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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Tuesday, April 19, 2016 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 Elfering, Bailor have little in common ,WZRXOGEHKDUGWR¿QGPRUH opposite candidates than the two running for Umatilla County commissioner. Challenger Tom Bailor uses the word “future” in just about every sentence, while Bill Elfering might be the most backward-looking HOHFWHGRI¿FLDOLQWKHFRXQW\ Elfering told the editorial board he supports the prohibition of alcohol, an idea nearly a century behind the times. Bailor, on the other hand, describes the county as running on “AOL” and that it needs to “upgrade to at least Google to get to 2050.” <HWGHVSLWHWKHLUVLJQL¿FDQW difference in outlook, they do have one thing in common: Neither will get our endorsement in the Umatilla County commissioner’s race. Perhaps Bailor is not even a serious candidate. He had a dismal showing in the last county FRPPLVVLRQHUUDFHLQ¿QLVKLQJ ¿IWKRIVL[DQGJDUQHULQJMXVW percent of the vote. He also has no name recognition outside of Pendleton and Mission and he doesn’t have the personality to win over voters who don’t know him. And he has no plans to run the kind of active campaign needed to overcome this initial disadvantage. Elfering, the current county commissioner, is therefore the heavy favorite to retain his seat. But we’ve EHHQXQLPSUHVVHGE\(OIHULQJ¶V¿UVW term on the commission. And our biggest gripe is his lack of concerns. According to Elfering, everything is hunky-dory in county government. 7KHVKHULII¶VRI¿FH"%HWWHUWKDQ ever. EOTEC? A shining beacon of success. County emergency dispatch? All clear. Management and morale? Two thumbs up. Nothing to see here, and nothing to be done either. So perhaps, with so little to be concerned with, the county should look into changing the structure of its government, like Morrow County has done, to three part-time commissioners and one full-time, unelected county manager? No, said Elfering. It ain’t broke. This laissez-faire, hands-off approach toward the operation of government is perhaps not what you’d expect from the former head of the county’s Republican Party. Yet that’s Elfering re-election pitch. He told the editorial board that “people have already invested in me four years of training” and that he wants to “continue to do the good things I’ve been able to do for the county.” He touts one of his major achievements as recording county commissioner meetings, an idea he freely admits to stealing from longtime losing county commissioner candidate Michael Cannon. There’s no doubt the county is running better than it was four years ago, trimmed down with commissioners taking on added responsibilities. But comparing Elfering’s self-prepared re-election resume with his vision for the next four years, it’s clear he has been along for the ride and not driving the bus. We hope next term, voters get more return on their investment. 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. Culture corner The newspaper is supposed to be a place to learn things. And we’d be foolish to think we’re the only provider making content of interest and value. So today we’re unveiling a new weekly feature for the opinion page that we’re calling the “Culture Corner.” This will be a place where newsroom and editorial board members will tip you off to something important they read or watched or listened to in the last week. Or something not important at all. From distinguished journalism to silly time wasters, the tips and recommendations will vary widely. But we hope you’ll learn something and have a tidbit to talk about at the water cooler. Let’s start out with a fun one from editorial page editor Tim Trainor: www. radiooooo.com Yes, that’s radio — with four more Os tacked onto the end. Type that website into your search bar. Although still in it’s beta testing stage, radiooooo.com is a fascinating place to spend some time. The site allows users to discover worldwide pop music of the last century. You can click any country on the map, choose a decade, and listen to some illustrative music of the time and place. You can listen to East German rock from the 1960s. Or a Peruvian waltz from the 1930s. How about modern-sounding calypso music from Sierra Leone that was recorded in the 1950s? Or do you ever wonder what they’re listening to in Australia right now? Or Uzbekistan? It’s all there, along with ways to individualize your experience by requesting slow, fast or weird tunes. You’ll be blown away at the amazing variety of sound makers. And without even realizing it, you’re getting a history, geography and culture lesson while you’re doing your audio exploration. Hillary is not sorry I with my husband at Camp David,” t’s hard not to feel sorry for Hillary there would have been a Palestinian Clinton. She is hearing ghostly state for 15 years. footsteps. Hillary may be right that Bernie is She’s having her inevitability building socialist castles in the sky. But challenged