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