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OPINION
East Oregonian
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
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
Before any tax
increase, ODOT
must restore trust
Those who proclaim government
management team is supposed to
be accountable to the five-member
agencies should be run like
businesses are, in some ways, wrong. governor-appointed Oregon
A case in point: If government
Transportation Commission.
However, this effort at citizen
services and infrastructure were
oversight is not functioning as it
awarded to low-population areas
should. On Jan. 10, Tammy Baney,
in proportion to the income they
the commission’s chairwoman, sent
produce, large swaths of America
wouldn’t have paved roads, bridges
Gov. Kate Brown a letter asking
or anything but one-room schools.
for quarterly meetings with Brown,
Basic politic principles and simple
along with an independent staff
fairness would never allow such
person to carry out commissioners’
overt neglect in the U.S.
requests for information and
When it comes to the Oregon
research. Baney also wants an
“active” role in ODOT Director Matt
Department of Transportation,
however, a valid argument definitely Garrett’s performance review. Most
Oregon citizens will be surprised that
can be made for a somewhat more
such basic elements of
businesslike approach
independent oversight
to such fundamental
ODOT is
are not already
procedures as setting
in place. Without
priorities, seeking out
one
of
the
routine contact with
differing opinions
state’s largest the governor or a
and measuring how
in reviewing the
well goals are being
organizations. role
ODOT director, the
achieved.
commission becomes
With a budget
little but a symbolic shell.
of roughly $2 billion a year and
Former commission Chairwoman
thousands of employees, ODOT
Catherine Mater said the request
is one of the state’s largest
for an independent staffer indicates
organizations. It’s no Nike or
“a complete disintegration of trust”
Intel, but it’s big enough — and
between ODOT and the commission
so crucial to the state’s safety and
tasked with overseeing it.
success — that it must adopt at
ODOT’s front-line workers
least some lessons from the private
clearly understand what is going
corporate world in order to achieve
on. They told the consultants: “We
all it needs to do with the resources
need to ensure accountability for
it has available. It wants even
performance and behavior problems.
more. ODOT, along with Oregon’s
High-level managers can talk the
counties and cities, suggests they
talk, but poor performers and poor
might need up to an extra $5 billion
a year to preserve roads and bridges, behavior is still tolerated. Good
employees currently work hard
ease congestion and bolster public
through internal motivation and
transportation.
personal dedication to high quality
A nearly $1 million performance
service, not because the agency
audit from New York-based
rewards them.”
McKinsey & Co. — which the
There is no doubt that Oregon
EO Media Group/Pamplin Media
needs substantial transportation
Group Capital Bureau successfully
upgrades and maintenance. In our
pressed ODOT to release last
part of the state, the weather has
month — found the department acts
like a complacent family. Nobody in outfoxed the transportation system
more often than not this winter.
top management rocks the boat by
And while we may never be able
questioning the agency’s decisions.
to win the war against Mother
Though the audit is couched in
Nature, we must invest more heavily
the diplomatic code phrases of
in highways, bridges and other
managerial consultants, the overall
picture of top ODOT management is essential infrastructure. And better
uncomfortably close to the old cliché planning in the Portland area, the
of a clubby circle of friends standing economic engine of Oregon, will
help keep its steady expansion from
around leaning on their shovels
bottlenecking future growth.
kibitzing.
Ultimately, even if Congress
Consultant interviews with senior
grants President Donald
management found “no example
Trump’s wish for major national
of individuals who considered
infrastructure spending, Oregon
themselves a ‘dissenting voice.”’
taxpayers will have to pay much
Government agencies, boards and
of the tab for the things we
commissions often go to great
need. Deficiencies in ODOT’s
effort to ensure such a lack of
management system, along with
disagreement within their ranks.
However, from a public perspective, the debacle of the failed Columbia
Crossing project on Interstate
too many unanimous decisions
5, necessitate a convincing and
within an entity like ODOT are
thorough rebooting of this critical
nearly always a sign of trouble. It
agency’s managerial and oversight
means no one is really speaking up
procedures.
to question old assumptions or fight
It will be a fool’s errand to ask
for significant changes in budgeting,
personnel, project planning and other Oregon voters for a major hike in
transportation-related taxes until
important matters.
this basic work is done and trust is
In the case of Oregon’s
restored.
transportation system, ODOT’s
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
Tom Price, Dr. Personal Enrichment
E
ach year, a publication called
pharmaceutical companies that
Medscape creates a portrait of
would benefit from its defeat, as
the medical profession. It surveys
Time magazine reported. At the time,
thousands of doctors about their job
those same companies were lobbying
satisfaction, salaries and the like and
Congress to block the change. They
breaks down the results by specialty,
succeeded.
allowing for comparisons between, say,
It’s a pattern, too. Price has put the
dermatologists and oncologists.
interests of drug companies above
As I read the most recent survey,
those of taxpayers and patients — and
David invested in those drug companies on
I was struck by the answers from
Leonhardt the side.
orthopedic surgeons. They are the
Comment
highest-paid doctors, with an average
Last year, he also bought shares in
salary of $443,000 in 2015 — which,
Zimmer Biomet, a maker of hip and
coincidentally, was almost the exact cutoff
knee implants. Six days later, according to
for the famed top 1 percent of the income
CNN, he introduced a bill that would that have
distribution.
directly helped Zimmer.