a second time by a moralizing senator with few Bernie is right that Hillary’s judgment accomplishments who chides her has often been faulty. on her bad judgment on Iraq and She has shown an unwillingness special-interest money, breezily rakes Maureen to be introspective and learn from her in millions in small donations online, mistakes. From health care to Iraq to Dowd draws tens of thousands to rock-star the email server, she only apologizes Comment rallies and gets more votes from young at the point of a gun. And even then, women. she leaves the impression that she is But at least last time, it was a dazzling merely sorry to be facing criticism, not that newcomer who also offered the chance to VKHPLVFDOFXODWHGLQWKH¿UVWSODFH break a barrier. This time, Hillary is trying to On the server, she told Andrea Mitchell fend off a choleric 74-year-old democratic of NBC News that she was sorry it had socialist. been “confusing to people and raised a lot Some close to the campaign say that those of questions.” She has never acknowledged, ghostly footsteps have made Hillary restive. maybe even to herself, that routing diplomatic The déjà vu has exasperated Bill Clinton, who HPDLOVZLWKFODVVL¿HGLQIRUPDWLRQWKURXJK griped to an audience in New York on Friday a homebrew server was an outrageous, that young supporters of Bernie Sanders get reckless and foolish thing to do, and disloyal excited because it sounds good to say, “Just to Obama, whose administration put in place shoot every third person on Wall Street and UXOHVIRUUHFRUGNHHSLQJWKDWVKHÀRXWHG HYHU\WKLQJZLOOEH¿QH´ Wouldn’t it be a relief to people if Hillary At the Brooklyn debate, there was just acknowledged some mistakes? If she said acrimony, cacophony, sanctimony and, that her intentions on Libya were good but that naturally, baloney. she got distracted by other global issues and Hillary gazed at Bernie as though she could took her eye off the ball? That the questions hypnotize him into skedaddling. And Bernie that should have been asked about Libya were ZDYHGKLVLQGH[¿QJHUDQGÀDSSHGKLVKDQGV not asked and knowing this now would make miming that he won’t budge, no matter how her a better chief executive? aggravating it is for Clinton Inc. Obama, introspective to a fault, told Chris 6DQGHUVÀHZWRWKH9DWLFDQWKDWQLJKW Wallace of Fox News that not having a better to underscore his vision of himself as the SODQDIWHU0RDPPDU*DGKD¿ZDVRYHUWKURZQ moral candidate. And Hillary headed to was the worst mistake of his presidency. But California, underscoring Bernie’s portrayal as usual, Clinton, who talked Obama into it, of her as the mercenary candidate. She LVGH¿DQWO\GRXEOLQJGRZQ$VKHUQDWLRQDO attended fundraisers headlined by George security advisers told Kim Ghattas for a piece and Amal Clooney in San Francisco and at in Foreign Policy, Clinton “does not see the the Clooneys’ LA mansion that cost $33,400 Libya intervention as a failure, but as a work per person and $353,400 for two seats at the in progress.” head table in San Francisco — an “Ocean’s Clinton accused Sanders of not doing his Eleven” safecracking that Sanders labeled homework on how he would break up the “obscene.” banks. And she is the queen of homework, Clinton sowed suspicion again, refusing to always impressively well versed in meetings. cough up her Wall Street speech transcripts. But that is what makes her failure to read the And Sanders faltered on guns, fracking and National Intelligence Estimate that raised releasing his tax returns. But he was gutsy, doubts about whether Iraq posed a threat to the in a New York primary, to say he’d be more U.S. so egregious. evenhanded with Israel and the Palestinians. Like other decisions, it was put through a As my colleague Tom Friedman has warned, SROLWLFDO¿OWHUDQGDSDUDQRLGPLQGVHW6KHGLG we can hurt Israel by loving Israel to death. not want to be seen, in that blindingly patriotic Hillary alternately tried to blame and hug time, as the bohemian woman standing to the the men in her life, divvying up credit in a left of the military. self-serving way. When Barack Obama was warned by After showing some remorse for the 1994 some supporters in 2002 not to make a speech crime bill, saying it had had “unintended” against the Iraq invasion because it might hurt consequences, she stressed that her husband his political future, he said he was going to do “was the president who actually signed it.” it anyhow because the war was a really terrible On Libya, she noted that “the decision was idea. the president’s.” And on her desire to train and What worries me is whether Hillary has arm Syrian rebels, she recalled, “The president WKHFRQ¿GHQFHWRPDNHGHFLVLRQVFRQWUDU\WR said no.” her political interests. Can she say, “But it’s a But she wrapped herself in President really terrible idea”? Barack Obama’s record on climate change Ŷ and, when criticized on her super PACs, said, Maureen Dowd, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer well, Obama did it, too. Prize for distinguished commentary and author