Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 2018)
Page 4A East Oregonian Wednesday, August 8, 2018 CHRISTOPHER RUSH Publisher KATHRYN B. BROWN Owner DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW Five reasons to hit up the Umatilla County Fair I t’s hot outside. The kids need to go shopping for new school clothes. You’d like to get out of town one last time before the fall routine kicks in. There are lots of reasons to skip the Umatilla County Fair this year. But we’d argue there are even more reasons to go. While everyone has their own highlights, from carnival rides to hearing their favorite band from their high school years, here are our can’t-miss reasons for checking out the fair. 1. Support 4-H and FFA members. The kids showing off their livestock, poultry, produce and more are the next generation of farmers and ranchers. While you might not have the interest in bidding on a prize sow or the expertise to differentiate between a cubalaya and a cochin chicken, the barns and exhibit halls are full of budding experts who can teach you a thing or two. Caring for animals during the week — especially when it’s super-hot — is hard work, but there’s also plenty of down time. They’d appreciate your questions, interest and encouragement, and you might even learn something. 2. Support the arts. There’s more to fair competition than animals, of course, and it’s a great place to see the talent in our county on display. From fine arts to folk art, photography to watercolors, Lego sculptures to quilts, you’ll see the imaginations and creativity you never knew your friends and neighbors possessed. Who knows? Maybe it will even inspire you to pick up the old sewing needle or oil paints and start working on an exhibit for next year. 3. Mingle with folks from other communities. The fair is Hermiston’s signature event of the year, and the city has invested plenty in making sure it’s got a good place to live at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center. But it’s truly a county fair, with folks from all corners stopping in. Whether you grew up in the county or have moved here recently, chances are good you’ll bump into someone you know. And if not, there are always new friends to meet. If you’re really hard up for friends, we’d love to chat with you at our East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald booth in the exhibitor’s hall. Stop by and we’ll give you a prize. 4. Cheat week. While we generally Staff photo by E.J. Harris Mary Lillegard, 12, of Stanfield cleans the stall of her, and her sister’s, lambs as her friend, Cidney Estes, 13, of Hermiston, helps out on Tuesday at the Umatilla County Fair in Hermiston. don’t advocate caloric overload, if ever there’s a week to cheat on your diet, it’s this one. Food vendors from near and far bring their tastiest, deepest-fried foods. There are healthy options, of course, but the best way to feel good about eating an elephant ear or loaded cheeseburger is knowing the money you pay for it is going to a good local cause. 5. Award-winning rodeo. A rodeo can be an intimidating sport to dive into. What happens in the arena often appears to be chaos to a newcomer, and the celebrities of the sport don’t have the same name recognition as an NBA or NFL star. But the Farm-City Pro Rodeo is a premier event, drawing the top-tier stars who compete against local favorites on some of the top bucking stock found anywhere. It’s also a fast-moving rodeo, produced with both the cowboy and spectator in mind. After a few events we’re sure you’ll get the hang of it, and by the time the barrel racers and bull riders take the arena you’ll be cheering along. OTHER VIEWS Democrats wonder, ‘Where’s Obama?’ J YOUR VIEWS U.S. health care costs and lying attorneys I recently read your article on the retirement of Dr. Norman Sitz. I really enjoyed his opinion on our current medical system. He believes we need a one-payer system like most other nations. His quote by Winston Churchill that “America always manages to do the right thing only after they have done everything else wrong” was profound. If you look on the internet you will find that our education system is ranked 16th globally and 20th in math. We spend around $13,500 per year per student, which ranks fifth globally. We can not discipline, teach the 10 Commandments or teach children mental health through prayer, meditation, etc., without getting sued. We retire our teachers 12 to 15 years earlier than Germany. They retire at 67. We need to start getting our money’s worth out of our education and health care services. Our national health care costs us around 25 percent of our gross national product. Forty-eight percent of our bankruptcies are from people who have health insurance that does not pay for their client’s bills. We need a one-payer system that attorneys cannot sue. England’s health care costs it 13 percent of its GNP. Germany has womb to tomb health care for 15 percent of its GNP. The major difference in their costs is our legal fees. Our attorneys advertise on TV to sue everyone for everything. Their legal system requires attorneys to tell the truth in their courts of law. If they are caught lying they lose their license and go to jail. If we made our attorneys take the oath to tell the truth in our courts our system would immediately change. The more an attorney lies, the more they make! They must be required to disclose whom they truly represent if an insurance company is involved. Their clients must legally employ them — not their client’s insurance company. We must demand complete 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. change in our broken system. Nothing can change in our medical or educational systems until we change our legal systems. Kalvin B. Garton Pendleton Walden the best choice for rural Oregon