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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Wednesday, October 26, 2016 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor MARISSA WILLIAMS Regional Advertising Director MARCY ROSENBERG Circulation Manager JANNA HEIMGARTNER Business Office Manager MIKE JENSEN Production Manager OUR VIEW Umatilla school bond a wise investment When the issue of school bonds state dollars for themselves, and we come up, the general public is of two suggest they take it. The school district has put a minds. Yes, we need to have adequate $10.5 million bond on the ballot, but that sticker shocker likely won’t facilities to educate our kids. No, we hit a pocketbook — the payments don’t want to pay more taxes to get will begin after the them. current bond comes Those thoughts It’s difficult to off the books in 2023 are diametrically go until 2035. opposed. State leave millions of and The rate is about funding for schools per $1,000 in doesn’t cover capital dollars sitting on $3.13 assessed value. improvements. It It’s a longterm hardly covers the the table when investment. But day-to-day needs there are visible in a community of our education Umatilla, system, but that’s needs in local like which has recently another issue. become very active School districts schools. in investing in its are left to convince image, it’s a smart their local one. The school buildings need new constituents to fund new buildings, roofs and HVAC systems (which will major upgrades and other facilities. The state has pitched in some help save operating costs), better security (which will give parents better peace recently, offering matching bonds of mind) and a little room to grow at for qualifying districts, and voters in McNary Heights. Milton-Freewater, Athena-Weston Not every school bond gets an and Echo have taken advantage. While many vote no on new taxes as automatic thumbs up from us, and should be considered carefully. But a matter of principal, it’s difficult to leave millions of dollars sitting on the the district has made great strides in providing a quality education for its table when there are visible needs in students and should be able to do that local schools. educating in a safe and comfortable Umatilla voters now have the environment. chance to get $4 million of those 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 The epidemic of worry W e’ve had a tutorial on that would bring coherence and worry this year. The peace. election campaign isn’t Many affluent people use really about policy proposals, money to buy privacy, and so issue solutions or even hope. It’s cut themselves off from both the led by two candidates who arouse deep relationships that could give gargantuan anxieties, fear and them purpose and the neighborly hatred in their opponents. support systems that could hold As a result, some mental them up if things go south. David health therapists are reporting that This election has also Brooks three-quarters of their patients are presented members of the Comment mentioning significant election- educated class with an awful related anxiety. An American possibility: that their pleasant social strata may rest on unstable molten Psychological Association study found layers of anger, bigotry and instability. that more than half of all Americans are How could this guy Trump get even 40 very or somewhat stressed by this race. percent of the votes? America may be not Of course, there are good and bad quite the country we thought it was. forms of anxiety — the kind that warns Among the less educated, anxiety you about legitimate dangers and the kind flows from and inflames a growing that spirals into dark and self-destructive sense that the structures of society are thoughts. built for the exploitation of people like In his book “Worrying,” Francis themselves. Everything is rigged; the O’Gorman notes how quickly the good rulers are malevolent and corrupt. kind of anxiety can slide into the dark It is a well-established fact that people kind. “Worry is circular,” he writes. It who experience social exclusion have may start with a concrete anxiety: Did a tendency to slide toward superstitious I lock the back door? Is this headache a and conspiratorial thinking. People who stroke? “And it has a nasty habit of taking feel exploited by, and invisible to, those off on its own, of getting out of hand, of at the commanding heights of society are spawning thoughts that are related to the not going to worry if their candidate can’t original worry and which make it worse.” pass a fact-check test. They just want That’s what’s happening this year. someone who can share their exclusion Anxiety is coursing through American society. It has become its own destructive and give them a better story. character on the national stage. Anxiety changes people. We’ve seen a Worry alters the atmosphere of the level of thuggery this election cycle that mind. It shrinks your awareness of the is without precedent in recent American present and your ability to enjoy what’s history. Some of the anti-Trump around you right now. It cycles possible demonstrators seem more interested bad futures around in your head and forces in violence than politics. Some of the you to live in dreadful future scenarios, 90 Trumpians are savage. percent of which will never come true. David French wrote a shocking Pretty soon you are seeing the world essay for National Review describing through a dirty windshield. Worry dims the appalling online abuse he suffered every sunrise and amplifies mistrust. because of his anti-Trump stance. His A mounting tide of anxiety makes anonymous assailants Photoshopped people angrier about society and more pictures of his daughter’s face in a darkly pessimistic about the possibility gas chamber and left GIFs of grisly of changing it. Spiraling worry is the executions on his wife’s blog. perverted underside of rationality. Some of the things that have made This being modern polarized America, us vulnerable to this wave of anxiety are worry seems to come in two flavors. not going away — the narratives of fear, Educated-class anxiety can often be conspiracy and the immobilizing stress. characterized as a feeling overabundant America’s culture may be permanently of options without a core of convicting changed for the worse. purpose. It’s worth noting that rich But the answer to worry is the same countries are more anxious than poorer as the answer to fear: direct action. If the ones. According to the World Health next president starts enacting a slew of Organization, 18.2 percent of Americans actual policies, then at least we can argue report chronic anxiety while only 3.3 about concrete plans, rather than vague percent of Nigerians do. apocalyptic moods. Today, when you hear affluent people If you’re worrying, you’re spiraling express worry, it’s usually related to the into your own narcissistic pool. But fear of missing out, and the dizziness of concrete plans and actions thrust us into freedom. The affluent often feel besieged the daily fact of other people’s lives. by busyness and plagued by a daily This campaign will soon be over, and excess of choices. At the same time, there governing, thank God, will soon return. is a pervasive cosmic unease, the anxiety Hakuna matata. that they don’t quite understand the ■ meaning of life, or have not surrendered David Brooks is a columnist for the to some all-encompassing