Sanders accused her of pandering to Israel of two New York Times best sellers, became an after she said that “if Yasser Arafat had agreed Op-Ed columnist in 1995. YOUR VIEWS Gas tax failure hurting city streets Friday, half the street was paved behind a new multi-million dollar school rehab on Southeast Alexander. Half the width of the street, and just in front of the school. If the 5 cent per gallon gas tax had passed this wouldn’t be happening because there would have been money to pave the whole street from Southeast 11th to Southeast 15th. Rex Morehouse and others say that the citizens of Pendleton were the only ones paying for the new streets; however, Mr. Morehouse, you and I were at the same community meeting where the stats on the previous 5 cent gas tax was presented and we both know that 54 percent of the revenue raised was from out-of-town drivers. With the economy growing and the price of gas down I suspect that the percent of out-of-town drivers paying the 5 cent tax would have higher this time. The city says they will be paving the streets with the worst problems ¿UVW+RZPXFKZRUVHFDQWKH problem be that half the width of the street behind Washington School is all that is paved on a street that is about four blocks long? Why is it that streets that are already paved, be WKH\LQQHHGRI¿[LQJJHWDWWHQWLRQ before those that are nothing but dirt and gravel get considered? Isn’t no pavement worse than pavement with SRWKROHVWKDWFDQEH¿OOHGZLWKFROG patch? I think so. Why should all the residents of a neighborhood be made to suffer due to one or two who don’t want progress for fear that their property taxes will raise? Granted we do not live in Montee Addition or on the North Hill, but we still pay taxes just like everyone else and we deserve the same city services as everyone else, rich or poor. I suggest they pave Southeast Alexander from 11th to 15th. The street doesn’t need sidewalks the full length but it does need paving. I also suggest that the city look at all the other streets that are not currently paved and come up with a plan to get them paved without forcing the residents into footing the bill for an LID that most can’t afford. If the residents of the street take ownership RIWKHSUREOHPWKH\ZLOO¿QGD solution that is both acceptable to the city and to the state and the city will be better for it. Most small businesses have a VLJQL¿FDQWVRPHZKDWSUHGLFWDEOH expense to operate and not one penny of guaranteed income. The Oregon Legislature just VLJQL¿FDQWO\UDLVHGWKHFRVWVRI every employer in the state with not one penny of funding or proper vetting of the costs. The expense to the state alone will be massive. The bill was passed with emergency declaration by the Democratic majority preventing it from being eligible for referral to the ballot. If this is about social justice, why were the voters not allowed to decide in November? Motor voter, minimum wage, dump coal — all passed when the gavel dropped with a rubber stamp at the governor’s desk. It’s about votes and building the power of the already dominant Democratic Party. To Mr. Henry sitting on gold plated retirement, don’t lecture me on “got mine, up yours.” Sign the petition; search No Fake Emergencies. Barbara A. Wright Pendleton Bruce Staley Pendleton Emergency clause abused by legislature Marks makes a mark I would like to support Becky Marks as a city council member. Becky has been an excellent resource for us at The South Hills Apartments as well as to me personally. As a council member Becky is not over our ward; however, she has always referred us to the appropriate council members and we have obtained great results. To name a few: 1. The city planners wanted to change the name of our street from 28th Drive to Houtama Road. This change would split our complex in two, meaning all 80 apartments would have to change their addresses including everything to do with our business. Also, our complex would be referred to as Houtama Apts. (We are well known as The South Hills Apts., an upstanding, quiet and safe place to live.) 2. We here at The South Hills have had extreme problems with a communications company here in town. Becky contacted the city attorney. The city attorney in turn contacted me wanting to know about our problem because it concerned a practicing business that is contracted with the city of Pendleton. We no longer have any problems with this company. 3. Becky has listened and taken information to the appropriate people concerning housing here in Pendleton. Becky understands where “We the People” are coming from and what our needs are. She conscientiously supports the people of Pendleton in many diverse areas. Her input and intentions are much appreciated. For us Becky Marks has made a difference! Teri Prock, site manager Dot Veristain, assistant manager The South Hills Apartments 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. Send letters to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendle- ton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
