Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Tuesday, March 28, 2017 OTHER VIEWS 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 Port weighs container traffic options There may be hope yet for the Port of Portland’s container operation, which has been in mothballs for two years. The demise of Terminal 6 is attributable to several important factors. The trans-Pacific shipping industry overexpanded in recent years, meaning most companies were financially stressed. The Port of Portland is 100 miles upstream from the Pacific Ocean and the largest container ships could not call there while fully loaded. The International Longshore Workers Union made a career of creating as much havoc as it could, picking fights with the terminal operator and other unions and slowing down container traffic to a trickle. That toxic combination spelled doom for the port’s container operation. If and when a container shipper will return to Terminal 6 is anyone’s guess. For agricultural exporters, that’s bad news. Containers of hay, straw, produce and other commodities now must be trucked to Tacoma or Seattle to be loaded onto ships for the trip overseas, adding to the time and cost of doing business. But there’s hope the port can play another role that would benefit exporters. At a recent meeting of the port’s board, managers suggested that the port’s rail link could be used to take containers from Portland to the Puget Sound ports. That would take truck traffic off Interstate 5 and, presumably, save exporters money. If the cost savings are real, such a service would be worthwhile. In the meantime, the port is trying to land another container shipper. With the location of the port, that will take some doing. Keeping the Columbia River dredged to accommodate larger container ships, maintaining a truce with the ILWU and finding an operator for the facility now that ICTSI Oregon Inc. is gone are all tall orders. We hope it can be done. Fingers crossed. But in the meantime, a rail shuttle or other possibilities for helping agricultural exporters in the region will be much appreciated. 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 necessar- ily that of the East Oregonian. OTHER VIEWS Not either/or but both/and T his op-ed piece had its Please rest assured we are beginnings in a recent phone working on a balanced budget; call I had with a longtime constitutionally we are required to Pendleton friend, Russ Hensley. do so. It will happen. What I didn’t know at the time was The second question was: Why Russ had also submitted a letter am I working on unimportant stuff, to the East Oregonian, which ran and taking up legislative time on the day before he called, which trying to get these bills passed? This summarized what he shared on the is where Russ and I might have a Bill phone. Russ was frustrated with Hansell disagreement. Every bill I sponsor those of us in Salem, and with me and try to get passed is important Comment in particular, for not tackling the to someon, and, as their elected major problems facing our state, representative, important to me. and for spending time, energy, and effort The vast majority of the bills I introduce are passing bills that he felt had little or no constituent bills — bills that were written importance compared to other big item to answer a need or problem. If I don’t issues. Rearranging chairs on the Titanic, represent the good people of District #29, was how Russ described my efforts. who will? It is my privilege, honor, and Russ is articulate and sincere, and as responsibility to be your voice in Salem. I tried to answer his questions, we both This is one of, if not the most important thought it might be helpful to do this op-ed thing I do. And I offer no apologies for piece to explain what is happening, or spending legislative time helping constitu- not, in the legislative process. One thing I ents. I received a phone call from the mayor want to make clear, I very much appreciate Russ taking the time to call and express his of Joseph asking for assistance regarding the city’s deer population issue; we have views to me and in his letter to the editor. an answer, SB 373. I was speaking with His two questions to answer: First, why Pendletonian Barbara Clark regarding doesn’t it appear anything is being done on the very serious issues facing the state? And human trafficking and she asked why we don’t have assistance hotline numbers second, why are you taking up valuable in rest stop bathrooms like they do back time working on issues that aren’t all that east. This conversation created SB 375. important? I received a letter from a constituent, Mr. The Oregon Ship of State, like the Titanic, is sailing in rough waters. We have J.P. Bailey, regarding state park stays for disabled veterans – this provided the some serious budget issues. Among the background to SB 380. A conversation four biggest are PERS, the Oregon Health about house foreclosures with the former Plan, transportation, and the state budget. mayor of Adams created SB 381. When Even though the legislature has over a $1.2B, yes that is billion, in new revenue to prison guards Jeff Coffman and Bryan Branstetter came to me with a need for spend, the state is still $1.8 billion short of protections in prison facilities, I