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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2015)
OPINION 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2015 GUEST COLUMN Founded in 1873 STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager Oregonians tilt left on climate, wages CARL EARL, Systems Manager By ADAM DAVIS For EO Media Group JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager F or the last two months, Oregon voters have watched a parade of personalities march DFURVVWKHQDWLRQDOVWDJH From Chinese President Hu Jintao to Pope Francis to presiden- tial candidates Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, they’re all talking about issues that are important to 2UHJRQLDQV LQFOXGLQJ FRQVXPHU- ism, income inequality and climate FKDQJH Water under the bridge Compiled by Bob Duke From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers Daily Astorian/File Photo 10 years ago this week — 2005 Fort Clatsop, one of Clatsop County’s most cherished landmarks and the focal point of the upcoming Lewis and Clark 200th anniversary, was de- VWUR\HGE\¿UHODWH0RQGD\QLJKW Fire investigators converged at the park this morning to examine the re- PDLQVRIWKHUHSOLFDORJVWUXFWXUHIRUFOXHVWRWKHVWDUWRIWKH¿UHZKLFKZDV ¿UVWUHSRUWHGDWSP But even as the ruins still smoldered, an exhausted and at times tearful Chip Jenkins, superintendent of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, said a new Fort Clatsop would rise from the ashes to replace the build- LQJHUHFWHGE\YROXQWHHUV\HDUVDJR ³<HVZHZLOOUHEXLOG´KHVDLG³-XVWOLNHWKHDEVROXWHO\IDEXORXVSHRSOH LQWKHFRPPXQLW\ZKREXLOWWKHUHSOLFD´ “We’re hearing an outpouring of support from the community,” Jenkins said, adding that Interior Secretary Gale Norton has directed the National 3DUN6HUYLFHWRPDNHDOOQHFHVVDU\UHVRXUFHVDYDLODEOHWRWKHSDUN 7KH¿UHFRPSOHWHO\GHVWUR\HGWKHVLGHRIWKHIRUWFRQWDLQLQJWKHHQOLVWHG PHQ¶VTXDUWHUVDQGJXWWHGWKHRWKHUVLGHZLWKWKHFDSWDLQ¶VTXDUWHUV-HQNLQV VDLGLWDSSHDUVQRQHRIWKH\HDUROGVWUXFWXUHLVVDOYDJHDEOH 7Ke /eZiV DQd ClDUk ([ploUeU 7UDiQ mDkeV iWV ¿QDl WUek Wo- day. After three years of service between Portland and Astoria, the passenger excursion line, which took sight-seers on a leisurely ride along the Columbia River four days a week, is coming to an end. The Oregon Department of Transportation committed to op- erating the train for three years but not beyond, and with no oth- er operator stepping forward to take over, the agency is set to end the service and sell the train cars. 50 years ago — 1965 +LJKZLQGVKDYHKDOWHGVWHHOHUHFWLRQRQWKH$VWRULDEULGJHVLQFH0RQ- GD\2UHJRQ+LJKZD\'HSDUWPHQWVHQJLQHHUVUHSRUWHG:HGQHVGD\ Some riveting has been done during lulls in the gale, but conditions have EHHQWRRULVN\WRSHUPLWFRQVWUXFWLRQZRUNWRFRQWLQXH The wind interrupted steady progress in erection of the steel truss both QRUWKZDUGDQGVRXWKZDUGIURP3LHU$PHULFDQ%ULGJH'LYLVLRQRI86 Steel Corporation, the contractor, is eager to have the span across the main VKLSFKDQQHOWLHGWRJHWKHUEHIRUHZLQWHUZHDWKHUVHWVLQ Preliminary engineering report on the planned Columbia River waterfront park at the foot of 17th Street was heard by the board of directors