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Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Wednesday, July 5, 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 Federal law makes hemp a risky crop We’ve been following the are no federal production loans for hemp. Using water from federal progress of Washington state’s projects to grow it could also be nascent hemp industry. The state problematic. recently licensed its first growers, and a crop has been planted. As long as states regulate hemp, it appears the Department of Hemp and marijuana, both cannabis plants with decidedly Justice will turn a blind eye to its different properties and followings, cultivation. It’s covered under the are legally joined at the hip. States “Cole memo,” the policy adopted by that have moved to legitimize pot the Obama administration in 2013 have also to suspend moved to allow most cannabis commercial enforcement hemp if states that production. legalize the We’ve never stuff agree to strict been bullish on regulatory hemp. measures. It’s not But this that we don’t legal cover is appreciate its Courtesy of Richard A. Howard, USDA NRCS provisional at potential. After best. The Cole all, you can go memo any into most any store We wouldn’t bet force of lacks law, and can and see something on a crop that be set aside in favor made out of hemp, of the statute at any hemp oil or hemp is only viable time. seed. Consumers as long as the The current are enthusiastic, and administration has the crop has gotten administration not made a definitive ample positive press. And farmers in decided not to pronouncement, there were the Northwest who enforce the law. but indications just are planting hemp last week that a are finding a ready change is possible market. concerning marijuana. We have no moral objection to Given the mercurial nature of all hemp. Hemp is to marijuana what things Trump, we wouldn’t put a bet a poppyseed muffin is to heroin. on a crop that is only viable as long Hemp contains very low amounts as the administration decides not to of THC, the chemical that produces enforce the law. the high in marijuana. While it is There are efforts being pressed possible to boost the THC in hemp, we’ve read nothing that suggests this by members of the congressional delegations of states that have is a real problem. legalized recreational and medical That it remains illegal under federal law is our only problem with marijuana to change the law and decriminalize cannabis. We are hemp. It’s a pretty big problem. having trouble embracing legal Despite state laws that “legalize” marijuana. But we don’t see marijuana and hemp, cannabis of any reason why hemp should be all stripes remains illegal under the classified as a controlled substance. federal controlled substances act. Until there’s a change in federal That means there are problems with law, hemp remains a risky bet. The depositing the profits from hemp into federally regulated banks. There law should be changed. 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 Internet access crucial for rural areas The Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star M ore than 80 years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an executive order called the Rural Electrification and Telephone Service Act of 1936. It provided federal loans to bring utilities to expensive- to-serve and hard-to- reach rural areas. One of the act’s chief proponents was a senator from Nebraska named George Norris, who recognized the importance of electricity and phone service to the economic and social well-being of rural communities. Without service, rural America couldn’t compete in a changing world. Well, the ensuing eight decades have brought more changes. Broadband internet and cell service are today’s equivalent to electricity and phone. The hurdles to bringing faster internet to rural America are almost identical to the ones in the 1930 — expense and logistics. The solutions will require equal creativity and, most likely, a little federal oomph. And rural residents stand to benefit if this gets figured out sooner rather than later. President Trump’s recent pledge to ford the digital divide as part of an infrastructure plan is heartening, but it’s certainly not a straight line from a president’s lips to a county farmer’s laptop. Ultimately it will require action on lots of governmental levels and partnerships with providers. The need, however, is unquestionable. And it’s a need that should be felt by all Americans, not just those who want to stream a two hour movie in something close to two hours. All Americans have a vested interest in a thriving rural lifestyle. Some want a place to go home to. Some want a place of peace. Some simply want affordable food, made possible by farmers and ranchers having access to better technology. And all will benefit by creating more places in the state where innovation and new business ideas can take root. The Journal Star’s Nick Bergin talked with rural residents who need access to faster internet for work. And what parent hasn’t wanted to simply download a movie and plop the kids in front of it for a couple hour break. Slow internet seeps into so many aspects of life that many of us take our relatively reliable and speedier service for granted. Solutions in rural areas, Bergin