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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, July 8, 2016 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Tip of the hat, kick in the pants A tip of the hat the EOTEC authority board for turning over the reins to Frew Development for the inal sprint to the project’s inish line. After years of plotting, planning and revising, the board was confronted by John Frew, the head of the development company, and warned that the fairgrounds and rodeo arena were in danger of missing their August 2017 completion deadline if the board continues to insist on micromanaging each detail along the way. It has led to delays in getting the different parts of the project out to bid, and the grand opening date is already pushed up against next year’s county fair. It’s a deadline that cannot and should not be missed. The board, made up of representatives for the city of Hermiston and Umatilla County, agreed that perfection can’t stand in the way of practicality. They have worked to give the fair and rodeo a heavy hand in the planning process up to now — a worthy goal — but the drawing board phase is long past. It’s time to bring this baby home. Now Frew will take over the building, and the EOTEC board can turn its attention to making it run once it’s open. A tip of the hat to the weekend. We get 52 every year, but some are just a little more fun than others, and this one coming up is going to be a doozy. For those with an adventurous spirit, here’s a challenge: Start the day in downtown Hermiston for the Funfest breakfast and visit the classic car show in McKenzie Park, K9 Kings Flying Dog Show by the library and lawn mower drag racing down Main Street. Make the drive to Athena for lunch and the Caledonian Games, where you can catch competitions in Scottish athletic and piping in the early afternoon. Then follow Highway 11 to Milton- Freewater for the Brews by the Blues Festival, the second annual beer event featuring some of the region’s best brews. Just make sure you’ve invited a designated driver along for the ride. Wrap up the day back in Hermiston to run off those calories at the Neon Nights 5K on the Oxbow Trail, with proceeds helping to pay for medical expenses of Patricia Bentz, who is ighting a rare cancer. There are, of course, other options throughout the weekend. Check out the Coming Events list on Page 5A of today’s paper for some of the other happenings. And those potential rain clouds in the forecast? They’d better believe a kick in the pants is coming if they ruin the day. 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 Obama’s final fight Y think that she thereby should be ou introduce yourself to voters sitting behind the desk.” as a son of Kansas and Kenya, Was Trump on Clinton’s mind? an emblem of this country’s Clearly. She complimented Obama openness to outsiders and its embrace of difference. Your election and as “someone who has never forgotten re-election afirm the distance that the where he came from — and Donald, United States has traveled, or so you if you’re out there tweeting, it’s believe. So you hope. Hawaii.” Then you look up toward the The 2016 campaign keeps showing Frank end of your second term to behold us things that we’re not accustomed Bruni a Republican presidential nominee to, and a second-term president Comment who is cynically exploiting racism campaigning with unfettered vigor and xenophobia to put the White for his desired successor is another of House within his own reach. He’s not merely those. George W. Bush didn’t do it: He was your adversary; he’s your antithesis. And his so toxic at this point in his administration that victory would do more than endanger your John McCain’s most fervent wish was to tuck policies. It would question the very moral of him into a broom closet. your journey, the very bend of the arc you Bill Clinton didn’t do it, because Al Gore frequently invoke. was intent on coming across as his own, less That’s what Barack Obama confronts priapic man. Neither did Ronald Reagan, right now, and that’s why he hit the because Bush’s father similarly felt the need campaign trail Tuesday, appearing onstage to lex his own muscle, outside of anyone’s with Hillary Clinton in North Carolina and shadow, and Reagan’s energy was lagging proclaiming without reservation that “there anyway. has never been any man or woman more Dwight Eisenhower? When asked what qualiied for this ofice” than she. That’s why Richard Nixon had accomplished as his vice he’ll say words like those again and again, president, he said that he needed a week to with the same ire, in the months ahead. think about it. For the nation’s irst black president, Obama and Hillary Clinton have arrived Clinton isn’t just the better candidate. She’s at a place of obvious respect for each other, the better America. She wins and he holds on and of palpable fondness. His high approval to his rosiest convictions about what he and ratings put him in a position to help. Her his presidency symbolize. Donald Trump stature puts her in a position not to be wins and that’s a tricky thing to do. eclipsed by his presence or belittled by that Trump forged his bond with bigots by assistance. essentially calling Obama an impostor and Campaigning together is an imperfect demanding to see his birth certiicate. But arrangement, inasmuch as she may seem that particular stunt weighs less on Obama to be arguing for the status quo instead of a than Trump’s sustained behavior during the better tomorrow. But Americans hold Obama 2016 presidential race does, according to in signiicantly higher esteem than they do people close to the president. her or Trump. There are far riskier things “The thing that I’m sure aggravates him — than letting the president carry the ball. enrages him — is the invocation of race and And he’s a player in this regardless, given ethnicity in our politics,” David Axelrod, a the larger context, which was clear when former White House aide, told me. “Obama’s Clinton asked the North Carolina audience message is about the emerging America and to think of “the early patriots who met in the strength of our diversity. He represents it. Philadelphia” in 1776. And when Trump says ‘Make America great “Nobody who looked like Barack Obama