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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Saturday, February 13, 16 OTHER VIEWS 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 STEVE FORRESTER KATHRYN B. BROWN Pendleton Chairman of the Board Astoria President Pendleton Secretary/Treasurer CORY BOLLINGER JEFF ROGERS Aberdeen, S.D. Director Indianapolis, Ind. Director OUR VIEW Occupational hazards It’s over. Finally, it’s over. After 41 days that alternated between hand-wringing and heart- wrenching, the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge has ended. Four protesters remained until Thursday. Much of their last 1 harrowing, confusing hours in the refuge streamed live and unedited through the Internet. It was a glimpse into paranoia and fear, into anger and frustration. We heard grievances about this country ² a lack of jobs, a lack of purpose, a lack of morality, a lack of future. It was the cry of the fearful, the pessimistic and the proud, grabbing the bullhorn and the moment and shouting straight into our speakers. Whatever it was, you had to listen. At times it was scary ² the threat of violence both coerced and self-inÀicted were ever-present. And at times it was farcical ² the list of grievances included Hillary Clinton, the Middle East and a lack of marijuana. But there is no laughing off the underlying issue. This has been a traumatic e[perience for Eastern Oregon. The days were dark to be sure. And now that the out-of-state players have left the ¿eld, we’re left to sift through their message and their actions. For 41 days, Eastern Oregon was a dangerous place to be. 1ot because of the armed men and women holed up at the refuge, and not because of federal and state law enforcement swarming around them. They posed threats only to one another and anyone who stood between them. But the weapons carried by both sides isn’t what threatened us. The danger is the seeds, already planted and beginning to take root, now doused with gallons of water and a hefty heap of fertilizer. You know the kind. The seeds of mistrust for neighbors with the wrong bumper sticker on their truck. Of animosity toward “the government” as a bogeyman instead of an entity that can and should be held accountable by the people. Of blatant disregard for reasonable discourse ² instead choosing to cling to a single line from the Constitution, an ugly prejudice, or a stern glare and a wall of silence. /ike a Àock of winter birds taking off from Malheur Lake, the occupiers have left. It’s up to us to decide what their pattern in the sky means, and which seeds we want to tend to now that they’re gone. 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. YOUR VIEWS Pendleton turnover a time for a change Pendleton suddenly has a major turnover in the city’s politicians. First, I read that Evan McKenzie was forced to resign. The town’s city planner stiÀed economic development in the city for years. Read his 11-page Universal Plan for evidence of his obsession with bicycles and requiring businesses to build bike shelters. Then, Plute’s recall surfaced. I have read letters commending Plute for his Economics 11 editorials. He failed to mention his strategy of getting $5, from the city for the Temple Hotel renovation and then not using that money to pay a local plumber for services rendered. There has been a mass e[odus of local politicians who decided to throw in the towel after being criticized for their ineptitude and poor decision making. Millions have been invested in the airport’s drone testing program. Have Steve Chrisman tell you how much revenue has been generated and what the return on investment is as of February 16. The airport is an endless money pit and now the airline service for Pendleton has gone bankrupt. The city council tried to solve this dilemma by taking $65, from the library budget and transferring that sum to the airport budget to pay down its debt. That action should have resulted in a recall of all the members of the city council who voted in favor of this strategy. Every year, Tremper and Associates does an audit of the city. On more than one occasion, Tremper has warned the city council about transferring funds yet they continued with the practice year after year. The city manager has miscalculated the costs of projects on more than one occasion and the city then had to borrow money from banks to complete the project. An e[ample is the convention center e[pansion that cost around $1 million. The latest news is that there is now a candidate for mayor from the Round Up Development Corporation. Keep in mind that this is the organization that convinced the city to purchase 4 acres of barren land at the airport. That land without infrastructure should have sold for $3, an acre but the city paid $11, an acre and a member of that organization made a nice pro¿t at ta[payers’ e[pense. There is a need