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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2015)
OPINION 4A Founded in 1873 STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager CARL EARL, Systems Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager On transportation, reform before taxes Other states recognize urban and rural areas are fundamentally different O Grant funding helps ‘the panicked pedestrian’ V LVLWRUV WR 6HDVLGH ZLOO QRZ KDYHDQDGGHGSDWKWRVDIHW\ ZLWKWKHDGGLWLRQRI³\RXDUHKHUH´ signs. 7KH VLWHVSHFL¿F WVXQDPL HYDFX- DWLRQPDSVDUHRULHQWHGZLWKDUURZV WR LQGLFDWH WKH ZD\ WR KLJK JURXQG UDWKHU WKDQ SURYLGLQJ D QRUWKVRXWK orientation. ³2QH RI WKH WKLQJV WKDW NHHS PH awake at night as the county emergen- cy manager are the visitors,” Clatsop &RXQW\¶V(PHUJHQF\0DQDJHU7LIIDQ\ %URZQVDLGLQ1RYHPEHU ,QSUHSDULQJWKHPDSVVKHVDLG³, MXVWNHSWP\DXGLHQFHLQPLQGWKHSDQ- LFNHGSHGHVWULDQ$QGLWMXVWPDGHVHQVH WRPH\RXVKRXOGQ¶WKDYHWRVSHQGWLPH orienting yourself, so for that reason, all R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian RIWKHVLJQVDUHRULHQWHGWRWKHYLHZHU´ 7KHSDWKWRKLJKJURXQGLVGLIIHUHQW Seaside Planning Director Kevin Cupples discusses plans to provide emergency evacuation information in Seaside. at each sign location. UHJRQ¶VODZPDNHUVDUHEXVLO\ZRUNLQJRQSURSRVDOVWR¿QG PRUHPRQH\WRLPSURYHWKHVWDWH¶VV\VWHPRIURDGVDQGRWK- Stakeholders meet HU WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ LQIUDVWUXFWXUH 8QGHU FRQVLGHUDWLRQ DUH IXQGLQJ 7KHLGHDIRUWKHQHZVLJQVZDVIRU- mechanisms such as a new carbon tax, an increase in the gas tax PXODWHG DW D HPHUJHQF\ PDQDJHPHQW meeting last year at Camp Rilea which DQGHYHQDWD[WKDWPRWRULVWVZRXOGSD\IRUHDFKPLOHGULYHQ EURXJKW &ODWVRS &RXQW\¶V (PHUJHQF\ *RY.DWH%URZQDQGRWKHUV want the Legislature to pass a FRPSUHKHQVLYH IXQGLQJ SDFN- age after the 2016 elections. 7KHQHHGLVWKHUH7UDI¿FFRQ- gestion is growing in cities while URDGVDQGEULGJHVDUHGHWHULRUDWLQJ in rural areas. The bill for years RI QHJOHFW DQG LQFRPSHWHQFH KDV FRPHGXH %XW EHIRUH VWDWH OHDGHUV GLJ GHHSHULQWRWKHSRFNHWVRIFLWL]HQV DQGEXVLQHVVHVZHVKRXOGDVNRXU- selves whether the root problem is a lack of money or mismanagement. 