ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
SATURDAy, JANUARy 16, 2021
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Tip of
the hat,
kick in
the pants
A
tip of the hat to Umatilla
County for ramping up its
vaccine distribution abilities so
quickly and effectively that the county
was able to vaccinate hundreds of resi-
dents against COVID-19 in a single
week and is prepared to vaccinate as
many as 2,000 more per week.
Unfortunately, the state has stymied
that effort by not distributing anywhere
near that level of vaccinations to
Umatilla County, despite the fact that
Umatilla County has had the second
most COVID-19 cases per capita in the
state. That deserves a kick in the pants
to the Oregon Health Authority.
But that part of the equation isn’t
the county’s fault, and we would much
rather see the county ready for more
vaccines than struggling to dole out
what it has on hand before more arrive.
Given the statewide data on vaccines
administered compared to vaccines
distributed, it seems Umatilla County
is ahead of the curve, and that is to be
commended.
A tip of the hat to all those
involved in the complicated rescue
of a snowmobiler injured on Sunday,
Jan. 10, in a remote area of Umatilla
County.
An ambulance couldn’t get
anywhere near the site of the crash, but
the injured man was able to be evac-
uated through the efforts of sheriff’s
offices, search and rescue teams, fire
districts and dispatch centers in both
Umatilla and Union counties, as well as
Life Flight Network and other snow-
mobilers on scene that day.
A tip of the hat to those who
work to preserve and promote local
history, including Victor Kucera, who
recently wrote ”Rivoli,” a 502-page
book on the historic Rivoli Theater
in Pendleton. All proceeds from the
book will support the restoration of the
theater building currently underway.
Kucera spent countless hours over
three years reading page by page
through the East Oregonian’s archives,
interviewing residents, searching
through historical documents and visit-
ing museums to bring all that infor-
mation about the landmark into one
easy-to access spot for future genera-
tions to enjoy.
His work, and his generous donation
of the proceeds, are a valuable gift to
Pendleton.
EDITORIALS
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.
LETTERS
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.
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Unsigned letters will not be published.
SEND LETTERS TO:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801
YOUR VIEWS
MLK’s legacy of love is up
to all of us
The Baha’is of Pendleton began organiz-
ing a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration
over 30 years ago, believing that the cele-
bration of this day was one important way
of pursuing the dream of justice, peace and
equality for all. Over the years, thousands of
people have been involved in these events,
and The Pendleton MLK Jr. Day Commit-
tee is sorry the pandemic is preventing us
from celebrating together this year.
We hope that each resident of Pendle-
ton will take a moment on Monday, Jan. 18,
to think of how they can further MLK Jr.’s
call “for a worldwide fellowship that lifts
neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race,
class, and nation” and is “in reality a call for
an all-embracing and unconditional love for
all men.”
Although we ourselves cannot be
together that day, we would like to share an
uplifting video that celebrates that day from
Lake Oswego: https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/
library/martin-luther-king-jr-day-celebra-
tion.
Sarah Woodbury Haug
Pendleton
Bentz fails to represent his
constituents
I was disappointed in the East Orego-
nian‘s article and editorial comments about
our new representative, Cliff Bentz.
When Mr. Trump was elected in 2016,
I became a registered Democrat. I could
not understand how the Republican Party
could support such an immoral and corrupt
individual for president. We had so many
“good” choices within the party. I have
always been a bit independent in my voting
practices and would often vote cross ticket
for a Republican or Democrat, whoever I
considered the best choice representing my
personal beliefs and had the best interests
for Oregon.
Even as a registered Democrat, I
supported Rep. Greg Walden, because I
felt he best represented how I felt; in other
words, I considered him an honest individ-
ual.
Unfortunately, I do not feel the same
way about our Rep. Bentz. After some of
the antics that have gone on the Oregon
Legislature (by Democrats and Republi-
cans) I have lost faith in Oregon’s Repub-
lican Party to find “good” and “honest”
candidates. A good example is that the last
(and best) Republican governor we ever had
was Victor Atiyeh — better than Hatfield or
McCall.
After only a few days in his new office,
Bentz decided to support the challenge of
the Pennsylvania electoral vote count. This
was obviously a political move to endear
himself to the likes of Sens. Ted Cruz,
R-Texas, and Josh Hawley, R-Missouri,
both of whom have their eye on the 2024
presidential race. It was already known,
and accepted by all the representatives and
senators, that this was only a delay tactic
and they had no real authority other than
totally rejecting an entire state’s votes,
including Republican votes.
Republicans have always been support-
ive of state’s rights, yet Republicans tried
to override a state’s entire vote — just to
placate an individual that is totally unfit to
hold the office of president (and, of course,
to hold on to their own power).
What amazes me most is that Bentz cast
his dissenting vote after the inciting of the
rioters and the breaking in and destruction
of the U.S. Capitol. Oregon should have
chosen better.
We need more representatives like
Adam Kitzinger, R-Illinois, who has the
guts to support our Constitution as opposed
to trying to twist its meaning to support
some Republicans that are more interested
in holding power than honoring their oath.