for a coalition of candidates with a platform that will include ¿scal responsibility and transparency. Pick up an application and make a difference. Jerry Cronin Pendleton Taiwan Àaunts China with its democracy T aiwan has just elected its ¿rst Hakka, part Aborigine descent. Her woman president, Tsai Ing-wen, father owned a car repair business; a calm, cerebral, almost shy, and, at his behest, she earned a law Western-educated lawyer. Moreover, she degree at 1ational Taiwan University represents the Democratic Progressive before going abroad for a Master of Party (DPP) standing for Taiwan’s Law at Cornell University (198) and independence. China, who passionately a PhD in law at the London School regards the island of Taiwan as a of Economics (1984). She taught renegade province to be integrated, Harriet law upon return to Taiwan but was will pressure the new president to soon appointed to many councils and Isom acknowledge its “one China” concept. commissions. She joined the DPP Comment But just how hard will be the question. in 4 and has been its chairperson Background: Chiang Kai-shek and several times. She was defeated in her his KMT (Kuomintang or Chinese 1ationalist ¿rst presidential bid in 1. Party) moved to the island of Taiwan in 1949 Leadership style: Ms. Tsai is neither after defeat by Mao Zedong’s Communist ¿ery nor confrontational. Instead she is forces. The KMT ruled Taiwan under strict, variously described as shy, scholarly, calm, even oppressive, martial law until 1987. But mellow, moderate, rational and e[hibiting a since then, Taiwan has established a well- certain cosmopolitan savvy in a party with a functioning democracy with the ¿rst direct raucous, provincial reputation. Her speeches presidential election in 1996. The KMT has are described as logic-driven (imagine!). won e[cept from -8 when the DPP 1otwithstanding her quiet demeanor, she prevailed, causing signi¿cant tensions with has proved to be a very strong political actor, China because of its pro- independence stance. corralling often fractious DPP party elements. China has long kept missiles aimed at Taiwan. Policies: Ms. Tsai’s own ¿rst priority is KMT: Recent KMT governments have reviving Taiwan’s economy which grew just 1 forged ever stronger economic ties with percent last year. She advocates the creation mainland China. Today, a large number of of an innovation driven economy and she Taiwanese are investing and working in China. wants increased trade beyond China with SEA, Departing President Ma Ying-jeou even had a Japan and the US. She urges a more open historic hand-shake last year in Singapore with and consensus based approach to Taiwanese Chinese President Xi Jinping. How China must politics and help for the disadvantaged such as loath therefore the DPP’s return to power. Aborigines. And since she can’t ignore China, Firsts: Ms. Tsai (pronounced “sigh”), who she has developed a comple[, subtle way will take of¿ce on May , is the ¿rst women of speaking about cross-Strait relations that elected to the presidency in Taiwan (by a allows for Àe[ibility and interpretation. She margin of 56 percent). Additionally, she is the has assured China and the US that the “status ¿rst female head of state in East Asia with no quo” is the centerpiece of current DPP policy relation to a former head of state. USG Reaction: The USG, as protector of DPP’s win: Taiwan’s thorny, unresolved Taiwan, is hopeful that nothing Àares anew political issue is whether its future lies as part with China. A USG statement congratulated of China or independence. This latest election her on her win but noted America’s “profound reÀects a growing number of youth who see interest in the continuation of cross-Strait themselves more as Taiwanese than Chinese. peace and stability.” Their very active “SunÀower Movement” Chinese Reaction: So far Chinese of¿cial objects to the authoritarian leanings of the reaction has been muted, although Xinhua KMT and worries that Taiwan’s currently weak news agency has called on her to be prudent, economy will make it ever more dependent on saying Taiwan independence was a “poison.” China. Ms. Tsai’s victory is likely due to her In the ne[t few months, Beijing will be capture of this youth demographic. listening for any overtly pro-independence Women: How has Taiwan put so many stands and badgering her on its “one China” women into politics in marked contrast to policy. The worrisome question is just how China" E[planations include Aborigine threatening the assertive President Xi and his matriarchal traditions, promotion of women’s military hardliners will be. Ms. Tsai’s cautious, education since Japanese colonial times, nuanced, collaborative style may be just what and, importantly, a series of quotas set in the is needed in a President of Taiwan having to legislature to ensure women’s representation. deal with such a mega- neighbor. Thus voters in Taiwan have become accustomed Ŷ to women politicians, and today’s young voters Ambassador Harriet Isom grew up in are said to even ¿nd women trendy. Pendleton and has retired to the family ranch. 