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OPINION
East Oregonian
Friday, March 10, 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
Tip of the hat;
kick in the pants
A tip of the hat to the gray wolf, the newest Oregon success story.
For many, the canine hasn’t been able to shake the big, bad wolf reputation.
That’s especially true among ranchers wary of
re-introducing an apex predator into the same
hills and valleys where their sheep and cattle
graze.
But the re-introduction has taken hold, the
population has grown and now the wolf plan
has entered its next phase. For both wolves and
humans, that’s a good thing.
It’s good news for wolves because it means
they’re thriving in their old stomping grounds.
Protections for the animals to do what they do
— stalk around the woods, prey on deer and elk
and reproduce — have kept them from being slaughtered on sight and again
extinguished from Oregon.
It’s good news for people because we’re gaining confidence in our ability
to co-exist. While some would still argue for total removal and others would
like to see permanent protections, those of us in the middle are pleased that as
the population grows, so does our ability to manage it.
As the phases progress, wolves will soon be just another species that calls
Oregon home — nothing to be scared of.
A kick in the pants, then, to government’s coyote exterminators who
accidentally killed a wild wolf last month in Wallowa County.
A cyanide-laced bait was left out on
private land to kill coyotes, but was gobbled
up by a wolf instead. Officials say they are
investigating the matter, but have revealed
little more that than.
With all the work Oregon is doing to
make its woods a healthier place — and all
the dollars taxpayers are throwing in to help
— we should not have government-funded
workers dropping government-funded
poison across our hillsides. That practice
should cease.
The accidental killing is additionally a bad look for an organization that
has been working hard to protect wolves and prosecute poachers. The next
person who offs one has a pretty good response to a government that may try
to charge them with a crime.
OTHER VIEWS
Connecting Trump’s dots to Russia
I enjoyed the show “House of
says he saw no evidence of such
Cards” but always felt that it went a bit
collusion but favors an investigation to
too far, that its plot wasn’t plausible.
get to the bottom of it.
After seven weeks of President Donald
6. Trump has expressed a
Trump, I owe “House of Cards” an
bewilderingly benign view of Russia
apology. Nothing seems impossible
and appointed officials also friendly to
any more.
Moscow. He did not make an issue of
That includes the most towering
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during
suspicion of all: that Trump’s team
Nicholas the campaign.
colluded in some way with Russia to
7. A Trump associate, Roger
Kristof
interfere with the U.S. election. This is
Stone, appeared to have had advance
Comment
the central issue that we must remain
knowledge of Russia’s disclosures
focused on.
through WikiLeaks of Hillary Clinton
There are a lot of dots here, and the
campaign emails. As early as August, two
challenge is how to connect them. Be careful:
months before her campaign chairman John
Democrats should avoid descending into the
Podesta’s emails were released, Stone tweeted:
kind of conspiratorial mindset that led some
“Trust me, it will soon [be] Podesta’s time in
Republicans to assume Hillary Clinton was a
the barrel.” In October, six days before a dump
criminal about to be indicted, or to conjure sex of Clinton campaign emails, Stone tweeted:
slaves belonging to her in a Washington pizza
“HillaryClinton is done. #WikiLeaks.”
restaurant. Coincidences happen, and I think
8. Sessions seems a red herring, in that
there has been too much focus on Attorney
he wasn’t a secret conduit to the Kremlin.
General Jeff Sessions, not
The more interesting
enough on Paul Manafort,
dot is Manafort, whom
the former Trump campaign
investigators have focused
manager. Here are 10 crucial
on because of his long-
dots:
standing ties to Russia.
1. Trump and his aides
9. “We see a lot of money
have repeatedly and falsely
pouring in from Russia,”
denied ties to Russia. USA
Donald Trump Jr. was
Today counted at least 20
quoted as saying in 2008.
denials. In fact, we now
Russia may have gained
know that there were
leverage over President
contacts by at least a half-
Trump through loans to
dozen people in the Trump
his organization or other
circle with senior Russian officials.
business dealings. The way to ease these
2. There’s no obvious reason for all these
suspicions would be to examine Trump’s tax
contacts. When Vice President Mike Pence
returns: Any government investigation that
was asked on Jan. 15 if there had been
doesn’t obtain Trump’s tax returns simply isn’t
contacts between the Trump campaign and
a thorough investigation.
Kremlin officials, he answered: “Of course
10. Even many Republicans acknowledge,
not. Why would there be?” We don’t know
as President George W. Bush put it, “We
either, Mr. Vice President.
all need answers.” The House and Senate
3. There were unexplained communications Intelligence Committees mostly operate
between a Trump Organization computer
behind closed doors, while we yearn for
server and Russia’s Alfa Bank, which has
transparency. What is desperately needed is
ties to President Vladimir Putin. These
an independent inquiry modeled on the 9/11
included 2,700 “look-up” messages to initiate
Commission.
communications, and some investigators
When friends press me about what I think
found all this deeply suspicious. Others
happened, I tell them that my best guess is
thought there might be an innocent
that there wasn’t a clear-cut quid pro quo
explanation, such as spam. We still don’t
between Trump and Putin to cooperate in
know.
stealing the election, but rather something
4. “Repeated” and “constant” contacts
more ambiguous and less transactional —
between Trump officials and Russian
partly because Putin intended to wound
intelligence, as reported by The New York
Clinton and didn’t imagine that Trump could
Times and CNN, are underscored by intercepts actually win. Yet I wouldn’t be surprised if
of communications involving Russian
the Trump team engaged in secret contacts
officials, and by the British and Dutch
and surreptitious messages, and had advance
governments monitoring meetings in Europe
knowledge of Russia’s efforts to attack the
between Russians and members of the Trump
American political process. And that would be
team.
a momentous scandal.