'DYLG %UDJGRQ WKH IRUPHU SUHVLGHQWRI0HWURPDNHVDFRP- pelling case that our transporta- tion problems are the result of DQ DQWLTXDWHG JRYHUQDQFH VWUXF- WXUH DQG D ODFN RI DFFRXQWDELOL- ty by the Oregon Department of Transportation. $PRQJ WKH SRLQWV %UDJGRQ PDGH DW D UHFHQW FRQIHUHQFH LQ 3RUWODQG 2UHJRQ¶VIRUPXODIRUGLVWULEXW- LQJKLJKZD\IXQGGROODUVGLUHFWVKDOI WR2'27ZKHQFLWLHVDQGFRXQWLHV own 80 percent of the state’s streets DQG KLJKZD\V ³,W¶V WUHDWHG OLNH DQ annuity; an entitlement.” 7KH PXGGOHG OD\HUV RI JRY- HUQPHQW GHI\ DFFRXQWDELOLW\ %UDJGRQFRPSDUHGWKLVLQHI¿FLHQW WUDQVSRUWDWLRQJRYHUQDQFH³PDVK up” to the state’s criminal justice system, where each level of gov- HUQPHQWVSHFLDOL]HV 0LVPDQDJHPHQWDWWKHWUDQV- SRUWDWLRQ GHSDUWPHQW KDV MHRS- DUGL]HG WKH ZKROH V\VWHP RI WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ IXQGLQJ %UDJGRQ SRLQWVWRWKHH[FHVVLYHXVHRIGHEW E\ 2UHJRQ¶V KLJKZD\ GLYLVLRQ %HFDXVH RI WKLV ³ SHUFHQW RI state transportation revenues go to GHEWVHUYLFHWRERQGKROGHUVUDWKHU WKDQWRSURMHFWV´,QWKH¿J- ure was 2 percent. %UDJGRQ FLWHG VHYHUDO VWDWHV that have put transportation reform DKHDG RI QHZ WD[HV /HDGHUV LQ WKHVHVWDWHV³UHFRJQL]HGWKDWXUEDQ DQGUXUDODUHDVKDYHIXQGDPHQWDO- O\GLIIHUHQWWUDQVSRUWDWLRQQHHGV´ 7KH\DOVRUHFRJQL]HGWKDWUHJLRQ- DO GHFLVLRQPDNLQJ DQG IXQGLQJ ³SURGXFHGEHWWHUYDOXHWKDQVHQG- ing tax money to the state capital DQGKRSLQJLWZRXOGFRPHEDFNWR their area for something useful.” As a result, states like California DQG 3HQQV\OYDQLD DQG FLWLHV OLNH 'HQYHU DQG /RV$QJHOHV DUH VHW- ting the pace for improving trans- SRUWDWLRQ ,Q 2UHJRQ %UDQGRQ VD\V ³WKH GHEDWH QRZ LV QRW about improving things, but about whether we can keep things from getting worse.” 'DYLG%UDJGRQKDVGRQHDJUHDW service by stating in stark terms the root problems of Oregon’s transportation crisis. His recipe for FKDQJLQJVWDWHIXQGLQJDOORFDWLRQV DQGPDQDJHPHQWDUHVSRWRQ Before Sen. Betsy Johnson, 5HS 'HEE\ %RRQH DQG 5HS %UDG:LWWFRQVLGHUQHZWUDQVSRU- WDWLRQWD[HVWKH\VKRXOGOLVWHQWR %UDJGRQ¶VFDOOIRUUHIRUP Bragdon’s remarks to the City Club of Portland can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/ Pk1rW5S-S5A Beware shipping fuel through towns A Q DODUPLQJ DFFLGHQW LQ 3RUWODQG 6XQGD\ LOOXVWUDWHV the risks of shipping large quanti- WLHVRISHWUROHXPSURGXFWVWKURXJK KHDYLO\SRSXODWHGDUHDV A collision between a tractor WUDLOHU DQG D WUDLQ FDUU\LQJ OLT- XLG DVSKDOW WKURXJK DQ LQGXVWULDO DUHDQHDU6W-RKQV%ULGJHUHVXOW- HGLQWKHWUXFNGULYHU¶VGHDWKDQG FORVHG 86 +LJKZD\ IURP HDUO\ PRUQLQJ XQWLO DURXQG PLG- QLJKW,WSXW¿UH¿JKWHUVLQGDQJHU DQGUHOHDVHGYDVWDPRXQWVRIEODFN smoke, though air-quality stan- GDUGVDUHVDLGWRKDYHEHHQXQDI- IHFWHG0RQHWDU\GDPDJHVDUHFHU- tain to be in the millions. 