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OPINION 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2015 The education department assassins “I believe there’s a feder- We’re a mobile country, al role in education,” he told with people routinely re- Founded in 1873 me recently, saying that the locating across state lines, so Arkansas, Kentucky or contest for the least popular federal government affords STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher Texas isn’t educating chil- arm of the federal govern- an important bully pulpit for dren only for its needs. higher standards and more LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor ment would have many strong spending on students from Each is educating them BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager contenders. for the entire country’s poor families, to name two future, and because Amer- CARL EARL, Systems Manager There’s the soft, cuddly Internal priorities. “But you don’t ican companies compete need a department. You need Revenue Service. Also the National JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager in a global marketplace, a president who cares about Frank Security Agency, America’s Peeping DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager the skills and erudition of education and a Treasury Bruni Tom. And let’s not forget the Department that cuts the tomorrow’s workers are HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager Environmental Protection Agency, checks.” Much of the rest is needless a national issue, not a state one. As it stands now, even with the education seen by many manufacturers as one red tape, he said. Mitch Daniels, the former gover- department, the extent to which Amer- big, mossy, bossy paean to regula- nor of Indiana, didn’t wholly disagree. ican schools are funded and controlled tion run amok. I approached him because he worked locally puts us out of step with most But for politicians, in particular Re- in George W. Bush’s administration, developed nations. publicans, another challenger comes when the department’s power grew If the education department and its into play: the Department of Education. with No Child Left Behind, and he’s secretary vanished, how much would In a Republican presidential debate seen as a moderate Republican. He’s the bully pulpit that Alexander men- during the 2012 campaign, it wasn’t now the president of Purdue University. tioned shrink? What signal would just on the list of “three agencies of “It’s not a ludicrous idea, honestly,” Americans involved in education — government” that Rick Perry famously he said, referring to the abolition of the and Americans in general — get about promised to eliminate. It was one of the department. He noted that until 1979, education as a national priority? Daniels applauded the current two that he succeeded in naming before when it was established as a Cabi- he stopped short, forgetting the third. net-level agency, the country got along secretary, Duncan, as “a helpful upport for the death penalty is waning across America. voice” and “good conscience” over $QGLW¿QGVLWVHOIRQFHDJDLQLQ5H- without it. We see it most startlingly in the recent vote by Nebraska’s one- publican presidential candidates’ cross And now? “Let’s be gentle,” he said, WKHODVW\HDUVIRUQHFHVVDU\UH- hairs, all the more so because of Com- “and say that we haven’t seen dramatic forms and standards. He wondered house Legislature. By a veto-proof margin, the over the past decade, Republican mon Core standards, supported by the education improvement since the fed- aloud if such a voice and conscience eral government set would have existed without an edu- Nebraska Senate voted to eliminate DQG 'HPRFUDWLF RI¿FLDOV KDYH education secretary, cation department. Arne Duncan, and up shop.” the death penalty. Nebraska is a red also emphasized the cost of the cited by many ex- I wonder if federal funding for ed- In many ways, They’re after state. Its governor says he’ll veto the death penalty as a major rationale. cessively alarmed ucation — about $140 billion annual- no, we haven’t. statute. But he would have to move Even in states that retain the pun- conservatives as a But there’s much ly, which is a meaningful amount — applause federal takeover of more at work than would possibly stay the same. It goes two senators off their “no” votes. ishment, cost has played a central curriculum. the failings of the against organizational and human na- lines, not Also recently, in blue Boston there role in the conversion