Page 4A
East Oregonian
Thursday, June 21, 2018
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Statewide officials, statewide perspective
A
ballot initiative to carve California into
three states reminds us of another idea that
surfaced three years ago in eastern Oregon
and Washington. It’s goal was to make those largely
rural regions a part of Idaho, whose state government
is more agriculture-friendly.
Idaho leaders have staked the state’s future on
agriculture, while many Washington and Oregon
leaders appear to be more interested in other,
more urbane pursuits. When they do take note of
agriculture, they tend to focus only on certain niches
instead of the overall industry.
The proposals to redraw the borders of California,
Oregon, Washington and Idaho are efforts to gain
more recognition from statewide office holders.
In California, a state with nearly 40 million people,
the urban areas have an overwhelming amount of
political clout in Sacramento. Farmers and ranchers
find themselves ignored or treated as second-class
Californians. Issues important to them often take a
backseat to urban concerns, because that’s where the
votes and the lobbyists are.
While politicians are expected to represent their
districts, they also have a duty to learn about and
Associated Press
represent the state as a whole. What’s good for Los
Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego is important,
but not to the detriment of the other parts of the state
— and vice versa. A statewide perspective means
keeping the interests of all Californians in mind.
It’s the same way here in Oregon. Residents of our
side of the state, and our rural neighbors to the north
in Washington, depend on farming, ranching and
timber, and are also underrepresented in Salem and
Olympia. Geography doesn’t help — the fact that the
Cascade Range splits the states makes the problem
even worse. Westside politicians rarely make the trek
over the mountains to the eastside — unless they are
campaigning for office. If they win, eastside interests
usually take a backseat to westside priorities.
Proponents say splitting California or adding
eastern Washington and Oregon to Idaho would
provide a bigger voice for all in the new states. We
doubt it.
Drawing more lines on a map isn’t needed. What’s
needed is politicians who take the time to learn about
the rural areas of their states and look out for the
interests of all citizens, not just those in their home
districts with the biggest wallets.
OTHER VIEWS
What GOP suspects about
FBI Trump-Russia probe
T
YOUR VIEWS
We must strive for justice,
not abject cruelty
We can all do better. We can demand
that the government deliver justice
consistent with our values. 2,000 children
are now being held in shelters and in some
instances in temporary earthen shelters.
On Monday, Dr. Colleen Kraft, current
president of The American Academy
of Pediatrics, visited a Texas facility
for children ages 12 and under after her
colleagues to her she needed to see what is
happening.
She reported that in a “toddler” shelter,
she witnessed a 2-year-old girl crying
uncontrollably. Those who supervised the
infant were instructed that they were not
allowed hold or comfort her. It doesn’t
take a doctor to realized that this causes
trauma. I am a retired from corrections
and the justice system. I’m absolutely
convinced that we can find solutions to our
border issues without being cruel. Cruelty
is not justice.
Doug Harder
Pendleton
Policy of separating families
has no place in this country
This letter is directed to my current
representative in Congress, Greg Walden:
While I often disagree with your policies
throughout the many years that you’ve
served in Congress, I know you personally
to be a dedicated representative that clearly
has a grasp of issues important to eastern
Oregonians. I appreciate your efforts to
promote economic growth and family wage
jobs for our local communities, and your
work on behalf of veterans.
However, I absolutely no longer trust
you, the president, his administration
or other silent members of Congress to
represent the mission and values of the
United States as an humanitarian country.
The policy of separating children from
parents at our southern border is cruel and
unnecessary. The law does not require
systematic separation of families entering
the U.S. to flee persecution, crushing
poverty, violence or danger in their home
countries.
Not only does it traumatize young
children, it forces federal prosecutors to
arrest, detain and prosecute every single
“illegal entry” misdemeanor defendant,
while they could be focusing on human
trafficking, violent crime, financial fraud,
drug cartels, etc.
Do you agree with President Trump’s
claim that Democrats actually want MS-13
gang members to “infest” our country
because they “view gang members as
potential voters?”
This is not leadership. I’m dumbfounded
that you apparently don’t recognize that
this rhetoric and unnecessarily cruel policy
won’t work toward finding a solution to
deterring illegal immigration.
Are you afraid to publicly rebuke the
heroic lack of integrity and leadership of the
current administration because of a possible
voter backlash, preventing you from
re-election?
I’m disappointed in the United States
abdication of global leadership in many
areas including humanitarian issues, climate
change and trade policy. It’s especially
disheartening to watch silent members of
congress stand by and allow it.