6WLOOLWDOOFRXOGKDYHEHHQPXFK ZRUVH7KHDFFLGHQWRFFXUUHGDGLV- WDQFH IURP WKH :LOODPHWWH 5LYHU 7KHUDLOWDQNFDUVZHUHSDUNHGRQ D VLGH WUDFN QRW WKH 3RUWODQG :HVWHUQ5DLOURDG¶VPDLQOLQH7KH WDQNVGLGQRWVXIIHUDFDWDVWURSKLF rupture. This was, in a sense, a success VWRU\DQGWKHUDLOURDGZDVQ¶WDWIDXOW However, it highlights one of the many ways in which transport- LQJ K\GURFDUERQV WKURXJK XUEDQ DUHDVDQGDORQJZDWHUZD\VFDQJR wrong. Despite plunging oil prices at SUHVHQW 7HVRUR LV SXVKLQJ DKHDG ZLWK WKH QDWLRQ¶V ODUJHVW FUXGH by-rail terminal in Vancouver, :DVKLQJWRQ EXLOW WR PRYH FUXGH RLO IURP 1RUWK 'DNRWD WR :HVW &RDVWUH¿QHULHV %UHWW9DQGHQ+HXYHOH[HFXWLYH GLUHFWRURI&ROXPELD5LYHUNHHSHU QRWHG ³+DG WKH WDQNHU WUDLQ FRQ- WDLQHG H[SORVLYH %DNNHQ FUXGH WKH H[SORVLRQ FRXOG KDYH EHHQ GHYDVWDWLQJ WR 3RUWODQG´ $QG even without an explosion, a ma- MRURLOOHDNLQWRWKH:LOODPHWWHRU &ROXPELDZRXOGEHDZIXO 7KH :DVKLQJWRQ (QHUJ\ )DFLOLW\ 6LWH (YDOXDWLRQ &RXQFLO PXVW EHDU DOO WKLV LQ PLQG EH- IRUHGHFLGLQJRQWKH7HVRURSODQ 6D\LQJ \HV ZLOO HPEHG RLO WUDLQ ULVNV LQ 3DFL¿F 1RUWKZHVW QHLJK- ERUKRRGVIRUJHQHUDWLRQVWRFRPH THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015 0DQDJHPHQWWHDPWKH2UHJRQ2I¿FH RI (PHUJHQF\ 0DQDJHPHQW KRPH- RZQHUV¶ DVVRFLDWLRQV DQG FLW\ RI¿FLDOV together. 6HDVLGH¶V SODQQLQJ GLUHFWRU .HY- LQ&XSSOHVZDVDPRQJWKHJURXSDQG DJUHHGWREULQJWKHQHZVLJQVWR6HD- VLGH ³:KDWFDPHXSLVSHRSOHGRQ¶WUH- DOO\KDYHDQLGHDRIZKHUHKLJKJURXQG LV´&XSSOHVVDLGDWDUHFHQWPHHWLQJRI WKH 6HDVLGH 'RZQWRZQ 'HYHORSPHQW $VVRFLDWLRQ ³,Q 6HDVLGH LI WKH\¶UH D YLVLWRU LW¶V GLI¿FXOW WR H[SODLQ ZKHUH \RXQHHGWRJRRWKHUWKDQWRSRLQWXSWR the upper hills.” $JUDQWLQSDLGIRUWKH ¿UVW WZR ³\RX DUH KHUH´ VLJQV DORQJ ZLWK WHQWV PDSV FDUG NH\V DQG RWKHU materials. This year, the county re- FHLYHG D JUDQW VROHO\ IRU WKH signs. Daniel Stoelb, geographic infor- PDWLRQ V\VWHPV FRRUGLQDWRU ZLWK WKH 2UHJRQ2I¿FHRI(PHUJHQF\0DQDJH- PHQWLVWKH³XQVXQJKHUR´RIWKLVSURM- HFW%URZQVDLG ³:KHQ,GLVFRYHUHGWKDW'2*$0, QRORQJHUSURGXFHGWKHVLJQVDQGWKDW QRWHPSODWHH[LVWHGKHWRRNLWRQ´VKH VDLG³,WWRRNXVDFRXSOHPRQWKVMXVW WRLURQRXWWKHSURFHVVEXWRQFHGRQH things went pretty smoothly.” 