narratives With the nota- education depart- ture to appropriate money without the was little popular support for giv- of conservative lawmakers, public ble exception of solutions. ment, which con- sorts of conditions and accountability ing the death penalty to the Boston RI¿FLDOV DQG RWKHUV ZKR TXHVWLRQ Jeb Bush, whose tributes only about that are the province of the education Marathon bomber. The family of the death penalty as a waste of Common Core 10 percent of fund- department. “We have to right-size the federal advocacy is possibly his greatest vul- ing nationally for K-through-12 school- one victim said they favored a life taxpayer dollars.” sentence so they would not have to The Marshall Project is a non- nerability in the primaries, nearly all ing and has only so much impact on role,” said Michael Petrilli, the presi- GHQWRIWKH7KRPDV%)RUGKDP,QVWL- relive the crime at the successive ap- SDUWLVDQ QRQSUR¿W QHZV RUJDQL]D- of the major Republican candidates what happens in classrooms. have disparaged the standards, includ- And there are as many reasons to tute, a think tank that supports school peals that come with death penalties. tion dedicated to coverage of the ing, just last week, Chris Christie, who fret over the department’s disappear- choice. “We absolutely have to give Clatsop County District Attorney criminal justice system. once supported them. ance — or, more plausibly, its severe some power back to the states.” But Petrilli stopped well shy of call- Josh Marquis, who supports the And most of these politicians have curtailing — as to root for it. Oregon’s history on the death “When states are left on their own, ing for the education department’s era- death penalty, has retried a Bend SHQDOW\ LV W\SL¿HG E\ D QXPEHU RI called for the downsizing of the educa- murder case successive times as the changes of mind. The Register- tion department. A few have followed low-income kids, kids with disabilities sure, in part because he asked, “Would Perry’s lead and said that they want it and minority kids always come last,” you abolish funding as well?” The de- convicted murderer makes appeals Guard of Eugene recounted that dead and gone. That’s the position of said Kati Haycock, the president of the partment administers about half of that which the Oregon Supreme Court progression. “In Oregon, voters Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee and Ted Education Trust, an advocacy group in $140 billion. has granted, leading to new trials. abolished the death penalty in 1914, Cruz, and Marco Rubio has signaled :DVKLQJWRQ³$OZD\V)HGHUDOUHVRXUF- It has been around long enough now Those retrials have taken an emo- reinstated it in 1920, repealed it in a willingness to consider the depart- es help to counteract this tendency, but that its outright elimination would be an extreme measure. Qualms with the it’s more about federal leverage.” tional toll on the family of the victim. 1964 and reinstated it again in 1978. ment’s elimination. way it functions are one thing; debates It could use more friends these days There’s also plenty of evidence that 2QHRIWKHPRVWVLJQL¿FDQWDUJX- After the Oregon Supreme Court even among Democrats. Sen. Patty when states are left to gauge the success about its power and size are legitimate, ments against the death penalty is its declared it unconstitutional in 1981, Murray, D-Wash., a former preschool of students, they may produce suspi- even necessary. But what some of the relative cost. Capital trials are more voters approved a constitutionally teacher, has joined forces with Sen ciously upbeat results at odds with any Republican presidential candidates are doing is the equivalent of looking at a expensive than noncapital murder proper version in 1984.” Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., to sponsor nationwide measurement. “Without federal involvement, person who’s having a really bad hair trials. The prolonged appeals pro- As the Register-Guard has urged, legislation that would leave the depart- cess, which goes on for years, adds it is time for Oregonians to have ment and its secretary with much less VWDWHVGH¿QHWKHLURZQVWDQGDUGVRISUR- day and recommending decapitation. While more thoughtful conserva- LQÀXHQFHRYHUVWDWHV ¿FLHQF\´ VDLG -RHO .OHLQ WKH IRUPHU to the cost. another discussion about the death There’d be no federal say, for exam- chancellor for New York City public tives like Alexander have sketched The Marshall Project noted re- penalty. The alternative of a life sen- SOHLQKRZRULISXEOLFVFKRROWHDFKHUV schools. “Some