found, are expensive or nonexistent. Right now it may not seem that access to faster internet is a matter of life and death like electricity is. But electricity may have seemed more luxury than necessity in the 1930s. If we want a thriving rural lifestyle in America, we need to take steps now, creative ones, to fix this digital divide. OTHER VIEWS When GOP saw the troubled future of Obamacare repeal W hy are Republicans on They’ve come up with a different way Capitol Hill having so to provide subsidies, but regardless of much trouble repealing name, they are trying to reduce those and replacing Obamacare? There are subsidies and make them available reasons all over the place: subsidies, to fewer people. They are trying to tax credits, tax cuts, Medicaid, cut back on the subsidized benefits essential health benefits, and many insurance companies are required to others. But there is one fundamental provide to customers. They are trying obstacle to getting rid of Obamacare, to reduce the predicted number of Byron and it is very simple: Once the people on Medicaid. They are trying to York government starts giving away, it can’t take back, not give. And it is proving Comment take back. very, very hard. Go back to October 2013, when Other Republicans said similar Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz was leading things during the defunding battle back in an effort to defund Obamacare. It was an 2013. Sen. Mike Lee said, “Before this law impossible goal; the GOP was in the minority kicks in in full force on January 1, 2014, in the Senate and a Democrat we have one last shot.” Sen. was in the White House. Under Marco Rubio said, “This is those circumstances, defunding our last chance and our last President Obama’s signature best chance to do something achievement simply wasn’t about this.” Sen. David Vitter going to happen. Establishment said, “Once (Obamacare) gets Republicans were angry at into law and starts to put down Cruz for raising the hopes of roots, it’s going to be difficult the party’s base before certain to disrupt.” disappointment. And now it is. But there was one sense in What the 2013 fight which Cruz was right — and showed, and what the current the words he spoke four years fight is showing again, is ago are resonating today in that the Republicans’ actual the GOP’s struggle to repeal, last chance to get rid of or, more accurately, rewrite Obamacare was the 2012 Obamacare. election. That was before Cruz based the defund effort the health care law went on his contention that once into effect, before it touched Obamacare was fully in place millions of American lives, — Ted Cruz, and subsidies began to flow — and when it could still be Campaigning against that was scheduled to begin on repealed without great Obamacare in 2013 January 1, 2014 — there would disruption. But when Barack be no stopping it. Obama won re-election and “The Obama strategy, I believe, is that could safeguard (and prop up) Obamacare on January 1, subsidies kick in,” Cruz told through its early years, the Republican chance a meeting of the Kingwood, Texas tea party to repeal was gone. in August 2013. “And his strategy is very Now Republicans are fighting among simple: He knows that in modern times no themselves over a bill that would make major entitlement has ever gone into effect substantial changes in Obamacare but leave and been unwound. Never been done. His the structure of the law intact. And several strategy is to get as many Americans as GOP lawmakers — enough to scuttle any possible hooked on the subsidies, addicted to final agreement — are still afraid of cuts in the sugar.” subsidies, in coverage, and in the Medicaid “I think if we’re going to stop Obamacare, expansion. we have to do it now,” Cruz continued. “If we Maybe Republicans will succeed. But get to January 1, this thing is here forever.” whatever they do, it won’t resemble the Of course Republicans did not defund root-and-branch repeal they attempted when Obamacare — there was never any chance Obama was president — when they knew he would veto any repeal effort that got to they could — and the subsidies began. And his desk. The Republican effort that passes now, exactly as Cruz (and others) predicted, Congress today will be a much-scaled-back the entitlement program is proving extremely measure that could more accurately be called difficult to repeal. an Obamacare fix. That is because, as Obama and the It all shows that Cruz was right back Democrats who passed it knew, Republicans in 2013. Once Obamacare’s subsidies and trying to repeal Obamacare would be taking benefits began to flow, he reminded us, “this back something the government had already thing is here forever.” given to millions of Americans. Once the ■ giving started, Cruz knew, there’s no taking back. Byron York is chief political correspondent And that’s where Republicans are now. for The Washington Examiner. “(Obama’s) strategy is to get as many Americans as possible hooked on the subsidies, addicted to the sugar.” Slow internet seeps into so many aspects of life that many of us take our relatively reliable and speedier service for granted. LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words 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. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
