CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
FRIDAY, FEBRuARY 14, 2020
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Forest agreement holds promise for the future
L
eaders of Oregon’s timber
industry and some of the
state’s best known environ-
mental groups took an important first
step Monday when they announced
they’ve agreed to work out their
differences in ways that benefit
everyone.
Now the hard work begins.
Both groups have agreed to drop
their efforts to place measures on
the November ballot if — and it’s a
big if — the Legislature does its part
by approving tighter restrictions on
aerial herbicide spraying. The last
time the subject came before law-
makers, in 2015, they let the measure
die without final action.
That must not happen again,
despite complaints by at least one
lawmaker, Sen. Herman Baertsch-
iger, R-Grants Pass, who complained
that the deal will make it harder for
his party to block cap-and-trade leg-
islation. Oh, well.
Passage of a modified House Bill
4025, which deals with aerial spray-
ing, is the trigger that environmental
EO Media Group file photo
A forestry inspector, alongside a group of foresters, marks out the plot for sanitary felling
of the forest.
groups and the timber industry say is
necessary to get them to the bargain-
ing table.
Once there, talks will be medi-
ated by a professional and all par-
ties have agreed to a set of 13 ground
rules aimed to keep their discussions
going. If they’re successful, when
the talks have finished the group will
have laid the groundwork for what
Gov. Kate Brown, who helped bring
about the agreement, said should be
a “significant rewrite” of the Oregon
Forest Practices Act.
The act, which went into effect
in 1972, governs forest practices on
Oregon’s private timberlands, which
make up about a third of forest lands
in the state, according to the Oregon
Forest Resources Institute.
Oregonians have been fighting
about their forests for far too long,
and neither the timber industry nor
environmental groups can declare
themselves winners of the war. A
final agreement by this group, if one
is reached, promises to be better for
all, with loggers getting protection
from lawsuits and wildlife, including
endangered species, getting protec-
tion of habitat and water in ways that
environmentalists can support. That,
in turn, is a win for all Oregonians
who love their forests and the crea-
tures that inhabit them.
OTHER VIEWS
Bernie underwhelms the
Yogi Berra Democrats
ogi Berra has a timely warning for
five months before the primary. Fun fact: This
the fractured Democratic party. The
is Biden’s third presidential bid, and he has yet
to win a caucus or primary.
baseball legend and accidental oracle
The former vice president has fled to South
is reputed to have said, “It gets late early out
Carolina, where he believes that black voters
here.”
will be his firewall in state’s Feb. 29 primary.
Translation: Democrats better get their
But that’s a shaky assumption. Black voters
act together — rallying behind a candidate
are jonesing to defeat a detestably racist pres-
who can actually beat Donald Trump — and
ident, and even though they respect Biden’s
doing it sooner rather than later, lest they tear
partnership with Barack Obama, they’re not
themselves apart in a marathon slog to the
likely to stick with a candidate who has the
mid-summer national convention.
whiff of a loser.
The results Tuesday night in New Hamp-
shire make that task more urgent
No Democrat can win the White
than ever. If Democrats fail to
House without strong black support
coalesce behind someone with
and turnout. But if not Biden, who?
moderate crossover appeal, they’re
Sanders has shown no ability to rally
going to be stuck with Bernie
them (although he’s making some
Sanders — the GOP’s dream
gains with Hispanics). Buttigieg and
opponent, for reasons that are
Klobuchar are starting from scratch
obvious to everyone except his
with the black community. And in
zealots.
white New Hampshire, Elizabeth
D ick
Yeah, he won the primary. But
Warren (have we mentioned her yet?)
P olman
he eked it out with the lowest win-
didn’t even score with whites, finish-
COMMENT
ning percentage — 26% — in the
ing in a distant fourth-place finish.
history of the primary. Four years
Faced with likely fundraising woes
ago in New Hampshire, he got 152,000 votes.
going forward, she may not be around long
This time, he got roughly 75,000. Granted, the enough to woo voters of color. As for Mike
field of rivals this time was much bigger than
Bloomberg, the Democrats’ wild card, he’s
been busy this week apologizing anew for his
in 2016, but that’s because many in the party
know darn well that Sanders, with his “social- mayoral stop-and-frisk program — a past sin
ist” tag, would be a big beautiful cake on
that could hamper his own outreach.
Trump’s plate.
Bottom line: There’s no clarity in sight,
Even though Sanders is holding his core
because Democrats remain divided along
base of Bernie Bros, he has yet to demon-
racial, generational, class, and ideological
strate that he can expand his appeal and unite
lines. For now, Sanders is strongest with the
the party. And his Bros certainly don’t help;
lefty young and white working-class folks
at victory headquarters Tuesday night, they
lacking college degrees. Buttigieg and Klo-
buchar are strongest with (and fighting each
booed Pete Buttigieg. Because that’s how the
other for) older folks, suburbanites with col-
Bros roll.
lege degrees, and more moderate voters. And
But here’s the problem: If the more elect-
able Democrats keep divvying up the
with Biden fading, nobody knows where vot-
ers of color are likely to go. But a winning
not-Sanders voters, Sanders will keep win-
ning with tepid pluralities and will eventu-
Democratic coalition requires unity among all.
ally cement an unbeatable delegate lead. He’s
Warren, in her concession speech Tues-
day night, pleaded for Democrats to come
also far better organized and financed than
together, to stop their fractious infighting. In
Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, who is now
her words, candidates should not “burn down
faced with the daunting task of ramping up in
time for Nevada, South Carolina, and 15-state the rest of the party to be the last man stand-
ing. … We can’t afford to fall into factions.”
Super Tuesday.
Or, as Yogi Berra also warned, “You’ve
I haven’t yet mentioned Joe Biden. It’s hard
got to be very careful if you don’t know where
to do so without wincing. It’s like watching
you are going, because you might not get
a car wreck. If Sanders is stopped, it’s seems
there.”
unlikely that Joe will do the deed.
———
Biden limped out of New Hampshire in
Dick Polman is a veteran national political
fifth place with a paltry 8%, the worst show-
ing for a former vice president since Dan
columnist based in Philadelphia and a Writer
Quayle pulled out of the 2000 Republican race in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania.
Y
YOUR VIEWS
We can transition to a clean
energy economy
As our dread over climate change worsens,
I’ve been looking forward to seeing movement
on House Resolution 5221, the 100% Clean
Economy Act. Haven’t seen much yet. The bill
was introduced in Congress in November 2019,
and is now (stuck?) in front of the House Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce. The bill has
167 co-sponsors, but Rep. Greg Walden is not
one of them. Walden is the ranking Republican
on the committee, and we need him to exert his
leadership position to support the bill.
We’re in a climate crisis, and we’re dealing
with the effects already on a daily basis. We
desperately need to begin transforming our
economy to reduce CO2 emissions, and we
need decisive action in Congress.
It isn’t just the science that is compelling on
the subject of responding to the climate crisis.
Clean energy has been one of the fastest grow-
ing sectors in the American economy, and by
going all in on this energy transition, we will
create new jobs, new industries, and a cleaner,
healthier environment for all Americans.
By supporting the 100% Clean Economy
Act of 2019, Rep. Walden could accelerate our
transition to a safe, clean economy, and help
grow clean energy jobs in Oregon.
Cindy Allen
Hood River
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
REPRESENTATIVES
Greg Barreto, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-38
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.GregBarreto@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.
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
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