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OPINION
East Oregonian
Wednesday, October 25, 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
Contested races key
to well-functioning
county government
Umatilla County’s three
Perhaps they remain the best
people for the job. But voters should
commissioners are among the
be able to ask themselves every four
most important elected positions in
northeast Oregon. They are the main years if that’s still the case. And they
tools local voters have to help shape should have alternatives to the status
and direct how our communities will quo, should that be the direction they
look and operate in the future.
wish to go.
Such important
There are
numerous Umatilla
positions cannot
Important seats County residents in
be lifelong
private enterprise,
appointments,
on county
and others with
and those seats
commissions
experience in city
must be contested
government, who
often so local
cannot be
would be excellent
government operates
lifetime
candidates for the
as efficiently as
They
possible. Only with
appointments. position.
should consider
competition does the
throwing their hat
cream rise to the top.
into the ring and
Only with debate
trying for a promotion.
and the free exchange of ideas will
Recently, we have been heartened
the best plan be uncovered.
by city council elections in
Which is why we are imploring
Hermiston and Pendleton that saw
for contested races as a voting
majority of the commission is up for contested seats and public forums.
Those contested races have made for
grabs in 2018. That election season
better councils.
begins with the primary in May and
This re-energized civic
ends with the general in November.
engagement should translate to the
Both Larry Givens and George
county level. County commissioner
Murdock have declared they are
is a lucrative post, with power and
running for re-election. For Givens,
responsibility and a salary much
this would be his fourth, four-year
higher than Umatilla County’s
term on the commission. For
Murdock, who has had a seat since a average. Like any open, sought-after
2013 special election, it would be his position in the county, it should draw
plenty of qualified applicants.
second full term.
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
Colorado’s intriguing
tale of two drugs
The San Francisco Chronicle
A
merica has been trying and
failing to forcibly prevent people
from using their drugs of choice
since before Prohibition. A new study
provides the latest evidence of a drug
epidemic stemmed by the opposite
approach.
Colorado’s
marijuana legalization
coincided with
a reversal of a
long-standing rise in
opioid-related deaths,
according to research
published in the
American Journal of
Public Health. Having
climbed consistently
since 2000, the toll
has fallen 6 percent
since legal cannabis sales began in 2014,
inviting the suspicion that one far less
dangerous drug is substituting for the
other.
The researchers caution that their
findings are preliminary given the
novelty of legalization. They also note
that marijuana, which carries no risk of
fatal overdose, may bring other perils,
such as car accidents. And Colorado
officials told the Denver Post that other
factors, including recently expanded
access to the overdose antidote
naloxone, may be playing an important
role.
But after controlling for opioid policy
changes and examining the data in
neighboring states that didn’t unleash
recreational marijuana, the researchers
believe they can credit legal cannabis
with saving about eight Coloradans
a year. Moreover,
many other studies
have supported
similar conclusions,
demonstrating
marijuana’s efficacy
in treating pain and its
tendency to replace
some opioid use —
precisely contrary
to the “gateway
drug” theory long
propounded by drug
warriors.
There has certainly been more
than enough research to advise
against the return to reefer madness
being advocated by the nation’s
chief marijuana-phobe, Attorney
General Jeff Sessions, as well as the
counterproductive slow-walking of
California’s legalization in places as
diverse as Fresno and San Francisco.
Public policy should distinguish among
drugs based on objective measures of
risk, not subjective judgments of those
using them.
Marijuana
legalization
coincided with
reversal of rise
in opioid-related
deaths.
OTHER VIEWS
Is the tone of Trump-
Russia probe changing?
H
ave you noticed? In recent
CNN’s Chris Cuomo, paraphrasing
public comments, the
the investigation’s critics, asked Schiff
lawmakers investigating the
earlier this month.
Trump-Russia affair, along with
“Well, no one’s saying this
some of the commentators who
was obvious,” Schiff answered.
dissect its every development, seem
“Obviously, there was a deep interest
to be focusing more on the facts of
in the Russians in keeping their work
Russia’s attempts to interfere with the
hidden. But you can’t say there’s no
2016 election and less on allegations
evidence of collusion.”
