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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2015)
OPINION 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2015 IV )UDQNHQ¿VK RQ yRXU GLHW" By TOM COLICCHIO )or The NeZ YorN TiPes Founded in 1873 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 &RQJUHVVGRHVLWVMRE L But, ban on exporting oil has 3aFi¿F NorthZest raPi¿Fations ast Friday’s congressional approval of $1.15 trillion in spending and $620 billion in tax savings for businesses and low-income workers includes at least one deal that deserves YLJRURXVRSSRVLWLRQLQWKH3DFL¿F1RUWKZHVWHYHQDVZHPLOGO\ FHOHEUDWHODZPDNHUVPDQDJLQJWR¿QLVKRQFHURXWLQHEXVLQHVV With little if any input from RUGLQDU\ FLWL]HQV &RQJUHVV eliminated a 40-year-old ban on exporting American oil. This ac- tion stands to have an oversized LPSDFWRQWKH3DFL¿F1RUWKZHVW which is the beachhead be- WZHHQ WKH %DNNHQ RLO ¿HOG DQG energy-hungry Asian nations. Backroom deal-making means we will bear consequences in the form of oil-spill risks; increased WUDI¿F FRQJHVWLRQ DQG RWKHU LP- pacts from long oil trains; and FRQÀLFWV EHWZHHQ RLO WDQNHUV DQGRWKHUXVHUVRIWKH&ROXPELD 3XJHW6RXQGDQG3DFL¿F2FHDQ 7KHUHDOVRPD\EHEHQH¿WVLQ the form of jobs and tax revenue. $VDJHQHUDOPDWWHUUHVWUDLQWVRQ trade — including the oil-export ban — tend to be an economic drag. But the overarching problem with rescinding the export ban and with other aspects of the spending/tax-break deal is that they are the product of a few fed- eral legislators and staff members working in concert with lobby- LVWV$PDMRULW\LQ&RQJUHVVZRQ¶W NQRZ ZKDW LV LQ WKH SDJH bill until details are deciphered in coming days. Legislating is about compro- mise — a fact of life often forgot- WHQLQWKHPRGHUQ&RQJUHVV%XW lawmakers should interact with citizens concerning decisions like ending the export ban that have Some lawmakers tried to insert lan- guage into must-pass spending legisla- tion that would block states from giving consumers the right to know whether WKHLUIRRGFRQWDLQVJHQHWLFDOO\PRGL¿HG ingredients. It was not in- cluded. Via Wikimedia Commons 1LQH RXW RI A snakehead murrel close-up from Banyumas, Central Java, Indo- 10 Americans nesia. After its release in North American waters, this fish was often ZDQW *02 called Frankenfish because of its look, aggressiveness and ability to disclosure on live outside water. It is not genetically modified. IRRG SDFNDJHV according to a 2013 NeZ YorN cals has increased 16-fold. E\ FRPELQLQJ JHQHV IURP &KLQRRN TiPes SROO MXVW *02DGYRFDWHVOLNHWRODEHODQ\RQH salmon that produce extra growth hor- like consumers ZKRREMHFWV³DQWLVFLHQFH´,W¶VWUXHWKDW PRQHZLWKDQ³DQWLIUHH]H´JHQHIURPD Tom in 64 other na- genetic technology has had an amazing ERWWRPIHHGHU WKH QRQ.RVKHU RFHDQ Colicchio tions. But pow- impact on the development of medi- SRXW7KHUHVXOWLVD¿VKWKDWJURZVIDU