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A8 THE BULLETIN • TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021 EDITORIALS & OPINIONS AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Heidi Wright Gerry O’Brien Richard Coe Publisher Editor Editorial Page Editor Raising alcohol tax in Oregon has pros, cons R aise your glass for mental health. Alcohol drinkers could be contributing $746 million in new taxes every year to raise money for mental health. The Oregon Health Authority had proposed a similar tax in its plans, but Gov. Kate Brown declined to in- clude it in her budget. The nonprofit Oregon Recovers has teamed up with legislators to work up a tax bill anyway. Is it what Oregon needs? Suggesting higher taxes on alco- hol might not make you popular at parties, but it makes sense on some levels. Higher taxes can reduce con- sumption and raise money. As the price goes up, some problems might go down. The state can also raise taxes without creating a whole new bureaucracy because the bureau- cracy is already there. The concept under consideration would take the money raised and use it to help Oregonians with mental health problems. And there is a need. Relatively speaking, the state of Oregon has one of the highest rates of need for mental health care and the lowest rates of access, according to Mental Health America, a nonprofit dedi- cated to mental health. We haven’t seen the exact pro- posal, but according to the Willa- mette Week, it would “compel the Oregon Liquor Control Commis- sion to raise prices 20%” on hard al- cohol. The rest of the money would be raised by increasing taxes on beer and wine. It’s not clear what that would mean to prices for a six-pack or a bottle of wine. Are Oregon’s taxes on alcohol too high or too low now? The Tax Foun- dation regularly puts out maps that show relative rates among the states. Beer taxes in Oregon in 2020 were about 8 cents a gallon, giving it one of the lowest rates in the country, 45th. Wine taxes were about 67 cents a gallon, making it 31st in the coun- try. And Oregon was No. 2 in taxes for distilled spirits at $21.95 a gallon, though that takes into consideration an implied rate because the state of Oregon controls hard liquor sales. Of course higher taxes could mean lower sales, and that could mean jobs. Oregon has some 900 wineries, 400 breweries, 100 cideries and 73 distributors. You can’t walk far around Bend without bump- ing into a brewer or distiller. And many of those businesses have been slammed by the pandemic. No matter how you feel about this tax proposal, you can let your legis- lator know. Bills would change child care, ban box H undreds of bills are intro- duced before the Legislature begins, but more are added and updated almost daily. We no- ticed quite a few interesting ones added to the legislative hopper late last week. Affordable child care is simply too hard for too many families to find in Oregon. A state task force has been working on the problem. But one solid change to child care proposed is in Senate Bill 716. Employers would be required to “reasonably accom- modate” an employee’s work sched- ule request as a result of the availabil- ity of child care. What is reasonable? That is not defined. That could be a lawsuit-sized headache for employ- ers, but let’s hope everyone is indeed reasonable. Passage of this bill may mean employees without children or with more flexible child care sched- ules get their schedules shifted. Transit workers in Oregon cannot strike according to state law. Senate Bill 690 would repeal that section of the law. Good news, perhaps, for transit workers. It could tilt the balance toward more benefits and wages for them. People who ride the bus might not be so happy, if it comes to a strike. Should people be required to dis- close criminal convictions in college applications? Senate Bill 713 would prohibit private and public post-sec- ondary institutions in Oregon from requiring applicants to make any such disclosure before a decision was made on admission. There is an exception carved out for law en- forcement programs and profes- sional degree programs. This bill can be seen as an extension of the “ban the box” movement, which strives to eliminate barriers that convicted criminals face. Most colleges across the country did require that such in- formation be disclosed, according to a 2019 study. Disclosing a conviction may not bar a student. Lying about it might. But many believe having the question on an application at all cre- ates a chilling effect, destroying op- portunities for people to turn their lives around. Should Oregon ban the box for higher education? Editorials reflect the views of The Bulletin’s editorial board, Publisher Heidi Wright, Editor Gerry O’Brien and Editorial Page Editor Richard Coe. They are written by Richard Coe. My Nickel’s Worth Thank you for the shot When I got my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine recently, I was positively giddy. Thank you to all the workers at the fairgrounds who work