Robert Park
Helix
Trump is not above the law
It is not a law that protects a sitting pres-
ident from being charged with a crime, it is
only a Department of Justice policy. Thus,
now that Donald Trump is leaving execu-
tive office, he needs to beheld accountable
for his reckless actions and self-serving
conduct while he was president.
More than 380,000 Americans have
now died from the pandemic. We are all
very aware the coronavirus is very conta-
gious. Trump is also very aware the virus
can spread very easily and rapidly. The
widely respected Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and many other
health professionals and scientists,
strongly advise against large gatherings.
However, Trump intentionally and will-
fully ignored this professional advice and
held numerous large political rallies across
the country to promote his failed reelection
bid. Trump held these rallies so he could
momentarily bask in all the adulation and
glory he craves and finds at these rallies.
Trump did not require masks or social
distancing at his rallies.
It would not be difficult to legally prove
there were specific deaths as a direct
result of attending a Trump political rally.
Herman Cain, an African American and a
former presidential candidate, and also the
former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, comes
to mind. Cain died after attending the
Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
State criminal charges could be brought
in the context of reckless endangerment,
voluntary or involuntary manslaughter, or
any number of relevant criminal conduct
charges. There is a long-standing adage
that no one is above the law, but Donald
Trump, by his actions, certainly thinks he
is.
Bob Shippentower
Pendleton
Dorran shows poor judgment
Bill Elfering has represented Umatilla
County well as a county commissioner,
businessman, and caring, compassionate,
involved family man. Bill has demonstrated
the confidence to stand alone, the courage to
make tough decisions and the compassion
to listen to the needs of others.
Observing him since the 1970s, the
equality of his actions and the integrity of
his intent catapulted Bill into county lead-
ership. He has worked for many county
causes, not for applause. He is not about
impressing, but he does listen to others
express. He has learned from others
perspectives and open to being educated.
Thanks, Commissioner Elfering.
During his campaign, new Commis-
sioner Dan Dorran has advocated for
increasing access to education, mental
health, and drug rehab centers. Many voters
showed support, viewing him as a part
of the solution for dealing with addiction
issues. Just weeks before the election, Mr.
Dorran’s foolish decision to get behind the
wheel after drinking alcohol at a golf outing,
driving through all that Tri-Cities traffic and
causing a two-vehicle collision in Umatilla,
has self-sabotage written all over it.
Mr. Dorran claimed disenfranchisement
for the west part of the county, which means
the state of being deprived of a right or priv-
ilege. Felons who are no longer allowed to
vote in elections are an example of people
who are disenfranchised. It means not
represented or not having the right to vote.
Western Umatilla county voted.
Thank you, county commissioners, for
not being divisive, and for representing all
residents following science to regain social
lifelines.
Sally Sundin
Walla Walla, Wash.
Kudos galore to CTUIR
GED program upgrade
The challenges for adult learners to
master the skills of reading in order to pass
the GED appear to be unsurmountable.
Althea Huesties-Wolf, Confederated Tribes
of Umatilla Indian Reservation educator
(East Oregonian, Jan. 5, 2021), rewrote the
CTUIR’s GED program to begin to address
these challenges. Showcasing her own
backgrounding in writing, she combined
indigenous stories into custom-fitted
lesson plans that are replete with activi-
ties to develop college-ready skills in all
the component areas of the GED tests that
include science, math and language arts.
Furthermore, an assessment process
was developed to determine which students
were ready to schedule a GED test. As a
former director of the CTUIR Depart-
ment of Education, I am very elated
indeed to note the success of the current
program. Kudos to Althea Huesties-Wolf
and, most especially, congratulations to
all the students that endeavor to earn their
GED and benefit from the CTUIR GED
program.
Zenaida M. Lyles
Pendleton
Bentz added fuel to the fire
for no reason
Cliff Bentz is off to a bad start. In one
of his first official acts as our member of
the House of Representatives, he voted to
throw out all of the millions of votes from
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In a
statement issued on Jan. 7, Bentz explains:
“Article II of the Constitution sets forth
that each state legislature is entrusted with
the authority to establish and facilitate
elections within that state. In Pennsyl-
vania, the Secretary of the Common-
wealth and the state’s Supreme Court did
not adhere to the statutes set forth by the
legislature when they extended deadlines
for the return of absentee ballots.”
The problem for Bentz and his thought-
ful constitutional analysis is that his issue
has already been settled through the
proper legal channels. The case is Kelly v.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania dismissed
the case with prejudice on Nov. 28, 2020.
And on appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court
denied the request for injunctive relief on
Dec. 8, 2020.
This means the issue is done, settled,
over, finished. Bentz’s irresponsible polit-
ical stunt only added fuel to a fire that we
have watched burn out of control. Bentz
and his fellow Republicans must stop
misrepresenting the results of the presi-
dential election and get back to doing the
jobs they were elected to do.
Jon White
La Grande