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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2018)
Page 4A East Oregonian Tuesday, August 7, 2018 CHRISTOPHER RUSH Publisher KATHRYN B. BROWN Owner DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW Bottles and cans by the ton W hile there are plenty of things that divide Oregonians, there are three pillars that unite us. We speak, of course, of no sales tax, no self-pumping at gas stations and the Bottle Bill. They’re so ingrained in our unique Oregonian culture that it seems fundamentally wrong when we’re visiting another state and see that extra line at the bottom of a receipt adding to our purchase total, or pull into a gas station and wait a beat before realizing we’re going to have to climb out and work the machine ourselves. Perhaps the most egregious is when we see friends who don’t know any better toss a soda can into the garbage, or drive down the highways of other states and see aluminum, plastic and glass littered alongside the road. A sales tax would undoubtedly stabilize this state’s unpredictable economic cycles and give us a good case for lowering the income tax rate. Self-serve gas has proven to be non-apocalyptic in much of rural Oregon. But the Bottle Bill should be enshrined as one of our state’s greatest achievements. Nine other states have followed in our footsteps since 1971, creating an incentive to recycle one-use containers rather than pitching them in a trash can, gutter or wildlife habitat. As Jade McDowell reported in this paper last week, about 1.3 billion bottles and cans were returned in 2017. That represents about 80 percent of the containers that were purchased, and a substantial increase from 2016 when the deposit was a nickel. According to the online Bottle Bill Resource Guide, the return rate for non-Bottle Bill states is about 28 percent. Distributors, who receive the initial deposit and pay it back at the end of the cycle, came out ahead at $25 million in unreturned containers. But the big win is that the incentive of a dime did what it was supposed to and got us back into the habit of returning our cans and bottles. Overall, Americans are sloppy recyclers. We’re not alone in that trait, but we’re bad at sorting before we drop off and, because of the mess we leave, Staff photo by E.J. Harris Cubes of crushed cans stand on a pallet in the back of the BottleDrop facility in Hermiston. much of the world’s refuse is no longer accepted at processing centers in China. That’s bad for the world, as material that can be reused is instead piling up in landfills. Bottles and cans are unique in that they are easily sorted, and a targeted campaign provides a greater return on investment than other materials. As a bonus, the deposits have also become an effective fundraising mechanism for nonprofits. Last week the Agape House in Hermiston was able to raise thousands of dollars in an afternoon in coordination with the BottleDrop facility as people donated their containers to the cause. We hope to see more of that for area charities. So whether you return your cans and bottles yourself, donate them to a charity or give them to a neighbor kid looking to make a few bucks, the daily effect of the bottle bill is what you don’t see — litter and waste in our state. YOUR VIEWS Tribal investment being lost when applicants are overlooked OTHER VIEWS For wages, a Trump slump P aul Ryan tried to brag about 2.7 percent isn’t a great growth rate the economy last week, and for nominal wages. It was rarely so it didn’t go so well. “Not too slow in the entire second half of the long ago, progressive economists 20th century, for example. These said strong economic growth days, though, most workers don’t couldn’t be done anymore — that receive their fair share of economic a stagnant U.S. economy was the output. An outsize share instead ‘new normal,’” Ryan tweeted. flows to corporate profits and the David “And yet, our economy is growing rich. Leonardt at its fastest rate since 2014.” Second, nominal wages by Comment Ah, yes: the good old days of themselves can’t buy a higher 2014, also known as the sixth year standard of living. Prices matter, of Barack Obama’s presidency. Ryan’s too. When the prices of good and services nostalgia for 2014 wasn’t even the most- are rising faster than nominal wages, mocked part of his tweet. His attempt to people end up with less buying power. And make grand claims about a single quarter that is exactly what’s happening now. of growth was. Inflation has surged, mostly because If the Trump economy were so of higher oil prices. Events in the Middle wonderful, why would the speaker of East, Russia and Venezuela have reduced the House feel the need to traffic in the supply of oil, even as a growing global disingenuousness? Because the Trump economy is increasing demand. Trump has economy isn’t actually so wonderful. aggravated the situation by pulling out of For most Americans, it is downright the Iran nuclear deal, further raising oil mediocre, and it has deteriorated prices. somewhat since President Donald Trump Add it all up — faster inflation plus took office, despite the healthy GDP and mediocre nominal-wage growth — unemployment statistics. and you get a stagnation in real wages. Hourly wages are suffering through a Welcome to the Trump wage slump. Trump slump, and that slump isn’t entirely My best guess is that real wages will Trump’s fault, by any means. But he do modestly better over the next year, deserves some blame for it. Worst of all, barring another oil spike or an unexpected he is doing virtually nothing to improve recession. But there is no reason to think the situation, instead enacting policies that that most Americans are on the cusp of will