Page 4A
OPINION
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OTHER VIEWS
Founded October 16, 1875
KATHRYN B. BROWN
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Publisher
Managing Editor
JENNINE PERKINSON
TIM TRAINOR
Advertising Director
Opinion Page Editor
OUR VIEW
Pardon the dust
When a business is ready to
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expand or remodel, but wants to
(if that’s what you want to call it)
keep customers coming in during
while one employee in an orange
the project, it will often hang a sign
jacket works on a road while four
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on the front door that reads “Pardon
our dust,” promising the end product building torn down to be replaced
with a new one can
will be worth the
strong emotions
short period of ugly
Construction — stir
from those who
inconvenience.
Hermiston might
while certainly remember way back
consider temporarily
a hassle — is when.
painting that logo
But as
on its water tower
any
business
a sign that
while the new brand
understands, if
Hermiston is a you’re not moving
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You can’t pass
you’re
growing town. forward,
from one side of
dying. The growing
town to the other
pains and mess of
without seeing signs of growth.
the process can be frustrating, but
The new hotel going up downtown,
the end product is worth it.
featured on today’s front page, is
Hermiston has shown a
rising quickly. Oregon Department
willingness to embrace such change,
of Transportation crews are at work
and that has been a large part of its
day and night on intersections and
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sidewalks up and down Highway
with dramatic changes, from the
395. McDonalds, the fast food staple construction of McNary Dam to the
of town, is undergoing a remodel
boom of irrigated agriculture to the
that will expand its footprint at the
storage and destruction of chemical
county’s busiest intersection.
weapons at the Umatilla Chemical
That’s not to mention the
Depot. Every shift in the economy
new homes going up in multiple
was capitalized on, which led to the
subdivisions, the Eastern Oregon
fast growth.
Trade and Event Center taking form
So, please, pardon the dust.
south of town, the Ranch & Home
Remember that the temporary
store slated for construction by the
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Wal-Mart Distribution Center or the Hermiston more accessible to
senior center soon to be built next to everyone, the noisy construction
the library.
sites will lead to more places to eat,
When the dust settles, the town
shop and stay, and the demolition of
will have a different look and feel.
old buildings can be part of a healthy
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cycle of rebirth.
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 VIEWS
Economic outlook of state depends
on where in Oregon you live
greater housing opportunity.
It was disconcerting to hear Brown,
ov. Kate Brown is right. Oregon’s during a question-and-answer period
after her speech to the Portland City
economy is blossoming ... if you
Club, say that tax reform should include
live in the right areas.
ensuring that out-of-state corporations
“I am pleased that, on the whole,
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following the Panama Papers revelations
second State of the State address. “But
that recovery has been slower across our DERXWJOREDOLQYHVWRUVVWDVKLQJSUR¿WVLQ
low-tax havens.
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But “fair share” is in the eye of the
struggling with unemployment as high
beholder. Oregon’s November ballot
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is expected to include a union-backed
“The key to continuing to grow the
initiative to substantially boost taxes on
economy in every corner of our state is
some out-of-state corporations doing
Oregon’s small businesses.”
business in Oregon. That proposal
Her attention to small businesses is
already has had a deleterious effect.
much appreciated. More than half of the
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Oregon workforce is employed in small
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businesses.
billion revenue as a way to fund more
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state services. If Oregon voters dampen
that is heavily reliant for tens of
the economy by approving the measure,
thousands of jobs on out-of-state
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companies that have chosen to locate
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some operations in Oregon. Those
In contrast, a robust economy lessens the
companies range from fast-food
IUDQFKLVHVWKDWJLYH\RXWKVWKHLU¿UVWMREV need for government services.
Tom McCall, the legendary governor
to high-income software developers.
whom Brown quoted in her speech
Consequently, the actual key to
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sustaining and widening Oregon’s
for protecting the environment, he also
economic growth is to align the state’s
cannily marketed the state’s economy.
tax, political and environmental policies
His successors also recognized that
with the state’s economic goals. But
Oregon’s policymakers seem to be doing Oregon’s quality of life depended on its
being a business-friendly state.
almost everything they can to deter
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business development. That is curious,
year-plus as governor. She had reason to
because at the same time they are
highlighting Oregon’s desperate need for be optimistic. But storm clouds not only
affordable housing. It should be obvious: are on the horizon, but they have been
raining on much of Oregon far too long.
More family-wage jobs would mean
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t’s now likely Republicans
vote is the single most important factor
are headed toward a contested
in the Republican primary and caucus
convention in July. But they might
system
be headed toward more than that — the
Some states award delegates
party could be on its way to an internal
winner-take-all — that is, to the winner
version of the 2000 election, the race
of the popular vote. Other states award
in which the candidate who lost the
delegates winner-take-all to the winner
popular vote won the presidency,
of the popular vote in congressional
leaving injured feelings and diminished
districts, with an additional number of
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faith in the legitimacy of the electoral
delegates going to the winner of the
York
system.
statewide popular vote. Other states
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award delegates proportionally, with the
The 2000 winner of the popular vote,
most going to the winner of the popular
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vote, either in districts or
because of the constitutional
statewide.
structure under which
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electors, not popular vote
methods are based primarily
totals, determine who enters
on the popular vote. It is the
the White House. Seeing the
foundation of the primary
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and caucus system.