3UR¿OHAlmost 6 years old (but looking She was a career diplomat serving in Asia and e[ceptionally young), Ms. Tsai is of part Africa from 1961 to 1996. 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. Livin’ Bernie Sanders’ Danish dream A merican capitalism It’s amazing that a large part of the millennial has always been generation has rejected this distinct from consensus. In supporting continental European Bernie Sanders they are capitalism. We’ve had more not just supporting a guy entrepreneurial creativity who is mad at Wall Street. but less security. Our system They are supporting a guy has favored higher living who fundamentally wants standards for consumers David while theirs has favored Brooks to reshape the American economic system, and thus stability for employees and Comment reshape American culture producers. and values. As he told For the past several decades, the United States has had a ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, he wants to make us more like northern bipartisan consensus that we should Europe. stick to our style of capitalism and According to The Wall Street our style of welfare state. There has Journal, Sanders would add $18 always been a broad consensus that trillion to the federal budget over a continent-size nation like ours the ne[t 1 years. Currently, total had to be diverse and decentralized, government spending is about 36 with a vibrant charitable sector and percent of GDP. Under Sanders it a great variety of spending patterns would rise to about 47.5 percent of and lifestyles. GDP, putting us comfortably in the American values have always European range. been biased toward individualism, First, Sanders would centralize achievement and Àe[ibility and power in Washington. If you less toward dirigisme, order and radically increase the amount of economic equality. money going to the Washington establishment, as Sanders would, you’re giving that establishment greater resources to control American life. Second, Sanders would weaken the ability of members of the middle class to make choices about their own lives. +e would raise ta[es on the rich, but there is only so much money you can squeeze out of such a small group of people. European welfare states generally rely on a highly regressive value-added/ sales ta[ ² usually around to 5 percent. Middle classes across Europe bear a much higher ta[ load than the American middle class. As Austan Goolsbee, a former economic adviser to President Barack Obama, has noted, you really can’t have a Swedish-style welfare state without a broad high ta[ burden. That means less spending power for most Americans, and fewer resources to choose one’s own lifestyle. Third, Sanders would change the incentive structure for the country’s most successful people. He proposes raising the top ta[ rate to 5 percent. As Josh Barro noted in The Times, when you add in state, local and other ta[es, top earners would be paying a combined ta[ rate over 73 percent. In high-ta[ locales like 1ew York City and California, it would be even more. It’s possible that entrepreneurs, company founders and others would pay these rates without changing their behavior, but I wouldn’t count on it. When you make risk-taking less rewarding, you get fewer risk-takers, which is e[actly what you see across the Atlantic. When you raise ta[es that high, the Elon Musks of the world ¿nd other places to build their companies. Fourth, Sanders would Europeanize American public universities. It sounds great to make college free. In fact, it’s a hugely e[pensive program that would mostly bene¿t the already afÀuent. It would create, as in Germany, a legion of eternal students who have little incentive to leave school because the costs are so low. It would give Washington of¿cials greater control over state universities, determining what sort of faculty they could hire and what sort of programs they could run. It would threaten hundreds of private colleges, which could no longer compete against the completely subsidized state system. It would reduce the pressures universities now feel to reform themselves because it would cushion them with federal largess. The changes in the health care system would be along the same lines. Sanders would create a centralized and streamlined system. His approach would also, as in Europe, reduce the rate of medical progress, increase the rationing of care, increase the wait times for patients, induce many doctors to retire and centralize decision- making. He might reduce health care costs by $6 trillion over the ne[t decade, but his proposal to do this gives new meaning to the word vagueness. Ŷ David Brooks is a columnist for the New York Times.
