PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 27, 2017
KeizerOpinion
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Men of the hour
The Keizer Chamber of Com-
merce held its annual award banquet
last Saturday, honoring four men who
have played an outsized role in the
community.
James Trett was
announced as Keiz-
er’s First Citizen for
2016. He stepped up
to the microphone to
thunderous applause
from the attendees,
with a shocked, yet
humble look on his
face.
Trett’s biggest impact over the past
four decades has been his work with
Keizer’s youth. His work as the Keiz-
er Fire District’s public education
offi cer brought him in contact with
students at schools. Growing from
that role Trett soon was teaching fi rst
aid and CPR to kids.
His work with kids did not stop
when he left the public education
post. Whiteaker Middle School was
his second home as he assisted with
the choir program and other duties
around the school. The Chamber
recognized him the fi rst time in 2006
when he was presented with the Ser-
vice to Education award.
Keizer is what it is because of
people exactly like Jim Trett. He is a
person who always asks “How can I
help?” Like all good volunteers, Trett
does what he does out of duty and
passion, not recognition.
His quiet demeanor belies a fi erce
determination to do what is right
and fair. All those that know Jim Trett
personally is his friend; he’d have it
no other way.
Trett’s choice as the First Citizen
was the right pick for this or any oth-
er year. Just as he has inspired decades
of Keizer youth, he inspires Keizer’s
grown-ups to do their duty and do
their best.
Saturday’s award banquet was an
evening of inspired choices. Bob
Shackleford, local realtor, was named
as Merchant of the Year. He was cho-
sen for his volunteer work in many
areas but especially with a group he
now leads: Men of Action in Keizer
(MAK), the counterpart to the Keizer
Network of Women (KNOW).
Shackleford is constantly on the
watch for projects MAK can
do to help the community, or-
ganizations or individuals. No
project is too small. From clear-
ing brush and weeds to creat-
ing better sightlines for drivers,
to assisting a widow of a late
veteran, Shackleford rouses the
group of men to do what needs
to be done—all without any
benefi t to himself. That’s the defi ni-
tion of winner.
Keizer’s Mr. Christmas, Dave
Walery, received his second President’s
Award (the only person to have won
the same honor more than once). The
award was selected and presented by
Chamber president Scott White.
White cited Walery’s non-stop
volunteer work that benefi ts Keizer
and its residents from installing the
Christmas lights on River Road to
co-chairing the Keizer Iris Festival.
His position on the Chamber board
of directors allows him to bring his
common sense business acumen to
the table.
Another person who has had ma-
jor infl uence on Keizer kids is Larry
Smith, who was honored with the
Service to Education Award. Smith
was a long-time football and softball
coach at the club and school level.
His early works with youth foot-
ball led, eventually, to McNary High
School winning two state champion-
ships in four years.
Tough but passionate, Smith’s un-
written motto could easily be: never
let winning get in the way of right
and wrong. He taught his teams, at
every level, the importance of playing
the game fairly over any trophies or
ribbons. A lesson that should still be
very much in vogue.
Along with the Chamber of Com-
merce, the Keizer community con-
gratulates all the deserving winners.
They all bring to life our city’s motto
of pride, spirit and volunteerism.
—LAZ
editorial
Rarin’ to go in 2017
On January 9, 2017, I took the oath
of offi ce as state representative from
House District 25 (Keizer, St. Paul and
Newberg) for the second time. I can
assure you that other than the fact I
had some kind of fl u virus, the thrill
was not one iota
less than it was the
fi rst time in 2015. from the
To stand with 59
capitol
other citizens from
all over the state
of Oregon, citi-
by REP.
zens who decided
BILL POST
to take the plunge
and jump into
public offi ce, some
for the fi rst time, some for the 10th
time, all willing to put aside family
and free time to serve this state and
its citizens, well, that was just a plain
honor. Just as it is an honor to serve
the good people of Keizer for another
term.
Many ask “What’s it like being on
the House fl oor for the swearing in?”
I can tell you that it is a very excit-
ing moment when you are asked by
the Chief Justice of the Oregon Su-
preme Court, to raise your right hand
and then to solemnly swear to uphold
the U.S. and Oregon Constitutions.
