OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2015
Legal pot
brings
business
our way
M
y lunch companion¶s face
darkened Zhen I told him
about the tZo pages of marijuana
advertising that Zould appear in this
Zeek¶s issue of Coast Weekend.
“I don¶t like it,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
Oregon¶s legalization of marijuana, he
Steve
said.
Forrester
I reminded my friend that our editorial
page opposed the marijuana ballot initia-
tive. But Oregon voters agreed to it, and here it is. Our company
is treating marijuana dispensaries like other legal businesses and
Zill accept advertising for the products they offer.
The legalization of marijuana is a major cultural shift. It is also
the creation of an economic sector that Zill use resources such as
energy and Zater, and pay property and income taxes.
Oregon is entering the marijuana game on the heels of Col-
orado and Washington. Across the river from Astoria, in 3aci¿c
County, there are major groZ operations in 5aymond. 6eeing
those massive facilities, Matt Winters, publisher of the Chinook
Observer, called that part of his county “the 6audi Arabia of
pot.”
Winters noted that the 3ort of Willapa +arbor — site of the
neZ groZ operation — Zas on the edge of insolvency. NoZ the
3ort is looking for every scrap of land it can ¿nd. Marijuana has
become a turnaround for the 3ort. The surrounding communities
of 5aymond and 6outh Bend are in the midst of an economic
rebound that Zas unimaginable during the long timber-industry
doZnturn.
+ere on the south side of the Columbia 5iver, there is an
expectation that marijuana Zill contribute $10. million to Or-
egon¶s tax coffers.
T
o the surprise of many, marijuana is noZ legitimate. It is sold
in storefronts.
Economists Zill surely track the path of the neZ marijuana
sector. If economic history is any guide, there Zill be a period of
shakeout, in Zhich some distributors drop out and there is con-
solidation.
Many marijuana entrepreneurs have gone into business Zith
the expectation of a big payoff. While privately held, these busi-
nesses are the equivalent of an initial public offering, in Zhich
investors hope to ride a company¶s value as it climbs. 6ometimes
the prospect of a big payout comes true, sometimes not.
Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian
Lauren Silberman, 29, hangs marijuana after harvesting at Michael Monarch’s southern Oregon marijuana grow, Oct. 13.
Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian
Like it or not, marijuana
is a big new factor
in our region’s and
state’s economy.
Also taking shape is laZ enforcement¶s role. Even though it is
legal to purchase and possess marijuana, driving under the inÀu-
ence of cannabis is not. If you drive Oregon¶s major highZays,
you¶ll notice a neZ billboard Zhose message is: 'oobie equals
'UII.
One of the abiding questions about marijuana legalization is
Zhether it Zill diminish the presence of the Mexican cartel that
has dominated illegal sales. That Zas a hope expressed by the pot
initiative¶s supporters.
On a recent morning, the plants at Michael Monarch’s
grow, about 100 in all, towered under breathtaking vistas
of the Cascade and Siskiyou mountains. Plastic netting
helped suspend flower-laden branches, keeping them
from drooping too low.
W
hen our culture shifts, it can be dif¿cult for many Zho feel
ignored, outraged or left behind. There is an element of that
as some Oregonians Zake up to the fact that marijuana legalization
is becoming a real, physical aspect in many of our cities and toZns.
The neZ pot laZs are not equivalent Zith same-sex marriage,
but a similar phenomenon may be observed in Americans Zho re-
sist the reality of the 6upreme Court¶s decision that opened the Zay
for gays to marry.
Writing in Tuesday¶s Washington Post, Michael Gerson urges
fundamentalist Christians to recognize that the Zorld is not coming
to an end.
— S.A.F.
Open forum
Money better spent
T
he letter in support of building a
$1.8 billion methanol production
plant near Clatskanie cited three rea-
sons in favor (“Yes to methanol,” The
Daily Astorian, 2ct. . 7he ¿rst Zas
jobs: An estimated 200 permanent fam-
il\-Zage jobs Zould be created.
That sounds good until you realize
hoZ feZ 200 jobs is compared to the
huge sum invested. Imagine if instead
of building one huge, stinky, loud, toxic
chemical plant, oZned by foreign in-
vestors, in the middle of a Zonderful
loZer Columbia 5iver community, the
$1.8 billion Zas divided up into one
thousand $1.8 million loans to qualify-
ing local businesses Zanting to expand
or start up. If each of those 1,000 busi-
nesses added just one neZ employee,
that equates to 1,000 jobs, ¿ve times the
number this toxic monstrosity Zould
create.
The second argument praises the
smaller amount of carbon dioxide
produced by the methanolization pro-
cess. But carbon dioxide put into the
atmosphere by humans is causing our
planet to heat up and oceans to acidi-
fy Zeather patterns and ocean currents
are changing ² more frequent Àoods,
droughts, and heat-Zaves are evident
and costly. (ven if Ze curtail our car-
bon dioxide emissions today, the atmo-
spheric concentration Zould not return
to pre-industrial levels for hundreds of
years. Our local economy and the glob-
al environment Zill both bene¿t if Ze
stop investing in or building carbon-ex-
traction based businesses, regardless of
the rosy descriptions used to pitch them.