erful members of the agriculture and cine and the eradication of infectious faster and larger than nonengineered DSSURSULDWLRQVFRPPLWWHHVDORQJZLWK GLVHDVHV,I*02IRRGVZHUHDFWXDOO\ salmon. The U.S. Food and Drug Adminis- their allies in agribusiness corporations SURYLGLQJDFOHDUEHQH¿WWRWKHSXEOLF OLNH0RQVDQWRZDQWWRNHHSFRQVXPHUV OLNHLPSURYHGQXWULWLRQORZHUFRVWVRU WUDWLRQLQVLVWVWKHWUDQVJHQLF¿VKLVVDIH in the dark. That’s why EHWWHU WDVWH ZLWKRXW IRUKXPDQVEXWPDQ\H[SHUWVEHOLHYH opponents of that effort creating a spiral of ev- they have yet to prove AquAdvantage This new called it the DARK Act er-increasing toxicity will be safe for the environment or oth- HU ¿VK )DFWRU\ ¿VK IDUPV GHSHQG RQ — or the Deny Ameri- engineered LQRXUHQYLURQPHQW,¶G cans the Right to Know be all for them. And the use of antibiotics and pesticides to Act. LI *02V HYHU GHOLY- FRQWUROGLVHDVHDQGSDUDVLWHVWKDWÀRXU- fish $VDFKHI,¶PSURXG er on their promise to ish in high-density environments. The of the food I serve. The LPSURYHIRRGVHFXULW\ waste they release can decimate other could be idea that I would try to which they have yet to marine life and contaminate the water hide what’s in my food marketed as do in the more than 20 VXSSO\ )DUPHG ¿VK RIWHQ HVFDSH LQWR from my customers of- since they were ODUJHUZDWHUVHQGDQJHULQJQDWLYHVSH- … Atlantic years fends everything I be- LQWURGXFHG,¶GEHRYHU cies. While these new salmon will be VWHULOHPLVWDNHVFDQKDSSHQ lieve in. It’s also really the moon. salmon. )LQH \RX VD\ (QRXJK DOUHDG\ ,I bad for business. Vermont recently :K\ WKHQ KDYH passed a law requiring \RX GRQ¶W OLNH WKH )UDQNHQ¿VK GRQ¶W companies like Kellogg and groups like WKHODEHOLQJRIWKHVHIRRGV2WKHUVWDWHV buy it. But there’s the rub. This new engi- the Grocery Manufacturers Association are considering doing the same. That’s spent millions in recent years to lobby the impetus behind this backdoor effort: QHHUHG¿VKFRXOGEHPDUNHWHGDV«$W- DJDLQVWWUDQVSDUHQF\"7KH\VD\LQHI- 2SSRQHQWVZDQW&RQJUHVVWRSUHHPSW lantic salmon. There might be no way IHFW³7UXVWXVIRONV:HORRNHGLQWRLW Vermont and other like-minded states for consumers to identify it as geneti- cally engineered. *02 LQJUHGLHQWV DUH VDIH´ %XW ZKDW from implementing these rules. &RQVXPHUVKDYHDULJKWWRVHHNRXW they’re missing is that consumers want The federal government already re- WRPDNHWKHLURZQMXGJPHQWV&RQVXP- quires labeling of ingredients and basic food produced in accordance with their ers are saying: “Trust me. Let me do nutritional information and regulates YDOXHVDQGQRWEHPLVOHGE\DQLQGXV- my own homework and make my own against marketing that misleads the try’s strenuous efforts to keep them in FKRLFHV´ SXEOLF,QWKLVFRQWH[WODEHOLQJ*02V WKH GDUN:KHQ *02 LQJUHGLHQWV DUH FOHDUO\ODEHOHGFRQVXPHUVFDQH[HUFLVH ,Q IDFW VRPH RI XV KDYH GRQH RXU makes sense. KRPHZRUNDQGKHUH¶VZKDWZHIRXQG But that’s not what is