Page 4A
OPINION
East Oregonian
Wednesday, June 29, 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
The overlooked substance
in Donald Trump’s speech
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
A scorched tree and devastated mobile homes are backdropped by a
wildire continuing to burn June 25 in South Lake, Calif.
Fire season arrives M
in Eastern Oregon
Fire season oficially kicked off
McNary and Umatilla. Those bans
include ires of all sorts, even grills.
Tuesday in Eastern Oregon.
It has already been a brutal start
▪ Keep campires and debris ires
to the season elsewhere across the
under control. Even when and where
West: Two people
they are allowed,
were killed in
err on the side of
There’s nothing caution. Scorching
California wildires
that have burned
brisk winds
more American weather,
about 100,000 acres.
and dry grass can
Other dangerous and
than ireworks cause even the
destructive ires have
of ires to
on the Fourth of smallest
lared up in Alaska,
quickly erupt. Use
Arizona, Colorado,
ire rings
July, but when established
Montana and Utah.
and don’t leave a
you live in the campire unattended.
Although locally
course, when
this was a more
desert it’s best Of
leaving make sure
moisture-rich winter
to abstain.
the ire is dead out.
and spring than in
▪ Bring the right
recent years, Oregon
tools. Water is a
will certainly not
must, obviously. But bring a shovel
be spared the wrath of wildires.
or axe when rooting around with a
On Monday, a grass ire quickly
motorized vehicle, and make sure
imperiled a number of Pendleton
homes, and a month ago a ire at the your ATV is equipped with a spark
old chemical depot burned up plenty arrestor. They are required on most
public lands, and there is a cleanout
of acres and caused numerous car
requirement, too, so be sure to invest
accidents.
in regular maintenance.
How bad is it going to be?
▪ If you have to smoke, be smart
The National Interagency Fire
when discarding your embers.
Center has the entire state rated
Million-acre ires have been sparked
“normal” for wildire potential
by cigarette butts thrown in the most
clear through September. That’s an
careless of places.
upgrade, actually. In recent years,
▪ There is nothing more American
most of the state was in the “above-
than ireworks on the Fourth of July,
normal” danger category from June
but it’s best to abstain when you live
through August.
in the desert. Be smart if you shoot
We should be better off this
off your own, but you’re better off
year, with decent snowpack
saving your money and letting a
keeping things green and also
professional put on the show.
keeping recreationalists out of
In general, the public won’t be
the backcountry longer. But as
able to stop every ire. Hot weather
those areas open up, it’s important
and lightning and unhealthy forests
to remember the additional
responsibilities required when out in mean there are bound to be plenty
of blazes out of our control. But
a parched world.
if we can be protectors instead of
▪ Take heed of local ire
contributors, Eastern Oregon will
restrictions. As the season
be a more comfortable place this
progresses, they will be sure to get
summer — not choked out by smoke
more restrictive, and with good
and not costing our government
reason. Bans went in place today
millions of dollars to ight
for local wildlife refuges, including
man-made ires.
Cold Springs, McKay Creek,
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.
Interpretation of the law has been
ost coverage of Donald
“inconsistent,” Miano said. In this
Trump’s recent speech in
way: A later clause stipulates that the
New York focused on his
provision just quoted “shall apply”
attacks on Hillary Clinton. Or the
to certain types of green cards. “The
fact that he read the speech from a
teleprompter. Or the fact that it came
Department of Homeland Security and
amid a period of disorder and change
the Immigration and Naturalization
in his campaign.
Service have generally interpreted that
But Trump included actual
to mean ‘shall only apply’” to certain
Byron
substance in the speech — new
types of green cards, Miano wrote.
York
policy proposals and promises — that
“Trump’s team could change the
Comment
escaped many observers. In a series of
regulations to interpret ‘shall apply’...
pledges to take action in his irst 100
as applying to ‘any alien,’ as the plain
days as president, Trump said he would move
text reads.”
on trade, business regulation, energy, and
The result could be a decided shift toward
several other topics.
government enforcing laws directing that jobs
One area in which Trump
go to Americans before
promised to take extensive
foreign workers.
and quick executive action is
Ron Hira, of Howard
immigration, with a pledge
University, noted that for
to “change immigration
many immigrant work
rules to give unemployed
categories, a president
Americans an opportunity to
could change the so-called
ill good-paying jobs.”
“recruitment requirement,”
What Trump meant
that is, the requirement
is that there are parts of
that businesses make a
U.S. immigration policy
good faith effort to hire an
— signiicant parts — that
American worker before
could be changed through executive action,
hiring a foreign worker. Some immigration
or regulation, or simply enforcing existing
categories have weak and easily circumvented
law. For example, there are programs for the
recruitment requirements, and some have none
admission of foreign workers — the various
at all, Hira told me in an email exchange.
alphabet programs like H-1B visas, EB-2
“For almost all H-1Bs, there is no
and EB-3 green cards, etc. — that have weak
recruitment requirement whatsoever,” Hira
or nonexistent requirements that businesses
said. “There are no recruitment requirements
hire, or try to hire, an American irst. It’s a
for L-1 workers. Ditto for B-1.”
concept that has huge public support, but
“I think there’s quite a bit of latitude for
one the government does not enforce. A
the next president to promulgate tighter
President Trump could change that, on his
recruitment rules for various work visas,” Hira
own authority.
wrote. “The upshot is that I think Trump could
“A president could direct the Department
write much tighter (better) rules to ensure
of Homeland Security to promulgate rules that that the program operates more closely as it is
interpret immigration laws in ways that are
intended.”
more favorable to American workers,” noted
Miano and Hira both listed other
John Miano of the Center for Immigration
areas in which a president could make
Studies, a group that favors more restrictions
immigration and employment policy more
on immigration, in an email exchange.
