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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2017)
Page 6A OPINION East Oregonian Thursday, April 6, 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 Redux Photos Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood OTHER VIEWS Portlandization of America A recent journey to visit a residences that you couldn’t pay newly born niece in the Midwest people to live in are now selling illuminated the ongoing for millions. And the poor Portlandization of American black families who called the cities. neighborhood home for decades I traveled to Cincinnati, are being forced farther from Ohio, where the downtown town, where public resources are residential district is in the harder to access. midst of monumental upheaval There are some benefits to Tim and gentrification. Called rebuilding in Portland’s image. Trainor Reinvigorating Over-the-Rhine, it is the largest American cities Comment historic district of its kind, built is important to stop the ugly when Cincinnati was a thriving sprawl of resource-intensive, metropolis and Western boomtown that farm-gobbling suburbia. And Portland attracted mostly German immigrants. has led the way in what young people want in an urban environment — green The neighborhood is a classic expression of American expansion in the spaces, bike lanes, walkable streets, public transportation, local food and 19th century, bold and wealthy, mixing drink and arts. If that’s what the market classic architectural styles with the raw is asking for, cities should look to meet materials of a new world. Walking it, you can sense how builders and residents that demand. Cincinnati is. Yet that template can be bland and were trying to balance their desire to use shallow, too, little different from the line European and colonial culture to “tame of chain restaurants at every highway the West,” while trying at the same time exit or tract homes built on hundreds of to show those stuffed shirts back East a cul-de-sacs. As dirty, gritty, real places new way of doing things. But hard times came to American are replaced by Portlandia-chic — both innercities. First the automobile, which in Portland and elsewhere — something made “walking distance” a remnant of is irretrievably lost. the past. Then postwar prosperity and Meanwhile, rural identity remains more new technologies, which fueled unblemished. It stands out everywhere in expansion and growth and globalization. America, refreshingly free from the fads To capture the movement, America and pressures facing urban centers. homogenized with national brands, chain From Cincinnati we drove east, up restaurants and stores, and cookie-cutter the Ohio River Valley, into the coal homes in cookie-cutter suburbs. country and factory towns of Kentucky Cities suffered. Over-the-Rhine and Appalachia. fell into disrepair. Those who had the We drove past the hamlet of Augusta, resources to leave did, and it became Kentucky, where Union soldiers crossed one of the nation’s poorest and most the river and fought house-to-house dangerous neighborhoods — the site of during the Civil War. We bought locally race riots in 2001. made ginger ale at a gas station. We Things have changed again, however, window-shopped downtown stores that and America’s innercities are in were selling T-shirts emblazoned with resurgence. Downtown living has been “COAL” in big gray letters. We saw an revolutionized, due in no small part Amish horse and buggy waiting for cars to the Portlandization of America. For to pass on a state highway. good or ill, the quirks of the Rose City Nationwide, rural America is much are being exported to cities across the poorer than its urban counterparts. And country. the economic, population and cultural Cincinnati is one. It purchased gulf is only getting wider. But rural streetcars from the city of Portland, America remains real and true and and its downtown parks and markets historic — built of itself and for itself. now include the “Portland loo” — a As cities change, and globalization public toilet developed in Portland. and Portlandization have their effects, Over-the-Rhine — just a decade ago the elusive country drive is a reminder filled with drugs and violence — is now that America’s most unique and home to donut shops, brunch restaurants, interesting places are far from city breweries and trinket stores, the centers. aesthetics of each are remarkably similar ■ to Portland. Tim Trainor is opinion page editor of The historic but dilapidated the East Oregonian. 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. Schiff mum on what he saw at White House A dam Schiff, ranking Democrat to know about these documents is not on the House Intelligence classified, and it’s a couple of things. Committee, has been sharply First, the deputy assistant to the White critical of the panel’s Republican House informed me when I went to chairman, Devin Nunes, for visiting see them that these are exactly the the White House to view classified same materials that were shown to the documents that Nunes says show the chairman. Obama administration intercepted the “Now, this is a very interesting communications of Donald Trump point. How does the White House Byron associates before the president took know that these are the same materials York office in January. that were shown to the chairman, if the Comment Among other things, Schiff White House wasn’t aware what the slammed Nunes for viewing the chairman was being shown? documents by himself and not sharing them “And the second point was also made with Democrats on the committee. So last to me. And this is — I think was also week, White House counsel Don McGahn underscored by Sean Spicer — and that is, invited Schiff to come see the documents for it was told to me by the deputy assistant that himself. Schiff did so on Friday. these materials were produced in the ordinary Now, both the Republican chairman and course of business. the Democratic ranking member on the Intel “Well, the question for the White House Committee have seen the documents. And and for Mr. Spicer is the ordinary course now, the public has a chance to hear another of whose business? Because, if these were assessment to balance Nunes’ claim that he produced either for or by the White House, saw “dozens” of intelligence reports involving then why all of the subterfuge? There’s the incidental collection of Trumpworld nothing ordinary about the process that was figures in Obama administration intercepts, used here at all.” with the names of some of them “unmasked,” All the talk about intercepts, Schiff said, and that none of it had to do with Russia. was just an attempt by Trump and Republicans In other words, Nunes suggested the to distract from questions about Trump and Obama administration misused its wiretapping Russia. powers to gather information on the Trump By that time, anyone interested in the team. substance of the issue — Do the documents So with Schiff’s visit to the White House, show that Obama administration officials a chance for balance. But after viewing the picked up Trumpworld figures in electronic documents, Schiff has gone nearly completely intercepts and then identified them by name? silent about what he saw. He has kept up — was entirely frustrated. Schiff appeared his criticism of how Nunes came to view determined to say nothing about substance. the material, but