Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Saturday, September 16, 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 EO MEDIA GROUP East Oregonian • The Daily Astorian • Capital Press • Hermiston Herald Blue Mountain Eagle • Wallowa County Chieftain • Chinook Observer • Coast River Business Journal Oregon Coast Today • Coast Weekend • Seaside Signal • Cannon Beach Gazette Eastern Oregon Real Estate Guide • Eastern Oregon Marketplace • Coast Marketplace OnlyAg.com • FarmSeller.com • Seaside-Sun.com • NorthwestOpinions.com • DiscoverOurCoast.com OUR VIEW Bounds and determined It’s exciting to think that a that you never intended to allow Hermiston High School graduate our longstanding process to play with strong Eastern Oregon out. Instead, you have demonstrated connections could soon be sitting on that you were only interested in the powerful, San Francisco-based our input if we were willing to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. preapprove your preferred nominees Ryan Bounds’ ... disregarding this nomination to that Oregon tradition No majority court by President returns us to the Donald Trump days of nepotism lasts forever. brings with it a patronage Political parties and dash of hometown that harmed our pride, but also a and placed change judicial courts belief that Bounds unfit judges on the nomination rules bench.” might be a more knowledgeable The reason at their own peril. home-state judge on issues that matter to rural senators have Americans. blue-slip power is so they can easily scuttle extremist choices, and His résumé leaves nothing to force those who nominate judges be desired. After graduating from to choose candidates that garner Hermiston he earned degrees bipartisan support. from Stanford and Yale, practiced Recently, however, the blue slips commercial law in Portland, then are being used in a hyper-partisan took jobs with the U.S. Department manner. That was the case when of Justice and served as special Republicans stopped Democratic assistant to the President for nominees while Obama held domestic policy, then became a office — and the tables have federal prosecutor. He is currently the Assistant United States Attorney turned now. Democrats, despite Republican obstructionism, kept for the District of Oregon. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the rule in place. Republicans now want to narrow the rule, so their wrote in an op-ed in this newspaper appointments (especially of circuit that Bounds’ “commitment to court judges) are harder to derail. It’s the rule of law, liberty and self- government are, in my mind, beyond the same type of rule that allowed question.” For the notoriously liberal Republicans to stop Merrick Garland from having a hearing for a seat on West Coast court, he’s the kind of the Supreme Court, which the GOP voice we expect would add some sidestepped to instead confirm Neil balance. Gorsuch. However, Oregon’s two senators “My personal view is that the (both Democrats) announced that blue slip, with regard to circuit they would try to block Bounds’ court appointments, ought to simply nomination, “or any other nominee be a notification of how you’re that has not been selected through going to vote, not the opportunity our judicial process.” Jeff Merkley to blackball,” U.S. Sen. Mitch and Ron Wyden have threatened McConnell (R—Ky.) told The New to not turn in their “blue slip” and York Times earlier this week. scuttle the nomination. The push is toward even more First, what the heck is a “blue extreme, politicized judges. Either slip?” side changes the rules at their own According to beltway paper The peril — no majority lasts forever Hill, “blue slips” are not an in-the- and what may be to your short-term books Senate rule, but more of a benefit could be to your (and the longstanding tradition enforced by nation’s) long-term detriment. the Judiciary Committee chairman. Bounds is eminently qualified for The blue slips — actual slips of the Ninth Circuit. But no nominee blue-colored paper — allow home- state senators to sign off on a judicial for such an important post should nominee before the committee holds just be tapped on the shoulder and shown their seat. Let Bounds be a nomination hearing. judged by a customary bipartisan By not returning the paper, those nominating committee, have his same home-state senators can block résumé and judicial decision making any nominee they please. tested and analyzed. That way, when In a letter to White House he does make it to the Ninth Circuit Counsel Don McGahn on Sept. Court, he will bring public trust to 7, Merkley and Wyden wrote the judiciary. “unfortunately it is now apparent 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 Donald Trump has changed his mind — a heck of a lot W ow, Donald Trump really is A while back, National Economic all over the place. Council Director Gary Cohn promised On Tuesday he had dinner a detailed version would be done “by with a few moderate Democrats and the end of the summer.” I guess if you completely retooled his tax policy wanted to be stupendously technical, before dessert. This is the man who that could mean they’ve still got until is having such a famous fling with next week, when the autumnal equinox occurs as the sun crosses the celestial the minority leaders, Chuck Schumer equator. Perhaps the president will and Nancy Pelosi, that they no longer Gail need identifying. Really, “Chuck and Collins watch it happen, shielding his eyes with a new two-page bill. Nancy” are as famous as Beyoncé and Comment It’s ironic that an administration Jay-Z. Victoria and Albert. Antony and so money-centric has so many inept Cleopatra. Cabinet members handling financial policy. But about the tax policy dinner. The Democratic senators described their discussion Even in a group full of negative star power, as so harmonious it sounded ... kind of boring. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin stands out. Last week, when the “Very collegial and very Republicans were angrily businesslike,” Sen. Heidi reacting to the Trump- Heitkamp of North Dakota Democrat deal on raising said on a radio interview the debt limit, he asked back home with talk show host Joel Heitkamp. the irate legislators to do it (Yes, they’re siblings. “for me.” This plea went North Dakota is a very over well in the sense that small state. Only 750,000 nobody actually pummeled people. Yet as many Mnuchin with tomatoes. senators as California or Still, Trump is ready to New York. Do you think roll. Details, schmeetails. that’s fair? Never mind, I “With Irma and Harvey digress.) devastation, Tax Cuts Democrats have been and Tax Reform is demanding that no tax needed more than ever cuts go to the wealthy, before,” he tweeted. “Go and over beef medallions, Congress, go!” Negative Trump gave the impression thinkers pointed out that that was exactly what he wanted, too. Sen. the hurricane devastation required federal Joe Manchin of West Virginia reported that spending, not revenue reduction. Also that “is “the president was adamant from the get-go: needed” was grammatically ... tragic. ‘This is not a tax cut for the rich, and I repeat Plus, again, the no-plan thing. “It’s really that, this will not be a tax cut for me or any important for people to understand — the rich people.’ That kind of started off the administration is urging Congress to vote conversation and it went pretty good from fast on a proposal that doesn’t exist,” said there.” Howard Gleckman of the Tax Policy Center. Now Manchin and Heitkamp are two of The center made a rather heroic effort to the most conservative senators from their figure out what the consequences would be if party. But still, this seems like an awful lot you cobbled a proposal out of all the tax stuff of agreeing. Trump has spent the last month Trump has mentioned, and concluded it would howling about the need to cut the corporate add about $8 trillion to the national debt over tax rate in half, and he’s been adamant about the next 10 years. getting rid of the estate tax, which is imposed There’s really a plus side to all this only on inheritances of more than $5 million. craziness. It’s better to have a president who Do you think he’s changed his mind? That flips around like a jumping bean to one who the Democrats misheard? That the spinach has a disciplined, well-thought-out strategy was spiked with hallucinogens? for handing corporate America and hedge No, on Wednesday Trump not only ditched fund owners more tax breaks. You don’t his tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy plans, he claimed want all that much consistency when you’ve the rich might take a hit. “If they have to go got a chief executive whose recent triumph higher they’ll go higher,” he told a bipartisan in regulatory reform was to roll back the congressional group with the adorable name requirement that new highways be protected of the Problem Solvers Caucus. This seemed against flooding — 10 days before the first like good news except for the part about the hurricane. president appearing to be sort of off his rocker. And of course there are people like Wyden The only actual written-down Trump tax who dreamed of doing something useful and plan is a one-pager that includes what Sen. bipartisan this term, and all the chaos makes Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat them feel sad and hopeless. on the Finance Committee, calls a new Still, things could be worse. Pass the “lunar-crater-size loophole” on income for the biscuits. wealthy. Plus the corporate tax cuts and the ■ estate tax repeal. Gail Collins joined The New York Times Hard to know when there will be in 1995 as a member of the editorial board something more substantial, with all this and later as an Op-Ed columnist. In 2001 she presidential hopping around. The Republicans became the first woman ever appointed editor claim they’ll have a real tax bill done soon. of the Times’s editorial page. The only actual written-down Trump tax plan is a one-pager that includes what Sen. Ron Wyden calls a new “lunar-crater-size loophole.” YOUR VIEWS Since EOTEC is a success, board won’t ask for money Old George Anderson is at it again. He’s just not happy despite the success of the county fair and Farm-City Pro Rodeo. A complaint about the begging? Why, that “begging for charity” was probably instrumental in making the event the success it was. George just can’t stand a little constructive criticism. Shame on the East Oregonian for being so “silly” and Larry Marks for their one-sided articles. Though the construction schedule was tight after the initial squabbling, I think most everyone knew, when push came to shove, the fair and rodeo would be a success. The questions now are about the next 51 weeks, and when George will be sending those letters to the city of Hermiston and Umatilla County commissioners boasting that additional city and county funding will no longer be required to support EOTEC. What with that state-of-the-art construction, it’s nice to know they won’t be needing that maintenance man after all. Perhaps it’s George that’s being a little “silly.” Kudos to city councilors Dale, the seed spitter, Primmer and Paul Chalmers for requesting the long overdue accounting of the huge sums spent by the Pendleton Development Commission. Until now, there has been no method to rate the success or failure of the Urban Renewal District program. Since the PDC is considering an extension of the program past the 2023, a rating program only seems prudent. Perhaps in the future, the “Pearl District” mentality of the past will be tempered with a little common sense. While some think political speeches are the way to rally the people, our EO paper boy’s display of spirit in the campaign to celebrate the Fourth of July in the manner intended is proof that deeds are more effective than words. The fireworks will return. Congratulations to a job well done, and my pick for Pendleton’s “First Citizen” award. Rick Rohde Pendleton Walden’s blind obedience to Republican party politics Walden’s blind obedience to Trump and party is having devastating effects on the people and the environment in our state. But he is getting paid handsomely for it. According to Open Secrets, $1,003,881. He has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He has voted for health care that is available, only if one can afford it. He is generously supported by Insurance companies. Big Pharma, health professionals, HMO’s, hospitals and nursing homes. He is for medical savings accounts. That is fine if you are wealthy, otherwise you die because you can’t pay. Donations from these organizations: $650,856. He pushes Trump’s EPA program of slashing the EPA by one third of the budget, this means no bees, no food, toxic Pacific Garbage Patch, no marine life, dirty energy, no solar and no health protections for water and air to the tune of $610,989 in donations from electric and telephone utilities, gas and oil, law firms, lobbyists and accountants. We need to support someone with goals that fulfill the needs of our people, get someone that will represent us not the rich or corporations that are only interested in their bottom line. Walden does not support low cost television advertising to candidates who agree to voluntary campaign spending limits. It is obvious why. Shirley R. Hatlestad Rogue River, Ore. 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 newspa- per reserves the right to withhold 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.
