KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
TuEsDAY, JuNE 7, 2022
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Historic
vote is
about
people
J
ackie Linton’s elevation to the
Hermiston City Council marks a
milestone in terms of the effort to
add diversity to the elected board, but for
voters the key piece is her outlook on life.
“It’s about the people. You look at the
people, and you do what you can to help
them,” Linton said in a recent story in this
newspaper.
There is no doubt that more diversity is
needed on elected and appointed boards
across Eastern Oregon, not just in Herm-
iston.
America’s democracy is built on a
number of pillars, including the notion
that all people, all citizens, should be
represented. That doesn’t mean some
should be represented and some not.
That’s why our nation, our state and our
region is stronger when all of its diverse
cultures are represented on an elected
board.
Linton’s election victory can be seen
on its face — a Black woman, in a
predominantly white or Hispanic area,
was elected to a city council position.
While that is hugely significant, what is
even more important is the person behind
the name, the individual who will sit on
the council.
Her comment about people is a good
doorway into the type of person, and, we
hope, leader Linton is. It’s not about race
or culture but about people. Black, white,
Hispanic, Native American — we are all
people, all with similar goals and hopes
and dreams. We all want generally the
same things — prosperity, respect and
the ability to take care of our families in a
safe environment.
Linton’s victory signals that voters are
keenly aware of the need for diversity,
but her win also shows that a person with
solid goals and with a balanced outlook
on life can be supported by her fellow
citizens. Yes, Linton’s win is a win for
diversity, but it is also a triumph for our
democracy, a sign that as we change as
a society all the assorted voices of our
region can be heard.
Diversity is what makes our nation
so great and another one of our inherent
strengths. Linton, though, in the end is
correct. It isn’t about race or gender or
religion but about people. About all of us,
as we strive to make it in an increasingly
competitive and complicated world.
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.
The phone number will not be published.
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
Time is a four-letter word
DANIEL
WATTENBURGER
HOMEGROWN
I
saw a number this week that made
no sense in its context.
The digits “2029” were printed
across the back of my daughter’s T-shirt
commemorating her final days of school
as an elementary student. They repre-
sent the year, I am led to believe, that
she and her class of fellow children will
graduate from high school to take one
of the most significant steps into adult-
hood.
That year exists, in concrete and
inevitable form, in this current decade.
It is still the future, but no longer some
distant future for some future version of
myself to deal with.
Even though time is literally the most
predictable force in our world, pass-
ing at the same steady tempo since the
world started turning, it still manages to
surprise at every turn of the calendar.
Every graduation party you will
attend this season includes some version
of the conversation “It goes by so fast”
and “I can’t believe how quickly they
grow up.” For parents of young children,
these are shared as words of advice —
enjoy it, don’t take it for granted. And
even as I relish the individual days with
my children, from roughly the midway
point I can’t help but be astonished by
the fleeting years.
But my interest in the next generation
isn’t solely raising two human beings
who are prepared to positively engage
with the world around them and lead
lives of purpose and joy. I am interested
in seeing an entire generation prepared
to take on the challenges on the horizon,
especially the ones we’re passing on to
them.
Reporting and editorializing in the
East Oregonian has recently taken
a close look at what we’re doing to
prepare this generation. Last week the
editorial board wrote a scathing indict-
ment with the headline “We are failing
our children,” and it’s a spot-on assess-
ment of the wide canyon between what
we should be doing for young families
and children and what we are doing.
We haven’t shown the resolve neces-
sary of good investors. The full divi-
dends of early education aren’t seen for
20 years, but we’ve consistently failed
to create, fund and stick with programs
long enough to prove their effectiveness
or learn how to improve them. Educa-
tional opportunity for children in the
first five years of life is insufficient, and
further sets back progress of students as
they enter the school system.
Failing to educate our children will
only hinder their ability to solve many
of the large, consequential problems
that are growing more treacherous with
time. From immediate threats such as
gun violence to the unfolding hazards of
climate change, we have opted to take a
mostly wait-and-see approach. Even if
we become truly motivated in the next
decade to tackle such looming existen-
tial threats, it will be up to our children
to carry on that work.
