Page 4A
OPINION
East Oregonian
Tuesday, February 28, 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
Class-size bill isn’t a
cure for the problem
A bill that’s been introduced in the to adequate, sustainable funding
for existing faculty sizes, which
Oregon Legislature that originated
would need to increase to lower
with the chairwoman of the House
class sizes. As Chuck Bennett
Education Committee seeks to
of the Confederation of School
make class size a mandatory part of
Administrators said during a
collective bargaining with teachers.
committee hearing last week,
While every Oregonian should
“There is no debate
be concerned about
class size; smaller
our children and
Class size is a on
classes are better for
the relationship of
class size to quality
symptom of a kids. … The problem
is the funding is
education, we
much larger just not there for the
think it’s a bad idea
of personnel
because class size
problem, which level
we believe would be
is a symptom of a
much larger problem,
this bill doesn’t required.”
Bennett also told
which this bill doesn’t
address.
the committee the
address. The full
requirement would
Education Committee
give teachers’ unions another
should dismiss it when it comes to
bargaining chip without giving
a vote.
school officials resources to meet
The bill was proposed by Rep.
their demands. “You’ve got a
Margaret Doherty, D-Tigard, who
bucket of demands; I’ve got a
is a former contract negotiator for
bucket of nothing,” Bennett said.
the Oregon Education Association,
While we will always argue for
which represents teachers. Class
sizes are not currently negotiated as smaller individual class sizes, better
teaching conditions and higher
part of working conditions covered
quality eduction, Bennett is right.
by collective bargaining.
Doherty’s bill comes at a time
Legislators should avoid bills like
this that create mandates and don’t
when the state is generating record
do anything to address the real
revenue but yet still faces a $1.8
causes that determine class size.
billion shortfall because of legacy
They instead should focus their
costs like the Public Employees
efforts on finding a cure for the
Retirement System and Medicaid
overall problem rather than simply
cutbacks. The full Legislature is
struggling to provide even close
trying to treat a symptom.
OTHER VIEWS
Crazy, stupid love
M
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.
Culture corner
S
candinavia is known for its modern
crime thrillers, but in 2015 the
region broke open the political
genre in a big way.
That’s the year Norwegian television
broadcast
“Okkupert,”
which translates
into English as
“Occupied.” It
is set in the near
future, after a
newly elected
Norwegian
government
decides to combat
climate change
by refusing to
export its massive oil and gas reserves to
Europe. This political decision sets off a
worldwide crisis.
Russia covertly “invades” the country
to keep the fossil fuels flowing. The
European Union is covertly pleased by
this because upheaval of the continental
economy is averted. The United States
warily keeps its distance as the domi-
noes fall. Inside the country, Norwegian
nationalists resist the occupation.
Journalists risk their lives trying to
unearth secrets. Ordinary citizens are
torn by competing loyalties and their
desire to live normal lives. Politicians
try to avoid bloodshed and world war,
but also try to assert freedom and
sovereignty.
The
10-episode first
season turns
liberalism and
conservatism
on its head,
as well as
terrorism and
resistance, even
peace and war.
TV2 Norge
It will put you
on a side you
never though you’d land on, then make
you switch sides a few more times after
that. It’s thrilling, smart, terrifying and
fun — and it has enraged the Kremlin.
Season 2 is unfolding in Norway
right now. Season 1 is available in its
entirety on Netflix here in the USA.
Once you push play on the first episode,
it’s unlikely you’ll be able to stop until
you reach the end of this edge-of-your-
seat thriller. — Tim Trainor is opinion
page editor of the East Oregonian.
uch has been made of Melania
opposition party” that “should keep its
Trump’s absence from the
mouth shut,” as Trump enforcer Steve
capital.
Bannon put it.
But our new president’s most
The Washington Post has added a
intense, primal, torrid relationship is
dramatic “Batman”-style motto online:
in full “The War of the Roses” bloom
“Democracy Dies in Darkness.” The
here. And it is not with his beautiful,
New York Times bought a pricey ad for
reserved wife. It’s with the press, the
the Oscars with the tag line, “The truth
mirror for the First Narcissus.