Yet many orthopedists are not happy
In his defense, a spokesman for Price has
with their pay. Only 44 percent feel “fairly
said that his broker bought the Zimmer stock
compensated,” a smaller
and Price didn’t find out
share than in almost every
until later. That’s possible,
other specialty. A lot of
but still not acceptable.
orthopedists aren’t even
Members of Congress bear
happy being doctors. Just
responsibility for their
49 percent say they would
personal stock transactions,
go into medicine if they had
period.
to make the decision again,
A third episode may be
compared with 64 percent of
the worst. Price accepted
all doctors.
a special offer from an
I know that many
Australian drug company
orthopedists have a very
to buy discounted shares,
different view: They take
as The Wall Street Journal
pride in helping patients and
and Kaiser Health News
feel fortunate to enjoy comfortable lives. But
reported.
despite those doctors, it’s clear that orthopedics
He told the Senate that the offer was
suffers from a professional culture that does
open to all investors, although fewer than 20
not live up to medicine’s highest ideals. Too
Americans actually received an invitation to
many orthopedists are rich and think it’s an
buy at the discounted price. The stock has
injustice that they’re not richer.
since jumped in value, and Price underreported
This culture helped shape Dr. Tom
the worth of his investment in his nomination
Price, the orthopedic surgeon and Georgia
filings. It was a “clerical error,” he says.
congressman who is Donald Trump’s nominee
Even without any larger context, his actions
for secretary of health and human services.
are disqualifying. He’s repeatedly placed
Price had a thriving practice near Atlanta
personal enrichment above the credibility of
before being elected to Congress in 2004. His
Congress. The behavior is substantially worse
estimated net worth of more than $10 million
than giving money to an illegal immigrant
(and possibly a lot more) makes him one of the (which defeated a George W. Bush nominee)
House’s wealthier members.
or failing to pay nanny taxes (which scuttled a
Yet he hasn’t been content to make money
Bill Clinton nominee).
in the standard ways. He has also pushed, and
But of course there is a larger context.
crossed, ethical boundaries. Again and again,
Price has devoted much of his political career
Price has mingled his power as a congressman opposing expansion of health insurance. His
with his desire to make money.
preferred replacement of Obamacare would
So far, the nominee receiving the most
reduce health care benefits for sicker, poorer
attention is Betsy DeVos, Trump’s choice for
and older Americans.
education secretary, and she definitely deserves
His views have a long history within the
scrutiny. Still, I think Democrats have made a
medical profession. For decades, doctors
mistake focusing so much on her rather than
used their political clout to help block
on Price. He could do more damage — and his universal health insurance. They offered many
transgressions are worse than those that have
rationales, but money was the main reason.
defeated prior nominees.
Many doctors feared that a less laissez-faire
Last March, Price announced his opposition health care system would reduce their pay.
to a sensible Medicare proposal to limit the
It’s to the great credit of today’s doctors
money doctors could make from drugs they
that they have moved their lobbying groups
prescribe their patients. The proposal was
away from that position and helped extend
meant to reduce doctors’ financial incentives
insurance to some 20 million people. They
to prescribe expensive drugs. (And, yes, if
understand that some principles matter more
you’re bothered that your doctor has any stake than a paycheck.
in choosing one drug over another, you should
Or at least many of them do.
be.)
■
One week after Price came out against
David Leonhardt is an op-ed columnist for
the proposal, he bought stocks in six
The New York Times.
For decades,
doctors used
their political
clout to help
block universal
health coverage.
YOUR VIEWS
EOTEC a success, as long as
donations continue to flood in
The Umatilla County commissioners
appear to be finally concerned that the
EOTEC board has no concrete plan for
long-term operations.
With the shortfall in the county’s budget I
would hope that they were aware that, since
the center has turned a profit of $36,000
according to a recent article in the East
Oregonian, they really have nothing to worry
about. Besides, one of those commissioners
is on that board to ensure the success of the
center.
Rumor has it that since it has been so
successful, the city of Hermiston, after
hearing this unexpected news, is considering
buying out the county’s share and renaming
it after those commissioners that have been
so instrumental in its success. Additionally,
though this could not be verified by any
reliable source, the city may propose a
gas tax to fund the center and pay for the
reconstruction of the entrance road, forgoing
a request to the state for funding and
thoughtfully assisting Governor Brown in
balancing the state budget. Perhaps this kind
gesture will convince her not to close the
crime lab in Pendleton and the new mental
health facility in Junction City.
The county, for its part, has instructed
all departments not to ask for personnel
increases in their budget requests, and
the commissioners have promised to stop
“frittering” away public funds. I wonder if
this means no money for the desperately
needed “food hub” in Pendleton. They also
have recognized the need for increased
staffing at EOTEC.
I’m sure they will, as good stewards of the
entire county, decide to continue funding the
center since county residents are desperate
for a tax increase to ensure Hermiston’s
continued success. Meanwhile, the city has
approved up to $300,000 in incentives for the
Ranch and Home project rather than invest
more in EOTEC because of the county’s
expected generosity. Evidently, it seems
the EOTEC board and the Hermiston city
manager already have some sort of long-
range concrete plan.
News Flash: After generous funding from
both the city of Hermiston, the county, and
the flood of donations, EOTEC lost less than
$5,000 last year instead of a profit recently
reported in the EO. Those continued generous
donations will make the difference.
Rick Rohde
Pendleton
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.