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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2018)
Page 4A East Oregonian Wednesday, July 18, 2018 CHRISTOPHER RUSH Publisher KATHRYN B. BROWN Owner DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW Perdue offers help for farmers caught up in trade wars F armers who are anxious over growing trade disputes between the United States and some of its major trading partners got some encouraging words recently from Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue. Last month the Trump administration applied tariffs on Chinese goods in an attempt to reduce the number of finished goods coming into the country. China promptly made good on its threat to retaliate, placing tariffs on pork, poultry, beef, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, soybeans and grains. The administration placed tariffs on Mexican aluminum and steel. Mexico is retaliating with duties on apples, cranberries and other farm products. Separately, the U.S. is in the process of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico — our second- and third-largest trading partners. NAFTA is vital to U.S. agriculture. Making good on his promise to drop out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, President Trump has not yet negotiated a bilateral deal with Japan, an important market for farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Agriculture has been generally supportive of Trump. He’s earned Staff photo by E.J. Harris Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue talks last month with Alan Von Borstel, vice president of the Oregon Wheat Growers League, and Clint Carlson, secretary-trea- surer of the League. Perdue promised to offset farmers’ losses caused by trade wars. praise for rolling back regulations — particularly Waters of the U.S. — and for generally more ag-friendly forest policies. But, farmers and ranchers export $135 billion in products each year. They have a lot riding on trade and are feeling more than a little nervous. So Perdue got an earful when he toured farms in Washington and Oregon recently. Perdue says he’s pushing for government help for farmers hurt by the spreading trade wars. “The president says he won’t allow ag producers to bear the brunt of trade disputes,” he said last week on a tour in Washington state. “I’m laying down a marker that we need to resolve it by Labor Day or we need some sort of mitigation.” That’s all encouraging, even though it’s short on specifics. While they’ll take the help, farmers would rather sell to trading partners than receive cash assistance checks. And we would be remiss if we did not again remind the administration that this is not what was promised during the campaign. But, unfolding events can be complicated and rarely conspire with sitting presidents. The plans that come together so well in a stump speech don’t always survive their first contact with real world politics, foreign or domestic. As the president works to fulfill his promise to negotiate better trade deals with our partners, we are at least encouraged that the administration says it’s not going to hang farmers and ranchers out to dry. We look forward to seeing the details of the “mitigation” Perdue alluded to during his tour. We hope it doesn’t become necessary. It certainly isn’t a long-term solution for producers in the Northwest. Without trade and the money it generates, many of them will quickly be doing something else for a living. OTHER VIEWS Why Trump doesn’t admit Russian election interference W YOUR VIEWS Independent Party should be U.S. House must pass included in governor debates palliative health care bill A few months back I wrote how non- affiliated voters were on track to become the major voting block in Columbia County before the general election. Well, the latest Secretary of State report for June shows 9,998 Republicans, 12,300 Democrats and 12,403 non-affiliated voters. It’s rather ironic that only 13 percent of us non-affiliated voters accepted the Independent Party of Oregon’s offer to vote in their primary election, but I would like to publicly thank them for allowing us the opportunity. The problem now is that Oregon has three viable candidates on the ballot, but the Republicans and Democrats are not allowing the Independent Party of Oregon, Oregon’s third major political party, to participate in the governors’ debates. What gives them the constitutional right to limit anyone’s political participation? If any legally recognized party candidate is not allowed to participate in any statewide debate for any office, then the entire election process should be considered corrupt, illegitimate and thereby be invalid. In today’s extremely toxic partisan political climate, I feel it is irreprehensible to maintain and/or restore trust in our local, state and national election processes. As a caretaker who watched a loved one battle cancer, I know how devastating cancer can be on physical and emotional well being. Congressman Greg Walden recently helped advance legislation in Congress to improve patient quality of life by expanding access to palliative care. Palliative care is given alongside curative treatment to help people with serious illnesses get better faster and easier. A team of doctors and specialists provide an extra layer of support for patients and their families to help manage difficult symptoms, lessen negative side effects and improve overall outcomes. The federal legislation is widely supported by lawmakers in both political parties. It would increase the number of health care providers trained in palliative care and pain