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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 2015)
OPINION 6A T HE 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 HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager Mistrust and conspiracy theories Herbicide spraying divides communities H erbicides are among the hottest of hot-button issues in WKH UXUDO :HVW ZLWK VLJQL¿FDQW ¿JKWV DERXW FKHPLFDO VSUD\V XVHG LQ LQGXVWULDO IRUHVWU\ FRPPHUFLDO VKHOO¿VK SUR- duction and agriculture. (PRWLRQV DQG SUR¿W PRWLYDWLRQV ERWKUXQKLJK7KHVH¿JKWVEHWZHHQ ¿HUFH RSSRQHQWV DQG GHIHQGHUV RI LQGXVWU\ SUDFWLFHV KDYH KXJH SROLW- LFDO UDPL¿FDWLRQV 3ROLWLFLDQV GRQ¶W enjoy being stuck between sparring FRQVWLWXHQWV 8VXDOO\ KRZHYHU LW¶V easy to predict who will come out on top, based on campaign contribu- tions and long-established connec- tions between lawmakers and lobby- LVWV7KHVHIDFWRUVGRQ¶WQHFHVVDULO\ lead to decisions that are inherently “wrong,” but they do result in citi- ]HQVIHHOLQJWKHLUFRQFHUQVDUHJLYHQ short shrift. There is a fascinating case study in the Monday Oregonian, in which UHSRUWHU5RE'DYLVGRHVDJRRGMRE exploring how southwest Oregon citizens who worry about forest spraying found their efforts at legis- ODWLYHUHIRUPVVW\PLHGE\DSURFHVV WKDWIDYRUVHFRQRPLFLQWHUHVWV6HH tinyurl.com/o67f5qr) ,Q D GUDPD H[WHQVLYHO\ FRYHUHG by statewide news media in the past couple years, Curry County residents object to forest spraying that either negligently or accidentally also hits SULYDWH KRPHV DQG QHLJKERUKRRGV 6RPHWRRNWKHLUFDVHWRWKH2UHJRQ Legislature. They got a distinctly cold shoulder from their own rep- UHVHQWDWLYH EXW PDQDJHG WR FRQ- YLQFH WZR 3RUWODQGDUHD 'HPRFUDWV to sponsor a bill imposing no-spray buffers around homes and schools, public notice before spraying and company disclosure of what and where they spray. All this seems perfectly reason- able. But it ended up suffering the pathetic three-quarters death that is the fate of much reform deemed in- FRQYHQLHQWWRWKRVHZKRJUHDVHWKH OHJLVODWLYHSURFHVV7KHRULJLQDOELOO sponsors were sidelined. Clatskanie Democrat Brad Witt then watered down what was left. Witt has re- FHLYHG LQ FRQWULEXWLRQV from forestry and chemical interests VLQFH (YHQ IHUYHQW DQG KHDUWIHOW ZRU- ULHVDUHQRWDOZD\VYDOLG²ZLWQHVV PLVSODFHG DQ[LHW\ RYHU LPPXQL]D- tions. But the role of money in state SROLWLFV²ERWKLQWKHIRUPRIFRQWUL- EXWLRQVDQGLQGXVWU\¶VDELOLW\WRVWDII IXOOWLPHOREE\LQJRI¿FHV²LVGHHS- O\FRUURVLYHWRSXEOLFWUXVW Mistrust leads to conspiracy theories and feelings of powerless- ness. In southwest Washington, for example, forest spraying is widely blamed for elk hoof-rot, despite a ODFNRIHYLGHQFH8VHRISHVWLFLGHV WR FRQWURO YHJHWDWLRQ DQG PXG shrimp in Willapa Bay is blowing XSLQWRD¿JKWWKDW¶VJHWWLQJQDWLRQ- al attention. 