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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Wednesday, July 8, 2015 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW In defense of Madonna’s farm Madonna, the Queen of Pop, IURPORFDOWD[SD\HUV²KHUIHOORZ is a farmer. As with most of her millionaires. Besides, they claim ventures, her entry into agriculture is she isn’t really planting a nursery, not without controversy. VKH¶VEXLOGLQJDIRUHVWWREORFNWKH 7KHUH¶VDDFUHSORWQH[WWR view from the road to her estate. the Material Girl’s estate in the Here we rise to Madonna’s Hamptons, the chic enclave for the defense. These development rich and famous at the outer end of easements are a common tool that 1HZ<RUN¶V/RQJ,VODQG6KHERXJKW has become ever more popular in the it for $2.2 million. :HVWWRNHHSODQGLQIDUPRUIRUHVW Which would have been a The town made the original deal steal in those environs, had local WRNHHSWKHODQGIURPEHLQJVOLFHG governments up for more not mansions. Ooh, you’ve got to purchased the The development *UDERZVNL Let your body move to family accepted rights from WKH*UDERZVNL the town’s offer the music family, who must have Ooh, you’ve got to just and once grew agreed with its potatoes there, Let your body go with goals. Whether in 2010 for $10 she’s an the flow million. The honest farmer land came with or a wealthy Ooh, you’ve got to restrictions star who can vogue WKDWNHHS afford to guard Madonna from her privacy, building, and Madonna paid UHTXLUHWKDWWKHSURSHUW\EHXVHG the family a bundle for a piece of for “production for commercial land that came with some fairly purposes of agricultural products.” restrictive covenants that prevent her /DVW\HDUSODQQLQJRI¿FLDOV IURPH[SORLWLQJLWVWUXHHFRQRPLF approved her plans to create a potential. nursery, and recently crews have $VORQJDVDOOSDUWLHVPDNHWKHLU been planting Leyland Cypress, FKRLFHIUHHO\ZHWKLQNWKHVHW\SHRI eastern white pines and Robusta deals are a perfect way for farmers MXQLSHU7KDWFURSZLOOUHGXFHWKHWD[ to realize the value of their property bill on the parcel to less than $2,300. ZKLOHNHHSLQJLWLQVRPHW\SHRI If she has $10,000 in sales over two productive use. years, the bill drops to under $300. One might legitimately argue So Madonna is a nurseryman and WKDWDJULFXOWXUHSURSHUW\WD[EUHDNV KHUQHLJKERUVGRQ¶WOLNHLW should go only to “real” farmers According to the tabloids, critics producing true commercial crops. DURXQG6XIIRON&RXQW\LQFOXGLQJ We could go for that. But until then, VRPHIDUPHUVWKLQNLW¶VDOODVKDP Madonna and thousands of other They note that had the original landed gentry who meet the statutory owners sold the property with all UHTXLUHPHQWVDUHHQWLWOHGWRZKDWHYHU rights in tact, the acreage would WD[EHQH¿WWKHLUVWDWHDOORZV have sold for $17.5 million and the A thin premise on which to base WD[ELOOZRXOGKDYHEHHQQRUWKRI DQHGLWRULDOEXWOLNHO\RXURQO\ $150,000 a year. chance to feature Madonna on these Madonna, they say, is stealing pages. 