like a well-oiled machine. It was painless and efficient. Thank you Gov. Kate Brown for making educators a priority as we return to the classroom with mul- tiple opportunities for exposure to infection. Thank you to the over-60 citizens who have been so gracious. It is unfortunate that difficult de- cisions have to be made. I promise not to squander the gift I have been given. I have pages of notes and plans of how I am going to meet the needs of my students. Thank you to the families who have worked so hard with their children during comprehensive distance learn- ing. Your efforts were not in vain. I will continue to wear a mask, socially distance and wash my hands at every opportunity. Those are still important tools to keep everyone as safe as possi- ble. The vaccine is not a panacea but it is beacon of hope. Thank you! — Torree Abrams works for Bend-La Pine Schools. Results were reliable With so many judicial comments, including from the Supreme Court of the United States, so many re- counts of the ballot results, we ended up with the most reliable results ever from a national election. In spite of this, letter writer Jared Black wants an asterisk next to Biden’s name. How do we rate Trump’s four-year reign in office: @#$%&*! — Tom Gunn, Bend Gorman was an inspiration Thank you for publishing the text of “The Hill We Climb” by the Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, which she read at Pres- ident Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Her composure and delivery were remarkable for a 22-year-old on such an auspicious occasion. But her words were even more impres- sive: eloquent, uplifting, and inspi- rational. — Laurie Henberg, Sunriver Bad vaccination policy Juxtaposed on Saturday’s front page were three stories about COVID-19: one in which Redmond schools announced a delay of in-per- son learning (which I applaud) and two regarding Oregon’s current vac- cine priorities (which I disagree with). Gov. Kate Brown has embarked on a program with hypotheti- cal benefits (returning students to schools) at the expense of a known outcome (excess COVID-19 mortal- ities for Oregon seniors). In doing so, she repeats the same mistakes she regularly castigated the Trump administration for: ignoring the sci- ence. She misses the point that the only way schools will return to normal is when the pandemic has ended — and the only way to end the pan- demic is to follow the science as well as the recommendations of medical professionals. Dozens — if not hundreds — of Oregon seniors will pay the ultimate price for delaying their vaccinations. If the governor wants to demonstrate empathy and leadership, she should defer her personal vaccination until all Oregon seniors have had the op- portunity to receive theirs; or, better yet, until all Oregon residents have had their turn. Nothing beats leader- ship by example! — Kent McLean, Redmond Brown made the right choice These trying times force tough decisions. I approve of Gov. Kate Brown’s decision to vaccinate teach- ers before seniors. All children, especially in the K-3 group, will benefit significantly from in-per- son learning, not only education- ally but socially as well. It has been well- documented that not only do schools teach and provide needed social interactions, but they also en- sure access to meals and visibility to child abuse for some. It is not just children that will ben- efit when schools reopen, but par- ents (mostly women) who have had to forgo working and can return if their work environment is available and safe. How then to respond to the con- cern of 300 additional senior deaths if vaccinations are delayed by two weeks? Communities can help en- sure that these numbers are not real- ized by making grocery runs for se- niors, by staying in touch with their senior relatives, not with indoor gatherings, but by phone or elec- tronic means, and following mask and social distancing rules. At age 73, I can wait a few more weeks. — Kay Korzun, Bend Letters policy Guest columns How to submit We welcome your letters. Letters should be limited to one issue, contain no more than 250 words and include the writer’s signature, phone number and address for verification. We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We re- ject poetry, personal attacks, form letters, letters submitted elsewhere and those appropriate for other sections of The Bul- letin. Writers are limited to one letter or guest column every 30 days. Your submissions should be between 550 and 650 words; they must be signed; and they must include the writer’s phone number and address for verification. We edit submissions for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We reject those submitted elsewhere. Locally submitted columns alternate with national colum- nists and commentaries. Writers are lim- ited to one letter or guest column every 30 days. Please address your submission to either My Nickel’s Worth or Guest Column and mail, fax or email it to The Bulletin. Email submissions are preferred. Email: