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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION (DVW2UHJRQLDQ 6DWXUGD\$XJXVW Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor EO MEDIA GROUP East Oregonian • The Daily Astorian • Capital Press • Hermiston Herald Blue Mountain Eagle • Wallowa County Chieftain • Chinook Observer • Coast River Business Journal Oregon Coast Today • Coast Weekend • Seaside Signal • Cannon Beach Gazette Eastern Oregon Real Estate Guide • Eastern Oregon Marketplace • Coast Marketplace OnlyAg.com • FarmSeller.com • Seaside-Sun.com • NorthwestOpinions.com • DiscoverOurCoast.com MIKE FORRESTER Pendleton Chairman of the Board STEVE FORRESTER Astoria President TOM BROWN Bigfork, Mont. Director KATHRYN B. BROWN Pendleton Secretary/Treasurer JEFF ROGERS Indianapolis, Ind. Director OUR VIEW Picture yourself at Eastern Oregon U. As a northeast Oregon mother or student who wants to be a forester father, you may dream of watching or a farmer, doesn’t four years in La your son or daughter — decked out Grande make sense? If you’re from in Duck green or Beaver orange this neck of the woods and want a — walk across a stage to collect a bachelor’s degree, to stay in-state college degree. You might wake up and stay close to home, doesn’t EOU from that dream, make all the sense in however, when you the world? A focus on realize that means This is no your little baby advertisement the online degrees university. All for LVPRUHWKDQ¿YH those and distance hours away from uses of the word you for four years or “imagine” above learning has more, soaking up all mean right now that valley culture left the campus EOU isn’t operating and reducing the at its full potential. experience chances they will The last decade, come back home to has burned feeling hollow. EOU drop their roots in through multiple the same place you administrations, all did. of whom left before their visions It’s possible that more moms and came to fruition. The university dads should picture their children does a poor job of marketing itself collecting a degree from Eastern — both with top-of-mind visibility Oregon University. But so far, the and deeper, more substantive school has been unable to penetrate positioning on what sets it apart from many Eastern Oregon minds outside its competitors. A focus on online Union County. degrees and distance learning has If the university is going to left the campus experience feeling survive and thrive, that needs to hollow. change. And Tom Insko, Eastern Eastern Oregon is currently Oregon University’s new president, ground zero for some important knows it. He visited this newspaper’s issues. Take wolves, for instance. editorial board this week to listen as It’s disappointing that the school has PXFKDVWDONDQG¿QGRXWKRZ(28 IDLOHGWREHFRPHDVFLHQWL¿FXQELDVHG can become a more integral part of voice for a Western problem that is Eastern Oregon. Insko is an EOU loping through their campus grounds. graduate and most recently in upper Why isn’t EOU part of the discussion management at Boise Cascade. This when we are debating the forest plan, LVKLV¿UVWMRELQHGXFDWLRQ or drones, or growing canola, or the It’s hard to overstate what the minimum wage? university could mean to our region. From those of us in Umatilla Imagine a booming natural resources County, the school is just one hill VFKRRO¿QGLQJQLFKHVEHWZHHQ%OXH away. But something over there Mountain Community College and has to call us. The school needs to 2UHJRQ6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\,PDJLQH improve the campus experience, professors and programs that create an interesting, diverse, compete with those in the valley, and challenging and comforting place those in Boise or Pullman, and attract where young people can see students from across the region. themselves living for a few years, or Imagine that stopping the brain maybe longer. It needs to improve drain of our best and brightest to and expand its relationship with nearby urban areas. Imagine a nearby the city of La Grande. We’re never university that offers a comparable going to hear the roar from Autzen but cheaper, closer opportunity for 6WDGLXPEXWWKDWGRHVQ¶WPHDQ a degree. Imagine La Grande as a smaller athletic programs can’t storybook college town, booming thrive. It doesn’t mean arts and with culture and ideas and energy FXOWXUHRIIHULQJVFDQ¶WEHDEHQH¿W and giving Eastern Oregon a shot to campus life, with lectures and of regional pride. Imagine a place musicians and comedians bringing mid-career Eastern Oregonians could the world to Eastern Oregon. And go on nights and weekends to meet it doesn’t mean that EOU has to like-minded go-getters and further be “Plan B” for Oregon students their careers. looking for a degree. It needs The university has a lot going for improvement, and we need to give it it. If you’re a Portland high school a chance. 