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 3KLO.QLJKW¶V2UHJRQ1LNHOHJDF\ DQGWKHVWDWHLWFDOOVKRPH2UHJRQWRRN DGYDQWDJHRI,QWHODQG7HNWURQL[WREXLOGD KLO.QLJKW¶VDQQRXQFHPHQWODVWZHHN UREXVWKLJKWHFKLQGXVWU\1LNH¶VSUHVHQFH KHOSHGPDNH2UHJRQWKHJOREDOHSLFHQWHU WKDWKHSODQVWRUHOLQTXLVKKLVUROH DV1LNHFKDLUPDQDQGPRYHPRVWRI for athletic apparel. The state’s natural beauty and commitment to environmental KLVFRPSDQ\VWRFNLQWRDOLPLWHGOLDELOLW\ stewardship have positioned it well in both company was not surprising. He’s 77 and tourism and green-related industries. And has focused increased attention in recent climate, soil conditions and innovation years on non-corporate matters. A little helped the state emerge as a force in the VXFFHVVLRQSODQQLQJPDNHVVHQVH wine and beer worlds. .QLJKWDQG1LNHKDYHHQGXUHGWKHLU But while building on those strengths, share of controversy over the years. the state chose to disregard another Knight also has been intensely private. QDWXUDOUHVRXUFH²WLPEHU,WDOVR $QGDWWLPHVKHKDVÀH[HGSROLWLFDO watched traditional manufacturing muscle. How many people can convince decline, a nationwide trend but one that a governor to call a special session just to is particularly painful here because of address an issue affecting his company? manufacturing’s role in the economy and %XWWKHUHVKRXOGEHQRTXHVWLRQWKDW over the past 50-plus years Knight and his WKHODFNRIEOXHFROODUMREV Phil Knight, in contrast, started out FRPSDQLHV1LNHVWDUWHGDV%OXH5LEERQ IRFXVLQJRQUXQQLQJVKRHV%XW1LNH 6SRUWVKDYHEHHQDQRYHUZKHOPLQJO\ EHFDPHDJOREDOSRZHUWRDVLJQL¿FDQW SRVLWLYHLQÀXHQFHRQ2UHJRQ1LNHKDV degree because of the branding power grown to be by far the largest Oregon- FUHDWHGE\$LU-RUGDQEDVNHWEDOOVKRHV based business, has helped attract many in the 1980s. In ensuing years, it would other companies to Oregon, has donated create a leading golf brand from scratch millions to charity and has become an E\OLQNLQJXSZLWK7LJHU:RRGV$QG integral part of the state’s image. If you DVWKH1LNHEUDQGJUHZWKHFRPSDQ\ ZDQWDQLGHDRIKRZVXFFHVVIXO1LNHKDV EHFDPHWKHOHDGLQJRXW¿WWHURIFROOHJHDQG been, the website 24/7 did the math. Over professional sports teams and became ever WKHSDVWWZRGHFDGHV1LNH¶VVWRFNURVH 2,300 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500, more creative. Don’t let mistakes cripple you: It’s DPHDVXUHRIWKHEURDGPDUNHWJDLQHG QRWOLNHHYHU\WKLQJ3KLO.QLJKWWRXFKHG percent. WXUQHGWRJROG)HZUHPHPEHUWKLVQRZ 7KHTXHVWLRQIRU2UHJRQLVZKHWKHU EXWDWRQHSRLQWLQPLGV5HHERN the state is prepared for the post-Knight SDVVHG1LNHDQGEHFDPHWKH1R era. The state’s political leaders could U.S. athletic shoe company, in part by OHDUQVRPHOHVVRQVE\ORRNLQJDWKRZ SXWWLQJPRUHHPSKDVLVRQIDVKLRQ1LNH 1LNHJUHZLQWRRQHRIWKHZRUOG¶VPRVW broadened its product line, introduced the UHFRJQL]DEOHFRPSDQLHV Build a great brand:7KLVLVRQH1LNH “Just Do It” slogan, regained the No. 1 trait that Oregon already shares to a certain VSRWDQGQHYHUORRNHGEDFN Oregon, in contrast, has gone from GHJUHH-XVWOLNHLWVODUJHVWFRPSDQ\ one unproductive education initiative 2UHJRQLVNQRZQDVKLSLQQRYDWLYH to another and has largely ignored the tolerant and an overall cool place to be. problems in rural Oregon. 8QOLNH1LNHLW¶VQRWQHFHVVDULO\NQRZQ Despite all his success, Phil Knight was IRUVXFFHVV/HW¶VMXVWVD\1LNHVWRFN QHYHUKXJHO\SRSXODULQ2UHJRQH[FHSW FKDUWVORRNDORWPRUHLPSUHVVLYHWKDQ 2UHJRQXQHPSOR\PHQWFKDUWV7RWDNHLWV among fans of UO. Some of that probably is a product of his personality and some EUDQGWRWKHQH[WOHYHO2UHJRQQHHGVWR ZRUNRXWVRPHRIWKHNLQNVDQGPDUNHWWKH of it because Oregon does not easily HPEUDFH¿QDQFLDOVXFFHVV$QGPD\EH state aggressively. Build beyond your natural strengths: that’s the biggest difference. It’s hard to be