Page 4A OPINION (DVW2UHJRQLDQ 7KXUVGD\0D\ Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW The long road to normalization RI8PDWLOODKDYHH[WHQGHGWKHLU 0HGLFDOPDULMXDQDPRUDWRULXPV PRUDWRULXPVZKLOHFRPPLWWHHV DFURVV(DVWHUQ2UHJRQDUHOLIWLQJ councilors and commissioners $\HDUDJRIXHOHGE\IHDUDQG LJQRUDQFHWKHVHEDQVZHUHLQVWLWXWHG LQYHQWUXOHVIRUWKHQHZLQGXVWU\ +HUPLVWRQ¶VRXWULJKWEDQRQ DVDZD\WRVORZWKHSUHYDOHQFHRI SRWDQGNHHSSHRSOHIURPFRQYHQLHQW both medical and recreational dispensaries will look access to their more archaic with each PHGLFLQH%XWD\HDU In less than SDVVLQJPRQWK ODWHUWKH\DUHFRPLQJ %XWDVPXFKDVVRPH off the books without 60 days, JRYHUQPHQWDOERGLHV much of a fuss. The slow but steady recreational seem content to delay journey to marijuana marijuana WKHGHFLVLRQPDNLQJ the calendar won’t wait. QRUPDOL]DWLRQKDV EHJXQ will be legal ,WKDVUHFHQWO\ÀLSSHG WR0D\DVWKHÀRZHUV (YHQLQ3HQGOHWRQ for adults in outside the window will ZKHUHSURJUHVVLV attest. DOZD\VVORZWKH Oregon. ,WLV7PLQXV moratorium was days until we enter RI¿FLDOO\OLIWHGRQ Tuesday. While dispensaries remain WKHPDULMXDQDHUDLQ2UHJRQZKHQ LWEHFRPHVOHJDOIRUDGXOWVWR HIIHFWLYHO\EDQQHGEHFDXVHRIWKH UHFUHDWLRQDOO\JURZDQGXVHWKHGUXJ FLW\¶VEXVLQHVVOLFHQVHUXOHVWKH EDOOLVUROOLQJDQGLWLVSRVVLEOHWKDW 7KHURDGWRQRUPDOL]DWLRQLQWKLV dispensaries may soon be a part of VWDWHZLOOKDYHSOHQW\RIEXPSVDQG the city’s business community. EUXLVHVDQGPLVXQGHUVWDQGLQJV%XW 6RPHPXQLFLSDOLWLHVDUHPRYLQJ those who walk down that road IDVWHUVRPHVORZHU/D*UDQGHKDV of their own accord and deal with ORQJKDGUXOHVLQSODFHWRDOORZ problems as they arise will be much DQGJRYHUQPHGLFDOPDULMXDQD better off than those that must be dispensaries. On the other end of GUDJJHGNLFNLQJDQGVFUHDPLQJLQWR WKHVFDOHERWKWKHFLW\DQGFRXQW\ the future. 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. YOUR VIEWS FCC must reverse decision on Internet neutrality The Federal Communications Commission’s recent decision to place the Internet under public utility rules ZLOOLQÀLFWPDVVLYHFRVWVRQFXVWRPHUV SDUWLFXODUO\WKRVHOLYLQJLQUXUDODUHDV with limited Internet access. /DZPDNHUVLQ:DVKLQJWRQKDYH DQREOLJDWLRQWRFRUUHFWWKLVPLVWDNH EHIRUHWKHUHJXODWLRQVEHJLQWRWDNHWKHLU WROO,DSSUHFLDWH5HSUHVHQWDWLYH*UHJ :DOGHQ¶VOHDGHUVKLSLQUHYHUVLQJWKH FCC’s misstep. 1HYHUEHIRUHKDVWKH)&&DVVHUWHG VXFKEURDGFRQWURORYHUWKHEURDGEDQG LQGXVWU\7KHLQGXVWU\KDVWKULYHG DOORZLQJWKH,QWHUQHWWRHYROYHDWLWVRZQ pace. $VDUHVXOWWRGD\WKH,QWHUQHWLVD YLEUDQWVRXUFHRILQQRYDWLRQJHQHUDWLQJ ELOOLRQVLQHFRQRPLFDFWLYLW\DQG PLOOLRQVRIMREV1RZWKLVSURJUHVV FRXOGFRPHWRDVFUHHFKLQJKDOW &RPSDQLHVWKDWKDYHUHOLHGIRU\HDUVRQ DPXFKOLJKWHUUHJXODWRU\UHJLPHQRZ face a world of uncertainty. :LWKWKHIXWXUHLQVXFKOLPER companies will undoubtedly cut back LQYHVWPHQWLQWREXLOGLQJQHZQHWZRUNV 7KHVROXWLRQLVIRU&RQJUHVVWRUHLQVWDWH the restrained framework that has been so critical to the Internet’s success. 8QOHVV&RQJUHVVWDNHVDFWLRQVRRQWKH )&&¶VUXOHVWKUHDWHQWRYLUWXDOO\FKRNH the Internet as we know it. Polly Johnson Pendleton Too much of our tax bill goes to education ,DPYRWLQJQRRQWKH%OXH0RXQWDLQ &RPPXQLW\&ROOHJHERQGDQGWKH Pendleton School District local option OHY\+HUHDUHP\UHDVRQVIRUYRWLQJQR 7KH%OXH0RXQWDLQ&RPPXQLW\ &ROOHJH%RQGLQFOXGHVPLOOLRQIRU what I call maintenance. A homeowner FDQQRWOHY\DWD[RQKLVQHLJKERUVWRSD\ for repairs to his home. :K\FDQ¶WWKHFROOHJHVSHQGPRQH\ HDFK\HDUIRUXSNHHSIURPLWVEXGJHW", KDYHQRWKHDUGRIDQ\SODQWRNHHSWKLV IURPKDSSHQLQJDJDLQLQDIHZ\HDUV If the Pendleton School District WD[OHY\SDVVHVLWZLOOEH\HDUVRI RYHUULGHOHYLHV0\LGHDRIDQRYHUULGH OHY\LVVKRUWWHUPKHOSXQWLODWD[LQJ GLVWULFWFDQVROYHDSUREOHP7ZHQW\ \HDUVLVORQJHQRXJKWRFRUUHFWWKH GLVWULFW¶VRYHUVSHQGLQJ