CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2020
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Voters deserve to have final say
P
oliticians like to talk a lot.
Americans — voters — get that.
We all — perhaps subcon-
sciously — take into account the role pol-
iticians play in our great experiment and
understand that doing a lot of talking for
an elected leader is often just part of the
gig.
Yet voters need to listen when politi-
cians start to pontificate and there is no
better example of that premise than the
recent remarks by Oregon Democratic
Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick’s
comments regarding the new cap-and-
trade bill, Senate Bill 1530.
As many readers may know, a cabal
of Democrats decided to once again lead
the carbon emission limit one-trick pony
out onto center stage during the current
35-day legislative session.
A bill with similar goals was put on ice
during the last session and died an uncere-
monious death, after a walkout by Repub-
lican lawmakers in June 2019.
Opponents to the bill cite a range of
problems with the proposed legislation
and some Republican lawmakers, includ-
ing Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, have pro-
posed the carbon emission proposal be
placed before voters for a final say.
AP Photo/Anna Reed
The Senate Chamber is viewed on the first day of the short legislative session at the Oregon
state Capitol in Salem on Monday. No matter what your feelings about climate change, it
should be clear to just about all Oregonians that the Legislature’s Democrats are determined
to push through Senate Bill 1530, the proposed cap-and-trade bill, during the current 35-day
legislative session.
Burdick told a group of reporters that
the “new cap-and-trade bill was too com-
plicated for voters to understand, and
therefore the people shouldn’t be allowed
to decide this issue at the ballot.”
If you just had to reread that statement
again — to be absolute sure your eyes
were not deceiving you — we understand.
Because such a statement is not only
surprising but amazing in its implications.
Essentially the message sent is voters
are stupid. That’s Oregon voters.
Burdick’s argument — such as it is —
remains a prototype of electoral ignorance
and is about as condescending an argu-
ment as one can possibly imagine.
Perhaps Burdick — and other lawmak-
ers who seem to be confused — should
be required to attend mandatory Civics
101 classes to understand how democracy
works.
Democracy isn’t a closed arena where
elected leaders are the final arbitrators
of what is right and what isn’t or who
deserves to be included and who does not.
Politicians work for the voters. In the
end it is the people — not politicians —
who have the final say in a democracy, and
if we were on the sidelines regarding voter
participation in the carbon emission limit
plan we are not now.
Our lawmakers are going to waste a lot
of time debating about this newest carbon
emission limit plan so a specific political
agenda can be shoved through to law. We
urge legislators to remove the bill’s emer-
gency clause, which would allow it to go
into effect immediately.
That’s just not wise.
Voters, indeed, should have the final
say on whether the state should adopt a
carbon emission plan.
That’s because they’re not stupid.
OTHER VIEWS
Trump misses opportunity during
State of the Union address
A
YOUR VIEWS
SB 1530 a wolf in sheep’s clothing
We’ve been bombarded by a constant lit-
any about all the corruption in Ukraine by
the oligarchy. I was curious about the defini-
tion of this type of government. The dictio-
nary shows this to be a form of government
in which all power is vested in a few persons
or in a dominant class or clique; “government
by the few.” A state or organizations so ruled.
Words related to “oligarchy” include dom-
ination, monocracy, high-handedness, unrea-
sonableness, coercion, authoritarianism and
imperiousness.
We were dismayed by the tragic revela-
tion that this describes Oregon’s government
ruled by Gov. Kate Brown and her elitist sup-
porters. It is understandable why Brown’s
administration has utter disregard for the
concerns of the 31 counties that did not vote
for her. It is obvious that Brown’s supporters
have total disdain for the Oregonians that did
not vote for her.
Sen. Ginny Burdick was asked by a
reporter why the emergency clause was
being placed on Senate Bill 1530, which
eliminates the opportunity to send this pro-
posal to the Oregon voters. She stated the bill
was “too complicated” and would be hard
to understand by the common voters, so the
Legislature must pass it and eliminate any
opportunity for Oregonians to have a voice
in the matter.
SB 1530 is being promoted as an environ-
mental bill, but it will devastate agriculture,
timber, commercial fishermen, miners and
transportation, and raise the cost of every-
thing Oregonians use. It is a wolf in sheep’s
clothing. It is especially discouraging that
Oregonians are not being told about the huge
costs associated with this tax bill, which will
cost them in every way and in reality will
make a minuscule difference, if any, on the
environment.
