Page 4A
OPINION
East Oregonian
Tuesday, May 9, 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
Congress shouldn’t
let Trump silence
public broadcasting
Once again, congressional
public’s support. A new Quinnipiac
conservatives are considering
University national poll says 70
cutting — or eliminating — federal
percent of American voters oppose the
funding for the Corporation for Public proposed elimination of CPB funding.
Broadcasting, and it’s a serious threat
Blumenauer and Rep. Dave
that could be devastating locally.
Reichert, R-Washington, are working
Nonprofit public-media platforms
to build support for a letter backing
receive allocations from the CPB,
funding for CPB, Ready To Learn and
which they combine with other
public broadcasting’s interconnection
fundraising and revenue generating
system, to be sent to colleagues
efforts to cover operating costs.
who serve on the Labor, Health and
The newest threat to CPB funding
Human Services, Education and
arose in President Donald Trump’s
Related Agencies Appropriations
blueprint budget for fiscal 2018
Subcommittee, which handles CPB
which was unveiled in March. The
funding. It’s chaired by Rep. Tom
budget proposes
Cole, R-Oklahoma, and
Public broadcasting last year’s letter was
defunding the CPB,
and its most famous
by a bipartisan
is part of the fabric signed
grantee, National
group of 132 members
of our free society, of the House.
Public Radio,
which conservatives
The letter this year,
and it needs to stay in part,
have long viewed
states, “These
that way.
as sympathetic to
federal investments
left-wing views and
are critical to public
an inappropriate use of government
media’s mission to provide unique
funding.
services in the areas of education,
public safety, and civic leadership to
According to the Pew Center’s
all Americans. … In rural areas, where
2016 Fact Sheet on Public
public broadcasting stations can be the
Broadcasting, NPR has an average
weekly audience of 26 million, and its only source of free, high-quality local
programming available to families,
programming is carried on more than
funding from CPB can amount to
1,000 stations nationwide. Trump’s
budget would also defund the National more than half of some rural stations’
Endowment for the Arts, the National budgets. This is a gap that cannot
be closed by increased underwriting
Endowment for the Humanities and
revenue or donor support.”
more than a dozen other agencies.
It is uncertain what U.S. Rep.
The budget, however, is subject to
Jaime Herrera Beutler’s current
congressional review and may look
position is on CPB funding, but in
very different by the time the process
2011 she supported a U.S. House law
is completed. We hope it does, but
that “would have prohibited federal
as Coast Community Radio general
funding for NPR and barred stations
manager Joanne Rideout told our
from using CPB funds to acquire
sister paper The Daily Astorian, the
budget threat could be “the real deal.” radio programming,” according to
an analysis by the online publication
Despite the current GOP
News for People in Public Media.
temperament in the nation’s capital,
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a
past attempts to cut off CPB’s funding
Democrat whose district includes
have failed.
Clatsop County, strongly supports the
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a
fund-saving effort. She calls cutting
Portland Democrat who founded
the funding “wrong and short-
and leads the bipartisan Public
sighted,” especially at a time when the
Broadcasting Caucus in the House,
president “is proposing to add more
points out that in 2005 the GOP-led
to an already bloated defense budget
House Appropriations Committee
recommended cutting 25 percent from and build a massively expensive and
the CPB’s $400 million outlay, leading unnecessary border wall.”
Bonamici is right, and her
to a weeklong public outcry. All but
congressional colleagues should take
six of the House’s 202 Democrats
notice and support the effort. Public
voted down the proposal, with 87 of
broadcasting is part of the fabric of
140 Republicans joining.
our free society, and it needs to stay
We hope that trend continues
that way.
because the CPB has the general
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
Party like it’s 1984
T
here have been many bad laws
against discrimination based on medical
in U.S. history. Some bills were
history will be taken away), and poorer
(because subsidies will go down).
poorly conceived; some were
Many people with pre-existing
cruel and unjust; some were sold on
conditions will find insurance either
false pretenses. Some were all of the
completely unavailable or totally out of
above.
their financial reach.
But has there ever been anything
like Trumpcare, the health legislation
And Medicaid will be cut back, with
Republicans rammed through the House
the damage worsening over time.