W. Bush, win the election
Republicans have not
was unfortunate — it
recently had to face the
hadn’t happened since the
prospect of a popular
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the Constitution. Democrats
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unhappily accepted the result
primary and caucus votes
because they accepted the
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Constitution as the bedrock
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of our system of government.
2008, John McCain won
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other hand, the winner of
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be determined not by the
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Constitution but by rules
situation, when Barack
written by party activists and
Obama and Hillary Clinton
insiders the week before the
ran neck-and-neck in the
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popular vote. In the end,
rules can be reasonably
Obama played Democratic
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craftily than Clinton, and won the delegate race.
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But he also came out ahead in the popular
resulting nominee won’t command that respect, vote. By one count, Obama narrowly
either.
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There’s no guarantee it will happen.
of 35 million cast — while by another count,
Right now, the popular vote leader, Donald
including vote estimates from some caucus
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to RealClearPolitics, through the Wisconsin
Both were narrow, narrow victories, but
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popular vote gave Clinton a powerful argument
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as she stayed in the Democratic race. When
complicated ways to count delegates, but
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Trump still has a substantial lead.)
cracks in the highest glass ceiling,” she wasn’t
Even with losses over the weekend in
talking about delegates.
Colorado’s delegate selection, it’s possible
Now, Republicans could be headed toward
7UXPSZLOOZLQWKHGHOHJDWHVUHTXLUHGWR an end in which the popular vote loser becomes
clinch the nomination before the convention.
the party’s nominee. Many Republicans
If he did that, he would certainly be the
undoubtedly have no problem with that. They
vote leader, too. It’s far less likely — actually,
are fond of pointing out that we live in a
almost impossible — for Cruz to hit the
republic, not a democracy. That the rules are the
delegate mark before Cleveland. But if he
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could pull it off, in addition to his delegate-
democracy.
convention efforts, it could only be by
There are counter-arguments for all — we
collecting many, many more votes than Trump
live in a representative democracy, the rules are
in the remaining big contests.
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The more likely scenario is that Trump
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will go to the convention leading in delegates
more democratic. But don’t expect any of the
and the popular vote. The delegate totals will
arguments to be settled.
change on multiple ballots. The popular vote
Donald Trump will spend the next few days,
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and perhaps weeks, railing about the unfairness
WKLVSRLQWLWVHHPVGLI¿FXOWIRU&UX]WRRYHUWDNH of the system. Of course he’s doing it out of
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self-interest. But his campaign has raised a
possible that, should Cruz become the nominee, healthy question for debate: How representative
he would do so as the popular vote loser.
of the voters should a party’s nomination
Of course, winning the popular vote over a
process be?
series of primaries and caucuses is not the same
Ŷ
as winning the general election popular vote on
Byron York is chief political correspondent
a single election day. But winning the popular
for The Washington Examiner.
In an intra-party
Republican fight,
the winner of
the nomination
could be
determined
not by the
constitution, but
by rules written
by party activists
and insiders
the week
before the GOP
convention.
YOUR VIEWS
Letter proves existence
of village idiots
I compliment Mr. Kishpaugh’s
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Plute’s comments concerning the
“village idiots.”
Bob Ehmann
Pendleton
Emergency measures
hurt rural Oregon
It is time for those of us in rural
Oregon to take responsibility and
charge of our needs. We have stood
by and waited too long for Salem
to take notice of the difference in
rural and urban communities.
They have continuously ignored
our pleas to help stabilize funding
in counties dependent upon our
natural resources for county
funding, yet they push for clean
energy reforms that are not proven
to be cost effective, and will roll
out by 2025.
To add insult to injury, they
classify them as emergency
measures, to take effect
immediately, and push them
through the short legislation
session. Do they not understand the
word emergency?
Where was the $2 billion that
would have given rural counties
the ability to provide basic public
safety services to its citizens, and
saved nearby jurisdictions from
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concerns and dollars? Why did
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time bomb addressed? This will
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state agency (and yes, that means
taxpayer), as they scramble to fund
PERS liabilities now, not 2025.
Could it be because their own
pocketbooks are at stake?
It is time for a grassroots
movement to bring local control
back to local communities.
We can begin by reclaiming 50
percent of lottery funds being taken
from our local counties currently
going into a “honeypot” in Salem.
We need to show Salem that rural
Oregon has a voice, and demand it
be heard. It is time.
Valerie Lovelace
Grants Pass
Primmer the choice
for Pendleton council
This letter is in support of Dale
Primmer for the Pendleton City
Council, Ward 3 position.
Dale Primmer is someone we
have known for many years, both
personally and professionally.
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character, work ethic, judgment or
humor than Dale Primmer.
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family man, and because his
family is so important to him, he is
passionate about the place he and
his family have chosen to live, here
in Pendleton.
Dale will live his life here, and
he cares deeply about the quality of
life in our small town.
Dale is not one to sit back and
criticize, but rather likes to become
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decisions. His intelligent mind
can easily identify a problem
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implications of decisions made. He
is a skilled leader who can gather
people together to work toward
solutions and develop a vision for
the future.
There have been times we
have differed with Dale in some
of our politics, but there has
always been open conversation
and a willingness on his part to
“reach across the aisle” and listen
to another point of view. Dale is
a man of integrity, and without
hesitation, we believe he would
help steer the citizens of Pendleton
toward a healthy future.
Mark and Marla Royal
Pendleton
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 resi-
dence 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.