Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION (DVW2UHJRQLDQ 7XHVGD\-XQH Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Get set as new law on pot kicks in weekend or vacation could still land The 2014 vote to legalize you in trouble with your boss. UHFUHDWLRQDOPDULMXDQDXVHLQ $OVR0HDVXUHZDVVSHFL¿FDOO\ Oregon divided residents, but written to have no impact on existing state authorities are working in a pro-active manner to hone the details PHGLFDOPDULMXDQDUHJXODWLRQV ZKLFKFDPHLQWRHIIHFWDIWHUWKDW RIKRZWKHQHZODZZLOOZRUN was legalized by a ballot measure in With issues occurring elsewhere 1998. ZKHUHUHFUHDWLRQDOPDULMXDQDKDV ,QFRQMXQFWLRQZLWKDSXEOLF been made legal, the commendable awareness campaign about personal VWUDWHJ\RIWKH2UHJRQ/LTXRU possession and Control use, the OLCC Commission is to try to answer Smoking marijuana is drawing up to TXHVWLRQV²DQG in public remains regulations tax and license KHDGRIISRWHQWLDO PDULMXDQDVROG SUREOHPV² illegal. commercially. EHIRUHWKHODZDQG Tax revenue accompanying ²HVWLPDWHGDWPLOOLRQRYHUD UXOHVWDNHHIIHFW-XO\ WZR\HDUSHULRG²ZRXOGEHDOORFDWHG )RUWKRVHRI\RXLQWHQGLQJWR to schools, local governments, police VPRNHSRWEHDZDUHRIVHYHUDONH\ and drug services. FRPSRQHQWVRIWKHODZ The OLCC will begin accepting ,WZLOOEHOHJDOIRU2UHJRQ DSSOLFDWLRQVIURPJURZHUV residents aged 21 and older to grow wholesalers and processors on XSWRIRXUSODQWVSHUKRXVHKROGRQ -DQZLWKUHVLGHQWVDEOHWR their property. Adults may possess EX\WKHLUGUXJIURPDUHWDLORXWOHW XSWRRXQFHVRIXVDEOHPDULMXDQD in the home and carry up to 1 ounce RQFHUXOHVDUHLQSODFHLQIDOO Public input is still being sought on ZKHQRXW7KHOLPLWRIIRXUSODQWV these rules and now is the time to LVUHJDUGOHVVRIWKHQXPEHURI comment. occupants in the home. It does not The way the new law was written, PHDQIRUH[DPSOHWKDWIRXUDGXOWV WKHDELOLW\RIORFDOJRYHUQPHQWV LQDUHVLGHQFHFDQJURZSODQWV to regulate or restrict the potential 6PRNLQJPDULMXDQDLQSXEOLF LQÀX[RIFRPPHUFLDOYHQGRUVLV remains illegal. The OLCC has PLQLPDO/DZHQIRUFHPHQWDJHQFLHV ZRUNHGKDUGWRGH¿QH³SXEOLF´ and local leaders would do well to • Minors cannot possess or use accept the inevitability that Oregon’s PDULMXDQDHYHQZKHUHWKH\OLYH • Driving while impaired remains social landscape is about to make a VLJQL¿FDQWFKDQJHDQGDFWDFFRUGLQJO\ DFULPLQDORIIHQVH For more details, and a • Measure 91 did not make OLVWRI)$4ORJRQWRZZZ any changes to employment law. whatslegaloregon.com Anyone with As a result, your employer could TXHVWLRQVPD\HPDLOPDULMXDQD# GLVFLSOLQHRU¿UH\RXIRUWHVWLQJ SRVLWLYHDW\RXUSODFHRIZRUN$QG RUHJRQJRYRUFDOO EHFDXVHPDULMXDQDUHPDLQVLQ\RXU )RULQIRUPDWLRQDERXWPHGLFDO V\VWHPIRUGD\VRUDZHHNDIWHU PDULMXDQDORJRQWRZZZPPM VPRNLQJEHDZDUHWKDWDSRW¿OOHG oregon.gov 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. Too worried about minutiae instead of the planet’s health It shocks