Then to sign a document saying the
same and knowing that you are one of
only 90 members between the House
and Senate, to sign that document. It’s
something I will never get used to.
So what happens from here? My
staff and I have moved to a new of-
fi ce this year and we’d love for you
to come by. We are still on the third
fl oor of the House side of the build-
ing in offi ce 387. Once we are back
in session on February 1, it will be
crazy but exciting to try to bring all
the ideas that have been crafted into
bills together and try to do what’s best
for Oregon. I can assure you I’ve not
changed from two years ago when I
fi rst stepped into the offi ce: I believe
in less government,
more freedom and
a high regard for
personal liberty. I
will be serving on
three committees
this year includ-
ing my second
term on House
Judiciary but now
adding the House
Veterans and Emergency Preparedness
Committee as well as a brand new
committee called Economic Develop-
ment and Trade.
I still have the nickname of “No
Bills Bill” and I am trying to limit
the amount of bills that I submit. At
this point I have fi ve “pre-session”
bills that have now been read into
the record and I have plans for three
more. I’ll have details on all of them
at my website: www.billpost.us and I
also strongly recommend the Oregon
Legislative Information System web-
site (olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/)
as that site will tell you all the details
of every bill and committee in both
chambers. It’s a great site to get to
know.
I look forward to serving you again
in the 2017 session and want to let you
know that my offi ce is always ready to
assist you in whatever way we can.
(Bill Post represents House Disd
trict 25. He can be reached at 503d
986d1425 or via email at rep.billd
post@state.or.us.)
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Why millions gather to say ‘no’
By E.J. DIONNE JR.
Within 48 hours, we learned that
Donald John Trump intends to govern
as the same fi ercely angry man who
shook the country in 2016. He con-
fi rmed that his administration intends
to show no regard for norms
—or facts.
His opposition has drawn
the obvious conclusion. Its
only options are to contain
the damage Trump can do,
to restrain him in his use of
power, and, eventually, to de-
feat him.
In his inaugural address,
Trump offered no outreach to his
adversaries with a take-no-prison-
ers message. They heard it, and were
ready to return the favor. Saturday’s
Women’s March on Washington and
its counterparts in cities and towns
across the country drew millions who
signaled plainly that they would not
be cowed into silence or demobilized
into a sullen indifference.
There was a jubilance in the Wash-
ington gathering because so many
were grateful to each other for show-
ing up in such large numbers. Those
who had spent January 20th in gloom
spent January 21st experiencing a
sense of relief: In the face of the politi-
cal troubles to come, they would have
allies and friends ready to act.
If power shifted decisively on Fri-
day to Donald Trump and a Repub-
lican-controlled Congress, passion
switched sides as well. As the marches
showed, the political energy in the
country is now arrayed against Trump
and his agenda.
Republicans no longer have Barack
Obama or Hillary Clinton to kick
around. For years, they were able to
direct the country’s discontents to-
ward a president they loathed and
then a Democratic nominee they dis-
liked even more.
With control of both elected
branches, the GOP, including Trump,
is the Establishment. Over time, this
will make the faux populist anti-
Establishment appeal of
Trump’s inaugural address
ring empty.
It was a speech that of-
fered a dark and gloomy
view that cast the world’s
richest nation as a victim
of the rest of the world.
He spoke of “carnage” in
the country and declared:
“We must protect our borders from
the ravages of other countries making
our products, stealing our companies,
and destroying our jobs,”
Trump invoked a radical national-
ism not heard from any president of
either party in the post-World War
II era. His doctrine owes far more to
the ideology of European Far Right
movements favored by his senior advi-
sor Steve Bannon than to the views of
American presidents from Harry Tru-
man, Dwight Eisenhower and John
F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan, both
George Bushes and Barack Obama.
“We will seek friendship and good-
will with the nations of the world,”
Trump said, “but we do so with the
understanding that it is the right of
all nations to put their own interests
fi rst.” If some might see this as re-
freshing honesty about how countries
actually behave, it was hard to escape
the idea that Trump’s “America First”
doctrine foreshadowed a willingness
to destroy international systems, built
in large part by the United States, that
have, on the whole, protected us and
advanced our values.
