Page 4A
East Oregonian
Saturday, July 28, 2018
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Agricultural trade needs long-term plan
A
s Eastern Oregon farmers reap
their year’s worth of work from
its fertile soil, national and
international pressures are tugging and
tearing at their bottom line.
President Donald Trump said this
week his administration and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture will use a
Depression-era law to provide up to
$12 billion in aid to farmers hurt by its
trade policies.
Those policies — which include
placing taxes on imported goods —
have been reciprocated by foreign
governments. That has damaged the
American farmer’s ability to compete at
a level playing field on the worldwide
market.
Thus the $12 billion bailout. Sure,
it’s much cheaper than the $700 billion
Economic Stabilization Act that
American taxpayers paid to bail out the
banking and auto industries in 2008.
But the deal for farmers is good for
just one growing season, and includes
few details on how exactly the money
will be dispersed. If President Trump
has not solved our trade war by next
year, American farmers will either see
depressed prices, or taxpayers will
once again be on the hook for another
bailout. And China, which holds much
of America’s debt, will hold the final
call.
There’s a political irony in this too,
given that the political movement that
catapulted Trump to the White House
was partly inspired by understandable
disgust in the American heartland over
the 2008 federal bailouts.
This is a serious issue in Eastern
Oregon, perhaps one of the most
important in a generation. For us
AP Photo/Nati Harnik
A field of soybeans is seen in front of a barn carrying a large Trump sign in rural
Ashland, Neb., Tuesday.
to survive on the east side of the
Columbia Basin, we must make money
from agriculture. It’s the linchpin of
our economic system and our region
depends on it.
So it’s understandable to get nervous
when D.C. and Brussels, Moscow and
Beijing start haggling over agricultural
policy — and when our traditional
customers start looking elsewhere.
Reuters reported this week that
three major grain milling companies in
Mexico that have purchased a majority
of their wheat and other grains from the
U.S. are turning to Russian suppliers
and other options in Latin America.
Canimolt, a Mexican trade group
that represents 80 percent of Mexican
milling companies, told Reuters that
pre-emptively shifting import priorities
away from U.S. suppliers is a way to
send a “message” to President Trump
over tariffs that many U.S. allies have
denounced. Global U.S. wheat exports
have decreased by a total of 21 percent
since the beginning of the year.
It’s not just foreign buyers who
are disappointed with Trump’s recent
activity. The rather pro-Trump, pro-
business Wall Street Journal wrote
the administration “is trying to fix an
economic problem of its own making
by putting the victims on the federal
dole.”
This issue has everything to do with
policies, not politics.
Like most Western farmers, we
remain convinced that the Trans-Pacific
Partnership was the right way to lead
on international trade and get a leg up
on China.
Unfortunately, the partnership was
opposed by a whole range of politicians
— Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton
and Trump all said they were against
it during the 2016 campaign, as were
a majority of Americans polled on
the subject. Its demise is a missed
opportunity for fair and free trade.
We understand there are emergencies
where federal involvement is necessary.
Some argue that was the case in 2008
as the American economy collapsed,
while others disagree. Most all believe
it was necessary after natural disasters,
such as hurricanes in Louisiana and
New Jersey.
Oregon’s federal delegation has
argued this week that farmers harmed
by the Substation Fire need federal
help, too, and should get a piece of the
$12 billion package.
All are good arguments to have,
and we imagine conservatives would
argue against government involvement
more often than not. And we think most
people would argue against government
bailots of problems that have been
government-created. Spending $12
billion to get back to where we were
prior to government action seems
wasteful and inefficient.
Trump disagrees, and thinks he will
pull the country out on the other side
with a better trade deal.
“Negotiations are going really well,
be cool,” Trump tweeted this week.
“The end result will be worth it!”
Maybe Trump is right and the deals
will get done. We promise to commend
him if that turns out to be the case. But
it’s hard to “be cool” with an economic
linchpin in the balance.
American farmers — just like any
industry — want stable, practical
international trade policies. No one
wants to rely on government subsidies.
No one wants to operate not knowing if
those subsidies will arrive or not.
As our conservative readers know,
a subsidy is just another word for a
bailout — government picking winners
and losers and redistributing taxpayer
cash. Perhaps farmers are winners now,
but no industry wants D.C. to have the
ability to push them onto the other side
of that ledger.
OTHER VIEWS
Where American renewal begins
S
YOUR VIEWS
Primus wrong to disqualify
Judge Temple from cases
I do not know why Umatilla County
District Attorney Dan Primus is filing
motions to “disqualify” the Honorable
Circuit Court Judge Eva Temple. I only
know District Attorney Primus socially as
I don’t practice criminal law. Therefore I
cannot comment on the way he runs the
DA’s office.
However, I have known Judge Temple
professionally for many years. I worked
with her in private practice and have
appeared in her courtroom many times.
Judge Temple is an excellent jurist. I have
found her to be hardworking, intelligent,
fair and impartial.
