Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2015)
VIEWPOINTS Saturday, November 21, 2015 Quick takes Wind, dust wreak havoc It was absolutely zero visibility in places out there last night. I took an alternative route home to Pendleton from Hermiston, and it was terrifying. — Kate Chastain That high of wind can reduce the visi- bility to absolute zero feet. Meaning you’re literally driving blind . Unless you’re one of the few that can afford infrared view (see in the dark) option for your vehicle . — Glen Robertson Celebrating quitters Quit at least 10 years ago, now I can’t believe I smoked for 30 before I quit. What a huge waste of health and money. — Cindy Haugen Already did — 13 years ago. Best thing I ever did for myself, and once I got serious about quitting it was easier then I ever thought. Haven’t fell off the wagon even once. My pride would never allow it. — Marcia Raines I quit about four months ago. Can already breathe better and I love it. — Derrik Klimp Snow means winter driving Slow and easy, once the snow actually starts to accumulate on the roadway. Leave early so there is no rush to get to your desti- nation. Just like in the spring and summer, take time to smell the snow! — Pam Peterson One of the great lessons of the Twitter age is that much can be summed up in just a few words. Here are some of this week’s takes. Tweet yours @Tim_Trainor or email editor@eastoregonian. com, and keep them to 140 characters. East Oregonian Page 5A Wind, whine and weed in Umatilla County and without the simple rule of providing DQ,'IRUDJHYHUL¿FDWLRQIRUDFRQWUROOHG n Nov. 4, 2014, marijuana was substance that is no more dangerous than legalized in Oregon. The Oregon alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, Control, Regulation and Taxation of pornography, or guns, which Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Act is the GRUHTXLUHLGHQWL¿FDWLRQ result of a statewide democratic election. we are just irresponsibly The notion being promoted in Umatilla propagating a vicious &RXQW\E\HOHFWHGOHDGHUVDQGRWKHURI¿FLDOV adolescent cycle. Right and regurgitated by everyday people that QRZZHKDYHFRQÀLFWLQJ “we didn’t vote for it around here,” that “it’s social rules that encourage because of the west side” is based in denial experimentation at a young of the results of a democratic election and age. This is where, if we can SUROL¿FFKDQJHLQ$PHULFDQFXOWXUH/LYLQJ change our habits, we can get in a democracy requires compromise. That the best long-term physical is why we vote, and to deny the results of DQGPHQWDOKHDOWKEHQH¿WV an election, by the people, devalues the It will take time, VLJQL¿FDQFHRIGHPRFUDF\DQGRXUSROLWLFDO because the problem is in part due to process. the underground secretive nature of a Umatilla County has about 76,705 counterculture and generational bias fueled residents, with about 57,000 over the age by a failed drug war. Marijuana is being sold of 18, potentially eligible to vote. There as medicine, food, and fabric legally, and are about 31,684 people actually registered it’s hard to say exactly how much is sold to vote. In that election, 19,576 people illegally. In Oregon any household can grow voted, 61 percent of registered voters in four plants and an individual can possess our county. That number, however, only 1 ounce on their person, away from home. represents about 34 percent of adults living Employers in our state and in our county are here. 12,122 (62.8 percent) voted against changing their policies about cannabis use Measure 91 and 7,181 (37.2 percent) in EHFDXVHWKH\FDQ¶W¿QGHPSOR\HHV favor. That’s a 60/40 split, against. In :DVWLQJHQHUJ\E\¿JKWLQJWKHUHVXOWV Pendleton there were two districts where RIGHPRFUDF\LVIXWLOH:RUNLQJWR¿JXUH it won. If you consider that the medical out how to transition the results of the marijuana community advocated against the election in our community is what leaders initiative and some ballots were discarded do. Under current leadership without legal without signature, the number in our county marijuana, Umatilla County ranks 26 out is probably closer to 50/50, or likely closer of 36 counties in Oregon for health and 31 to state percentages of 56 percent in favor in both health behaviors and quality of life. and 44 percent against, or 60/40 for. Numerous shops in our county are selling Culturally we need to change the paraphernalia and we border Washington behavior of learning to smoke marijuana state. Prohibition of cannabis is a façade and drink during adolescence. Teaching our and the prohibition mentality demonstrated children about risks in the world, as best we by elected leadership and staff is a farce. can, is all any parent can ever do. Children