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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 29, 2015)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 Cruelty to birds U nder federal law, it is ille- gal to harass, interfere with, cause distress to, hurt, maim, or kill wildlife. So, how is it that federal employees are about to do all of the above to our wild birds at the mouth of the Colum- bia? Birds, who were essentially “invited” to make homes there, DVDUHVXOWRIWKHDUWL¿FLDOLVODQG created by more federal employ- ees, as a result of their dredging activities. This is the cruelest of madness. It’s utterly immoral, as well as illegal. ELAINE BAUER Astoria Divulge tsunami risks T he Clatsop County Commu- nity Development Depart- ment is conducting a Tsunami Hazard Overlay Project. They will present draft policies and provisions to prepare for and sur- vive a Cascadia earthquake and tsunami event to county commis- sioners for adoption this year. In- corporated cities will likely adopt similar policies and provisions. The draft code (Section 4.52) states that in the unincorporated areas of the county “all applica- tions for new development or substantial improvements in the Tsunami Hazard Overlay Zone shall be accompanied by a re- corded Hazard Acknowledgment and Disclosure statement which would appear in a title search.” It would seem that all prop- erties that are in the tsunami hazard zone should carry such a disclosure. Property owners are required by Oregon law (ORS 105.464) to disclose, when sell- ing, whether their property has any zoning overlays that would affect the property. It would seem that the government agency im- posing the zoning overlay has a responsibility for notifying all impacted property owner of this overlay. JOHN DUNZER Seaside FRIDAY EXCHANGE Good people of Astoria, it’s your money A t Astoria City Hall, at 7 p.m. Monday, the mayor and City Council will decide how to disburse almost $10 million LQORFDOWD[HVIHHVDQGJRYHUQPHQWJUDQWVIRUWKH¿VFDO\HDU 2015-16. Good people of Astoria, this is your money. With respect to budget funds you must insist on transparency, accountabil- LW\DQG¿GXFLDU\VWHZDUGVKLS$UHYLHZRIWKHEXGJHWVIRUWKH ODVW¿YH\HDUVLQGLFDWHVWKLVZLOOQRWEHDQHDV\WDVN Astoria is in the habit of making ends meet by adjusting the budget throughout the year. This is accomplished by trans- fers from one fund to another, supplemental budgets, or tak- LQJRXWQHZORDQV7KHEXGJHWDGMXVWPHQWVIRUWKH¿VFDO\HDU ending June 2014 totaled $1,060,405. The auditor concludes: “expenditures for the various funds were within authorized appropriations except ...” and then goes on to detail the ad- justments. A forensic accountant has opined that the city’s budget, is LQSDUWRSHUDWLRQDOO\DQGOHJDOO\ÀDZHG7KH3URPRWH$VWR- ria fund is illustrative. Resource for this fund is the lodging tax, imposed on tourists and visitors to the city. Expenditures based on these taxes are strictly controlled by state law (ORS 320.300 (7);(9) and by Astoria City Code 8.04 5.18. )RUWKH¿VFDO\HDUWKHFRXQFLOLVDVNHGWRDSSURYH $235,000 for “Tourism Promotion and Tourism-Related Fa- FLOLWLHV´7KLVLVDSODFHKROGHUQRGHWHUPLQHGVSHFL¿FXVHVDUH LGHQWL¿HGSODFHKROGHUVDUHFRPPRQLQWKHYDULRXVIXQGVRI the budget); $78,680 is allocated to service the Surging Waves Monument loan, notwithstanding that state law does not al- low lodging tax funds for such use. For 10 years the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce received funds from the city, though there was no contract specifying the use of the money, and no semiannual ¿QDQFLDOUHSRUWVUHTXLUHGE\WKHFLW\FRGH7KHFKDPEHUZLOO receive $305,750, a $20,000 increase from last year. Good people of Astoria, it is in your monetary interest to attend and let your voice be heard at City Hall Monday, June 1. GEORGE MCCARTIN Astoria the trolley passengers and Riv- erwalk users as sadly depicted in the Riverfront Vision Plan. The council seems on a FRXUVHWRPDNHWKHULYHUGLI¿FXOW to see until leaving Astoria on one of the bridges. These actions Back art education ZLOOFRVWXVDVLJQL¿FDQWQXPEHU again feel compelled to write, of jobs because of impacts to the this time in response to all the river and bridge and trolley and feedback I have received in re- Riverwalk that draw tourists and gards to my letter of May 1 (“Art money. changes lives,” The Daily As- The Bridge Vista Plan re- torian) both from people on the quires 40-foot spaces between streets, and in subsequent