on what’s actually in the “I guess the question that Nunes is asking documents, Schiff has said virtually nothing. or suggesting that we should be asking in On Friday, immediately after viewing the media,” Tapper said to Schiff, “(is) who the documents, Schiff released a statement unmasked these Trump advisers, and is it in which he declined to say anything about possible that any of this unmasking was substance and repeated earlier criticisms of being done for political reasons, instead of for Republicans’ handling of the matter. legitimate ones?” “While I cannot discuss the content of “Well, first of all, I can’t talk about, as I the documents,” Schiff said, “if the White mentioned, the contents of any documents,” House had any concern over these materials, Schiff said. “So at this point, I can’t say they should have been shared with the full whether anything was masked or unmasked committee in the first place.” improperly.” Schiff made no public comments on Schiff then pivoted again to criticize Saturday, and then on Sunday morning Republican procedures. appeared on CNN, where Jake Tapper asked Monday morning, Bloomberg’s Eli Lake Schiff if, having seen the documents, “can you reported that former Obama national security understand why Chairman Nunes might have adviser Susan Rice “requested the identities some issues with the surveillance that was of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports going on?” on dozens of occasions that connect to the “I can’t go into the contents of the Donald Trump transition and campaign, documents, Jake,” Schiff said, before a quick according to U.S. officials familiar with the pivot to Nunes’ methods. “I can say I don’t matter.” If that is accurate, it seems unlikely agree with the chairman’s characterization, that the “most important” thing about the which is exactly why it’s so important you documents is how they were handled. don’t share documents with just one person or After seeing the documents with his own even two people. They need to be shared with eyes, Schiff had a chance to shed some light both full committees.” on what has become a key question in the Continuing, Schiff said “the most important Trump-Russia matter. He didn’t take it. thing” about the documents is not what is in ■ them but how they were handled: Byron York is chief political correspondent “But the most important thing people need for The Washington Examiner. YOUR VIEWS Fact checking Rep. Greg Walden Before the whole Republican health care plan crashed and burned, I had attended a town hall meeting in Weston with Rep. Greg Walden. Rep. Walden came across pretty smooth, like a thoughtful congressman who really cared about the folks he represented. He talked about the exciting health care plan he had helped formulate (he claimed). It was much better than Obamacare, you would have more insurance options, great coverage, lower premiums and tax credits that would really help offset the costs. It would have many of the same benefits that Obamacare had. Plus it would save the government billions of dollars. Someone asked what health plan he had. He said he was stuck with Obamacare and it cost him $800 plus dollars a month and had a high deductible. In the ensuing days I did some fact checking, plus his health care bill played out over the next few weeks. He does have an Obamacare plan but he has many options. The option he alluded to cost $800 but he pays only $200 and taxpayers pay the rest. He also gets lots of perks with it, like free visits to any veterans’ hospital and many doctor offices in Washington, D.C. Plus he qualifies for the plan even after he retires (which may be sooner then he planned). He also never mentioned that the government would not save anything on his plan because billions and billions of dollars would go to the very wealthy in windfall tax saving. When his plan was picked apart by many health organizations and fellow house representatives and senators, it proved to be a total sham that would have kept seniors, lower income and rural folks from being able to afford any plan. There was no allowance for inflation, and no guarantee insurance companies would even be available in rural areas. Rep. Walden still supported the bill. After it failed to get the House votes it needed to pass, the bill was reworked and compromised in many ways that made it even worse and unaffordable for seniors and lower income folks. Rep. Walden still supported it. You have to wonder who Mr. Walden answers to. It sure as heck isn’t the senior citizens and rural folks that make up his constituents. Is he so engrossed in wanting to be someone in the House of Representatives that he forgot why he is there? If you attend any of his town hall meetings, do some fact checking. He has been in politics long enough to be able to make things sound better than they may be. David Lange Pendleton Investing in education pays off down the road Private investment follows public investment. This is true with infrastructure. This is true with educational facilities. The Erie Canal opened the early American frontier. The Transcontinental Railroad unified the nation. The Interstate Highway system gave access to markets. Rural electrification brought light and energy to a world that labored in darkness. Irrigation systems increased food production. Telecommunications systems facilitated the flow of information. Educational facilities open the frontier of the mind of a child. Schools are where the sharing of ideas brings people together and provides access to concepts that were previously unknown. School teachers bring light and energy to the ignorant and benighted. Classroom instruction increases the productive capacity of individuals who can choose to become part of a well informed workforce. Prosperity is directly connected to an informed populace. I’m voting for the Hermiston School Bond because there is no better public investment than schools, no greater return on investment than learning, and no better way to insure private investment than through a well- educated workforce. Kim B. Puzey Hermiston Pendleton needs a better fire station I’m proud of a lot of things in Pendleton. I’m proud of our schools, our college, our hospital, our city hall/library building, our downtown, our police and last but not least our firefighters. Having been a part of this community for my entire adult life, I have watched our citizens evaluate and approve bond levies for services we value. Maybe we didn’t use each of the services, but we approved them for the betterment of our community. It is time to acknowledge that we need a new fire station, better training capabilities and newer and better equipment for these men and women who are our protectors in so many ways. In addition, a new facility will be more efficient and provide cost savings to operate. Frankly, God forbid, when your smoke detector goes off at 2 a.m., or your grandchild has a bad accident in the back yard, “Who ya gonna call?” I’m going to call 911. Actually I’ve done it before. What a blessing it is to have someone dedicated to rush to our crisis and take over. If this hasn’t happened to you, count your blessings. But you can rest assured they are only a phone call away. We truly need new facilities and equipment. Bond rates are at a historic low. Now is the time. Please join me in voting yes for this valuable service we need. Bill Bridges Pendleton
