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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, March 24, 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 kick in the pants to the cold, hard reality that J.C. Penney will close its downtown Pendleton store, the company’s oldest in operation in its original location. The local closure is part of a nationwide reduction of 138 stores — including four others in small Oregon towns. It is not, therefore, some sign of Pendleton’s crumbling economy. It is a clear example of a larger phenomenon: A venerable retailer turned vulnerable and searching for its footing in a world increasingly moving to online shopping. Global phenomena aside, many Pendletonians will miss our Penney’s. The store featured a broad array of goods — from children’s clothing to bedding and housewares — at affordable prices. But in the parlance of death and dying, our business and civic leaders cannot spend too much time in the anger phase. The closure of J.C. Penney leaves a huge hole on Pendleton’s bustling Main Street, but it also presents opportunities that should be pursued. A tip of the hat to the Oregon Senate for pushing forward a bill to raise the legal age of smoking tobacco to 21. You have to be 21 years old to smoke marijuana and drink alcohol in Oregon, and tobacco ranks right alongside both substances in harmfulness to a growing brain. So why shouldn’t all three be illegal to those 20 and younger? The downside is the loss of liberty, and the lost of tax money to the state — about $1.6 million a year, according to projections. But the state could save much more in health care costs down the road if some young Oregonians do not become addicted to tobacco, or never even start using to begin with. And those millions spent on tobacco products by young people may go elsewhere in the economy, or maybe even stay in savings accounts, setting young people up to succeed. Not everyone follows laws, and many teens already try their first cigarettes — or swigs, or tokes — before they are of legal age. But laws by government should aim to keep citizens and their property from harm, and this one does that more than most. 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. YOUR VIEWS Commissioners cannot respond on drug court The March 23 edition of the East Oregonian included a letter written by Debbie Swenson, president of the local unit of AFSCME and Aaron Engum, vice president of the same union, criticizing county management with regard to the decision on drug court and criticizing individual members of the management team. While the commissioners might be expected to respond to their letter, only the union can comment on such issues. The county is not permitted to comment on the performance of individual employees. Therefore, there can be no rebuttal. If the county has violated any terms of the negotiated agreement with the union, there is a comprehensive process in place by which the union can pursue its grievances. It is, however, important to note that drug court is a function of the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council and not the commissioners, and that the final decision to move away from the drug court program was made at the regular monthly meeting of that body, which was held on March 14, 2017. No county employees participated in that vote. Larry Givens, Bill Elfering, George Murdock Umatilla County Commissioners Two sides to Dakota pipeline standoff In reading Prof. Rudzitis’ op-ed in the March 18 EO, I was struck by the somewhat inflammatory language regarding Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline. Some of his points conflicted with what I had read in an op-ed by U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota recently in the Dec. 7 Wall Street Journal regarding the pipeline. In Cramer’s op-ed, several points were made that I felt needed to be brought out. First, two federal courts have rejected claims that the tribe wasn’t consulted. Quoting Cramer: “The Army Corps made dozens of overtures to the Standing Rock Sioux over more than two years. Often these attempts were ignored or rejected, with the message that the tribe would only accept termination of the project.” Again quoting Cramer: “Other tribes did participate in the process. More than 50 tribes were consulted, and their concerns resulted in 140 adjustments to the pipeline’s route.” The crossing in dispute is both on federal and private lands. Quoting Cramer again: “It will run directly adjacent to another pipeline, which carries natural gas under the riverbed.” Additionally, Cramer points out that “this isn’t about water protection.” The tribe will draw its drinking water “roughly 70 miles downstream of where the pipeline is slated to cross the Missouri River.” A number of petroleum and gas pipelines already cross the Missouri River upstream of the tribe’s water intake. Finally, Prof. Rudzitis refers to “peaceful protests.” The Wall Street Journal article points out that “during a confrontation between protesters and law enforcement, an improvised explosive device was detonated on a public bridge in southern North Dakota.” This is just an example that people who read newspaper articles should be skeptical of what they read and do further research to verify or expand on what they have read to get the complete picture. Most of the articles I have read in newspapers on the Dakota Access Pipeline have been one-sided, favoring the protesters. Unfortunately, in today’s media you can’t trust you are getting a balanced story, which is very sad. It is just another symptom of today’s culture. OTHER VIEWS ‘A smell of treason in the air’ T he greatest political scandal hacking into Clinton emails, which in U.S. history was not Aaron would explain why Trump friend Burr’s shooting of Alexander Roger Stone tweeted things like “Trust Hamilton, and perhaps wasn’t even me, it