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. Pendleton road woes dLre not Xn¿[aEle The “Pendleton City Council owes us honesty” editorial of August 6, 2015, throughly covered the issue regarding Pendleton city streets. It is also time for honesty from Jerry Cronin and Rex Morehouse and other city naysayers, the should-haves, would-haves, could-haves in our city to come forward with a reasonable, feasible course of action. With this issue the naysayers have a big opportunity to be SURDFWLYHLQVWHDGRI¿QGLQJWKHLU apparently perverse pleasure in other’s misery. Unlike naysayers, the city council must deal with reality. Unfortunately, they have tried WRSOHDVHHYHU\RQHDQGQRZ¿QG themselves having pleased no one. They themselves, busy competent SHRSOHWKDWWKH\DUHQRZ¿QGWKH\ DUHHYHQLQFRQÀLFWZLWKHDFKRWKHU Mayor Phillip Houk shares OTHER VIEWS ArgXPents to tr\ for Iran deal I ²6HFRQGLW¶VWUXHWKDW,UDQPD\WU\ t would be a catastrophe for to cheat, but it’s easier to catch and stop $PHULFDQLQÀXHQFHLQWKHZRUOGLI the cheating with the deal than without. Congress killed the Iranian nuclear Critics sometimes note that deal. President Bill Clinton reached an Perhaps because the stakes are agreement on nuclear weapons with so high, the debate has become 1RUWK.RUHDLQRQO\WRVHH1RUWK poisonous. Critics are (ludicrously) .RUHDFKHDW7KHOHVVRQWKH\GUDZ accusing President Barack Obama RIDSSHDOLQJWRDQWL6HPLWLFWURSHV Nicholas is that it’s pointless to negotiate with And Obama (petulantly) suggested Kristof untrustworthy rogue regimes. ,¶YHFRYHUHG1RUWK.RUHDVLQFH, that some opponents were “alarmist,” Comment was a young reporter in Asia in the “ignorant,” “not being straight” 1980s, and the lesson is actually more and “making common cause” with like the opposite. Iranians who chant “Death to America.” 7KDWDJUHHPHQWZDVLQGHHGÀDZHG Obama’s rhetoric was counterproductive. DQG1RUWK.RUHDYLRODWHGLW%XWHYHQ $VIRUPHU6HQ.D\%DLOH\+XWFKLVRQD so, in the eight years the agreement was Texas Republican, told me, “At this point, LQSODFH1RUWK.RUHDPDGH]HURQXFOHDU the president has made it impossible for a weapons, according to American intelligence Republican to vote for it.” Constituent calls estimates. After the deal collapsed in 2002, WRFRQJUHVVLRQDORI¿FHVDUHRYHUZKHOPLQJO\ DJDLQVWWKHGHDODQGZLWK6HQ&KXFN6FKXPHU the Bush administration turned to a policy of FRQIURQWDWLRQDQG1RUWK.RUHDWKHQPDGH defying the White House by opposing it, the perhaps nine nuclear weapons. opposition is more bipartisan than the support — Third, if all goes south, or if Iran is. That’s tragic, for killing the deal would is stalling us and after 15 years races to a infuriate many allies, isolate America rather weapon, we retain the option of a military than Iran and ultimately increase the risk of strike. ayatollahs with nuclear weapons. I asked David Petraeus, retired four-star I’ve already explained why I’m strongly in favor of the deal, and I urge Obama to start over general and former head of the CIA, about that. “I strongly believe,” he told me, “that with his sales job and focus on three points. there will continue to be a viable military ²)LUVW6XUHWKHGHDOLVLPSHUIHFWEXW option should Iran seek to break out and it’s the best way to achieve a goal we all construct a nuclear device after the expiration share passionately — preventing Iran from of many of the elements of the inspections developing nuclear weapons. regime at the 15-year mark of the agreement.” The great majority of arms experts 7RPHWKLVGHDOLVXJO\DQGÀDZHG²DQG support the deal, some enthusiastically, some grudgingly. They recognize shortcomings, but, LQ¿QLWHO\EHWWHUWKDQWKHDOWHUQDWLYHV7KH on balance, as 29 of America’s leading nuclear criticisms of the deal strike me as reasonable, but the alternatives that the critics propose scientists and arms experts wrote in an open seem unreasonable and incoherent. letter last week, it has “much more stringent 6R2EDPDVKRXOGKLWWKHUHVWDUWEXWWRQ constraints than any previously negotiated He should acknowledge that the deal has nonproliferation framework.” shortcomings but also emphasize that it must Likewise, three dozen retired American be judged not by a referendum on its terms but generals and admirals released a joint letter rather as a choice: deal or no deal. declaring the deal “the most effective means He can also take steps to reassure doubters. currently available to prevent Iran from We could boost funding for the International obtaining nuclear weapons.” Atomic Energy Agency to make oversight Iran would go from maybe a few months more effective. We