THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015
Time to act
O
n Friday, Jan. 29, The
Daily Astorian published
a guest column by Oregon Cli-
mate’s Camila Thorndike and
Dan Golden (“It’s time Oregon
put a price on carbon”). Oregon
Climate is hoping that the state
of Oregon will take the lead
for the world to stop climate
change by passing legislation
— the low carbon fuel tax —
through the Oregon Legislature
that will tax oil producers for
their inability to provide an ac-
ceptable blend of ethanol and
gasoline. Oregonians can’t af-
ford this.
This tax or penalty will
greatly affect the poor, the mid-
dle class and the folks living on
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ic impact is unknown, as the
Oregon Legislature has yet to
determine the cost impact on
Oregonians. Since the legisla-
tive session is six months long,
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their time and understand the
full economic impact to Ore-
gonians.
The legislators also need to
understand the potential dam-
age to all internal combustion
engines that can’t burn higher
concentrations of ethanol. The
potential for damage is great, as
only some newer vehicles can
burn the 15 percent blend of
fuel also known as E85.
As Oregonians, we need to
let our elected legislators know
our thoughts on the legislation.
If you want to pay more for
your gasoline, and damage the
engine in your car, boat or other
HQJLQHVOHW\RXUHOHFWHGRI¿FLDO
know.
Conversely, if you don’t
want to damage your car’s
engine as well as pay more
for your gasoline (thereby
keeping more money in your
SRFNHWOHW\RXUHOHFWHGRI¿-
cials know.
The time to act is now be-
fore the Legislature rushes the
legislative process, and passes
something we will regret.
ALEX RAINEY
Astoria
Cast a vision
A
s a local, Seaside home-
owner I have seen and
witnessed a lot, and around
town the initial knee-jerk re-
action was to oppose the ex-
pansion of the Seaside Civic &
Convention Center. We should
reinvest not only in the down-
town core, but utilize existing
spaces.
The facility is ready, maybe
even due for an expansion, but
people should stop and rethink
its marketing and sales strategy
to the community and public
at large. Websites matter, and
our local sites reek of fragmen-
tation and cumbersome event
calendars.
A sales tax is likely beyond
just a poor idea, and frankly
un-Oregonian. Local small
businesses already struggle
enough — especially in rainy
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alone adding another barrier to
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is a possibility, but realistically
lodging and parking fees are
more practical. We also need to
raise prices for the patrons who
use our services most.
The corporation of World-
mark should pay way more in
taxes. Every timeshare bought
and sold in our town should
be taxed. The conventions and
events themselves need to pay
more. We need to raise of the
cover charge the city of Seaside
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Coast needs to settle and pay up
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is a self-contained party at the
beach and literally uses, abuses
and pukes upon our communi-
ty.
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town with an unsupportive and
intoxicated guests who have vi-
olated minimum stays and oc-
cupancy requirements. Their
party supports its corporate
sponsors, not the local com-
munity. It leaves a whole town
with a hangover, leaving a bad
taste in everyone’s mouth. Tax
the events and tourists more,
and not the local community.
A countywide lodging tax in-
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sense.
The convention center can-
not stand on its own, nor should
the local small businesses. The
playbook as a community is
not straightforward, it’s side
to side. We need to galvanize
Clatsop County, utilizing our
small local spaces.
Our community goal should
be to foster better smaller mi-
FRIDAY EXCHANGE
View of the Astoria Bridge is ‘priceless’
I
agree with the owner of The Ship Inn
that the view of the river, boiler and
bridge from her restaurant is “price-
less” (“A blast from our past,” The
Daily Astorian, Feb. 6), and I appreci-
ate the editorial supporting a historical
designation for that small section of the
river (“Saving iconic views, one boiler
at a time,” The Daily Astorian, Feb. 9).
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ing to protect the views of the bridge
as the article and photos would lead
one to believe. The photo from inside
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the Feb. 6 article show the boiler. But
imagine adding a 35-foot building just
beyond the old pier. You would see the
cro-conventions that make
use of our already existing
localized spaces. Lease out un-
derutilized spaces as mini-con-
vention space downtown,
and literally spread out the
community reach dollars and
cars.