Paul
last week? It’s a miserably designed law, Krugman
The really important thing, however,
full of unintended consequences. It’s
is not just to realize that Republicans are
Comment
a moral disaster, snatching health care
breaking their promises, but to realize
from tens of millions mainly to give the
that they are doing so with intent. This
very wealthy a near-trillion-dollar tax cut.
isn’t one of those cases where people try to do
What really stands out, however, is the
what they said they would, but fall short in the
Orwell-level dishonesty of the whole effort. As
execution. This is an act of deliberate betrayal:
far as I can tell, every word Republicans, from
Everything about Trumpcare is specifically
Trump on down, have said about their bill —
designed to do exactly the opposite of what
about why they want to replace Obamacare,
Trump, Paul Ryan and other Republicans said
about what their replacement would do, and
it would.
about how it would work — is a lie, including
Which raises two questions: Why are they
“a,” “and” and “the.”
doing this, and why do they think they can get
And what does it say about the state of
away with it?
American politics that a majority of the
Part of the answer to the first question is,
presumably, simple greed. Tens of millions
representatives of one of our major political
would lose access to health coverage, but —
parties has gone along with this nightmarish
process?
according to independent estimates of an earlier
Before taking back the White House,
version of Trumpcare — people with incomes
Republicans attacked Obamacare for many
over $1 million would save an average of more
things. For one thing, they claimed that it was
than $50,000 a year.
rushed through without proper debate.
And there is a powerful faction within the
They also claimed that Americans were
GOP for whom cutting taxes on the rich is more
getting a raw deal. Deductibles were too
or less the only thing that matters.
high, they claimed; so were premiums. They
And on a more subjective note, don’t you get
promised to bring these costs down, to provide, the impression that Donald Trump gets some
as Donald Trump insisted he would, coverage
positive pleasure out of taking people who
that was “much less expensive and much
make the mistake of trusting him for a ride?
better.”
As for why they think they can get away
And meanwhile, they promised to keep the
with it: Well, isn’t recent history on their side?
things people liked about Obamacare (whether
The general shape of what the GOP would do
or not voters knew they were getting those
to health care, for the white working class in
good things because of Obamacare). Nobody
particular, has long been obvious, yet many
would be thrown off Medicaid; nobody would
people who were sure to lose, bigly, voted
be denied affordable coverage because of
Trump anyway.
pre-existing conditions.
Why shouldn’t Republicans believe they
Then came the reality of Republican
can convince those same voters that the terrible
legislation. Obamacare was debated and
things that will happen if Trumpcare becomes
analyzed for many months; Trumpcare was
law are somehow liberals’ fault?
thrown together so fast it’s hard to believe
And for that matter, how confident are you
any significant number of those voting for it
that mainstream media will resist the temptation
even had time to read it. And it was, of course,
of both-sides-ism, the urge to produce
pushed through the House without giving
“balanced” reporting that blurs the awful reality
the Congressional Budget Office a chance to
of what Trumpcare will do if enacted?
estimate its costs, its effects on coverage, or
In any case, let’s be clear: What just
anything else.
happened on health care shouldn’t be treated
Even without a proper analysis, however,
as just another case of cynical political deal
it’s clear that Trumpcare breaks every
making. This was a Freedom is Slavery,
promise Republicans ever made about health.
Ignorance is Strength moment. And it may be
Deductibles will rise, not fall, as insurers are set the shape of things to come.
free to offer lower-quality coverage. Premiums
■
may fall for a handful of young, healthy,
Paul Krugman joined The New York Times
affluent people, but will rise and in many cases
in 1999 as a columnist on the Op-Ed Page and
soar for those who are older (because age
continues as professor of Economics and Inter-
spreads will rise), sicker (because protection
national Affairs at Princeton University.
YOUR VIEWS
New schools help
business grow
The Greater Hermiston Chamber
of Commerce Board of Directors
supports the efforts of the Hermiston
School District bond on your May
2017 ballot.