Maureen is more important than ever.” The Los
President Donald Trump thinks that
Angeles Times made new multilingual
Dowd
the mirror is cracked and the coverage
T-shirts declaring, “We will not shut
Comment
is “fake.” And many in the press,
up.”
spanning the ideological spectrum,
Trump is constantly berating the
think that he is cracked and that a lot of his
press because the accounts of his chaotic,
pronouncements are fake.
careering first month in the job do not sync
Can this strange, symbiotic relationship be
up with the glossy, self-regarding image he
saved? Probably not. It is too inflamed and
has in the fun-house mirror of his head and in
enmeshed, too full of passionate accusations.
the reflection from his circle of sycophants.
It’s going to end like all those plays and
Kellyanne Conway calls him “President
movies — from “Othello” to “Endless Love”
Action” and “President Impact” and Bannon
— where the mutual attraction is so powerful,
compares him to William Jennings Bryan.
it’s toxic.
(Trump would definitely want a cross of gold
Trump could not live without the press.
to match his new Oval Office drapes.)
It is his crack. He would be adrift and bereft
Back in the ’70s and ’80s, with a shameless
without his sparring partners, lightning rods,
talent for self-aggrandizement untethered to
scapegoats and amplifiers.
fact, Trump was able to turn himself into a
And while many in the press may disdain
celebrity. Like his mentor Roy Cohn, Trump
the way Trump uses them to rile up crowds
learned to manipulate his coverage in the New
and deflect from transgressions, they know
York tabloids. He even came up with two alter
they have a rare story and a tantalizing,
egos, John Barron and John Miller, so he could
antagonizing protagonist.
masquerade as his own PR agent and spin tall
As New York Times White House reporter
tales about Madonna and Carla Bruni craving
Maggie Haberman tweeted in January:
him.
“Trump has frequently complained about
“Posing as John Miller, he used to ask to go
my reporting,” yet, “He remains the most
on and off the record when talking about girls
accessible politician I’ve ever covered.”
lusting after Donald,” recalls Sue Carswell,
The press is everything to Donald Trump,
who dealt with both Trump and his fake
from interior décor — his Trump Tower
spinmeister when she was at People during
office was plastered wall to wall with framed
l’affaire Marla Maples.
magazine covers reflecting his face back at him
It doesn’t seem to have sunk in with Trump
like an infinity mirror — to daily reading. For
that he can’t manipulate the press as easily
decades every morning, he had his assistant
today. He’s the president. When he exaggerates
print out a sheaf of stories published about
and makes things up now, it has global
him and keep a store of videotapes for ego
consequences and subverts American values. It
gratification. Once Trump became a Twitter
is not like whispering lies about which famous
addict, this morphed into an incestuous,
women are panting for him.
vertiginous spiral, as he got upset and shot
The White House has been trying to shape
back against news reports he did not like.
coverage by giving passes and questions
His campaign staff “cracked the code for
at news conferences to Breitbart and other
tamping down his most inflammatory tweets,” conservative outlets, including some fringe
Tara Palmeri reported in Politico last week,
ones. And on Friday afternoon, the White
by ensuring “his personal media consumption
House barred several news organizations from
includes a steady stream of praise. And when
a Sean Spicer briefing. This included The
no such praise was to be found, staff would
New York Times and CNN, which angered the
turn to friendly outlets to drum some up — and White House by reporting on links between
make sure it made its way to Trump’s desk.”
the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence
Talk about fake news.
officials.
He is the biggest story on the planet, “King
This Russian-style domination of the press
Lear meets Rodney Dangerfield,” as Lloyd
came only a few hours after the president told
Grove tweeted after Trump’s recent news
CPAC: “I love the First Amendment; nobody
conference. As our new president is well
loves it better than me. Nobody.”
aware, he’s a rainmaker and a troublemaker for
Fake news. Let’s just hope he doesn’t love
media.
the First Amendment to death.