me how gross people can be. 0\ROGHUEURWKHUDQG,¿VKDW the McKay Reservoir daily, and every day we pick up trash, glass and things that appear overnight. We have caught eight diapers in one hole (they call the second boat launch), glass all over, nails, plastic and other things. Why can’t people take out what they carry in? Diapers are in a place where people swim and JHW¿VKWRHDW²LW¶VNLQGRIOLNH someone walking into your kitchen and taking a dump on your table. What happened to this country? +RZDERXWVRPHOLYHIHHGFDPHUDV so everyone can see who is doing WKLV$IDLUMXGJHZRXOGOHWXVJR dump in their homes, trash things and whatever. People are killing the animals with trash and who NQRZVZKDWNLQGRISRLVRQVDUH EUHZLQJIURPWKHLUZDVWHLQWKH reservoir. In Pendleton they worry about odor laws, but trashing the planet is OTHER VIEWS Democrats being Democrats O n Friday, House Democrats ,¶PUHIHUULQJWRWKHNLQGRISHRSOH shocked almost everyone ²PDQ\WKRXJKQRWDOOIURP:DOO E\UHMHFWLQJNH\SURYLVLRQV 6WUHHW²ZKRJRWRORWVRILQWHUQDWLRQDO QHHGHGWRFRPSOHWHWKH7UDQV3DFL¿F meetings where they assure each other Partnership, an agreement the that prosperity is all about competing :KLWH+RXVHZDQWVEXWPXFKRIWKH in the global economy, and that this SDUW\GRHVQ¶W2Q6DWXUGD\+LOODU\ means supporting trade agreements &OLQWRQIRUPDOO\EHJDQKHUFDPSDLJQ DQGFXWWLQJVRFLDOVSHQGLQJ6XFK IRUSUHVLGHQWDQGVXUSULVHGPRVW SHRSOHKDYHLQÀXHQFHLQSDUWEHFDXVHRI Paul observers with an unapologetically Krugman their campaign contributions, but also liberal and populist speech. EHFDXVHRIWKHEHOLHIWKDWWKH\UHDOO\ Comment 7KHVHDUHRIFRXUVH know how the world works. related events. The As it turns out, however, Democratic Party is they don’t. In the 1990s becoming more assertive the purported wise men about its traditional values, blithely assured us that we a point driven home by KDGQRWKLQJWRIHDUIURP Clinton’s decision to speak ¿QDQFLDOGHUHJXODWLRQZH on Roosevelt Island. You GLG$IWHUFULVLVVWUXFN could say that Democrats are thanks in large part to that PRYLQJOHIW%XWWKHVWRU\ very deregulation, they is more complicated and warned us that we should interesting than this simple EHYHU\DIUDLGRIERQG statement can convey. investors, who would punish You see, ever since $PHULFDIRULWVEXGJHW Ronald Reagan’s election in GH¿FLWVWKH\GLGQ¶W6RZK\ 1980, Democrats have been believe them when they RQWKHLGHRORJLFDOGHIHQVLYH insist that we must approve Even when they won an unpopular trade deal? HOHFWLRQVWKH\VHHPHGDIUDLGWRHQGRUVHFOHDUO\ $QGWKLVORVVRIFUHGLELOLW\PHDQVWKDWLI progressive positions, eager to demonstrate Clinton makes it to the White House she’ll their centrism by supporting policies like cuts JRYHUQYHU\GLIIHUHQWO\IURPWKHZD\KHU WR6RFLDO6HFXULW\WKDWWKHLUEDVHKDWHG%XW husband did in the 1990s. that era appears to be over. Why? $V,VDLG\RXFDQGHVFULEHDOORIWKLV 3DUWRIWKHDQVZHULVWKDW'HPRFUDWV