VIEWPOINTS
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Quick takes
House stolen from truck stop
Who steals someone’s house? Maybe a
homeless person? Just so messed up.
— Lauren Moran
I’m from Pendleton and I’m pretty sure
I saw that being towed towards Pilot Rock
this morning. Didn’t see what kind of truck
just noticed it and thought that it was a great
idea.
— Robert L. Chapin, Jr.
Below-zero temps hit town
We were -22 here in Baker City. North
Pole was 19.
— Lynette Warneke Gray
It warmed up. When I went by Meacham
about 6:30 a.m. it was -28.
— Joe Batty
Old city hall rehab fined
There’s always bound to be delays,
dealing with insurance or having to pay out
of pocket can slow things up, not to mention
doing work in this kind of weather is diffi-
cult and dangerous and slow. Maybe the
next ordinance should be to fine the city for
all projects not done quickly and on time.
— Brian Fullen
It is so sad this has been allowed to drag
along for almost two years. This beautiful
historic building is ultimately going to be
demolished because the owners have been
allowed to kick the can down the road.
Now, when the weather is poor, they want
more time.
— John E. Thomas
Homeless camps cleared out
It’s only going to get worse until mental
illness and drug addiction issues are
addressed. Current methods just move the
problem around the city, county and state.
— Warrine Terpening
I only have empathy to a point. I agree
they need a place to camp. These people also
need to make an effort to help themselves.
— Lindsey Evans
One of the great lessons of the Twitter age is
that much can be summed up in just a few words.
Here are some of this week’s takes. Tweet yours
@Tim_Trainor or email editor@eastoregonian.
com, and keep them to 140 characters.
East Oregonian
Page 5A
Pomp and unusual circumstances for inauguration
I
’ve received an invitation to the
told almost 100 percent of the choir
inauguration of Donald Trump
will be participating.
as the 45th president of the
If I do attend — or watch the
United States. It didn’t come from
proceedings — it will also be
The Donald himself — or other
the first time I have witnessed a
members of the immediate family
performance by Jackie Evancho of
— but it does include observation
“America’s Got Talent” fame — a
of the ceremonies and a reception
show I’ve honestly never seen.
hosted by the National Association
Beyond that, I understand the
George
of Counties.
Murdock planning committee is having
Still, I am checking my Twitter
trouble finding performers. Perhaps
Comment
account on an hourly basis in case
that is due to the fact several
the prodigious first tweeter himself
dozen prominent
decides to extend a more personal invite.
celebrities announced
As with sporting events, I could
last fall they would leave
probably get a better view of the
the country the day after
proceedings in front of my television set,
Trump was elected.
although prior to the invitation I hadn’t
Since the group, which
given much thought to watching the event
included Madonna and
at all. However, like going to sporting
Miley Cyrus, are surely
events, there’s a different spirit in the air
now living abroad,
if you are present in person, even if you
the potential list of
are one of an estimated 240,000 people
possibilities becomes
who will be milling around behind those
more challenging. Or,
who are provided with actual chairs — an
were they just kidding?
accommodation my invitation did not
In the end, it is
include.
probably a matter of
At the moment, I’m assuming my
potential financial losses
participation will look a great deal like the
and higher tax structures
experience of boarding an airline these
that are trumping their
days with most major carriers. I understand no doubt thoughtful
families with children and those needing
ideological beliefs. At the
assistance and even those who serve in the
very least, I am hopeful
military, but by the time they get through
no one voted one way or the other solely
six or eight grades of first class, medallion,
because Miley Cyrus might flee to Canada.
platinum, gold, silver and bronze and
Her new wardrobe choices would never
finally announce that it’s time for the riffraff work in the frigid north.
to hurry on to the plane, you don’t feel
I checked out hotel possibilities in
particularly special.
Washington, D. C.. and either hotels are
The prospect of attending is intriguing
incredibly high in the nation’s capital or
because half the people in America believe
lodging prices during special events follow
Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the office
the same pricing principle as rooms in
spells the end of this country as we have
Pendleton during Round-Up or rooms in
known it. This might be my last chance to
Pullman when the Cougars play at home. I
ever witness such an important event.
think I could rent an apartment in Pendleton
Besides being a monumental, if not
for a month cheaper than a one-night stay
surprising moment, in the history of the
within reasonable commuting distance of
nation, the planners have put together a
this January spectacle.
rather unique combination of performers.
I was also a bit amused to learn the list
I haven’t seen the Rockettes perform
of parade participants includes both the
since 1954 when my parents took me to
U.S. Customs and Border Protection office
Radio City Music Hall in New York some
of field operations and the U.S. Border
63 years ago this summer. I’m anticipating
Patrol pipes and drums. With those groups
that most of the cast will be new.
preoccupied in the capital for several days,
I’ve never seen the Mormon Tabernacle
who knows what might happen along the
Choir in person although I’ve visited
Rio Grande while they are gone.
their primary venue in Salt Lake City
If I did go, an important consideration
on a variety of occasions. I do, however,
would be what to wear with temperatures
have several of their tapes. I will miss the
predicted to be on the cooler side. One
soprano who resigned in protest, but I’m
fashion consultant says elegant and classic
would be a good place to start but does that
mean elegant and classic Foggy Bottom
wear or elegant and classic by Pendleton
standards for those of us traveling 3,000
miles to represent Eastern Oregon?