commitment New York Times. YOUR VIEWS Outdoor school teaches important lessons Oregon voters have a chance to get kids out of the techno world and into the out-of-doors, where they can become acquainted with the wonders of the nature. Measure 99 will provide a week of Outdoor School for every middle school student, giving them hands-on science education that will build life skills and inspire them to learn and recreate in the outdoors. This ballot measure will not require any new taxes, but will dedicate 4 percent of unallocated lottery dollars to a permanent, stable source of funding for Oregon Outdoor School. Twenty years ago, 85 percent of Oregon school kids had the chance for some sort of Outdoor School experience. Due to funding cuts throughout the state, that number has dwindled to 45-50 percent. Hermiston Schools remain a success story. Some kids in that district have never been outside of the town. In fact, one teacher said that she often has kids ask, “What’s in the mountains?” Thanks to dedicated teachers, sponsors and volunteers, these students spend three days in the Umatilla National Forest, observing and learning about soils, birds of prey, water conservation, wildlife, etc. It gives them a well-rounded education, and a chance to experiences things that are not available in a classroom setting. Per one student, “hands-on experiences help you to remember ideas later.” But, it’s not all strictly scientific field studies — there’s archery, camping, hiking, wading in streams, etc. What’s more, there are kids who struggle in the classroom but who actually shine in the outdoor learning environment. Fostering deep connections with the natural environment is at the heart of Blue Mountain Land Trust’s mission. Programs like Oregon Outdoor School inspire the next generation of conservationists, natural resource scientists, hunters and recreators, and lay the groundwork for lifelong appreciation of all that our Blue Mountains have to offer. We strongly support giving all Oregon middle school students the opportunity to see science come alive through fun, hands-on activities in nature. Linda Herbert, vice president and board member Chair, education committee Blue Mt. Land Trust Walla Walla Wait, what has Clinton done? Lately we’ve been hearing a great deal about Hillary Clinton’s many accomplishments and high qualifications for the presidency. Could someone point out one or two “accomplishments” and “qualifications”? Just one of each, perhaps? John Kaufman Pendleton Job protection is paramount Every citizen should subscribe to the newsletter at www.numbersusa.com This week a federal judge in Florida has stated that visa holders “can” replace American workers without an employer being responsible to the American employees. Visa workers are brought into the states to supposedly hold jobs that American workers will not hold. This is not true. The employer does not have to pay Social Security taxes, Medicare taxes, or even withhold federal and state income taxes. This is more of the open borders that Obama and the Clintons want. Do you really want open borders, which allows legal discrimination against American workers? Your job could be next ... Trump for 2016. Patricia Maier Hermiston Integrity, leadership lacking in both candidates George Murdock’s viewpoint on the divisiveness of this election (East Oregonian Sat./Sun. Oct. 22, 2016) is right on target, including the media’s lack of competent attention to issues rather than the sideshow of both candidates. I agree with Mr. Murdock’s call that it is time to wake up and choose or expect leaders that have the qualities of leadership balanced with a decent sense of ethics, morality and integrity. Statesmanship is more important than a candidate’s sense of entitlement, pettiness or self-interest. In my opinion, neither presidential candidate offers the needed leadership necessary to move America forward to be a great nation. Jim Kutcher Milton-Freewater After the fight He left the house, slamming the door, screeching out of the driveway, this morning’s fight with his wife vibrating his psyche. The miles to work gave time to ponder. It was the first serious argument for the newlyweds. And intense. Then, suddenly, it hit him: He would have to go back home to her tonight. Something had to be done. Just so, when this bitter election fight ends, we have to live together again. Who sends the flowers and candy? Don Reese Echo Growing Umatilla needs top-notch schools I am writing in support of the Umatilla School District bond measure on the November ballot. This bond will allow the district to make needed improvements at all three schools in Umatilla — McNary Elementary, Clara Brownell Middle School and Umatilla High School. The city of Umatilla is located at the confluence of the Umatilla and Columbia rivers, and is rich in the history of Lewis and Clark as well as the tribes of the Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Cayuse Indians. Umatilla is a natural transportation hub, as it is located near the river, the railroad, and two interstate highways. While our economic base has primarily been agricultural in the past, we are seeing more diversity these days due, in part, to our proximity to transportation. Educating students in this busy area is the job of the Umatilla School District. Our administration is proud of our district; our staff is working hard, our students are learning and our community gives us wonderful support. The school district’s purpose is to provide our students with a top quality public education so that they may become successful, contributing citizens of the future. We couldn’t do this without the support of the Umatilla community — from businesses to residents to volunteers, we rely on our community’s support for many programs and projects throughout the year. Now, the Umatilla community has the opportunity to again support our school district by voting yes for the upcoming school bond on the November ballot. The school district is asking for $10.5 million to fund important capital improvements at all three district schools. If the bond passes, the district will receive an additional $4 million from the state, for a total of $14.5 million. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to pay $10.5 million, but receive $14.5 million for district projects. We don’t know if or when this chance will come up again from the state. The proposed bond will NOT increase taxes for Umatilla citizens; the new bonds are estimated to continue the same tax rate of the current bonds, just longer. We are very thankful for the ongoing support of the Umatilla community. I encourage the Umatilla community to vote YES on this school bond — to protect our students, to protect our educational investments and send a clear message that the Umatilla community is dedicated to quality education. Shelley Kennedy Umatilla School District board member 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. 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. “Around our region, I hear the same stories from Oregonians — the new health care law is simply not affordable. ... There is a better way to fix our health care system. I support a plan that would fix this mess with real, patient-centered reform that would lower costs, not raise them and give consumers more control over their health care, not less.” — Rep. Greg Walden, on Republican health care platform, detailed at better.gop
