Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Saturday, April 2, 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 A forest plan we can live with The Blue Mountains Forest Plan is the overarching management document that guides decisions on millions of acres of public land in Eastern Oregon. Land managers on the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman and Malheur national forests have been working under that plan, which has not been updated since 1990. That was two Bush presidents ago, and about eight years before Google was founded. The plan is long overdue for an update, but the public and land owners (the federal government and we the people) have, as of yet, been unable to make headway on what that should look like. After a long, arduous process to collect and collate public comment, WKH)RUHVW6HUYLFHUHOHDVHGVL[ possibilities for what an updated plan could look like. They call those alternatives. The public didn’t OLNHDQ\RIWKHVL[DQGWKH)RUHVW Service decided to go back to the drawing board and consider more alternatives. It was another delay for a new forest plan, but perhaps it will allow for an outcome that more people will be happy with. It’s hard to do. Forest users come in all different stripes, and they want different and sometimes opposite things from the forest plan. Lumber industries want more board feet. Environmental groups want more WUHHVLQWKHJURXQG5HFUHDWLRQDOLVWV want great hunting opportunities and easy access to their favorite spots. Tribal groups want to conserve resources and preserve traditional culture. It’s impossible to perfectly please everyone. But as we saw in other Eastern Oregon public lands debates that got out of hand, it is LPSRUWDQWIRUORFDORUJDQL]DWLRQV and individuals to take part in the process, and provide accountability IRULWVRXWFRPH+RZFDQZHH[SHFW our government to know what we want, if we don’t tell them? And not in all caps social media swearing, but in reasoned public testimony. At the same time, we need our government to listen. We cannot EHVRVHO¿VKDVWRWKLQNZHZLOOJHW everything we want, but we are all stakeholders and we deserve to have our voices heard and considered. The public has had many opportunities to chime in and be considered, and now you have one PRUHULJKWKHUHLQ8PDWLOOD&RXQW\ The East Oregonian and Oregon Public Broadcasting, as noted in our front page story today, have teamed up to bring the OPB show Think Out Loud to Pendleton to GLVFXVVWKHSODQ5HSUHVHQWDWLYHV from the Forest Service will answer TXHVWLRQVDQGGLVFXVVWKHGLI¿FXOW\ of the process and members with industrial, recreational environmental and tribal concerns will make their case for how they want the woods to look and feel. The forum is Wednesday from 7-8 SPDW%OXH0RXQWDLQ&RPPXQLW\ &ROOHJH¶VPDLQOHFWXUHKDOO3OHDVH arrive by 6:30 p.m. so you’ll be in your seat by the time the audio engineers hit the record button. This forest plan revision has EHHQDORQJWRRORQJH[SHQVLYH WRRH[SHQVLYHFRPSOH[ WRRFRPSOH[SURFHVV%XWDVZH enter another stage, Oregonians have the opportunity to listen and learn. That is the best way to feel involved and invested. 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. OTHER VIEW Voter law motors into closed primaries The Oregonian T he idea behind Oregon’s new ³PRWRUYRWHU´SURJUDPVLJQHG into law last year by Gov. Kate Brown, was all about removing barriers to voting, real or imagined. By tapping Oregon’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services database of people seeking driver’s licenses or ID cards, the state could automatically add to the voter rolls those eligible Oregonians who had not previously registered. According to the Oregon secretary RIVWDWH¶VRI¿FHPRUHWKDQ new voters have been added since the program began less than three months ago — far outperforming the typical 2,000-voter-a-month pace of the past. ,WZRXOGVHHPWKDW³PRWRUYRWHU´LV doing what backers wanted it to do: Enfranchising many who might not otherwise have bothered to register. ([FHSWWKHUH¶VRQHSUREOHP 2UHJRQ¶VH[SHULPHQWWRHOLPLQDWH barriers is about to meet the immovable object that is Oregon’s closed primary system. More than 86 percent of the new voters added so far this year are UHJLVWHUHGDVXQDI¿OLDWHGZLWKDQ\ political party. That’s the default setting LQ³PRWRUYRWHU´IRUWKRVHZKRGRQ¶W return a mailer designating a party DI¿OLDWLRQRULQGLFDWLQJWKH\ZDQWWREH kept off voter rolls completely. But under Oregon law, major political parties can restrict participation in their primaries to only those voters who are registered with their party. Both the state’s Democratic and 5HSXEOLFDQSDUWLHVKDYHRSWHGWRNHHS their primaries closed in this way to RXWVLGHUV6XFKH[FOXVLYLW\DIIHFWVQRW just races for state legislative positions but carry over to the presidential race as well. 7KDWPHDQVWKDWDQRQDI¿OLDWHGYRWHU who may want to cast a ballot for Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump in May’s primary may not do so, because both candidates will appear only on their respective parties’ ballots. The irony that nearly all new UHJLVWUDQWVDGGHGXQGHU³PRWRUYRWHU´ would be barred from voting in the most prominent races this May is not lost on those who run the program. 