Mr. Cheney has the Oregon Problem.
The Washington Post’s recent series of articles on the vice president highlighted some political mongering on the Klamath River. In brief, there was a drought. Local farmers were demanding more water, but the Endangered Species Act said that water could not be released to the farmers because it would likely harm many fish species. Cheney stepped in and had a committee formed to review the science, which decided that the water could be safely diverted for irrigation.
Later, thousands upon thousands of dead salmon began to wash ashore. Scientists believe the diverted water played some part in the massive die-off, and Cheney is taking the heat.
There is a true debate to be had over the livelihood of farmers and the work of conservation, but the debate in this case is blasted to smithereens by the politics involved. Take the side of conservation and you are accused of being anti-farmer or a Bush-basher. Take the side of the farmers and you are accused of being anti-science or a sycophant. Those, like myself, who take neither side simply because they are told to accept it are accused of being wishy-washy.
This is not the Oregon Problem, thankfully. This is a problem of politics in general, which seems to care only to answer the question: “Who can shout the loudest?” The Oregon Problem gets to the heart of a different question: “What does it mean to be an Oregonian?”
This question can naturally be modified for any state, to create the Texan Problem, the Floridian Problem, or the Alaskan Problem. “What does it mean to be Texan?” “What does it mean to be Floridian?” “What does it mean to be Alaskan?” (In the last case, it might mean having a good ability to cope with the cold.)
But really, if a tourist came up to you and said he wanted the real Oregon experience, what would you tell him? The answers I most commonly get are to visit some unique geographical location (Crater Lake, Mount Hood), visit the Oregon forests, and, most importantly, to eat seafood.
These are all hallmarks of pride for Oregon. These make are what make Oregonians feel special to be Oregonians. What other place in the world has a Crater Lake? Where else can you find the beauty of the lodgepole pine and the sweetness of the Douglas-fir? Where in the world can the rivers turn red with the bounty of fish?
They are the reason why someone in Baker City can be furious about litter on the coast, why someone shopping in Pioneer Place can worry about a fire in southern Oregon, and why Cheney has the Oregon problem.
Cheney made a politically shrewd decision. He fiddled behind the scenes to achieve a result which likely helped Republican candidates in Oregon; however, the fallout may be worse than he thought. The gain was localized, but the loss was widespread. The word salmon carries a lot of weight anywhere in Oregon you go. The sight of thousands dying on the river banks will resonate in far more people than were benefited by the irrigation.
Even ignoring the political ramifications, there were better options available. He could have let the irrigation decision stand and instead used his considerable influence to provide respite to the farmers. He could have instituted a temporary tax cut, a tax refund, a donation of rainy-day funds, even calls to utility companies asking for reprieve for the farmers. Any of these could have been done to help the farmers and fish both survive, but Cheney took the route with the best immediate political result.
Yes, Mr. Cheney has the Oregon Problem: he does not know what Oregonians hold dear.