letters these buildings. This will allow to the editor. How wonderful it is one to look north to the state of to have people expressing a com- Washington, but not to view the mon belief that art is important. bridge or the expanse of the river It is very easy to take the and ship activity. It also requires things which nourish our bodies, a walkway to the north side of minds and spirits for granted. these 35-foot buildings for peo- That is, until they start slipping ple to view the river, but that away. doesn’t help the trolley passen- It is my hope that those who gers or those strolling the River- know better than I where to di- walk — and who controls access rect their voices will do so. We to these walkways? all must continue to encourage When one invests in the stock whatever powers that be to per- market or gold or land, there is no VLVWHQWO\ VWULYH WR ¿QG ZD\V WR JXDUDQWHHRISUR¿WV7KHFRXQFLO ensure the continuation of art ed- can allow use over the water ucation at all levels. without destroying views or any- RHONDA GRUDENIC thing that brings tourist dollars to Astoria Astoria. I strongly support areas within the Bridge Vista Plan that protect our history and restrict No tall buildings development to the height of the f new 35-foot buildings built riverbank. The council should over the Columbia would have a plan to rehab old existing concern you, then attending the buildings before allowing these Monday Astoria City Council view-blocking ones. The River- meeting at 7 p.m. is very import- walk is open to everyone — no ant. The council could vote on matter their economic status — the Bridge Vista Plan that eve- and this wonderful experience ning, allowing many such build- should not be degraded. ings. The City Council doesn’t Astoria’s zoning allows need to allow 35-foot buildings, for worse, and this plan makes which would begin at Stepha- improvements, but the Bridge nie’s Cabin and block the view of Vista Plan could be much better. much of the bridge and river, as The council should listen to peo- well as that of the Ship Inn. ple’s current comments. Click The Bridge Vista Plan would on each councilor’s name at the continue to the other side of the city’s website to obtain email bridge near the Bridgewater Bis- addresses and send emails. Then tro, blocking many views along attend the 7 p.m. meeting Mon- the way. This plan allows taller day when allowing 35-foot tall buildings on the south side of buildings over the river could be the trolley tracks. When they are approved. built on both sides of the tracks, GEORGE (MICK) HAGUE you will have a tunnel for both Astoria I I Letters welcome Letters should be exclu- sive to The Daily Astorian. We do not publish open let- ters or third-party letters. Letters should be fewer than 450 words and must include the writer’s name, address and phone numbers. You will be contacted to con- ¿UPDXWKRUVKLS All letters are subject to editing for space, grammar and, on occasion, factual ac- curacy. Letters written in response to other letter writers should address the issue at hand and, rather than mentioning the writer by name, should refer to the headline and date the letter was published. Dis- course should be civil and people should be referred to in a respectful manner. Let- ters referring to news stories should also mention the head- line and date of publication. Submissions may be sent in any of these ways: E-mail to editor@dai- lyastorian.com; Online form at www.dai- lyastorian.com; Delivered to the Astorian RI¿FHV DW ([FKDQJH 6W and 1555 N. Roosevelt in Seaside. Or by mail to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 210, As- toria, OR 97103 Wonderful care L et me tell you a little about one of Clatsop County’s gems, Clatsop Care Center. I can personally attest to the profes- sional, compassionate care re- ceived by the residents — I was one for several weeks. All levels of staff’s priority concern is the well-being of people in their care. Check your property tax VWDWHPHQWWRVHHZKDWD¿QDQFLDO bargain we are blessed to have in our county. DAN STRITE Warrenton 5A Polluted political games By NICHOLAS KRISTOF New York Times News Service I ’ve admired the Clintons’ foundation for years for LWV¿QHZRUNRQ$,'6DQG global poverty, and I’ve moderated many panels at the annual Clinton Global Initiative. Yet with each revelation of failed disclosures or the DSSHDUDQFH RI D FRQÀLFW RI interest from speaking fees of $500,000 for the former