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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Saturday, March 26, 2016 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 ‘Ag gag’ laws are a mistake Responsible farmers should have nothing to hide Eastern Oregon is well endowed 8QLYHUVLW\RI%ULWLVK&ROXPELD with farmers, ranchers and family shows that such heavy-handed foresters who their neighbors know efforts to keep agricultural practices to be among the most conscientious under wraps has the opposite of the VWHZDUGVRIWKHODQG<RXGRQ¶WWDNH GHVLUHGHIIHFW on a life of long hours and uncertain Instead of shielding squeamish rewards raising consumers from crops, animals and agriculture’s facts trees — or stay in of life, ag gag laws Oregon state these endeavors evidently leave the lawmakers public assuming — if you hate the natural world and all should resist the there is something to KLGH7KHWUXVWUDWLQJ WKDWOLYHVWKHUH siren call of for farmers drops 20 What is true on percent across the the local scale — ag gag laws. political spectrum that farmers and among members of foresters are natural the public when ag gag laws are put conservationists worthy of steadfast support — is not universally true on into play, the university researchers IRXQG WKHODUJHULQGXVWULDOVFDOH ³7KHUHDUHUHSXWDWLRQDO 7KHUHDUHLUUHVSRQVLEOHRSHUDWRUV in every economic pursuit and this is FRQVHTXHQFHV3HRSOHDUHOLNHO\ to be left with a bad taste in their DOVRWUXHRIDJULFXOWXUH6RPHODUJH mouths when they’re made aware of IHHGORWVDUHFUXHOWRDQLPDOV6RPH them (ag gag laws),” a study author UDQFKHUVRYHUJUD]HSXEOLFODQGV Some farmers over-apply chemicals VDLG No industry would be happy or over-medicate animals destined to be targeted by “secret agents” IRUJURFHU\VWRUHV posing as visitors or employees, Wonderful people but a little but agriculture occupies a central tone deaf when it comes to public position in people’s lives, providing relations, agricultural producers sustenance for purchasers and their in some states are incensed by the FKLOGUHQ+HLJKWHQHGVFUXWLQ\LVWR efforts of a few activists to bring attention to instances of malpractice EHH[SHFWHG Oregon state lawmakers clearly DQGPLVEHKDYLRULQWKHLQGXVWU\ should resist the siren call of ag gag 7KLVKDVOHGWRHIIRUWVE\DJJURXSV ODZV$JULFXOWXUDOSURGXFHUVLQRXU and supportive legislators in places states, who enjoy public support like Idaho to initiate “ag gag” laws, and positive reputations, can do far described in our sister publication better by continuing to reach out to Capital Press as prohibiting KLGGHQFDPHUD¿OPLQJDQGREWDLQLQJ consumers with truthful information, while working to further HPSOR\PHQWXQGHUIDOVHSUHWHQVHV enhance animal husbandry and A story in the Capital Press last HQYLURQPHQWDOO\IULHQGO\SUDFWLFHV Friday reported on just how big a 7KHYDVWPDMRULW\RIIDUPHUVDUH blunder these laws have been in KHURHVZLWKQRWKLQJWRKLGH7KH\ WHUPVRIFRQ¿GHQFHLQIDUPHUV VKRXOGDFWDFFRUGLQJO\ $VWXG\RI86FRQVXPHUVE\WKH Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. OTHER VIEWS 7HUURULVWVEDWKWXEVDQGVQDNHV A American economy (he now says that re terrorists more of a threat ODVWSRLQWZDVDMRNH than slippery bathtubs? 7KHXSVKRWLVWKDW%UXVVHOVVXUYLYHG 3UHVLGHQW%DUDFN2EDPD this week’s terrorist attacks, but it may er, slipped into hot water when not survive climate change (much of 7KH$WODQWLFUHSRUWHGWKDWKH the city is less than 100 feet above sea frequently suggests to his staff that OHYHO fear of terrorism is overblown, with 'RHVQ¶WLWVHHPSUXGHQWWRLQYHVWLQ Americans more likely to die from falls in tubs than from attacks by Nichilas efforts to avert not only shoe bombers WHUURULVWV Kristif but also the drowning of the world’s low-lying countries? 