A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Tax debate
requires a
sharp eye
I
t’s hard to cover the
machinations of Washington,
D.C., from the friendly wide
open spaces of Eastern Oregon.
It’s doubly hard when the issue
being discussed in the Capitol
is the American tax code, a
mess so complicated that most
Americans can barely make
limited sense of it.
Now how in the world could
a reader translate the whispers,
rumors and actual reports of
possible changes to the system
— and not just what effect those
changes would have on you and
your family — but on millions
of other Americans, our national
debt, the Federal Reserve and
the global economic system?
It’s near impossible, but
that doesn’t mean we intend
to give tax reform short shrift.
Perhaps nothing is as important
to our readers, and to the fi scal
strength of our country and its
inhabitants.
Republicans are in control
of all levers of the federal
government, having secured
the White House and a majority
in the Senate and House of
Representatives in 2016.
Thus far, that hasn’t
translated into any meaningful
legislative victories, but tax
reform is by far the best chance.
Most Americans don’t trust
Republicans when it comes to
health care, but a majority do
when it comes to fi scal policies.
And tax reform also unites both
the Trumpian and traditional
wings of the Republican Party
(who were divided on health
care) as well as many moderate
non-affi liated voters who yearn
for simpler and lower taxes.
“Tax reform,” at its core,
is supported by a majority
of Americans. But how you
slice and dice “reform” moves
its acceptability ratings. If
a majority of the tax cuts
and “reform” is perceived to
benefi t corporations and the
rich, its popularity plummets.
Therefore, it’s curious to see the
different tax packages currently
being debated in the House
and Senate, which are both
centered around cutting taxes
for corporations and the rich.
That’s especially disappointing
due to the fact that low-income
Americans were the voters
who swept Trump into the
presidency.
Republicans argue that those
tax breaks will eventually trickle
down, but on that fact many
economists remain unconvinced,
and history hasn’t done much to
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
sway them. An analysis of the
House plan by the Tax Policy
Center concludes taxes would
decrease for all income groups
in 2018, but by 2027, 50 percent
of the tax benefi ts would go to
those with incomes in the top 1
percent.
Both bills would almost
double the standard deduction.
But at the same time, they
would eliminate the personal
exemption for each taxpayer
and dependent, which could
actually cause large families to
pay more.
Removing the medical
expense tax deduction, as is
proposed in the House plan,
would be good for the defi cit but
bad for many Americans already
struggling with high medical
costs. The student loan interest
tax deduction to be eliminated
in the House plan is a signifi cant
help to many young people who
pursue higher education. The
Senate plan currently retains
these deductions.
The Senate plan to eliminate
federal deductions for state
and local income and property
taxes would affect taxpayers
differently, based on local and
state taxes. After opposition to
a similar proposal in the House
plan, it was amended to allow
up to a $10,000 deduction for
state and local property taxes.
There are hundreds — maybe
thousands — of nooks and
crannies in these proposals,
each of which will have real-
world effects on the wallets and
budgets of all Americans.
And as they wend their way
through Congress, the bills are
sure to change form many times
over in ways both obvious and
obscure. The Republican party
establishment will have their
go at it, as will lobbyists and
special interest groups, and the
White House holds key powers
as well.
Americans should remain
positive about the possibility
of true reform and its ability
to improve our broken tax
system. But we should
demand fairness, simplicity
and reasonableness from
the tax code. And we should
demand that the needs and
desires of taxpayers outweigh
the lobbyists and special
interests, the corporations and
the rich.
It won’t be easy. But if it’s
done, the American people and
economy — as well as the
political party that ushers it into
being — stand to benefi t.
G UEST C OMMENT
Pass Oregon Clean Energy Jobs bill to
help our rural communities and Tribes
By Don Sampson
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
As a fi shery biologist, I have
worked on Columbia River salmon
restoration for over 30 years. As an
enrolled member of the Confeder-
ated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation, I grew up on the Res-
ervation hunting elk and deer, and
fi shing for salmon.
My work has involved studying
changes to our river system. The
impact of climate change became
apparent almost 20 years ago as our
Tribes studied the fl ow of water in
the river at different times. Since
then, our Tribes have worked ex-
tensively to document the impact of
climate change on our salmon and
Oregon rivers due to reduced snow-
pack and increased drought. For
many of you reading this, you know
summer wildfi res fi ll our skies for
weeks with smoke — affecting
our air, our children, our elders. It
is projected the intensity and mag-
nitude of wildfi res in the West will
increase due to climate change. We
are seeing it now.
Native Americans and rural com-
munities in Oregon are affected by
climate impacts on a daily basis.
The salmon run sometimes arrives
late — or not at all. The migration
patterns of birds and elk, which
we have hunted for generations,
are changing. The native roots in
the foothills and mountains that
we have relied on for food arrive
earlier and for a much shorter pe-
riod of time. Last year the huck-
leberries were few, arrived early,
and the window of time they were
available decreased from three
months to two and a half weeks.
These native foods have great cul-
Contributed photo
Don Sampson and grandson
Loren.
tural and ceremonial signifi cance,
and to lose them due to climate
change means losing part of who
we are.