6WRHOEFUHDWHGDQHZVLJQWHPSODWH WRPDWFKWKHVLJQVLQVWDOOHGWKHSUHYLRXV \HDUDQGGUDIWHGVLJQVIRUWKHFLWLHVRI 6HDVLGH&DQQRQ%HDFK*HDUKDUW:DU- renton, Astoria, Camp Rilea, the U.S. &RDVW*XDUGVWDWLRQDQG6HDVLGH6FKRRO District. $OHMDQGUR%DQFNH*,6FRRUGLQDWRU with Clatsop County, recently complet- HG WKH UHPDLQLQJ VLJQ GUDIWV IRU 6WDWH Parks, Surf Pines, Camp Rilea, Arch SOUTHERN EXPOSURE B Y R.J. M ARX ‘I just kept my audience in mind: the panicked pedestrian.’ Tiffany Brown Clatsop County emergency manager &DSH&XOODE\/DNHDQG$VWRULD6FKRRO 'LVWULFW%URZQVDLGWKHVLJQVDWDERXW HDFKKDYHEHHQRUGHUHGEXWDUH\HW WREHLQVWDOOHG Signs in Seaside )LIWHHQ VLJQV DUH QRZ LQ 6HDVLGH ³2XWRIWKHVLJQVLQWKHFRXQW\ZH JRWDSUHWW\JRRGVL]HFKXQNRIWKHP´ &XSSOHV VDLG ³:H WULHG WR IRFXV RQ KLJKWUDI¿F DUHDV LQ WRZQ WKDW ZRXOG JLYHSHRSOHDQLGHDRINQRZLQJZKHUH they’re at.” 6LJQV DUH GHVLJQHG WR OHDG HYDFX- HHVRYHUWKH)LUVW$YHQXHEULGJHUDWKHU WKDQWKH$YHQXH$RU%URDGZD\EULGJH which are likely to collapse in a quake. 0DNLQJ WKH VLJQV DFFHVVLEOH LV HV- VHQWLDOWRWKHLUVXFFHVV&XSSOHVVDLG ³,I\RX¶UHZDLWLQJWLOOWKHHDUWKVWRSV VIEW THE MAPS Visit http://bit.ly/1QpdXDK to get a good look at the tsunami evacuation maps. VKDNLQJWR¿QGRXWZKHUH\RXUHYDFXD- WLRQPDSLV\RX¶YHNLQGRIZDLWHGWRR ORQJ´KHVDLG³,ISHRSOHDUHQ¶WWKLQN- LQJ FDWDVWURSKLFDOO\ WKH\¶OO WKLQN µ,¶OO just go on my phone.’ You probably ZRQ¶WKDYHFHOOVHUYLFHDIWHUD&DVFDGLD 6XEGXFWLRQHDUWKTXDNH´ Once visitors are safely to high JURXQG RI¿FLDOV ZLOO ORRN WR JHWWLQJ them out of the region as quickly as SRVVLEOH6XSSOLHVZRXOGEHLQVXI¿FLHQW WR SURYLGH IRU ORQJWHUP VKHOWHULQJ &XSSOHVVDLG Too much information? %URZQ VDLG HYDFXDWLRQ URDG VLJQV DUHVWLOOODFNLQJLQ6HDVLGHDQGZLOOEH SDUWRIXSFRPLQJGLVFXVVLRQV ³:H¶UHJRLQJWRURXQGRXWWKHHYDF- uation-sign system in the county in the QH[W WKUHH \HDUV´ %URZQ VDLG ³7KH next phase after we get the rest of these VLJQV LQVWDOOHG ZLOO EH WR FRQYHQH WKH JURXSDQGVD\µ:HQHHGDURXQGHYDFX- DWLRQVLJQKHUHZHQHHGDQDUURZKHUH ,QHHGWKLVKHUH¶:H¶OOEHVWDUWLQJWKDW DIWHUWKH¿UVWRIWKH\HDU´ 6RPH6HDVLGHEXVLQHVVRZQHUVZRU- ry that too much emergency informa- WLRQFRXOGVFDUHYLVLWRUVRII (GXFDWLRQLV³SDUWRIDSURFHVVZH QHHGWRZRUNRQ´&LW\0DQDJHU0DUN :LQVWDQOH\VDLG³,KHDUWKHFRPSODLQWV IURP EXVLQHVVSHRSOH %XW , WKLQN WKH better information we get out there, the EHWWHUSHRSOHDUHSUHSDUHG3HRSOHQHHG WREHFRPIRUWDEOHZLWKZKDWWKH\QHHG WRGR´ R.J. Marx is The Daily Astorian’s South County reporter and editor