Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Thursday, September 29, 2016 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JANNA HEIMGARTNER TIM TRAINOR Business Ofice Manager Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Support third parties for more choice on Election Day More than 80 million Americans means a presidential candidate must be polling at 15 percent just to get watched Monday’s presidential on the stage. The last third party debate, and perhaps many of them candidate to do so was Ross Perot were unimpressed with the two in 1992, who as head of the Reform candidates on display. Certainly there was a tremendous Party collected nearly 19 percent of the national vote gulf in their abilities in the November — one could inish When there election. a sentence and a Undoubtedly, his thought and the are only two sharing the stage other could not. But with George H.W. judging by most polls, teams, it is Bush and Bill Clinton neither is a majority only natural made Perot more of of Americans’ cup of a household name, tea. for them to helped him be Why, in a nation play against and taken seriously by the of more than 300 electorate. million people, each other. In each and every with just as many election, polls show political ideologies third party candidates with high poll and problems to solve, do only numbers early on in the campaign, two Americans currently have a especially as each voter’s candidate legitimate chance to be the next of choice is knocked out of the president of the United States? Democratic or Republican primary. This choose-between-two Yet on election day, when it becomes mentality has been the status quo clear no third party candidate has in this country for more than a a chance to win the election, those century and, we would argue, is a numbers dip and again are cast aside major reason for the divisiveness in Congress and at dinner tables across as “wasted votes” — perpetuating two-party rule. America. We should do better. The debate When there are only two teams, commission should reduce the it is only natural for them to play barrier to entry to 10 percent — a against each other. Like the yin and yang, their political ground is always realistic goal for the Libertarian and changing but it’s always leaving half Green parties, and an aspirational goal for new parties that could crop of the people on the other side. up and toss a few ideas into the For our country’s future, we national conversation. should begin to break down that There are important reasons to intractable divide by allowing limit the number of people on the more philosophies into government debate stage. Donald Trump was positions. able to disappear into his 17 rivals A simple way to start is by in the Republican primary when opening up the presidential debates important policy questions were to include more political parties. asked. But in a one-on-one debate, Gary Johnson, the Libertarian his ignorance could no longer be candidate, was polling at about 8 ignored. percent before the debate, while Yet in most cases, with 3-4 people Green Party candidate Jill Stein was in the discussion, the number of at 3 percent. policy ideas would increase and the Currently the Commission for Presidential Debates has a threshold number of voting options would too. That’s more freedom, right? for inclusion at 15 percent. That 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 Best practices for regulating marijuana The (Medford) Mail Tribune O regon’s foray into legalizing recreational marijuana has been a learning experience for everyone involved, not least for the state’s many growers of medical marijuana, who had the luxury of operating with little oversight for years under Oregon’s 18-year-old medical marijuana law. Those days are over. That reality has been brought home once again after the state Land Use Board of Appeals upheld Jackson County’s rules barring medical marijuana growing on land zoned rural residential. Growing for the recreational market was already off-limits in rural residential zones. State law says medical marijuana may be grown on land outside cities. The problem is that Jackson County land-use rules prohibit agricultural operations on rural residential land. And by any deinition, growing marijuana, whether for the medical or the recreational market, is agriculture. A growers group called Right to Grow USA challenged the county rule, arguing that it jeopardized patients’ access to medical marijuana, that it conlicted with the county’s Comprehensive Plan and that it was unreasonable regulation and served no governmental purpose. LUBA rejected those arguments, noting that medical marijuana may be grown in exclusive farm use or forest zones. LUBA correctly noted that preventing conlicts between farming and residential uses is a reasonable goal. No one is suggesting, for instance, that pig farms should be allowed in residential zones. County oficials also gave medical growers who have been operating since before 2014 in rural residential zones the option of applying to be grandfathered in, but relatively few have done so. When voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana in 2014, federal law enforcement oficials made it clear that Oregon must put a stop to black-market exports of marijuana to other states, much of it grown under the cover of the medical marijuana program, or federal authorities would step in. Lawmakers’ attempts to regulate what had been a largely unregulated industry inevitably led to conlict with growers. Certainly, there are medical growers who are not diverting their harvests to the black market, and who have no interest in growing for the recreational market. But they will have to learn to live with the new regulations, which are designed to work for everyone. If existing growers in rural residential zones want to continue, they should apply to be grandfathered in. The fee for that application does seem steep at $1,563, but county planning department fees have gone up across the board in response to tight budgets. The new rules also require much more thorough record keeping and reporting, in an effort to account for the marijuana being produced in the state. Medical growers are understandably reluctant to submit to increased regulation, but they have little choice in the matter. If they want to continue to produce medical marijuana, they will have to get used to complying with reasonable regulations just as any other business does. 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 residence and a daytime phone number. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. Trump? How could we? M y reaction to the Donald “We don’t know what Hillary Clinton Trump-Hillary Clinton debate believes, because nobody ever asks can be summarized with one her.” word: “How?” Say what? As secretary of state, How in the world do we put a man Clinton backed every global climate negotiation and clean energy initiative. in the Oval Ofice who thinks NATO That’s like saying no one knows is a shopping mall where the tenants Hillary’s position on women’s rights. aren’t paying enough rent to the U.S. Conway then went on CNBC’s landlord? Thomas NATO is not a shopping mall; it Friedman “Squawk Box” and argued that Clinton, who was secretary of state is a strategic alliance that won the Comment from 2009 to 2013, had never created Cold War, keeps Europe a stable a job and was responsible for the trading partner for U.S. companies lack of adequate “roads and bridges” in our and prevents every European country — country. When challenged on that by MGM particularly Germany — from getting their Resorts’ CEO, James Murren — who argued own nukes to counterbalance Russia, by that his business was up, that the economy sheltering them all under America’s nuclear was improving and that umbrella. Clinton’s job as secretary How do we put in the of state was to create Oval Ofice a man who stability — Conway does not know enough responded that Clinton “beef” about key policies had nothing to do with to inish a two-minute any improvements in the answer on any issue economy because “she’s without the hamburger never been president so helper of bluster, insults she’s created no inancial and repetition? stability.” How do we put in the I see: Everything wrong Oval Ofice a man who is Clinton’s fault and suggests that the recent anything good is to the spate of cyberattacks — president’s credit alone. which any senior U.S. Silly. intelligence oficial will The “Squawk Box” tell you came without segment was devoted to question from Russia — the fact that while Trump might not have come from claims that he will get Russia but could have been the economy growing, done by “somebody sitting very few CEOs of major on their bed that weighs U.S. companies are supporting him. Also, 400 pounds?” interesting how positively the stock market How do we put in the Oval Ofice a man reacted to Trump’s debate defeat. Maybe who boasts that he tries to pay zero federal because CEOs and investors know that Trump taxes but then complains that our airports and and Conway are con artists and that recent roads are falling apart and there is not enough statistics show income gaps are actually money for our veterans? narrowing, wages are rising and poverty is How do we put in the Oval Ofice a man easing. who tries to prove he was against the Iraq The Trump-Conway shtick is to trash the War — even though he publicly stated his country so they can make us great again. support for it when it began — by saying he Fact: We have problems and not everyone is said so privately to his pal Sean Hannity at enjoying the fruits of our economy, but if you Fox News? Trump is so caught up with his own infallibility that he didn’t think to respond want to be an optimist about America, stand on your head — the country looks so much in the debate: “Yes, I supported the Iraq War better from the bottom up. What you see are as a private citizen, but Hillary voted for it as a senator when she had all the intelligence and towns and regions not waiting for Washington, whose job it was to make the right judgment.” D.C., but coming together themselves to ix How do we put in the Oval Ofice someone infrastructure, education and governance. I see it everywhere I go. who says we should not have gone into Iraq, I am not enamored of Clinton’s stale, but since we did, “we should have taken the liberal, centralized view of politics, but she is oil — ISIS would not have been able to form … because the oil was their primary source of sane and responsible; she’ll do her homework, can grow in the job, and might even work well income.” with Republicans, as she did as a senator. ISIS formed before it managed to pump Trump promises change, but change that any oil, and it sustained itself with millions of comes from someone who thinks people dollars that it stole from Iraq’s central bank who pay taxes are suckers and who thinks in Mosul. Meanwhile, Iraq has the world’s ifth-largest oil reserves — 140 billion barrels. he can show up before an audience of 100 million without preparation or real plans Can you imagine how many years we’d have and talk about serious issues with no more to stay there to pump it all and how much sophistication than your crazy uncle — and doing so would tarnish our moral standing expect to get away with it — is change the around the world and energize every jihadi? How do we put in the Oval Ofice someone country can’t afford. Electing such a man would be insanity. whose campaign manager has to go on every ■ morning show after the debate and lie to try to Thomas L. Friedman won the 2002 Pulitzer make up for the nonsense her boss spouted? Prize for commentary, his third Pulitzer for Kellyanne Conway told CNN on Tuesday morning that when it comes to climate change, The New York Times. How do we put in the Oval Ofice a man who does not know enough “beef” about key policies to inish a two-minute answer on any issue without bluster, insults and repetition? YOUR VIEWS Protect Owyhee Canyonlands from industrial development I’ve spent 46 years chukar hunting, camping and ly ishing in Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands. I always look forward to the wild beauty of the land and the wonderful abundancy of wildlife it harbors. But a new report from Oregon’s Department of Geology and Mineral Industries found that there is high potential for mining lithium, bentonite, uranium, gold and other minerals throughout the Owyhee Canyonlands (“Report shows Malheur County rich with mining potential,” East Oregonian, Sept. 15.) This should have anyone who loves to hunt, camp and ish in the Owyhee concerned. The reason this area is so incredible for outdoor recreationist is the large, intact landscape that still exists out there today. This vast sagebrush sea is what sustains both small and big critters alike as they migrate through this area, including a multitude of game birds like chukar and Huns, as well as mule deer, elk, and bighorn sheep. Mining and industrial development like oil and gas is a boom and bust industry, without long-term, sustainable growth. To say nothing of impacting the “scarce” aquifer of the arid region. If industrial development like mining takes place in the Owyhee, so will the roads, lights, noise, pollution and other developments that go along with it. Is the American public going to be held liable for pick up the cost of another potential Environmental Superfund debacle? Once this place is fragmented, chopped up, and polluted it’s ruined — future generations will never ever get it back. It’s a very fragile wild landscape that needs protection. Oregon’s Owyhee is too special to mine for kitty litter or minerals for the next iPhone. For example, take a look at Succor Creek winding along the eastside of Highway 95 between Jordan Valley and Marsing, Idaho. This used to be a pristine red band trout water before the deciduous earth mine was developed several years ago below the Succor Reservoir. Now it’s a gray soup of a creek and basically unishable. There are no laws on the books today that stop this kind of misguided, destructive development from happening in the Owyhee. Only permanent protection guarantees that you and I, and the next generation of children can return to this special place year after year to hunt, ish and camp. The time to protect the Owyhee is now. Drew Wahlin Idaho Chukar Foundation president Meridian, Idaho
