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OPINION
East Oregonian
Thursday, October 27, 2016
OTHER VIEWS
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
Support for
the shoo-ins
There are plenty of decisions to
We also believe that he stands first
make on the November ballot that
on conscience and principle, and that
require a lot of thought, but there are hasn’t altered despite his many years
several that are pretty much made
in Salem.
before ballots are printed.
There are plenty who question his
Senators and representatives are
income-generating job in economic
running against relatively unknown
development throughout the district
challengers, both in federal and state
and elsewhere in Oregon, and all we
elections, and some are even
ask is that Smith continue
running unopposed. We’ll
to address those concerns
run through a quick list of
openly as they arrive. It’s
those races here, and some
not a clean mesh of careers,
advice for voters to hold those
but it’s what comes out of a
winners accountable.
part-time governing body.
Greg Barreto, House
Bill Hansell, Senate
District 58 is running
District 29, has made an
impact in his short time in
unopposed as the
Hansell
Salem.
Republican, Democrat and
Independent candidate.
The long-time Umatilla
County Commissioner
That’s right — the most
stepped up a level to the
outspoken Republican
Oregon Senate, and has made
state representative in
an impact there. Hansell
Umatilla County (who also
has a clear problem-solving
serves Union and Wallowa
mentality and constituent-
counties) earned the “D” and
driven approach to the
“I” by reaching those voters
Smith
legislature. Approach him
leading into the primary.
with an issue and he just
We consider that a big
might draft a bill to address it.
vote of confidence from his
constituents for a man who
His work has paid off
speaks very frankly about
in terms of respect in a
his frustrations with not
legislature where he is in the
being heard in the Democrat-
minority, as both a rural and
controlled Capitol. Even
Republican representative.
Barreto
those who may disagree with
His ability to reach across
him politically see him as an
the aisle and across the
ally in the legislature. And
Cascades has made him
that speaks volumes.
a target from a far-right
We believe he has learned
segment of the party well
the job quickly, including the
outside the district’s limits,
difficult task of picking your
but has done much good for
battles, and another term
this part of the state.
will provide him many more
He has an opponent
Walden
opportunities to speak his
— Independent Barbara
mind and for the people of
Dickerson — who is not a
northeastern Oregon.
credible candidate. Her sole
Greg Walden, U.S.
goal is repealing Measure 11,
Representative, should
a mandatory sentencing law
return to Washington,
enacted by voters in 1994.
D.C., as the Republican
She’ll mention in passing
representative for a wide
other smaller-government
expanse of rural Oregon.
concepts, but eventually will
Wyden
He’s a common sight in
come back to M11. Voters
his expansive district (just
should have no illusion that
an idea of how expansive — his
a term in office would accomplish
challenger, Democrat Jim Crary,
anything.
is from Ashland) and is a standard
Hansell should get your vote.
bearer for the Republican Party
Greg Smith, House, District 57,
across the country. The fallout
is now among the most powerful
from Donald Trump’s presidential
House Republicans in Salem, and
Eastern Oregon has a lot to gain from candidacy will certainly be felt in the
party, and it will take work to set a
having him hold such an important
new course in the aftermath.
seat.
Ron Wyden, U.S. Senate has
Smith admits he came into politics
outmatched not just his opponents
as hyper-partisan, but has since
Republican Mark Callahan,
learned that philosophy doesn’t
accomplish much without the respect Independent Steven Reynolds,
Working Families Party Shanti
of your peers. He has since learned
Lewallen and Pacific Green
to work the system, negotiating and
Progressive Eric Navickas, but most
supporting bills and then cashing in
of his colleagues in D.C.
his chips to get what he wants done
He’s somewhere in the middle
late in the session.
It’s the kind of respect for personal of fellow Democrats in ideology,
and with that doesn’t always align
relationships and helping one
with the majority values of Eastern
another that used to be a linchpin
Oregon. But his deep concern and
of American politics, but has
hard work on issues of public lands
gone missing at the federal level.
and digital privacy alone warrant
Returning Smith will keep it alive in
another term in office.
the Oregon House.
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.
Hillary Clinton’s resounding mandate
I
hear two observations about the
game, I think she’ll exceed current
2016 presidential race so incessantly
projections; an ABC News tracking
that they’re like hit songs at peak
poll last weekend had her up by 12.
ubiquity. The lyrics are seared into my
The largest national margin since
brain.
Ronald Reagan’s 18.2-point advantage
One is that the Republican and
in 1984 was the 8.5-point spread with
Democratic nominees leave voters with
which her husband was re-elected, and
no real choice. That’s nuts, because it
that was 20 years ago.
implies that Donald Trump and Hillary
It’s true that none of the victors in
Frank
Clinton are equally unpalatable and it
the contests over the last three decades
Bruni
misunderstands “choice” as profoundly
had an opponent as unprepared,
Comment
as Trump misreads polls. He and
unsteady and unsavory as Trump.
Clinton may not be the political buffet
But it’s also true that Trump is the
of our dreams. But one entree is perilous, while protest candidate — the “change agent,” in
the other has tired ingredients in a suboptimal
prognosticators’ preferred parlance — at a
sauce. Salmonella or salmon with cucumber
juncture unfavorable to an insider like Clinton,
and dill: That’s a choice. I know what I’m
who’s no darling of voters to begin with.
putting on my plate.
