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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Thursday, February 23, 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 EOU has chance to set its own course Eastern Oregon University is taking the opportunity to draw up its own road map, and president Tom Insko is setting his sights on the horizon instead of the rear view mirror. Insko, an EOU graduate who spent two decades at Boise Cascade before stepping into the academic realm, was selected to lead the university in May 2015. That same year the Oregon University System was disbanded, leaving the state’s seven public universities accountable to their own governing boards. The change in leadership on two fronts has already had a tangible impact on the La Grande institution, the only state university in this half of Oregon. For instance, Gov. Kate Brown’s budget keeps funding for secondary education flat in the next biennium, opting to put extra school dollars into early childhood development. This investment has been pitched as the long-term solution to solve Oregon’s education woes, but won’t be felt at the college level for more than a decade. That leaves colleges, where expenses certainly are not flat, to grapple with how to fund their programs. Insko told the East Oregonian editorial board this week that if that level funding was proposed and the school was still in the old mode of operation, EOU would be in “another crisis.” But because of decisions made by the board and president, the school has the strongest fund balance in at least 12 years (as far back as he’s checked the books) and is ready to move ahead even if the state’s colleges can’t convince the Legislature to find an extra $100 million to send their way. Insko said he and others in secondary education will try to make their case by touting the immediate economic benefit of pumping money into colleges, which turn high school graduates into a workforce that quickly adds to the tax base. But it won’t be a desperate plea, and the fate of EOU doesn’t hang in the balance. The university has settled down after more than a decade of fractured leadership and diverging visions. Insko plans to bring a strategic plan to the board by May, with a idea of what the university will be doing in 2029 — its 100th anniversary. That’s a long way in the future, but a good place for an institution of higher learning to be setting its sights. The university is also embracing its regional advantages, pursuing students from surrounding counties and providing a path that goes through EOU. That includes committing to a four-year degree track, even if a student starts at, say, Blue Mountain Community College and wants to transfer to EOU after receiving an associate’s degree. It also includes a recent partnership with TheDream.US, a nonprofit that provides scholarships for high- performing undocumented students. Many students in Umatilla and Morrow counties who aren’t eligible for federal aid because of their immigration status could benefit from this. By focusing on area students, considering the big picture and setting quantifiable goals in its forthcoming strategic plan, we expect to see EOU continue to build a strong foundation on which to flourish. We look forward to seeing where that road leads. 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 Milo is the mini-Donald f you halved Donald Trump’s age, for the image of gays in the flyover changed his sexual orientation, states” than all gay magazines and all gave him a British accent and gay advocacy groups combined. fussed with his hair only a little, you’d Also, this: “I’m proud to be a end up with a creature much like Milo warrior for free speech.” Behold his Yiannopoulos. armor. Beware his spear. He could be Trump’s lost gay child. He’s right that in America of late, In fact, Yiannopoulos, 33, has a habit there’s too much policing of indelicate of referring to Trump, 70, as “Daddy.” and injurious language and too little Frank Trump the father and Yiannopoulos recognition that the wages of fully Bruni the son are both provocateurs who open debate are ugly words and hurt Comment realize that in this day and age feelings. especially, the currency of celebrity But he invokes free speech to exalt isn’t demeaned by the outrageousness cruel behavior and lewd testimonials whose and offensiveness through which a person purpose is headlines and booking fees. When achieves it. he goes on his racist and sexist tears or muses Both are con men, wrapping themselves in about his appetite for black men, he’s just a higher causes, though their primary agendas brat begging for attention, a showboat looking are the advancement of themselves. to fill seats. Both believe that And he may beg as he audience size equals pleases. That is his right, value — and that having one that I treasure. He people listen to you is the just shouldn’t expect the same as having something rest of us to salute him worthwhile to say. for it — even though he I heard nothing briefly got the Conservative worthwhile during Political Action Conference Yiannopoulos’ news to do precisely that. The conference Tuesday group invited him to give afternoon, though I heard an address at its conference a whole lot of Trump in him, and I wondered this week, then rescinded the offer after the — no, shuddered — at a kind of worldview pederasty business. that may well be in ascendance, thanks to its Together he and Trump have exposed validation by our president. what a cynical, corruptible vessel modern That worldview was distilled in conservatism is. Yiannopoulos’ response when a journalist To hop aboard the triumphant Trump mentioned Ann Coulter, to whom he is often train, no small number of conservatives likened. “I don’t take comparisons to Ann have mortgaged their belief in free markets, Coulter to be insulting,” he said. “She sells a re-evaluated their attachment to free trade, hell of a lot of books.” muffled their professed concern for “family The point of the news conference, values” and basic decency, and put their ostensibly, was to contain the damage from wariness toward Russia on a shelf. resurfaced recordings in which he jokes And in inviting Yiannopoulos, CPAC’s raunchily about having been sexually abused stewards set aside a homophobia that had long by a priest and makes light of pederasty, curtailed the role of gay Republican groups trafficking in the revolting, ridiculous myth at the event. I’d praise that as a positive step that it’s no big deal in the gay world. toward a bigger tent except that the gay man He framed his appearance before who was being beckoned into it gleefully journalists as an apologia. But it was just promotes destructive stereotypes about gays as much an attack — on those journalists, and other