A good first step is to admit the
future is coming. The investment or
neglect we put into today’s children will
be magnified in the next generation. If
we don’t show the resolve to ensure their
safety, protect their health and educate
their minds, how much value are we
putting on their lives?
Every parent’s goal is to provide a
better life for their children, but we need
to make that a societal ambition, not just
a personal one. Because it may be hard
to imagine the future getting here, but
it’s on its way.
———
Daniel Wattenburger is the former
managing editor of the East Oregonian.
He lives in Hermiston with his wife and
children and is an account manager for
Pac/West Lobby Group. Contact him at
danielwattenburger@gmail.com.
system does not. The uAs program has
created jobs that pay well above aver-
age wages with benefits, health insur-
ance and retirement programs. Elite
Taxi? If you’re satisfied with a mini-
mum wage, dead end job, so be it. Food
stamps, and assistance programs for
rent, utilities and child care are available
through various government programs.
Do they really think they are actually
saving money with the current trans-
portation program? Are they too stub-
born to recognize there are alternative
programs that work better and are readily
available? Contrary to statements made
by our public transportation manage-
ment, not all programs require purchas-
ing vehicles or construction of a bus
barn. Having the right people in the right
places has made a huge difference at the
airport. It’s time for a change in atti-
tude at city hall. Hiring more staff and
an advertising agency to push a failing
program is not the answer. Throwing
good money after bad solves nothing.
Rick Rohde
Pendleton
faculty and only $635,000 from staff,
and now they’re going to put $235,000
of that back in, while cutting faculty
further by another $1.2 million. so,
over the last three years faculty will
have been cut by $2.3 million while
staff cuts were $400,000. Not even
close to “almost entirely staff.”
In his latest press release, Mr. Brown-
ing contradicts himself. The “marketing”
and “data research” positions are new
exactly because they are not there now …
regardless of the fact that they were there
three years ago. That’s just double talk.
Besides, they’re cutting the adult basic
education program that has never needed
“marketing.” What’s the point of market-
ing anyway if you have significantly
fewer courses and programs to offer?
After the planned cuts to courses
and programs only one in four dollars
spent on personnel will pay for full-time
teachers. Full-time teacher salaries will
be less than 12% of the budget. Most
community colleges in Oregon spend
almost half of their funds on instruc-
tion. BMCC will be way off that mark.
Teachers at BMCC make the same
money as Pendleton K-12 teachers. so,
contrary to Mr. Browning’s claim, they
are not “overpaid.” Isn’t the whole point
of a school to put students in a classroom
with the best teachers? You wouldn’t
know it given the new budget priorities,
where less than $2 in $10 pays teachers.
Robert Hillenbrand
Pendleton
YOUR VIEWS
Above averages wages,
an economic necessity
Creating jobs that pay above average
wages should be the primary focus in
local economic development. The jobs
created by Pendleton’s unmanned aircraft
systems program are proof possible given
qualified management, adequate fund-
ing and unwavering support by city hall.
It bodes well for the health of the city’s
economy while also contributing to an
increase in new housing construction as
a byproduct. It’s an example of what’s
possible when grants are used prudently.
The city’s public transportation
system is primarily, perhaps totally,
supported with grants, grants funded
with various taxes. Most recently,
salem has passed a new transporta-
tion tax, a 1% additional income tax
on wages paid only by working stiffs.
Retirees and those no longer seeking
employment get a break on this one.
Pendleton’s city manager has
appointed the finance department’s
manager to develop and oversee our
public transportation system. Day-to-
day operations have been contracted to
Elite Taxi through a bidding process,
naturally going to the lowest bidder.
Here we have two programs made
possible with grants, but that’s where
the similarity ends. The uAs program
brings revenue into the airport and has
relieved the financial drain on the city’s
budget. The city’s public transportation
BMCC slashes budget for
full-time teacher salaries
Blue Mountain Community
College President Mark Brown-
ing claims, “cuts over the last two
years were almost entirely in admin-
istrative staff.” That’s nonsense.
The college took $1.1 million out of