Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Legislators ignore impact of minimum wage hike Supporters of minimum wage hikes pooh-pooh critics who warn that increased labor costs lead to lower employment. They suggest that employers, notorious for sitting on bags of money, are able either to absorb increased labor costs, or increase prices to offset costs without negative impacts to employees. It’s political claptrap Oregon legislators spouted this month when they passed a three-tiered wage hike scheme. The people who run Oregon’s public universities quickly proved it a fallacy. The law hikes the current statewide minimum wage of $9.25 to $9.75 in July. Under the law, the state is divided into three regions. Over six years the wage increases by different rates in each region, based on population, median income and cost of living. In Portland, the minimum wage will reach $14.75, in rural and coastal counties with struggling economies it will top out at $12.50, and $13.50 in the rest of the state by 2022. State budget analysts couldn’t begin to calculate how much this would cost government, let alone private businesses, in extra wages and EHQH¿WV%XWQRZRUULHVVXSSRUWHUV said, because studies show that increasing minimum wages has no impact on employment and hiring. The people who run Oregon’s public universities must not have received the memo. Universities typically hire students DWPLQLPXPZDJHWR¿OODYDULHW\RI jobs around campus. The wages of students in the federal work study program are picked up by the federal government, but hundreds of others are paid out of university coffers. Shortly after Gov. Kate Brown signed the measure into law, The Oregonian reported that the wage hikes will cost the seven universities millions in additional labor costs, and force them to look at cutting hundreds of jobs held by student workers to cut costs. 2I¿FLDOVDW2UHJRQ6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\ told the paper that the hike would increase the cost of the more than 7,800 students it pays by $4.8 million in the next biennium. At the University of Oregon, the tab will be an extra $2.3 million in the same period, and rise to $6.1 million extra when the wage hits the top rate. Portland State University is looking at $2.5 million in extra costs in the 2017-2019 cycle. A spokesman for OSU said the hike could cost 650 to 700 students their jobs. PSU said it would likely make budget cuts and raise tuition. It probably came as no surprise to freshmen economics majors that a multi-million dollar hike in labor costs has to be offset either by an increase in revenues — tuitions and fees — or a reduction in expenses — job cuts. Unfortunately, legislators skipped that class. If caught off guard that public universities, agents of the state, are talking job cuts in light of hikes in the minimum wage, imagine their surprise when local retailers, restaurants, hotels, nurseries, orchards, packing houses and processors start doing the same. 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 Trump mischaracterized by this paper I strongly object to your March 16 Our View reference to a person running for the presidency; calling him a “vicious racist” is in very poor taste for your newspaper. This is not news reporting, this is slander. If you can’t say something nice about someone then don’t say anything. This man is spending most of his own money to run, not like the other people, and I believe that he has the guts to make America strong again. James Tiede Hermiston Obama’s legacy and Cuba I have a question for all the Barack Obama haters out there: Are the people of Cuba better off with the United States inside the tent urinating out, or outside the tent urinating in? We have spent 50 years being bellicose and thumping our chest with the Castro government and accomplished nothing. Now, Raul Castro is discussing Cuba’s human rights record with the President of the United States. Our foreign policy toward Cuba has been nothing short of stupid for half a century and the people that have suffered the most for that policy are the people of that island nation. We are practically “besties” with Vietnam, but certain people on the ULJKWZDQWWRNHHSXSWKH¿JKWDJDLQVW Cuba. Why? That power corrupted a RQHWLPHIUHHGRP¿JKWHULQWRDUXWKOHVV tyrant. That’s never happened before in history. Time, albeit very short, has exposed the same brilliant strategic thinking of the people who opposed the nuclear agreement with Iran. None of the critics spend any time discussing their alternative to a “bad treaty.” That is and always will be an unwinnable war against a country we don’t want to go to ZDUZLWKLQWKH¿UVWSODFH Donald Trump has the answer to ISIS and the Middle East. He would “go in fast and hard.” Why thank you general; I don’t know why nobody thought of that before your stroke of genius. The people on the right are going to be forced to admit that the Kenyan community organizer has done a very good job answering that early morning phone call Hillary Clinton talked about LQ,QIDFWRXU¿UVWSUHVLGHQWRI color has done an excellent job overall. There hasn’t been a hint of legitimate scandal and Barack Hussein Obama has done in seven years what Donald Trump claims he wants to do — make America great again. It’s too early to know for sure, but I think the history books are going to be kind to President Obama. Patrick J. Delaney Hermiston OTHER VIEWS 3UR¿OHVLQSDUDO\VLV W hen an old order is in crisis, One reasonable response to this something distinctive happens kind of stark challenge, this incipient to the men who lead it. revolution, would be soul-searching A strange paralysis sets in, a curious and a course correction. Trump would mix of denial and resignation. W.B. not have gotten this far, would not Yeats’ famous line about the best have won so many votes — especially lacking all conviction captures part of working class votes — if the Kempian this, but only part. What really goes vision had delivered fully on its missing isn’t conviction itself but the promises, if mass immigration, free Ross capacity to act on it — to adapt swiftly, Douthat trade, deregulation and upper-bracket resist effectively, or both. Instead the tax cuts had really been the prescription Comment tendency is to freeze, like mice under a for all economic ills. hawk’s shadow, and hope that stillness Another reasonable response