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.