of the Seaside Signal and Cannon Beach Gazette. Climate change hope from Paris relatively safe to breathe. HUWREHEXUQHG6RZKDWZLOO So China is playing a VWRSWKHIRVVLOIXHOLQGXVWU\ YHU\GLIIHUHQWUROHQRZWKDQ from buying enough politi- FLDQVWRWXUQWKHDFFRUGLQWR LG WKH 3DULV FOLPDWH DFFRUG LW GLG LQ WKH SDVW 2QH LQ- GLFDWRU 6RPH RI WKH XVXDO DGHDGOHWWHU" VDYHFLYLOL]DWLRQ"0D\EH suspects on the right have 7KHDQVZHU,¶GVXJJHVWLV 7KDWPD\QRWVRXQGOLNHDULQJLQJ VXGGHQO\FKDQJHGWKHLUOLQH that new technology has fun- HQGRUVHPHQWEXWLW¶VDFWXDOO\WKHEHVW 7KH\ XVHG WR DUJXH WKDW GDPHQWDOO\FKDQJHGWKHUXOHV FOLPDWH QHZV ZH¶YH KDG LQ D YHU\ 86 HPLVVLRQ OLPLWV ZRXOG 0DQ\SHRSOHVWLOOVHHPWR be useless, because China believe that renewable ener- long time. ZRXOG MXVW NHHS SROOXWLQJ J\LVKLSSLHGLSS\VWXIIQRWD Paul 7KLV DJUHHPHQW FRXOG VWLOO IROORZ now they’re starting to argue VHULRXVSDUWRIRXUIXWXUH(L- Krugman the path of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, that U.S. action isn’t neces- ther that, or they have bought ZKLFKVHHPHGOLNHDELJGHDOEXWHQG- sary, because China will cut coal con- LQWRSURSDJDQGDWKDWSRUWUD\VLWDVVRPH NLQG RI OLEHUDO ERRQGRJJOH 6RO\QGUD HGXSEHLQJFRPSOHWHO\LQHIIHFWXDO%XW VXPSWLRQZKDWHYHUZHGR there have been important changes in :KLFKEULQJVXVWRWKH865HSXE- %HQJKD]L 'HDWK SDQHOV 7KH UHDOLW\ WKHZRUOGVLQFHWKHQZKLFKPD\¿QDOO\ OLFDQDWWLWXGHVKDYHQ¶WFKDQJHGH[FHSW KRZHYHULVWKDWFRVWVRIVRODUDQGZLQG KDYHFUHDWHGWKHSUHFRQGLWLRQVIRUDF- IRU WKH ZRUVH 7KH *23 LV VSLUDOLQJ SRZHU KDYH IDOOHQ GUDPDWLFDOO\ WR WKH tion on global warming before it’s too HYHUGHHSHULQWRDEODFNKROHRIGHQLDO point where they are close to competitive late. DQGDQWLVFLHQFHFRQVSLUDF\WKHRUL]LQJ with fossil fuels even without special in- Until very recently there were two The game-changing news is that this FHQWLYHV²DQGSURJUHVVRQHQHUJ\VWRU- KXJHURDGEORFNVLQWKHZD\RIDQ\NLQG may not matter as much as we thought. DJHKDVPDGHWKHLUSURVSHFWVHYHQEHWWHU RIJOREDOGHDORQFOLPDWH&KLQD¶VVRDU- ,W¶V WUXH WKDW $PHULFD FDQ¶W WDNH Renewable energy has also become a LQJFRQVXPSWLRQRIFRDODQGWKHLPSOD- EURDGEDVHGDFWLRQRQFOLPDWHZLWKRXW ELJ HPSOR\HU PXFK ELJJHU WKHVH GD\V cable opposition of America’s Republi- QHZOHJLVODWLRQDQGWKDWZRQ¶WKDSSHQ WKDQWKHFRDOLQGXVWU\ This energy revolution has two big FDQ3DUW\7KH¿UVWVHHPHGWRPHDQWKDW as long as Republicans retain a lock JOREDO