And for those who worry about
Trump’s devotion to democratic val-
other
views
ues, there was this disconcerting sen-
tence: “We must speak our minds
openly, debate our disagreements
honestly, but always pursue solidarity.”
Solidarity is wonderful. But the
word can look like a threat when used
in a way that seems to subordinate free
speech and open debate. More disqui-
eting, the nature of this solidarity will
be defi ned by a man who now pos-
sesses awesome powers and has shown
only disrespect for his foes and for an
independent media.
By Saturday, Trump and his press
secretary Sean Spicer had ratifi ed these
concerns. Expressing rage at the media
for pointing out how relatively small
Trump’s crowds were—a hint of how
shallow his movement’s roots might
be—both Spicer and Trump lied out-
right in exaggerating the numbers of
those who attended Trump’s inaugu-
ration in comparison with the throngs
that celebrated Obama’s.
Challenged Sunday by Chuck Todd
of NBC’s “Meet the Press” as to why
Spicer was asked to go to the podium
and offer falsehoods, Kellyanne Con-
way, Trump’s senior counselor, came
up with a soundbite that George Or-
well might have been embarrassed to
include in “1984.” It will go down as
a defi ning phrase of the Trump presi-
dency.
“Sean Spicer, our press secretary,”
she replied, “gave alternative facts.”
“Alternative facts?” an astonished
Todd exclaimed, and then he spoke
the truth: “Alternative facts are not
facts. They’re falsehoods.”
Fear of a presidency willing to
declare that up is down and down is
up is why so many rallied to say a very
loud no.
(Washington Post Writers Group)
Why Cabinet nominees should be rejected
Were I ever in a position of pow-
er to take action on President Trump’s
cabinet nominees, I would veto some
of them without any further consider-
ation. Here are thoughts for rejection
from Keizer, Oregon:
Steven Mnuchin as Secre-
tary of Treasury. This is the
same guy whose record
shows that he ruthlessly
foreclosed on thousands of
homeowners in the ranks
of middle-class Americans.
Thereby, he personally re-
alized multi-million dol-
lar bonuses and made huge deposits
of this money to his Caymen Islands’
accounts. He can be counted on to
support more wealth for billionaires
and big corporations while it’s certain
from his past behavior he has little to
no care for working Americans and
their families.
Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Educa-
tion. She has proven by her record
that she wants to take funds from the
support of public schools and give
those monies to religious and private
schools. Since the early 1800s, public
schools in the U.S. have afforded mil-
lions upon millions of Americans from
homes without the fi nancial means
to receive at least a basic education in
reading, writing and arithmetic, pro-
viding those Americans with founda-
tions for lives of success.
Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency. He has
proven himself as standing with big
corporations that pollute our air and
water more than the fundamentally
important health and safety protection
of children and families in Oklahoma.
In fact, he has brought suit after suit
against the EPA in an ongoing effort
to take away federal powers legislated
to protect all Americans. It’s certain
from his past that he will only protect
the big polluters.
Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy.
This fellow is indisputably
ambitious enough to throw
integrity away and thereby
say and do anything to get
into a Washington, D.C.
power position. Recently,
he said he’d get rid of En-
ergy if elected president
but now he’s willing to be
in charge of it even though he openly
confesses he knows nothing about
what the Department of Energy does.
Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.
During his public career, Jeff Ses-
sions is reported to have used racial-
ly-charged language. He was already
denied a federal judgeship because of
his reputation for put downs of people
gene h.
mcintyre
of color. Americans in majority num-
bers do not want a person as Attorney
General who’s a racist and is believed
will try to take us back to the Recon-
struction era after the Civil War and
thereafter to the 1960s and beyond in
some states.
Then there are the other nomi-
nees, the billionaires who’ll get much
richer at public expense and gener-
als who’ll be afforded authority for
more warring overseas. Then, too,
every new president in memory has
said he’ll clean up Washington, mean-
while, the place actually gets more
corruptly bloated in every way. As
the adage reads, “When you’re up to
your neck in alligators, it’s too late to
drain the swamp.” With Trump’s nom-
inees, it looks an awful lot like we’re
in for an even worse swamp popula-
tion than has been the case.
(Gene H. McIntyre’s column apd
pears weekly in the Keizertimes.)