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,
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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
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2015-16.
Good people of Astoria, this is your money. With respect
to budget funds you must insist on transparency, accountabil-
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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-
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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
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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.
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$235,000 for “Tourism Promotion and Tourism-Related Fa-
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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
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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
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to see until leaving Astoria on
one of the bridges. These actions
Back art education
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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
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global poverty, and I’ve
moderated many panels at
the annual Clinton Global
Initiative.
Yet with each revelation
of failed disclosures or the
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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
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and playoff tickets from Dallas
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones,
who has business interests
Christie can affect.
• Sen. Marco Rubio of
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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
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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
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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.