7KHWLPLQJZDVDZNZDUGFRPLQJ Comment “We have a political system that ULJKWEHIRUHWKH%UXVVHOVERPELQJV engages quickly and powerfully in but Obama is roughly right on his IDFWVSHRSOHGURZQHGLQWKH86LQWXEV response to terrorism and security risks,” QRWHV'DQLHO(VW\DQHQYLURQPHQWH[SHUWDW sometimes after falls, in 2013, while 17 were <DOH/DZ6FKRRO³EXWGRHVQ¶WVHHPFDSDEOH killed here by terrorists in 2014 (the most of galvanizing action on climate change and UHFHQW\HDUVIRUZKLFK,FRXOGJHW¿JXUHV other risks that are less visible and spread over Of course, that’s not an argument for relaxing WLPHDQGVSDFH´ vigilance, for at some point terrorists will 7KHUHDVRQVHHPVWR graduate from explosives be — how do I put this to nuclear, chemical politely? — that we evolved or biological weapons in ways that leave us that could be far more LUUDWLRQDO GHYDVWDWLQJWKDQHYHQ When we spot a harmless %XWLWLVDQDUJXPHQWIRU garter snake, our brains addressing global challenges light up with activity as DOLWWOHPRUHUDWLRQDOO\ ZHSURFHVVWKH³WKUHDW´ 7KHEDVLFSUREOHPLVWKLV 7KDW¶VEHFDXVHDVSULPDWH 7KHKXPDQEUDLQHYROYHG brains evolved over tens of so that we systematically millions of years, poisonous misjudge risks and how to snakes were a threat that UHVSRQGWRWKHP we are highly adapted to Our visceral fear of address, with special brain terrorism has repeatedly cells that are extremely led us to adopt policies that VHQVLWLYHWRVQDNHLPDJHV are expensive and counterproductive, such as 8QIRUWXQDWHO\RXUEUDLQVDUHQRWZHOO WKHLQYDVLRQRI,UDT:HKDYHUDPSHGXSWKH adapted to most of the biggest threats we intelligence community so much that there DFWXDOO\IDFHLQWKHVWFHQWXU\:DUQXV are now seven times as many Americans that climate change is destroying our planet, ZLWKVHFXULW\FOHDUDQFHVPLOOLRQDVOLYH and only a small part of our prefrontal cortex LQ:DVKLQJWRQ'&0HDQZKLOH'RQDOG 7UXPSUHVSRQGHGWRWKH%UXVVHOVDWWDFNVZLWK (which worries about the future) will glimmer; then we’ll go back to worrying about snakes crowd-pleasing calls for torture or barring Muslims that even Republican security experts RUWKHLUPRGHUQHTXLYDOHQW²WHUURULVWV 'DQLHO*LOEHUWDSURIHVVRURISV\FKRORJ\ DJUHHDUHSUHSRVWHURXV at Harvard, says that the kind of threats that On the same day as the attacks, a paper by we evolved to deal with are those that are -DPHV(+DQVHQDQGRWKHUFOLPDWHH[SHUWV was released arguing that carbon emissions are imminent rather than gradual, and those that involve a deliberate bad actor, especially one transforming our world far more quickly than WUDQVJUHVVLQJRXUPRUDOFRGH([SODLQLQJRXU expected, in ways that may inundate coastal lack of concern for global warming, he noted, cities and cause storms more horrendous than DQ\LQPRGHUQKLVWRU\7KHUHVSRQVH"$\DZQ “Climate change is caused by the burning of IRVVLOIXHOVQRWÀDJV´ Hansen is an eminent former NASA In short, our brains are perfectly evolved scientist, but he’s also an outlier in his IRUWKH3OHLVWRFHQHEXWDUHQRWDVZHOOVXLWHG WLPLQJIRUHFDVWVDQG,¶PQRWTXDOL¿HGWR IRUWKHULVNVZHIDFHWRGD\,IRQO\FOLPDWH MXGJHZKHWKHUKH¶VFRUUHFW<HWZKDWHYHU change caused sharp increases in snake the disagreement about the timeline, there populations, then we’d be on top of the LVVFLHQWL¿FFRQVHQVXVWKDWHPLVVLRQVRQRXU watch are transforming our globe for 10,000 problem! \HDUVWRFRPH$VDQLPSRUWDQWDQDO\VLVLQ <HWHYHQLIRXUEUDLQVVRPHWLPHVPLVOHDG 1DWXUH&OLPDWH&KDQJHSXWLW³7KHQH[WIHZ us, they also crown us with the capacity to decades offer a brief window of opportunity UHFRJQL]HRXUÀDZVDQGUHFWLI\PLVWDNHV6R to minimize large-scale and potentially maybe we can adjust for our weaknesses in catastrophic climate change that will extend risk assessment — so that we confront the longer than the entire history of human possible destruction of our planet as if it were FLYLOL]DWLRQWKXVIDU´ every bit as ominous and urgent a threat as, 7RSXWLWDQRWKHUZD\WKLV\HDU¶VHOHFWLRQ VD\DSDVVLQJJDUWHUVQDNH choices may shape coastlines 10,000 years Ŷ IURPQRZ'RQDOG7UXPSDQG7HG&UX] Nicholas Kristof grew up on a sheep and have both mocked the idea of human-caused cherry farm in Yamhill. A columnist for The FOLPDWHFKDQJHZLWK7UXPSVXJJHVWLQJWKDW New York Times since 2001, he has twice won it is a hoax invented by China to harm the the Pulitzer Prize. The human brain evolved so that we systematically misjudge risks and how to respond to them. YOUR VIEWS was meant to allow the legislature WRDFWRQWUXHHPHUJHQFLHV7KH SUREOHPLVWKHGH¿QLWLRQRI an