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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2017)
Saturday, December 30, 2017 VIEWPOINTS East Oregonian Page 5A Sledding at just the right speed A s a little girl, I grew from behind my camera with up at the bottom a smile — because I like of a small hill. It “flat,” I like “predictable,” never really felt small, but and I loved that even though as I look at it while driving they weren’t “sailing” down by now, it’s barely a speed a hill, they were still loving bump. Not really. But it. it’s definitely not a “hill” Recently, they’ve that one would dream of grown tired of the flat sledding on. and predictable, and have My sister and I did sled recognized the steep hills on it though — every time below our home as the we had a chance. When perfect place to “try” not there was just enough snow to kill themselves. They’ve that the pavement was sailed over the sagebrush, ran covered, we were there. It over rock piles, collided with was perfect. Not too steep, each other, and had the time but not too flat. Just the of their lives dodging cattle way I find myself hoping and cow dogs. They haven’t life to be — which is not needed our push anymore. very realistic I know. In fact, they haven’t even Photo courtesy Lindsay Murdock The things I remember Mason and Mack Murdock laugh recently while being pulled on their needed us to ride with them. most quickly about the hill sled. And so I’ve sat in the aren’t all the successful warmth of our home on I never really thought about sledding as runs on our sleds, but the the hill — watching the something to teach my kids to love, but here crashes. The fat lips, the concussions, the present unfold as the boys sail down the we are, trying to give them a taste of how “there probably wasn’t enough snow” type hills with our doctor on speed dial, but also good, how necessary, how important it is to of catastrophes that seemed to happen more remembering and treasuring the moments often than not. Those experiences that almost try things that might even scare them a bit. that have made this adventure of ours full of Trying things and holding on — with make it so you don’t ever want to sled again the most beautiful flat places the world has a trust that the person who told you to try for fear of getting hurt — and yet, here I am to offer. it, the person who told you it would be ok, at the age of 41 still sledding. We’ve pushed our way through the past the person that’s cheering for you from the 15 years, ridden down some crazy hills, I’ve lived a lot of my life thinking about top of the hill ... that they really know what climbed to the tops of some amazing places, how things have bruised or injured me, they’re talking about. and lived to tell all about it all. which has often kept me from doing some A few years ago we went for a drive in I think our boys will remember each of the most amazing things. And just when I search of a place to sled. There wasn’t really and every snowy wonderland we have get up enough courage to give it a go again, a hill that day, but there was snow. Enough had the chance to experience during the something happens. I flip on a tube, I about snow that we had the opportunity to get the past few years for a very long time. Not knock myself out, I crash with other people, boys on their new sleds, where they could because of the hills we have below our and I collide with immovable objects — but be pushed into the beautiful falling flakes of house or the fabulous mountain slopes we I live. Yes, I live, and learn that life is winter with gusto and enthusiasm. I watched live near, but for the fact that we’ve given supposed to be about collisions sometimes. L indsay M urdock FROM SUN UP TO SUN DOWN them opportunities to play no matter where we’ve found the snow. We’ve pushed them through drifts, cheered them across canyons, and rode right with them down some of the greatest slopes. That is what life is about. Not the fluff, not the picture-perfect hills, not the ski resort experiences, but so much more about finding out how to live well right where we’re at — on the flattest of flat or on the steepest of steep. So here’s to snow and sleds, and enjoying the ride! ■ Lindsay Murdock lives in Echo and teaches in Hermiston. Corporate calculations and the gamble on growth S EO’s best read letters of 2017 I n this quiet time between Christmas and New Year’s, just about every media source lays out their stories of the year. And while the big packages do help fill space in newspaper pages and television news holes, they also help remind us of the issues that defined the year. But we’ve always believed that no one is closer to the pulse of the news that matters than the people of the community, and that people’s opinions and desires are often best reflected when they write their thoughts down in a letter to the editor. So the East Oregonian collected our most viewed letters on our website in 2017, which is close as