For the county’s sake, I hope the two
can work out their differences privately
and that this current motion practice
against Judge Temple by Primus stops.
Timothy J. O’Hanlon, Pendleton
Temple is a fair
and impartial judge
I take issue with the Phil Wright’s
article regarding the District Attorney’s
decision to disqualify Circuit Court Judge
Eva Temple. From my view, the article
may lead readers to believe that Judge
Temple lacks the ability to be fair and
impartial. I also strongly disagree with the
District Attorney’s decision to take this
matter to the public. As a sitting member
of the state judiciary, Judge Temple is
prohibited from defending herself to the
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.
press. No such prohibition exists for me as
a member of the Oregon State Bar.
I have been a practicing attorney in this
area for 31 years. I’ve appeared countless
times in circuit courts, including Judge
Temple’s. In all my professional dealings
with her, I’ve found Judge Temple to be
fair and openly impartial in all my civil
and criminal cases. And while I may not
always agree with her rulings, not once
have I taken issue with her capacity as a
judge. I am not alone in my assessment.
Many of my professional colleagues
likewise hold Judge Temple in very high
esteem.
By taking this issue to the newspaper,
the District Attorney surely knew that
Judge Temple would not be able to openly
defend herself. That strikes me as patently
unfair. Additionally, I grow increasingly
concerned about the consequences of
the District Attorney’s decision. The vast
number of court filings are generated
by the District Attorney’s office. By
eliminating one judge, the burden of
moving criminal filings now falls squarely
on the shoulders of the remaining judges.
The system is already bogged down by the
sheer volume of cases. Now the public will
likely wait even longer.
Generally, I do not write letters to
the editor. But I couldn’t let this pass. I
strongly urge the public to not conclude
that Judge Temple is unfair. She is
anything but. I likewise encourage the
District Attorney to reconsider this policy.
Kurt Bendixsen, attorney
Hermiston
arah Hemminger grew up in
would perform.
Indiana understanding the
Each volunteer is coached by
debilitating power of social
a more experienced volunteer,
isolation. When she was a girl, her
called the Head of Family. The
father discovered that their pastor
Head of Family is coached by
was dipping into church funds and
a Grandparent, who supports
reported it to the congregation.
the Head. The Grandparents are
coached by Community Managers,
Instead of doing something about the
David
pastor, the community shunned her
Brooks who are paid Thread staffers.
Circling the whole system are
family. Sarah and her siblings would
Comment
Collaborators, who offer special
sit at parties and neighborhood events
expertise — legal help, SAT
and nobody would talk to them.
tutoring, mental health counseling, etc.
She spent eight years of her childhood
In short, the organization weaves
ostracized.
an elaborate system of relationships, a
She also learned what it looks like when
cohesive village, around the task of helping
people come around to heal isolation.
kids. The social network is as much for the
When she was in high school one of her
adults and the city as for the kids.
classmates, Ryan, failed his freshman year
The students are lured with free pizza
because his home life was crumbling. Six
and asked if they would like to join the
teachers rallied around him, serving as
extended family members. Ryan recovered, program. They are told they will be in it for
10 years, until they are in their 20s. They
ended up getting into the U.S. Naval
sign a contract demonstrating commitment,
Academy and married Sarah.
and no one has left early.
Years later, she was beginning work
For the first few months, the students
on her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering
often reject the relationships. “You expect
at Johns Hopkins, mapping the neural
people not to be there for you,” says
structures of the brain. She was lonely,
Marcus, one of the students.
and she saw kids throughout the Baltimore
Hemminger observes: “Unconditional
schools who were lonely and isolated, too.
love is so rare in life that it is identity-
She got the principal at Dunbar
changing when somebody keeps showing
High School to give her names of some
up even when you reject them. It is also
of the school’s most academically
identity-changing to be the one rejected.”
underperforming kids and persuaded
The institutional structure of Thread is
dozens of Hopkins students to volunteer
impressive, but not as impressive as the
as extended family members for the kids,
ethos that pervades it. Thread cultivates an
driving them to school, bringing them
ethos of utter vulnerability, which starts at
lunch, driving them back to school when
the top. Hemminger and her staff are very
they skipped out, doing homework with
open when they don’t know what they are
them, taking them camping.
doing and need help.
The organization Sarah Hemminger
Thread also has an atmosphere of
formed is now called Thread. I am
intense intimacy and outspoken love. The
constantly using this column to argue that
volunteers are not there to do social change.
social fragmentation and social isolation
They are there to be changed.
are the fundamental problems afflicting
These days, I spend my mornings writing
America today. Organizations like Thread
depressing columns about a political culture
are the best way to address them.
marred by distrust and my afternoons
Thread has taken 415 academically
visiting places like Thread. There is no way
underperforming students in Baltimore
schools and built an extended family around to repair national distrust without repairing
individual relationships one by one. This is
them, with about 1,000 volunteers. Each
where American renewal begins.
student is given up to five volunteers, who
— David Brooks, New York Times
perform the jobs that a family member
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.