Larry and Susan Snyder
Condon
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. SENATORS
REPRESENTATIVES
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Greg Barreto, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-38
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.GregBarreto@state.or.us
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
SENATOR
Greg Walden
185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
La Grande office: 541-624-2400
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-423
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
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.
triumphant but low-key President
among the overall population. The Migra-
tion Policy Institute documented that, as of
Trump took to center stage Tuesday
2017, more than 18 million children with at
night at the U.S. Capitol to deliver
least one immigrant parent were born in the
his third State of the Union address.
U.S.
The president had recently returned
Since 1965, the number of immigrants
from maligned Iowa where, in the Repub-
lican caucus, he smothered his two GOP
in the U.S. has quadrupled. Assuming the
challengers, former U.S. Representative
status quo remains unchanged, the Census
Joe Walsh and former Massachusetts Gov-
Bureau projects that by 2065 immigrants
ernor William Weld. President Trump
and their children will represent 88% of
received 97% of the vote. And with his Sen- U.S. population growth when the popula-
ate acquittal a forgone conclusion, President tion will exceed 400 million. The dramatic
level of population growth that immigration
Trump, in buoyant spirits, touted the econ-
omy, low unemployment rates and
contributes to is unsustainable, and
worthy of an intelligent congressio-
his successful U.S.-Mexico-Can-
nal debate that the president could,
ada trade agreement.
and should, insist on.
The policy that President Trump
As for immigration’s effect
can’t get right, and which could
on jobs, the more than one mil-
be his strongest hand, is immigra-
tion. During his address, Presi-
lion immigrants that enter the U.S.
dent Trump stayed on safe ground
annually receive lifetime-valid
regarding his immigration achieve-
employment authorization doc-
J oe
ments and future hopes. The presi-
uments. Piling on, the Immigra-
G uzzardi
dent praised Immigration and Cus-
tion Act of 1990 created the U.S.
COMMENT
toms Enforcement, and slammed
tech workers’ biggest nightmare,
sanctuary cities. He pushed for a
the H-1B visa, and the shameful
new law that would ban providing medi-
citizenship for sale visa, the EB-5. Immi-
cal benefits to illegal aliens. And President
gration, especially in such high numbers,
Trump endorsed a merit-based immigra-
means looser labor markets, the exact oppo-
tion system, a view he and his advisors —
site of what U.S. workers deserve.
daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kush-
Finally, for reasons known only to Pres-
ner — have previously promoted.
ident Trump, he again studiously avoided
But imagine if President Trump had
mention of E-Verify, the federal program
deviated from safe terrain and instead relied that helps ensure that only citizens and
on the last 55 years of immigration history
legally present immigrants can hold U.S.
and its consequences to make his case for
jobs. By an 81% majority, Americans sup-
port E-Verify because, among its other ben-
sensible legal immigration reductions, and
efits, it will help working-age blacks and
for stricter border and interior enforcement.
Hispanics without a college degree find
Beginning in 1965, Presidents Lyndon
employment.
Johnson, Ronald Reagan and George H.W.
If President Trump truly wanted to help
Bush signed into law three major immigra-
tion acts: the Immigration and Nationality
“flourishing families” and to sustain the
Act of 1965, the Immigration Reform and
“blue-collar boom” — two phrases he used
in his address — he would vocally advocate
Control Act of 1986 and the Immigration
for less immigration. which would translate
Act of 1990.
into more available jobs and higher wages.
The collective and inarguable results
Immigration helped carry President
of those three laws have been significant
Trump to the White House, and he once
increases in immigration that’s contrib-
uted to U.S. population growth, and a huge
endorsed lower immigration levels. Presi-
dent Trump could distinguish himself from
bump in the numbers of employment-based
his Democratic presidential opposition,
temporary visas issued that have displaced
which favors open borders, and gutting inte-
American workers. Illegal immigration has
rior enforcement.
also spiked, reaching a total of anywhere
The president’s moment to make a
from 11 to 22 million. Yale University and
strong, fact-based immigration reduction
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
argument in his SOTU address has passed,
researchers found evidence that 22 million
is accurate, and discredited the conservative but it’s not necessarily gone forever. Pres-
ident Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign
11 million.
should reinforce the lower immigration lev-
A Pew Research analysis reported that
els that Americans want.
the U.S., despite repeated allegations of
———
being anti-immigrant, has more immigrants
Joe Guzzardi has written about immigra-
than any other country in the world. More
tion for more than 30 years. Contact him at
than 44 million U.S. residents were born
jguzzardi@pfirdc.org.
abroad, slightly fewer than one in seven
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