OPINION
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D AILY A STORIAN
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
SAMANTHA MCLAREN, Circulation Manager
It’s not a
piece of cake
R
Mayor Dianne Widdop was
tough in the face of recall
ecalls have been frequent in Clatsop County over the past
20 years. District Attorney Julie Leonhardt was recalled
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dicted and convicted, and she was disbarred. In 2008 County
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two members of the Jewell School Board were recalled from
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members of the Astoria School Board failed.
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ing defeat of a recall brought
against Gearhart Mayor Dianne
Widdop. The recall campaign
brought by Dr. Harold Gable
and others was rebuffed by a
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The ostensible cause of the
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ing her display of an election
sign for a city council candidate.
There was nothing illegal about
Widdop’s comment. Impolitic
perhaps. In other American
political cultures, the mayor’s
comment would have been
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call statute is much looser than
Washington’s, for instance,
where a criminal conviction is
the trigger for a recall.
There were other, implicit
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they get older, and they
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vote at higher rates. And
White college grads
older people are moving
are drifting away from
ike a lot of people who pay WR FUXFLDO VWDWHV ,Q $UL
'HPRFUDWV GRZQEDOORW
attention to such things, I zona, Barack Obama won
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63 percent of the young
had assumed that Democrats DGXOWVEXWRQO\SHUFHQW
cant, there are signs that
had a huge advantage going into of the oldsters.
Hispanic voters, at least
in Sun Belt states, are
This aging effect could
next year’s presidential race.
getting more Republican
have
a
big
impact
in
the
Democrats do really well among
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VZLQJ VWDWHV RI WKH 0LG
David
the growing demographic groups, west, like Wisconsin,
cational ladder.
Brooks
like Hispanics, single people and the Ohio, Iowa, Michigan
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young.
views give us some sense
and Pennsylvania. These
Republicans, meanwhile, are VWDWHV KDYH JHQHUDOO\ JRQH 'HPR of what’s going on. Voters have a
doing sensationally well with just cratic in presidential years, but it’s lot of economic anxieties. But they
about every shrinking group. If KDUG WR PLVV WKH JURZLQJ 5HSXE also have a template in their heads
\HDUROG UXUDO ZKLWH PHQ ZHUH lican strength at every other level. for what economic dynamism looks
the future of the electorate, the GOP As Brownstein notes, Republicans like.
That template does not include a
would be rolling.
KDYH D WR DGYDQWDJH LQ 86
But there’s a growing body of House seats in these states. They big role for government. Polls show
evidence to suggest that, in fact, control the governorships in all but WKDWIDLWKLQJRYHUQPHQWLVQHDUDOO
'HPRFUDWV GR QRW HQWHU WKLV HOHF Pennsylvania. They control both WLPHORZV,QD*DOOXSVXUYH\YRW
tion with an advantage. There are a statehouses in all these states save ers listed dysfunctional government
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series of trends that may cancel out the Iowa Senate.
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Second, Democrats continue to fact, American voters’ traditional
grants, singles and the like.
ORVHVXSSRUWDPRQJWKHZKLWHZRUN distrust has morphed and hardened.
:H ¿UVW EHJDQ WR QRWLFH WKHVH ing class. In 2008, Obama carried They used to think it was bloated
FRXQWHUIRUFHV LQ WKH KLJKLPPL SHUFHQW RI ZKLWH YRWHUV ZLWK D and ineffective. Now they think it is
grant red states
KLJK VFKRRO GH bloated and ineffective and rigged
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JUHH %\ to help those who need it least.
Democrats
When many of these voters
posed to start
that was down
turning purple by are now doing
to 36 percent. think of economic dynamism, they
now — places
As John B. Judis think of places like Texas, the top
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worse among points out in a job producer in the nation over the
na and Georgia.
National Journal SDVW GHFDGH DQG HVSHFLDOO\ SODF
college-
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piece called “The HV OLNH +RXVWRQ D ORZUHJXODWLRQ
ers have, indeed,
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educated
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lican Advantage,” OLNH :LVFRQVLQ YRWHUV LQ WKH PLG
places, but as
the tilt of the GOHFODVV SULYDWH VHFWRU VXSSRUW
voters.
