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OPINION
East Oregonian
Wednesday, July 12, 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
Two men enter,
one tax plan leaves
This is how to put Oregon schools modeling showed three-fold tax
increases for some businesses.
and state government on a path to
And PERS reform, which
stable, sustainable funding: Stick
Republicans and the business
Ontario Republican Cliff Bentz and
community rightfully demanded in
Beaverton Democrat Mark Hass in
return for corporate tax increases,
a room and give them the task of
fell by the wayside.
developing a fair tax plan for the
Gov. Kate Brown is among those
state.
who say revenue reform will not
That is the idea of Oregon House
happen until the 2019 Legislature.
Republican Leader Mike McLane,
That
who
would be
suggested
unfortunate,
he would
leaving the
accept
tax debate to
whatever
another set
the two
of divisive
legislators
ballot
came up
measures
with. He
next fall.
mentioned
Rep.
a few other
McLane
Republican
might
and
Sen. Mark Hass and Rep. Cliff Bentz
have the
Democratic
solution. Give the task to Bentz,
lawmakers who could be added to
Hass and a few other political
the mix as well.
pragmatists, since interest groups
The point is that a new tax plan
can only be achieved by people who on either side have shown little
are pragmatic and collaborative, who ability to negotiate for the good of
entertain new ideas and who put the the state. We would suggest adding
good of the state above self-interests. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, Rep. Brad
Witt, D-Clatskanie, and Sens. Betsy
That didn’t happen in the 2017
Legislature, despite the best attempts Johnson, D-Scappoose, and Jackie
Winters, R-Salem. All have shown
of Sen. Hass, Rep. Bentz and others.
the ability to work across party lines
Labor was stinging from the defeat
to solve complex issues.
of the massive corporate tax hike
Genuine tax reform should
contained in Measure 97 last fall, and
include these principles:
constantly re-fought the battle in the
• A plan for ground-level
Legislature. Business was divided
examination of agency-by-agency
on what to do next, instead of being
conciliatory and collaborative after its spending, instead of building each
budget based on what agencies and
victory over Measure 97.
schools spent during the previous
If there is good news from
cycle. The concept of “roll forward”
the legislative session that ended
budgets should be eliminated in
July 7, it is that lawmakers finally
favor of “zero-based” budgeting that
were talking about realistic
starts with where the dollars will do
revenue reform. It also seems that
the most good.
lawmakers, especially in the state
• A holistic look at corporate,
Senate, set a good example through
individual and other taxes and
bipartisan compromise on several
contentious issues, including fair pay fees. Lawmakers and the public
need an unbiased understanding
and predictable work schedules in
of how much each sector pays for
the workplace.
government, instead of relying on
Yet on revenue reform, the
partisan-based studies.
interest groups of business and
• Appropriately matching
labor could not achieve that same
expenses with revenue, while
pragmatism. They stuck with their
providing stability in both areas.
“all or nothing” approaches.
• Reform of the Public
Most people agree that Oregon
Employees Retirement System and
has an unstable tax system,
especially for funding schools. Some of public employee health-care
premiums — two of the highest
consider a sales tax the answer,
costs for governments and schools.
but political history shows little
All options must be on the table,
chance of one being enacted in our
especially for PERS, so they can
lifetimes.
be finally settled in court instead
Hass and others, especially
of being an ongoing battle in each
Democrats, advocate a type of
legislative session.
sales tax to be paid by businesses
Such an approach would benefit
— a commercial activity tax
public employees, public agencies
modeled after one in Ohio. Senate
and the public. That work must start
Republicans stood firm against
now.
that tax this year, especially after
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
Health reform that’s
real and conservative
T
told me, she wouldn’t be able to do
he American health care system
much else.
has two core problems. It’s the
Her strategy has been based on the
world’s most expensive, and it
most important — and, in a strange
still leaves many people uninsured.
way, most promising — fact about
Congressional Republicans have
American health care: Much of our
not tried to solve either problem. They
spending doesn’t make us healthier.
have instead offered a plan that cuts
We go to the emergency room
spending on the middle class and the
instead of a primary-care doctor. We
poor, funnels the money into a tax cut
David
for the affluent and masquerades as
Leonhardt choose invasive procedures over
simpler, more effective ones. We
health policy.