As citizens of the Seaside
community, we should plan for
a better town and be willing to
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future. So expansion of the con-
vention center, maybe. But only
time will tell. Continue to cast
the vision Seaside, we are the
stakeholders.
SEAN WILLIAM
MCKENDRY
Seaside
building but very little of the bridge.
That is what the city Planning Com-
mission has before them in the Bridge
Vista Plan, and they need to hear from
concerned residents.
Everyone who enjoys the view from
The Ship Inn and Stephanie’s Cab-
in and that section of the Riverwalk,
which currently includes the bridge
as well as distance views of the river,
needs to let all Planning Commission-
ers and each councilor and the mayor
(see www.astoria.org.us) know that
it is not acceptable to allow buildings
over the river that block views from
the Riverwalk — even if a few of those
buildings allow us to leave the River-
ranchers working together, is
highly spoken of by both sides.
It’s time to stop the kill men-
tality and learn to coexist.
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Burbank, Calif.
Responsible actions
M
ichigan is going to drug
test welfare recipients.
First, let me say that I am
not opposed to this notion in
any way; on the contrary, I
support these proposals whole-
heartedly.
I think, however, that it may
ultimately be slightly more ex-
pensive for the state of Michi-
gan, because now all those on
welfare will be sober enough to
remember to go pick up their
Restore trust
welfare checks. You will not
emocracy is an ongoing re- be able to fool them by telling
sponsibility. Whether you them that they already picked it
are voting in a general election, up, but that is the price that is
or being asked to sign a recall paid for assuring that individ-
petition, it is a voter’s demo- uals in need truly realize that
cratic responsibility to gather they are in need, and feel as de-
and evaluate as much informa- pressed as possible about it; but
tion as possible, and take action I digress, that is not really what
according to your values and I want to talk about.
morals.
It seems to me that perhaps
We believe, based on ob- we are starting on the wrong
servation and experiencing end of importance scale with
UHWDOLDWLRQ ¿UVW KDQG WKDW WKLV this legislation. Perhaps it
recall of Gearhart Mayor Di- should be a greater priority to
anne Widdop is necessary so drug test, let’s say, doctors for
our local government will, in instance, prior to them per-
fact, represent the collective forming surgeries, or maybe
standards and values of Gear- Congressional representatives,
hart residents. On the west before they vote on critical leg-
and east sides of the highway islation.
reside residents who believe
I know that I would prefer
Gearhart government should that the individual that was
be transparent, fair, compas- rummaging around inside of
sionate, honest and supportive my body was of clear and
of economic development and
racial diversity.
We deeply appreciate that
communities to the north and
south of Gearhart are privi-
leged to have intelligent and
professional
representation,
who serve their voting popu-
lace with humility and honesty.
We can have the same if we ask
for it, and settle for nothing less
than excellence in the gover-
nance of our community.
We believe that this re-
call has the potential to bring
our community together, and
to collectively agree that we
need leaders who truly have a
passion to serve all residents
of Gearhart to the best of their
ability, with honesty and kind-
ness.
Many residents were afraid
to sign the petition for fear of
retaliation. Based on our own
experience, that is a legitimate
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in numbers and our communi-
ty government can be different,
if we desire it. Democracy re-
quires facts and courage. The
freedoms established in the
U.S. Constitution must be nur-
tured and preserved.
The goal of Oregon’s new-
ly appointed governor and the
majority of Gearhart residents
is the same: Restore trust.
BRIAN SIGLER
JOY SIGLER
Gearhart
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Coexist with wolves
I
n response to the article
Idaho Board wants another
$400,000 to kill wolves (“Ida-
ho wolf control board asks law-
makers to maintain budget,”
The Daily Astorian, Feb. 3):
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enough to satisfy Idaho’s thirst
for the blood of wolves? As a
person with a master’s degree,
it seems to me that the return on
investment makes this a very
poor way to spend the public’s
money. As a wolf advocate,
I wonder who it is who really
wants to spend this money —
and why?
Many nonlethal methods
of protecting herds have been
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and range riders, just to name
two. And the Wood River Proj-
ect, which has advocates and
walk to walk around their edge to peek
at the bridge, or even if the city builds
a pier to walk out and see the bridge.
