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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Thursday, May 21, 2015 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Tea party must freshen its cup We like to think of Eastern 0RUURZ&RXQW\3XEOLFVDIHW\ 2UHJRQDVDEDVWLRQRIFRQVHUYDWLVP OHYLHVZHQWGRZQDJDLQLQ6RXWKHUQ But when it comes down to it, we Oregon, home to some of the most GRQ¶WDOZD\VYRWHWKDWZD\ VWDXQFK³QR´YRWHUVLQ$PHULFD 7DNH7XHVGD\¶VUHVXOWV7KH 7KH\PD\KDYHWRFORVHDMDLOLQ KHDGOLQHYLFWRU\ZDVWKHSDVVDJH -RVHSKLQH&RXQW\RUWKHVKHULII¶V of the Blue Mountain Community RI¿FHPD\KDYHWRVWRSSDWUROOLQJ College bond, an issue that failed DOWRJHWKHU narrowly little more than a year Taxes are an eternal issue in DJR$VHOHFWLRQGD\GUHZQHDU $PHULFD7KHFRVWWROLYHLQ the anti-taxer statements against Pendleton, for instance, is getting the bond — and other issues, like ready to skyrocket as the city tries 3HQGOHWRQVFKRROVOHY\²EHFDPH to get a handle on its crumbling PRUHQRWLFHDEOH<DUGVLJQVVWDUWHG LQIUDVWUXFWXUH$QGWKHUHZLOODOZD\V JRLQJXS$ELOOERDUGZDVHUHFWHG be plenty of people grumbling about outside Hermiston decrying “BMCC the amount of our hard work that ERQGDJH´$JLDQW is siphoned away pig was trucked into E\WKHJRYHUQPHQW Pendleton, sporting No one likes that The yes votes DQWLERQGVORJDQV IHHOLQJ%XWLW¶V outnumbered the something else to be Letters to the editor asked people to not unwilling no votes. Maybe entirely JLYHPRUHPRQH\ to recognize the the anti-tax and more power EHQH¿WVZHUHFHLYH WRJRYHUQPHQW movement bark IURPWKRVHGROODUV LQVWLWXWLRQV $VWKHKDUG But when the is worse than its edged, gruff and YRWHVZHUHWDOOLHG bite these days. uncompromising \HVEHDWQR3DUW YRLFHVIDGHZH¶UH of that is due to the hopeful a new “tea hard work BMCC party” candidate put into rallying their troops and HPHUJHV2QHZKRFDQPDNHWKH PDNLQJVXUHWKHERQGZDVDLUWLJKW pitch for less spending without But part of it, too, is that the anti-tax EHLQJDEUDVLYHRUSDUDQRLG$SHUVRQ PRYHPHQWEDUNPD\EHZRUVHWKDQ who can show they understand LWVELWHWKHVHGD\V+HFNHYHU\ the importance of education, 2UHJRQVFKRROOHY\RQWKHEDOORW ZKLOHH[SODLQLQJKRZWKDWYDOXH Tuesday passed — in places both LVUHGXFHGE\LQHI¿FLHQFLHVDQG OLEHUDODQGFRQVHUYDWLYHXUEDQDQG well-intentioned but dead-end UXUDO LQYHVWPHQWV7KH\PLJKWHYHQZLQ /RFDOO\FKDLURIWKH*UHDWHU DVHDWRQDERDUGRUFRQYLQFHD +HUPLVWRQ7HD3DUW\5RE/RYHWW district to think differently about was thumped in his race to win ZKDWZHZDQWIURPRXUJRYHUQPHQW a seat on the Hermiston School The problem with the tea party at 'LVWULFWERDUG+LVRSSRQHQW'DYLG this point is that it comes across as 6PLWKJRWWZLFHDVPDQ\YRWHV so anti-community, intentionally or 6WDXQFKFRQVHUYDWLYH-DPHV/HLWFK QRW7KDWMXVWGRHVQ¶WÀ\LQ(DVWHUQ went down too, albeit by a tighter Oregon, where friends and neighbors PDUJLQ7KH3HQGOHWRQ6FKRROVOHY\ and social organizations make out passed by a wider margin than it did ZRUOGJRµURXQG LQWKHUHFHVVLRQOHDQ\HDURI ³&RPSDVVLRQDWHFRQVHUYDWLYH´ Sure, some measures failed: the ZDVDEX]]ZRUGDERXWDGHFDGHDJR ,UULJRQ5XUDO)LUH3URWHFWLRQ'LVWULFW :H¶GORYHIRUWKDWPRYHPHQWWR LVVXHZHQWGRZQE\YRWHVLQ PDNHDQDSSHDUDQFHORFDOO\ 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 $QRWKHUYRLFHIRUVHOIVHUYHJDV Klamath Falls Herald and News P HRSOHOLYLQJLQUHPRWHDUHDVRI 2UHJRQRUWUDYHOLQJWKURXJKWKHP ZLOOJHWDEUHDNLQ¿QGLQJJDV DYDLODEOHLIWKHVWDWH Senate follows the lead of the Legislature’s House RI5HSUHVHQWDWLYHV The Oregon House XQDQLPRXVO\DSSURYHG a