Elected leaders are denying the results of a are already surrounded by an adult world, state election, which is obstructive to both By TOM BAILOR O democracy and capitalism. Legal or illegal, marijuana is in our local economy. The big picture of marijuana in U.S. economy is in the skyward trillions of dollars. Even illegal, it’s a top cash crop in the United States. It’s impossible to say and harder yet to draw a line around what the real economic aspect both positive and negative is, especially if you consider beyond smoking and look at results in terms history, art, music, science and technology. It is unknown how many associated jobs, or what innovations in areas of agriculture, textile, fuel and pharmacy will emerge. The Marijuana Prohibition Tax Act of 1937 made it illegal to tax products made from cannabis. It wasn’t passed to keep you from becoming a jazz musician. The act ended the U.S. hemp industry, which was under attack from the paper, pulp, textile, and oil industries. A few years later during WWII Congress had to relent, to help in the effort to win the war because of shortages in RLO¿EHUSXOSDQGWH[WLOHV The Oregon Control, Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Act is an effort to move forward in our state. It does not mean all things are perfect but it does change the lenses through which we are now able to look at the issue. There will be changes in both public safety and public health. We will see taxes, new revenue streams, and new opportunities. To vote it out of town just passes the buck, and provides a legal or illegal opportunity for someone else. Ŷ Tom Bailor lives in Pendleton works for the CTUIR and teaches Tai Chi. Wasting energy by ighting the results of democracy is futile. Big issues in short session W Fight ISIS with cartoons P undits like to complain and effective in the Middle that there are few voices East because we view cartoons from the Islamic world as trivial jokes, leading us to that condemn terrorist attacks miss many opportunities. by Islamic extremists. I run a Until recently, the U.S. small business that distributes State Department had editorial cartoons from programs that brought around the world. With every American cartoonists on major attack, including the speaking tours to the Middle Daryl recent attacks in Paris, I see a East to meet their colleagues, Cagle chorus of cartoons from Arab and had reciprocal programs to Comment countries condemning the bring Arabic language editorial terror. The pundits must not be cartoonists to America. The looking at the cartoons. programs sought to spread common Editorial cartoonists are typically values to countries where persecuted WKHPRVWLQÀXHQWLDOYRLFHVLQ DQGLQÀXHQWLDOFDUWRRQLVWVW\SLFDOO\DUH newspapers barred from drawing throughout the their own presidents. Middle East, These effective UHÀHFWLQJWKHYLHZV State Department of their readers. speaking programs Newspapers for editorial remain important cartoonists were in everyday life in dropped at the time the Middle East. of the “sequester” Editorial cartoons budget cuts. grace the front pages USAID-supported throughout the journalism education Middle East. Arabic initiatives in language cartoonists the Middle East are typically ignore and exclude anti-American and cartoonists. anti-Semitic, but on As international issues of terrorism respect for America they are largely voices of reason. has plummeted, respect for many I often hear politicians complain of our institutions still runs high. about how the war with Islamic American cartoonists are respected extremists is a battle for hearts and around the world, like American jazz minds and we need to step up our musicians and basketball players. role in an information war that we are Middle Eastern cartoonists are eager losing. to have their work appreciated by Editorial cartoons could be a American readers and by the star weapon on the front lines of that American cartoonists who they respect battle. By now Americans should see and emulate. The Arab cartoonists how powerful cartoons can be; clearly push back against the press restrictions the terrorists see this, as cartoonists imposed by their regimes and envy are among their primary targets. It is America’s press freedoms. GLI¿FXOWIRU$PHULFDQVWRFRPSUHKHQG Every act of terror brings new that editorial cartoons are important recruits to the Islamic extremists Editorial cartoonists are typically the most influential voices in newspapers throughout the Middle East. in ISIS. They seek glory, selling an image of bravery, striking back against WKHDUURJDQWLQ¿GHOVLQWKH:HVW Brandishing a gun demands a kind of respect. Fighting for religious values, no matter how twisted, demands a kind of