6RPH ZLOO FKRRVH WR EHOLHYH the most frightening theories irre- VSHFWLYH RI WKH IDFWV EXW LJQRULQJ their concerns only exacerbates the SUREOHP 3DVW UHDVVXUDQFHV DERXW WKH VDIHW\ RI FKHPLFDOV KDYH RIWHQ HQRXJKSURYHQWREHIDOVHWKDWLW¶VQR wonder there is skepticism. (QYLURQPHQWDO UHJXODWRUV PXVW be encouraged to pursue the truth ZKHUHYHULWOHDGV3ROLWLFLDQVVKRXOG VWD\RXWRIWKHZD\RIVFLHQWL¿FLQ- quiry and act in accordance with the IDFWV,QGXVWULHVVKRXOGHQGHDYRUWR be good neighbors, working to less- en their impacts on surroundings, UDWKHUWKDQ¿JKWLQJWRDYRLGFKDQJHV LQ KLVWRULF SUDFWLFHV WKDW PD\ KDYH RXWOLYHGWKHLUWLPH 86ORRNVDEURDG for rail solutions O f the transcontinental railroad EXLOW LQ WKH V LW ZDV VDLG The railroad was built on Indian lands with British capital and Irish and Chinese labor. That line from &RXQFLO%OXIIV,RZDWR6DFUDPHQWR Calif., was a major accomplishment of the Lincoln administration. Now America is eyeing foreign technology and capital to bring our nation into the modern era of rail transport. The Wall Street Journal re- SRUWHG 0RQGD\ WKDW -DSDQHVH 3ULPH 0LQLVWHU 6KLQ]R $EH LV WRXWLQJ KLV FRXQWU\¶V EXOOHW WUDLQV GXULQJ D VWDWH YLVLWWR$PHULFD The three routes beckoning the -DSDQHVHELGDUH6DQ)UDQFLVFRWR/RV Angeles, New York to Washington, D.C., and Houston to Dallas. The Journal reported that Chinese and European train manufacturers also ZLOOYLHIRU$PHULFDQFRQWUDFWV This news is bittersweet. It is one more indicator that American manu- facturing long ago forfeited an oppor- tunity. On the other hand, at least our most populated regions are doing a VPDUWWKLQJE\ORRNLQJDWSURYHQWUDLQ systems. The Amtrak Cascades train WKDW GRHV WKH 6HDWWOH(XJHQH URXWH uses a TALGO train whose base is Italy, a nation renowned for railway engineering. America is not the only nation the Japanese are prospecting for railway GHYHORSPHQW7KH\DUHDOVRYHQWXULQJ into India and Vietnam. 6RPH ZHHNV DJR 86 RI¿FLDOV ZHUHUDWWOHGDWWKHQHZVWKDW&KLQD¶V QDVFHQW LQWHUQDWLRQDO GHYHORSPHQW bank was seeking to supplant the ,QWHUQDWLRQDO0RQHWDU\)XQGDFURZQ jewel of the postwar era, based in the 86,WVHHPVWKDW$PHULFDQEDQNLQJ will in some small way participate LQ &KLQD¶V EDQNLQJ YHQWXUH :KLOH discussing this news, the economist )DUHHG=DNDULDVDLGRQ&11WKDWSHU- haps the Chinese could supply the cap- LWDOWR¿[$PHULFD¶VURDGVDQGEULGJHV EHFDXVH&RQJUHVVZRQ¶WSD\IRULW 3UHVLGHQW/LQFROQ¶VWUDQVFRQWLQHQ- WDOUDLOZD\PRYHGWKURXJK&RQJUHVV EHFDXVH WKH 6RXWKHUQ VWDWHV KDG OHIW the Union. Like the Morrill Act cre- DWLQJ ODQG JUDQW XQLYHUVLWLHV WKH railway act was part of a bundle of SURJUHVVLYH QDWLRQEXLOGLQJ ODZV 6RXWKHUQ FRQJUHVVPHQ DQG VHQDWRUV had blocked. 7RGD\WKH5HSXEOLFDQ3DUW\¶VEHG- URFN OLHV LQ WKH 6RXWK DQG LWV GHIDXOW response to large national needs is “no.” 7KHQDWLRQFDQ¶WZDLWRQFRQJUHV- sional ideologues who are blind to as- pects of America that are akin to the Third World. A Japanese bullet train sounds like a pretty good option for our dense population corridors. THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015 Europe’s Google problem ,QWHUQHWSODWIRUPV²RUDW changes that it found cum- the least, clip the wings of EHUVRPHDQGLQWUXVLYHEXW it wanted to get the case WKHELJ86,QWHUQHWFRP- EHKLQG LW DQG PRYH RQ DYH \RX KHDUG WKH WHUP SDQLHV ZKLOH WKHUH¶V VWLOO Instead, European politi- time. Gafa yet? FLDQVHVSHFLDOO\LQ)UDQFH I bring this up in the ,W KDVQ¶W FDXJKW RQ KHUH LQ WKH wake of the decision by and Germany, and prodded 8QLWHG 6WDWHV ² DQG ,¶P JXHVVLQJ Margrethe Vestager, the E\ *RRJOH¶V FRPSHWLWRUV