A4
East Oregonian
Thursday, May 23, 2019
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Loss of jobs carries more weight in rural Oregon
nion Pacific calls it a “work-
force reduction” to quicken
its “continuous improvement
U
plan.”
Whatever the massive railroad
company wants to call it, though, the
fact remains that the massive layoffs
announced Tuesday were about one
thing: saving money to boost profits.
On one hand we get it. We are a
Republic fueled — for good or ill —
by capitalism. Businesses, whether
small or giant like Union Pacific, exist
to generate profits.
The move by the railroad to slash
195 jobs from its Hinkle Rail Yard in
Hermiston is another example of the
Damocles’ Sword of capitalism. We
need firms to invest in our area, and
the more jobs the better. But those
same companies survive and pros-
per at the whim of economic factors
beyond our control. Which means a
company — especially one as large
as Union Pacific — can pick up and
move, and slash jobs, whenever it
wants.
None of those sentiments, though,
are going to mean a whole lot to the
man or woman who learns they’re
EO file photo
Rail cars roll down the hump and into the yard at the Union Pacific Railroad Hinkle Locomo-
tive Service and Repair Facility and Freight Classification Yard near Hermiston. Union Pacific
Railroad filed notice with the state on Tuesday that it will lay off up to 195 employees at the
Hinkle Rail Yard and close the yard’s supply warehouse and mechanical shop. It stated the
195 layoffs would be completed by July 19 and are expected to be permanent. The bulk lay-
off is an escalation of the scores of layoffs that have happened incrementally at the rail yard
since October 2018.
going to be out of work soon. Yes,
they will surely be able to use state
unemployment assistance. That will
be a great help, but it isn’t a long-term
solution.
The jobs that are going away are
not exactly easy to come by in the first
place. They are high-paying, good
benefit occupations.
While the loss of many jobs by a
local employer is difficult anywhere,
it is especially acute in a place like
Eastern Oregon. In a rural area often
fighting poverty, firms in the region
face more than their share of obsta-
cles. From punitive state regulations to
a shrinking employee base, big com-
panies must contend with issues here
in Oregon that are not typical of other
states.
Here, every job carries just a little
more weight, a bit more importance
than an occupation in, say, Portland.
The loss of 50 or 200 jobs in Washing-
ton County is serious but not a game-
changer. The loss of the same number
of jobs in Umatilla County is an eco-
nomic disaster.
While it would be easy to blame
Union Pacific, the fact is they are
a for-profit company. They’re not a
charity.
They’ve decided, and all of us —
from the person who is laid off to the
local merchant to area politicians —
are going to have to live with it. But,
more importantly, all of us are going
to have to work together to find a way
to overcome this economic challenge.
OTHER VIEWS
Memorial Day reminds us of our
highest ideals — and the price we
must sometimes pay for them
very year, I’m struck by the power-
for the rest of his life. It was a life he
ful — and often, opposing — emo-
dedicated in humble service to the vet-
eran community, and to the memories of
tions that Memorial Day stirs.
his brothers in arms, who never got the
We celebrate our freedoms, and yet,
chance to come home.
we mourn the cost that they required. We
look ahead to a bright future, while we
We must never forget the true cost of
remember the trials and challenges of the war. It is a price paid not in dollars and
past. We honor those who served, but we
cents, but with the blood of our heroes.
grieve their loss.
They were nothing less than the best
Celebration, and sadness.
America had to offer, those who
Gratitude, and remorse. Hope,
answered the call when their
and helplessness. Memorial
nation needed them, who paid
Day is unique in evoking such
the ultimate price to protect us
a broad spectrum of feeling,
and our way of life.
because it is this holiday that
The stories of their sacrifice
speaks most keenly to our high-
are forever woven into the fab-
ric of our nation and its history.
est ideals, as well as the steep
They gave their lives on the for-
price we are willing to pay for
K elly
eign soils of Europe, the black
them.