of the Columbia River maritime museum Thursday. Joseph Dyer said cost of building the contemplated park, which would include moorage facilities for the old Columbia Riv- er lightship No. 88 and the Coast Guard cutter Yocona, would be $65,000 to $125,000 The large Àuctuation between the minimum and maximum cost of the building was to insure all facilities needed would be included in the proposed park. 86 6WHHO &RUSRUDWLRQ LURQ ZRUNHUV HDUQHG RYHUWLPH SD\ WKURXJK WKH weekend as erection of steel for the main channel crossing of the Astoria EULGJHFRQWLQXHGERWK6DWXUGD\DQG6XQGD\ 2UHJRQ+LJKZD\'HSDUWPHQWHQJLQHHUVVDLG866WHHOLVDQ[LRXVWRJHW the two ends of the channel crossing tied together by early December and ZDQWHGWRWDNHDGYDQWDJHRIODVWZHHNHQG¶V¿QHZHDWKHU 75 years ago — 1940 Surface and aircraft of the coast guard this afternoon report- ed no sign of the 38-foot sailing yacht Leilani which asked to be towed into the Columbia River Monday when she sighted the freighter Nebraskan 65 miles south of the Columbia River. An amphibian plane from the Port Angeles Coast Guard base joined in the growing search for the pleasure boat which appeared to have a disabled auxiliary engine. Clatsop County has about 500 good, residential building lots within sev- en additions inside Astoria’s corporate limits, all on passable streets and with DYDLODEOHXWLOLWLHV&KDUOHV'RGJHFRXQW\ODQGDJHQWVDLGWRGD\ Dodge’s information arose in answer both to inquiry of the federal gov- ernment on availability of residential construction property for defense home construction and also as part of the Chamber of Commerce’s housing FRPPLWWHHFDPSDLJQWRVWLPXODWHKRPHEXLOGLQJ 'RGJHHVWLPDWHGWKDWRIWKHORWVZHUHWREHIRXQGLQ0F&OXUH¶VDGGL- tion, where the average price of the lots will be about $400 in public sale at DXFWLRQ7KHUHDUHDERXWJRRGORWVLQQHDUE\6KLYHOH\¶VDGGLWLRQZLWKWKH VHOOLQJSULFHHVWLPDWHGWREHDERXWWKHVDPH Out of fresh water and drifting for the rocky shore 45 miles south of the Columbia River, the 38-foot Seattle auxiliary schoo- ner Leilani was taken in tow by the Coast Guard motor lifeboat Triumph Tuesday afternoon after it had been spotted by a Coast Guard amphibian plane. At 4 o’clock this morning the Triumph berthed the pleasure craft in the mooring basin. These three issues are deeply in- terconnected and, after a close look at the opinion research, tell us something DERXWSROLWLFVLQ2UHJRQ So, listen up candidates for local DQGVWDWHRI¿FH 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ IRU 5HSXEOLFDQV the numbers don’t look good, and considering another set of numbers — party registration numbers — Re- SXEOLFDQ FDQGLGDWHV IRU SXEOLF RI¿FH in Oregon might want to reconsider their positions on some things, if they ever want to do more than win a party SULPDU\$VRI$XJXVWLWZDV'HPR- FUDWV QRQDI¿OLDWHGRWKHUV DQG5HSXEOLFDQV '+05HVHDUFKKDVEHHQVWXG\LQJ Oregonians’ values and beliefs for decades and one of the questions we continue to ask relates to perceptions RIFRQVXPHULVP In our most recent Oregon Values and Beliefs study, a majority of Ore- JRQLDQV SHUFHQW DJUHHG ZLWK WKH statement our country would be better off if we all consume