LWZRQ¶W²EXWLQ)UDQFHLWKDVEH- (XURSHDQ8QLRQ¶VUHODWLYH- complained that Almunia was being too accommo- come so common that the news- O\ QHZ VKH WRRN RI¿FH LQ dating to the company. papers hardly need to spell out its 1RYHPEHU FRPPLVVLRQHU Joe “The offers by Goo- in charge of competition Nocera meaning. JOH DUHQ¶W ZRUWKOHVV EXW policy, to bring antitrust (YHU\RQH WKHUH DOUHDG\ NQRZV charges against Google, the WKH\¶UHQRWQHDUO\HQRXJK´ ZKDW *DID VWDQGV IRU *RRJOH$S- FXOPLQDWLRQ RI D ¿YH\HDU LQYHVWLJD- one such politician, Guenther Oet- SOH)DFHERRN$PD]RQ WLRQ7KHFDVHUHYROYHVDURXQGZKHWK- tinger of Germany, told The Wall In America, we tend to think of HU *RRJOH WRRN DGYDQWDJH RI LWV Street Journal. $W WKH WLPH 2HWWLQJHU ZDV VHUY- these companies as four distinct en- GRPLQDQFHLQVHDUFKWRIDYRULWVRZQ WLWLHVWKDWFRPSHWH¿HUFHO\ZLWKHDFK FRPSDULVRQVKRSSLQJ VHUYLFH RYHU LQJ DV WKH (XURSHDQ 8QLRQ¶V HQHUJ\ other. But, in Europe, which lacks a WKRVHRILWVULYDOV9HVWDJHUDOVRRSHQHG commissioner, making him one of the single Internet company of compara- DQLQTXLU\LQWR*RRJOH¶V$QGURLGPR- FRPPLVVLRQHUVZKRZRXOGKDYHWR ble size and stature, they “encapsu- bile operating system and said the Eu- DSSURYHDQ\VHWWOHPHQW%\6HSWHP- ODWH$PHULFD¶VHYLO,QWHUQHWHPSLUH´ URSHDQ8QLRQZRXOGLQYHVWLJDWHRWKHU ber, he had been nominated for a new MREFRPPLVVLRQHUIRUGLJLWDOHFRQR- DV*LGHRQ5DFKPDQSXWLWLQWKH)L- SRWHQWLDOYLRODWLRQVLIQHHGEH nancial Times on Monday. Nine out Not long after announcing the my and society. At a hearing before RI,QWHUQHWVHDUFKHVLQ(XURSHXVH charges, Vestager made a speech in D(XURSHDQ3DUOLDPHQWFRPPLWWHHKH took credit for blowing up the Google *RRJOH²DPRUHFRPPDQGLQJSHU- Washington. FHQWDJHWKDQLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV² ³:HKDYHQRJUXGJHZHKDYHQR settlement. As the digital commissioner, Oet- to cite but one example of their utter ¿JKW ZLWK *RRJOH´ VKH VDLG ³,Q DOO dominance in the countries that make our cases, we are indifferent to the na- WLQJHUKDVFRQWLQXHGWRDGYRFDWHIRU up the European Union. WLRQDOLW\ RI WKH FRPSDQLHV LQYROYHG what has become the German posi- Not surprising- Our responsibility is WLRQRQ*RRJOH²QDPHO\WKDW*RR- ly, this dominance to make sure that any JOH¶V SRZHU PXVW EH UHLQHG LQ ,Q D The French breeds worry in company with opera- speech two weeks ago, he essentially (XURSH KRZHY- tions in the territory of said that Europe should begin regu- fear … the er fairly it was the EU complies with lating Internet platforms in such a way as to allow homegrown com- DFKLHYHG 7KH our treaty rules.” imposition )UHQFK IHDU DV Well, maybe. But SDQLHV WR RYHUWDNH WKH 86 ,QWHUQHW WKH)UHQFKDOZD\V of U.S. it is also true that, to giants. And last week, a document do) the imposition an unusual degree, OHDNHG IURP KLV RI¿FH WR The Wall culture. RI 86 FXOWXUH WKLV LQYHVWLJDWLRQ HV- Street Journal that outlined just such The Germans fear pecially in its latter a plan, claiming that if nothing was WKHULVHRIDQLQGXVWU\PRUHHI¿FLHQW VWDJHV KDV EHHQ GULYHQ E\ SROLWLFV done, the entire economy of Europe ²DQGPRUHSUR¿WDEOH²WKDQWKHLU The political rhetoric around Google was “at risk” because of its depen- own. Industry leaders, especially in in Europe has been so heated