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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2018)
Page 4A East Oregonian Friday, October 5, 2018 CHRISTOPHER RUSH Publisher KATHRYN B. BROWN Owner DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor WYATT HAUPT News Editor Founded October 16, 1875 Tip of the hat, kick in the pants A tip of the hat to Brent and Janelle Hampton for their efforts to revitalize the old Pilot Rock schoolhouse. As small rural towns have declined in population in the last century, some of these former community gathering places have fallen into disuse and disrepair. That leaves an ugly mark on a highly visible place in town. The Hamptons are working to reverse the hands of time and restore the building to positive use. While sawmill jobs will never pump the same amount of cash into the Pilot Rock economy as they did in the 20th century, many are proud of their town and can take pride in a restored gem from the past. A kick in the pants to the Write-In Larry Givens campaign for kicking off its dubious re-election effort by attacking factual East Oregonian reporting. At this point the campaign is a Facebook page (tacitly approved by the outgoing commissioner) and a handful of repurposed signs around the county. We won’t blame Givens for the content. But in two posts, the campaign page claims the EO is “manipulating” and “misleading” the citizens by reporting John Shafer is the commissioner- elect, and for publishing a story about a minor though much-needed county action (closing a gravel road to trucks) without giving Givens credit for his role in the 3-0 decision. The fact is, Shafer beat Givens in the May primary, a race that included forums and campaigning by both candidates. Shafer earned about 600 more votes than Givens. On the second matter, while Givens may have been the most active commissioner in the decision to close the Butler Grade Road, reporting on procedural pieces of county business often doesn’t name- drop commissioners. Instead, we reported the name of the resident who filed the complaint and the county employee who presented the plan to fix it. It’s a quirk of the electoral process that Shafer’s name will appear on Staff photo by E.J. Harris Former owner of the old Pilot Rock schoolhouse Roy Golden, left, talks with former student Bill Christensen as another former student, Helen Humphreys, second from right, looks out the window with Marsha Morgan on Tuesday in Pilot Rock. the November ballot at all. It will include a space next to it for those dissatisfied with the voters’ choice in May who would like to write in another candidate. It’s possible that Givens, who has served three terms, has earned enough devoted supporters over his 12 years to get his name jotted on some ballots. But the voters have spoken on the matter. A tip of the hat to Al Davis, the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center general manager, for his effort to bring more people up to the facility with a “Walktober” program and by opening the rodeo arena to horses two nights a week. The campus has attracted some public and private events besides the Umatilla County Fair, but there are still some people who haven’t yet found a reason to visit. We applaud the effort to encourage those people to check out the complex as Hermiston works to make it a more vital part of the community. OTHER VIEWS For once, I’m grateful for Trump or the first time since Donald objective long before most Trump entered the political anyone had ever heard of Blasey’s fray, I find myself grateful allegation. Fourth moment: Watching Julie that he’s in it. I’m reluctant to Swetnick, the woman who accused admit it and astonished to say Kavanaugh of attending parties it, especially since the president decades earlier where women were mocked Christine Blasey Ford in gang raped, change key details of his ugly and gratuitous way at a Brett story in an interview with NBC rally Tuesday. Perhaps it’s worth Stephens her News. unpacking this admission for those Comment Swetnick’s claims border on who might be equally astonished to the preposterous. They are wholly read it. uncorroborated. But that didn’t keep I’m grateful because Trump has Kavanaugh’s opponents, in politics and not backed down in the face of the the press, from seizing them as evidence slipperiness, hypocrisy and dangerous of corroboration with Blasey’s allegation, standard-setting deployed by opponents which is not preposterous but is also largely of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the uncorroborated, and with the allegation Supreme Court. I’m grateful because of Kavanaugh’s Yale classmate Deborah ferocious and even crass obstinacy has its Ramirez — uncorroborated again. uses in life, and never more so than in the Uncorroborated plus uncorroborated face of sly moral bullying. I’m grateful plus largely uncorroborated is not the because he’s a big fat hammer fending off accumulation of questions, much less of a razor-sharp dagger. evidence. It is the duplication of hearsay. A few moments have crystallized my Fifth moment: Reading about a 1985 view over the past few days. bar fight at Yale — a story that involved The first moment was a remark by a Kavanaugh throwing ice, resulted in no friend. “I’d rather be accused of murder,” charges against him, and should never he said, “than of sexual assault.” I feel have been reported. Or reading a 1983 the same way. One can think of excuses handwritten letter by Kavanaugh, in which for killing a man; none for assaulting a woman. But if that’s true, so is this: Falsely he says of his gang of friends