5. A well-regarded Russia expert formerly
One reason I’m increasingly suspicious is
with MI6, Christopher Steele, produced a
Trump’s furious denunciations of the press
now-famous dossier alleging that Russia made and of Barack Obama, to the point that he
compromising videos of Trump in 2013, and
sometimes seems unhinged. Journalists have
that members of the Trump team colluded
learned that when a leader goes berserk and
with the Kremlin to interfere with the U.S.
unleashes tirades and threats at investigators,
election.
that’s when you’re getting close.
The dossier quoted a Russian as saying
■
that a deal had been arranged “with the full
Nicholas Kristof grew up on a sheep and
knowledge and support of Trump” and that in
cherry farm in Yamhill. Kristof, a columnist
exchange for Russian help, “the Trump team
for The New York Times since 2001, writes
agreed to sideline Russian intervention in
op-ed columns that appear twice a week. He
Ukraine as a campaign issue.” James Clapper, won the Pulitzer Prize two times, in 1990 and
the U.S. former national intelligence director,
2006.
There are a
lot of dots
here, and the
challenge is how
to connect them.
A tip of the hat to the return of official meetings between the city
of Pendleton and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation for the first time in two years.
Elected leaders of the neighboring entities sat
down Wednesday at the airport in Pendleton to
discuss both big picture goals and specific issues.
From housing (surprise, both have shortages) to
industrial development to the future of historical
artifacts with tribal significance owned by the
city, they found plenty to talk about.
And we expect they will find much more,
should meetings continue.
We’re not big on meetings just for the
sake of meeting. People are busy, and asking
representatives to take time out of their busy
commitments can be counterproductive. But working together can benefit
both of these boards if they use their time to raise and then solve problems,
share best practices and combine forces when it makes sense. A tip to both for
starting down that road.
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.
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 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.
YOUR VIEWS
Direct food aid undercuts
local African farmers
Many thanks for the “Face of Starvation”
editorial in the March 7 issue of the East
Oregonian — the subject is of great
importance.
There is, however, one very significant
and well known downside to the proposed
solution, that being if there is a great deal of
food aid given directly there is a concurrent
diminution of production by local farmers.
If the wheat or maize or any other foodstuff
is being given away free, why would anyone
buy what is locally produced? And the result
is that local farmers and local production are
seriously damaged.
There is straightforward solution to this
situation.
First, buy what is locally and/or regionally
produced and immediately available. This
has the advantage of being what people are
accustomed to and what they know how to
use. Obviously this is not sufficient or there
would be no malnutrition or starvation,
but the point is to do everything possible
to support and stimulate local production
of foodstuffs. If local farmers are driven
out of business by the food aid, in the
long term — even if provided with best
intentions — direct food aid can have some
destructive effects. The basic concept is to
buy locally first and then use direct food aid
as supplementary. The editorial mentions that
this is being done to a limited extent, and that
is good.
Second, the United States Agency for
International Development is the arm or
our government tasked with this sort of
work, both food aid and development of
improved agricultural production, and it
is imperative that USAID be thoroughly
funded and supported to do the development
work necessary for improved, increased,
and stabilized food production. The goal of
self-reliance for African nations in particular
is a critical issue and if attention is not paid
to this issue the same recurring problem of
food shortage will continue to be repeated
and to grow worse.
Third, the basic issues of stabilized food
security are going to be a long term, ongoing
concern. According to UN population
increase projections, by the end of this
century the population of Africa will be
increased by 3.7 times and the African
continent will be the home of 39 percent of
the world’s population. With lack of food
right now in 2017, what will that future hold
in regard to food security? It seems very dim.
In my view, our greatest responsibility and
our primary good is to provide enlightened
development work that stimulates increase in
local food production and leads to stabilized
food security. “Stability” is the magic word
of development work and a most worthy goal
not only for food but additionally for work
and safety and peace.
Many thanks to you for airing the issue
and giving us all a reason to consider these
very important issues that affect so many
lives. Surely, as Americans of good will, we
can and must continue to be involved in the
creation of solutions — long-term, stabilizing
solutions.
Andrew A. Clark
Pendleton/Kenya
ACA has expanded health
programs in Eastern Oregon
The Affordable Care Act clearly needs
fixing, but there are parts of it that benefit us
here in Eastern Oregon. The ACA greatly
expanded health insurance to low income
people, and in Oregon much of that money
comes to our part of the state. Because more
of our people now have insurance. Eastern
Oregon can support more health services.
In Umatilla and Morrow counties alone, the
Medicaid expansion has produced benefits
such as more health care providers and
health-related programs.
Currently our public mental health
programs are the best they have been
in years. Expanded health care in our
community also helps our local economy
because providers and their families spend
their money here. If these services are
important to you, let your representatives in
Congress know about it.
Terry Templeman
Pendleton
School safety will improve
with Hermiston school bond
I’m grateful for the schools and services
we have here in Hermiston. One of the
many reasons we moved here 20 years ago
was because of the schools, teachers and
community.
Over the years our community has risen
to the needs of the children. Safety and
security at Rocky Heights and Highland Hills
elementary schools are two current needs
identified by an independent safety audit
conducted by our own Hermiston Police
Department. The audit found the design, age,
and lack of life-safety alert systems at these
schools are inadequate to meet the current
safety standards.
For these reasons, among a host of other
reasons, I hope the school bond is passed.
When it comes to safety, can we be too
prepared?
Jeff Snell
Hermiston