minorities. who, he said, had deliberately misheard CPAC wasn’t interested in inclusion. It was and conspiratorially mischaracterized his after the “ratings” that Trump always crows remarks about sexual activity before the age of about, and ratings have overtaken principles in consent. this mad, morally vacuous world. “[Expletive] you for that,” he muttered. “Will next year’s invite include Julian The real Yiannopoulos kept bubbling Assange?” asked the conservative columnist up through the fake-sorry Yiannapoulos, Matt Lewis in The Daily Beast. “Alex Jones?” who didn’t even pretend all that hard. “They may not be conservative,” he added, Presenting himself as some kind of martyr and “but it’ll make for a hell of a show.” That’s refashioning himself as some kind of hero, he what Yiannopoulos was poised to give CPAC. couldn’t have had more of Trump’s DNA in And that’s what Trump will provide Friday, him if he were Trump’s clone. when he’s scheduled to perform. He described a speech that he gave in ■ drag to 1,200 college students in Louisiana as Frank Bruni, an Op-Ed columnist for something that “simply hasn’t happened in the The New York Times since 2011, joined the history of this country before.” newspaper in 1995. Over his years, he has He speculated that with similar events on worn a wide variety of hats, including chief other campuses, he had “probably done more restaurant critic and Rome bureau chief. I Their primary agendas are the advancement of themselves. YOUR VIEWS Deny dispensary across from bus stop As a resident of Pendleton for 28 years, I am deeply concerned about recent events that are changing the face of Pendleton and will affect the well being of our children and families. The Pendleton Planning Commission received a conditional use request for a recreational marijuana dispensary to open on the corner of Tutuilla Road and Nye Street. Although this proposed site within a C3 zone exceeds the required 1,000 feet distance to a school and park, the store will be adjacent to a large residential area and across from a school bus stop. About 40 children of all ages congregate at the corner of Tutuilla and Nye to catch the bus to and from schools throughout the day. Thir- ty-three buses loaded with minors will be passing the marijuana store twice daily to and from the middle school. Neighborhood children will be walking by the store to school or sport activities at Grecian Heights Park. Countless families transport their children to the park for soccer, baseball games, family picnics and fun. This marijuana store will be highly visible to our neighborhood kids and students from all over Pendleton, promoting drug use right in front of their curious minds. They will be subjected to increased traffic of 100-200 daily customers, per applicant’s prediction. Placing the dispensary at this bus stop will undermine the effort of multiple agencies and individuals, e.g. Family First, former officer Hamby and the D.A.R.E. program who work daily in our schools and community to instill healthy choices and promote healthy families. Numerous concerned individuals and school district representatives gave strong opposing testimonies at the public hearing February 16. Nevertheless, the planning commission postponed deliberation until March 2. Who would like to live next door to a marijuana dispensary? Our property value will decrease, crime will increase. Will our kids still be safe walking to and from school? Will families still be able to enjoy Grecian Heights Park or be confronted with dubious activities of customers consuming their freshly bought product? The planning commission already permitted three dispensaries to set up shop in Pendleton. The OLCC allows only one liquor store in town. Does Pendleton need more dispensaries than grocery stores? Just so the city can collect 3 percent tax on all sales does not make this site suitable or morally right. The purpose of City Ordinance No 3902 section 4.05.1 is to mini- mize adverse impacts on adjacent properties, schools and other places where children congregate. Well, a school bus stop is a place where children congregate and this request to operate a recreational marijuana store at the corner of Tutuilla and Nye must be denied. Christina Cook Pendleton Trump’s first 100 days as successful as any In early November 2016, pre-election, the Dow Jones closed at 18,200. On Feb. 20, the Dow Jones was at 20,600. This is a gain of 2,400 points, which translates to a gain of $2 trillion. Donald Trump has had a stream of CEO/business people to the White House and all have left speaking positively of the roundtable meeting where they, as business leaders, got a chance to discuss how America could better grow her job arena. Business creates jobs here at home. We need a return of jobs for the betterment of our families. Trump has had a stream of foreign country leaders in to discuss markets and reaffirm our position in the world order. He has given confidence to our allies and caution to those who oppose us. Never has so much been done in the first 100 days. There never was a “ban” on immigration. It was a temporary ban on immigration from seven countries, named by the previous administration, and agreed with by this administration, as being nurseries for terrorist persons vowing to do us harm. This temporary ban was until an accurate background check, of the applicants from these listed countries, could be implemented. It was not about religion but about keeping terrorists out until we could get a better vetting process in place. A Washington State judge, politically motivated, entered a court action. By “judge shopping,” a court was found, and a stop order was executed. OK, a new order is coming soon that speaks to some of the problems with the original order. There will be protest from the naysayers but we need the protection of this temporary immigration hold to improve the vetting process for all immigrants. It is not, nor never was, about any religion. Trump is not against legal, properly vetted persons, only the illegals. A “town hall” meeting in Hermiston a while ago had a Hispanic woman get the floor and she proclaimed the illegal immigrants were not criminals only people seeking a more prosperous life. Wait a minute! If you are here in the U.S. and you are here illegally, you are a criminal. We can’t pick and choose the laws we want to adhere to. Get legal or get gone. Know that there is a scripted/ crafted liberal Democrat game plan, from the highest level, to block and disrupt Trump’s administration. Every step of the way/ This is not for the betterment of our nation but is, until now, an unimaginable think tank plan from nationally seated persons to obstruct everything they can. Ron Linn Stanfield LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.