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.