Page 4A East Oregonian OPINION Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Founded October 16, 1875

KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor

JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor

OUR VIEW State should consider raising governor’s salary In Gov. John Kitzhaber’s recent authorities are investigating if the decline and fall, Oregon voters two broke laws along the way. were reminded that their governor If you look at how Oregon is paid $98,000 annually. Even in a pays its judges, there is a similar OTHER VIEWS state that notoriously devalues the pattern. For salaries paid for general compensation for elected public jurisdictional courts (circuit courts), service, what we pay our governor Oregon ranks 49th. For salaries paid :KDW¶VQHZSXVV\FDW"0HHUNDW is laughable. Oregon is among the to the state’s highest court, we rank USTIN, Texas — Pity the poor donation drives and showed a sample ERWWRP¿YHVWDWHV 48th. Those numbers cat. of innocent “yaks.” In one, a lost girl for governor salary, are gathered by the A Somehow that creature of was escorted back to her building; joining Colorado, In the aftermath National Council for LQ¿QLWHGHWDFKPHQWHPHUJHGDVWKH in another, redheads were praised as Arkansas, Arizona of Kitzhaber, State Courts. symbol of incessant attachment here at awesome. and Maine in that There is a little- South by Southwest. “Do you think we’re so corruption law In this festival of interactivity, feebleminded that we believe this group. The most known Oregon connectivity, sharing and Tinder-ing, ÀLPÀDPDERXWcats to be less snobby and the nefarious Bitcoin and were gathered by the website to the present $98,000. more in tune with the huggy People at South transactions in the Internet Ballotpedia. Raising the governor’s salary Internet age. by Southwest netherworld, Winklevoss In the aftermath of Kitzhaber, would not necessarily inhibit another Jackson Galaxy, protested: “People use cash Oregon’s corruption law and Kitzhaber-type episode. The best the tattooed, pierced, aren’t aiming every second of the day to corruption culture are under antidote to that are good examples, catwhispering host of “My higher anymore. do illegal things. Bitcoin a renewed microscope. It’s a strong and unbiased media and a Cat From Hell,” on Animal is traceable and cash is understandable to wonder if a voting culture that does not tolerate Planet, held a standing- They are anonymous.” low salary helped exacerbate such actions. Gov. Kate Brown’s room-only session called If Toby deigned to “CATastrophe: Good, Bad aiming niche. accept the Marie Claire the problems that overtook the ¿UVWUHWXUQVDUHJRRGRQHVZKHQ and Ugly of Internet Cats.” invitation, he no doubt governor’s mansion. Granted, it considering the sweeping ethics and He advised the crowd would interpolate: “Bitcoin can’t be the main culprit. A quick public records disclosure legislation — some wearing orange cat ears — that, PRUHWUDQVSDUHQW"%DOGHUGDVK:HGRQ¶WHYHQ look at the states that pay the highest she proposed recently. rather than calling cats “aloof,” it might be know who invented it. It’s Disney dollars for to their government leader are :HXUJHOHJLVODWRUVWR¿QG better to describe them as “freethinkers,” “Zen tech nerds.” among those with the most common the gumption to take this issue masters” and “Buddhists.” Then there was my interview with Alex DQGKLJKSUR¿OHFRUUXSWLRQFDVHV on. The same is true for judicial Galaxy’s attempt to warm up the image of Winter, who graduated from playing Bill in But our state salary wasn’t salaries, where there is a very real cats was undercut by research suggesting that “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” to create enough for the money-obsessed comparison to be made with what the only species that seems to show no regret an Epix documentary about the Darknet, Cylvia Hayes and it wasn’t getting a good lawyer can make in private or forgiveness after spats are cats. where the Silk Road marketplace operated “I would hesitate to call cats domestic with Bitcoin, called “The Deep Web.” her rich enough fast enough. practice. animals,” he told me, adding that he liked the “It’s like looking under the hood of the Compensation became an issue If salaries are strong enough, fact that they are not “slavish,” but rather “no Internet,” Winter said, arguing that the Deep because the former governor sought we could then work to lawfully compromise” creatures who “kill stuff really Web is “largely used for good” by government outside speaking engagements and restrict outside income while in the well.” agencies, dissidents and journalists. it appears that he and his girlfriend state’s highest position. That’s the The focus on felines made me wish I could But Toby would certainly beg to differ, were trying to supplement their simplest way to ensure the seeds roam the festival with Tobermory, the barbed VFRI¿QJ³,W¶VD¿UVWUDWHED]DDUIRUGUXJ income by getting paid to do of corruption don’t sprout real British cat with the “velvet tread and studied dealers, child pornography peddlers, illegal favors for outside interests. Federal problems. unconcern” from the Saki short story. In the arms salesman and Bitcoin burglars.” 