Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2019)
A4 East Oregonian Friday, February 1, 2019 CHRISTOPHER RUSH Publisher KATHRYN B. BROWN Owner DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor WYATT HAUPT JR. News Editor Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW Tip of the Hat, kick in the pants A kick in the pants to Oregon’s failure to keep up with the growing legal mari- juana market. Back in 2014, when legalized recreational cannabis was Oregon’s hottest topic, we endorsed the idea with the caveat that it be rolled out with proper checks in place. Prohi- bition was not working, and the drug’s harm is on par with — if not less than — alcohol. By regulating the market we expected the dual benefit of safer trade and tax revenue. The latter has come through better than predicted. The former still needs work. An audit by the Secretary of State’s office found that oversight of medical marijuana in particular is “insufficient,” with the likeli- hood that much of the product is going to the black market. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission isn’t keeping up with inspec- tions as the market has surged. We’re less concerned about the possibil- ity of federal government intrusion on the enterprise than we are about marijuana get- ting into children’s hands. The more man- ufactured marijuana that slips out the back door, the less we know about who is getting their hands on it. A kick in the pants to the attempt by the Humane Society of the United States and a group of west-side legislators to prohibit coyote-killing contests in East- ern Oregon. Don’t take this as a straight-up endorse- ment of such events. There is certainly room to question and criticize the practice of kill- ing wildlife for pure entertainment — no matter how ubiquitous or troublesome a spe- cies may be. But the issue has absolutely no bearing on the west-side legislators’ districts, or on most Oregonians. The sponsors of Senate Bill 723 are mostly from the Portland metro area. There is no environmental or ecolog- ical impact cited in the bill. It’s a bill that rests on the moral argument that killing ani- mals for sport is wrong, but more directly that it’s mean. We’ve seen evidence that a genuine effort is underway in Oregon to bring urban and rural to a place of cooperation and connec- OTHER VIEWS tion. Bills like this show little understanding or respect, instead relying on majority mus- cle to enforce feel-good policies on people capable of making their own decisions. OTHER VIEWS In border talks, a new fight for deniers A Future technology at risk of sabotage The Washington Post H uawei, the Chinese telecom giant, has insisted in recent years that it operates within the bounds of local and international laws and norms. When a former employee filed a legal claim alleging that he was directed by Huawei to steal rivals’ trade secrets, the firm declared, “Every employee is expected to adhere to applicable laws, reg- ulations and business ethics in the coun- tries where we operate.” But a new U.S. federal indictment issued this week alleges this was far from true. Huawei, which makes smartphones as well as gear for connectivity, including the forthcoming super-fast 5G networks, has been largely barred from business in the United States for some time, partly over suspicions that it could build “back doors” into its equipment for spying or network mischief. Leading Chinese companies are often closely intertwined with, and required to be subservient to, the state. So far, tangible evidence of hardware med- dling has not been made public, if it exists. However, concerns voiced in recent years about Huawei’s behavior now look pre- scient. According to the indictment, Hua- wei’s approach resembles that of the Chi- nese state: It is unbound by a rules-based, law-governed international order, and it is determined to succeed by using theft and duplicity. In one case described in the indictment unveiled Monday by the Justice Depart- ment, Huawei headquarters in China instructed its employees in the United States to steal the design of a mobile- phone-testing robot developed by T-Mo- bile. This was a valuable piece of intellec- tual property that Huawei wanted for its 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. own robot. Huawei engineers were repeat- edly encouraged to carry out theft, and, the indictment says, on May 29, 2013, a Huawei engineer visiting T-Mobile slipped a robot arm into his bag and walked out of the laboratory. Overnight, he photo- graphed the device and took critical mea- surements before returning it the next day, apologizing that it was taken by “mis- take.” Later, Huawei responded to T-Mo- bile about the incident with gross decep- tion, saying the thefts were “a moment of indiscretion” and did not reflect company policy when, in fact, the data had been sent to headquarters. Huawei even created a bonus program for workers who stole information from competitors. This corporate deception is also behind the separate indictment of Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wan- zhou, the founder’s daughter, for bank and wire fraud. The indictment charges that Huawei misled the U.S. government and banks about business that violated West- ern sanctions against Iran. The legal pro- ceedings against Ms. Meng, who is being held under house arrest in Canada pend- ing an extradition request by the United States, should not be politicized in the cur- rent Sino-American trade dispute. If the charges in the indictments are true, then it is clear Huawei intentionally snubbed its nose at international norms and laws, which in turn means it could pose a poten- tially large national security risk to the West. Doubts