OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015
Fraternity of failure
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
How much REALLY
for Capitol renewal
O
A monument to Oregon or to
Sen. Peter Courtney?
regon’s Capitol is iconic — unique among state capitols for
its 1930s look and its rotunda murals that project the quasi-so-
cialist neo-realism of that Depression era.
It is a good bet that relatively
small percentage of Oregonians
have been inside the building. But
to the Legislature it is home. And
to Senate President Peter Courtney
it’s been home for 34 years.
Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette
Week has delivered an alarming
investigation of Courtney’s plan to
“renovate” the Capitol. The most
salient aspect of Jaquiss’ report is
that Courtney has kept secret from
his colleagues the true cost of the
project. That would be $337 mil-
lion.
“Courtney wants the state to bor-
row $161 million this year to begin
the project,” wrote Jaquiss. “That
puts pressure on the state’s bond-
ing capacity and could squeeze
out money for seismic upgrades
for other public buildings such as
courthouses and hospitals.”
State Sen. Betsy Johnson
doesn’t like it that she would tell
her constituents there is no mon-
ey for seismic upgrades of their
schools while Courtney’s plan
would suck up the state’s ability to
fund such projects.
Any building of the Oregon
A
Capitol’s vintage undoubtedly
needs an upgrade of some of its in-
frastructure — such as plumbing,
electrical or heating. But as Jaquiss
notes, this is much more than a re-
model. Courtney’s plans include
a 3,000-square-foot legislative
lounge, a 4,700-square-foot cafe
and a 2,500-square-foot lounge for
lobbyists.
Compared to what? That is the
appropriations choice that legisla-
tors make every day. Unless we’re
missing something, Courtney’s
plan is extravagant when placed
next to other public works needs
around Oregon.
When challenged about his
Capitol plan, Jaquiss reported,
Courtney regarded such questions
as “an assault” on him.
That comment betrays what’s
going on here. Courtney has
spent an overly long time in the
Legislature. He is a creature of the
Legislature, for good or for ill. All
politicians nurture myths about
themselves (John Kitzhaber had
one) and Courtney is confusing his
personal pride and meaning with
the building he works in.
Oil shipments no
mere ‘uptick’
press release announc-
ing Washington’s and
Oregon’s plans to update
their responses to oil spills
on the lower Columbia River
describes increasing rail ship-
ments of crude oil in the area
as an “uptick.”
In fact, the volume of oil
shipments by rail across both
states has enormously expand-
ed in recent years, going from
essentially nothing at the start
of this decade to tens of mil-
lions of gallons a year now.
Even under the most optimistic
of assumptions, derailments
and spills are certain to occur.
The U.S. rail industry has a
good safety record, but there
have been enough disasters
that its record isn’t anywhere
close to perfect.
With proposals for new and
expanded export terminals and
refineries, there also are nearly
certain to be ships carrying pe-
troleum products up and down
the Columbia, along with more
oil flowing in pipelines. These,
too, are subject to spills.
From being mostly just a
recipient of fossil fuels, our
two states will increasingly be
integral parts of a national and
international
transportation
and refining network. This is
no mere “uptick,” but poten-
tially a multidecade increase
in risk that policymakers must
do their best to confront. As al-
ways in such matters, preven-
tion must be the first priority,
accompanied by making cer-
tain those who profit are ap-
propriately insured and bond-
ed to pay for the damage done
by spills.
The particular aspect of
planning that is being updat-
ed is precisely how to respond
in the immediate aftermath
of spills, to contain damage
and clean them up. The ex-
isting plan was completed in
2003, long before the cur-
rent crude-oil boom. Part of
it is now more than 20 years
old. Besides an intensely in-
creased scale of risk, much has
changed in these years. The old
plan, ways to comment, and a
link to a similar draft updated
plan for the Chehalis River are
all accessible at tinyurl.com/
NewOilSpillPlan
The revised plan will pay
special attention to sever-
al wildlife refuges along the
lower river, places where oil
could be especially disastrous.
It would make sense to include
Willapa Bay in these plans,
considering the hydrology of
the Columbia River plume,
which carries fish, nutrients
and other things into the bay
from the Columbia, at least
during some months when the
current flows northward.
Comments are due to June
30. This is an important matter
that warrants careful attention
by citizens who care about lo-
cal riverine and maritime re-
sources.
released a list
of his chief ad-
visers on for-
policy,
eb Bush wants to stop talking eign
and
it
was
a
about past controversies.
who’s-who of
And you can see why. He has a lot mistake-mak-
to stop talking about.
ers, people who
But let’s not honor his wish. You played essential
can learn a lot by studying recent roles in the Iraq
history, and you can learn even more disaster
and
Paul
by watching how politicians respond other debacles.
Krugman
to that history.