It seems that Greg Walden could find a cure for cancer, and yet some unreasonable partisans would still oppose him, putting partisan politics ahead of making positive accomplishments. None of these accomplishments are being recognized by some angry partisans, who, by the way, are nothing but the loud minority. They oppose everything Greg Walden does, grasping at straws to put a Democrat, Jamie Mcleod-Skinner, in office. Her agenda is to transform Oregon’s 2nd District into a clone of Portland. Is this what we want? The majority of citizens in our community know better, and are standing by Greg Walden, who has consistently fought for the constituents of the 2nd District. Whether it was passing legislation to fix forest management in our state, stop the opioid crisis, or working to get the Hammonds pardoned, Greg is here for the people of the 2nd District of Oregon. These are not partisan issues. He understands our way of life and is truly a representative of rural Oregon. Mcleod-Skinner says that she likes to avoid buzzwords — so she won’t ever use the words socialized medicine when she tells you she supports it. She is hiding behind this façade of appearing moderate while actually pushing an extremely liberal agenda. The people of the 2nd District deserve much better. This liberal agenda has nothing to do with improving the lives of Oregonians. Our local guy, Greg Walden, is working hard for us and definitely deserves our support again in November. Kristine Wilhelm Hood River oin me on Team ‘18,” Barack rallies just in the last week in the Obama wrote in a recent key states of Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio — a combination of 2018 fundraising email from his politicking for Republicans and old political group, Organizing 2020 politicking for himself. for Action. “Every election, every A quick visit to a bakery is not ballot measure, every conversation quite the same. between now and November ... it There is no leader of the all matters.” Byron Democratic Party. A president It wasn’t much, but the email York is the leader of the party in the was one of Obama’s few public, Comment White House, and the opposition political, overtly partisan appeals party doesn’t really have a leader. as the Democratic Party approaches midterm elections that could stop President For Democrats today, who would it be? Charles Schumer? Nancy Pelosi? One of Trump’s agenda and boost Democratic the party’s 2020 hopefuls? There just isn’t prospects going into 2020. To have an one. ex-president who remains highly popular For Democrats, Obama, who isn’t with his party sitting on the sidelines running for anything, could be as close cannot be what Democrats hoped. to a leader as an out-of-power party can There are reports that Obama plans to have until the Democrats’ next presidential campaign for some Democrats starting nominee comes along. But he’s just not in September. But beyond simply hitting taking the job. the stump for the midterms, Obama In June, New York magazine published could be, if not the full-fledged leader an article with the almost plaintive of the Resistance, at least a constant and headline, “Where is Barack Obama?” public critic of the direction taken by the Writer Gabriel Debenedetti portrayed a Trump administration and Republicans in former president who, for whatever reason, Congress. has decided not to stay up on day-to- Instead, Obama isn’t seen much. day politics, focusing instead on the new At the end of July, he and former Vice President Joe Biden made a stir when they Obama Foundation and on his memoirs. “In private conversations, Obama dropped by a Washington, D.C., bakery for sandwiches. The visit had a purpose — rarely mentions Trump at all,” Debenedetti reported. “Those who’ve visited the the shop, Dog Tag Bakery, helps disabled office he’s leased from the World Wildlife veterans and their families — but besides Fund in Washington’s West End say he’s shaking hands and posing for selfies, eager to talk for hours about the world’s Obama didn’t do anything that could be ills. When informed about the latest construed as politicking. presidential tweetstorms aimed at him, he Obama did have a political message chuckles and changes the subject.” earlier in July, but he chose to deliver it Debenedetti talked to Obama friends in South Africa, thousands of miles away from U.S. midterm campaigning. Speaking who marveled at the former president’s “Zen-like” calm in the face of the Trump at an event in Johannesburg honoring tumult. That, of course, was a phrase often Nelson Mandela, Obama never mentioned used to describe Obama in the White Donald Trump’s name, but his message was undoubtedly aimed at his successor in House, too. Maybe that works for him. But for the White House. his admirers — and many Democratic “Look around,” Obama said. voters — Obama’s absence borders on the “Strongman politics are ascendant mysterious. suddenly, whereby elections and some “How did the most ubiquitous man pretense of democracy are maintained — the form of it — but those in power seek to in America for eight years virtually disappear?” Debenedetti asked. “What undermine every institution or norm that explains his near absence from the gives democracy meaning. political stage, where he might argue “We see the utter loss of shame among publicly against the reversals of his policy political leaders,” Obama continued, “where they’re caught in a lie and they just accomplishments, and also from American life more broadly?” double down and they lie some more.” ■ Obama’s speech got some coverage and Byron York is chief political some nostalgic comments by Democrats. correspondent for The Washington But at the same time, President Trump is Examiner. ramping up his political travel, headlining 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.