Comment
One of the great shames of their
house elderly people in nursing homes
approach is that a different one is
instead of offering more pleasant
available. Conservative health reform is not an home care.
oxymoron. Nor is bipartisan health reform. It’s
Raimondo’s administration has used the
possible to combine conservative and liberal
flexibility that Carcieri won — as well as
ideas to cover more people
Obamacare provisions — to
while holding down costs.
move away from the
You can find a real-world
high-cost approach. “I want
case study in Rhode Island.
to pay to get you healthier,”
The state is obviously a
she said, “not pay to have
small one, but it has a lot
something done to you.”
in common with the rest of
I recently tagged along
the country. Its poverty rate
on a nurse’s home visit to
is similar to the nation’s,
a 74-year-old woman here
and its opioid crisis is even
named Annie Hall. Hall
worse. It has a strongly
is a widow who suffers
Democratic metropolitan
from Parkinson’s and other
area (Providence), while
conditions. She did not get
Donald Trump won the
up from her living room
state’s western half.
chair during the visit.
The story of health
She likes living where
reform here involves
she does: not in a nursing
both Republican and
home or hospital, but in the
Democratic officials. It involves praise from
apartment in a wooded area, just off Interstate
the conservative Wall Street Journal and the
95, that she and her husband shared for years. “I
liberal Center for American Progress. Most
don’t want to go to the hospital,” she said. “It’s
important, the story involves cost savings,
the worst place to go when you’re sick.”
fewer uninsured and a rising quality of care.
Not so long ago, Hall would have been
I’ve been covering Washington long
moved to a nursing home anyway, because
enough to understand that Trump and
that was the default. Today, she is able to
Mitch McConnell aren’t going to abandon
stay home, thanks to the nurses from Integra
their health care plan simply because it’s
Community Care Network, paid partly by
a bad one. They have too much invested
Medicaid, who visit her every week and check
(and they believe deeply in upward income
up by phone. Hall calls the nurses “my family.”
redistribution).
The shift toward home-based care is
But if Republican holdouts in the Senate
one reason cost growth has fallen here. In
continue to block the plan, the health policy
Medicaid, spending per enrollee dropped 6.5
debate is eventually going to start fresh. When percent last year and is now starting to save
it does, we could use some role models.
the state serious money.
Rhode Island’s efforts started almost a
Think about how conservative this
decade ago. The governor, a Republican
approach is. It’s based on local, not federal,
named Don Carcieri, asked the Bush
decision-making. It allows people like Annie
administration for more flexibility with
Hall to remain in their communities. It saves
Medicaid in exchange for holding down costs. money for taxpayers. No wonder many
It was classic conservatism: reduce federal
Republicans like to point to Rhode Island.
rules, give states more autonomy and let them
Unfortunately, the Senate bill would cause
keep some of the savings. Yet, unlike the
the progress here to unravel, state officials
Senate bill, Rhode Island’s plan didn’t slash
told me. They would lose so much Medicaid
Medicaid carelessly. It came with safeguards,
funding that they would have to cut back on
like ensuring that everyone eligible for
care — regardless of the effects — and deny
Medicaid would keep coverage.
insurance to people.
Carcieri made substantial progress,
A handful of Republican senators are all
but costs were still a problem when Gina
that’s keeping such damage from happening.
Raimondo, a Democrat, became governor
I hope they understand they are not only
in 2015. Medicaid accounts for close to
protecting vulnerable Americans. They are
one-third of Rhode Island’s budget. It crowds
also defending truly conservative ideas.
out spending on schools, roads and other
■
job-creating investments. Unless she could get
David Leonhardt is an op-ed columnist for
Medicaid spending under control, Raimondo
The New York Times.