DVDPRYHWRWKHOHIWEXWWKHUH¶VPRUHWRLW GHVSLWHGHIHDWVLQPLGWHUPHOHFWLRQV WKDQWKDW²DQGLW¶VQRWDWDOOV\PPHWULFWR EHOLHYH²ULJKWO\RUZURQJO\²WKDWWKH the Republican move right. Democrats are political wind is at their backs. Growing DGRSWLQJLGHDVWKDWZRUNDQGUHMHFWLQJLGHDV ethnic diversity is producing what should be a that don’t, whereas Republicans are doing the PRUHIDYRUDEOHHOHFWRUDWHJURZLQJWROHUDQFH opposite. LVWXUQLQJVRFLDOLVVXHVRQFHDVRXUFHRI $QGQR,¶PQRWEHLQJXQIDLU2EDPDFDUH Republican strength, into a Democratic which was once a conservative idea, advantage instead. Reagan was elected is working better than even supporters E\DQDWLRQLQZKLFKKDOIWKHSXEOLFVWLOO H[SHFWHGVR'HPRFUDWVDUHFRPPLWWHG GLVDSSURYHGRILQWHUUDFLDOPDUULDJH&OLQWRQLV WRGHIHQGLQJLWVDFKLHYHPHQWVZKLOH UXQQLQJWROHDGDQDWLRQLQZKLFKSHUFHQW 5HSXEOLFDQVDUHPRUHIDQDWLFDOWKDQHYHU support same-sex marriage. LQWKHLUHIIRUWVWRGHVWUR\LW0RGHVWO\ $WWKHVDPHWLPH'HPRFUDWVVHHP¿QDOO\ higher taxes on the wealthy haven’t hurt to have taken on board something political the economy, while promises that tax cuts VFLHQWLVWVKDYHEHHQWHOOLQJXVIRU\HDUV ZLOOKDYHPDJLFDOHIIHFWVKDYHSURYHG adopting “centrist” positions in an attempt to GLVDVWURXVO\ZURQJVR'HPRFUDWVKDYH attract swing voters is a mug’s game, because EHFRPHPRUHFRPIRUWDEOHZLWKDPRGHVW such voters don’t exist. Most supposed tax-and-spend agenda, while Republicans LQGHSHQGHQWVDUHLQIDFWVWURQJO\DOLJQHGZLWK DUHPRUH¿UPO\LQWKHJULSRIWD[FXWWLQJ RQHSDUW\RUWKHRWKHUDQGWKHKDQGIXOZKR cranks than ever. And so on down the line. DUHQ¶WDUHPDLQO\MXVWFRQIXVHG6R\RXPLJKW 2IFRXUVHFKDQJHVLQLGHRORJ\PDWWHURQO\ DVZHOOWDNHDVWDQGIRUZKDW\RXEHOLHYHLQ WRWKHH[WHQWWKDWWKH\FDQLQÀXHQFHSROLF\ %XWWKHSDUW\¶VFKDQJHLVQ¶WMXVWDERXW $QGZKLOHWKHHOHFWRUDORGGVSUREDEO\IDYRU politics, it’s also about policy. Clinton, and Democrats could retake the 2QRQHVLGHWKHVXFFHVVRI2EDPDFDUH 6HQDWHWKH\KDYHYHU\OLWWOHFKDQFHRIUHWDNLQJ DQGUHODWHGSROLFLHV²PLOOLRQVFRYHUHGIRU WKH+RXVH6RFKDQJHVLQWKH'HPRFUDWLF substantially less than expected, surprisingly Party may take a while to change America as a HIIHFWLYHFRVWFRQWUROIRU0HGLFDUH²KDYH whole. But something important is happening, helped to inoculate the party against blanket and in the long run it will matter a great deal. assertions that government programs never Ŷ work. And on the other side, the Davos Paul Krugman joined The New York Times 'HPRFUDWVZKRXVHGWREHDSRZHUIXOIRUFH in 1999 as a columnist on the Op-Ed Page arguing against progressive policies have lost and continues as professor of Economics and PXFKRIWKHLUFUHGLELOLW\ International Affairs at Princeton University. Ever since Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980, Democrats have been on the ideological defensive. YOUR VIEWS OK? I see a problem with what is important to those in charge. No, I DPQRWDPDULMXDQDJURZHU²LW¶V not about that anyhow, it’s about