S e r i o u s l y,
The big “Let’s move on” story of consider that list, which includes
the past few days involved Bush’s such luminaries as Paul Wolfow-
response when asked in an interview itz, who insisted that we would be
whether, knowing what he knows welcomed as liberators and that the
now, he would have supported the war would cost almost nothing, and
2003 invasion of Iraq. He answered Michael Chertoff, who as director of
that yes, he would. No WMD? No the Department of Homeland Secu-
stability after all the lives and money rity during Hurricane Katrina was
expended? No problem.
unaware of the thousands of people
Then he tried to walk it back. He stranded at the New Orleans conven-
“interpreted the question wrong,” tion center without food and water.
and isn’t interested in engaging “hy-
In Bushworld, in other words,
potheticals.” Anyway, “going back playing a central role in catastrophic
in time” is a “disservice” to those policy failure doesn’t disqualify you
who served in the war.
IURPIXWXUHLQÀXHQFH,IDQ\WKLQJD
Take a moment to savor the cow- record of being disastrously wrong
ardice and vileness of that last re- on national security issues seems to
mark. And, no, that’s not hyperbole. be a required credential.
Bush is trying to
Voters, even Re-
hide behind the
publican
primary
In
troops, pretending
voters, may not share
that any criticism
that view, and the past
Bushworld
of political leaders
few days have proba-
— especially, of
bly taken a toll on
… being
course, his broth-
Bush’s presidential
er, the command- disastrously
prospects. In a way,
er in chief — is
however, that’s un-
wrong on
an attack on the
fair. Iraq is a special
courage and pa-
problem for the Bush
national
triotism of those
family, which has a
who paid the price
history both of never
security
for their superiors’
admitting mistakes
mistakes. That’s
and of sticking with
issues
sinking very low,
loyal family retainers
and it tells us a seems to be
no matter how bad-
lot more about
ly they perform. But
a required
the candidate’s
refusal to learn from
character than any
experience, combined
credential.
number of up-
with a version of po-
close-and-person-
litical correctness in
al interviews.
which you’re only
Wait, there’s more: Incredi- acceptable if you have been wrong
bly, Bush resorted to the old pas- about crucial issues, is pervasive in
sive-voice dodge, admitting only that the modern Republican Party.
“mistakes were made.” Indeed. By
Take my usual focus, econom-
whom? Well, earlier this year Bush ic policy. If you look at the list of
By PAUL KRUGMAN
New York Times News Service
J
economists who appear to have
significant influence on Republi-
can leaders, including the likely
presidential candidates, you find
that nearly all of them agreed,
back during the “Bush boom,” that
there was no housing bubble and
the American economic future was
bright; that nearly all of them pre-
dicted that the Federal Reserve’s
efforts to fight the economic crisis
that developed when that nonexis-
tent bubble popped would lead to
severe inflation; and that nearly all
of them predicted that Obamacare,
which went fully into effect in
2014, would be a huge job-killer.
Given how badly these predic-
tions turned out — we had the big-
gest housing bust in history, infla-
tion paranoia has been wrong for
six years and counting, and 2014
delivered the best job growth since
1999 — you might think that there
would be some room in the GOP
for economists who didn’t get ev-
erything wrong. But there isn’t.
Having been completely wrong
about the economy, like having
been completely wrong about Iraq,
seems to be a required credential.
What’s going on here? My best
explanation is that we’re witness-
ing the effects of extreme tribalism.
On the modern right, everything
is a political litmus test. Anyone
who tried to think through the pros
and cons of the Iraq War was, by
definition, an enemy of President
George W. Bush and probably
hated America; anyone who ques-
tioned whether the Federal Reserve
was really debasing the currency
was surely an enemy of capitalism
and freedom.
It doesn’t matter that the skeptics
have been proved right. Simply rais-
ing questions about the orthodoxies
of the moment leads to excommu-
nication, from which there is no
coming back. So the only “experts”
left standing are those who made all
the approved mistakes. It’s kind of a
fraternity of failure: men and wom-
en united by a shared history of get-
ting everything wrong, and refusing
to admit it. Will they get the chance
to add more chapters to their reign
of error?
Republicans must step up on trad
Obama wants a
deal. But he has
utterly failed to
bring his party
ASHINGTON — That along. It’s not
free trade is advantageous just because for
six years he’s
to both sides is the rarest of po- treated all of
litical propositions — provable, Congress with
disdain
and
indeed mathematically.
Charles
prefers
insult
to
David Ricardo did so in 1817.