you can get in the digital age to the days of yore, when papers were passed around and pointed at over mugs of coffee, or plastered on telephone poles, or shoved under the mayor’s door. Those were the letters — and the issues — that people were talking about then, and these are the letters and issues that people are talking about now. It’s worth noting that some of our most read submissions are the most outrageous — an extreme position eliciting an extreme response. But its heartening to notice that many of them are thoughtful, wise and considered opinions on the controversial issues of the day. Many reflect on the same themes: drugs and local crime, embrace or disgust of Donald Trump, media commentary, and thoughts on how government should spend our money. When historians remember 2017, we’d argue that it is likely that many of those issues will stand out as being the most vital and important of the day. So without further ado, here are our best read letters of 2017, along with a line summarizing the writer’s thoughts. Read the letters in their entirety at eastoregonian.com/ opinion. 1. “Lybrand should be behind bars,” April 7, by Carlin Sacco “We are disgusted that our own personal lives are micromanaged at every level — yet the public is expected to sympathize with a major drug dealer who gets off without the appropriate punishment meant to deter such activity?” 2. “Cheerleaders don’t lose basketball games,” June 22, by Art Derbyshire “As a player, when do you have time to watch the cheerleaders while playing? ... I feel the (Stanfield School District) administrators could have handled this more professionally and with less drama and more thoughtfulness.” 3. “EO Media Group looks foolish, silly on EOTEC,” Aug. 15, by George Anderson “With the amazing facilities and great 2017 fair and rodeo, the EO was foolish. And now, just while the 2017 fair and rodeo are a rousing success, it whimpers about this stout steel and aluminum giant deteriorating and its future being dim.” 4. “God chose Trump — an answer to a prayer,” May 16, by Stuart Dick “A third reason for Trump’s electoral win, probably the deciding factor, was his extensive support from Christian voters.” 5. “Racism a part of daily life for people of color in Eastern Oregon,” June 8, by Celina Taylor “I am thankful for our community and its uniqueness; this being said I ask you to please trust me and follow along while I tell you how I have been victim to your exploitative ways, and urge you to transform them.” 6. “Morrow County administrators failed to act on misconduct,” March 7 by Stuart Dick “Instead of honestly investigating the report of sexual grooming and taking appropriate action, the Irrigon and district administration chose to cover for Coach (Jake) McElligott.” 7. “Pendleton fire station too big for a small town,” May 9, by Kelly Temple “I have no doubt Pendleton needs to update their fire facilities, but it appears you are paying for a Mercedes on a Ford pickup truck budget.” 8. “Drug court saved my life,” March 24, by Michelle DeBord “The drug court team assisted me in finding a new way to cope with loss, pain, and how to stay clean through individual counseling and groups ... If we take away such a vital program and have nothing to replace it, what then?” 9. “No easy solution for Milton- Freewater mobile home park,” February 23, by Ed Chesnut “Why should steadfast refusal to meet health and safety regulations lead to someone else (federal government) paying to solve the problem?” 10. “Kudos to decision to keep Confederate flag off Main,” Sept. 12, by Scott Little “Despite revisionist attempts to frame the Civil War as a battle over states’ rights, it was always about the “right” of the Confederate States to own slaves. Without the issue of slavery, there would have been no secession movement and no Civil War.” anta came to President Trump In a world where countries early this year. He left a big compete to attract investment, the tax cut bill under the White lower corporate tax rate should also House Christmas Tree, the first make the U.S. a more attractive major rewrite of the national tax investment target. That was one code since the Reagan era tax reason for the 1986 reform, where reform in 1986. the 35 percent rate put the U.S. Tax rates were cut for most ahead of most of its industrial Kent Americans and most businesses. competitors. Over time, however, Hughes countries reduced their corporate Cuts in individual rates will put Comment more money in consumers’ pockets tax so that by 2017, the US had and cuts in business taxes will lead a higher rate than most of our to added profits and some new competitors. investment. While the individual rate cuts In looking to the future, the United will expire in 2025, Republicans point to States will need to keep at least three the temporary tax cuts under President factors in mind. First, it is a fair bet that George W. Bush that, except for the top competing countries will start to lower