Byron
that Donald Trump or his associates
“We’ve seen even in the public
York
colluded with those efforts.
realm, I think, very graphic evidence
Comment
Some of that could be just an
that the Trump campaign was willing
impression. But the fact is, the subjects
to collude with the Russians,” Schiff
that have dominated discussion of the Trump-
continued. That was most likely a reference
Russia matter lately — Facebook and other
to the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower
social media ads and the most recent update
meeting which Kremlin-connected Russians
from Senate Intelligence Committee leaders
enticed Donald Trump Jr. into attending by
Richard Burr and Mark Warner — do not
promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. In fact, the
necessarily point toward collusion. Rather,
Russians wanted to push their goal of killing
more often than not, the latest talk points
the Magnitsky Act, and the meeting, by all
toward Russian “active
accounts, ended quickly. But
measures,” that is, the
Schiff argues that it suggests
effort to disrupt the 2016
the willingness to collude, if
campaign.
not collusion itself.
Why the change?
“So you can’t say even
“Because that’s where
in the public realm, let
the evidence is going,” one
alone what we’re looking
lawmaker who follows the
at (in secret), that there’s no
matter closely told me in
evidence,” Schiff concluded.
a text exchange. “I mean,
“Now, is there proof beyond
things could always change,
a reasonable doubt? Are
but that observation is just
we ready to announce a
the reality of the situation
conclusion? We’re not there
right now, as I see it.”
yet.”
“Because they’ve been
For his part, Senate Intel
spinning their wheels on
chief Burr recently noted
something for which evidence has yet to
that one part of the committee’s probe was “to
emerge,” said another lawmaker.
look into any collusion by either campaign
“I think it’s 1) the Mueller probe means that during the 2016 elections.”
stuff (allegations of collusion) is sort of in his
The “by either campaign” was a point
wheelhouse now,” said yet another lawmaker,
not heard much in public discussion of the
“and 2) I think there’s recognition that Trump
investigation. (After all, some investigators
himself is unlikely to be implicated in this.”
looking into the Trump dossier characterize it
In a recent speech to the San Mateo
as Democrats paying Kremlin-linked Russians
County, California Republican Party, House
for compromising information on Donald
Intelligence Committee chairman Devin
Trump.) In any event, under questioning by
Nunes said that at this moment investigators
reporters, Burr said the probe into collusion
have more evidence of Democrats colluding
is still open and the committee “continues to
with Russians than of President Trump doing
look into all evidence to see if there was any
so.
hint of collusion.” But he gave no indication
The Russian effort to interfere in the
one way or the other about what had been
election was always supposed to be the
found.
heart of the investigation. And if the Russian
None of this is definitive. And that’s
plot were in fact the only subject of the
without noting that the Mueller investigation
probe, there would probably be a lot of
appears to be going full steam, although
bipartisan agreement and cooperation. But the in precisely what direction is not publicly
investigation early on included allegations of
known.
collusion and has been politically radioactive
But the tone of the public discussion
since.
seems to be changing — away from collusion
In recent days, one of the president’s
and toward Russia. Yet another lawmaker
chief accusers, Rep. Adam Schiff, the
agreed that appears to be the case, and in
ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence
a text message suggested there’s a simple
Committee, has found himself pushing back
reason: “Maybe reflects where they think it’s
against suggestions there’s not much evidence heading.”
of collusion.
■
“If it was so obvious, it if were so
Byron York is chief political correspondent
egregious, you should have known by now,”
for The Washington Examiner.
The subjects that
have dominated
discussion
lately do not
necessarily
point toward
collusion.
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Greg Walden
185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
La Grande office: 541-624-2400
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
REPRESENTATIVES
Greg Barreto, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-38
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.GregBarreto@state.or.us
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
SENATOR
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-423
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
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
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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.