less, while about D WKLUG SHUFHQW DJUHHG WKDW ZH need to buy things to support a strong HFRQRP\6L[W\WZRSHUFHQWRI'HP- RFUDWVDQGSHUFHQWRIQRQDI¿OLDWHG others felt we’d be better off consum- LQJ OHVV FRPSDUHG WR SHUFHQW RI 5HSXEOLFDQV At least a plurality of almost every demographic group — including Ore- JRQLDQVZKRLGHQWL¿HGWKHPVHOYHVDV politically conservative on econom- ic issues — agreed that we do not need to buy things to support a strong economy and we would be better off FRQVXPLQJ OHVV 7KH RQO\ H[FHSWLRQ is Eastern Oregon where opinion was VSOLWSHUFHQWEX\WKLQJVSHUFHQW FRQVXPHOHVV For some Oregonians, talking about the income gap, or saying that Adam Davis there needs to be some redistribution But what about economic devel- of wealth, amounts to nothing less opment? What’s more important over WKDQ KHUHV\ (QWHU WKH 0DU[LVWV DF- WKHQH[W\HDUVHFRQRPLFJURZWKRU FRUGLQJ WR WKHLU GHWUDFWRUV WKH 3RSH addressing climate change? A different question, different numbers, but more DQG%HUQLH6DQGHUV Sure, there are some Oregon vot- indication of the importance Orego- ers who disagree with the statement nians assign to doing something about our society would be better off if the FOLPDWHFKDQJH Forty percent of Oregonians feel it GLVWULEXWLRQ RI ZHDOWK LV PRUH HTXDO The problem for Oregon Republicans would be undesirable if over the next LVWKDWWKH\¶UHMXVWDERXWWKHRQO\RQHV \HDUV HFRQRPLF JURZWK ,V PRUH :KLOH SHUFHQW RI 5HSXEOLFDQV important than addressing climate GLVDJUHH ZLWK WKH VWDWHPHQW RQO\ FKDQJH SHUFHQW DUH QHXWUDO DQG SHUFHQWRI'HPRFUDWVDQGSHUFHQW SHUFHQWIHHOWKDWHFRQRPLFJURZWK RI QRQDI¿OLDWHG2WKHUV IHHO VLPLODU- is more important, including a whop- O\2UORRNLQJDWLWWKHRWKHUZD\ SLQJ SHUFHQW RI 5HSXEOLFDQV SHUFHQWRI'HPRFUDWVDQGSHUFHQW SHUFHQWRI'HPRFUDWVDQGSHUFHQW RIQRQDI¿OLDWHGRWKHUVEHOLHYHWKDWRXU RIQRQDI¿OLDWHGRWKHUV On all three issues — consumer- society needs to redistribute wealth in ism, income inequality, and climate VRPHZD\RUDQRWKHU Are you wondering why the FKDQJH²WKHUHLVDVLJQL¿FDQWSDUW\ wealthy and big businesses in Oregon GLYLGH LQ 2UHJRQ +RZHYHU WKHUH LV one thing that Pope Fran- are concerned about some cis has repeatedly encour- taxation proposals labor It is aged us to do that we are has been considering for LQ DJUHHPHQW DERXW WKH ",W¶VEHFDXVHWKH\¶UH good to need to put aside our dif- seeing numbers like these ferences, come together, LQWKHLUSROOLQJ know and address the issues af- And there are oth- the fecting the well-being of er numbers they may be KXPDQLW\ VHHLQJ DV ZHOO VXFK DV A majority of Oregon SHUFHQW RI 2UHJRQLDQV Pope is Democrats, Republicans, SHUFHQW'HPRFUDWVSHU- praying DQG QRQDI¿OLDWHGRWKHUV FHQW QRQDI¿OLDWHG2WKHUV feel it would be desirable SHUFHQW5HSXEOLFDQVLQ for us. LI RYHU WKH QH[W \HDUV agreement about needing to dramatically reduce the inequalities be- Oregonians from diverse backgrounds tween the rich and the poor, whites and ¿QGFRPPRQJURXQGDQGZRUNWRJHWK- er to make progress addressing the SHRSOHRIFRORUDQGPHQDQGZRPHQ This is a theme that Pope Francis FULWLFDOLVVXHVZHIDFHDVDVWDWH *RRGQHZVULJKW":H¶UH¿QDOO\LQ has hit hard on since ascending to the SDSDF\,WUHVRQDWHVZLWK2UHJRQLDQV