In most communities, even
when education is a priority, the
older facilities where learning
takes place often do not get visited
by the general public to see how
inadequate the rooms are. Some
class rooms are so small you can
barely walk between the desks,
some of the rooms have very
inefficient air conditioning and
heating systems; age plays a major
factor in all those conditions.
While a quality education does not
require flashy facilities, it cannot
be accomplished in a building
that suffers from age, safety and
deficiencies. That means the cost of
maintaining these buildings is also
high. New facilities are designed to
use energy wisely and create a safe
place for our children to learn.
Business and industry are
attracted to locations where there are
quality schools. Schools also will
create a well-qualified workforce
and a higher standard of living.
Businesses benefit because more
events bring more people to town
to shop, eat and utilize services here
in Hermiston. When businesses,
corporations or employee recruits
are seeking information about
Hermiston, schools and what they
offer are typically at the top of the
list for inquiries, which leads to
visits and tours of the facilities.
Local residents reap the benefits
of increased property values.
Building the new schools reflects
how we feel about our community.
New facilities will provide more
venues for adult and youth events
and add to our economy.
Communities experience
economic growth, lower crime
rates, increased participation,
volunteerism, and charitable
giving. Our local schools should
be a source of pride, a symbol of
our community’s determination to
ensure a better future for everyone
who lives here. We have a lot to be
proud of and in order to continue
to grow and provide for the needs
of our students, we must think
about building and expanding to
adequately provide the classroom
space needed.
Debbie Pedro,
Chamber president, Hermiston
Support fire
department’s judgment
As a fire survivor with most of
my belongings intact, I support
the May 2017 bond to replace the
city’s Fire Station 1 and improve
the facility, equipment and training
grounds.
Although the costs seem
exorbitant, I rely on PFD’s good
judgment to keep the public’s
welfare in mind, and that includes
hiring experts to do a proper job of
designing and building a new fire
station. The PFD needs upgrades,
so let’s support them. After all, it’s
the citizens of Pendleton who will
benefit from a well-trained team
of firefighters using up-to-date
equipment and working from a safe
facility.
Please vote YES for the bond.
Kate Ely
Pendleton
Walden not working for
rural Oregon
Greg Walden has completely
forgotten about the people in
his district and their principles,
following only his political party
and special interests with deep
pockets.
Thursday morning Walden voted
to push the AHCA (“Obamacare
repeal”) through the House and on
to the Senate. By pushing this bill
he showed his belief that we should
be able to deny access to medical
insurance to Americans with
persistent medical issues. This vote
also included a huge tax cut to the
wealthiest of Americans, resulting in
sharply reduced assistance to poor
Americans.
Trump promised “insurance
for everybody,” but in the rush to
accomplish something, anything!,
the party of Walden and Trump
forced a bill that at present can
only be said to have broad and
unpredictable consequences. Sure,
Obamacare has real problems that
need to be fixed, and a single payer
system providing coverage for
everybody would be an amazing
improvement regardless of which
party produced it. The AHCA will
not improve — and may even
harm — the day-to-day lives of
most people in Walden’s rural
district of mostly modest earners.
Hopefully this bill will quickly fail
in the Senate, but the vote shows us
something about the people Walden
is trying to protect — and it isn’t
you or me.
On March 28, Walden and his
party voted to authorize internet
service providers to sell your
browsing history. I would have
expected howling over this direct
assault on our constitutional right
to privacy. Walden received over
$369,000 in campaign donations
in 2016 from the telecom industry,
the highest amount for any house
candidate in 2016. Over the course
of his political career, the telecoms
have given him almost $1.39M,
the second highest among current
House members. Quid pro quo?
Most of Walden’s constituents
agree: We want an honest day of
work, to support and protect our
families, to give our kids everything
they need to grow, to save for
retirement, and have something
left over to enjoy spending time off
all over this great state and region.
Walden should support efforts to
help average Oregonians live better
day-to-day and he should oppose
measures that cause deep concern
and run contrary to his constituent’s
ideals.
Businesses exist to make money.
Businesses make investments and
expect returns on those investments.
So why do they give Greg Walden
so much money? Look at how
he votes. Our district needs a
representative who wants to help us,
not a politician bought by special
interests.
William E. Perkinson
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 resi-
dence 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.