would alone can save you from the talons. EHFOHDUGH¿DQFHLQWKHVW\OHRIWKH³QHYHU For an unfortunate case study, in this year Trump” movement, based on a recognition that of Donald Trump’s rebellion against the in this election conservatism as we’ve known Republican Party as we’ve known it, look LWFRXOGEH¿JKWLQJIRULWVYHU\OLIHDQGWKDWLI no further than the speaker of the House of Trump is not repudiated then the American right Representatives, Paul D. Ryan. could be remade in his authoritarian image. Ryan is not some corrupt functionary, some Personally I would favor both: a Republican WLPHVHUYLQJ5RPDQRI¿FLDOHDWLQJJUDSHVZKLOH Party that adapts to Trumpism by absorbing the barbarians come over the wall. He is an the legitimate part of its populist critique, while intelligent, principled, ambitious, and effective also doing everything in its power to resist political operator, with a clear vision for the Trump himself. But if you watch or read Ryan’s party that he helps to lead. recent CNBC interview with my colleague John That vision is close to the worldview of his Harwood, you’ll see a man who seems unable late mentor, Republican Congressman Jack to go down either path. Kemp. Kemp was a famous tax cutter, but Repeatedly Harwood presses him on also thought of himself as a “bleeding heart whether the party needs to change to address conservative,” a passionate believer in the the concerns of the blue-collar Republicans power of free markets and free trade to lift up who are voting for Trump. And every time, as the poor and dispossessed. He championed an The Week’s James Pethokoukis pointed out open door to immigrants, he campaigned for afterward, Ryan simply returns to a 1980s-era votes in blighted inner cities as well as Sun message: cut spending, cut taxes, open markets, Belt suburbs, and he believed that conservative and all will be well. Asked about the possibility principles could ultimately build a pan-ethnic that some voters might see those policies political coalition, purged of racialized appeals. as “taking care of people at the top more Ryan has zigzagged during his career, but his than you’re taking care of me,” he responds Kempian core is clear. He’s a pro-immigration dismissively: “Bernie Sanders talks about that free trader, a supply-sider and an entitlement stuff. That’s not who we are.” reformer. He favors optimistic rhetoric about the Yet when he’s asked about the threat that American promise, paired with warnings about Trump obviously poses to “who we are,” the the perils of identity politics and the enervating speaker — despite his admirable willingness to effects of the welfare state. He spent the time FRQGHPQVSHFL¿F7UXPSLDQRXWUDJHV²FDQ¶W between his months on the Romney ticket and bring himself to make a counterendorsement, or his ascent to the speakership in conversations voice explicit opposition to Trump’s progress. with antipoverty activists, on a Kempian quest “I have to respect the primary voter,” he for a new, less polarizing welfare reform. says. “It’s not my decision, it’s their decision.” And he has consistently critiqued Trump’s And, “We’re going to have to work with most demagogic forays — the proposed ban whoever our nominee is.” on Muslim travel to America, the footsie with So in sum, faced with a potentially white supremacists, the violent climate at existential threat to his vision of conservatism his rallies — as betrayals of what American (not to mention his House majority), Ryan’s conservatism ought to be. DQVZHULV¿UVWFKDQJHQRWKLQJVHFRQGGR nothing. But Trump isn’t just a random demagogue Sit still. Just sit still. promoting bigotry in some haphazard way. He Everyone might return to normal. has an agenda and a message, and it’s a dagger The hawk might pass. It might. aimed directly at Ryan’s vision for the party. On It might. issue after issue, from trade to immigration to Ŷ entitlement reform, a Trumpized party would Ross Douthat joined The New York Times as simply bury Ryanism/Kempism under white an Op-Ed columnist in April 2009. Previously, identity politics, and swing as far from Kemp’s he was a senior editor at the Atlantic and a enthusiastic minority outreach as the party blogger for theatlantic.com. could get. OTHER VIEWS 1RQDI¿OLDWHGYRWHUVVWLOOKDYH time to make ballot count The (Bend) Bulletin, March 19 Nearly a quarter of Oregon’s voters could have no say in important primary-ballot elections May 17, as things now stand. Because WKH\¶UHDPRQJWKHURXJKO\QRQDI¿O- iated voters in this state, they will be unable to choose among the Democratic or Republican FDQGLGDWHVIRUYDULRXVRI¿FHVLQWKHVWDWH including governor and secretary of state. That’s because the three major parties — Republican, Democratic and Independent — may decide for themselves who can participate in party primaries. Republicans and Democrats KDYHRSWHGIRUFORVHGSULPDULHV²QRQDI¿OL- ated voters or those registered with other parties may not participate. The Independent party, meanwhile, will DOORZQRQDI¿OLDWHGYRWHUVWRSDUWLFLSDWH alongside its party’s members. This is the ¿UVWVWDWHZLGHHOHFWLRQLQZKLFK,QGHSHQGHQWV are considered members of a major party in Oregon. 1RQDI¿OLDWHGYRWHUVQHHGQRWVLWRQWKH sidelines, however. With more than a month to go before the April 26 registration deadline, they have plenty of time to decide if they’d like to join a party, even temporarily. If they choose between Democrats and Republicans, they will get ballots containing all their party’s nominees, from president on down. Those who become Independents will vote on Independent Party candidates, generally running IRUVWDWHRI¿FHV ,IQRQDI¿OLDWHGYRWHUVRSWWRGRQRWKLQJ they’ll still get ballots, but those ballots will be VPDOOHUWKDQPRVW1RQDI¿OLDWHGYRWHUVZLOOEH asked to cast ballots in nonpartisan races — the Crook County Commission, for example — and on any local ballot measures in their districts. Party shopping is a problem for some voters, we know. If it is for you, pick a party, or no party, and stick with your decision. If not — if you see primary election registration as a tool XVHGWRIDYRUDVSHFL¿FFDQGLGDWHIRUH[DPSOH — then by all means, change. If casting a vote against Donald Trump is important to you, no matter how many delegates he’s amassed, then change. But do so by April 26. That’s the last day you can and still get to cast that ballot. 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.