Cove): Salem offi ce: 900 Court St. NE.,
H-384, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-1458.
Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/bar-
reto. Email: rep.gregbarreto@oregonlegis-
lature.gov.
State Rep. Greg Smith (57th District):
Salem offi ce: 900 Court St. NE., H-482, Salem,
OR, 97301; 503-986-1457. Heppner offi ce: P.O.
Box 219, Heppner, OR 97836; 541-676-5154;
Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithg.
Email: rep.gregsmith@oregonlegislature.gov.
Oregon Legislature: Legislative docu-
Subscription rates per month:
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A division of
You can help. Call your state legisla-
tors and tell them you wish for them to
pass the Vietnam War Memorial Senate
Bill. You can also make a tax deductible
donation to the cause.
Another year has passed and, with
your help, we are one year closer to
honoring our Vietnam veterans with a
Vietnam War memorial on the Oregon
Capitol Grounds.
ments and information are available online
at www.leg.state.or.us.
City of La Grande: Mayor Steve Clem-
ents, City Manager Robert Strope; P.O. Box
670, La Grande, OR 97850; 541-962-1309;
fax 541-963-3333.
Union County Commissioners: Donna
Beverage, Matt Scarfo and Paul Anderes;
1106 K Ave., La Grande, OR 97850; 541-963-
1001; fax 541-963-1079.
Wallowa County Commissioners: John
Hillock, Todd Nash and Susan Roberts;
101 S. River St., Room 202, Enterprise, OR
97828; 541-426-4543, ext. 11; fax 541-426-
0582.
STAFF
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Steve Bates has resided in Boring
for 42 years and is
a life member of
the Associates of
Vietnam Veterans
of America. He
serves as chair of
the Committee on Memorials &
Remembrance and president of
the Vietnam War Memorial Fund.
He can be reached by email at
vietnamwarmem@aol.com.
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