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white
working candidates who cut state pensions
stein points out in
class to the GOP DQGSDVVULJKWWRZRUNODZVVRWKDW
The National Journal VLQFH has been even more pronounced in economic governance can be more
Democratic presidential nominees other races. In 2006, Democrats got 7H[DVVW\OH
In short, economic philosophy
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WKHYRWHLQ*HRUJLDSHUFHQWRI class vote in U.S. House races. By LV PLWLJDWLQJ WKH HIIHFW RI GHPR
the vote in Arizona and a pathetic WKH\ JRW RQO\ SHUFHQW ,Q graphic change, at least for a little
SHUFHQWRIWKHYRWHLQ7H[DV
5HSXEOLFDQV KDG D VHDW while longer. Political guru Charlie
Instead of turning pink or purple, advantage in House districts that Cook asks: Will this be a “Time for
WKHVHVWDWHVKDYHEHFRPHPRUHWKRU were majority white working class. a Change” election or will this be a
oughly Republican — from school 7RGD\WKH\KDYHDVHDWDGYDQ ³&KDQJLQJ $PHULFDQ 'HPRJUDSK
ics” election? I suspect it will be a
board elections on up.
tage.
Nationally, three big things are
Most surprising, Democrats “Time for a Change” election. The
happening to at least temporarily DUH QRZ GRLQJ ZRUVH DPRQJ FRO crucial swing voters will be white
KROG RII WKH 'HPRFUDWLF UHDOLJQ OHJHHGXFDWHG YRWHUV 2EDPD ZRQ and Hispanic college graduates in
PHQW )LUVW WKH DJLQJ RI WKH HOHF white college graduates in 2008, VXEXUEDQRI¿FHSDUNV7KH\DUHQRW
torate is partially canceling out the but he lost them to Mitt Romney into redistribution or that Sen. Ted
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ple tend to get more Republican as Obama lost 8 points in his support ty University.
By DAVID BROOKS
New York Times News Service
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move Widdop. Among them
was the contentious barn that
is used as an events center.
Katherine Lacaze reported last
Wednesday that the state Land
Use Board of Appeals is likely
to rule on that matter in April.
The voters were not moved
by Mr. Gable’s argument. But
his comments to Lacaze in our
Friday edition indicate he will
continue a war against City Hall
by other means.
A New Yorker, Diane
Widdop’s persona stands out in
plain vanilla Oregon. Her spirit
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or of a small coastal town is
not a piece of cake. Gearhart is 7KDQNV5HIXJHYROXQWHHUV
he Willapa National Wildlife
fortunate to have a mayor who
Refuge Complex thanks its
makes herself accessible to the many volunteers for their service
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community.
IN GRATITUDE
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SHRSOH DFFRPSDQLHG E\ 1HZ
Northwest Broadcaster’s Dave
Martin, made a trip to Lincoln
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+DQVHQ DQG /HZLV DQG &ODUN 1D
sino. The trip, organized by Tim
tional Wildlife Refuges are part
Murphy of NNB, was to raise
of the National Wildlife Refuge
money for the local chapter of the
System, a nationwide network of
Depression and Bipolar Support
Alliance (DBSA).
lands managed by the U.S. Fish
In total, Murphy and Martin
and Wildlife Service, specifically
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for wildlife.
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,Q YROXQWHHUV GHGLFDWHG
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gon and South Washington Coast
es. The complex thanks each of
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our volunteers for their service and
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honors the following people who
toria on the first Monday of each
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LQFOXGLQJ 5RQ &UDLJ .DWK\ )UH Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service PRQWK VWDIIV DQG UXQV WKH QRQ
itas, Russ Lewis, Clayton Nichols, Ron Craig, Willapa National Wild- profit PennyWise Thrift Store in
Floyd Sinclair, Janet Sinclair and life Refuge Complex Volunteer of Warrenton, and runs Heaven Sent
Boarding House, a transitional
6X]\:KLWWH\7KRVHZKRJLYH the Year for 2014.
housing alternative in Warrenton.