that, had GHQF\ RQ 86 ,QWHUQHW FRPSDQLHV publishing, telecommunications and Vestager decided not to bring a case, 7KHUHKDYHHYHQEHHQFDOOVLQ(XURSH HYHQDXWRVIHDUWKDWWKH86,QWHUQHW KHU SROLWLFDO VWDQGLQJ PLJKW KDYH to break up Google. (XURSHKDVHYHU\ULJKWWRUHJXODWH companies will disrupt their busi- been weakened, “probably compro- QHVVHVDQGVLSKRQDZD\WKHLUSUR¿WV PLVLQJKHUDELOLW\WRSXUVXHHIIHFWLYH- any company and any sector it wants. Europeans worry about the use of O\RWKHUKLJKSUR¿OHDQWLWUXVWFDVHV´ And it can bring antitrust charges as WKHLUSULYDWHGDWDE\86FRPSDQLHV wrote Carlos Kirjner, an analyst with LWVHHV¿W%XWJLYHQWKHUKHWRULFVXU- URXQGLQJ *RRJOH DQG WKH RWKHU 86 a worry that was only exacerbated 6DQIRUG&%HUQVWHLQ&R E\WKH(GZDUG6QRZGHQVS\LQJUHY- Consider, for instance, what ,QWHUQHWJLDQWVVXVSLFLRQRI(XURSH¶V elations. There is a palpable sense happened last year when Google UHDOPRWLYHVLVMXVWL¿HG )URPKHUHWKH(XURSHDQFKDUJHV among many politicians, regulators was close to settling the case with and businesspeople in Europe that the 9HVWDJHU¶V SUHGHFHVVRU -RDTXtQ$O- against Google look a lot like pro- &RQWLQHQW QHHGV WR GHYHORS LWV RZQ munia. Google had agreed to make tectionism. By JOE NOCERA New York Times News Service H /RYHPDUULDJHPXVLFDQGWKHKLJKFRXUW By FRANK BRUNI New York Times News Service A t some point in my child- hood, just before my teens, I was struck by the fact that almost all of the songs that I was hearing on the radio, half-consciously humming along to or committing WRPHPRU\ZHUHDERXWORYH Different shades of ORYH \HV and different VWDJHV RI LW the heat and hunger of its infancy, the H [ S D Q V L Y H warmth of Frank its maturity, Bruni the bleeding pain when all WKDW¶VOHIWRILWLVVKDUGV %XWORYHQRQHWKHOHVV 6WDUODQG 9RFDO %DQG PXOOHG WKH naughty pleasures of an Afternoon Delight. Daryl Hall pined for the VZHHW YDOLGDWLRQ RI D VZHHWKHDUW¶V gesture in Sara Smile. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, Elton John im- plored Kiki Dee, and back then he KDGQ¶W LQIRUPHG WKH ZRUOG RU IXOO\ accepted, that the people most likely WRKROGWKDWNLQGRISRZHURYHUKLP GLGQ¶WKDYHQDPHVOLNH.LNL Those were all huge hits in 1976, which is when I turned 12. And the No. 1 single that year? Silly Love Songs, ZKLFK3DXO0F- Cartney thought that “people would KDYH KDG HQRXJK RI´ 1R ZD\ EH- FDXVHWKHUH¶VQRWKLQJVLOO\DERXWORYH DQGZKHQLWFRPHVWRPXVLFORYHLV almost all there is. When it comes to life, too. 2Q7XHVGD\ORYHZHQWWRWKH6X- preme Court, where the lawyers and the justices spoke of “equal participa- tion” and “equal protection,” of “due process” and “animus,” of the Consti- WXWLRQDQGVWDWHV¶ULJKWV There were legal terms and points RI UHIHUHQFH DSOHQW\ ,W¶V HDV\ WR EH- come lost in them, and just as easy to follow the leads of journalists who are framing the proceedings as a high GUDPDVWDUULQJHQLJPDWLFDFWRUV-XV- tice Anthony Kennedy with his swing YRWH&KLHI-XVWLFH-RKQ5REHUWVZLWK KLVVHQVLWLYLW\WRWKHFRXUW¶VOHJDF\ %XWLW¶VLPSRUWDQWWRVWHSEDFNDQG UHPHPEHU ZKDW WKLV LV UHDOO\ DERXW the most exquisite emotion that any RIXVFDQKDYHWKHPRVWH[DOWHGERQG DQGZKHWKHUZH¶UHFRQWHQWWRWHOORQH JURXSRI$PHULFDQVWKDWWKHLUORYHLV AP Photo/Cliff Owen Plaintiffs