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SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM ܂ WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2018 ܂ 3B Carping of an unlucky fisherman Fishing Henry Miller Guest columnist Are we having fun yet? It was a question I wanted to ask, but didn’t, when I attempted to interview an angler on the South Santiam River. The question really didn’t need to be articulated, because when I asked if he would be willing to talk to me, and ex- plained I was doing a column for the Statesman Journal, he gave me an ear- ful. Building up a full head of steam, he went on about how the #%@$&$ seals and sea lions got more protection than the fishing license-buying public, and the critters were wiping out the salmon and steelhead fishing. Hoping to derail his negative train of thought, I asked if he caught anything, and he answered in the affirmative, I asked if I could get a picture of him with his fish. Not only no, but hell no, he respon- ded. Running a picture would cause a swarm of other anglers to show up. OK. You caught one, but fishing sucks? Let me get this straight. You refuse to talk about the former, but want to talk interminably, and ven- omously, about the latter? It was then the age-old kids-in-the- car question popped into my head: Are we having fun, yet? Or is fishing like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer? It feels so good when you stop. The encounter with the disgruntled successful fisherman was not a one- and-done. You hear similar takes from a lot of people fishing on the rivers, lakes and bays. “Fishing stinks. Hooked three, lost two, and a sea lion got the other one.” As a casual observer and sometimes participant, it looked more like fishing was great, but his luck sucked. I’ve had more than one salmon torn off the end of the line by a sea lion, one of those right at the gunwale. But you can’t have that kind of unfor- gettable experience if you don’t hook one. Listening to complaints about the quality of the fishing is akin to talking to my relatives who live in the Midwest. They incessantly complain — nay, brag — about the heat, the humidity, the frigid winters, the ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes, thunderstorms and torna- does, then add that they wouldn’t live anywhere else because it’s “God’s coun- try.” Such people raise complaining to an art form and have burnished their skills over the generations to match those of the old masters. I mean, I get it when it comes to com- plaining, and even have carped not in- frequently about fishing then vs. fishing now. Which is a roundabout way of saying that most of the people who can debunk my claims of previous success have ei- ther moved away or died. The reality is that factors such as global climate change and resulting changes in ocean and weather condi- tions, rise in the numbers of sea lions and cormorants gorging on juvenile fish all have wreaked havoc on salmon and steelhead populations. Some have potential remedies, while others seem largely intractable. But opportunities persist, and as they say in Portuguese, A luta continua (the struggle continues). And hope springs eternal. I was reminded of that after talking to another angler upriver as he was load- Sometimes even a blind pig will find an acorn, as the saying goes. Henry Miller with a salmon the sea lions couldn’t get to. STATESMAN JOURNAL FILE ing his gear into his rig. He had a similar tale of woe to the lucky disgruntled guy downriver … had one on and lost it; fishing’s bad. The irony is that his truck had a bumper sticker that said: “the worst day fishing is better than the best day work- ing.” Now that’s the spirit. Henry Miller is a retired Statesman Journal columnist and outdoor writer. He can be reached via email at Henry MillerSJ@gmail.com Union decision could stifle membership Jonathan Bach Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Oregon union leaders could face ad- ditional hurdles in recruiting members after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled non- members of public employee unions do not have to pay "fair-share" dues for col- lective bargaining negotiations. Nonmembers previously didn't have to pay dues toward unions' political ac- tivities, but will now be absolved of even more financial obligation to organized labor. The decision could leave union mem- bers shouldering higher dues to fill the gap. More than 144,000 Oregon public workers are covered under collective bargaining agreements, according to Unionstats.com. Oregon AFSCME spokesman Ross Grami said while dues vary by local union, generally speaking, they consti- tute 1.275 percent of an employee's gross wages, with a cap of $68 a month. Fair-share dues vary year over year, depending on the formula for political activities, but it's typically about 80 percent of a member's dues, Grami said. By his understanding, employers will stop collecting fair-share dues. The Oregon Department of Adminis- trative Services, which handles state workers' payroll, is reviewing the Su- preme Court ruling and working with union officials on the logistics of how to comply with the law, agency spokes- woman Elizabeth Craig said. A narrow majority of Supreme Court justices voted against the mandatory union dues. The decision stemmed from a case, Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, that centered on a state employee in Illinois who disagreed with the union's posi- tions — such as its collective bargaining stances — but still had to help pay for the union. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the de- cision, "We conclude that this arrange- ment violates the free speech rights of nonmembers by compelling them to subsidize private speech on matters of substantial public concern." In a statement responding to the 5-4 vote, Oregon AFSCME President Jeff Klatke said, "No Supreme Court deci- sion can take away our voice and pow- er." "We know that our members are committed to their union" Klatke said. "We will stand together and face this challenge, united and determined to fight for every Oregon AFSCME mem- ber." Politics professor Jim Moore said the state's public employee unions are go- ing to be OK for this year's election cy- cle. "They are already moving on the races that are important to them, among candidates and ballot measures," said Moore, director of the Tom McCall Cen- ter for Policy Innovation at Pacific Uni- versity. For instance, if unions seek more money to support Gov. Kate Brown in the governor's race against Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, they will be able to raise it, Moore said. Even so, the decision raises a whole host of questions for the future of orga- nized labor. "For example, will there be two class- es of employees — union-represented and the others?" Moore said. "Will that lead to differential pay scales? More importantly, will that force non-union employees into a difference benefits system? With Obamacare, even under assault from D.C., there are healthcare options, but what about oth- er benefits?" Members may also see their fees rise as union leaders look to make up lost revenue. "But, given the politics of the situa- tion, there would probably need to a vote of the membership on whether to do this," Moore said. Such a decision by executive com- mittees would raise issues of union leadership accountability to members, which could motivate more workers to opt against membership, Moore said. 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