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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, March 17, 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 Colin Brown, the Limey Pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Boardman. If you’ve followed along with his faith columns in the East Oregonian for the past year since his ordination, you know Brown as a good humored and thoughtful man. He’s a transplant from the United Kingdom who brings wit and wisdom through small parables, biblical observations and real-life stories. The stories of the past few months have been particularly powerful. Brown suffered a pair of heart attacks in December, was diagnosed with heart disease. He will have bypass surgery on Tuesday. Through his ordeal, facing down fear and uncertainty, Brown has shared openly about his heart, both figuratively and literally. In a weekly testament he has shown how godly virtues like faith and humility give strength in hard times and allow us to better care for others, too. We offer Brown our thoughts and prayers this week, and our thanks for the hope he has shared with us. A kick in the pants to the deafening noise. Americans should be intensely interested in President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint, released Thursday. It will certainly be altered, maybe even completely overhauled, by GOP-led Congress before it becomes law. But in its first draft form it offers possibly the clearest look at Trump’s agenda. It is not a tweet, a rally speech or a blip on the news cycle. It indicates the cornerstone ideas of the president’s plan to make America great again. It will do more to fulfill or break his campaign promises than an entire stack of executive orders. It is not the president’s job to dictate the budget — ultimately it is Congress’ responsibility — but Trump’s ability to put his principles into black and white (and sometimes red) will decide the fortunes of many Americans. Democrats will be outraged at every turn, by every cut. Republicans will have to explain the purpose of the pain. For Republicans to make a case for keeping the keys to the government, the final product must work. Cuts are part of the platform and promise, and seeing some red in the document should not be a surprise. But there’s the noise. Trump is a master of it. We’d hope to hear a vigorous case for the budget, of why Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs are the only departments seeing an increase while Agriculture, Labor, Education, Environment, Transportation and a host of others will lay on the chopping block. What we don’t need is more noise — conspiratorial accusations, manufactured outrage, strange press conferences, random internet insults. It’s up to the consumer to look closely and critically at the budget, at what it says about America’s potential for greatness or lack thereof, and not get distracted by the rest. 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 Richardson keeping his promises The (Medford) Mail Tribune A s a state legislator, Dennis Richardson never pretended to be anything other than a conservative Republican. Now, as the first Republican secretary of state in three decades, he’s still conservative in many ways, and still a Republican, but he’s approaching the state’s Number 2 job the way he said he would: As a nonpartisan advocate of efficient, effective government that serves all Oregonians. As the keynote speaker at the annual Dorchester Conference earlier this month, Richardson told his fellow Republicans the party needs to reach out to all Oregonians, regardless of party affiliation, and to stand for good government. “With victory comes responsibility,” he said. Richardson said he will strive to “serve all Oregonians, regardless of party, regardless of who you pray to, regardless of who you love.” That may come as a surprise to those who remember his socially conservative stands as a lawmaker, but Richardson’s actions since taking office have been decidedly non-political. In fact, he wants to make the office he holds nonpartisan. And he wants to remove the secretary of state’s ability to initiate investigations of election law violations, making it a complaint-driven process instead, to avoid the appearance of partisanship. Richardson also is backing two proposals put forth by his predecessor, Democrat Jeanne Atkins. One would create a searchable, online database of state administrative rules, replacing the existing law that requires the rules to be printed. He argues that’s unnecessary, and he’s right. The other would allow non-affiliated voters to electronically request a ballot for any party that holds an open primary. Both major parties tend to resist encouraging more participation from non-affiliated voters in primaries, but Richardson supports it. He also defends Oregon’s pioneering vote-by-mail system, saying it can’t be hacked, and sent a letter to President Trump declaring that no voter fraud happened here in the November election. The Dorchester Conference, the oldest annual political conference in the country, was founded in 1965 by Bob Packwood, then a Republican state legislator, who was alarmed by the arch-conservative shift in the Republican Party and its nomination of Barry Goldwater in 1964. Dorchester began as a gathering of what today would be considered liberal Republicans. Over the years, Dorchester has leaned more conservative as the state party moved to the right. But conservative though Richardson may be on social issues, his approach to his new job bears more than a little resemblance to those Dorchester Republicans of yore. OTHER VIEWS And Jesus said unto Paul of Ryan ... A woman who had been bleeding “The Lord God has anointed me to for 12 years came up behind bring good news to the poor,” Jesus Jesus and touched his clothes in replied, emphasizing the last two words. hope of a cure. Jesus turned to her and Then he turned to a paralyzed beggar at said: “Fear not. Because of your faith, his feet. “Stand up!” Jesus told the man. you are now healed.” “Pick up your mat and go home.” As Then spoke Pious Paul of Ryan: the man danced about joyfully, Pious “But teacher, is that wise? When you Paul rolled his eyes dismissively. cure her, she learns dependency. Then “Look, Jesus, you have rare talent, Nicholas the poor won’t take care of themselves, Kristof and it should be rewarded,” Pious Paul knowing that you’ll always bail them said. “I have a partner, The Donald, Comment out! You must teach them personal who would like to work with you: responsibility!” He’d set up a lovely hospital, and They were interrupted by 10 lepers who the rich would come and pay for you to heal stood at a distance and shouted, “Jesus, have them. You’d get a percentage, and it’d be a real pity on us.” money-spinner. Overhead would be minimal “NO!” shouted Pious Paul. “Jesus! You because every morning you could multiply don’t have time. We have a cocktail party some loaves and fishes. You could strike it fundraiser in the temple. And don’t worry rich!” about them — they’ve already got health care “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the access.” kingdom of God,” Jesus said. “But woe to you Jesus turned to Pious Paul, puzzled. who are rich, for you have already received “Why, they can pray for a cure,” Pious Paul comfort.” explained. “I call that universal health care “Oh, come on, Jesus,” Pious Paul protested. access.” “Don’t go socialist on me again. Please don’t Jesus turned to the 10 lepers. “Rise and go,” encourage class warfare. The best way to help he told them. “Your faith has made you well.” the needy is to give public money to the rich. Then he turned back to Pious Paul, saying, “Let That then inspires the poor to work harder, me tell you the story of the good Samaritan. galvanizes the sick to become healthy, forces “A man was attacked by robbers who the lepers to solve their own problems rather stripped him of clothes, beat him and left him than kick back and depend on others. That’s half dead. A minister passed down this same why any realistic health plan has to focus on road, and when he saw the injured man, he providing less coverage for the poor, and big crossed to the other side and hurried on. So did tax benefits for the rich. When millions of a rich man who claimed to serve God. But then people lose health care, that’s when a country is a despised Samaritan came by and took pity on great again!” the injured man. He bandaged his wounds and “From everyone who has been given much,” put the man on his own donkey and paid an Jesus told him, “much will be required.” innkeeper to nurse him to health. So which of “Well, sure, this hospital would have a these three should we follow?” foundation to do some charity work. Maybe “Those who had mercy on him,” Pious Paul commissioning portraits of The Donald to hang said promptly. in the entrance. But let’s drop this bleeding Jesus nodded. “So go ——” heart nonsense about health care as a human “I mean the first two,” Pious Paul right, and see it as a financial opportunity to interjected. “For the Samaritan’s work is reward investors. In this partnership, 62 percent unsustainable and sends the wrong message. of the benefits would go to the top 0.6 percent It teaches travelers to take dangerous roads, — perfect for a health care plan.” knowing that others will rescue them from Jesus turned to Pious Paul on his left and self-destructive behaviors. This Samaritan also said: “Be gone! For I was hungry and you gave seems to think it right to redistribute money me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no from those who are successful and give it to drink; and I was sick, and you did not help me.” losers. That’s socialism! Meanwhile, if the “But, Lord,” protested Pious Paul of Ryan, rich man keeps his money, he can invest it and “when did I see you hungry or thirsty or sick create jobs. So it’s an act of mercy for the rich and refuse to help you? I drop your name man to hurry on and ignore the robbery victim.” everywhere. And I’m pro-life!” “How hard it is for the rich to enter the “Truly, I say to you,” Jesus responded, “as kingdom of Heaven,” Jesus mused to himself. you did not help the homeless, the sick — as “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of you did not help the least of these, you did not a needle than for a rich person to enter heaven.” help me.” “Let me teach you about love, Jesus — ■ tough love!” Pious Paul explained. “You need a Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The sustainable pro-business model. And you need Times since 2001, is a two-time Pulitzer to give people freedom, Jesus, the freedom to Prize winner who grew up on a sheep farm in suffer misery and poverty.” Yamhill, Oregon. YOUR VIEWS Individual mandate only way health plan will work Proponents of the new Republican health plan tout “access” to health care that will not be affordable to many. “Affordability” means they want insurers to be able to offer cheaper plans that don’t cover much of anything. Coverage of “preexisting conditions” appears to allow insurers to charge as much as they want (they can charge you five times as much as a young person for your preexisting condition of being old). The very poor and elderly will see Medicaid reduced or unavailable. Young people will see their premiums drop but they won’t have to buy insurance, because “in America and people should be free to not have health insurance until they want it or need it”. As Paul Ryan manages to say with a completely straight face, under the ACA “healthy people pay for sick people” and who wants that? I do. Insurance is a risk pool where everyone pays into the pool so that if disaster strikes we can draw from the pool. As someone who suffered a near death experience with absolutely no warning, I can tell you none of us know when or if that time will come. Paying into the pool when you don’t need it as opposed to only when you do is the whole point of insurance. To be successful it requires an individual mandate with the teeth to enforce it. The inability to get a meaningful individual mandate passed in Congress is one of the reasons premiums have risen so dramatically the last few years. The Republican plan only further exacerbates this problem. Rural Oregon already needs relief from being charged far more in insurance premiums than our Portland counterparts. Because as a subgroup we are poorer, older and sicker, insurers are allowed to put us in a separate risk pool. Why? Aren’t we part of the state? Rural areas will be even harder hit by the new Republican plan as it does nothing to address these problems. The grand talk is to “increase competition.” Do we really think the private market left to itself will rush in to cover areas that don’t make them as much money as others? Our Congressman Greg Walden portrays himself as one of the proud architects of this new plan. I encourage you to write him and ask him how this benefits his rural constituents. Anita Burrows 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 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.