rate, were made permanent under President their rates to compete with the new, lower Obama. Of course, the debate will continue U.S. rate. Second, with China offering over the actual effects of the tax cuts. an ever lower rate for priority industries, Betting on corporations: Cuts were China would still have an edge when provided for both corporations and pass taxes are the only consideration. Finally, through businesses (those where profits are most companies do not look only at the not taxed as corporations but are ‘passed tax rate — they also weigh the quality of through’ and taxed as individual income). the workforce, the presence of research For the long-term, the most important universities, a supportive or antagonistic changes are the sharp drop in the rate on government, and whether health and other corporate profits (from 35 percent to 21 benefits are paid by the company or by the percent) and the shift from a global tax tax payers. system (U.S. companies are liable for Will economic growth be stimulated? taxes whether or not income is earned in Most observers expect that individual and the United States) to a territorial system corporate rate cuts will provide an added (corporations are taxed where they earned impetus to growth. The President has the profit). There are a number of special already taken steps to pursue pro-growth provisions but the shift to a territorial regulatory reform and adopted an system is the basic story. international economic policy that focuses The cut in the corporate rate is coupled on enforcing existing rules and creating with five years of allowing an immediate new ones that will benefit the United deduction of the cost of capital investments States and much of the industrial world. (or expensing) against business taxes. If the President combines a trillion dollar Also, the new law eliminated the corporate infrastructure with increased investment version (not the individual variant) of the in research and development, training alternative minimum tax, a tax adopted and education, American industry will several years ago in reaction to years when have many of the tools it needs to lead the profitable corporations managed to pay no international competition. tax at all. There are many questions about the new In addition, the new law deals with U.S. tax law. It adds another trillion dollars to corporate earnings made since 1986 and the national debt. held abroad. Current law has encouraged While everyone will receive some companies to keep overseas profits benefit from the tax cut, the benefits overseas to avoid paying the statutory are heavily weighted to those already at 35 percent rate (there is a credit for taxes the top of the economic ladder. Current paid to foreign governments). Real money surveys of CEOs do not suggest that is at stake. Estimates vary, but many put most corporations will increase their U.S. overseas corporate holdings at $2.5 investments or raise wages. Of course that trillion. The new tax law treats the overseas could change as the pace of current growth earnings as if they had been repatriated and presses against existing capacity. The subjects them to a tax of 15.5 percent for sheer complexity of the law will have tax cash and other liquid assets and 8 percent accountants and tax lawyers working more for real estate, factories and other physical than full time. Unlike the bipartisan tax reform of 1986, the current law was passed assets. with only Republican votes. Any needed How much money will return? changes in the tax law could run into a Estimating how much will actually return partisan hurdle. to the United States is complicated. If In America, there is always reason the overseas funds are held in foreign for optimism. America has a history of currencies, future repatriation will require resilience in the face of economic as well as the purchase of dollars, which will drive geopolitical challenges. If the President and up the value of the dollar and make U.S. the Congress adopt a pragmatic approach exports less competitive. And there is to the changes brought by globalization another complexity. Even under the old and technology and a flexible response to law, some of the overseas funds could the growing challenge of mercantilism, avoid the tax by investing in the U.S. but America can again produce widely shared outside the headquarters company. These prosperity at home and leadership abroad. funds would have already been converted ■ into dollars so there would be no added Kent Hughes is a public policy fellow at negative effect on exports. One is tempted the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, to borrow President Trump’s comment on D.C. He is a 1958 graduate of Pendleton health care to ask “who would think taxes High School. were that complicated.” LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that in- fringe 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 to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.