Dee Holzman
Hood River
CONTACT YOUR PRESIDENT
Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
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he struggle to uncover the
Hurricane, on July 31, 2016.
FBI’s conduct in the Trump-
Starting in late May or early
June 2016, a Cambridge University
Russia probe has made some
professor named Stefan Halper,
congressional investigators deeply
who was a longtime FBI informant,
suspicious of the bureau. But
contacted Page, and also Trump
what do those investigators think
campaign official Sam Clovis,
actually happened in the Trump-
and finally Trump volunteer
Russia affair — at least, what do
adviser George Papadopoulos,
they think the FBI did?
Byron
seeking contacts and information
First, they’re convinced the
York
Comment
on the campaign. The Daily
FBI has something to hide. In
Caller’s Chuck Ross has reported
the last 12 months, the bureau
that Halper “randomly asked
has, at various times, ignored,
Papadopoulos whether he knew about
slow-walked, resisted and downright
Democratic National Committee emails
stonewalled congressional requests, not to
mention subpoenas, for information on the that had been hacked and leaked by
Russians.”
Trump-Russia investigation.
In early June 2016, a Russian lawyer
Each time the bureau hunkered down,
who was working closely with the
suspicion grew on Capitol Hill. The FBI
opposition research firm Fusion GPS,
seemed particularly reluctant to reveal to
which had commissioned the Trump
Congress not what Russians did, or what
dossier, asked for and received a meeting
people in the Trump circle did, but what
with top Trump campaign officials,
the bureau itself did.
including Donald Trump Jr., by promising
When did the investigation start? How
dirt on Clinton. The meeting came to
did it start? What measures did the FBI,
nothing.
its lawyers and its informants employ?
In late May 2016, a Russian who had
Getting facts out of the FBI has been a
apparently been an FBI informant for years
long and arduous task.
contacted an associate of Trump campaign
First to cause serious suspicion was
official Michael Caputo, and later met
the Trump dossier. Eyebrows were raised
with Trump figure Roger Stone, reportedly
when investigators learned that the FBI,
offering dirt on Hillary Clinton. Stone told
at the height of the 2016 presidential
The Washington Post the Russian asked for
campaign, offered to hire a former British
$2 million, and the meeting went nowhere.
spy who was collecting allegations about
The Russian said he was not working for
Trump and Russia.
the FBI when he met Stone.
House Intelligence Committee
Stone has on a variety of occasions
Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes pushed
denied he met with any Russians during
for information. Among other things,
the campaign — so take that into account
he learned that the former British spy,
when considering his credibility. The
well-connected with the FBI, was paid
problem for congressional investigators
by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the
is that the probe has become a two-front
Democratic National Committee. That
battle: dealing with the untrustworthiness
apparently did not matter to the bureau.
of some of the figures in the investigation,
Then Nunes and others wondered:
while also fighting the FBI to learn the
What did the bureau do with the
basic facts of what happened.
sensational allegations in the dossier?
Lawmakers would not be shocked that
That gave birth to the so-called “FISA
Roger Stone might lie to them. But they
abuse” investigation, when Republicans
expect the FBI to be open and transparent
looked into whether the FBI used
with constitutionally empowered oversight
unverified allegations from the Trump
committees.
dossier in proceedings before the Foreign
The bottom line is that some
Intelligence Surveillance Act court. It
Republicans are wondering whether in
turned out the FBI did just that, to win a
the above instances, and perhaps others,
wiretap on Carter Page, who for a short
time was a volunteer on candidate Trump’s someone actively tried to frame or entrap
or set up Trump figures. And they wonder
foreign policy advisory board.
Congressional investigators came away whether the FBI knew about it or played
some sort of role in it.
with the impression that the FBI was
The suspicions are behind the
hiding something. It was.
House move to force the FBI to give
Now, Congress is trying to get
up information. Last Friday, top House
information about the informant(s) the
lawmakers met with bureau and
FBI used in the Trump-Russia probe, and
Justice Department officials to demand
precisely what those informants did.
compliance with House subpoenas.
As part of that line of inquiry,
Some Republicans believe the FBI will,
investigators have discovered a number
finally, comply. Maybe that will happen,
of instances in which Trump figures were
and maybe it won’t. But the only thing
approached, sometimes by people with
FBI connections, with offers of derogatory that can reduce suspicion in the current
information on Clinton. Each incident was atmosphere is more openness.
■
before the FBI says it began the Trump-
Byron York, The Washington Examiner
Russia investigation, code-named Crossfire
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
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