6HFUHWDU\RI6WDWH-HDQQH$WNLQV announced last week that elections RI¿FLDOVDUHVHQGLQJQRWLFHVWRDOORI WKHVWDWH¶VQHDUO\QRQDI¿OLDWHG voters reminding them that they cannot YRWHLQWKH'HPRFUDWLFRU5HSXEOLFDQ primary unless they change their voter registration to designate the appropriate SDUW\DVWKHLUSROLWLFDODI¿OLDWLRQ The deadline to submit a change for the May primary is April 26. The secretary of state’s announcement, however, does highlight DSUREOHPWKDWRI¿FLDOVZLOOQHHGWR eventually address. 1RQDI¿OLDWHGYRWHUUHJLVWUDWLRQVDUH surging nationally, not just in Oregon, DQGWKHVWDWHVKRXOGUHFRJQL]HWKDW closed primaries are cutting out hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who should not have to declare fealty to one party or another to simply cast their vote. If the state truly wants to give voters DYRLFHWKDWPHDQVUHFRJQL]LQJKRZ the system is set up intentionally to NHHSWKHPRXW&RVPHWLF¿[HVOLNHD failed legislative bill to prepay postage for ballots are nothing more than meaningless gestures. The real work requires the 'HPRFUDWLFDQG5HSXEOLFDQ HVWDEOLVKPHQWWRUHFRJQL]HWKDWWKHLU rhetoric about eliminating barriers means nothing when they refuse to remake a V\VWHPEDVHGRQH[FOXVLRQ OTHER VIEWS Learning from Obama ike many political junkies, I’ve WKH0HGLFDLGH[SDQVLRQWKH been spending far too much &RQJUHVVLRQDO%XGJHW2I¿FH time looking at polls and trying predicted that by now 89 percent to understand their implications. of the nonelderly population would &DQ'RQDOG7UXPSUHDOO\ZLQKLV be covered; the actual number is 90 SDUW\¶VQRPLQDWLRQ"<HV&DQ%HUQLH percent. 6DQGHUV"1R%XWWKHSULPDULHV The details have been something aren’t the only things being polled; of a surprise: fewer people than we’re still getting updates on President H[SHFWHGVLJQLQJXSRQWKHH[FKDQJHV Paul Barack Obama’s overall approval. And Krugman EXWIHZHUHPSOR\HUVWKDQH[SHFWHG something striking has happened on dropping coverage, and more people Comment that front. signing up for Medicaid — which At the end of 2015 Obama was means, incidentally, that Obamacare is VWLOOXQGHUZDWHUZLWKVLJQL¿FDQWO\PRUH looking much more like a single-payer system Americans disapproving than approving. WKDQDQ\RQHVHHPVWRUHDOL]H%XWWKHSRLQW Since then, however, his approval has risen is that reform has indeed delivered the big sharply while disapproval has plunged. He’s improvements in coverage it promised, and it still only in modestly positive territory, but KDVGRQHVRDWORZHUFRVWWKDQH[SHFWHG the net movement in polling 7KHQWKHUH¶V¿QDQFLDO averages has been about 11 reform, which the left percentage points, which is considers toothless and the a lot. right considers destructive. What’s going on? In fact, while the big banks Well, one answer is that haven’t been broken up, voters have lately been H[FHVVLYHOHYHUDJH²WKH given a taste of what really UHDOWKUHDWWR¿QDQFLDO bad leaders look like. But stability — has been greatly I’d like to think that the reduced. And as for the public is also starting to economic effects, have I UHDOL]HMXVWKRZVXFFHVVIXO mentioned how well we’ve the Obama administration done on job creation? has been in addressing Last but one hopes America’s problems. And there are lessons not least, the Obama administration has from that success for those willing to learn. XVHGH[HFXWLYHDXWKRULW\WRWDNHVWHSVRQ I know that it’s hard for many people on the environment that, if not canceled by a both sides to wrap their minds around the 5HSXEOLFDQSUHVLGHQWDQGXSKHOGE\IXWXUH notion of Obama-as-success. On the left, those 6XSUHPH&RXUWVZLOODPRXQWWRYHU\ caught up in the enthusiasms of 2008 feel let VLJQL¿FDQWDFWLRQRQFOLPDWHFKDQJH down by the prosaic reality of governing in a All in all, it’s quite a record. Assuming GHHSO\SRODUL]HGSROLWLFDOV\VWHP0HDQZKLOH Democrats hold the presidency, Obama will conservative ideology predicts disaster emerge as a hugely consequential president — IURPDQ\DWWHPSWWRWD[WKHULFKKHOSWKH PRUHWKDQ5HDJDQ$QG,¶PVXUH5HSXEOLFDQV OHVVIRUWXQDWHDQGUHLQLQWKHH[FHVVHVRIWKH will learn a lot from his achievements. market; and what are you going to believe, the April fools! ideology or your own lying eyes? Seriously, there is essentially no chance But the successes are there for all to see. that conservatives, whose ideas haven’t Start with the economy. You might argue changed in decades, will reconsider their that presidents don’t have as much effect dogma. But maybe progressives will be more on economic performance as voters seem open-minded. to imagine — especially presidents facing The 2008 election didn’t bring the political VFRUFKHGHDUWKRSSRVLWLRQIURP&RQJUHVVIRU transformation that Obama enthusiasts PRVWRIWKHLUWLPHLQRI¿FH%XWWKDWPLVVHV H[SHFWHGQRUGLGLWGHVWUR\WKHSRZHURIWKH WKHSRLQW5HSXEOLFDQVKDYHVSHQWWKHSDVW vested interests: Wall Street, the medical- seven years claiming incessantly that Obama’s LQGXVWULDOFRPSOH[DQGWKHIRVVLOIXHOOREE\ SROLFLHVDUHD³MRENLOOLQJ´GLVDVWHUGHVWUR\LQJ are all still out there, using their money to buy business incentives, so it’s important news if LQÀXHQFH%XWWKH\KDYHEHHQSXVKHGEDFNLQ the economy has performed well. ways that have made American lives better And it has: We’ve gained 10 million and more secure. SULYDWHVHFWRUMREVVLQFH2EDPDWRRNRI¿FH The lesson of the Obama years, in other and unemployment is below 5 percent. True, words, is that success doesn’t have to be there are still some areas of disappointment complete to be very real. You say you want a — low labor force participation, weak wage revolution? Well, you can’t always get what growth. But just imagine the boasting we’d be you want — but if you try sometimes, you just KHDULQJLI0LWW5RPQH\RFFXSLHGWKH:KLWH PLJKW¿QG\RXJHWZKDW\RXQHHG House. Ŷ Then there’s health reform, which has Paul Krugman joined The New York Times (don’t tell anyone) been meeting its goals. in 1999 as a columnist on the Op-Ed Page Back in 2012, just after the Supreme and continues as professor of Economics and &RXUWPDGHLWSRVVLEOHIRUVWDWHVWRUHMHFW International Affairs at Princeton University. L There is essentially no chance that conservatives will reconsider their dogma. YOUR VIEWS Athena-Weston voters should support school bond I want to encourage all of the voters who live in the Athena-Weston School District to vote yes on the upcoming bond. You may have read in the paper that several schools in our region have been picked to receive a matching fund grant from the state of Oregon. The Athena Weston School District is one of the lucky ones. We will only be paying 44 cents more per assessed $1,000 than we are paying right now. Along with that 44 cents comes an additional $4 million from the state of Oregon for a total of $8 million to improve our aging schools. We can replace buses that are over 30 years old. I have two boys in high school here. I can’t believe they are riding some of the same buses that I rode when I was in high school. How long have you had the car in your driveway? The school board has many items they ZDQWWR¿[7KLVOLVWKDVEHHQSULRULWL]HGDQG student security is at the top of the priority list. Passage of this bond will keep our children safe for years to come. This list includes maintenance and renovations, energy savings upgrades, technology upgrades and many others that are way overdue. You can see this list on the school district website www.athwest.k12.or.us and watch a promotional video where you will KHDU¿UVWKDQGIURPVWXGHQWVVWDIIDQGSDUHQWV alike on the importance of this bond. A yes vote on the passage of the Athena Weston School District Bond is a yes vote for our future. Please join me by voting yes to our children and our future. John Shafer, mayor Athena Guns at national convention the latest in GOP craziness :KDW¶VXSLQWKHFUD]\ZRUOGRI5HSXEOLFDQ SROLWLFVWKLVZHHN")LIW\WKRXVDQG5HSXEOLFDQ conventioneers signed a petition saying they wanted to carry heat (semi-automatic pistols) LQWRWKH5HSXEOLFDQ1DWLRQDO&RQYHQWLRQ7KH 6HFUHW6HUYLFHVDLG³1RZD\-RVH´ 3LFWXUHWKH5HSXEOLFDQFRQYHQWLRQDQGD VKRRWRXWWDNLQJSODFH5HSXEOLFDQV WKHELJEDG1DWLRQDO5LÀH$VVRFLDWLRQJXQ QXWVZLWKWKHLUVHPLDXWRPDWLFVEOD]LQJDZD\ all caught on world wide TV coverage. That would end the gun debate in America, here and now, once and for all. 5HSXEOLFDQSROLWLFLDQVZKRDUHXVXDOO\DW WKHIRUHIURQWSXVKLQJWKHLU³JXQVHYHU\ZKHUH´ agenda, have remained silent about this ODWHVWLGHD:KDWGR5HSXEOLFDQSUHVLGHQWLDO FDQGLGDWHV7HG&UX]DQG'RQDOG7UXPSKDYH to opine about it? Ron Lowe Nevada City, Calif.
