Page 4A
East Oregonian
Friday, July 13, 2018
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
Tip of the hat,
kick in the pants
A tip of the hat to Hermiston City
Council for finally asking people
what they think about mobile food
vendors in the city.
As expected, a vast majority of
residents (so far) want the city to do
away with or at least greatly reduce
the onerous rules and restrictions that
limited the city to just three food trucks.
That’s contrary to a growing
nationwide scene, where consumers
like the ease and speed of having a
meal on the go, and young culinary
entrepreneurs see it as a good way
to gain both cooking and business
experience.
We thought the regulations the city
enacted in 2013 got way out of hand.
They included rules for the size of
garbage cans that had to be provided
and forbade food trucks from being
painted certain colors. And while the
city regulations did sweat the small
stuff, it also got the big stuff wrong.
It artificially limited the number of
mobile vendors that could operate in
the city and didn’t allow them to take
care of their customers — they were not
allowed to offer a table and chairs, for
instance.
So vendors were pushed to
neighboring cities and states, to the
chagrin of Hermiston diners.
Finally, the city council is rethinking
the regulations. We hope they peel them
back so they address public safety and
health — and leave the pedantic stuff
out of it. The results are bound to be
delicious.
We tip out hat (and cross our
fingers) to the folks who have helped
organize Pendleton Whisky Music
Fest this weekend.
The temperatures are expected to be
scorching, and we hope everyone who
plans to attend packs their sunscreen,
drinks lots of water and drinks alcohol
responsibly. On top of that, we hope
they have plenty of fun and get to see
a righteous Blake Shelton and Pitbull
duet.
This kind of event is really beneficial
to the city of Pendleton, but we know
it comes with its fair share of risk
and headaches, both to organizers,
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Rigo Garcia, owner of Tacos Garcia, serves customers at his food truck.
businesses and public safety. Each will
be strained, but each stands to benefit
too.
We welcome everyone who is in
town for the show, and appreciate those
who help keep the crowds coming.
A kick in the pants to the
emergence of Rocky Mountain
Spotted Fever, found just recently in
Morrow County.
Public Health Director Sheree Smith
said the infection is treatable with
antibiotics, but the disease can cause
fever, nausea, body ache, vomiting,
and headache in the early stages. If
left untreated, it can cause a skin rash,
abdominal pain, joint pain and diarrhea.
Signs of a Rocky Mountain Spotted
Fever infection include fever, rash, and
a history of tick bites.
Several types of ticks found in
Eastern Oregon can transmit Rocky
Mountain Spotted Fever as well as
other diseases. The American Dog Tick
also carries Tularemia, and the Rocky
Mountain Wood Tick also transmits
Colorado tick fever and Tularemia.
Ticks are going to become more
and more common thanks to climate
change and mild winters, so we will all
have to become more aware of them
and the diseases they carry and cause.
Kick them in the pants when you can,
but you’re better off using tweezers to
remove the bloodsuckers.
OTHER VIEWS
Just confirm Kavanaugh
W
YOUR VIEWS
Hammonds part of brave
Oregon tradition
In the 1800s, brave and independent
individuals suffered hardships and trials to
reach Oregon. These founders of our state
had strongly held beliefs about their God,
their county and their Constitution. Having
strongly-held beliefs is still the backbone
of Oregon.
It was a black eye for those strongly
held beliefs when the notion of federal
control for public lands exploded into a
confrontation in Malheur. The situation
soon became fodder for late night TV hosts
and wild stories circulated the nation about
a “terrorist” activity loose in Oregon. Steve
and Dwight Hammond went to prison.
Twice. Both of these men served their
allotted time for allowing a controlled burn
to spread beyond their land. In 2016, under
the Obama Administration, Chief Judge
Aiken ruled that these men must go back
to prison in order to serve a mandatory
minimum specially designed for terrorists.
What started all this? Steve Hammond
started several back fires after lightning
started a blaze that threatened his winter
feed for his cattle. It’s amusing to note
that our government does similar things
for similar reasons. They have controlled
burns that have migrated onto private
lands. When that happens, the government
does not brand itself as a terrorist, nor
does it call for its own arrest, conviction
and imprisonment. However, Dwight
and Steven Hammond were sentenced to
prison. The entire situation was made of
many wrongs.
I appreciate President Trump for his
pardon of the Hammonds. Thank you,
sir, for righting a very wrongful situation.
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the
East Oregonian editorial board. Other
columns, letters and cartoons on this page
express the opinions of the authors and
not necessarily that of the East Oregonian.
Thank you to Congressman Greg Walden,
who has put forth the legislation H.R. 983.
It would ensure that farmers and ranchers
would never again be prosecuted as
terrorists for range management fires.
This isn’t a political letter. This is an
Oregonian letter. It is applauding people
who do the right thing. One of Oregon’s
strongly held values concern the larger
issue of federal control of public lands.
May Oregon always be home to brave and
independent individuals with strongly held
beliefs.
Zee Koza
La Grande
Thankful to Trump for
pardoning the Hammonds
I appreciate the work of Representative
Greg Walden, persevering until justice
was accomplished in the case of Dwight
and Steven Hammond. I am grateful to
President Trump for reviewing this case
and seeing his way clear to right a terrible
injustice. Hopefully these Eastern Oregon
families can put their lives back together
and once again enjoy the unique life of the
high desert.
