Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Wednesday, July 19, 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 Stopping sex trafficking The recent large-scale police Human Trafficking estimates at least 100,000 in the U.S. today. sting at an apartment in Richland Like all dark and shadowy opened a lot of eyes and surprised a lot of people. It was one piece of the problems, it can seem unsolvable. The sex trade has been with us since horrific sex trafficking underground the beginning of recorded history. brought into the daylight. But we’re not in favor of giving Following ads and messages placed by police operatives, 26 men up because things are difficult. We know the problem will persist, but were arrested after arriving at the apartment allegedly looking to have there are real ways to limit its access to children. sex with children. Cracking down The details that have We know the on online services emerged are beyond that promote and alarming. These problem will prostitution is men, including two persist, but there sell a good start. Free from Pendleton, protections were seemingly are real ways to speech are an important willing to victimize limit access to discussion for young boys and girls for their own net freedom, children. gratification. but soliciting illegal advertising It’s hard to read would certainly be shut down in about, but can’t be ignored. Sex trafficking isn’t just a problem in the a newspaper or television station, far corners of the globe. It affects us and should not be allowed to persist online. right here. Raising awareness is also For the men arrested earlier this important. State Sen. Bill Hansell month, the sting was a ruse and (R-Athena) sponsored and helped no children were in danger. But pass Senate Bill 375 this session, children’s bodies are bought and which allows flyers to hang in sold online every day. roadside restrooms in Oregon. Sites like Backpage.com have created marketplaces for prostitution Previously, no flyers were allowed in those spaces. and child sex trafficking. The site The signs would encourage claims no responsibility for the ads victims of sex trafficking to call that appear and works to remove for help, and maybe even more illicit ones, but a recent report by importantly help the rest of us The Washington Post revealed that recognize the signs of trafficking contractors for the company sought that we might otherwise miss. out sex-related ads for the site. Those signs include marks And where there is demand, of physical abuse, avoiding eye supply follows. In 2012, the contact, checking into hotels with International Labor Organization reported nearly 21 million trafficking older males and not being allowed to speak in public. victims worldwide, most of whom It’s our tendency to avoid dark are sold for sexual exploitation. corners, and the underground of Because of the shadowy nature of the enterprise, precise accounting for sex trafficking is about the darkest place on earth. But it’s important we the number of children being sold realize it’s there and look for ways to into sexual slavery is hard to pin down. But the U.S. Institute Against bring in sunlight. 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 Proposed tax referendum offers chance for Oregonians to grapple with health care financing The Bend Bulletin A mong the budget-balancing efforts approved by the 2017 Oregon Legislature and signed by the governor is House Bill 2391, which raises some $605 million to keep the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) whole while balancing the state budget. The law, nearly universally panned by the Legislature’s Republicans, closes the health care financial gap by raising taxes. Thus, most hospitals will pay a 0.7 percent tax on revenues, coordinated care organizations must cut their cost of doing business by 1.5 percent, and some people’s premiums will be charged a 1.5 percent tax. At least that’s what the law says. In reality, hospital bills almost certainly will rise, as will health insurance premiums, as insurers and hospitals raise rates to cover the increased cost of doing business. Three Republican lawmakers — Rep. Julie Parrish, West Linn; Rep. Cedric Hayden, Roseburg; and Rep. Sal Esquivel, Medford — hope to refer sections of the new law to voters, and the Legislature’s Democrats have said that if they do, the referendum must be in January. In some ways, the early vote date is a blessing. If sections of the law are overturned, it will happen relatively early in the biennium. That, in turn, should give lawmakers time to come up with a more acceptable Plan B. Whether you favor the proposed changes or believe lawmakers should find a better way, the discussion is worth having. Among the questions are these: Does it make sense to tax revenues without considering the cost of creating them? Some Oregon hospitals, including those in the St. Charles system, have revenues that come dangerously close to being outstripped by expenses. Is a tax on health insurance premiums, which are expensive and likely to get more so, the best way to finance health care? And what about CCOs? They are required to hold individual cost increases to a figure below the rate of medical inflation, according to testimony on HB 2391; this will reduce that increase further. If you believe it’s time to talk about Oregon’s health care system and the way it is financed, the proposed referendum gives you the chance. All you have to do is sign a petition to put the law on the ballot. Hospital bills almost certainly will rise, as will health insurance premiums. OTHER VIEWS A summer project to nourish your political soul ighteousness comes easily in some reflection. these polarized times. We all It’s possible that the country would have reasons for our opinions, benefit from a different policy — one and we tend to be surrounded by like Canada’s, which admits more people who hold similar ones. The people based on skills and fewer based more we talk politics, the more on family ties. That combination confident we can become that we’re could lift economic growth and reduce right. inequality. It is worth consideration for President Donald Trump, of course, the political left, center and right. David has aggravated the situation. He is I recommend the immigration Leonhardt alarmingly different from any previous chapter in a new book by legal scholar Comment president, which makes his critics Peter Schuck, “One Nation Undecided: more committed to opposing him. His Clear Thinking About Five Hard