states will do good out how things might work without cently that, “In the six states that tence without possibility of parole are evaluated. If the bill passes — and stuff, but there will also be laggards and DQ HGXFDWLRQ GHSDUWPHQW WKHVH ¿UH- brands are engaged in theater, not real LWKDVVLJQL¿FDQWELSDUWLVDQVXSSRUW² a lot of happy talk.” have abolished capital punishment should be put before the voters. the department would be a shadow of And as he and many other education debate. They’re after applause lines, its former self. advocates pointed out, that’s a national not solutions. And that’s one of my chief gripes Alexander supports that humbling concern that deserves the attention of even though he once ran the depart- the federal government and of a dis- with the battle cry to banish the Depart- PHQWDVWKH¿UVW3UHVLGHQW%XVK¶VVHF- FUHWH GHSDUWPHQW VXI¿FLHQWO\ HPSRZ- ment of Education. It’s policy by sound bite. There’s too much of that already. retary of education. ered to address it. By FRANK BRUNI New York Times News Service A Death penalty begs for reconsideration Indiana joins the ranks of states without capital punishment S Halibut population is wobbling &RRSHUDWLYH¿VKHUPHQVXIIHURWKHUV boats’ bycatch mismanagement Gov. Walker and the cool thing iPhone and show me a picture of their cians want to be in the middle of this,” grandkids’ ultrasound and how excited she said in a phone interview. ismanagement of bycatch — Sitka this week, is weighted toward they are, so that’s a lovely thing. I think At one point — during a re-elec- ¿VKFDXJKWE\DFFLGHQWZKLOH Alaskan residents. Though two about my sons are 19 and 20 and we tion campaign against a female op- e’ve been wondering boats net other permitted species — PHPEHUV KDYH EHHQ GLVTXDOL¿HG when a presidential can- VWLOOKDYHWKHLU¿UVWXOWUDVRXQGSLFWXUHV ponent — Walker seemed to get that is an offensive waste most recently from participating in the vote due to resentment against political intru- It’s just a cool thing out there.” highlighted by a May 30 story in the FRQÀLFWVRILQWHUHVWORQJWHUPEHW- didate would say something Now many people tend to babble sion. So he claimed the then-pending Seattle Times. ting is that bycatch limits will even- incredibly insensitive about when they’re stuck in front of a mi- XOWUDVRXQGSURSRVDO³OHDYHVWKH¿QDO crophone. Perfectly normal. Except, decision to a woman and her doctor.” women and reproduction. The Times’ focus is on the tually be lowered. The moment has arrived. The once again, for the part about being a Although neither the woman nor $ODVNDQKDOLEXW¿VKHU\WLQ\XUOFRP 0HDQZKLOH DOO ¿VKHUPHQ DJUHH candidate for the most quote-sensitive the doctor gets any say in the ultra- p9vr49l), but the issues involved are that bycatch is an expensive and lam- 7RGG³/HJLWLPDWH5DSH´$NLQ job on the planet. sound-plus-commentary. IDPLOLDUWRPRVWFRPPHUFLDO¿VKHU- entable loss of life for no good reason. Award for Sexual Sensitivity goes to “Who’s opposed to an ultrasound?” Let’s leap, temporarily, past the IDFWWKDW:DONHUZDVFRQÀDWLQJWKHYL- the governor demanded Thursday. He men. Longstanding bycatch rules Existing technologies and meth- Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Maybe it was inevitable. Of all the VLRQRIKDSS\SDUHQWVJHWWLQJWKHLU¿UVW was back on the same radio show, be- DUH EDVHG RQ GLVWUXVW RI ¿VKHUPHQ ods are a big aid in avoiding high practicing politicians in the scramble, glimpse of their baby-to-be with what’s rating the good old media. and somewhat logical, but obvi- bycatch, at least for those boats and Walker is possibly the sloppiest pub- appropriate for a woman who has made “They tried to claim that there were ously counterproductive, notions crews who learn and practice them. lic speaker. Compared with him, Gov. the stupendously profound and private certain types,” he complained, presum- about how to discourage “acciden- The Times’DQDO\VLVGH¿QLWHO\SRLQWV Chris Christie of New Jersey can be a decision to terminate a pregnancy. ably referring to ultrasounds. The trans- tal-on-purpose” behavior. toward just one trawler company as pinnacle of verbal discipline. His larger point was apparently that lation here is that while Walker keeps Last week, Walker was on a radio the sight of a fetus describing external In Alaska, halibut is a hook-and- representing the worst record for net- talk show, praising a law he signed “jelly-on-the-bel- in an ultrasound ORQJOLQH ¿VKHU\ ODUJHO\ FRPSULVHG ting up and killing an oversized per- requiring women who want an abor- is so moving that ly” procedures, Women’s