So if voters hand him an overwhelming
The other observation is that when
defeat, it’s a bold statement, with undeniable
Clinton is elected — sorry, if Clinton is
messages.
elected — she’ll have shaky authority and
They’d be saying that sexism like his is
murky marching orders, because she’ll be
intolerable. That’s evident in the yawning
the beneficiary of an anti-Trump vote, not a
gender gap that he confronts, in the
pro-Clinton one. This, too, misses the mark.
disproportionate number of women who are
Even if we grant that voters aren’t so much
voting early and in the possible surge, after
rushing to her as fleeing him, they’re fleeing
Election Day, of women in Congress. The Year
for specific reasons. They’re expressing
of Trump is turning out to be the true Year of
particular values. Those reasons and values
the Woman, and not only because of a glass
are her marching orders, and there’s nothing
ceiling’s shattering.
murky about them.
This gives Clinton a mandate to make
I’d go even further and say that they amount sure our public discourse and laws never treat
to a mandate, which is this: to safeguard the
women as subordinate to men.
very America — compassionate, collaborative,
Voters who weren’t intrinsically anti-
decent — that he routinely degrades.
Trump but ended up in that column are
First, though, some math. As Damon Linker punishing him for the way he attacked the
explains in The Week, Clinton is in a position
Khan family, Alicia Machado and so many
to notch a resounding victory by historical
others before and since. That’s clear in the
standards.
words and timing of Republican leaders who
As of late Tuesday, the Real Clear Politics
defected from Trump. Each reached a point
average of recent polls put her 5.4 percentage
where, for reasons moral or political, Trump’s
points ahead of Trump in a four-way race and
pettiness and viciousness could no longer be
5.1 ahead in a one-on-one matchup. In three of shrugged off.
the last six presidential elections, the margin
There’s a mandate for Clinton in this as
of victory was significantly smaller than that;
well. It’s to rise above and push back at the
in the other three it was larger, although only
corrosive politics of insult, and she did more
slightly in the 1992 contest (5.5 percent),
to betray than to honor this with her “basket of
which her husband won.
deplorables.”
Given early-voting patterns, Trump’s erratic
■
behavior and her campaign’s superior ground
Frank Bruni is a New York Times columnist.
YOUR VIEWS
Struggling Americans ignored
I wish to thank Mr. Murdock for his
Viewpoint on October 22, 2016, in the
East Oregonian. His description of what
is to probably come to the people was
comprehensive without forty dollar language.
Why is it that no one has brought the
Social Security “raise” to the elected officials
for federal and state governments where it
should be addressed as critical for 65 million
Americans? At $5.00 per month, which
may go to Medicare Part B, people who can
hardly pay the rent and utilities, much less
prescriptions and food, will go from struggling
to poverty come 2017. Their solutions are
insane and they need to get real and see how it
really is.
With millions going into wanting to be
president, think of how that may have really
helped with the poor and the homeless who,
by the way, are in every city in America. This
is the “American Dream.” God Bless America
and God or somebody save us all.
Again, thank you so much Mr. Murdock!
Jacqueline Hood
Hermiston
Bud Pierce for governor,
No on Measure 97
The cost of living in Oregon is growing
much faster than the ability of working
families to make ends meet. This is especially
true in rural Oregon, where we haven’t
benefited from the recovery and rapid
economic growth of the urban west side.
There are the usual cost drivers — food,
housing, child care, education expense,
transportation, etc. — and then there are those
imposed by state and local government.
Recently in a short video President Obama
gave a big shout-out to his friend Kate Brown.
He wistfully credited her for achieving the
things he was not able to do. He cited greatly
increasing the cost of energy and fuel with
no benefit to the environment. He praised her
arbitrary mandated increase in the minimum
wage. Well, Mr. Obama, it’s pretty easy when
you have control of the legislative, executive
and judicial branches of government.
As Kate Brown stands for election she
endorses the public employee union-backed
Measure 97. If this measure passes, when we
get out of bed in the morning, shower, make
coffee, feed the dog and drive to work we will
pay at every turn. Sadly, none of the promises
of better education, senior care and whatever
else the backers promise will materialize.
Public sector employment will explode along
with the associated payroll and pension
obligations. Private sector employment will
shrink and corporations will pass through
costs at every step of distribution. Some large
employers will leave and some will choose not
to locate in Oregon.
If elected Brown rejects any PERS reform
as she has for 25 years in the legislature. She
wants to refinance a portion of the $22 billion
pension obligation. That’s right: Kate wants to
take out a Visa to pay down the Mastercard!
She would turn over management of the
PERS investment fund to her pals and cut out
the professional managers she calls middle
men. What could possibly go wrong? She
emotionally rejects any modification to the
Oregon Health Plan, which is currently $1.3
billion under water. Kate Brown will continue
the failed wasteful policies of John Kitzhaber,
who was forced to resign by his own party.
Dr. Bud Pierce believes in fiscal sanity, the
dignity of work, supporting rural and urban
economies, meaningful transportation and
infrastructure improvements and compassion
and equality for all Oregonians. Vote Bud
Pierce for Governor, vote no on Measure 97.
Bruce Staley
Pendleton
Rowan for sheriff
We support Terry Rowan for Umatilla
County Sheriff. We have known Terry on both
a personal and professional level. We know
he is a dedicated public servant, as well as a
family man and good friend. We feel he has
done a great job as sheriff and support him to
continue with his vision for Umatilla County.
Terry has our respect and our support in
this election.
Mike and Diane Hawman
Hermiston
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.