again,’ there’s an element of turning the clock or me would have been included back then,” back to the days when minorities were at the she said. “But we’re here today because the back of the bus.” story of America is the story of hard-fought, “That goes to the character of our hard-won progress.” country,” Axelrod added. “The president is That’s the tale that Obama has always someone who would be uniquely sensitive told. It’s the narrative that so many of us to that.” cling to. Where does Trump it into it, Uniquely sensitive and utterly and does it survive him? Instead of just impassioned. In North Carolina he didn’t so wondering and worrying, the departing much urge voters as command them, with a president has joined the ight. testimonial about Clinton that was gushing ■ and epic. I swear I saw her blush. Frank Bruni, an Op-Ed columnist for The Was Trump on Obama’s mind? I suspect. New York Times since June 2011, joined the “Everybody can tweet,” he said, adding newspaper in 1995 and has ranged broadly that it’s no preparation or qualiication for across its pages. He has been both a White the presidency. He brought up his younger House correspondent and the chief restaurant daughter. “Sasha tweets, but she doesn’t critic. YOUR VIEWS Pendleton housing focus should be downtown I am concerned we are not taking a long-term view about low-income housing units in Pendleton. Building ive 20-unit apartment blocks at the end of the present duplexes will devalue both this property and the surrounding area. Concentrated poverty leads to a host of urban ills, and these units will rapidly slide into all the typical problems that entails. Trafic also will be concentrated in one of the busiest areas of the city, exit 209 and Highway 395. Looking at other large complexes in the city, one sees the future of this way of development quite easily. Although more expensive initially, upgrading second story and higher levels on existing buildings downtown would provide a mix of retail, entertainment, food, and other anchors for a vibrant residential community contributing to a lasting betterment for the residents of the units and the city as a whole. This is the future development that would supercharge downtown and give a much-needed boost to the whole city, instead of warehousing people in another dreary box with no draw except as a place to live, no true creation of community. It might take ive years longer to realize this, but anyone who has studied urban planning knows the value of mixed use, high density development for the central core of the city. Let’s really give this a thought: I know there always are naysayers out there, but the logic is staring us in the face. Look at Walla Walla’s downtown as an example. I would like to see a new dynamism downtown and housing would be a great addition. Rents will surely be higher, also providing more money and a higher income tenant who will spend more and attract a more upscale clientele to the existing businesses. A virtuous circle will begin to form and more business will locate here, rents will rise, taxes will follow, and the city can replenish its coffers and gentrify its downtown. The more wealth spent here, the more services the city can offer. We can also start going after streets and sidewalks at a faster pace as the city’s inancials improve. Let’s think outside the box, make Pendleton a better place and offer more housing, at all income levels. The future belongs to forward-looking policies and cities residents want to live in and be proud of. Revitalization starts at the core downtown, spreads out and envelops the entire city. Attracting more business is also the right thing to do, nightlife and fun in a vibrant urban core. Scott Newell Pendleton Global left attacking American values The socialist/global left and the East Oregonian are promoting an agenda to undermine our godly Christian heritage claiming America “was born on the back of genocide against native populations and slavery against those deemed sub-human.” The truth is our nation was born on the backs of courageous patriotic men and women that put their lives, their posterity, their fortunes and their heritage on the line to give America an “in God we trust” moral compass of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. Certainly the American government failed at times to honor that moral compass, but why blame the founding fathers? Our government has initiated genocide against native populations and America citizens (Waco, Ruby Ridge). That is why the Second Amendment was written: to protect American citizens against a government that would turn on its on citizens. Every nation has a history of slavery; only one has shed the lives of 600,000 of its best to end slavery. Instead of attacking our founding fathers the EO should be exposing the global agenda of Islamic jihad that is “born on the back of genocide against native populations and slavery against those deemed sub human.” The socialist/global Obama administration does not and will not protect American citizens against Islamic jihad and the mainstream media will not tell the American people that truth. American citizens are not safe and our sovereignty has no advocate in our current government or mainstream press. The EO would seduce us to believe that in the last 50 years civilization has reduced warfare and made “momentous gains in quality of life.” Really? Here is the truth: The socialist/ global left destroyed our moral foundation when they removed God, prayer and the Bible as our public standard and America is now infested with class warfare, violence, crime and corruption. American government has started a bunch of wars in the last 50 years and won none. The socialist/global left will provide cover and protect the Clintons, and skewer Trump when he exposes their global slavery agenda. They will blame the “bigot” Trump for the violence they will initiate at the Republican convention, promoting their agenda to end our sovereignty. They will thwart efforts to maintain surveillance on Muslims with terrorist ties, endangering all Americans. Only Christians/patriots that oppose the globalist agenda will be considered terrorists in their society for our future. Stuart Dick Irrigon 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.