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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2015)
OPINION 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015 D AILY A STORIAN Now it’s pearls before Congress T HE Founded in 1873 STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor By GAIL COLLINS New York Times News Service W elcome to a whole new world. In Congress, that is. Not in the actual world. Control your expectations, for heaven’s sake. CARL EARL, Systems Manager You may have noticed that in an JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager orgy of bipartisan cooperation, Con- DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager gress passed a bill this week funding the Department of Homeland Security SAMANTHA MCLAREN, Circulation Manager until the fall. Then, on Wednesday, the House passed a bipartisan bill funding the Amtrak system. And then everybody went away be- cause it was, you know, going to snow. But, still, bipartisan co- operation. It all started with the Senate. Re- publicans have EHHQ KRUUL¿HG to discover that whenever the now-minority n every decade it seems that Astorians hear about a grand Senate Demo- vision that would transform our region. Decades ago an crats don’t like Gail something, they Collins aluminum plant was proposed for the Skipanon. Then there FDQ VLPSO\ ¿OL- was a prospective coal terminal sponsored by South Koreans. buster, requiring 60 votes to move the bill forward. The For the past few months, the Portland. Democrats always complained bitterly town’s maritime rumor mill ,IWKHUHLVDQLPPHGLDWHEHQH¿W when the Republicans pulled that trick has carried news of the latest in Chen’s concept it would be on them, but now they say the circum- Grand Scheme. It involves a getting the Port of Astoria out of stances are totally different. The Democrats demanded that wealthy Taiwanese-American its Tongue Point lease. the homeland security funding bill be businessman who wants to While history indicates that passed without any side assaults on buy north Tongue Point from these monumental projects President Barack Obama’s immigra- the Washington Group, which seldom come to fruition, there is a tion program. And Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, eventually had to purchased it from the state of prospect that Chen will assemble give in. Oregon. his investment package and In a way, you could look at last week’s homeland security crisis Edward Stratton reported purchase Tongue Point. That’s as similar to the reported theft of a details of Huy Ying Chen’s when things would get interesting. $150,000 gown, covered entirely in concept in last Friday’s edition. The scale of job numbers that pearls, which actress Lupita Nyong’o Chen is the chief executive are projected is very large – about wore to the Academy Awards. Later, director of Kirkland, Wash.-based equivalent to employment now the disgruntled thief called TMZ and said he had left the dress in a hotel re- Great Ocean Capital Holdings represented by the U.S. Coast stroom out of disgust after he had two LLC. The key to attracting the Guard and Columbia Memorial of the pearls appraised and discovered investment for a scheme this large Hospital combined. That would they were fake. So, good news is that the Depart- is a federal program that grants require a considerable amount of ment of Homeland Security is going Conditional Permanent Resident work force housing. to be funded. Also, that very attractive status to foreign nationals who Chen’s proposal for enlarging gown is back. The bad news is that invest a certain level of money the capacity of the Astoria we’ve now hit the point where keeping government running sounds like a DQGFUHDWHDVSHFL¿HGQXPEHURI Regional Airport would alter that the big victory. And the pearls weren’t jobs. terrain considerably. real. Irony abounds. Who expected the The heart of the Great Ocean In sum, this Great Ocean Senate Republicans to be surprised proposal is a container port at proposal is far beyond the simple ZKHQWKH'HPRFUDWVVWDUWHG¿OLEXVWHU- north Tongue Point. That would matter of a new employer coming ing? Who knew dress thieves had such demand the resurrection of the to town. If fully realized, it would principled standards? The Senate Democrats’ success rail line between Astoria and be transformational. really ticked off the Republicans in the House, which nurtures a long and glorious tradition of hating the Senate, no matter who’s in charge. (The Senate ignores the House completely.) “If we’re going to allow seven BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager Be careful what you wish for I If fully realized, this proposal would be transformational It’s a smart move WRSURWHFWIRUDJH¿VK A lengthy effort by the Pew Environmental Group and others to improve the 3DFL¿F 2FHDQ¶V KHDOWK E\ EHWWHU protecting some of its smallest ¿VK VSHFLHV LV OLNHO\ WR ZLQ VXSSRUW IURP WKH 3DFL¿F )LVKHU\ Management Council this week. Although not at the very bottom of the ocean food pyramid — a UROH¿OOHGE\PLFURVFRSLFOLIHIRUPV OLNHSODQNWRQ²IRUDJHRUEDLW¿VK including sardines, anchovy and herring are among the smallest vertebrate species. They