Issues supporters, meanwhile, feel disrespected by That Divide Us.” I’m also rereading research every institution from the Republican Party to on the upward mobility of recent immigrants the mainstream media. to see if it’s less encouraging As a result, the Trump era than I’d like. is coarsening our discourse. Yes, the immigration Too often recently I have debate is stained by racism watched people I respect and lies. But it also involves spiral from a political trade-offs. discussion into a nasty, Abortion. The trade-off personal argument. in the abortion debate is So I have a suggestion. By agonizingly basic: A woman’s all means, Trump’s opponents right to control her body should continue to fight — versus a fetus’ right to live. for health care, civil rights, I’m trying to think about the the climate and truth itself. But there is also a uncomfortable parts of both sides. quieter step that’s worth taking no matter your Why do many abortion opponents have a views, for the sake of nourishing your political change of heart when the decision involves soul. themselves or someone they love? When the Pick an issue that you find complicated, decision is no longer hypothetical, forcing a and grapple with it. woman to give birth doesn’t sound so good. Choose one on which you’re legitimately And why do some advocates of abortion on torn or harbor secret doubts. Read up on it. demand deny the creeping, technology-driven Don’t rush to explain away inconvenient risk of eugenics? I don’t want to live in a evidence. society in which fetuses deemed imperfect are Then do something truly radical: Consider routinely eliminated. changing your mind, at least partially. Education. There is no other issue I’ve Doing so will remind you that democracy spent more time debating with readers. To isn’t simply about political force. It also me, the evidence shows that charter schools depends on inquiry and open-mindedness. and other reforms have brought important “The spirit of liberty,” as Judge Learned Hand progress, especially for poor children. Many wrote, “is the spirit which is not too sure that readers feel differently. it is right.” Imagine what this country would I’m confident we could each learn from the be like now if people hadn’t been willing to other, about what’s working and what isn’t, in change their minds in the past. charter schools, traditional schools and other Today’s polarization — in which left and areas. right are more cleanly sorted — pushes us Here’s a deal for reform skeptics: Dig into to double down on all of our views, even the a few of the studies, essays and evidence that ones we doubt. Opinions, psychologist Steven have persuaded me. In return, email me with Pinker told me, “have become loyalty badges reading suggestions. for one’s tribe.” Whatever your position on these three In response, I’ve decided to devote part of issues, there is no shortage of others to my summer to thinking through vexing issues. consider: Tax reform. Trade. Minimum wage I have steered clear of those where I find the vs. tax credits vs. universal basic income. evidence overwhelmingly on one side. I’m Obamacare vs. single payer. not agonizing over whether voter fraud is As in the past, the only way the country widespread, climate change is statistical noise is going to make progress on hard issues is if or capitalism is dead. If I’m somehow wrong a substantial number of people change their about one of these, I can revisit it later. minds. By questioning your own beliefs, you In the meantime, I’ve chosen three issues may discover a better answer. that feel trickier. Or if you are lucky enough to have all Immigration. America is the world’s the right answers already, you will at least strongest country thanks in no small part increase your empathy for the rest of us. to embracing ambitious, hard-working ■ immigrants. But an anti-immigration backlash David Leonhardt is an op-ed columnist for just helped elect a president, which calls for The New York Times. R Pick an issue that you find complicated, and grapple with it. YOUR VIEWS Reducing Medicaid payments would harm local children The topic of healthcare reform in general is one we’ll leave to the leadership in Washington D.C. to sort. However, we feel it’s crucial to increase awareness of changes that would have severe impact on our schools right here in Eastern Oregon. If approved, the act will cap Medicaid payments to Oregon and jeopardize healthcare access for vulnerable children. Our elected officials are proposing cutting hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid spending; such cuts could be detrimental to students with special education and health needs in our schools, and the ripple effect of lost funding could impact all students. School districts across the nation receive about $4 billion from Medicaid every year and much of the money helps to defer the cost of our special education programs. Locally, we use these funds to support physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology and nursing services to our medically fragile students. In addition, our regional Community Care Organization receives Medicaid reimbursements to provide mental health and nursing services. Providing such services in the school environment allows students to receive quality care, relieves the burden of such care on families and helps us pool resources to provide services to students at a lower cost. Without the ability to bill Medicaid for these important student supports, districts are forced to locate outside providers to care for students and pay potentially higher costs without reimbursement, which means reductions in other areas for all students to offset the expenses. The InterMountain ESD region serves approximately 29,000 students in 18 districts. We receive roughly $340,000 in Medicaid funds from both fee for service and Medicaid service claiming. If our children lose access to the Medicaid dollars, our districts would have to offset the loss of this revenue by cutting other areas. We must do everything we can to make sure the Senate does not pass this bill. We must encourage our senators to fight against these devastating and unnecessary cuts to services that our low income and special needs kids rely upon. Our children are depending on us. Mark Mulvihill, InterMountain ESD Superintendent Heidi Sipe, Umatilla School District Superintendent 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 residence and a phone number. Send letters 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.