GRLQJ\RXUMREWRSURWHFWXVDQG WKHHDUWKIURPWKRVHZKRVKRXOGEH locked away. Tim Z. Ziegler Pendleton Death penalty should not so quickly be off the table We should give considerable DWWHQWLRQWRWKHGHDWKSHQDOW\IRU serious tragic murders and senseless killings. It is a national concern and most people are opposed to it. Yet, it seems to me there are cases where such violence should carry the death penalty. In a recent news story (Time June, 15, 2015), George Mason 8QLYHUVLW\SURIHVVRU,UD6FKRHQ agreed. He wrote: “To see individuals like Charles Manson FRQWLQXHWREHFORWKHGIHGKRXVHG LVDWUDYHVW\RIMXVWLFHDQGDQ LQWROHUDEOHLQVXOWWRWKHIDPLOLHVRI the real victims.” $QDOWHUQDWLYHFDPHIURP retired NYPD lieutenant Michael German, who wrote, “It shocks and angers me when I see FRQYLFWHGPXUGHUHUVVRPHRI whom are allowed to plead to OHVVHUFULPHVEHLQJUHOHDVHGDIWHU GRLQJRQO\DVPDOOIUDFWLRQRI their original sentences. I would IHHOPXFKEHWWHUDERXWJHWWLQJULG RIWKHGHDWKSHQDOW\LIFRQYLFWHG killers would have to serve out WKHLUIXOOWHUPV3XEOLFVDIHW\ VKRXOGWUXPSVHFRQGFKDQFHVIRU killers.” Locally, we have a tragic killing RIWKUHHSHRSOHLQWKHVXPPHURI 2014. A Umatilla man, Francisco J. Resendez Miranda, is 24 and has been charged with three counts RIDJJUDYDWHG¿UVWGHJUHHPXUGHU E\WKH%HQWRQ&RXQW\6XSHULRU &RXUW,IFRQYLFWHGRIHYHQRQH FRXQWRIDJJUDYDWHGPXUGHU KHLVORRNLQJDWOLIHLQSULVRQ ZLWKRXWWKHSRVVLELOLW\RIUHOHDVH +HZRQ¶WIDFHWKHGHDWKSHQDOW\ although prosecutors allege he killed Abigail Torres-Renteria, 23, Victoria Torres, 19, and 'DYLG3HUH]6DXFHGR7KH charges include the aggravating circumstance that Torres-Renteria was almost nine months pregnant when she was killed. Miranda is being held in the %HQWRQ&RXQW\MDLOLQ.HQQHZLFN without bail because the charges are aggravated murder. According to court documents, he has 86,PPLJUDWLRQDQG&XVWRPV (QIRUFHPHQWKROGDVZHOO7KLVLV a case where the public should be DZDUHRIKRZMXVWLFHLVVHUYHG $V3URIHVVRU6FKRHQSRLQWVRXW OLIHLQSULVRQIRU0LUDQGDFRXOG PHDQWD[SD\HUVZLOOEHIXQGLQJKLV FORWKLQJIRRGKRXVLQJPHGLFDO DQGGHQWDOQHHGVIRUPDQ\\HDUV Think about how much more XVHIXOWKDWPRQH\ZRXOGPHDQ to education, child care, or care IRUVHQLRUFLWL]HQV:KHUHLVWKH MXVWLFH" Dorys C. Grover Pendleton Wolf pack looking for cut of state funds 7KHZROYHVRI3DFNKDYH YRWHGWRDSSO\IRUIXQGVGHVLJQDWHG IRU8PDWLOOD&RXQW\,GLGQ¶WNQRZ ZKDWÀDGU\ZDVEXWIRXQGRXWLW LVDOLQHRIFRORUHGÀDJVDWWDFKHG to a rope. We use it to locate the area where sheep or cattle can be IRXQG,IZHDUHDZDUGHG \DUGVRIÀDGU\DQGÀHD and tick collars, we will relocate RXUSDFNWRWKHZHVWHUQIRRWKLOOV RIWKH&DVFDGH0RXQWDLQV,IRXU application is approved, please KDYHRQHRIWKH2'):IHOORZV OHDYHDERQHDWGHQ :RO¿VKO\\RXUV$:ROISDFN master As told to Mike Mehren, wolf listener Hermiston 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 resi- dence 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.