1911 yarn, a member of Lady Blemley’s house If I dragged Toby to the panel with Dan party teaches Tobermory, or Toby for short, Rather and the former Obama adviser Dan to talk. Indifferent to the feelings of humans, Pfeiffer, he would twitch at the exuberance of Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Toby is brutally honest, exposing the guests’ Pfeiffer predicting a Meerkatting “revolution” Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not dalliances, deceptions and foibles. in coverage. And Toby would put his paws necessarily that of the East Oregonian. I needed someone like Toby to help me cut together, as many in the audience did, when through the verbal clutter and Panglossian spin Rather advised prudence during this tech OTHER VIEWS LQDZRUOGZKHUHFHOHEULWLHVDUH³LQÀXHQFHUV´ “orgy of delight” and insisted that journalists people are “users,” news is “content,” will always be needed to separate the “brass “platforms” are not shoes, the “Deep Web” tacks from the bull shine.” Use state lottery dollars is no place for Charlotte, and virtual reality Toby would sniff that South by Southwest trumps plain old reality. Toby would glide was more social than media and prowl off to coolly past the drones in the Robot Petting catch up with Judd Apatow. Zoo. But he would make quick work of Yik Not one to pussyfoot, Toby would offer for sage grouse protection Yak co-founders Tyler Droll and Brooks his biting commentary as he left: “People at The Baker City Herald Bentz’s bill would require the state %XI¿QJWRQIRUPHUIUDWEURWKHUVZHDULQJ South By are not aiming higher anymore. to spend $2 million per in year in lottery matching turquoise Yik Yak socks for their They are aiming niche. They aren’t looking to The potential effects on Baker revenue to protect and restore sage interview on stage. do anything larger than themselves. They are County’s economy if the federal grouse habitat. They tried to push back against criticism aiming to monetize eyeballs in a petty way. government lists the sage grouse as That’s a relatively modest amount that their anonymous, location-based social They are making even less meaningful social a threatened or by lottery standards app used by students is a magnet for crude apps and not creating things that are either endangered species — the state doled out sexual hazing, bomb threats and bullying: the blazingly new or deeply important to our lives can hardly be more than $46 million intimidating “Wild West of anonymous social or transformative to society. It’s not inspiring underestimated. We support in the most recent apps,” as a law professor put it in a Times to aggregate 100,000 tweets.” Most directly, most efforts to prove two-year budget article. Meow. of the beef cattle that cycle. 'UROODQG%XI¿QJWRQVDLGWKH\ZDQWHGWR Ŷ produces about $53 to federal But it can only create a site that would offer “a level playing Maureen Dowd, winner of the 1999 million annual sales bolster the state’s ¿HOGIRUFRQWHQW´QRPDWWHU\RXUUDFH Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary, for local ranchers also officials that case against federal gender, ethnicity or popularity. They talked became a columnist on The New York Times spend part of the year the sage protection for sage about how it could provide lifesaving help on Op-Ed page in 1995. grazing on public land grouse if it can point that that feds might grouse doesn’t to a $2 million state deem critical habitat need federal investment — and not YOUR VIEWS for sage grouse. involving tax dollars ‘Statue worship’ is really just Pendleton community. His Buckaroo football Although it doesn’t protection. — in helping the bird. teams dominated Eastern Oregon and were seem likely that a As for the bill, respect for ancestry a statewide power for many years. He sent sage grouse listing we’re optimistic In living in Umatilla County and Pendleton many players on to major college programs would end public about its prospects in for 75 years, I though I had seen all the dumb on scholarship, while many more of “Requa’s land grazing, even a moderate reduction Salem. thinking in the area, but the comment by the boys” went on to play at smaller colleges in grazing could cause considerable Legislators certainly should not editor in the March 20 East Oregonian tops it because of the love of the game they had problems for ranchers and, inevitably, ignore the testimony from Baker all. developed under Requa’s tutelage. create a ripple effect throughout the County business owners who addressed The conversion of the Jackson Sundown These boys went on to become teachers, local economy. the House Committee on Agriculture statue to a cartoon character and it is so coaches, school administrators, doctors, All of which goes to explain why and Natural Resources via video link on charming by a member of the city council. dentists, lawyers, farmers, ranchers and we support efforts to prove to federal Tuesday morning. These people should go back to human successful businessmen. Many of them RI¿FLDOVWKDWWKHVDJHJURXVHDWOHDVWLQ Business owners said they fear a sage behavior school. returned to the Pendleton community to Oregon, doesn’t need federal protection. grouse listing would ravage the local The comment that this is worship of a continue contributing to the city’s pride and The latest example is House Bill economy. If the state can help to avoid statue is ridiculous. The term is respect of a success. 3334, sponsored by Baker County’s that disaster by spending a relative person and ancestry. At the time of his retirement, he was the legislator, Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario. pittance, then lawmakers should do so. To make a comparison of purpose the winningest football coach in Oregon high editor should picture a statue of E.B. Aldrich school history. His players and fans have at the EO and see Ms. Brown’s reaction to combined to raise money to erect a statue in LETTERS POLICY making him a circus clown. his memory in downtown Pendleton. The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public Ed M. Tucker It is appropriate that it be placed in a issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. Pendleton location where it will continually be a The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns reminder to the community of Requa’s legacy. about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of I am proud to speak out on behalf of my private citizens. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include Requa’s contribution makes the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not Main Street an apt location friend. be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to Managing Chuck Solberg Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email 'RQ5HTXDPDGHDVLJQL¿FDQWFRQWULEXWLRQ Welches, Ore. [email protected]. to the continuing feeling of pride in the