happening. those rights. %ORFNLQJ WKH ODEHOLQJ RI *02 7KHXVHRI*02VKDVOHGWRXQLQWHQGHG &RQVLGHU WKH VLWXDWLRQ RI JHQHWLFDOO\ foods would be a step in the wrong di- FRQVHTXHQFHV)RULQVWDQFHPRVW*02 engineered salmon. crops are engineered to withstand blasts Last month the Food and Drug Ad- UHFWLRQDZD\IURPJUHDWHUDFFRXQWDELO- of a powerful weed killer that the World ministration approved for sale to the LW\DQGUHVSRQVLELOLW\&RQJUHVVVKRXOG +HDOWK2UJDQL]DWLRQKDVGHFLGHGSURE- SXEOLF WKH ¿UVW JHQHWLFDOO\ HQJLQHHUHG reject these efforts to block our right to DEO\FDXVHVFDQFHU1HZ³VXSHUZHHGV´ animal approved for human con- know. ToP ColiFFhio is a FheI, oZner oI are appearing that require even more VXPSWLRQ²D¿VKWKH\DUHFDOOLQJWKH CraIteG Hospitalit\ anG FoIounGer oI lethal formulations. Since the introduc- AquAdvantage salmon. WLRQRI*02FURSVXVHRIWKHVHFKHPL- 7KLV³VXSHU´VDOPRQZDVFRQFHLYHG )ooG 3oliF\ AFtion PUHVLGHQW OEDPD¶V OHJDFy RU EXVW He’s right. (in a letter to Rep. Mike The great Paris Pompeo of the House In- achievement is supposed WHOOLJHQFH&RPPLWWHHWKH to be global “transpar- deal “is not a treaty or an HQF\´ %XW ZKDW FDQ WKDW H[HFXWLYH DJUHHPHQW DQG possibly amount to when LVQRWDVLJQHGGRFXPHQW´ you can’t even trust the But don’t worry. Its suc- UHSRUWLQJ" -XVW WKUHH cess “will depend not on PRQWKV DJR WKH ZRUOG¶V whether it is legally bind- LQJRUVLJQHGEXWUDWKHURQ accord. It follows his Iran nuclear JUHDWHVW FDUERQ HPLWWHU &KLQDDGPLWWHGWRKDYLQJ WKH H[WHQVLYH YHUL¿FDWLRQ Charles deal and awaits but the closing of underreported its burning PHDVXUHV´ DQG RXU ³FD- Guantanamo to complete his glitter- RI FRDO E\ SHUFHQW D Krauthammer pacity to reimpose — and ing legacy. ramp up — our sanctions staggering error (assum- 7R EH VXUH 2EDPD ZLOO QRW EH ing it wasn’t a deliberate deception) if Iran does not meet its commit- submitting the climate agreement equal to the entire coal consumption PHQWV´ And how is that going? of Germany. IRU6HQDWHUDWL¿FDWLRQ,WZRXOGKDYH 2Q 1RY ,UDQ FRQGXFWHG LWV I’m a climate-change agnostic. no chance of passing — as with But I’m realistic enough to welcome second test of a nuclear-capable bal- WKH ,UDQLDQ QXFOHDU GHDO DOVR QHYHU prudent hedging against a possible listic missile in direct contravention VXEPLWWHGIRUWKH6HQDWHUDWL¿FDWLRQ worst-case scenario. I’ve long ad- RIWZR816HFXULW\&RXQFLOSURKL- vocated for a multilateral agreement ELWLRQV LQFOXGLQJ RQH WKDW LQFRUSR- 2EDPDNQHZKH¶GQHYHUJHW (unilateral U.S. actions being climat- rates the current nuclear agreement And if he does close Guantana- ically useless and economically sui- — which bans such tests for eight PR LW ZLOO EH LQ GH¿DQFH RI RYHU- cidal) negotiated with the most im- years. whelming bipartisan congressional SRUWDQWSOD\HUV²VD\,QGLD&KLQD 2XU UHVSRQVH" $IWHU ,UDQ¶V ¿UVW opposition. DQGWKH(XURSHDQ8QLRQ²FRQWDLQ- LOOHJDOODXQFKLQ2FWREHUWKHDGPLQ- <RX