could do more to speak up from a bomb to a year away. The agreement for human rights in Iran and to counter Iranian doesn’t solve the underlying problem, but it PHGGOLQJLQWKHUHJLRQHVSHFLDOO\LQ6\ULD may buy us 15 years. *HQ%UHQW6FRZFURIWWKHSDWULDUFKRI Yes, it would be nice if Iran gave up all Republican security experts, tells me that its enriched uranium. But isn’t it better that it he supports the Iran deal in part because it give up 98 percent of its stockpile than that it H[HPSOL¿HV$PHULFDQOHDGHUVKLSRQDFUXFLDO give up none? Everyone knows Prime Minister Benjamin global issue. I agree, and for Congress to kill it will not just set back American leadership, Netanyahu of Israel opposes the deal, but not it will also increase the odds that Iran gets the everyone realizes other Israelis with far more bomb. security expertise support it. Ami Ayalon, Ŷ IRUPHUKHDGRI,VUDHO¶V6KLQ%HWVHFXULW\ Nicholas Kristof has been a columnist for service, describes it as “the best possible alternative.” And Efraim Halevy, former head The New York Times since 2001. He grew up of the Mossad, says, “What is the point of on a farm in Oregon, graduated from Harvard, canceling an agreement that distances Iran studied law at Oxford University as a Rhodes from the bomb?” Scholar, and then studied Arabic in Cairo. 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. YOUR VIEWS some responsibility in this and has some responsibility in the resolution. There is enough blame to go around. By no means does the Pendleton voter have a clean slate in all this. The voter too often has remained uninformed and equivocal, characterized by a mixture of opposing feelings and open to misconception. Because of this the city voter must share in the responsibility for any conceived mistakes or mismanagement over the years. What now is to be done? The EO editorial stated the reality of this dire situation, and the fact that not everyone can be served at once. Are we to withhold our help to our long-suffering neighbor in need while believing that we will not be helped also, and then in our denial continue to go deeper in debt as cost of street repair and replacement mounts, or are we JRLQJWRSXOOWRJHWKHUWR¿QGDQG follow the best course of feasible action? Councilman Neil Brown has appealed to the public at a recent city council meeting to stay patient during the process of creating new charges and raising existing ones. ‘’Nobody wants to be scaring people to death,” he said. “We’re talking gas taxes. We’re talking about system development charges, water rates going up, sewer rates going up. There’s a lot to absorb.” Brown could also have said there is likely a $5 million bond issue request in the not too distant future IRUDQHZ¿UHVWDWLRQ6RWKHUHLV much to be considered and reality must play a critical part. Everyone uses the city streets DQGEHQH¿WVIURPWKHP$FHQW per gallon fuel tax paid by the out of state visitor, the out of city resident, the city resident, is the fairest way and the least egregious way to the city resident to take care of the city streets. Pendleton is a hidden jewel. Tourism is underdeveloped here and could bring in much-needed gas tax dollars. Other cities (you can bring to mind your own favorite), to their advantage, have successfully engaged in this. Ron Gavette Pendleton Pendleton Downtown Association asking for feedEack In March of this year the Pendleton Downtown Association was reorganized and expanded to serve the downtown area. The Pendleton downtown area is GH¿QHGDVVL[EORFNVHDVWDQGVL[ EORFNVZHVWRI0DLQ6WUHHWIURP the railroad tracks on the south and the Umatilla River on the north. On July 31 the PDA mailed out a survey to the downtown area. The purpose of the survey is to give those in the downtown area an opportunity to share information on issues that are important to them. The results of survey will form the basis of future PDA planning sessions designed with the goal of serving the best interest of businesses in the downtown core. The names of those responding to WKHVXUYH\DUHNHSWFRQ¿GHQWLDODQG the survey tally is performed by an out-of-town entity. If you have not already returned your survey please do so; if you need a survey please contact us. 7KH3'$PHHWVHYHU\¿UVW Thursday of the month from 7-8 a.m. at the city of Pendleton FRPPXQLW\URRP6: Emigrant Ave. All are welcome to attend and we encourage you to do so. This organization is dedicated to serving the interests of the downtown business community. If you would like to join the PDA or volunteer to serve on a committee please contact us. The PDA mailing address is: 3'$60DLQ6W3HQGOHWRQ OR 97801. You are also welcome to contact us by email at fbradbury@vahoo.com. )red %radEXr\ Sresident Angela 7KoPSson secretar\