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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2019)
A4 East Oregonian Friday, September 27, 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 Hermiston School District bond is a good deal for the community T wo years ago, Hermiston voters turned down a bond for Herm- iston School District. The dis- trict is back on the ballot this Novem- ber, with a better deal than it previously offered taxpayers. The 2017 bond would have added 90 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to local property taxes, adding to the $4.09 per $1,000 bill taxpayers were already receiving for past bonds. This time around, the district recently paid off all of its pre-2008 bonds, which property owners can expect to see reflected in their next property tax bill, lowered to $3.65 per $1,000. The bond that the school district is proposing would keep the new $3.65 rate in place. Instead of raising the tax rate, it would extend the amount of time Hermiston residents will be pay- ing school bond taxes from the cur- rent 10-year plan to 25. Rising property values spurred by Hermiston’s rapid growth would also help raise money, as would a $6.6 million grant from the state that will go to another community if voters do not pass a bond this year. Even though it sounds inviting to be free of all school bond taxes within 10 years, it is unlikely that will happen. It seems far-fetched to imagine with Staff photo by Jade McDowell Rocky Heights Elementary School would be replaced with a new, larger school on the same property if a school bond is approved by voters in November. Hermiston’s current growth rate that the voters will truly go another full decade without passing another bond. If they pass a bond now, current students will benefit. A new elemen- tary school on Theater Lane and a new, larger Rocky Heights Elementary School will help “right-size” the rest of the elementary schools’ populations, providing a safer, less crowded learn- ing experience for students. The district also plans to add a 12-classroom annex to Hermiston High School, purchase property to prepare for future growth and make some adjustments to drop-off and pick-up areas at elementary schools to decrease congestion — all without an increase in the current school bond tax rate. Barring any billionaires taking a sud- den interest in Hermiston, that seems about as good of an offer as Hermiston will get on a project of this scope. Newcomers and outsiders might look at the proposal and scoff that Hermis- ton’s oldest school, Rocky Heights, is a mere 57 years old — decades newer than the buildings many Umatilla County residents attended during their own school years. That’s a fair point, to be sure, and it is likely one of the rea- sons some people will vote no. However, every community makes choices about where they invest their money in an effort to make their com- munity an attractive place to visit, live and work. Hermiston has always prided itself on premier educational facilities, and those facilities have proven a strength. They generate economic benefit by drawing flocks of visitors who fill hotels and restaurants during AAU basketball tournaments, district tennis meets and 1A football state championships. And many of those visitors come away with a positive impression of Hermiston, speaking in awed tones about Kennison Field or how nice the schools are. The bond on the ballot in Novem- ber gives Hermiston and opportunity to build on that strength and gives students a better learning environment, without raising anyone’s tax bill next year. That seems like a win. OTHER VIEWS Republicans, in thrall to dear leader, dig a deeper bunker W YOUR VIEWS Frustration builds; time to clear the table Though you’d think a priority list of issues confronting our city officials would result in some quick action at city hall. Au contraire. Seems that from the latest study, the airport tops the priority list while Byers Avenue still languishes as possi- bly the worst street in the entire county, despite those claims that streets are the No. 1 priority. Increased housing and other amenities aimed at supporting the projected increase in high paying jobs announced with such great fanfare earlier this year appear at a standstill. A recent drive by those proj- ects revealed that there is essentially no activity on the airport hotel or the housing project across from the EOCI, and despite claims by city hall on the KUMA Cof- fee Hour that construction of the street in preparation for the expansion of the Pend- leton Heights apartment complex was now underway, a visit to the site confirmed that it’s just not happening. City hall’s record on large projects like the “road to nowhere” and the Eighth Street Bridge replacement, a proverbial “bridge to nowhere,” has been nothing to write home about. When it comes to eco- nomic development, it seems the only bright spot is the turnaround in airport 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. operations lead by the successful drone program, primarily because of a talented airport manager and staff. Performance by city hall on key issues has been less than stellar. The term “kick- ing the can down the road,” frequently used in the past, has been replaced by “we’ll table that for now.” This caused delay after delay in repealing the unwork- able River Quarter plan. The