bill that would OHJDOL]HVHOIVHUYLFHJDV “stations,” which actually DPRXQWVWRDSXPSDYDLODEOHIRUXVHRQ a self-pay basis when no attendants are at the station, say in the middle of the QLJKW,WZDVFRPPRQVHQVHWRGRVRDQG WKHVWDWH6HQDWHVKRXOGDSSURYHLWWRR DQGVHQGLWRQWR*RY.DWH%URZQ,W would apply to counties with less than 40,000 population, such as Lake County SRSXODWLRQEXWQRWLQ.ODPDWK &RXQW\SRSXODWLRQ There are a lot of wide open spaces LQ(DVWHUQ2UHJRQ3HRSOHFDQ¿QG WKHPVHOYHVLQWURXEOHLIQRWIDPLOLDUZLWK how unlikely it is for that dot 50 or 60 miles down the thin blue line on the road PDSWRKDYHDJDVVWDWLRQ RSHQDIWHUSPRULQ many cases, any other WLPH We doubt if the PRYHLVDVLJQL¿FDQW VWHSWRZDUGVHOIVHUYLFH gasoline in Oregon, though, and that’s WRREDG:H¶UHLQIDYRURIDQ\ZD\ LQFOXGLQJVHOIVHUYLFHWRVHOOJDVROLQH WKDWLVVDIHDQGPDNHVLWUHDGLO\DYDLODEOH to those who need it, including those ZKRDUHSK\VLFDOO\OLPLWHG 1RWRQO\ZRXOGWKLVELOOEHQH¿W people passing through isolated areas, it would help farmers and ranchers and RWKHUVOLYLQJWKHUHHYHQPRUH7KHVWDWH 6HQDWHVKRXOGDSSURYHLW It’s a big help to farmers and ranchers. OTHER VIEWS Platinum pay in LYRU\WRZHUV * UHJRU\)HQYHVUHFHQWO\JRWD WKHSUHFLRXVIDLU\GXVWRIWKHKHDYLHVW ELJSURPRWLRQIURPSURYRVW KLWWHUV WRSUHVLGHQWRIWKH8QLYHUVLW\ They reason that “this is a winner- RI7H[DVDW$XVWLQ$UDLVHFDPHZLWK take-all society and that people with LW,QVWHDGRIKLVFXUUHQWEDVHRIDERXW H[WUHPHO\KLJKOHYHOVRIWDOHQWDUH KHZDVRIIHUHGPLOOLRQ richly rewarded,” said Richard Vedder, $QGKHUHMHFWHGLW²DVWRRPXFK the director of the Center for College “With many issues and concerns $IIRUGDELOLW\DQG3URGXFWLYLW\ DERXWDGPLQLVWUDWLYHFRVWV “But I think that things are getting Frank affordability and tuition, such a salary RXWRIKDQGHVSHFLDOO\JLYHQWKH Bruni will affect the ability of the president WD[H[HPSWQDWXUHRIXQLYHUVLWLHV´ Comment to work with the Texas Legislature,” KHWROGPH³7KH\¶UHLQSULYLOHJHG )HQYHVZURWHWRDXQLYHUVLW\RI¿FLDO SRVLWLRQVDQGWKH\ZHUHJLYHQWKHVH in an email obtained by The Austin American- SULYLOHJHGSRVLWLRQVQRWWRHQULFKWKHPVHOYHV StatesmanDQGSXEOLVKHGODVWZHHN EXWWRVHUYHVRFLHW\7KHVHSUHVLGHQWV +HVXJJHVWHGDQGDJUHHGWR DUHH[SHFWHGWROLYHTXLWHQLFHO\EXWQRW 7KDW¶VKDUGO\FKXPSFKDQJH%XWLQWKH H[RUELWDQWO\DQGQRWH[WUDYDJDQWO\´ FRQWH[WRIWKHVKRFNLQJO\OXFUDWLYHGHDOV 7KHLUH[WUDYDJDQFHVWULNHVDQHVSHFLDOO\ WKDWKDYHEHFRPHDOPRVW discordant note in light of commonplace among college the challenges confronting presidents, the sum — or, more higher education today, and it precisely, the sentiment behind XQGHUFXWVWKHLUPRUDODXWKRULW\ it — is worthy of note and How do you defend SUDLVH the transfer of teaching 7RRIHZSUHVLGHQWVJLYH responsibilities to low-paid, adequate thought to the part-time adjuncts when the symbolism and dissonance president is sitting so pretty? of extraordinarily generous +RZGR\RXFXWDGPLQLVWUDWLYH compensation packages, costs, which indeed need which are in sync with this era cutting? How do you explain RIODYLVKH[HFXWLYHSD\DQG steep tuition increases, glaring income inequality but mammoth student debt and the out of line with the ostensible failure to admit more children PLVVLRQRIDFDGHPLD from poor families? Ideally, higher education is How do you summon GHGLFDWHGWRYDOXHVGLIIHUHQW students back to the liberal IURPWKRVHWKDWJRYHUQ:DOO arts and away from mercenary 6WUHHWDQGFRUSRUDWH$PHULFD priorities? It supposedly calls students to The high salaries are PRUHVRXOIXOFRQFHUQVHYHQWR frequently defended on the VDFUL¿FH