We’re working on adaptation
strategies, but many tribes have
also begun to focus on how to pre-
vent and mitigate climate impacts by
reducing carbon pollution, increas-
ing the use of wind and solar energy,
and developing innovative projects
like at the Tamástslikt Cultural Insti-
tute, which is so energy effi cient it
produces nearly as much energy as
it uses.
The Clean Energy Jobs bill, a
policy I’m advocating that the legis-
lature pass in 2018, is important to
Tribes and rural communities like
Pendleton, because it will reduce
climate pollution by making large
emitters pay for what they pollute,
and use the proceeds to invest in
clean energy solutions. Investments
will be prioritized to help Native
American communities and other
low income, rural and communities
of color that are hardest hit by the
impacts of climate change and air
pollution.
The Clean Energy Jobs bill will
also help tribes protect the forest.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide, and
companies can “offset” some of
their contributions to global warm-
ing by paying to protect the trees.
The Warm Springs Tribe in central
Oregon just completed a 20,000-
acre forest land project on the east
side of Mt. Jefferson. This project
will help mitigate carbon emissions
for the next 100 years while bring
millions in revenues to be reinvest-
ed the reservation’s rural economy.
But this project is being developed
under California’s cap and trade
program. With Clean Energy Jobs,
tribes could participate in the offset
program, right here in Oregon ben-
efi ting the Tribe and all Oregonians.
Most Tribes in Oregon are de-
veloping climate mitigation plans,
and the reinvestment resources from
Clean Energy Jobs would create an
exciting opportunity for Tribes to
implement those plans. These plans
are being developed with our local
city, county and state partners. We
could invest in expanding renew-
able energy like wind and solar and
in land preservation, which creates
jobs and protects our culture, food
and watershed.
Our lives and our way of life are
interconnected with the climate. It’s
time to transition Oregon from dirty
to clean energy while creating jobs
and business opportunities. Find out
how you can help at RenewOregon.
org. When the legislature convenes
in February, they should pass the
Clean Energy Jobs bill.
Don Sampson is the former
chairman and executive director
of the Umatilla Tribe. He currently
serves as the climate change project
director for the Affi liated Tribes of
Northwest Indians, a consortium of
61 Tribes in Oregon, Washington,
Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Cali-
fornia.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Hunter should
confess to wolf killing
Ferrioli appointment
a big opportunity for
rural Oregon
directed to the actual cause of envi-
ronmental problems. If the truth fi -
nally comes out, it could really help
the resource industries.
Rep. Bentz would be an excel-
lent replacement for Ferrioli. He
has fi rsthand experience in the is-
sues that greatly effect rural Ore-
gon. He is very accessible and, most
important, listens to the concerns of
his constituents and acts on it. A
very intricate part of saving Mal-
heur County from the federal gov-
ernment would be just one example.
His staff is very professional and al-
ways has time for his constituents.
What all this boils down to is
that an opportunity like this does
not happen very often for the peo-
ple of rural Oregon. Hopefully all
of these pieces fall together.
Loren Stout
John Day
To the Editor:
Recently, there have been several
articles written on the appointment
of state Sen. Ted Ferrioli to a federal
board that oversees huge amounts of
money and Rep. Cliff Bentz taking
over Ferrioli’s senatorial seat. What
has not been fully explained is the
importance that both of these moves
has on the well being of rural Eastern
Oregon communities.
Ferrioli’s job will be to direct
how money is appropriated from
sources such as the Bonneville
Power Administration. Who knows,
maybe some of the money may be
Editor’s note: State Sen. Ted
Ferrioli has been appointed to the
Pacifi c Northwest Electric Power
Planning and Conservation Coun-
cil, but the Senate Rules Commit-
tee must confi rm the appointment
and was scheduled to take up the
matter Nov. 13-15. If confi rmed,
Republican precinct committees in
his district will submit the names of
three to fi ve candidates to the coun-
ty courts or commissions in his dis-
trict. The commissioners will then
choose Ferrioli’s replacement, with
the votes apportioned by the total
number of electors in each county.
To the Editor:
In regards to the hunter who shot
the wolf, why can’t he be honest?
He’s obviously lying about shoot-
ing it. Charging straight at him but
the bullet passed through the front
sides. I wouldn’t issue him a hunting
license because I wouldn’t trust him
to properly harvest and fi ll the tag for
the animal he intends to harvest! In
my opinion, he should just confess
and face the consequences if any.
John Melland
John Day
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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Honoring our vets
To the Editor:
I am a director on the board of
the Long Creek Cemetery mainte-
nance district, and I apologize for
the fact that there were no flags
put out on the veterans’ graves on
Veterans Day.
The person who has a contract
to take care of the cemetery was
supposed to put flags out, weather
permitting, but didn’t feel it was
important on Veterans Day. There
was no rain nor two feet of snow
on Veterans Day, just cold, and we
were told by the John Day radio
station and it was on the Portland
news that Veterans Day will not
have snow nor heavy rain.
It was cold, but as I watched
ceremonies across the country
in some places a lot colder than
Long Creek, the people had flags
and honored their vets.
Flags should have been on
every grave of a veteran, and if
there were two feet of snow, a flag
should have been on each of the
gates.
One gate was even locked.
In the past, volunteers from the
school and our community have
helped put the flags out on Me-
morial Day, Fourth of July and or
Labor Day.
To me, one of the most import-
ant is Veterans Day.
Wanda McHatton
Long Creek
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