F itzpatricK
sands of the South Pacific, the
Sadly, it is also a day that, for
COMMENT
frozen reaches of Korea, in the
many, has lost its significance.
sweltering jungles of Vietnam,
President George W. Bush would
the scorching deserts of Afghanistan and
often tell the story of asking schoolchil-
dren what the meaning of Memorial Day
Iraq, and in many other places across the
is, only to have them respond, “That’s the globe.
day the pool opens!”
The United States lost more than
For many Oregonians, Memorial Day
400,000 of its sons and daughters in
is primarily the unofficial start of the
World War II — 2,826 from Oregon.
summer recreation season, a chance to
We know that 54,246 American service
enjoy our amazing forests and beaches,
members gave their lives in Korea (287
Oregonians); and 58,209 in Vietnam (791
rivers and lakes and mountain trails.
from our state).
We should enjoy all that our state has
In Iraq and Afghanistan, we lost
to offer, but we should also keep in mind
6,713 American service members — 142
the words of another president, John F.
Oregonians.
Kennedy: “A nation reveals itself not
Each one of their names is etched on
only by the citizens it produces but also
slabs of granite that form the heart of
by the citizens it honors, the citizens it
the Afghan/Iraqi Freedom Memorial,
remembers.”
located just a few steps from the Oregon
We must remember the fallen because
Department of Veterans’ Affairs office
the courage, the strength, the selfless-
ness and the sacrifice of each one of these building.
brave warriors is the ideal to which we all
Each one of their names is read aloud
each year at our Memorial Day ceremony,
should aspire.
as we seek to honor and remember their
On this Memorial Day, I think of Bob
sacrifice.
Maxwell, a great American and Orego-
nian whom we lost earlier this month.
Each one represents the loss of a bright
and shining light in the lives of their fam-
Bob was a World War II combat soldier,
ilies, a pain that they feel each and every
and until his death, the only Medal of
day — not just on Memorial Day. We
Honor recipient still living in our state.
remember and honor their sacrifice as
While he did not die fighting for our
country he fearlessly faced death in a way well.
They, too, paid a great price for the
few Americans ever have.
freedoms we now enjoy.
He earned that medal — the U.S. mil-
itary’s highest decoration for valor — for
On behalf of the Oregon Department
the courage he showed during a battle
of Veterans’ Affairs, I urge all Orego-
nians to take a moment this Memorial
in September 1944, when a live German
Day, to remember our fallen heroes who
hand grenade was tossed in the midst of
gave their lives in service to our nation,
his squad. Without a second thought, he
hurled himself upon it, shielding his com- and say, “Thank you.”
rades from the blast with nothing but a
-------
Kelly Fitzpatrick is a U.S. Army veteran
blanket and his unprotected body.
and the director of the Oregon Department
Maxwell cheated death that day,
of Veterans’ Affairs.
though he carried shrapnel in his body
E
YOUR VIEWS
Men shouldn’t
legislate women’s
bodies
Well, I have some great
solutions for pro-lifers who
want abortion laws passed.
One solution would be
working with those that
want to change laws on
gun rights.
You can ban my right to
an abortion and I can ban
your right to own a gun.
Or, maybe, you leave my
uterus alone and I’ll leave
your MR15 alone. Fair
exchange, since I believe
your weapon kills more
babies than my weapon
does. Mine only kills one
at a time.
Another solution would
be, for a law that deals
solely with a females body,
it’s only practical that only
females be allowed to vote
on this kind of bill.
The men of these differ-
ent states that have passed
these laws have shown
their total lack of knowl-
edge relating to the func-
tions of the female body.
They probably still think
storks deliver babies.
If men think they have
a right to govern our bod-
ies then they need to
include all forms of “baby
making” killings, or what
part of the human body is
used to form new life. It is
sad that so many men kill
thousands of babies with-
out giving them a chance
at life just to satisfy their
own self-gratification.
Bernie Sanderson
Hermiston
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
whitehouse.gov/contact/
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office
Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-
7691
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office
Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office:
541-278-1129
U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE
Greg Walden
185 Rayburn House Office
Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
La Grande office:
541-624-2400
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
STATE HOUSE REP-
RESENTATIVES
Greg Barreto, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-38
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.GregBarreto@state.or.us
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
STATE SENATOR
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-423
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us