It would destroy the expansive view
that residents and tourists currently
enjoy. Structures higher than the Riv-
erwalk need to be limited to the south
side of the trolley track, which will also
protect the view from the trolley. As-
toria’s historic waterfront and the Co-
lumbia River and bridge form a central
part of the city’s magic. The river and
bridge views need to be preserved to
the greatest degree possible consistent
with intelligent development.
MARY LANGLEY
Astoria
sound mind and body. I would
also prefer that those whom
I elected to look out for my
best interests were doing so in
a deliberate and sober manner,
and not through the haze of an
altered state; but that’s just me.
The Department of Trans-
portation drug tests pilots, and
railroad engineers and the like
to assure that public transport is
as safe as it can be. Perhaps we
should ask: what about public
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tion) serve the public, why, are
they not tested for sobriety?
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governing representative can
be just as dangerous to the av-
erage citizen through his or her
actions as can those that oper-
ate our public transportation,
so should they not be subject to
the same scrutiny?
I may be overly concerned
about such things, but I would
like the assurance that those
representing me are doing so
fully cognizant of their actions.
It seems to me that our elected
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they are representing a fair ma-
jority of the time when they are
sober, so why add the addition-
al burden of an altered state of
consciousness to the equation?
Look, this is just a thought;
perhaps it really doesn’t matter
at all.
DAVID GRAVES
Astoria
from the rich and give to the
poor” — along with a lengthy
essay on the progressive value
of conserving a dilapidated,
vacant building that has been
empty since my childhood —
merit mocking and ridicule to
the highest degree, however
that is not the spirit of this
letter.
Thankfully, Clatsop Coun-
ty voters as a whole chose to
tell Gov. Kitzhaber to take a
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ever, the election showed
that Clatsop County is still
saturated with a populous of
voters who look at disaster as
success, and value the demon-
strator of corruption and pro-
fessional ineptness enough to
grant re-election.
Progressive liberal Demo-
crats showed they would rath-
er sink the ship than admit one
of their own is past his sell-by
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elitist and dangerous way of
thinking is rewarded with
the latest revelations of the
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and Oregon’s ranking of last
in the nation’s Department of
Education listing, along with
other monstrosities too nu-
merous to list.
Take pride in your vote,
Clatsop County Democrats,
take pride that you helped
maintain Oregon’s standing
as a monument of folly, cor-
ruption, ineptness and illicit
activity. Take pride that you
Dems elect despot
want no accountability for
etters to the editor that Cover Oregon, the Columbia
include statements like river crossing and these latest
³ZKHUH¶V5RELQ+RRGWRVWHDO revelations.
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Take pride in the fact that
Clatsop County voted no on
Measure 88 along with the
rest of the state, and your gov-
ernor chose not to embrace
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his attorney general join a
suit to protect the president’s
amnesty. Take pride that de-
spite measure 88’s failure,
your governor chooses not
to protect Oregon roads from
California’s undocumented
drivers.
There is more to be said
of this governor and this po-
litical party, however with
few words left in this forum,
only one thing remains to be
said: De Tocqueville once
said, “Despotism corrupts
those who submit to it more
than he who imposes it.” With
your vote and support for this
governor and the scandals that
follow him, Clatsop County
Democrats have shown they
have been corrupted by the
despot in the governor’s of-
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JASON KOST
Astoria
Nonlethal alternatives
R
e: “Idaho wolf control
board asks lawmakers to
maintain budget” (The Daily
Astorian, Feb. 3): Gov. Butch
Otter spent $143,000 to kill
31 predating wolves involved
in 75 attacks on livestock,
and is asking for more. This
seems to be a huge drain on
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end in sight.
Perhaps it’s time to spend
some of that money on nonle-
thal deterrence. Last year the
Wood River project (budget
$50,000) used nonlethal de-
terrence to protect 20,000 to
30,000 sheep from predators.
Their predation rate was less
than 1 percent.
Meanwhile, a Washington
state researcher found that
lethal wolf control actually
encourages more predation
the following year (http://bit.
ly/1E1CZSJ).
The farmers and ranch-
ers of Idaho deserve to have
money spent in more pro-
ductive ways. It’s time to
leave the 19th century and
give nonlethal deterrence a
chance.
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Lebanon Junction
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