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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, April 21, 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 plans to scrap the voter-approved initiative Measure 98, which Oregon voters passed in last November’s election. It does seem like funding for the college-prep, vocational ed and dropout prevention programs that Measure 98 should have enacted has survived for now — but the program remains in doubt and in the cross-hairs of legislators. It’s mostly Oregon Democrats who are finding it hard to find the money, because they say the state doesn’t have enough of it to go around this budget period. “I truly believe that until we get a revenue package and some funding, we shouldn’t fund any of 98,” Democratic Sen. Arnie Roblan, who chairs his chamber’s education committee, said to the Associated Press. “You don’t add new programs when you’re cutting old programs.” The state’s system of voter-approved measures is not perfect, and we think it clearly needs a new look. It can force the hand of legislators to spend money they don’t have. It can also simplify complex budgetary and legislative matters into populist screeds that do not consider the wide-ranging effects . But it sets a poor precedent if lawmakers ignore the clear will of a majority of voters, who took the time to research a topic and send in their ballot. Each time they do, democracy is weakened in Oregon. OTHER VIEWS Trump’s long march problem A new president needs to staff his the Bannon coterie in the White House administration with people who will be were said to be shocked. loyal to him. Donald Trump’s problem Veterans of earlier White Houses is that he does not have enough faulted Bannon for not trying to build loyalists to staff the White House, relationships with people who could much less the entire executive branch. be his allies in the West Wing. When Previous presidents have come trouble came, who would go to bat to Washington after enough time in for him? But a bigger problem was politics to develop concentric circles of revealed by Trump’s observation that Byron loyalists who can take jobs at all levels Bannon had only joined Trump late in York of government. Just look at the people the campaign. Comment who stood ready to help the Bush In the China of Chairman Mao, family or the Clintons over the years. veterans of the Long March held a Trump, who never held public office before special place; they had been with the Great winning the presidency, didn’t have that. In Helmsman for the entire journey. The situation addition, he campaigned with an abrasive is much the same in any American political style that alienated a significant portion of the operation, where candidates value people Republican Party’s political talent. Beyond who have been with them all the way. In that, Trump’s way of running his business, TrumpWorld, that’s nobody — outside the even though it made him president’s family and a a billionaire, was small in few assistants from Trump’s scale — in his Trump Tower company. office, he relied heavily on Trump named Bannon a tight circle of people who chief executive of the were either related to him campaign on August or had been with him for a 17, 2016. Even though very long time. Bannon’s Breitbart News Now, Trump’s style had supported Trump for has led to an acute staffing longer, the president is problem across the right — that is pretty late administration and also to in a campaign that began high-profile infighting in the in earnest more than a year White House. The former means that Trump and a half earlier. Bannon wasn’t there for the cannot assert full control over a massive Long March. federal bureaucracy that is already inclined Of course, other top White House aides, to resist him. The latter has led to an almost like chief of staff Reince Priebus and comical situation in which the president spokesman Sean Spicer, were also latecomers, has piled portfolio upon portfolio on trusted and they were never fully part of the son-in-law Jared Kushner — now commonly campaign. Not surprisingly, there have been referred to as one of the most powerful men in trust issues; no Long March loyalty for them, Washington — who had no preparation for the either. responsibility. Thus Trump’s focus on the family. After On the question of the federal bureaucracy, dispatching sons Don and Eric to run the many Trump supporters are dismayed business, Trump formally brought daughter by the slowness with which he is hiring Ivanka and Kushner into the White House for the various government departments power structure. (The president sought and and agencies. According to a database received a Justice Department opinion arguing compiled by the Partnership for Public that the White House is exempt from federal Service and the Washington Post, out of anti-nepotism law.) 553 important positions that require Senate And Trump began to pile jobs on Kushner. confirmation — and that is by no means The Middle East peace portfolio. Point of all the political appointments Trump has to contact for foreign leaders. Tackling the make — only 22 Trump nominees have been opioid crisis. Heading the Office of American confirmed, while another 53 have either been Innovation. “No human being can do all formally nominated or are awaiting formal that stuff,” says a Republican White House announcement of their nominations. That veteran. leaves 478 jobs with no nominee at all. When Bill Clinton’s White House went off Even though that slow start across the the rails in the spring of 1993, Clinton tried to bureaucracy is probably more consequential, recover, barely more than 100 days in office, the White House palace intrigue has received by hiring the veteran Republican political the lion’s share of press attention. Lately, the operator David Gergen. spotlight has focused on friction between The addition helped smooth things a bit, Kushner and top adviser Steve Bannon. And in part because it showed Clinton was willing that, too, is partly a function of the lack-of- to reach outside his circle to help run the loyalists problem. government. The president himself suggested that Donald Trump will probably have to do in a recent interview with the New York that too. (Reach outside his circle, that is, not Post’s Michael Goodwin. When Goodwin specifically hire Gergen, which would cause asked whether Trump still had confidence in some Republicans to leap from tall buildings.) Bannon, Trump said: “I like Steve, but you The president will have to entrust with power have to remember he was not involved in my a new set of Republicans who weren’t on the campaign until very late. I had already beaten Long March and who aren’t related to him by all the senators and all the governors, and I blood or marriage. It’s coming, sooner or later. didn’t know Steve.” ■ It doesn’t take a mind reader to interpret Byron York is chief political correspondent that as a vote of no confidence. Members of for The Washington Examiner. Trump’s style has led to an acute staffing problem across the administration. A tip of the hat down the dusty trail to Bill O’Reilly. The man had been the face of Fox News, and consistently the most-watched pundit on cable television for much of his tenure. But his famous lack of self-control led to his undoing — his creepy and malicious harassment of female employees and other women who were hoping to contribute to his popular show. O’Reilly has pleaded his innocence, but also paid more than $13 million in settlements to multiple women over the years — which severely undercuts his case. Coming on the heels of other firings for alleged sexual harassment at the network, we think it’s high time for a cleaning up and throwing out of serial harassers. Hopefully a better organization will come out of it. Look for O’Reilly on the airwaves sometime soon, proclaiming he is the victim of a wide conspiracy, when in fact he was the cause of his untimely downfall. 