ultimately hurt workers’ ability to earn truly healthy pay increases. a decent paycheck. They face too many obstacles: Let’s start with the good news. The Companies that are larger and more unemployment rate keeps falling, and powerful than they used to be; unions that economic growth is solid. These headline are weaker; and, thanks in large part to numbers are the ones that Republicans Trump, a federal government that keeps emphasize (and that the media sometimes siding against workers, be it on overtime overhypes). pay, work rules, health care costs, for- As a result of the growth, nominal profit-college scams or tax cuts. wages — that is, the numbers people see Right now, Trump is presiding over in their paychecks, before taking inflation precisely the wage growth that he into account — are growing. Over the past deserves: zero. year, the average hourly nominal wage has ■ risen 2.7 percent. David Leonardt is a columnist for the There are two problems, though. First, New York Times 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. June’s Confederated Umatilla Journal rightfully recognized and congratulated our recent graduates on their respective individual achievement. Also, the editorial on tribal education by Chuck Sams, CUJ publisher, deserves a response. Sams advises the Class of 2018: “Become lifelong learners, we need you so we can continue to build a brighter future.” On its face, this is one ideal for the purpose of education. However, too many times ideals do not have much to do with reality. Not too long ago, the position of legislative coordinator, which is supervised by Sams, was vacant and needed to be filled. There were at least five fully qualified CTUIR tribal member applicants for the position. They all earned relevant college degrees, mostly paid for by our tribe, and each had years of experience working in tribal government. One is even a licensed attorney. To make a long story short, all five were passed over in favor of a non-Indian who had zero tribal work experience. I understand this successful applicant previously served on the Pendleton City Council. However, this experience is unrelated to tribal government and, by itself, should not meet the experience qualification for the position. Comparing city government and tribal government is the same as comparing the proverbial apples and oranges, it cannot effectively be done as they are two distinct and different forms of government. As the immediate supervisor of the position, Sams, of course, was on the interview panel and his opinion carried the most weight on who to hire. Tribal scholarships are provided for deserving tribal students, of any age, with the understanding they are a sound financial and moral investment in the future of our tribe, and the individual as well. But where is the return on our investments when qualified CTUIR tribal job applicants are not hired by the tribe? Situations like this one also defeat, to a large extent, the very purpose and mission of our tribal education program, and our long-standing self-determination goals as well. Bob Shippentower Pendleton We’re all to blame if democracy dies Used to be our presidents served our citizens, not just themselves or their base. Used to be that presidents of both parties served as role models for our youth. Used to be there was some degree of predict- ability and trustworthiness in what presi- dents said and did, not having to fact check whatever was stated. Used to be that presi- dents rarely shamed or name-called others. Used to be that our presidents respected the rule of law. Used to be that presidents balanced the needs of our country with our international responsibilities. Used to be that presidents worked in partnership with our allies to advance mutual interests. Used to be that the world respected our president and our country. These “used to be’s” are traditions and expectations we need to preserve if we want to preserve our democracy. Current presidential behavior runs counter to this all, and as long as we ignore it or avoid it, it will become the new norm. If we remain quiet, we are just as culpable as our cur- rent president in diminishing our rights and democratic institutions. Jeff Blackwood Pendleton We need a representative who pays attention I have become increasingly frustrated with our congressman’s lack of responsiveness to us, his constituents, over many years, but more so over the past nearly two years. His letters are form letters and do not answer my questions. His staff members upon answering my phone calls always reply they haven’t “discussed that” with him no matter the subject. He seems to avoid direct contact with us, and his staff can never tell us his schedule. Additionally, he has now seemed to renege on having debates with his opponent. He is “too busy with government business” but had time for an expensive fund raiser outside his district last week. His congressional opponent, Jamie McLeod-Skinner, on the other hand not only specifically answers direct questions but actually carefully listens to us Eastern Oregonians. That is what we should expect and are entitled to from our representatives. Thoughtful discourse with a smart, experienced person without ties to industries we don’t have here, such as pharmaceuticals and internet providers, has been refreshing to me, and I look forward to a great real partnership with a new real representative. Please get the word out, help get the vote out, and vote with me for Jamie McLeod-Skinner for District 2 Representative November 6. Sandra Haechrel The Dalles CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES U.S. PRESIDENT Donald Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ 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.