JUHHQKRXVH HPLVVLRQV ZRXOG RQ WKH +RXVH %XW 3UHVLGHQW %DUDFN LPSOLFDWLRQV7KH¿UVWLVWKDWWKHFRVWRI rise inexorably no matter what wealthy 2EDPD KDV PRYHG WR OLPLW HPLVVLRQV VKDUSHPLVVLRQUHGXFWLRQVZLOOEHPXFK FRXQWULHV GLG ZKLOH WKH IURP SRZHU SODQWV ² D OHVVWKDQHYHQRSWLPLVWVXVHGWRDVVXPH VHFRQG PHDQW WKDW WKH big part of the solution we ²GLUHZDUQLQJVIURPWKHULJKWXVHGWR Maybe QHHG ² WKURXJK H[HFX- be mostly nonsense, but now they’re biggest of those wealthy countries was unable to WLYHDFWLRQ$QGWKLVPRYH FRPSOHWHQRQVHQVH7KHVHFRQGLVWKDW PDNH FUHGLEOH SURPLVHV we’re not KDVDOUHDG\KDGWKHHIIHFW JLYHQDPRGHUDWHERRVW²WKHNLQGWKDW DQGKHQFHXQDEOHWROHDG restoring U.S. climate WKH 3DULV DFFRUG FRXOG SURYLGH ² UH- doomed of FUHGLELOLW\ But there have been DEURDG OHWWLQJ QHZDEOHHQHUJ\FRXOGTXLFNO\JLYHULVH important changes on both after all. 2EDPDWDNHDOHDGLQJUROH to new interest groups with a positive stake in saving the planet, offering an fronts. in Paris. 2QRQHVLGHWKHUHLVDYLVLEOHVKLIW Still, what reason is there to believe RIIVHWWRWKH.RFKVDQGVXFKOLNH 2I FRXUVH LW FRXOG HDVLO\ JR DOO LQ&KLQHVHDWWLWXGHV²RUDWDQ\UDWHD WKDW WKH DFFRUG ZLOO UHDOO\ FKDQJH WKH VKLIWWKDWZRXOGEHYLVLEOHLIWKHVPRJ ZRUOG¶VWUDMHFWRU\"1DWLRQVKDYHDJUHHG ZURQJ3UHVLGHQW7HG&UX]RU3UHVLGHQW weren’t so thick. Seriously, China fac- ERWKWRHPLVVLRQWDUJHWVDQGWRUHJXODU 0DUFR 5XELR PLJKW VFXWWOH WKH ZKROH es a huge air quality crisis, brought on review of their success or failure in GHDO DQG E\ WKH WLPH ZH JHW DQRWKHU largely by coal-burning, which makes it meeting those targets, but there are no FKDQFHWRGRVRPHWKLQJDERXWFOLPDWH far more willing to wean itself from the penalties other than censure for coun- LWFRXOGEHWRRODWH %XW LW GRHVQ¶W KDYH WR KDSSHQ , worst form of fossil fuel consumption. WULHVWKDWIDLOWRGHOLYHU $QG&KLQD¶VHFRQRPLFJURZWK²UHDO $QG DFKLHYLQJ WKRVH HPLVVLRQ WDU- GRQ¶W WKLQN LW¶V QDLYH WR VXJJHVW WKDW LQFRPHSHUFDSLWDKDVTXDGUXSOHGVLQFH JHWV ZRXOG GH¿QLWHO\ KXUW VRPH SRZ- what came out of Paris gives us real ²DOVRPHDQVWKDWLWKDVDUDSLGO\ HUIXO VSHFLDO LQWHUHVWV VLQFH LW ZRXOG reason to hope in an area where hope JURZLQJ PLGGOH FODVV WKDW GHPDQGV D PHDQ OHDYLQJ PRVW RI WKH ZRUOG¶V UH- KDV EHHQ DOO WRR VFDUFH 0D\EH ZH¶UH KLJKHUTXDOLW\RIOLIHLQFOXGLQJDLUWKDW¶V PDLQLQJIRVVLOIXHOVLQWKHJURXQGQHY- QRWGRRPHGDIWHUDOO By PAUL KRUGMAN New York Times News Service D