Financially pressed news organizations are
■
not being shy about seizing the moment to
Maureen Dowd, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer
celebrate — and cash in on — their aggressive Prize for distinguished commentary, became a
independence. They are responding with
columnist on The New York Times Op-Ed page
a missionary zeal to being treated as “the
in 1995.
YOUR VIEWS
Selecting a new PSD
superintendent
I can assure everyone in our
community that no one cares
more about the well-being of our
school district than our dedicated
board, and we are charged on your
behalf with governing our district
responsibly.
We are highly committed to
filling our posted superintendent
position using the best process
to get the best person for the job
here.
Springtime is “open season” for
superintendents to apply to change
jobs, all of which typically have
start dates on July 1 in our state.
This current window of time is
perfect for recruiting and hiring a
qualified superintendent because
this is when hiring typically
happens in this business. Taking
“more time” until August, October
or next February does not enhance
our applicant pool.
Since we did many community
forums, public surveys and
other parts of this process only
one year ago, we are confident
moving into the posting of this
position and recruitment of a new
superintendent. Using the same
consultant as last year does not
incur any additional expense to our
district and they are familiar with
our needs and determined to help
find us the right superintendent.
Another rural district recently
closed with a huge number of
applications. People are looking.
We have no intention of
hiring “just anyone” for the sake
of hiring someone. You can be
reassured that, if there is not a
well-qualified candidate who
applies this spring and appears to
be a great asset to our district, then
we will change gears and hire an
interim superintendent. We control
the process.
To go right to the interim option
would mean four superintendents
in four years. We do not see that
as the best first option for our
staff or our students and thus will
pursue the hiring of an outstanding
qualified superintendent first.
Our Superintendent Screening
Committee consists of board
members, administrators, various
staff, parents and community
members. In May during the
“Meet and Greet” days, the
community is welcome to meet the
finalists and share their thoughts
before a decision is made.
Everyone brings a voice to the
table and we will be responsible in
our decision making for Pendleton
School District and for our
community.
Debbie McBee
Pendleton School Board chair
Banking and the PDC
Recently, the Pendleton city
manager and the city council,
wearing their Pendleton
Development Commission hat,
agreed to provide funds to a bank
for overhauling their elevator.
The PDC operates on money they
actually borrow from a bank.
Now maybe I had some bad math
teachers in school, but borrowing
money at current interest rates and
then loaning or just plain giving it
to another bank at no interest just
doesn’t seem to pencil out.
Now it looks like they are trying
to turn the PDC into a full-time
banking institution, creating through
the PDC a $3.5 million revolving
credit line. The repayment of these
loans, should the borrowers default,
would then fall on the property
owners in the Urban Renewal
District if I understand this whole
process correctly. It could turn out
like the nearly $40,000 loss the PDC
incurred in that Korean restaurant
venture.
Without providing any statistics
on the effectiveness of the PDC
in increasing the tax base during
the last 2 years compared to their
previous history, the council is
proposing a significant increase
in the PDC budget. Since most
of it is a wage increase, I guess
that corresponding increase in the
city’s unfunded PERS liability is
not as serious as the Legislature
portrays. It just kind of makes you
wonder how the PDC operation
functioned for many years without
a paid employee with just the city
manager running the show.
With the propensity of our
last city council to invest PDC
funds in statue, parking lot, park,
and landscaping projects that
did nothing to increase our tax
base, actually removing property
from the tax base in some cases,
I fear we may be putting the
whole program and the city under
unnecessary risk. When something
goes awry, does the city council
blame the PDC, or does the PDC
blame the council?
Why not keep Main Street as our
festival area as it has been in the past
and install a permanent electrical
infrastructure to replace those
tacky-looking temporary panels and
power cables running helter-skelter.
It makes little sense to spend
$300,000 of PDC funds on creating
a new festival area when we have
empty and derelict buildings such as
the infamous Edwards Apartments
within the Urban Renewal District
and do nothing.
It all sounds like someone
at city hall has a huge ego to
feed, and I thought things were
changing.
Rick Rohde
Pendleton
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 resi-
dence 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.