emergency is strictly at the Oregon is proud of its long GLVFUHWLRQRIWKHPDMRULW\,QWKLV WUDGLWLRQRI¿UVWV VWDWHWKDWLV'HPRFUDWV In 1967 we established public As of late, all controversial RZQHUVKLSRIRXUEHDFKHV,Q bills are declared emergencies ZHEHFDPHWKH¿UVWVWDWHLQWKH QDWLRQWRDGRSWDERWWOHELOO7KHOLVW DQGFRGL¿HGLQODZRQSDVVLQJ 7KHOHJLVODWLRQLVZULWWHQE\WKH RI¿UVWVLQ2UHJRQLVORQJ*UHDW EHQH¿FLDULHVGLVFXVVHGEHKLQG FLWL]HQVOLNH:D\QH0RUVH7RP closed doors, moved through the 0F&DOO0DUN+DW¿HOG%DUEDUD assembly and passed on a majority Roberts and Vie Atiyeh worked vote much to the displeasure of hard to make life better for all WKHPLQRULW\7KHVSHFLDOLQWHUHVW 2UHJRQLDQV'XULQJWKHUHFHQW groups like labor unions, renewable short legislative session we are energy interests and environmental QRZ¿UVWLQWKHKLJKHVWPLQLPXP groups then donate generously ZDJHLQWKHQDWLRQDQGWKH¿UVWWR to the candidate directly or their EDQFRDOIURPRXUSRZHUJULG SROLWLFDOSDUW\ %HIRUHDOOWKHVH¿UVWVLQWKH No matter where you stand QDWLRQZHZHUHWKH¿UVWWRHQVKULQH politically, policy that affects all in our Constitution the initiative Oregonians should be subject DQGUHIHUHQGXPSURFHVV,WLVDQ WRUHIHUUDOWRWKHEDOORW8QOLNH elegant but often messy approach WRGHPRFUDF\7KHEDVLFLGHDLVDOO many issues in politics, there is VRPHWKLQJZHFDQGRDERXWWKLV bills passed in the legislature have We can by gathering 125,000 a 90-day waiting period before signatures to refer a No Fake WKH\EHFRPHODZ7KLVJLYHVWKH (PHUJHQFLHVELOOWRWKHOHJLVODWXUH citizenry time to collect petition signatures to refer the matter to the It’s as simple as typing no fake emergencies into your browser, EDOORW$VDVDIHW\YDOYHWKHUHLV DOVRDSURYLVLRQIRUHPHUJHQFLHV,W downloading the petition, signing No more fake emergencies in Oregon it, folding it and returning it to WKHDGGUHVVVKRZQ<RXPXVWEHD registered voter, and if you are not WKDWLVHDVLO\UHPHGLHGDVZHOO It’s high time to take back our constitutional right to referendum and require a two-thirds majority to GHFODUHHPHUJHQF\VWDWXV Bruce Staley Pendleton M-F school bond a golden opportunity How can it get any better than this? We have a golden opportunity to have a new school and other upgrades in the system at a bargain SULFH$RQFHLQDOLIHWLPHRIIHU like this, to get a new facility and other needed improvements in our other aging buildings and only need to pay approximately 40 percent out of our pockets, is a golden opportunity we can’t pass XS Our aging buildings are H[SHQVLYHDQGGLI¿FXOWWRPDLQWDLQ and the new school will actually EHPXFKPRUHFRVWHI¿FLHQWDQG HQYLURQPHQWDOO\IULHQGO\ I could feel a new beginning and excitement in town when the community came together to build WKH*DWKHULQJ3ODFHWKHQDOPRVW everyone stepped forward to help ZLWK0DNH$'LIIHUHQFH'D\1RZ let’s all get together to keep the progress moving forward with a QHZVFKRRO Other people have come forth ZLWKDOOWKHIDFWVDQG¿JXUHVIRU you to consider but it can’t get any simpler than this: A home with a taxable value of $150,000 will pay SHURUDQQXDOO\ for 20 years, or approximately 45 cents a day, much less than a cup RIFRIIHH(YHQZLWKWKHSDVVDJHRI the new school bond, the tax rate for education in Milton-Freewater will be one of the lowest in 8PDWLOOD&RXQW\ (GXFDWLRQLVWKH¿UVWVWHSIRUD VWURQJHUFRPPXQLW\,QRUGHUWR recruit good paying jobs to Milton- Freewater we need a diverse workforce, and new facilities will bring excitement and pride that is FXUUHQWO\ODFNLQJ,QYHVWLQJLQRXU education system is an investment that will not only impact our economy now but for years to FRPH$QHGXFDWHGZRUNIRUFH and pleasing facilities that are appealing to potential businesses and people thinking about moving to our great city is important for RXUIXWXUH Also, today’s kids are in a technical/computer world that I, and most adults my age, GRQ¶WXQGHUVWDQG7RFRPSHWH in tomorrow’s job market our kids need a modern, advanced HGXFDWLRQ7KLVLVSRVVLEOHDQG much easier in a modern facility with all the advanced systems built LQ 7KLVLVVRPHWKLQJZHPXVWWDNH advantage of for our kids, and our FRPPXQLW\/HW¶VJHWUGRQH Lewis Key Mayor, Milton-Freewater
