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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2019)
East Oregonian A4 Thursday, August 15, 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 Foreign trade policy relies on hope T he initial news that the Chi- nese government would sus- pend all imports of U.S. agri- cultural goods hit farmers like a lightning bolt. As recently as two years ago, U.S. farmers sold nearly $20 billion in crops to China. Since President Don- ald Trump took office, exports to that country have dropped precipitously. But the picture is far more nuanced than it may first appear. Reports indi- cate that not all U.S. ag exports to China will be halted. Which com- modities are impacted is still being sorted out. As we have stated in this column many times, this is just one more sig- nal that the U.S. and China need to get their trade acts together, and the sooner the better. In the meantime, there are lessons to be learned. The Trump administration should resist starting trade disputes with several countries at once. So far, the president has gone after Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Austra- lia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Iran, Trump Brunei and Chile by canceling or threatening to cancel various agreements. Did we leave any out? Possibly, but the point is he cannot expect to get new trade agreements with everyone. He is especially unlikely to get them before the next election. The other countries know that and are taking full advantage. Leaders of nations, such as China, have too many options, and they view issues through the lens of decades and even centuries, not elec- tion cycles. At the same time, countries such as Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Ukraine, the European Union, Turkey and others produce many of the same crops as U.S. farmers and would love to take away those customers. The trade wars also threaten to negate all of the hard work U.S. farmers put into cultivating overseas customers in such places as China and Japan. Trump also has come up short in getting updated trade deals through Congress. It seems like half of Con- gress is running against him for the Democratic nomination for the pres- idency, so the likelihood of them approving a trade deal that would make him look good to voters is slim. It could happen — we hope it does — but it’s unlikely. Most importantly, though, the Trump administration needs to remember that U.S. agriculture depends on trade. Especially in the West, farmers, ranchers, dairy oper- ators, nut growers, orchardists and others produce crops for the over- seas market. If that market continues to shrink, the price reverberations will be felt in the ag economy and the U.S. economy at large. They already are. The prices of corn, wheat, soybeans, milk, beef and other commodities have been struggling in recent years, and no amount of subsidy checks from the federal government can make up for the long-term damage. The Trump administration needs not just a trade deal with China but with the other nations he has alienated. And the Congress he has alienated needs to approve them. We’re hoping for progress on all of the trade fronts. It’s unlikely, but hope is all we have right now. OTHER VIEWS Rural communities provide the keys to economic success P YOUR VIEWS Endangered species are endangering each other The lower Columbia River and Pacific Ocean are the home to many species under Endangered Species Act guidelines. There, endangered orca eat endangered seals and salmon. Endangered seals eat endangered salmon while protected Caspian terns feast on endangered salmon smolt. If this cycle continues with or without the ESA, what do you think will be the out- come? I don’t think it will ever work. Once again, people think they can outmaneuver nature with a plan designed by man with an incomplete understanding of nature. Mike Mehren Hermiston CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES U.S. PRESIDENT GOVERNOR Donald Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 whitehouse.gov/contact/ Kate Brown 160 State Capitol 900 Court Street Salem, OR 97301-4047 503-378-4582 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 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. REPRESENTATIVES 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 SENATOR Bill Hansell, District 29 900 Court St. NE, S-423 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1729 Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us ortland may fuel Oregon’s econ- crime, a lower quality of life but a higher omy, but the city fails to propel its chance of enrolling in a low-quality school, fewer positive role models in their life but youth toward economic opportunity. more barriers to hurdle. So helping young Thankfully, Portland officials can learn families find heterogeneous communities is from other places about giving young Ore- a first step to generating upward mobility. gonians the support they need to thrive. Another ingredient is social capital. As These are the places in Oregon where the defined by Pew, social capital includes fam- grass is really greener, places where hous- ily structure, parenting skills and education, ing is less segregated, the middle class is parental similarity, school-based relation- larger, school sizes are smaller, social cap- ital is greater, and families are stronger; ships, and community networks. These are these are the places where economic mobil- the nonfinancial resources that steer a per- ity still exists. State officials should look son’s pursuit of economic mobility. When into how these places have created ladders these metrics are mapped on Oregon coun- ties, three counties lead the rest: Harney, of opportunity that help kids starting at Sherman and Wallowa. A closer lower rungs climb to the top. look at Wallowa County reveals These places aren’t where many what makes these counties par- would expect — rural Oregon. ticularly well-suited for economic A child born into the bottom mobility. Children born in Wal- quintile for income in Enterprise lowa County are surrounded by has a 14% chance of climbing into strong social institutions, such as the highest quintile as an adult. churches, civic organizations and Kids born into the same situation community centers, and individu- in Burns have nearly the same K evin als with a knack for civic engage- odds of achieving escape veloc- F razier COMMENT ment (measured by voting rates, ity and leaving poverty behind as confidence in public institutions, an adult. John Day (12%), Lakev- iew (11%), Condon (11%), and The and participation in the census). Dalles (10.5%) all provide children with These institutions exist in just about every better chances of substantial economic community; the key is steering families mobility than Portland (9%) and metro toward the organizations focused on their areas in general (7.5%). needs and aspirations. What is it about these cities that gives One of the most controversial ingredi- ents is strong families. A lazy interpretation their youth the chance of attaining such of this ingredient could lead some to con- positive futures? According to Dr. Raj demn single-parent households. An accu- Chetty, a Harvard economist exploring what explains economic mobility, there’s no rate interpretation illustrates that children tend to thrive in communities with higher one secret ingredient. Instead, it’s the com- munities with a mix of ingredients that cre- rates of two-parent households, even if ate an atmosphere well-suited for economic born to a single parent. This goes to show empowerment. that kids don’t necessarily need two par- ents, instead they need to be surrounded One of these ingredients is integrated by stable, caring adults (even those outside housing (both among racial and income of their own nuclear family). Officials can dimensions). Children surrounded by an assist economic mobility by encouraging array of ethnicities, professions and cul- tures develop skills key to economic more adults to become mentors, tutors and mobility: communication, collaboration, community volunteers. compassion. The diversity of a neigh- There’s a lot of news about how cities borhood broadens a child’s horizons and are the centers of economic mobility and, exposes them to a variety of role mod- in adulthood, that’s true: Cities do pres- els. When children born to indigent fam- ent adults with more career opportunities. ilies grow up in areas of concentrated However, the adults best prepared to make poverty, they have significantly dimin- the most of such opportunities are fre- ished chances of ever leaving that poverty quently raised in rural communities. Our entire state would be better off by spreading behind. Joe Cortright’s research shows the ingredients that make rural Oregon such that, contrary to news reports on gentrifi- a wonderful place to grow up. cation, the majority of poor communities ——— are becoming even more poor, more iso- lated, and more difficult to thrive in. Chil- Kevin Frazier is currently pursuing a dren in these communities are commonly law degree at UC Berkeley. He previously immersed in a toxic atmosphere (liter- worked for ECONorthwest as a senior ally and figuratively): they have access to research analyst. Though he resides in the fewer public services but more exposure to Bay Area, Kevin calls Oregon home. 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 the editor to editor@eastoregonian.com, or via mail to Andrew Cutler, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801