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. D ays of a T rump p resiDency Tuesday, April 29 marks 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency. To mark the occasion, we’re asking readers to submit 100 words on the president’s first 100 days. Tell us what you think of the new president’s performance, and if he lived up to the promises he hoped to achieve in the opening months of his term. Keep your response to 100 words so we can run a whole passel of them in the April 29 paper. The deadline for submissions is Monday, April 28 at noon. Drop off your thoughts at our Pendleton or Hermiston locations, or email them to editor@eastoregonian.com. Please include a phone number and city of residence, so we can verify your identity before publishing. LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public is- sues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about indi- vidual 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 Alcohol, though legal, the most abused drug I read with great interest the article “Alcohol industry jobs outpace software sector” in the March 14 edition of the East Oregonian newspaper. Senior state economist Josh Lehner is quoted as saying, “Alcohol production is a value-added industry with a geographic spread across the state impacting agricultural production, equipment manufacturing and marketing services.” He has that right, but no mention was made of the other entities impacted by the production of alcohol. As I see it, there are plenty of other jobs added due to alcohol: police (just check the public safety log in the same paper). After the police, how about the jail, bail bonds, then the lawyers, court employees, car insurance companies, body shops, hospital emergency rooms and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Not to mention, the counseling services and rehab facilities and different lawyers for the possible divorces. Plenty of jobs abound thanks to the alcohol industry. If just 5 cents was added to each container of alcohol sold in the state, the state wouldn’t be in such a deficit. Imagine how much is spent on alcohol every day in Oregon and then imagine the income the state would realize. One last thought: Everyone was afraid of marijuana until they realized the tax dollars it would generate. Hands down, alcohol is the most abused drug there is and it is legal. Sandy Ott Pendleton No place for women in current fire station I am writing this letter in support of the new fire station bond. Pendleton Fire is currently a combination department of career and reserve staff. There are 21 career staff (one female, 20 male) and 17 reserve staff. The reserve staff includes four students currently enrolled full time at Blue Mountain Community College in the fire/EMS program. The students are not only full-time college students but also full-time interns that work 24-hour shifts alongside the career staff for real life experiences. While on duty, the students stay in the fire station, utilizing the dorm facility. This is a great opportunity for the students to gain real life experiences in both fire/EMS. The 17 reserve staff include eight females. Those eight females offer a variety of different patient care levels that range from EMT-Basics, paramedics, nurses and a physicians assistant. Each of them participate in 9-1-1 calls and interfacility transports. While it is great to have a variety of care, the current fire station does not support the housing for reserves. The current fire station only supports one female on shift comfortably at night. Currently, regardless of gender, the fire station does not support the supplement of reserves during the night. With career staff and a student, there are no beds available and there is no more room to put beds. The support of the new fire station bond would support the growth of the reserve program and provide the ability to supplement the career staff during the night hours, which often has a higher call volume than the day. The average age that called for Pendleton Fire in 2016 ranged from 54-72, the most common concern being chest pain. From 2007 to 2016 the call volume has increased by 339 requests for emergency services. The demand for the 9-1-1 services will only continue to increase. There is a need for additional career staff along with equipment to keep up with the increase in call volume. The support of the new fire station bond supports a variety of different areas. The health of your firefighters, the ability for additional career and reserve staff, training, diversity, and most importantly having the personnel and equipment available to you in your time of need. Vote yes for your family. Thank you for your support. Melissa Griffin Pendleton Greg Walden fizzles at public town halls On April 14, Greg Walden appeared at the Grants Pass High School to a packed crowd Unlike other town halls, Walden’s opening ploy was to go directly to questions from the audience. That was surprising, and apparently self-protective, because he basically refused to give the audience an initial overview of the issues he represented. Therefore a whole list of possibly controversial items avoided discussion. There were a number of people who politely applauded some of Walden’s comments. However, on the whole, it was not a friendly crowd. They cheered progressive ideas, particularly universal health care. Objections were raised about veteran care. Walden was not believed when he said he responded fully to constituent concerns that he had received. A number of pointed questions received standing ovations. Questions were asked by persons using the microphones available in the aisles. As time reached the meeting’s end, it seemed the line was getting longer. Appearing anxious to leave, Walden left a lot of persons standing as he exited the stage. He did not stay the customary extra time to greet members of the audience. Walden’s performance was not impressive. Leif Hatlestad Rogue River