I trust their experience will not be in
vain and all involved will have learned
from what has transpired and save other
ranchers from such a fate. Government
has its place but not when it overreaches
to “shock the conscience,” as was stated
by Federal Judge Michael Hogan, who
presided over the case and used his
discretion in sentencing. These men have
more than served their time and I am
so happy to see this ridiculous decision
overruled, and the Hammonds pardoned.
Cheryl Cruson
Ontario
ith apologies to “Animal
Judith Lichtman of the Women’s
House’s” Otter, Brett
Legal Defense Fund warned in a
Kavanaugh’s nomination
New York Times op-ed that “Judge
to the Supreme Court is not the time
Souter’s confirmation must be
“a really futile and stupid gesture be
denied” based on his evasiveness
done on somebody’s part.”
during his confirmation hearings.
Then again, Otter’s frat brother
Over time, Souter emerged as a
Bluto did go on to become a U.S.
reliably liberal vote on the court.
Bret
senator, so maybe it makes sense.
Similar fury greeted John Roberts’
Stephens 2005 nomination — until his vote
I refer to the decision of Senate
Comment
Democrats to wage a tooth-and-
to preserve Obamacare remade
nail battle to oppose Kavanaugh,
him into a consensus-oriented
an effort that is likely doomed to fail and
pragmatist.
equally likely to hurt Democratic chances
A plurality of Americans already want
in the fall. Who knew Chuck Schumer was
Kavanaugh confirmed, according to a
so content with his job as minority leader?
Rasmussen poll. The numbers will likely
Let’s count the ways in which the
improve once Americans get a closer look
at this temperate, intelligent, decidedly non-
Democrats aren’t helping themselves.
scary nominee. And Democrats will again
Kavanaugh will almost certainly be
play to type as mindless obstructionists and
confirmed. Democrats who had pinned
one-note alarmists — the same overheated
their hopes on flipping Sens. Susan Collins
opposition that, as the Times reported last
and Lisa Murkowski probably aren’t going
month, only hardens support for Trump.
to get their wish, since both Republican
What about rallying the base?
moderates voted to confirm Kavanaugh
As it is, how much more rallying does
to his current judgeship in 2006 and
the base need? The Trump administration
have since spoken approvingly of his
nomination. Rand Paul can also be counted provides its opponents, and even its friends,
with daily extravaganzas of legitimate
on to feign political independence, but he
outrage, moral and political: breaking
usually falls into line.
up migrant families; escalating needless
Of course it’s possible Kavanaugh will
trade wars; alienating historic allies while
make a bad public impression, like Robert
kowtowing to pathological dictators —
Bork. Or maybe there will be a #MeToo
and that’s just the last few weeks. Instead
revelation, like Clarence Thomas. Or
of knee-jerk opposition to Kavanaugh,
maybe Democrats will figure out a way
Democrats might focus on battles that must
to kick a vote past the midterms. In which
be fought and which they can win.
case, Democrats can seize their chances.
Kavanaugh deserves confirmation. There
For now, however, the first question
was a time when Supreme Court nominees
Democrats ought to ask themselves is
whether they really have political capital to were confirmed on the basis of merit,
not ideology. For Democrats, that ended
waste on a losing battle.
in 1987 with the Borking of Bork. For
Fierce opposition to Kavanaugh hurts
Republicans, it ended with the mistreatment
Democrats. This was already going to
of Merrick Garland.
be a difficult year for Senate Democrats,
Yet there’s still such a thing as doing the
who are defending 10 seats in states won
right thing, even in politics. Justices such as
by Trump. Everyone knows that North
Roberts and Gorsuch deserved their seats
Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp, West Virginia’s
on the court for the same reason Ginsburg
Joe Manchin and Indiana’s Joe Donnelly
and Breyer did — they are competent,
are vulnerable, which is why they voted to
conscientious judges, irrespective of
confirm Neil Gorsuch last year. Florida’s
how they vote. They give the court its
Bill Nelson is struggling, too.
democratic legitimacy, and its leeway for
So please explain the logic of
meaningful independence, by representing
convincing Democratic voters in these
a spectrum of views. Democrats would help
states that the Kavanaugh nomination is
themselves, and the country, by returning
the moral battle of our time — and then
to the old standard and refusing to let
putting their senators to the choice of
Kavanaugh’s confirmation become the
looking like political sellouts if they vote
political event of the season.
for Kavanaugh, or cowards if they don’t?
Alternatively, Democrats can proffer
Liberals always cry wolf. In 1987,
another futile and stupid gesture as Trump
the National Organization for Women
champions his manifestly qualified
declared that Anthony Kennedy would
nominee. If someone would like to explain
be a “disaster” for the rights of women
the political wisdom in that, I’m all ears.
and minorities. Yet the libertarian-minded
■
Kennedy went on to defend abortion rights
Bret Stephens won a Pulitzer Prize for
in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) and
commentary in 2013. He began working as
cast the decisive vote for marriage equality
a columnist at The New York Times in 2017.
in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). In 1990,
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 products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Letters must be signed by the author and include the
city of residence and a daytime phone number. 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.