JURXQGVWKDWDXQLYHUVLW\ But that message is muddled president’s job is all when some of the people FRQVXPLQJ%XWLILWLVKRZ who run colleges wallow in GRVRPDQ\RIWKHP¿QGWLPH payments and perks that would WRVHUYHIRUKXQGUHGVRI RQFHKDYHEHHQFRQVLGHUHG thousands of extra dollars, on YXOJDU corporate boards? Rensselaer’s )RU(*RUGRQ*HH¶V¿QDO -DFNVRQZDVDWRQHSRLQWRQ \HDUDVWKHSUHVLGHQWRI2KLR6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\ ¿YHERDUGVVLPXOWDQHRXVO\ which he left in 2013, he got a package of The high salaries are also defended PRUHWKDQPLOOLRQDVZDVZLGHO\UHSRUWHG in terms of the fundraising that certain It was a one-time bonanza, including deferred SUHVLGHQWVUHSXWHGO\H[FHODWFRYHULQJWKHLU SD\PHQWVDQGVHYHUDQFHEXWKH¶GHDUQHG FRPSHQVDWLRQPDQ\WLPHVRYHU URXJKO\PLOOLRQDQQXDOO\RYHUWKHSUHYLRXV %XWGRWKH\GHVHUYHVROHFUHGLWIRUWKRVH \HDUV GRQDWLRQV"$QGDWQRQSUR¿WLQVWLWXWLRQV The Chronicle of Higher Education should money be the main yardstick and DQDO\]HGVDODU\LQIRUPDWLRQIRUSULYDWH currency? Shouldn’t ethics compete with colleges from 2012, the most recent year economics, as they sometimes do when a DYDLODEOHDQGIRXQGWKDW6KLUOH\$QQ-DFNVRQ VFKRROLQYHVWVLWVHQGRZPHQW" the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic The lofty pay of college presidents is part ,QVWLWXWHUHFHLYHGDSDFNDJHZRUWKRYHU of higher education’s increasingly corporate PLOOLRQ bent, of the blurred lines between the campus -RKQ//DKH\RI4XLQQLSLDF8QLYHUVLW\ DQGWKHPDUNHWSODFH DERXWPLOOLRQ/HH%ROOLQJHURI $QGOLNHWKHSULYDWHHQULFKPHQWRIPDQ\ &ROXPELD8QLYHUVLW\DOPRVWPLOOLRQ political candidates who speak of “public )HQYHV¶VDODU\DVWKHSUHVLGHQWRIWKH VHUYLFH´LW¶VQRWMXVWDPLUURURIRXUSHUYDVLYH 8QLYHUVLW\RI7H[DVSXWVKLPZHOOEHKLQGWKDW PRQH\FXOWXUH,W¶VDJUHHQOLJKWIRULWIURP RIKLVFRXQWHUSDUWDW7H[DV$08QLYHUVLW\ SUHFLQFWVRISULQFLSOHZKHUHDÀDVKLQJ\HOORZ who has an annual base of $1 million plus ZRXOGEHPRUHDSSURSULDWH Ŷ $400,000 in additional compensation, Frank Bruni, an Op-Ed columnist for The according to The American-Statesman. New York Times since June 2011, joined the (DFKSURÀLJDWHFRPSHQVDWLRQSDFNDJH New York Times in 1995. Over his years, he breeds more like it, as schools’ trustees has worn a wide variety of hats, including FRQYLQFHWKHPVHOYHVWKDWWKH\PXVWNHHS chief restaurant critic and Rome bureau chief. SDFHLQRUGHUWRUHFUXLWUHWDLQDQGUHFHLYH Their extravagance strikes an especially discordant note in light of the challenges confronting higher education today, and it undercuts their moral authority. YOUR VIEWS EO coverage of small school track not up to snuff To the East Oregonian sports department: I was disappointed but not surprised that you didn’t send a reporter to the Columbia Basin Conference district track championship in 6WDQ¿HOGODVW)ULGD\<RXKDYHQ¶WFRYHUHGD VPDOOVFKRROWUDFNPHHWWKLV\HDU Our family is a track family, both our boys JRLQJWRVWDWHIRU3LORW5RFN7KHEO used to send a reporter to our district meets; now \RXGRQ¶WHYHQOLVWWKHQDPHVRIWKHNLGVWKDW ZRUNHGVRKDUGWRPDNHWKDWWULSWRVWDWH So my family would like to say “good job” to all the athletes that are going to state, and all the athletes that competed this year for your VFKRROV<RXDUHDOOZLQQHUVDQGVKRXOGKDYH been noticed and praised, like all the other hard working athletes in other local sports KDYHEHHQ Remember, track is the oldest sport in the ZRUOG*RRGOXFNDWVWDWH&ROXPELD%DVLQ &RQIHUHQFHWUDFNDWKOHWHV LETTERS POLICY Loal King Pilot Rock 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.