play a foundational role in the overall health of the ocean ecosystem, feeding everything from salmon and tuna to many varieties of seabirds. Bison and antelope can’t live without grass, and salmon and WXQDFDQ¶WOLYHZLWKRXWIRUDJH¿VK They convert plankton into nice, RLO\ ÀHVK ² D PRYDEOH IHDVW IRU bigger species. The foundational nature of IRUDJH¿VKKDVSURGXFHGDQXQXVXDO sense of near-unanimity within the PFMC. The Oregonian’s Kelly House last Thursday described the expected federal restrictions on new IRUDJH ¿VKHULHV RII WKH PDLQODQG West Coast as “the commission’s ¿UVWWHVWRIDQHZVWUDWHJ\WRPDNH management decisions with the entire ecosystem in mind, rather than based upon impacts to LQGLYLGXDO¿VKVSHFLHV´3HZ¶V3DXO Shively said, “It’s really a visionary PRYH´ ([LVWLQJ ¿VKHULHV VXFK DV WKDW for sardines, will not be directly impacted. But sardines provide a useful example of what sometimes can occur when harvests deepen the ³ERRPDQGEXVW´F\FOHVRIIRUDJH species. Now rather carefully regulated, in the early 20th century sardine boats operating out of Northern California netted unbelievable quantities of sardines. In the mid-20th century, sardine runs collapsed, taking a human way of life with them. After recovering, sardine populations again collapsed last year, a drop of 72 percent since 2006. It may be that such crashes are natural and inevitable. But it is highly worrisome to know so little about the underlying reasons for these occurrences. The PFMC’s action will permit careful consideration in the future before ¿VKHULHV DUH OHJDOO\ DXWKRUL]HG VWXG\LQJ KRZ EDLW¿VK LQÀXHQFH overall ocean health. It is impossible for large ocean ¿VKWRWKULYH²RUIRUWKHHFRQRP\ dependent on them to prosper — if WKHOLWWOH¿VKWKH\HDWDUHVHULRXVO\ depleted. When biologists speak of ³RFHDQFRQGLWLRQV´SOD\LQJDKXJH role in the success of salmon runs, they are largely referring to the DEXQGDQFHRIIRUDJH¿VK Making certain there are ample VFKRROV RI WLQ\ ¿VK ZLOO KHOS ensure the continuing viability of important local economic sectors like charter boats and commercial ¿VK SURFHVVLQJ 2YHU WLPH WKH lessons learned may permit VXVWDLQDEOH¿VKHULHVIRUVDUGLQHV We are part of the ocean food chain. It behooves us to take good FDUHRIWKHVHOLWWOH¿VKWKDWPHDQVR much to ocean health. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif. poses with Lily, his 15-pound French bulldog in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington. It all began with Lily, a 15-pound snowball of a French bulldog with dark mahogany eyes, a wrinkly nose and a penchant for jumping on furniture and laps so that she can get closer to her many human visitors. She and her owner, take the occasional coast-to-coast plane ride together. But when he tried to take her on Amtrak a couple years back, he learned that only service dogs were allowed aboard. It’s a policy he’s been trying to change ever since, and he appears to be gaining momentum. Democratic senators to decide what unanimous Democratic support and the agenda is ... then we might as well huge Republican defections. The Am- just give them the chairmanships, give trak bill, by the way, is more ambitious WKHP WKH OHDGHUVKLS RI WKH 6HQDWH´ than your normal kicking-of-the-can- down-the-road legislation. There’s groused Rep. Raúl Labrador. Labrador is a leading member of money to actually improve the infra- a superconservative Republican cau- structure, which is more than Congress cus, which was created recently, with has managed to come up with lately the apparent goal of bossing House for highways and bridges. It also opens up the wonderful world of Speaker John Boehner rail transit to pet dogs and around. In its debut per- cats, which I have to say formance, the caucus ‘If ands and is something most of us managed to kill a bill to buts were were not anticipating. fund the Department of The last bit seems to Homeland Security for candy and be the inspiration of a Cal- just three weeks. ifornia Republican who It is true that Labrador nuts, every owns a French bulldog is the only member of Congress with the same day would be that likes to travel. It is possible the program may name as a large, friendly Christmas.’ be limited to small ani- retriever, but he can be re- mals, but we will refrain ally strict. Pop Quiz: After conservative Re- making any jokes about aggrieved publicans killed Boehner’s bill to fund Labradors. So this appears to be the path to the the Department of Homeland Security for three weeks, Boehner realized that: future: Senate Democrats will block A) Homeland security isn’t actual- anything they don’t like, forcing the Senate majority leader, Mitch McCon- ly all that big a deal. B) His own right wing was com- nell, to compromise. In the House, the pletely crazy, and, if he wanted to get Labradorians won’t vote for any Senate through the year, he was going to have compromises, so Boehner will need the Democrats to pass any legislation that to work with the Democrats. C) “If ands and buts were candy could actually make it into law. +HUHZHJR²IRXU¿VFDOFOLIIVLQ and nuts, every day would be Christ- WKHRI¿QJDQGLIWKH5HSXEOLFDQPD- PDV´ Yes! Boehner seems to have real- jority wants to avoid falling