Last modified: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 10:14 AM PDT From the Editor's Desk: Ferrioli earns an ‘A’ for effort By Pat Caldwell If nothing else, the press conference spearheaded last month by Oregon Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, that displayed most of the Republican lawmakers in the Legislature should receive a big “A� for effort. In the end, though, the subtle reality of politics in Salem in this year of our Lord, 2009, is a simple one: The Democrats hold the majority and they are in the driver’s seat. The press conference was designed to present to the public 10 ideas from Republicans on how to spark jobs and help the state’s flagging economy recover. The concepts were varied — from (you guessed it) big tax incentives for business to furnishing stimulus cash — but unless a large number of Democrats came on board none of the ideas are going anywhere. That’s the reality of a democracy. Sometimes one party is in power and driving the train; sometimes the other party is in charge. For those party faithful, though, the interim between holding the reins of legislative power and waiting in the wings can be desperately frustrating. Ferrioli was quoted in a Portland Oregonian article as saying his party is fighting a “guerrilla war� and hoping, at the very least, Democrats may “steal� some of the GOP’s ideas and run with them. That’s a pleasant concept, but hardly enough kindling to build a roaring political fire. But that’s the scene now in Salem, and GOP lawmakers, if they haven’t already, are going to have to learn to cut deals and compromise as never before. The Legislature has not seen this kind of Democratic shift since the mid-1970s, and it may be the song of things to come. The Republicans can hope for a general discontent to rule the state when the next election rolls around, but I wouldn’t count on it. While the shift to Democratic prowess in the Legislature can be viewed in some portions of the state as an interesting tidbit, for places like Eastern Oregon, the shift is not only troubling but also downright depressing. That’s because regions such as Eastern Oregon are predominantly Republican and proud of it. That means now, though, that whatever political power the region displayed in the past has been scuttled. And, unfortunately, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on our region’s two chief elected lawmakers — Ferrioli and Rep. Cliff Bentz. Both men are savvy individuals, but Bentz is new to the legislative game as he readily admits. The political shift makes their job harder now because they can’t really count on a majority to fall behind them on a particular bill to help it gain passage. The new paradigm in Salem also places a tremendous amount of emphasis on the pure maxims of politics for both men. They no longer can depend on the majority will, so they must do what great politicians have done in the past: find a way to gather success through compromise and making good deals. In the current political climate clutching the nation, though, that is easier said then done. The region is fortunate, to some extent, in that both Bentz and Ferrioli are receptive to voter sentiments and often act on them. Ferrioli’s best example of that scenario arrived last month when he helped craft a bill to ban large-scale power lines on land zoned exclusive farm use. The bill is still in limbo, but he saw a need — area residents upset at an Idaho Power project — and moved to do something about it. The sad truth, though, is Eastern Oregon has often played a touchdown behind in the great political game in Salem. Far away and often dismissed by the western side of the state, Eastern Oregon has had to depend on a few lucky breaks, astute politicians and the majority will to get legislation passed. Now, with the Democratic majority in Salem, that process just became a whole lot harder. Pat Caldwell is the editor of the Argus Observer. He can be contacted at PatC@argusobserver.com.