respect. ISIS craves respect. What they can’t bear is ridicule. Islamic extremists who are widely VHHQDVWKHEXWWVRIMRNHVZRQ¶W¿QG many eager converts. Cartoonists are masters of disrespect and are a continuing threat to the Islamic extremists. It is no surprise that editorial cartoonists are prime targets for terror. Along with other websites around the world, my own editorial cartoon site, cagle.com, is suffering hacker attacks that appear to originate with terrorists and despotic regimes who fear cartoons. Terrorists and despots have a weakness in common: They can’t take a joke. America needs to wake up, deploy and support the world’s best soldiers in the modern information war, American cartoonists. President Obama recently claimed that he is already doing most of the things that his political opponents demand in the war with ISIS; he called on his critics to contribute new and constructive ideas on what should be done. My recommendation is inexpensive and powerful: bring back and greatly expand the State Department’s shuttered editorial cartoon programs around the world. Ŷ Daryl Cagle is the editorial cartoonist who runs the CagleCartoons.com newspaper syndicate, distributing editorial cartoons to more than 850 newspapers around the world, including the East Oregonian. Comments to Daryl may be sent to editor@cagle.com. Be heard! Comment online at eastoregonian.com or visit our Facebook and Twitter pages. piling on regulations ith the 2016 that harm them. I Legislative want to work with Short employers and the Session a few business community months away, I want to hear what they to take a moment need to help keep and thank everyone their businesses who responded to prosperous and my “End of Session Bill Survey.” The survey Hansell competitive. Lowering taxes was attached to Comment also received a large my end-of-session response in the mailer and it asked survey. A constant increase my constituents which in taxes harms families and issues were most important PDNHVLWGLI¿FXOWWRVWD\ to them and their families. DÀRDWLQWKHLUGDLO\OLYHV The options I listed on the During the last survey were: session the education, majority party helping small passed many business, fee increase agriculture bills on which and trade, I voted no. lowering This included taxes, public a hidden gas safety, tax through and health the low carbon care. It also fuels bill and allowed for an increase constituents to hunting to share their DQG¿VKLQJ thoughts on licenses, to these subjects, simply name a few. We or any other subject they need to stop taking money found important. I received out of the pocketbooks of RYHU¿IW\UHVSRQVHVDQG Oregonians. We need to get results showed the three state spending under control issues most important to and stop passing new laws District 29 are: agriculture that require more and more and trade, lowering money to implement and taxes, and helping small enforce. businesses. Because the short session During the 2015 is only 35 days long, it is Legislative Session, the GHVLJQHGIRUEXGJHW¿[HV Legislature passed — on and new bills that have strictly party line votes — already been fully vetted. numerous new regulations These survey results will harming small businesses help shape the bills I across the state. For introduce during the 2017 example, the 18 majority session. My goal is to work members in the Senate toward bettering the lives passed legislation requiring of people across Eastern every business with six or Oregon. more employees to offer Thank you for giving me paid time off as well as a the privilege of representing retirement account. These are expenses many you in the Oregon State Senate. I take the small businesses cannot responsibility seriously and afford. Small businesses are the backbone of not only our look forward to continuing to represent you. local communities, but our Please feel free to state as a whole. I have been told businesses have already continue to share your priorities and contact me started closing down and relocating outside of Oregon. DWP\RI¿FHHPDLODW6HQ I believe we need to help BillHansell@state.or.us. I the small businesses in this look forward to hearing from state thrive, stay in Oregon, you. and provide jobs in our Ŷ communities. We need to Senator Bill Hansell is help them navigate through in his ¿rst term representing all of the red tape and stop Senate District 29. We need to stop taking money out of the pocketbooks of Oregonians. 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 ad- dress concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Sub- mitted 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. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@ eastoregonian.com.