of Alaskan residents. The bycatch centage of halibut. Others do much tion to undergo an ultrasound. Which a woman under- representatives of primarily happens in the course better at lowering their bycatch by they’re supposed to watch, while the going an abortion the medical com- motives for RI WUDZO ¿VKLQJ IRU \HOORZ¿Q VROH making use of things like net exclud- physician points out the features of would munity say doctors almost terminating a will sometimes certainly change rock sole and other species by boats ers, slow trawl times and avoiding the fetus. have to use intru- An ultrasound, he said, was “just her mind. This is based in Washington state, gener- ¿VKLQJ ZKHUH WRR PDQ\ QRQWDUJHW sive vaginal probes a cool thing.” wrong. There’s pregnancy are ating more than $320 million in VSHFLHVDUHPL[HGDPRQJWKH¿VK meet the law’s OK, that was only a little piece of no evidence these as varied and to requirements. ex-vessel value per year. Though A sensible change that could be his comment. And let’s acknowledge ultrasound laws the small halibut that are mixed with DSSOLHG WR ¿VKHULHV HOVHZKHUH RQ that presidential candidates are often discourage women complex as ... Not so, Walk- these species constitute only 5.1 the coast is to allow deck sorting of tortured by reporters and commentators who have already er contended. “It women. doesn’t designate million pounds a year out of a to- catches, in order to quickly return to who jump on the least little misstate- decided they want which type, so ment. The exact same thing happens an abortion. And tal harvest of more than 710 million the ocean any bycatch, allowing non- most people would to people who actually are president. it’s incredibly in- SRXQGVRI¿VKWKHVHKDOLEXWDPRXQW LQMXUHG ¿VK DW OHDVW D SRVVLELOLW\ RI This is why the ability to speak care- sulting because it presumes that they’re just do the traditional one that people WRRQH¿IWKRIWKHDQQXDOTXRWDIRU living. A 2013 study “found halibut fully is an attribute we look for when making this choice on a kind of whim. think of all the time. If they haven’t their species. It is one reason the mortality rates on one vessel could we’re trying to decide who we should If they’d only thought things through. seen it themselves, certainly most peo- Women’s motives for terminating ple have seen it on TV or in movies.” halibut population is wobbling. be reduced from about 80 percent elect as the most powerful and closely Would it be unfair to note that This scenario means longline to around 60 percent,” the Times re- scrutinized human being in the world. a pregnancy are as varied and com- one of popular culture’s most recent But about the ultrasound quote. plex as ... women. A college freshman ¿VKHUPHQ DUH SXVKLQJ KDUG IRU D ports. “This year, those experiments Walker was complaining that, in his UHJUHWWLQJ D FDUHOHVV ÀLQJ FDQ VKDUH depictions of a happy couple sharing halving of the trawler bycatch. This once again are under way, with ad- words, “the media is a gotcha.” He the waiting room with a middle-aged their ultrasound pictures involved the is understandable, but has the poten- ditional federal observers brought then bragged about his anti-abortion waitress with four children and an eldest son on “19 Kids and Count- WLDOWRSUHPDWXUHO\HQGWKHWUDZO¿VK- on board, at the trawlers’ expense, to agenda: abusive husband, or a newlywed like ing?” Possibly. Still, we have here a potential “We defunded Planned Parenthood. Jeni Putalavage-Ross of Texas, who eries at a cost of at least $37 million a watchdog that effort.” year — and possibly up to $100 mil- :RUNLQJ ZLWK FRRSHUDWLYH ¿VK- We signed a law that requires an ultra- discovered the little girl she was an- SUHVLGHQWZKRMXVWL¿HVDODZRQKRZ doctors treat their abortion patients by sound, which, the thing about that, the lion more than that, according to the ermen rather than treating all as media tried to make that sound like that ticipating so eagerly was not going to citing what we know from watching survive delivery because the fetus’ de- industry’s own worst-case estimate. guilty until proven innocent has the was a crazy idea. Most people I talk to, velopment was, in the doctor’s words, TV and movies. 7KH 1RUWK 3DFL¿F )LVKHU\ potential of drastically reducing the ZKHWKHUWKH\¶UHSUROLIHRUQRW,¿QG “incompatible with life.” Seventeen months to go. Lord people all the time who’ll get out their “I just don’t understand why politi- knows what’s next. Management Council, meeting in shameful waste of bycatch. M By GAIL COLLINS New York Times News Service W