quickly current service level. Unlike the captain of drafted SB 368 and SB 366. Umatilla the Titanic, we are well aware of what lies County Commissioner Bill Elfering ahead, and we the legislature are working asked why juveniles were not covered by diligently on both sides of the isle, and in their insurance when they entered county both houses, to craft a balanced budget. We Republicans don’t feel we have a detention. Adults have that coverage based revenue problem, but a spending problem. on a bill the legislature passed in the 2015 And before we consider any new revenue, session. Turns out juveniles were left out we want to work on the spending side of in error, so I have sponsored SB 367. Of the budget. We cannot continue to sail this the 26 bills I have chief sponsored in the ship of state, with the resources available, Senate, 16 came from constituent-driven without running out of fuel. requests. The rest are concerns that other So, in answer to the first question, every legislators or organizations brought to my legislative day, and sometimes even into attention and I agreed to sponsor. the evenings, different committees are I would argue these are not like working on these budget issues. Not every rearranging the Titanic’s deck furniture. legislator works on every issue. But we are Nor was working to get more water for all assigned to work on something. For me our irrigated agriculture, or getting two it is PERS. I am a member of the Senate different wolf bills passed in previous Workforce Committee, which is the only legislative sessions, just moving deck committee in either chamber assigned to chairs. All these are important to our region. deal with this huge issue. We have been Again, my thanks to Russ for taking meeting for weeks learning about the time to share his feelings honestly and issues, learning about the court cases, forthrightly with me. For me the answer taking testimony from citizens, meeting is not an either/or, but a both/and. I am with legal experts as to the constitutionality helping to find solutions for the big of different reforms, and meeting with the icebergs floating in front of the good ship PERS director. Oregon. They will not sink us. And I will Because most of our work on PERS and continue to work and do my best to help other big budget issues are not garnering find solutions for the people of Oregon, much publicity, citizens could be unaware especially my district — real solutions, not of the work that is being done. We are just shifting furniture. exercising due diligence in determining the ■ best public policy we can forge. We are not Senator Bill Hansell is in his second going to sink the ship because of neglect to term representing Senate District 29, duty. My colleges and I are working hard which includes Wallowa, Union, Umatilla, to find solutions, and in the next several Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman, and half of months, bills and budgets will begin to Wasco counties. He and his wife of 50 years, move. Margaret, live in Bill’s home town of Athena. How to build on Obamacare N obody knew that health care about a third lower than it originally could be so complicated.” expected, around 0.7 percent of GDP. So declared Donald Trump In fact, it’s probably too cheap. A three weeks before wimping out on report from the nonpartisan Urban his promise to repeal Obamacare. Institute argues that the ACA is Up next: “Nobody knew that tax “essentially underfunded,” and would reform could be so complicated.” work much better — in particular, Then, perhaps: “Nobody knew that it could offer policies with much international trade policy could be lower deductibles — if it provided Paul so complicated.” And so on. somewhat more generous subsidies. Krugman The report’s recommendations would Actually, though, health care Comment isn’t all that complicated. Basically, cost around 0.2 percent of GDP; or to you need to induce people who put it another way, would be around don’t currently need medical half as expensive as the tax cuts for the treatment to pay the bills for those who wealthy Republicans just tried and failed to do, with the promise that the favor will be ram through as part of Trumpcare. returned if necessary. What about the problem of inadequate Unfortunately, Republicans have spent insurance industry competition? Better eight years angrily denying that simple subsidies would help enrollments, which in proposition. And that refusal to think turn would probably bring in more insurers. seriously about how health care works is the But just in case, why not revive the idea of a fundamental reason Trump and his allies in public option — insurance sold directly by Congress now look like such losers. the government, for those who choose it? At But put politics aside for a minute, and the very least, there ought to be public plans ask, what could be done to make health care available in areas no private insurer wants to work better going forward? serve. The Affordable Care Act deals with the There are other more technical things we fundamental issue of health care provision should do too, like extending reinsurance: in two ways. More than half of the gains compensation for insurers whose risk pool in coverage have come from expanding turned