will soon the Podesta’s time in Watergate. Rather, it may have been the barrel.” Richard Nixon’s secret efforts in 1968 This kind of soft collusion, evolving to sabotage a U.S. diplomatic effort to over the course of the campaign end the Vietnam War. without a clear quid pro quo, might Nixon’s initiative, long rumored but Nicholas also explain why there weren’t greater confirmed only a few months ago, was Kristof efforts to hide the Trump team’s ties to meant to improve his election chances Russia or to camouflage its softening Comment that year. After Nixon won, the war of the Republican Party platform dragged on and cost thousands of position toward Moscow. One crucial unknown: Did Russia try to additional U.S. and Vietnamese lives; it’s hard to see his behavior as anything but treason. funnel money into Trump’s campaign coffers? In European elections, Russia has regularly Now the FBI confirms that we have had tried to influence results by providing secret an investigation underway for eight months funds. I’m sure the FBI is looking into into whether another presidential campaign whether there were suspicious financial colluded with a foreign power so as to win an transfers. election. To me, that, too, would amount to The contacts with Russia are by Trump’s treason. I’ve been speaking aides, and the challenge will to intelligence experts, be to connect any collusion Americans and foreigners to the president himself. alike, and they mostly The White House is already (but not entirely) believe distancing itself from there was Trump-Russia Manafort, claiming that he cooperation of some kind. played only a “very limited But this is uncertain; it’s role” in the campaign — prudent to note that James even though he was Trump’s Clapper, the intelligence campaign chairman! director under Barack Many Democrats are, I Obama, said that as of think, too focused on Jeff January he had seen no evidence of collusion Sessions and have too transactional a view but that he favors an investigation to get to the of what may have unfolded. Treason isn’t bottom of it. necessarily spelled out as a quid pro quo, and I’m also told (not by a Democrat!) that it wasn’t when Nixon tried to sink the Vietnam there’s a persuasive piece of intelligence on peace initiative in 1968. ties between Russia and a member of the In the past, as when foreign funds made Trump team that isn’t yet public. their way into Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election The most likely scenario for collusion campaign, Republicans showed intense seems fuzzier and less transactional than many interest in foreign interference in the political Democrats anticipate. A bit of conjecture: process. So it’s sad to see some Republicans The Russians for years had influence over (I mean you, Devin Nunes!) trying to hijack Donald Trump because of their investments today’s House investigation to make it about with him, and he was by nature inclined to leaks. admire Vladimir Putin as a strongman ruler. Really? Our country was attacked by Meanwhile, Trump had in his orbit a number Russia, and you’re obsessed with leaks? Do of people with Moscow ties, including Paul you honestly think that the culprit in Watergate Manafort, who practically bleeds borscht. wasn’t Nixon but the famed leaker Deep The Associated Press reports that Manafort Throat? Republicans should replace Nunes as had secretly worked for a Russian billionaire head of the House Intelligence Committee; he close to Putin, signing a $10-million-a-year can’t simultaneously be Trump’s advocate and contract in 2006 to promote the interests of the his investigator. Putin government. The arrangement lasted at The fundamental question now isn’t least until 2009. about Trump’s lies, or intelligence leaks, As the AP puts it, Manafort offered to or inadvertent collection of Trump “influence politics, business dealings and news communications. Rather, the crucial question coverage inside the United States, Europe is as monumental as it is simple: Was there and the former Soviet republics to benefit the treason? Putin government.” (Manafort told the AP We don’t know yet what unfolded, and that his work was being falsely portrayed as raw intelligence is often wrong. But the issue nefarious.) cries out for a careful, public and bipartisan This is guesswork, but it might have investigation by an independent commission. seemed natural for Trump aides to try to milk “There’s a smell of treason in the air,” Russian contacts for useful information about Douglas Brinkley, the historian, told The the Clinton campaign. Likewise, the Russians Washington Post. He’s right, and we must despised Hillary Clinton and would have dispel that stench. been interested in milking U.S. contacts for ■ information about how best to damage her Nicholas Kristof grew up on a sheep and chances. cherry farm in Yamhill. A columnist for The At some point, I suspect, members of the New York Times since 2001, he won the Trump team gained knowledge of Russian Pulitzer Prize in 1990 and 2006. Our country was attacked by Russia and you’re obsessed with leaks? Rory A. Neault Pendleton Hermiston schools just keeping up with growth I am writing in support of the upcoming bond measure for the Hermiston School District. I have noted with great interest the growth of the Hermiston School District over the last several years. It seems to me the statistics show that the district has had to deal with growth of about 100 students per year, for many years. With that kind of growth, I think we have to support our schools. We all work hard to promote growth and economic development. The need for this bond measure is just a byproduct of our previous growth and necessary for Hermiston’s continued economic development. Please join me in voting yes for the Hermiston School Bond Measure on May 16. Tim Mabry Hermiston 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.