If Republican
holdouts in the
Senate continue
to block the
plan, the health
policy debate is
eventually going
to start fresh.
YOUR VIEWS
Listen carefully,
demand trust and truth
This Fourth of July I took time
out for reflection. I was feeling
patriotic, nostalgic, grateful and
concerned. My thoughts went back
to the June 21 editorial by Thomas
Friedman, “We the People,” in the
East Oregonian and his concern
for the “death of truth in America.”
Friedman quoted his friend and
teacher, Dov Seidman, who said,
“We are experiencing an assault on
the foundation of our society and
democracy — the twin pillars of
truth and trust.”
Truth and trust are terms that
carry considerable weight in
personal relationships as well as in
national and international relations.
We are all products of our personal
experiences and I reflected back
to my formative years growing
up on a cattle ranch in southwest
Montana. My mother’s family are
Republican and Dad’s people are
life-long Democrats. That led to
robust political discussions! The
ranch families and the people we
knew bridged the entire political
spectrum. Your word was your
bond and agreements were made
with only a handshake. Integrity,
truth, and trust were valued above
all.
Being a reliable neighbor was
more important than politics.
You may not have agreed with
statements made, but “active
listening” and respect were usually
in the conversation. People talked
to each other. Candidates received
our support if they had the “right
stuff,” such as astronaut and
Republican Senator John Glenn
from Ohio. Their voting records,
character, experience and integrity
were of foremost importance, not
the party. If the truth or our trust
was violated the call was to “throw
the rascals out!”
Today, we can look back at
American leaders that had the
wisdom, courage and vision to
unify our country. Leaders from
different parties who strongly
disagreed came together for the
common good and continued to
make the experiment for American
Democracy function. As Senator
Ted Kennedy would say, “Do not
let the perfect be the enemy of the
good.”
There is, of course, concern for
the subjectivity of truth. Perhaps a
starting point is to look for points
of agreement in our conversations
and truly listen to each other.
Paul Davis
Pendleton
Explanation of ‘no’
vote on transportation
package
In response to Mr. Tabor’s letter
to the editor, I would like to clarify
some misleading statements that
were written in the East Oregonian
article.
First, I was asked to commit to a
“yes” vote on an $8.2 billion dollar
transportation package, HB2017,
while still in its developmental
stage in order for my district to
receive any funding on special
projects. At that time, there was a
14-cent gas tax proposed, added
fees on the sale of new and used
cars, mileage tax, a proposed gravel
tax, transit tax, bike sales tax, tolls,
tax on employee payroll and more.
At the bill’s inception, there was
no commitment from the Demo-
cratic Party to reduce or eliminate
the low carbon fuels tax that would
potentially increase fuel costs to
20 cents per gallon. To his credit,
Rep. Cliff Bentz later reached a
compromise that was adopted that
would cap the carbon tax at around
11 cents per gallon.
I don’t feel it’s good policy
to commit to any bill that hasn’t
been completed. Voting without
knowing the cost/benefits are is like
Nancy Pelosi who said, “We have
to vote for the bill to see what’s in
it.”
I don’t operate in that fashion. I
don’t function that way in business,
and I don’t think it’s in the best
interest of the taxpayers to function
that way in the Legislature.
Representatives were asked to
provide needed projects in their
districts. I reached out to Wallowa,
Union and Umatilla County
commissioners for projects in
those counties, which I submitted.
Contrary to the article in the EO, I
was not contacted or lobbied by the
mayor of Pendleton. By the time
the transportation package was
completed, the transportation group
had leveraged and secured enough
early “yes” votes to pass. Unwilling
to commit early to an unfinished
bill, District 58 projects were not
given. Fourteen Republicans in the
House (as well as six Democrats)
and seven Republicans in the
Senate voted no on the bill.
Greg Barreto
Oregon State Representative, House
District 58
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. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or
email editor@eastoregonian.com.