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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, April 17, 2015 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Tip of the hat; NLFNLQWKHSDQWV $WLSRIWKHKDWWRWKHQXPHURXVSROLFHRI¿FHUVZKRFKDVHG$PDQGD :DOWRQ7KXUVGD\DVVKHOHGSROLFHRQDGDQJHURXVFKDVHDFURVVWZR counties. Although two Morrow County police vehicles were damaged in the fracas, it could have been much worse; for Walton, the police and innocent drivers caught up in the event. We can quibble over the fact that the chase may not have been necessary, the police knowing who Walton was and where she lived. And we all know the danger and cost of such a long pursuit. But plenty of good decisions were made once the chase was underway. So we tip the hat especially low to Morrow County detective Brian Snyder, who encountered the knife-wielding fugitive after the chase came to an end. He remained patient and remembered his training, holding his ground but DOVRKLV¿UH(YHQWXDOO\WKHZRPDQVXUUHQGHUHGSHDFHIXOO\DQGZDVWDNHQ into custody with no one seriously hurt. We’re pleased that Eastern Oregon didn’t become the most recent stop on a nationwide tour of police making the decision to use fatal force. That no lives were lost on this long, expensive and dangerous chase is ERWKOXFNDQGVNLOO:HKDYHWKH¿QHDFWLRQVRIODZHQIRUFHPHQWWRWKDQNIRU it. $WLSRIWKHKDWWRWKHULVLQJYRLFHWKHFRPPXQLW\WRVSHDNLQJRXW DERXWGRZQWRZQ3HQGOHWRQVWDWXHV Last week, community members were able to convince city council to change their original position on decorating statues. This coming week, other (and some of the same) community members are planning to come out en force to the Tuesday city council meeting to make arguments on both sides of a debate about whether to place 'RQ5HTXDLQ%URZQ¿HOG3DUN We hope it is a turning point for civic involvement on the statue issue in particular, and city issues in general. Having an engaged and interested electorate is the best way to keep city government running the way it is supposed to, and to keep councilors responsible to the people they represent. The lack of a long-term plan on the statues has become self-evident. We’re happy to see citizens not accept the decisions from on high and instead stand up to have their voices heard. Be part of the movement. Come out Tuesday and say your piece about statues, and stick around and throw in your two cents about an ordinance that would attempt to stop people from gathering on the Bedford Bridge, the city’s rules for locating retail marijuana shops and much more. Local government matters to you. And your opinion matters in local government. Don’t you feel powerful? 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. OTHER VIEWS Another battle over mascots Albany Democrat-Herald Another battle looms in the state of Oregon’s long controversy over schools using Native American names or images as their mascots — but this time, a larger issue may be at stake. The mascot issue has been an emotional one in Oregon and elsewhere for years. The larger issue now may boil down to this: Who gets to make laws in Oregon — the Legislature or the boards charged with implementing those laws? /HEDQRQ3KLORPDWKDQGRWKHU public high schools use “Warriors,” “Indians” or other team names with Native American connotations. The State Board of Education voted in 2012 to require all Oregon public schools to eliminate American Indian names, mascots and imagery by 2017 or risk losing state funding. The rule still stands. But then- Gov. John Kitzhaber signed a bill last February allowing schools to work with their closest tribes on acceptable names and imagery, as long as those discussions are based on rules set up by the state board. Now, though, Rep. Sherrie Sprenger of Scio, who cosponsored last year’s bill in the Legislature, has introduced another bill that would ban the state board from making any rules related to the type of mascots schools may use. The bill also would prevent the board from withholding state funds from state schools based on mascot issues. It’s a warning shot to the board: Sprenger’s bill, House Bill 3536, says that the board has been “unwilling or XQDEOHWRIXO¿OOLWVGXWLHVDVGLUHFWHG´E\ the Legislature. Board members were not pleased. Said one: “‘Unable or unwilling’ is just not a fair appraisal of any reality. That is not what’s gone on.” Well, maybe not. But the board never has seemed particularly enthused about working on the rules. Sprenger said a couple of months ago that she thought WKHERDUG¿QDOO\ZDVPDNLQJSURJUHVV but her new legislation is a clear signal that she thinks the progress has stalled. One possible appraisal of what’s “gone on” is that the board is trying to do what it can bureaucratically to gut the 2014 bill. At its March meeting, most board members made it clear they were still uncomfortable with rules that would allow the use of Native American names or imagery in any form. But that shouldn’t matter. “We made a law,” Sprenger said. “They need to follow it.” The Board of Education can defuse this controversy by quickly approving a set of reasonable rules that honor the VSLULWRIWKHODZ3HRSOHZKRDUH opposed to the 2014 law could have taken their case to the 2015 Legislature instead of trying to undermine it. The hope behind Sprenger’s 2014 bill was that it would trigger candid discussions between schools and nearby tribes, and that those discussions would give students a chance to learn about Oregon’s Native Americans. Students who have been following this issue may be learning a lesson, but it’s not so much about Native Americans as it is about SROLWLFDOEDFN¿JKWLQJ 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. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. 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. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. OTHER VIEWS Will 2016 really be a foreign policy election? T here’s an emerging conventional Some experts warn that other wisdom that the 2016 government surveys due out later presidential race, once predicted this year might show a somewhat to be mostly about economic issues, better income situation than the Labor will instead be dominated by foreign Department’s. But it won’t be good. policy. And the fact remains that the economic “This is going to be a foreign policy recovery is not much of a recovery for election,” National Journal’s Ron millions of Americans. Fournier said recently. On top of that, the damage done Byron “A foreign policy election (more or by the economic meltdown remains York less) is upon us,” declared “Meet the unrepaired. Last year, the Russell Sage Comment 3UHVV´KRVW&KXFN7RGG Foundation found that for households “We are likely to have a foreign right in the middle of the American policy election in 2016,” said the Weekly wealth distribution, net worth declined from Standard’s William Kristol. nearly $88,000 in 2003 to about $56,000 in The argument is that the rise of the Islamic 2013. State of Iraq and Syria, an ongoing crisis There are plenty of other measures showing in Syria, the Iranian nuclear negotiations, that, despite an improving employment Russian aggression and other international situation — and even that is not as good as issues have elevated foreign policy and WKHSHUFHQWXQHPSOR\PHQW¿JXUHZRXOG national security to a higher suggest — Americans position in the presidential are still in a tough place debate than seemed economically. likely, say, a year ago. At Given that, how can 2016 the same time, with the be a foreign policy election? unemployment rate down to Barring some Sept. 11-level 5.5 percent and job creation catastrophe, how can foreign improving, economic policy dominate a campaign concerns that dominated the when the incomes of 80 2008 and 2012 presidential percent of Americans are races won’t be as critical in going down, even during 2016. a so-called economic At least, that’s the idea. recovery? And maybe it will happen. Of course candidates (I’ve written about it will have to craft strong and myself.) But some newly consistent national security UHOHDVHG¿JXUHVIURPWKH policy platforms. But there Labor Department are a haven’t been that many true reminder that economic foreign policy elections in anxieties underlie everything else — and the recent decades — 1980 and 2004 are the only economy will likely remain the biggest factor real examples. in the next presidential race. And if the foreign policy election of the On April 2, the department reported that the pundits’ vision does not materialize, the average American household’s pre-tax income winner in 2016 will be the candidate who best went down from mid-2013 to mid-2014. addresses the concerns of Americans who are That was on top of a similar decrease the still seeing their standard of living go down. previous year. Amid all the happy talk about It’s hard to envision Democrats coming up the nation’s economic recovery and a falling ZLWKSURSRVDOVWKDWJREH\RQGWKHLUUHÀH[LYH unemployment rate, Americans are earning DGYRFDF\RI¿[HVOLNHLQFUHDVLQJWKHPLQLPXP less and less. wage, increasing transfer payments and The Labor Department divided earners into WD[LQJWKHULFK3HUKDSVWKHELJJHUTXHVWLRQ ¿YHOHYHOVDQGLQFRPHZHQWGRZQIRUIRXURI will be whether Republicans can come up WKH¿YH ZLWKSURSRVDOVWKDWJREH\RQGWKHLUUHÀH[LYH ,QWKHORZHVW¿IWKSUHWD[LQFRPHZHQW advocacy of cutting marginal tax rates. from $10,174 to $9,818 — a 3.5 percent There are a number of conservative decrease. thinkers who are working hard on just such ,QWKHQH[WORZHVW¿IWKLQFRPHZHQW plans, and potential candidates are interested. $27,094 to $26,369 — a 2.7 percent decrease. But right now, with campaigns still in the ,QWKHPLGGOH¿IWKLQFRPHZHQWIURP organizing phase, it’s too early to know who $47,017 to $45,724 — a 2.8 percent decrease. will embrace what proposal. ,QWKHVHFRQGKLJKHVW¿IWKLQFRPHZHQW They’ll have to come up with something from $75,990 to $74,410 — a 2.1 percent good. Yes, a strong foreign policy vision will decrease. be important. But as critical as world events 2QO\LQWKHKLJKHVW¿IWKGLGLQFRPH are today, Americans will likely be more increase, from $164,647 to $166,048 — a 0.9 concerned about other things when they go to percent rise. the polls in November 2016. In other words, the top 20 percent did just Ŷ a little better, while the bottom 80 percent did Byron York is chief political correspondent VLJQL¿FDQWO\ZRUVH for The Washington Examiner. A strong foreign policy vision will be important, but Americans will likely be more concerned about other things when they go to the polls. YOUR VIEWS 3ODVVFRPSHWHQWDQGFDSDEOH WRVXFFHHGLQ%0&&VHDW Oregon senators turn over ULJKWVWR8QLWHG1DWLRQV $YRWHIRU6XVDQ3ODVVRQWKH%0&& Board of Education is a vote for an extremely competent and dedicated person. I worked with Susan for several years while we were both employed at BMCC. The college prep department where I worked was frequently involved in grant opportunities and relied on Susan’s abilities in this area. Diverse partners are a given in grant applications and Susan displayed several skills during meetings that are essential for a BMCC board member. You could count on Susan to be analytical, diligent, creative and thorough. In interactions with others she remains consistently objective and listens well, enabling her to build consensus. She is thoughtful and personable. I cannot think of a person I know that would be better suited to bring strong leadership qualities to BMCC’s Board of (GXFDWLRQ3OHDVHMRLQPHLQDYRWHIRU6XVDQ 3ODVV Both Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley voted to give up our Second Amendment constitutional right. They didn’t care that the Second Amendment was enacted to restrict the very congressional actions they are trying to destroy. The Second Amendment was penned because it was the hammer given to the people, if necessary, to protect us from a tyrannical power structure by those who may decide the Constitution is nothing more than a document consisting of the articles of rights WKDWFRQÀLFWZLWKJRYHUQPHQW¶VFRQWURO It was not enacted for governmental enforcement and if we didn’t have that right we would have no way to defend any of our ULJKWV<HWZHKDYHRI¿FLDOVLQRXUHOHFWHG government, like those two from Oregon, who are ready and willing and have voted to turn over our rights to the United Nations. I ask those of you who are interested in America’s constitutional rights to check out the United Nations Resolution 2117, and mark those that cause such offenses. .DUHQ5HHGHU 3HQGOHWRQ )UDQN(9LQFHQW Hermiston