American-friendly. It’s an approach that many
Miano pointed to one provision of the
politicians, including Barack Obama, have
law, 8 USC 1182(a)(5), which he said gives
said they favor but have not, in fact, pursued.
a president enormous leeway in pursuing an
The immigration and work pledge in
Americans-irst policy. “Any alien who seeks
Trump’s speech was all of 13 words long. But
to enter the United States for the purpose
there was a lot of thinking behind it. It meant
of performing skilled or unskilled labor is
something. And it was just one part of a wide-
inadmissible,” the law reads, “unless the
ranging address; Trump placed his plans in a
Secretary of Labor has determined that ... 1)
bigger context that could have real resonance
there are not suficient workers who are able,
in the general election campaign, especially in
willing, qualiied ... and available at the time
the rust-belt states which could play a big role
of application for a visa and admission to the
in the outcome.
United States and at the place where the alien
“There is one common theme in all of
is to perform such skilled or unskilled labor,
these reforms,” Trump said. “It’s going to be
and 2) the employment of such alien will
America First.”
not adversely affect the wages and working
■
conditions of workers in the United States
Byron York is chief political correspondent
similarly employed.”
for The Washington Examiner.
Trump promised
to take extensive
and quick
executive action
on immigration.
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. 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. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave.
Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
YOUR VIEWS
Leave Til Taylor Park alone,
keep sheriff’s legacy intact
Fire Chief Mike Ciraulo and Pendleton
City Council:
It is with deep regret that again we are
discussing the destruction of the Til Taylor
Park, a historical part of Pendleton.
Til Taylor was my great-grandfather
and a wonderful man who for many years
represented not only law enforcement
but the Pendleton Round-Up. He stands
tall and proud before the wall of fallen
law enforcement oficers who died while
protecting not only people of Umatilla
County but the whole state of Oregon.
Our family has twice in my lifetime
had to defend the moving of my great-
grandfather’s statue and the closing of the
park.
First it was Sheriff John Trumbo wanting
to move it to the Umatilla County Jail site,
where the memorial would not be seen; the
next was the city wanting to move it to Main
Street, where there are fewer and fewer
businesses, where again the fallen would not
be remembered.
Already two of the relecting pools have
been removed. The one that remains has
been converted to a wonderful place for
young people to enjoy their summers, a place
to picnic and play.
It is sad to see our parks being eliminated.
It is hard enough to encourage our young
people to know where their heritage came
from without destroying what little evidence
and places of enjoyment we have left.
As Mayor Phil Houk stated in the tribute
to my great-grandfather and other law
enforcement oficers who have been killed
in the line of duty, this is a prime location for
people to see and respect their courage in the
protection of the citizens of Umatilla County
and the state of Oregon. People drive by this
monument everyday coming into and out of
Pendleton.
You would rather give up Pendleton’s
history than put a ire station on property
that is already vacant, all because of the
almighty dollar. Money is not everything in
the decision that is to be made. It should also
be for the history and enjoyment of people
who use the park.
My mother Dolores G. (Taylor) Sheard,
my uncle Tillman Taylor and my aunt
Nylene (Taylor) Graham have all in the
past voice a strong no in moving his statue
or destroying a place for families to enjoy.
Since all three have passed I ind that it has
fallen to his great-grandchildren to also voice
our no.
Debra (Sheard) Carter
Athena
Union Paciic has no ability
to change brake system
Your recent criticism of the Union Paciic
Railroad (“Tip of the hat; kick in the pants,”
June 24) grossly misrepresented both the
company’s responsibility regarding the brake
systems used on oil trains and the facts of the
diesel fuel leak near Troutdale.
The piece quotes a sound bite that the
railroad uses a “brake system that is from the
Civil War era.”
While that is an accurate description
of a system invented in 1868, it fails to
convey that the Union Paciic lacks the
ability to use another system. The railroad
does not own the oil cars in question; they
are leased to customers by a third party.
Furthermore, American railroads interchange
cars with each other and with Canadian and
Mexican railroads. Cars are required to meet
Association of American Railroads (AAR)
interchange rules to ensure compatibility
with other lines.
You also misrepresented the impact of the
fuel spill and the amount of fuel spilled. The
editorial stated that “thousands of gallons of
diesel” leaked “into the water table and the
Columbia River.”
It was nice to see the correction buried
at the bottom of the page the next day,
that none of the 300 gallons of spilled fuel
contaminated the water table, (Correction
June 25), but you failed to report that no fuel
leaked into the river either.
Regarding Thomas Jameson’s comment
in “Quick takes” (June 25), I have good
news: Union Paciic does not run oil trains
through Pendleton, they run south out of
Spokane and turn west at the yard near
Hermiston.
William W. Webb Jr.
Echo
Wolves doing ine, thank you
I found a game camera that is interactive.
It was located near den number 77. The
camera helped me learn how Fish and Game
humans were going to manage my packs.
I really don’t need their help. I managed
to spread our packs out to Washington,
California and Nevada since we arrived from
Idaho.
I managed to get $800,000 from humans
in Salem to protect us. I managed to teach
my packs how to kill cattle and sheep
without leaving enough evidence behind to
identify the meal as a wolf kill and, inally, I
have managed to increase our pack numbers
dramatically in the short time we have been
here.
A. Wolf, grand packmaster
(as told to Mike Mehren, wolf listener
Hermiston)