Krauthammer
argument when
The Law of Comparative Advantage confronted with
has held up nicely for 198 years.
opposition, this
Nor is this abstract theory. We’ve time from Democrats like Elizabeth
lived it. The free-trade regime cre- Warren. It’s also because he’s ex-
ated after World War II precipitat- pended practically no political cap-
ed the most astonishing advance of ital on the issue. He says it’s a top
global welfare and prosperity the priority. Has he given even a single
world has ever seen. And that re- televised address?
gime was created, overseen, guar-
The trade deal itself will likely
anteed and presided over by the pass the Senate eventually, there
United States.
being eight or so Democrats (out of
That era might be coming to a 46) who support the deal but want-
close, however, as Democratic con- ed to extract certain guarantees be-
gressional opposition to free trade fore fast-tracking it. (They got the
continues to grow. On Tuesday, guarantees and on Thursday ap-
every Democrat in the Senate (but proved fast track.) The problem is
one) voted to block trade promotion the House. Very few House Demo-
— aka fast-track — authority for crats will vote yes. House passage
President Obama, which would have will require Republican near-una-
given him the power to
nimity. And it’s not
conclude the Trans-Pa-
there.
The TPP
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3DUWQHUVKLS
One group of GOP
(TPP), a trade deal be-
opponents are tradi-
would
ing hammered out with
tional protectionists
11 other countries, in- anchor our
of the Pat Buchanan
cluding such key allies
paleoconservative
as Japan, Australia and
school of autarky.
relations
Singapore.
The others are con-
with
Fast-track author-
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ity allows an admin-
ively anti-Obama that
Pacifi c
istration to negotiate
they oppose anything
the details of a trade
he proposes, espe-
Rim
agreement and then
cially anything that
come to Congress for
appears to give him
nations.
a nonamendable up-or-
more authority.
down vote. In various
Having
strong-
forms, that has been granted to every ly opposed Obama’s constitutional
president since Franklin Roosevelt. usurpations on immigration, health
For good reason. If the complex, de- care, criminal justice and environ-
tailed horse trading that is required mental regulation, I’m deeply sym-
to nail down an agreement is carried pathetic to that concern. But in this
out in the open — especially with case, there is no usurpation. There is
multiple parties — the deal never no congressional forfeiture of power.
gets done.
Fast track has been the norm for 81
Like all modern presidents, \HDUV$QGWKH¿QDOVD\RQDQ\WUDGH
By CHARLES
KRAUTHAMMER
Washington Post Writers Group
W
agreement rests entirely with Con-
gress.
As for the merits, the TPP is a
boon for America. It reduces tariff
barriers to vast Asian markets and
strengthens protection for intellec-
tual property, America’s forte. To be
sure, any trade deal, while a net plus
overall, produces winners and losers.
But the TPP will be accompanied by
so-called Trade Adjustment Assis-
tance, training and subsidies to help
those negatively affected.
Moreover, the overall gain is
more than just economic. In our
deadly serious competition with
&KLQD IRU LQÀXHQFH LQ WKH UHJLRQ
the TPP would anchor our relations
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away, they will inevitably gravitate
to China’s orbit. The question is (as
Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz succinctly
put it in The Wall Street Journal):
Who is going to write the rules for
the global economy — America or
China?
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Watching America’s six-year retreat
under Obama, the world wonders
whether this is the product of one
idiosyncratic presidency or of an in-
exorably declining America. Repub-
licans have been telling the world
that decline is not a condition but a
choice, and that America’s standing
will be restored when U.S. policy is
entrusted to geopolitically serious
people. Here is the GOP’s chance to
show seriousness.
The Democrats, inventors of the
postwar free-trade regime, have
now turned against it (and their own
president). This is the Republicans’
chance to demonstrate that they can
think large by advancing an import-
ant strategic objective — giving sub-
stance to Obama’s as yet stillborn
“pivot to Asia.”
I wouldn’t mind seeing Obama
sunk by his own arrogance in intra-
party fratricide over trade. But the
issue is bigger than Obama. In 20
months, he will be gone. Asia will
not. And it will get away from us if
Republicans don’t step up and step
in where Obama and the Democrats
have failed.
Where to write
• U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
(D): 2338 Rayburn HOB, Washington,
D.C., 20515. Phone: 202- 225-0855.
)D[ 'LVWULFW RI¿FH
12725 SW Millikan Way, Suite 220,
Beaverton, OR 97005. Phone: 503-
326-2901. Fax 503-326-5066. Web:
bonamici.house. gov/
• U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D): 313
+DUW6HQDWH2I¿FH%XLOGLQJ:DVKLQJ
ton, D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224-3753.
Web: www.merkley.senate.gov
• State Rep. Brad Witt (D): State
Capitol, 900 Court Street N.E., H-373,
Salem, OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-
1431. Web: www.leg.state.or.us/witt/
Email: rep.bradwitt@state.or.us
• State Rep. Deborah Boone (D):
900 Court St. N.E., H-481, Salem, OR
97301. Phone: 503-986-1432. Email:
rep.deborah boone@state.or.us District
RI¿FH 32 %R[ &DQQRQ %HDFK
OR 97110. Phone: 503-986-1432.
Web: www.leg.state.or.us/ boone/