Then there is the fact the average
attendee, other than those in the seats,
spends about seven hours roaming around
the immediate area of the capital and until
late evening trying to get home. Since moon
boots went out 30 years ago and don’t look
good with either jeans or a suit, muck boots
have become a common
site in bad weather but
they, too, don’t make a real
fashion statement. And
cowboy boots aren’t that
comfortable on concrete or
for long walks.
I can’t find much about
suggested head wear
either, although I can order
a red, “Make America
Great Again” hat from
Amazon for $11.99 with
free shipping thrown in.
None of the models come
with ear flaps and there
are no ski masks, although
you can get a Donald
Trump latex face mask for
$16.99, which would stave
off the wind but might be
considered in bad taste.
So many decisions and so little time.
Perhaps my efforts might be better
spent praying for the future of our nation
and doing what I can to help people come
together with a greater degree of mutual
understanding and tolerance.
In that vein, I have been reminded of the
words of a 13th century Persian poet named
Rumi who said: “Out beyond ideas of
wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.”
This might be a good time to find friends
who share different political beliefs in
order to search for common ground and
understanding. While there is a measure of
comfort to be had surrounding ourselves
only with like-minded people, it does little
to expand our horizons of learning and
productive thought.
And most of all, it is critical we
remember that a sense of humor can help us
all through the worst of times.
■
George Murdock is a Umatilla County
Commissioner and former East Oregonian
publisher. He lives in Pendleton.
This might be
a good time to
find friends who
share different
political beliefs
in order to
search for
common
ground and
understanding.
Pendleton must focus President Trump should be given a chance
goals to find success
The Eagle (Bryan, Tex.)
A
ction is more
rosters. I believe the
important
Pendleton Chamber
than words,
of Commerce,
but I liked many
Pendleton
of the comments
Downtown
that came out of the
Association and
first meeting of the
the Round-Up have
2017 Pendleton City
done great jobs
Council this week.
boosting growth.
Mike
City Manager
Forrester But it takes more
Robb Corbett is
jobs and investment
Comment
trying to increase the
and housing to
flow of information
increase numbers of
between city hall staff and
shoppers and schoolchildren
residents of the city. Starting in any community.
to produce a city newsletter
The Turner team is
looks like a
working
good step. A
on making
more complex
economic
and key thing is
development
for city hall to
goals more
accommodate
specific. I think
citizen questions
that unburdening
and concerns
Steve
promptly and
Chrisman’s
with a minimum
workload
of defensiveness.
should be one
All parties need
of those goals.
to acknowledge
Chrisman’s
human frailty:
jobs include
local officials
corporate
do not always
recruitment,
make smart decisions, and
airport management, running
members of the public do
the convention center and
not always think clearly.
drone program oversight.
Newspapers and radio also
Finally, a piece of advice
bear some responsibility
not invited but maybe
when communications foul
relevant anyway: Mayor
up.
Turner addressed negativity
in Pendleton. He urged
New mayor John Turner
people in city government
and others are working
to tune out “professional
to change city goals that
critics” of city hall decisions.
are too broad into ones
He even went so far as to
more targeted and easier
say city residents should
to address. Chief goals
be elated that such high
in the draft document are
quality individuals serve the
expanding the economy,
community.
figuring out how to run
Pendleton city
utility lines to prospective
government does have
business sites and providing
people who make strong
more housing. A fourth
commitment to this town.
goal — develop high
But those folks are not
quality properties — should
entitled to automatic,
follow if the other three are
unquestioning approval from
addressed effectively.
As Turner said, you need
members of the public.
to strengthen an economy
From city hall’s side,
one brick at a time. His
what helps relations most are
list — a more vigorous
well thought out decisions,
downtown, increases in
a chain of command that
visitor activities, new grade
can be followed, and
school and college facilities, opportunities for asking
growth in the drone program questions and making
at the Pendleton Airport —
comments. Those in the
is impressive.
news media also of course
Seems to me an important play roles in affecting
point in all this is to
community morale.
remember that adding jobs,
■
housing and investment are
Mike Forrester Mike
what fill classrooms, fill
Forrester is a former editor
storefronts, and add names
of the East Oregonian. He
lives in Pendleton.
to club and organization
You
need to
strengthen
an
economy
one brick
at a time.
L
ast year was long and
often ugly. Tensions
around the world
were high, with terror
attacks in numerous places,
a humanitarian crisis in
Syria, the never-ending
strife between the Israelis
and the Palestinians and
heightened strain between
Russia and the United
States.