that “we’re loud, obnoxious drunks with prolific accusing a person of sexual assault is nearly as despicable as sexual assault itself. pukers among us” — adolescent boasting It inflicts psychic, familial, reputational and now being treated as if it is a crucial piece of incriminating evidence. Or hearing professional harms that can last a lifetime. from Yale classmates who claim to have This is nothing to sneer at. seen Kavanaugh drunk, which somehow is The second moment, connected to the supposed to show that he’s a demonstrable first: “Boo hoo hoo. Brett Kavanaugh is perjurer and possible sex offender. not a victim.” That’s the title of a column Will a full-bore investigation of in the Los Angeles Times, which suggests adolescent behavior now become a that the possibility of Kavanaugh’s standard part of the “job interview” for innocence is “infinitesimal.” Yet false all senior office holders? I’m for it — allegations of rape, while relatively rare, provided we can start with your adolescent are at least five times as common as behavior, as it relates to your next job. false accusations of other types of crime, Sixth moment: Listening to Richard according to academic literature. Blumenthal lecture Kavanaugh on the Since when did the possibility of legal concept of falsus in omnibus — innocence become, for today’s liberals, false in one thing, false in everything — something to wave off with an archly when the senator from Connecticut lied unfeeling “boo hoo”? shamelessly for years about his military A third moment, connected to the service. And then feeling grateful to Trump second: Listening to Cory Booker explain Tuesday that “ultimately” it doesn’t matter for having the simple nerve to point out the naked hypocrisy. if Kavanaugh is “guilty or innocent,” We will learn soon enough what, if because “enough questions” had been anything, the FBI has gleaned from its raised that it was time to “move on to investigation of Kavanaugh. If the bureau another candidate.” finds persuasive evidence of Blasey’s This is a rhetorical sleight of hand in charge, the judge will have to step down three acts: Elide the one question that and answer for it. Until then, I’ll admit to really matters; raise a secondary set of feeling grateful that, in Trump, at least one “questions” that are wholly the result of big bully was willing to stand up to others. the question you’ve decided to ignore; ■ call for “another candidate” because it Brett Stephens is a columnist for the will push confirmation hearings past the New York Times. midterms, which was the Democratic F YOUR VIEWS Murdock gets things done I will cast my vote this fall to re-elect George Murdock to the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners. He has shown himself to be an energetic problem solver who is proactive in tackling issues and resolving them. Recently, I took old chemicals down to the Convention Center parking lot for disposal and there was George (in his temporary role as head of the county health department) working to set up for the day’s collection. He is a good organizer and has in-depth experience in leading large organizations with multiple employees and departments and complex budgets. His skills are needed on the board. Please join me in returning him to his position for another term. Betty Klepper Pendleton Election decision an easy one This election is an easy decision for my family. Rick Pullen is one of us. Rick is not a candidate who will sit back and coast like his competitor. This man truly loves Umatilla County, not just a select group or city whom he can benefit from. You can see this example as you drive around the county. He is out meeting with all constituents and hanging his own signs. Working closely with Rick Pullen on past projects, I can tell you that this candidate will not shy away from hard issues and will vote for the people of Umatilla County. He gives his all and is not afraid to challenge the status quo. 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. Umatilla County as a whole has coasted for far too long with our current elected officials. Results have been few unless you count the personal favors granted. A perfect example showing lack of effort is with our current county health department. Please tell me, Commissioner Murdock, why this county cannot keep a director under your supervision, cycling through three within the last five years? Aside from budget, why have we lost programs due to staffing under your supervision? Please explain to me why we cannot provide much-needed services to the Hermiston community and keep the Hermiston Health Department office open full time under your supervision? It starts at the top with you, sir. Stop with the Band- Aids and fix the issue. We have a failed event center that our current staff gave to the city of Hermiston while committing county money, taking funds away from other towns in this county. I am not placing blame on Hermiston or the elected officials of that city for this. I would accept that responsibility if I were in your shoes. That decision impacted the entire county. The explanation given still baffles me to this day. It was an easy way out instead of fixing the problem. Yet another Band-Aid applied. Rick Pullen is the change that we need to move Umatilla County forward. Rick is the person who will listen to the “everyday person” and strive to fix issues, not just replace Band-Aids! I encourage Umatilla County residents to join me and vote for Rick Pullen, Umatilla County commissioner. Tom and Teri Phelan Pendleton 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.