letters@bendbulletin.com Write: My Nickel’s Worth/Guest Column P.O. Box 6020 Bend, OR 97708 Fax: 541-385-5804 Biden’s foreign policy must start with strength, unity at home BY DANIEL DREZNER Special to The Washington Post E very U.S. president elected in this century has started his pres- idency by prioritizing problems at home rather than abroad. George W. Bush ran on a foreign policy plat- form grounded in humility, devoting his inaugural address to themes of re- storing civility and reducing poverty in this country. Amid economic cri- sis and war, Barack Obama stressed the need for nation-building at home to “begin again the work of remak- ing America.” Donald Trump echoed Obama’s theme, declaring the need to repair American carnage and subordi- nate all foreign policy principles to do- mestic economic interests. Joe Biden continued that tradition in talking about the need “to restore the soul and to secure the future of America.” Seasoned U.S. foreign policy observ- ers reacted to these words with a mix- ture of fervor and cynicism. Fervor, because there is a legitimate, ongoing debate within the foreign policy com- munity of just how much any incom- ing administration should try to exer- cise global leadership. For some, this is because of debates about the utility of retrenchment or engagement relative to the status quo. For others, it is the content of the liberal international or- der that they think should be debated. The cynicism is because national se- curity advocates across the spectrum treat the words of an inaugural address as fleeting. Sometimes events, such as the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, force a president’s hand. Sometimes, advo- cacy, such as those who called for hu- manitarian interventions or targeted assassinations, bring an issue to the front of a president’s queue. As Biden’s inaugural address fades from view, it will be easy for the stan- dard retrenchment vs. engagement debate to emerge. Traditionally, I have been on the engagement side of that argument. This time is different. For Biden, foreign policy really has to start at home. This is not to say that the Biden administration should be isolationist. Far from it. Biden has put together a stellar foreign policy and national se- curity team dedicated to restoration. Whatever qualms I have about the de- fense secretary, the Democrats now have a much deeper foreign policy bench than Republicans, a remarkable reversal of fortune from a generation ago. My point is that Biden should let that team take the lead on as many for- eign policy questions as possible for the rest of the year. This is not only because these prob- lems are paramount, although they clearly are. Nor is it only because it is Biden’s first year in office and he should maximize his policymaking ability while his party controls both chambers of Congress, although that is also a good reason. It is that right now, Biden’s ability to address what ails the nation will help the United States over- seas the most. Read the first inaugural addresses of Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden in sequence and a pattern emerges: The crises facing each new leader are de- scribed in progressively more apoca- lyptic terms. Look at polling across the world and a similar pattern emerges: Foreign attitudes toward the United States have worsened because of the country’s inability to get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic. The after- math of a Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol does not help either. Allies look at the United States and doubt its ability to credibly commit; adversaries look and see every reason to trumpet their own models as inherently superior in cop- ing with 21st-century challenges. The Biden administration has the capacity to shift this narrative. It can improve the testing and tracing re- gime. Most important, it can accelerate the vaccination of Americans well past 1 million doses a day. Given the emer- gence of more-infectious strains of the coronavirus, the quicker the vaccina- tions proceed, the better. The more the United States displays policy competency, the greater U.S. in- fluence will be globally. Polls suggest that in taking office and implementing the first-day actions that eliminate the previous adminis- tration’s dumbest, most counterpro- ductive policies, Biden has already ramped up the nation’s image among key allies. Biden’s foreign policy team has a lot of work to do on how to handle China, Russia, the Middle East and other global challenges. The president should let them get to it and get out of the way for 2021. His experience means they are less likely to freelance and more likely to pursue his overar- ching restorationist vision. Time is a president’s scarcest re- source. The overwhelming bulk of Biden’s time this year should be de- voted to restoring Americans’ trust in their own system. On this, let us hope, all stripes of the foreign policy com- munity will agree. e e Daniel Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.