DJUHHPHQWDERXWVRPHWKLQJLPSRUWDQW The bad news is that less than half So does his message related to climate of us, regardless of our party registra- FKDQJH Employing a wide range of formats tion, feel that it is likely that Orego- and wording, we regularly ask ques- nians will come together over the next tions measuring Oregonians’ attitudes \HDUV DQG HIIHFW SRVLWLYH FKDQJH DERXWFOLPDWHFKDQJH:KDWZHKDYH ,QRWKHUZRUGVZHUHDOO\ZDQWWR¿QG seen over the years is that Oregonians common ground and work together, are concerned about climate change, but we’re very skeptical about the feel that we need to do something probability it will happen in Oregon about it, and are willing to change their RYHUWKHQH[W\HDUV :H¶YHJRWDZD\VWRJR,WLVJRRG EHKDYLRU Seventy-three percent of Orego- WR NQRZ WKH 3RSH LV SUD\LQJ IRU XV nians agree with the statement climate :H¶UHJRLQJWRQHHGLW,QWKHPHDQ- change requires us to change our way WLPH FDQGLGDWHV IRU SXEOLF RI¿FH LQ of life such as driving less or living Oregon, be careful how you talk about PRUHVLPSO\$PDMRULW\RIERWKSDU- consumerism, income inequality, and WLHVDJUHH<HV\RXUHDGWKDWFRUUHFW- FOLPDWHFKDQJH Adam Davis, who has been con- ly, 54 percent of Oregon Republicans agree that climate change require life- ducting opinion research in Oregon VW\OHFKDQJHV0HDQZKLOH'HPRFUDWV for more than 35 years, is a founding DQG QRQDI¿OLDWHGRWKHUV DUH LQ HYHQ principal in DHM Research, an inde- VWURQJHUDJUHHPHQWSHUFHQWDQG SHQGHQWQRQSDUWLVDQ¿UP9LVLWZZZ GKPUHVHDUFKFRP SHUFHQWUHVSHFWLYHO\ A new way to tackle gun deaths DQG3UHYHQWLRQDQGWKH)%, expert at Johns Hopkins 8QLYHUVLW\ QRWHV WKDW LQ 0RUH WKDQ SHUFHQW WKH JRYHUQPHQW OLVW- of gun deaths are suicides, ed the gun stores that had e’ve mourned too often, and most of the rest are ho- sold the most weapons later PLFLGHV *XQ HQWKXVLDVWV seen too many schools and OLQNHG WR FULPHV 7KH JXQ scoff at including suicides, colleges devastated by shootings, saying that without guns store at the top of the list watched too many students get an people would kill them- was so embarrassed that it voluntarily took mea- VHOYHV E\ RWKHU PHDQV ,Q HGXFDWLRQLQJULHI sures to reduce its use by It’s time for a new approach to many cases, though, that’s criminals — and the rate QRWWUXH Nicholas JXQYLROHQFH at which new guns from In Great Kristof We’re angry, but we the store were diverted to Britain, peo- DOVR QHHG WR EH VPDUW ple used to kill them- FULPHGURSSHGSHUFHQW Why is %XW LQ &RQJUHVV EDUUHG WKH And frankly, liberal selves by putting their efforts, such as the as- Congress heads in the oven and government from publishing such in- sault weapons ban, were asphyxiating them- IRUPDWLRQ enabling Why is Congress enabling pipe- poorly designed and VHOYHV ZLWK FRDO JDV lines of guns to criminals? saved few lives, while This accounted for al- pipelines most half of British sui- Public health experts cite many brazen talk about ban- ning guns just sparked of guns to FLGHV LQ WKH ODWH V ways we could live more safely with a backlash that empow- but Britain then began guns, and many of them have broad HUHG WKH 1DWLRQDO 5LÀH criminals? switching from coal gas SRSXODUVXSSRUW