pres- ident, I have wondered: What were they thinking? But the problem is not pre- cisely the Clintons. It’s our en- tire disgraceful money-based political system. Look around: • Gov. Chris Christie of 1HZ -HUVH\ DFFHSWHG ÀLJKWV and playoff tickets from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has business interests Christie can affect. • Sen. Marco Rubio of )ORULGD KDV UHFHLYHG ¿QDQFLDO assistance from a billionaire, Norman Braman, and has channeled public money to Braman’s causes. • Jeb Bush likely has de- layed his formal candidacy because then he would have to stop coordinating with his su- per PAC and raising money for it. He is breaching at least the spirit of the law. When problems are this widespread, the problem is not crooked individuals but per- verse incentives from a rotten structure. “There is a systemic cor- ruption here,” says Sheila Krumholz of the Center for Re- sponsive Politics, which tracks campaign money. “It’s kind of baked in.” Most politicians are good people. Then they discover that money is the only fuel that makes the system work and sometimes step into the bog themselves. Money isn’t a new problem, of course. John F. Kennedy was accused of using his father’s wealth to buy elections. In re- sponse, he joked that he had re- ceived the following telegram from his dad: “Don’t buy an- other vote. I won’t The health care pay for a landslide!” industry hires about ¿YH WLPHV DV PDQ\ Yet Robert Re- lobbyists as there ich, Bill Clinton’s are members of labor secretary and Congress. That’s a now chairman of shrewd investment. the national gov- Drug company lob- erning board of byists have prevent- Common Cause, a ed Medicare from nonpartisan watch- getting bulk dis- dog group, notes Nicholas counts, amounting that inequality has Kristof to perhaps $50 bil- hugely exacerbat- lion a year in extra ed the problem. Billionaires adopt presidential SUR¿WVIRUWKHVHFWRU Likewise, lobbying has candidates as if they were prize racehorses. Yet for them, it’s carved out the egregious car- ried interest tax loophole, al- only a hobby expense. For example, Sheldon and ORZLQJPDQ\¿QDQFLHUVWRSD\ Miriam Adelson donated $92 vastly reduced tax rates. In that million to super PACs in the respect, money in politics both 2012 election cycle; as a share UHÀHFWV LQHTXDOLW\ DQG DPSOL- of their net worth, that was ¿HVLW /REE\LVWV H[HUW LQÀXHQFH equivalent to $300 from the median American family. So a because they bring a potent PXOWLELOOLRQDLUHFDQLQÀXHQFHD combination of expertise and national election for the same money to the game. They gain VDFUL¿FH DQ DYHUDJH IDPLO\ access, offer a well-informed bears in, say, a weekend driving take on obscure issues — and, for a member of Congress, you getaway. think twice before biting the hand that feeds you. Money in The Supreme Court is partly to blame for the present politics money game, for its misguided rulings that struck down limits both in campaign spending by cor- porations and unions and the reflects overall political donation cap inequality for individuals. Still, President Barack and Obama could take one step that help: an executive order amplifies it. would requiring federal contractors to disclose all political contribu- Money doesn’t always suc- tions. “President Obama could ceed, of course, and billionaires often end up wasting money bring the dark money into the on campaigns. According to sunlight in time for the 2016 the San Jose Mercury News, election,” notes Michael Wald- Meg Whitman spent $43 per man of the Brennan Center for vote in her failed campaign for Justice at the New York Uni- governor of California in 2010, versity School of Law. “It’s the mostly from her own pocket. single most tangible thing any- But Michael Bloomberg won one could do to expose the dark his 2009 re-election campaign money that is now polluting for mayor of New York City af- politics.” I’ve covered corrupt re- ter, according to the New York Daily News, spending $185 of gimes all over the world, and ,¿QGLWLQHIIDEO\VDGWRFRPH his own money per vote. The real bargain is lobbying home and behold institutional- — and that’s why corporations ized sleaze in the United States. Reich told me that for spend 13 times as much lobby- ing as they do contributing to meaningful change to arrive, campaigns, by the calculations “voters need to reach a point of Lee Drutman, author of a re- of revulsion.” Hey, folks, that time has come. cent book on lobbying.