The third argument — that there are
strong environmental revieZ and regu-
lations to protect the Columbia region
— ignores the reality of the process
so fully revealed by the past 10 years
of legal maneuvrings by Oregon LNG
for their project in Warrenton, and the
unmitigated support for it by the Fed-
eral (nergy 5egulatory Commission
(F(5C. +undreds of residents¶ opin-
ions Zere tossed aside in favor of big
international money.
5ather than sinking $1.8 billion
in one carbon dioxide-based energy/
chemical project, the community can
better protect property values, job secu-
rity, diversity of employment choices,
and a clean environment by encourag-
ing neZ start-ups and the expansion of
many existing small businesses.
C+5I6TO3+(5 FA55A5
Astoria
Good job, Gearhart
R
eal estate promoters can noZ set
higher prices and Zin bigger com-
missions for selling homes in Gearhart
and 6easide that can be rented out on
a short-term (Zeekend, more or less
basis. As the neZ absentee homeoZner
makes his investment “pay for itself,”
he could care less about the peace and
safety of the neighborhood noZ endur-
ing incessant noise and traf¿c conges-
tion.
This has been something neZ for
Gearhart, Zhere family groups and
their friends have usually taken turns
occupying vacation houses oZned
communally by their oZn relatives.
Those groups, identi¿ed Zith a particu-
lar family, normally act responsibly and
Zith consideration for the permanent
residents in their midst.
0utual respect betZeen Gearhart¶s
permanent and seasonal residents is
part of the character of the community,
and has long been associated Zith the
quality of life Ze enjoy in Gearhart.
The groZing number of neZ absentee
rentals has shattered that venerable tra-
dition.
The Gearhart Comprehensive 3lan
foresaZ the problem a generation ago:
it clearly states, under “5esidential 'e-
velopment 3olicies,” that “The city Zill
recognize the importance of the city¶s
residential neighborhoods and the need
to protect them from the negative im-
pacts of the transient rental of property,
and to discourage increased levels of
traf¿c and similar disruptions.”
Immediately folloZing that policy is
a statement of “Commercial 'evelop-
ment 3olicies” to “limit commercial ac-
tivity,” “prevent the city from becoming
a tourist destination,” and limit com-
mercial development to Zhat “supports
the needs of the residents of Gearhart,”
ending Zith a declaration that “The city
shall not designate additional property
for commercial development.”
Can anyone deny that short-term
rental is commercial activity" 'oesn¶t
the property oZner derive income from
that activity? And, if a businessperson
can noZ suddenly make the specious
claim that providing a historic setting
for Zeddings is a form of short-term
rental, then surely the real short-term
rentals must be seen as business activ-
ity, and subject to city regulation and
limitation.
Unfortunately, the ordinances im-
plementing those Comprehensive 3lan
policies have not yet been enacted.
Better late than never, the city council
is noZ busy Zith such an ordinance,
drafting it Zith careful comparison to
ordinances successfully enacted by oth-
er cities.
Three cheers for the Gearhart City
Council, and three cheers for Mayor
'ianne Widdop for appointing 3auli-
na Cockrum, a seasoned and effective
planner, to the City Council to replace
the much-missed -ohn 'uncan. This
Zas a signi¿cant appointment that Zent
unreported in The Daily Astorian. With
Ms. Cockrum¶s help, the city Zill soon
have the legal means to rescue Gear-
hart¶s ancient tradition.
BILL B(5G
.(NT 6MIT+
Gearhart
Not concerned
T
he Astoria City Council this Zeek
Zas presented Zith a legitimate de-
velopment project for affordable hous-
ing. A small project in size, but four
units to help alleviate the current lack of
housing situation Astoria is gripped by.
It required the city to sell an un-
buildable lot. The protests Zere high.
Neighbors angry, Zanting to buy the lot
for their gardens or green space. Mean-
Zhile, there¶s up to a year-long Zait for
a tZo bedroom apartment here in toZn.
9acation 5entals by OZner (95BO
and Airbnbs are taking over Zhere
year-round tenants need housing.
My question to the city is this: A
cityZide study on affordable housing
this evening Zas approved, Zith the
broad strokes of “check hoZ many
empty houses you can ¿nd.” The coun-
cil voted to also “do a study on Airbnb”
Zhile they¶re at it.
Everyone on the council expressed
their concern during that discussion,
“yes, Ze must do something ... Ze¶re at
a crisis here,” and yet Zhen a develop-
er stood in front of council Zith a plan,
funding and an outline mapped out, the
council choose instead to vote not to
sell the city property to a developer, but
maybe Zait for a couple of years for the
city to count up all those empty houses.
The city doesn¶t Zant to encourage
development of affordable housing,
they Zant to study affordable housing.
Councilor Cindy 3rice said it best to-
Zards the end, that she¶d like to see the
city sell this lot for more money, and
have someone build a really nice house
on it.
My ansZer: That Zould cost
$300,000 to build. Which is not afford-
able housing.
'IANA .I5.
3ortland
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
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