Rev. Maurice Blanchard, third from left, and his husband Dominique James, center, of Louisville, Ky., and attorney Laura Land- enwich with Justice Kentucky, second from right, join other plaintiffs and legal attorneys celebrate in front of the Supreme Court after exit- ing the court following arguments in Washington, Tuesday. The oppo- nents of same-sex marriage are urging the court to resist embracing what they see as a radical change in society’s view of what consti- tutes marriage. OHVV GLJQL¿HG ² DQG OHVV ZRUWK\ RI 6RZKLOHWKH\¿OOHGPHZLWKORQJ- FHOHEUDWLRQ²WKDQDQRWKHUJURXS¶V ing, as they were meant to, they also 7KHUH¶V QR DOWHUQDWH PHVVDJH IRU ¿OOHGPHZLWKDQXQLQWHQGHGVDGQHVV gays and lesbians to read into prohi- :LWK HQY\ WRR EHFDXVH , NQHZ WKDW bitions against same-sex marriage, be- IRURWKHUSHRSOH²VWUDLJKWSHRSOH² cause our society, like so many others, ZRUU\ DQG VKDPH GLGQ¶W LQWUXGH RQ decided long ago that marriage was the the melodies. 6RPXFKKDVFKDQJHG2QHRIWKH PRVW IRUPDO UHFRJQLWLRQ RI ORYH WKH PRVW ZLGHO\ SOD\HG ORYH VRQJV RI ultimate blessing bestowed on it. )RU PDQ\ \HDUV QRZ WKH WLUHOHVV last year, Stay With Me, is performed GDXQWOHVV DGYRFDWHV ZKR EOD]HG WKH E\ 6DP 6PLWK ZKRVH IDQV DUH IXOO\ WUDLO WR 7XHVGD\ KDYH HORTXHQWO\ GH- DZDUH WKDW KH¶V JD\ 7KH\¶UH DZDUH tailed the practical reasons for legaliz- too, that the “one-night stand” that he ing same-sex marriage, the measurable mentions in the opening line is with another man. rights that it estab- music festi- lishes or ensures. While love YDO At ODWHU a WKLV \HDU KH¶V It eliminates anx- ieties and injustices songs filled scheduled to appear with Elton John, now out of regarding hospital the closet, now knighted YLVLWV PHGLFDO GHFL- me with and now with kids and a VLRQVHVWDWHV6RFLDO longing, husband, whom he mar- 6HFXULW\ EHQH¿WV under British law, child custody, child they also ried which allows it. care, immigration 86 ODZ UHPDLQV D DQG PRUH ,W¶V WKH filled SDWFKZRUN HTXDOLW\ LQ best way to replace this state, inequality in limbo with stability, me with WKDWRQH7KDW¶VZKHUHWKH freeing good people to get on with the unintended 6XSUHPH&RXUWFRPHVLQ It can endorse incon- UHVWRIWKHLUOLYHV sadness. sistency. Or the justices But the expan- FDQ GR ZKDW¶V ULJKW DQG sion of marriage to include gays and lesbians does some- ZKDW¶VQHFHVVDU\DFNQRZOHGJLQJWKDW WKLQJ HYHQ EURDGHU DQG GHHSHU WKDQ WKHUH¶VQRZD\WRGLYRUFHDSHUVRQ¶V WKDW ,W DOWHUV WKH YHU\ VRXQGWUDFN RI ZD\ RI ORYLQJ IURP KLV RU KHU KX- RXUH[LVWHQFHVUHPRYLQJDUHIUDLQRI PDQLW\²WKDWWKH\¶UHHQWZLQHGOLNH GLVDSSURYDOKRZHYHUPLQRUKRZHY- YHUVHDQGFKRUXVDQGWRWUHDWRQHDV inferior is to treat both that way. er muted. :H¶OO SUREDEO\ JHW D UXOLQJ LQ I long detected that refrain in all RIWKRVHVLOO\ORYHVRQJVZKLFKGRP- June. And with any luck, that judgment inated the pop charts of my youth and dominate the pop charts now, because ZLOOWXUQDOOWKHORYHVRQJVRI\HVWHU- they traced a landscape that I would day, today and tomorrow into uni- DOPRVWFHUWDLQO\KDYHWRWLSWRHDFURVV YHUVDO DQWKHPV WKDW PDNH WKH VDPH that was only partly hospitable to the SURPLVH WR HYHU\ OLVWHQHU QR PDWWHU the object of his or her affection. likes of me.