out worse than expected. Some Medicaid — that is, collecting taxes and analysts also argue that there would be using the revenue to pay people’s medical big gains from moving “off-exchange” bills. And that part of the program is working plans onto the government-administered fine, except in Republican-controlled states marketplaces. that won’t let the federal government aid So if Trump really wanted to honor their residents. his campaign promises about improving But Medicaid only covers the lowest- health coverage, if he were willing to face income families. Above that level, the ACA up to the reality that Obamacare is here relies on private insurance companies, using to stay, there’s a lot he could do, through a combination of regulations and subsidies incremental changes, to make it work better. to keep policies affordable. This has And he would get plenty of cooperation from worked well in some places. For example, Democrats along the way. in California, which has tried hard to make Needless to say, I don’t expect to see that health reform work, the number of people happen. Improving Obamacare requires with health insurance has soared, while doing more, not less, moving left, not right. premiums are still well below expectations. That’s not what Republicans want to hear. Overall, however, too few healthy people And the tweeter-in-chief’s initial reaction have purchased insurance, despite the penalty to health care humiliation was, predictably, for failing to sign up; this is partly because vindictive. He blamed Democrats, whom he many of the policies offered have high never consulted, for Trumpcare’s political deductibles, making them less attractive. As failure, predicted that “ObamaCare will a result, some companies have pulled out explode,” and that when it does Democrats of the market. And this has left some areas, will “own it.” Since his own administration especially rural counties in small states, with is responsible for administering the law, few or no insurers. that sounds a lot like a promise to sabotage No, it’s not a “death spiral” — subsidies Americans’ health care and blame other keep insurance affordable for most people people for the disaster. even if premiums rise sharply, and the The point, however, is that building on Congressional Budget Office believes that Obamacare wouldn’t be hard, and wouldn’t markets will remain stable. But the system even be all that complicated. could and should be improved. How? ■ One important answer would be to spend Paul Krugman joined The New York Times a bit more money. Obamacare has turned out in 1999 as a columnist on the Op-Ed Page to be remarkably cheap; the Congressional and continues as professor of Economics and Budget Office now projects its cost to be International Affairs at Princeton University. YOUR VIEWS Growing city, active business helps decrease tax burden I came to Hermiston in July of 1991 as superintendent of the Hermiston School District. Our enrollment was just over 3,800 students and the city population was 11,500. Since that time, Hermiston has become one of Oregon’s fastest-growing areas. Our school population now is 5,630, up 1,830 students; and the city population is 17,700, up 6,200 residents. While superintendent for almost 10 years, we built two additional schools, Sandstone Middle School and Desert View Elementary School, creating more space for approximately 700 students. Since that time and due to aged facilities, the district has demolished and rebuilt four schools — Hermiston High School, Armand Larive Middle School, West Park Elementary and Sunset Elementary — creating a small amount of additional space. However, we are still overcrowded by approximately 800 students. Plus, the district will continue to grow at the rate of about 80-100 students per year in the future. The growth we have experienced in our city and region is generally good news, but it is also causing growing pains. It is a little like a family of nine living in a house with one bathroom and two bedrooms. I realize that no one enjoys paying more taxes. However, the need for more school space is evident NOW, not to mention the 80-100 student growth we will continue to receive each year. The new bond will address this problem. The good news is, as home owners, we pay only about 48 percent of the schools’ bond levy. Businesses and utilities pay 52 percent. Businesses do not create students. Residents do. So this is a pretty attractive deal for homeowners. Also, as our area continues to grow with more residents and businesses, the tax rate will be lowered each year since more people and businesses will be included to pay the bond, thus lowering individual tax bills over time. In closing, each one of our Hermiston students gets one chance at 13 years of education in our district. A quality experience can make all the difference for their future success. Good schools with good teachers in uncrowded, quality classroom spaces are critical ingredients for achievement and success. I strongly urge you to support the Hermiston School District bond levy. Dr. Jer D. Pratton, 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 newspa- per reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual ser- vices 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.