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Murphy was the driving force
al agencies qualify for an America es’ websites and other forms of
the Beautiful National Parks and media. Many volunteer their time behind the organization of this
)HGHUDO5HFUHDWLRQ/DQGV3DVVDO ZLWK ORFDO VWXGHQWV IRU WKH (QYL outing, and has indicated that he
lowing them free access to federal ronmental Education program. will be organizing more such trips
The assistance of volunteers, no in the future, possibly filling two
fee sites for one year.
Craig was also recognized as PDWWHU KRZ ELJ RU VPDOO FRQWLQ buses, as word of the success of
Refuge Volunteer of the Year for ues to be a vital contribution to WKHILUVWWULSDQGWKHQHHGIRUFRQ
donating over 800 hours of his the mission of Willapa National tinued funding for mental health
awareness within our own county
time, energy and talents to the Wildlife Refuge Complex.
<RXFDQEHSDUWRI7HDP:LOOD spreads through the community.
5HIXJHLQ
DBSA of North Oregon and
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QL]DWLRQV SOD\ D UROH LQ FRQVHU ODSD#IZVJRY RU South Washington Coast wants
vation, too. Special thanks to the for more information on how you to extend our thanks to Murphy
and all those others at NNB who
)ULHQGVRI:LOODSD1DWLRQDO:LOG can help wildlife.
For additional information worked to make this fundraiser
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about Willapa National Wildlife KDSSHQDQGVXFFHHG,WLVWKHFRQ
ers for all their efforts.
There are many avenues for Refuge Complex, go to www.fws. tinuing support of each individual
within the county that is making
volunteering at the Complex, and gov/refuge/willapa
JACKIE FERRIER our efforts here a success, and
all volunteers have offered their
Project leader, Willapa NWR we look forward to continuing to
talents and time for a valuable
Complex serve our community in the future.
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PETER AND PATRICIA
Ilwaco, Wash.
tion. Some get their hands dirty
FESSLER
while surveying, data collecting
Facilitators, DBSA of North
and performing trail maintenance.
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Oregon and South Washington
Others use their creative outlets
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Coast
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from Third Street and Alder
Warrenton
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T
Oregon can lead the way
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T
here are people in other parts
of the U.S. and probably
even some in Western Oregon
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dividual animals deserve to be
treated as separate victims in
cases of mass abuse. However,
the tide of social justice is clearly
on the side of making humans
more accountable for wanton
cruelty and neglect of creatures
under our care.
Earlier this month, the Oregon
Supreme Court determined that
it made a technical legal mistake
when it and the Oregon Court
of Appeals both accepted a state
prosecutor’s appeal of a sentence
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case. To save money, when it
comes to appeals by prosecutors,
laws generally give the trial judge
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year of jail time are involved.
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pellate courts earlier ruled that
unfortunate animals who are
starved, neglected or tortured
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vidual victims for charging and
sentencing purposes. Despite
the Supreme Court walking back
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lawyers who practice in this
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by their underlying belief that
groups of animals aren’t just
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pieces of property when it comes
to legal protections.
Animal advocates are on the
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015
lookout for an appropriate case
to help the court solidify its case
law on the subject. According
to Oregon Public Broadcasting,
“two pending cases in the Court
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glected pit bulls in Beaverton
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ing in Gresham — could give the
high courts another chance to say
animals are victims in the same
way as people.”
7RGD\¶V IUDFWXUHG SROLWL
cal system may not permit the
Oregon Legislature to codify
a statute that makes this same
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ricultural interests might worry
about such protections being
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SOLHG WR RUGLQDU\ IDUPLQJ SUDF
tices, the fact is that the vast
majority of farmers and ranchers
are compassionate animal lovers
who lament cruelty and neglect.
Frequently, it is hobbyists and
mentally unbalanced “animal
collectors” who are responsible
IRUWKHPRVWKRUUHQGRXVLQVWDQF
es of prosecutable crimes, not ag
professionals.
Whether we’re talking about
domestic cats, nuisance sea lions,
backyard horses or feedlot cattle,
there is an increasing consensus
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PDQGVZHDFWLQZD\VWKDWPLQ
imize suffering and fear. People
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serve vigorous prosecution and
the impacted animals deserve to
be regarded as individual living
beings.
O
Where to write
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senate.gov
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or.us/witt/ Email: rep.bradwitt@
state.or.us
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