A poll this year found that major- $VVRFLDWLRQ to natural gas, which is What we need is an evidence-based PXFKOHVVOHWKDO6WLFNLQJRQH¶VKHDG ities even of gun owners favor uni- public health approach — the same in the oven was no longer a reliable versal background checks; tighter model we use to reduce deaths from way to kill oneself — and there was regulation of gun dealers; safe storage other potentially dangerous things surprisingly little substitution of other UHTXLUHPHQWVLQKRPHVDQGD\HDU around us, from swimming pools to PHWKRGV 6XLFLGH UDWHV GURSSHG DQG prohibition on possessing guns for anyone convicted of domestic vio- FLJDUHWWHV :H¶UH QRW JRLQJ WR HOLPL- WKH\VWD\HGDWDORZHUOHYHO nate guns in America, so we need to The British didn’t ban ovens, but OHQFHDVVDXOWRUVLPLODURIIHQVHV We should also be investing in ¿JXUHRXWKRZWRFRH[LVWZLWKWKHP WKH\PDGHWKHPVDIHU:HQHHGWRGR “smart gun” technology, such as weap- First, we need to comprehend the WKHVDPHZLWKJXQV VFDOH RI WKH SUREOHP ,W¶V QRW MXVW RF- When I tweeted about the need to RQVWKDW¿UHRQO\ZLWKD3,1RU¿QJHU- casional mass shootings like the one at address gun violence after the college SULQW:HVKRXOGDGRSWPLFURVWDPSLQJ an Oregon college on Thursday, but a shooting in the Roseburg a man named that allows a bullet casing to be traced continuous deluge of gun deaths, an av- %RESXVKHGEDFN³&KHFNRXWFDUDFFL- EDFN WR D SDUWLFXODU JXQ :H FDQ UH- HUDJHRIHYHU\GD\LQ$PHULFD6LQFH GHQWGHDWKV´KHWZHHWHGVDUFDVWLFDOO\ quire liability insurance for guns, as ZHGRIRUFDUV PRUH$PHULFDQVKDYHGLHGIURP ³*XHVVZHVKRXOGEDQFDUV´ It’s not clear that these steps would JXQVWKDQGLHGLQDOO86ZDUVJRLQJ Actually, cars exemplify the pub- EDFNWRWKH$PHULFDQ5HYROXWLRQ lic health approach we need to apply KDYH SUHYHQWHG WKH 2UHJRQ VKRRWLQJ :KHQ,UHSRUWHGDVLPLODU¿JXUHLQ WRJXQV:HGRQ¶WEDQFDUVEXWZHGR But Webster argues that smarter gun the past, gun lobbyists insisted that it require driver’s licenses, seat belts, air policies could reduce murder rates by FRXOGQ¶WSRVVLEO\EHWUXH%XWWKHQXP- bags, padded dashboards, safety glass up to 50 percent — and that’s thou- EHUVDUHXQDUJXDEOHIHZHUWKDQPLO- DQGFROODSVLEOHVWHHULQJFROXPQV$QG VDQGV RI OLYHV D \HDU 5LJKW QRZ WKH OLRQZDUGHDWKVVLQFHPRUHWKDQ we’ve reduced the auto fatality rate by passivity of politicians is simply en- DEOLQJVKRRWHUV KDOILQWKH&LYLO:DUYHUVXVDERXW SHUFHQW The gun lobby argues that the prob- PLOOLRQJXQGHDWKVVLQFHLQFOXG- One problem is that the gun lobby LQJVXLFLGHVPXUGHUVDQGDFFLGHQWV has largely blocked research on mak- OHP LVQ¶W ¿UHDUPV LW¶V FUD]\ SHRSOH ,IWKDWGRHVQ¶WPDNH\RXÀLQFKFRQ- LQJ JXQV VDIHU %HWZHHQ DQG Yes, America’s mental health system VLGHUWKLV,Q$PHULFDPRUHSUHVFKRRO- WKH1DWLRQDO,QVWLWXWHVRI+HDOWK LVDGLVJUDFH%XWWRPHLWVHHPVWKDW HUVDUHVKRWGHDGHDFK\HDULQ DZDUGHGJUDQWVIRUWKHVWXG\RIUD- we’re all crazy if we as a country can’t WKDQ SROLFH RI¿FHUV DUH LQ WKH OLQH RI ELHVDQGIRUFKROHUD²DQGRQO\ take modest steps to reduce the car- nage that leaves America resembling GXW\LQDFFRUGLQJWR¿JXUHV WKUHHIRU¿UHDUPVLQMXULHV from the Centers for Disease Control Daniel Webster, a public health DEDWWOH¿HOG By NICHOLAS KRISTOF New York Times News Service W