about Huawei are now being heard elsewhere, including in Australia, Poland, Britain and Germany. The next generation of connectivity — 5G networks — is far too important to put in the hands of a company that may work by lies and cover-ups. House-Senate conference commit- 300 of vehicle fencing, which blocks vehicles but allows people on foot to cross easily. tee is beginning work on a package The vehicle fencing did nothing to stop of border security policies that, it is recent crossings near Lukeville and in other hoped, can win the support of both Dem- places on the border. In addition, ocrats and Republicans. The final some of the pedestrian fencing is product is certain to include sev- eral measures that already have full, easy to breach because it is old, bipartisan approval: more immi- falling apart and was never that gration judges, more technology to imposing in the first place. The detect illegal drugs at ports of entry, Trump administration seeks to more humanitarian aid for migrants do three things: 1. Replace some in custody, etc. ineffective pedestrian fence; 2. The hangup, of course, will be Replace current vehicle fence a border barrier. President Trump with new pedestrian fence; and B yron insists on money — his demand 3. Build new pedestrian fence in y ork is $5.7 billion — that would build some currently unfenced areas. COMMENT new steel-slat barriers along about The construction of barri- ers dramatically reduces ille- 230 miles of the U.S.-Mexico bor- gal border crossing attempts. Looking at der. About 80 miles of that would replace the Yuma Sector along the border in west- current, dilapidated, inadequate fencing, ern Arizona, in 2005, before the construc- while 150 or so miles would cover currently tion of barriers, the Border Patrol caught unfenced areas. 138,438 illegal crossers, according to fig- On the other side are Democrats led ures compiled by the Center for Immigra- by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has called a border wall “an immorality between tion Studies, which favors greater restric- tions on immigration. Last year, with nations” and denies evidence that a barrier barriers, there were 26,244 such apprehen- would increase border security by decreas- sions in the Yuma Sector. ing the number of illegal crossings into the The San Diego Sector in California is United States. Pelosi won the 35-day partial government a case study in the effectiveness of a bor- der barrier. In 1986, before the construction shutdown by sticking to her position. The of a barrier, there were more than 628,000 new negotiations will test whether she and other Democratic barrier deniers can prevail apprehensions, while untold numbers of oth- ers successfully made it across the border again. illegally. In 2017, after the construction of The need for new and improved barri- ers along some parts of the border is in the extensive barriers, there were 26,086 appre- hensions, according to the Border Patrol. news almost daily. Take, for example, the Would anyone argue that border barriers events of Jan. 24 near Lukeville, Arizona, had nothing to do with those striking before- in the Tucson Sector of the border. Even and-after reductions? And, given what is though there is a six-lane crossing at Lukev- ille, migrants seek to enter the United States happening in the Tucson Sector and other illegally in nearby areas that have ineffective places today, would anyone argue that new, fencing. Thus, on the 24th, Border Patrol more daunting barriers such as the Trump agents found a large group — 242 people, administration proposes would not reduce most from Central America — who illegally the number of illegal crossings? crossed the border west of Lukeville. The effectiveness of border barriers is “Agents discovered the group after they a settled fact. Yet some Democrats, led by crawled over and under the crude vehicle the speaker of the House, deny that fact and insist that new and improved barriers would barrier separating the United States from not increase border security. Other promi- Mexico,” the Border Patrol said in a press nent Democrats, such as recently declared release. presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, Just a week earlier, a group of 84 have called the Trump barrier proposal a migrants arrived nearby in a tour bus, and then crawled under the fence into the United “medieval vanity project.” At the same time, other Democrats seem States, where they were taken into custody more willing to take a fact-based approach. by Border Patrol agents. “In the past, we have supported ... enhanced On Dec. 19-20, in nearly the same place, fencing,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New the Border Patrol apprehended 306 Central York, a member of the Democratic leader- American migrants crossing illegally into ship, said recently. “And I think that’s some- the U.S. thing that’s reasonable that should be on the Clearly, the fencing in that part of the table.” Tucson Sector is not working. Who will prevail in the border talks? Will The border is 1,954 miles long. Everyone it be Pelosi and her fellow deniers, or Jeffries agrees that big parts of it do not require any fencing because the terrain is so rough that it and the reality-based community? The pres- ident and Congress have two weeks to find makes crossing very difficult. out. On the other hand, a significant part of ——— the border does need barriers. Right now, Byron York is chief political correspon- there are about 705 miles of fencing — about dent for The Washington Examiner. 405 miles of pedestrian fencing and about 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 9780, or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