At home we
witnessed questionable
police shootings of
black Americans and
retaliatory murders of
law enforcement officers,
including five in Dallas.
We recoiled with horror at
the massacre of some 50
people in an Orlando gay
nightclub. We witnessed
a rising tide of killings in
Chicago.
Then there was the
presidential election, full of
ugliness all around. There
was more than enough
nastiness to last several
lifetimes.
And when the election
ended in a surprise, the
nastiness continued
unabated. As we start this
new year, many Americans
refuse to accept the
legitimacy of the election,
refuse to acknowledge
Donald Trump as our
45th president. He lost the
popular vote, they note, as
if that matters. He is going
to destroy America — the
world — they worry, and
Trump certainly has played
into their fears with his
embrace of Vladimir Putin,
his cabinet appointments
and his threat of a renewed
nuclear arms race.
But this is a new year,
one we should enter with
hope, not fear. No one
knows what 2017 will
bring, but we should give it
a chance.
In a few weeks we will
have a new president —
our 45th — and a new
direction for our nation.
There are concerns, to be
sure, but President Trump
should be given a chance
to be, well, president. It
is to be hoped that the
mantle of the presidency
will soften Trump’s strident
side, will mellow his more
outrageous traits. This isn’t
to say that the president
shouldn’t be challenged
when he does something
with which we disagree,
but he must be given the
chance to lead. He just
might surprise us.
Those of us who
proclaim Donald Trump
is not my president should
remember how they felt
when others said Barack
Obama was not theirs.
Thanks to the beauty of
our Constitution, Trump
will become our president
on Jan. 20, just as Obama
became our president on
Jan. 20, 2008. That’s how it
works, and it works so well.
The fact is we are
one nation, one people
striving for a better life,
a more equitable society.
Our political parties often
try to divert us from that
goal and we must not let
them. We should reject the
partisanship that gridlocks
Washington and reach
out to people of different
philosophies, different
faiths, different colors,
different orientations
and relearn how to work
together for the good of all
of us.
Reject the politics of
division and embrace the
reconciliation of unity.
Look not to the past, but
to the future, a future that
should be bright for each
and every one of us.
How will Trump handle rules on driverless cars?
Sacramento Bee
or all of President-elect Donald
Trump’s campaign promises
about bringing back millions
of jobs to middle America starting in
2017, this year is shaping up to be one
of the machine, not the human.
Artificial intelligence is almost
ready for prime time — and the
impact will be felt a lot sooner than
many people think. For proof, look no
further than the burgeoning industry
for driverless cars.
Merrill Lynch is projecting that
fully autonomous taxis could account
for more than 40 percent of all new
vehicle sales within the next two
decades, potentially putting millions
of cab drivers and truck drivers out
of work. And that’s to say nothing of
the highly automated factories where
these vehicles will likely be built. Car
ownership will begin to move from
something personal to something
people think of as an Uber-like
service, a notion that’s generally
shared by old-line automakers such as
Ford and upstarts such as Tesla.
Google is shooting for 2020 to start
selling its autonomous vehicles. Ford
says it’s rolling out driverless cars
F
for a ride-sharing service by 2021.
Tesla has similar plans. The industry
is expected to balloon to a $42 billion
global market by 2025 and only grow
from there.
So far, 20 companies have
jumped at the chance to test some
130 driverless cars on California’s
roads. They all agreed to apply for a
special permit from the Department
of Motor Vehicles, and to abide by
rules that require a driver with a clean
record to be present at all times and
for malfunctions to be reported to the
state.
But the question now is, can
California, with its regulations, keep
this going in 2017 and beyond?
Normally, this wouldn’t even be
concern for this state, with its long
track record of fostering innovation.
But with Uber’s abrupt departure
for Arizona in December, the result
of a silly feud with regulators over
filing for a permit to operate its
driverless Volvos in San Francisco,
it’s a question that must be asked and
answered.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, of
course, sees Uber’s pending road tests
near Phoenix as a sign his state is
“paving the way” to successfully pilfer
more tech businesses from California.
Ducey unfairly claims California “puts
the brakes on innovation and change
with more bureaucracy and more
regulation.”
California rules certainly are
more prescriptive than those of
Pennsylvania, where Uber has been
letting customers hail driverless cars,
or Florida, where autonomous vehicles
can operate on public roads without a
driver behind the wheel.
Michigan went a step further
when Gov. Rick Snyder signed bills
that will let companies test vehicles
without steering wheels or pedals.
Dearborn-based Ford, with its fleet of
reconfigured Fusion Hybrids, is ready
to do just that.
The truth is Uber pulling its Volvos
from California isn’t a huge deal. It’s
only 16 cars, after all, and Uber’s
argument about why it didn’t need a
permit is shaky at best.
But the dust-up should serve as
a reminder to regulators and the
Legislature to tread carefully on
innovation.
Even in the new world Uber
envisions and despite its image as
an innovator that breaks the rules,
protecting public safety is a must.