rewrite of the ordinance that would add parade fees to aid the police department’s efforts to recover increasing costs to provide cover- age was tabled. Now, after ignoring the steady increase in homeless issues, acting as this phenom- enon is something that’s sprung up over- night, the city council has again “tabled” a revision of the ordinance giving the police department guidance on their responsi- bilities to address this issue with the only explanation being, “it’s a complex issue.” A glance at the progress solving the issues of our deteriorating streets, even as a top priority, gives us little comfort for any immediate action on the homeless issue. Even our police department appar- ently has little faith in a remedy for the condition of the streets, as they’ve con- verted their entire fleet to four-wheel drive vehicles. Rick Rohde Pendleton ter, warned that “Republicans who continue e dare not contemplate what the to cover for Trump ... have abetted the dele- Washington Republicans would say if Donald Trump were to actu- gitimization of the entire American system.” That’s not stopping most of them from ally shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue. swilling the Kool-Aid. In the wake of the impeachment inquiry, Sen. John Kennedy said he didn’t think formally announced on Tuesday by Nancy Trump’s solicitation of foreign dirt on Biden is “as newsworthy as some have argued.” Pelosi, Republicans still don’t think their leader has done anything wrong. Yet here’s Sen. Lindsey Graham told a conservative the gist of what we already know: Trump, in radio host he thought Trump “did noth- ing wrong.” Sen. Marco Rubio didn’t think the span of one July phone call to Ukraine Trump should have raised the issue of Biden, President Volodymyr Zelensky, asked eight but also said “that in and of itself is times for (fake) dirt on domestic not an impeachable offense.” opposition candidate Joe Biden. But the preferred Republican With the release of a phone call reaction is silence, to dig the bun- summary, we have further con- firmation. He sought a Ukrainian ker deeper and cover their ears. probe of Biden, and his son, Hunter, Since the whistleblower story and he wanted Zelensky to collude broke one week ago, it’s particu- larly noteworthy that we’ve heard with Bill Barr, Trump’s chief law virtually nothing from three key enforcement apparatchik. D ick Republican senators: Cory Gard- A key quote from the summary: P olman ner, Martha McSally, and Susan “There is a lot of talk about Biden’s COMMENT Collins. That trio is on the ballot son, that Biden stopped the prose- cution (of a company where his son in 2020, running for re-election in was on the board — a fake charge), and a Colorado, Arizona and Maine, respectively. Colorado and Maine vote blue in presidential lot of people want to find out about that. So elections, and Arizona is trending that way. whatever you can do with the attorney gen- eral would be great.” Their discomfort is understandable, So Trump has essentially admitted that because they, and many of their colleagues, he solicited foreign collusion. Aside from the may soon arrive at the moment of reckon- obvious fact that he has already copped to an ing — an identity crisis forced upon them impeachable offense — under federal law, no by the lawless president they have tragically indulged. one can “solicit, accept, or receive” foreign Republican strategist Mike Murphy, who campaign donations “or other things of value ... in connection with a federal, state, or local believes, based on what we already know, that Trump has likely “committed a vividly election” — his betrayal of the oath of office impeachable offense,” frames the stakes for has potentially far broader ramifications. his brethren: “Sending the signal that other govern- ments can curry favor with a U.S. president “The easy-to-dodge days are coming to an end. ... Our entire national political debate by helping to dig up dirt on his or her politi- cal opponents would open our political sys- is now centered squarely upon Trump and tem and foreign policy to intervention and his fitness for office. It is a time for clarity ... manipulation on a global scale,” said Rob- an existential question for every Republican ert Kagan, a foreign affairs specialist and senator and representative: Why am I here? State Department official during the Reagan To serve my future or my country?” administration. “Every government in the Perhaps they should choose the latter. world wishing to influence U.S. foreign pol- Perhaps they should heed the advice of the icy will have an incentive to come to a sit- Republican senator who declared, back in ting president with information on his or her December 2015, “You know how you make potential political opponents.” America great again? Tell Donald Trump Nevertheless, the party loyalists who hug to go to hell.” So said Lindsey Graham. But the flag and tout traditional American values alas, it may be too late for Trump’s captive are so in thrall to Trump (or simply intimi- minions to redeem themselves. dated) that they claim to see and hear no evil, What’s more important, party or country? disgusting some GOP-friendly commen- ——— tators. Mona Charen, a senior fellow at the Dick Polman is a nationally syndicated conservative Ethics and Public Policy Cen- columnist. 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