off any of ized that he’s going to have to work them, they’ll have to join hands with with the Democrats. Also, he said that the Democrats and tango. We won’t thing about the candy and nuts, but no- get any big, dramatic reforms, but we body really knew what he was talking might avoid any big dramatic disas- ters. about. Plus poodles on Amtrak. Who Both the homeland security bill and the Amtrak funding were passed with knew? Examining Hillary’s messy habits if it came to light, the like- crats should look closely lihood that it would, and at the revelations of re- how she’d wind up look- cent weeks and think hard DERXW ¿QGLQJ D SULPDU\ illary and Bill Clinton have ing. opponent for her, one Does she have a politi- one home in Washington, more fearsome than those cal death wish? D.C., another in Chappaqua, who have stepped forward Until a month ago, one N.Y., and a whole wide world of the arguments I fre- so far. Only then would she that opens its arms and wallets quently heard in favor of get the practice she may her presumed candidacy to them. need in answering the for the presidency was that Frank But their permanent address is on she’d been vetted like no- latest charges against her. Bruni WKH IDXOW OLQH ZKHUH GH¿DQFH PHHWV body’s ever been vetted, Only then would Demo- self-destruction. cratic voters see how well with no surprises left. All They know what the caricature the skeletons had been tugged from she handles that. Only then would of them is and they play right into it. the Clintons’ labyrinthine closets. they be forced to reckon fully with They’re familiar with the rap against All the mud had been dug up and her habit of clinging to her ways. She and Bill have lived their en- them and generously feed it. And ÀXQJ they tune out their critics, at least the But that assessment shortchanged WLUH SROLWLFDO OLYHV XQGHU ¿UH VRPH ones they’re not savaging. the couple’s ability to make new of it deserved, some of it not. It’s Although they’ve long been de- messes. It ignored the “Groundhog as if they decided at a certain point that they’d never get a fair shake rided for a surrender of 'D\´LQZKLFKWKH\VWDU principle when they’re Republicans are hav- and should cut the corners that they on the hunt for donations, Is that LQJD¿HOGGD\7KHGRP- could and behave as they wished. their foundation has raked entitlement? LQDQW ¿JXUH DW WKH &RQ- Their foes would storm the gates re- in money in a manner that servative Political Action gardless. But there are times when the Clin- opens them up to fresh, Or hubris? Conference last week predictable accusations wasn’t Jeb Bush, Rand tons are their own worst enemies. Insistent that his persecutors of that. Paul or Scott Walker. It ZRXOG ¿QG VH[XDO PLVGHHGV HYHQ Although they’ve long been cast was Hillary Clinton, in absentia. DVJUHHG\UHPHPEHUWKHFKLQDÀDW- Referring to the controversial where none existed, Bill gave them ware and furniture carted out of the sources of funds raised by the Clin- a blue dress and Monica Lewinsky. Aggrieved by the way her detrac- White House? - they hit the speaking ton Foundation in recent years, Ted circuit in a way that only strength- Cruz joked that she wasn’t present tors saw her as haughtily above it all, ened that impression. Audiences of because the conference’s organizers Hillary decided on an approach to Wall Street bankers, fees in the hun- ³FRXOGQ¶W ¿QG D IRUHLJQ QDWLRQ WR emails as secretary of state that has made her look haughtily above it all. dreds of thousands, extra coddling: IRRWWKHELOO´ Is that entitlement? Or hubris? They have demanded, received and Reince Priebus added: “Hillary An inability to change? Or a re- inevitably been blasted for all of that. barely comes out in public these And now, from Michael days. If there’s not a private luxu- fusal to? I approached someone who Schmidt’s story in The Times, we ry jet and a quarter-million-dollar learn that Hillary’s response to her speaking fee waiting for her, you can knows the Clintons well, asked how to make sense of this and got an an- UHSXWDWLRQIRUÀRXWLQJUXOHVDQGRS- IRUJHWDERXWLW´ erating in secrecy was to put what That gibe was over the top. But it swer that echoed observations about could be construed as a cloak over touched on a worry that many Dem- them from the past: “They’d rather her communications as secretary of ocrats have: Can Hillary, of all Dem- VHHNIRUJLYHQHVVWKDQSHUPLVVLRQ´ Because they have passion and state by using only a private email ocrats, persuasively style herself as account. a champion of the struggling middle talent, forgiveness has routinely come. But the longer they live on There’s pushback from her de- class? fenders over how rare this really It also demonstrates how much that fault line, the greater the chance was. There are explanations and in- ammunition she’s needlessly giving of an irredeemable misstep, and the taller the odds that they’ll reclaim a formation still to come. a future Republican rival. But this was reckless, given the That is, if she runs and if she temporary address: 1600 Pennsylva- questions that would surely be asked gets her party’s nomination. Demo- nia Avenue. By FRANK BRUNI New York Times News Service H