successful without fully embracing This might very well be one of the most success. VLJQL¿FDQWGLIIHUHQFHVEHWZHHQ1LNH The Oregonian P Ending Greece’s bleeding E urope dodged a bullet on Sunday. TXHVWLRQRIKRZWRUHVWRUHHFRQRPLF Confounding many predictions, growth. *UHHNYRWHUVVWURQJO\VXSSRUWHG In the failed negotiations that led their government’s rejection of creditor up to Sunday’s referendum, the central demands. And even the most ardent VWLFNLQJSRLQWZDV*UHHFH¶VGHPDQGIRU supporters of European union should permanent debt relief, to remove the be breathing a sigh of relief. cloud hanging over its economy. The Of course, that’s not the way the WURLND²WKHLQVWLWXWLRQVUHSUHVHQWLQJ creditors would have you see it. Their FUHGLWRULQWHUHVWV²UHIXVHGHYHQ Paul story, echoed by many in the business Krugman WKRXJKZHQRZNQRZWKDWRQH press, is that the failure of their attempt PHPEHURIWKHWURLNDWKH,QWHUQDWLRQDO Comment WREXOO\*UHHFHLQWRDFTXLHVFHQFH 0RQHWDU\)XQGKDGFRQFOXGHG was a triumph of irrationality and independently that Greece’s debt irresponsibility over sound technocratic advice. cannot be paid. But will they reconsider now %XWWKHFDPSDLJQRIEXOO\LQJ²WKHDWWHPSW that the attempt to drive the governing leftist WRWHUULI\*UHHNVE\FXWWLQJRIIEDQN¿QDQFLQJ FRDOLWLRQIURPRI¿FHKDVIDLOHG" and threatening general chaos, all with the ,KDYHQRLGHD²DQGLQDQ\FDVHWKHUHLV almost open goal of pushing the current leftist QRZDVWURQJDUJXPHQWWKDW*UHHNH[LWIURP JRYHUQPHQWRXWRIRI¿FH² the euro is the best of bad was a shameful moment in a options. Europe that claims to believe Imagine, for a moment, in democratic principles. that Greece had never It would have set a terrible adopted the euro, that it precedent if that campaign KDGPHUHO\¿[HGWKHYDOXH had succeeded, even if the of the drachma in terms of FUHGLWRUVZHUHPDNLQJVHQVH euros. What would basic What’s more, they economic analysis say it weren’t. The truth is should do now? The answer, that Europe’s self-styled overwhelmingly, would be WHFKQRFUDWVDUHOLNH WKDWLWVKRXOGGHYDOXH²OHW medieval doctors who the drachma’s value drop, insisted on bleeding their ERWKWRHQFRXUDJHH[SRUWV SDWLHQWV²DQGZKHQWKHLU DQGWREUHDNRXWRIWKHF\FOH treatment made the patients RIGHÀDWLRQ VLFNHUGHPDQGHGHYHQ Of course, Greece no more bleeding. A “yes” longer has its own currency, vote in Greece would have and many analysts used to condemned the country claim that adopting the euro to years more of suffering ZDVDQLUUHYHUVLEOHPRYH² under policies that haven’t DIWHUDOODQ\KLQWRIHXURH[LW ZRUNHGDQGLQIDFWJLYHQ would set off devastating WKHDULWKPHWLFFDQ¶WZRUN EDQNUXQVDQGD¿QDQFLDO $XVWHULW\SUREDEO\VKULQNV crisis. But at this point that the economy faster than it ¿QDQFLDOFULVLVKDVDOUHDG\ reduces debt, so that all the happened, so that the biggest suffering serves no purpose. The landslide FRVWVRIHXURH[LWKDYHEHHQSDLG:K\WKHQ victory of the “no” side offers at least a chance QRWJRIRUWKHEHQH¿WV" for an escape from this trap. :RXOG*UHHNH[LWIURPWKHHXURZRUNDV But how can such an escape be managed? well as Iceland’s highly successful devaluation Is there any way for Greece to remain in the in 2008-09, or Argentina’s abandonment of its euro? And is this desirable in any case? one-peso-one-dollar policy in 2001-02? Maybe 7KHPRVWLPPHGLDWHTXHVWLRQLQYROYHV QRW²EXWFRQVLGHUWKHDOWHUQDWLYHV8QOHVV *UHHNEDQNV,QDGYDQFHRIWKHUHIHUHQGXP Greece receives really major debt relief, and WKH(XURSHDQ&HQWUDO%DQNFXWRIIWKHLUDFFHVV possibly even then, leaving the euro offers the to additional funds, helping to precipitate panic only plausible escape route from its endless DQGIRUFHWKHJRYHUQPHQWWRLPSRVHDEDQN economic nightmare. KROLGD\DQGFDSLWDOFRQWUROV7KHFHQWUDOEDQN $QGOHW¶VEHFOHDU,I*UHHFHHQGVXS QRZIDFHVDQDZNZDUGFKRLFH,ILWUHVXPHV OHDYLQJWKHHXURLWZRQ¶WPHDQWKDWWKH*UHHNV QRUPDO¿QDQFLQJLWZLOODVPXFKDVDGPLW are bad Europeans. Greece’s debt problem that the previous freeze was political, but if UHÀHFWHGLUUHVSRQVLEOHOHQGLQJDVZHOODV it doesn’t it will effectively force Greece into irresponsible borrowing, and in any case the introducing a new currency. *UHHNVKDYHSDLGIRUWKHLUJRYHUQPHQW¶VVLQV 6SHFL¿FDOO\LIWKHPRQH\GRHVQ¶WVWDUW PDQ\WLPHVRYHU,IWKH\FDQ¶WPDNHDJR ÀRZLQJIURP)UDQNIXUWWKHKHDGTXDUWHUV of Europe’s common currency, it’s because RIWKHFHQWUDOEDQN*UHHFHZLOOKDYHQR that common currency offers no respite for choice but to start paying wages and pensions countries in trouble. The important thing now with IOUs, which will de facto be a parallel LVWRGRZKDWHYHULWWDNHVWRHQGWKHEOHHGLQJ FXUUHQF\²DQGZKLFKPLJKWVRRQWXUQLQWR Ŷ the new drachma. Paul Krugman joined The New York Times Suppose, on the other hand, that the central in 1999 as a columnist on the Op-Ed Page EDQNGRHVUHVXPHQRUPDOOHQGLQJDQGWKH and continues as professor of Economics and EDQNLQJFULVLVHDVHV7KDWVWLOOOHDYHVWKH International Affairs at Princeton University. Europe’s self-styled technocrats are like medieval doctors who insisted on bleeding their patients — and when their treatment made the patients sicker, demanded even more bleeding. YOUR VIEWS Lack of security leading to thefts at Hermiston Cemetery I have been wondering if it would be appropriate to have more security at Hermiston Cemetery. Last Memorial Day I decorated some graves as usual. Around my parents’ KHDGVWRQH,SODFHG¿YHFRQWDLQHUVZLWKVL[ bedding plants each of white violas, yellow snapdragons, orange marigolds, portulacas, and red dianthus, also single containers of lobelias and violas. I thought they made an attractive display. 7KHQH[WGD\DIWHUZRUN,UHWXUQHGWR VHHWKHÀRZHUVEXWWRP\VXUSULVHDQG disappointment they were all gone. I had read previously about such things happening, but H[SHULHQFLQJLWZDVTXLWHDQRWKHUPDWWHU,IHOW sad and hurt. 7KHQH[WDIWHUQRRQ,ZHQWEDFNHDUOLHUDQG ZDONHGDURXQGIRUVRPHWLPHFXULRXVDERXW ZKHWKHU,ZRXOGVHHWKHPLVVLQJÀRZHUV The cemetery was still beautifully GHFRUDWHGDQGWKHRWKHUÀRZHUVWKDW,KDGSXW RXWZHUHVWLOOLQSODFH,ZDONHGTXLWHDZKLOH DQGVXUYH\HGSUHWW\ZHOODOOWKHÀRZHUVDQG ,ZDVJODGQRWWR¿QGDQ\WKDWUHVHPEOHGWKH RQHV,KDGPLVVHG,WVHHPVWKDWZKRHYHUWRRN WKHSODQWVWRRNWKHPQRWWRGHFRUDWHJUDYHV but to plant. I suppose that to someone’s SHUYHUWHGWKLQNLQJLWVHHPHGWREHDUHDO bargain. ,KDYHEHHQVWROHQIURPEHIRUHDQG,NQRZ that thieves have been around for a long WLPH0D\EHLWWDNHVDVSHFLDONLQGRIWKLHI to steal from a cemetery. Such a person is disrespectful to both the dead and the living and, I might add, to God. I doubt that the city would be willing to invest in a few well-placed security cameras at the cemetery, but for some people that might serve as a deterrent when the deterrent of conscience is missing. LETTERS POLICY Ron Ingle Hermiston 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.