management, expand federal pain research and educate the public. It would also help combat opioid misuse in a balanced way so cancer patients and survivors can access necessary and appropriate pain care. As an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network advocate in Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District, I thank Rep. Walden for marking up this legislation and I’m grateful to his Energy and Commerce Committee for passing it. Now the House of Representatives needs to pass it, too. Joe Turner Columbia City, Ore. Karen Malcolm Pendleton CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES Greg Barreto, District 58 900 Court St. NE, H-38 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1458 Rep.GregBarreto@state.or.us 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. Greg Smith, District 57 900 Court St. NE, H-482 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1457 Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us as Russia’s effort to until the next controversy. And interfere in the 2016 Trump could have avoided it all. election the most So why did he do what he important issue on the table at did? The answer has to do with President Trump’s Helsinki summit the peculiar nature of the Russia with Vladimir Putin? No. But it’s investigation, and the peculiar not an unimportant issue, either, nature of Donald Trump. and Trump knew the American There have always been two Byron press is obsessed with it. So he parts to the Trump-Russia probe: York knew it would play a big role in the what-Russia-did part, which Comment the Trump-Putin post-summit news is the investigation into Russia’s conference. actions during the campaign, and There are all sorts of aspects to the the get-Trump part, which is the effort to Trump-Russia affair, but in light of special remove him from office. counsel Robert Mueller’s decision to Trump’s problem is that he has always indict 12 Russian intelligence agents on refused, or been unable, to separate the the Friday before the Monday summit, the two. One is about national security and president also knew reporters would want international relations, while the other is to hear him specifically affirm Mueller’s about Donald Trump. allegation that the Russian agents hacked The president clearly believes if he the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton. gives an inch on the what-Russia-did It wouldn’t be hard for the president part — if he concedes that Russia made to do. After all, the House Intelligence an effort to disrupt the election — his Committee, chaired by Trump supporter adversaries, who want to discredit his Rep. Devin Nunes, along with the election, undermine him and force him Senate Intelligence Committee, the from office, will take a mile on the get- Trump part. But Trump’s approach doesn’t intelligence community and Mueller have work for the Trump-Russia probe. There’s all concluded that Russia attempted to no reason he could not accept that Russia disrupt the election. None of them has tried to interfere in the election. proved, or even alleged, that the Russian At the same time, there is nothing effort affected a single vote. But there is a wrong with Trump fighting back hard consensus that there was a Russian effort. So to put it in crass terms, Trump could against the get-Trump part of the easily have given the press what it wanted, investigation. Voters know that Democrats, Resistance and NeverTrump activists which would probably have given him have accused Trump of collusion for two room to pay attention to issues like arms years and never proven their case. Mueller control, Syria, trade and Crimea. has charged lots of people with crimes, But no. That’s not how Trump handles but none has involved collusion. That the Trump-Russia affair. And so, when could still change, but Trump is currently he was asked a simple, straightforward justified in repeating the “no collusion” question — U.S. intelligence agencies say and “witch hunt” mantras. Russia interfered. Putin denies it. Who do So in response to the “Who do you you believe? — Trump would not give a believe?” question, Trump could simply simple, straightforward answer. have said: “I believe the verdict of U.S. Then Trump said his top intelligence agencies. Russia did it. We’ve retaliated, officials came to him and “said they think and we’ll do more. But my adversaries at it’s Russia,” meaning they believe Russia home have turned this into a politically was behind the hacks. On the other hand, motivated crusade to cripple the president Trump said, “I have President Putin; he of the United States, and it’s time to stop just said it’s not Russia.” Trump then cast it. Now, let’s talk about issues that are vital doubt on the U.S. agencies’ conclusion. for the future of America and the world.” The bottom line was that Trump, the Trump has gotten himself into similar president of the United States, would not messes before. In the past, he escaped accept the U.S. government’s assessment of the Russian effort and hinted that he had by expressing (belated) faith in the intel agencies’ Russia verdict. And on the at least as much or more faith in Putin’s Tuesday he did it again, telling the press version of events. Predictably, all hell broke out, with anti- that “I accept” the Russia conclusion. Will it work? We’ll see. But how many Trump commentators talking treason and more times will Trump do this? Trump supporters in Congress declining ■ to defend the president. The controversy Byron York, The Washington Examiner consumed America and was sure to last 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.