VHH YLVLRQDU\ WKLQNHUV OLNH LQJUHDOOLPLWVUHDOQXPEHUVDQGUHDO istration did nothing. A few words at 2EDPD FDQQRW EH ERXQG E\ QRUPDO enforcement. That would be a genu- WKH 8QLWHG 1DWLRQV :HUHQ¶W ZH UH- peatedly assured that any Iranian vi- constitutional stric- ine achievement. WXUHV ,QGHHG WKH What the cli- olation would be met with vigorous Visionary very unpopularity mate-change con- DFWLRQ" 1R ZRUU\ DJDLQ $V 81 of his most cher- ference produced Ambassador Samantha Power told thinkers ished diplomatic instead was hot D FRQJUHVVLRQDO KHDULQJ ODVW ZHHN goals is proof of DLU DSSODXGHG E\ ³GLVFXVVLRQVDUHDIRUPRI81DF- cannot be their prophetic far- 196 well-fed par- WLRQ´ The heart sinks. sightedness. ticipants. (Fourteen bound by It was obvious from the very Yet the climate QLJKWV LQ 3DULV normal deal brought back DIWHU DOO &KLQD beginning that the whole adminis- from Paris by Sec- promises to be WUDWLRQSURPLVHRI³VQDSEDFN´VDQF- UHWDU\RI6WDWH-RKQ constitutional ginreducing carbon tions was a farce. The Iranians knew Kerry turns out to emissions 15 years it. Hence their contempt for even the strictures. be no deal at all. It from now. India prospect of American pushback: two LV LQVWHDG D VHULHV announced it will illegal missile launches conducted of carbon-reducing promises made EH WULSOLQJ LWV FRDO¿UHG HOHFWULFLW\ ostentatiously even before sanctions individually and unilaterally by the FDSDFLW\ E\ 0HDQZKLOH WKH are lifted and before they receive world’s nations. 2EDPDDGPLQLVWUDWLRQLVHIIHFWLYHO\ their $150 billion in unfrozen assets 1R HQIRUFHPHQW QR VDQFWLRQV dismantling America’s entire coal early next year. :K\QRW"7KH\NQRZ2EDPDZLOO QRWKLQJ OHJDOO\ ELQGLQJ 1R PDW- industry. WHU H[SODLQHG .HUU\ RQ ³)R[ 1HZV Looking for guidance on how the LJQRUHGRZQSOD\DQGH[SODLQDZD\ 6XQGD\´³7KLVPDQGDWRU\UHSRUWLQJ U.S. will fare under this new envi- DQ\ YLRODWLRQ OHVW LW MHRSDUGL]H KLV requirement ... is a serious form of ronmental regime? Take a glance at transformative foreign policy legacy. ,W¶V D OHJDF\ RI ¿FWLRQDO DJUHH- HQIRUFHPHQWLI\RXZLOORIFRPSOL- 2EDPD¶V RWKHU JUHDW WULXPSK WKH ments. The proliferators and the DQFH EXW WKHUH LV QR SHQDOW\ IRU LW Iran nuclear accord. REYLRXVO\´ Does the American public know polluters are not bound. By our own ,I \RX WKLQN WKDW¶V JLEEHULVK that the Iranian parliament has nev- YROLWLRQZHDUH 2QO\ *XDQWDQDPR UHPDLQV \RX¶UH QRW DORQH 1$6$ VFLHQWLVW er approved it? And that the Iranian -DPHV +DQVHQ $PHULFD¶V OHDGLQJ president has never signed it? Iran :LWKLQDPRQWKRQHVL[WKRIWKHUH- FDUERQ DEROLWLRQLVW LQGHOLFDWHO\ is not legally bound to an\thing. As maining prisoners will be released. FDOOHGWKHZKROHGHDO³EXOOV²´ the State Department freely admitted 2EDPDZLOOQRWEHGHQLHG W RaFisP is not a health\ FreGo Ior a nation DUDFN 2EDPD¶V HOHFWLRQ WR the presidency stirred many 5HSXEOLFDQ UHVSRQVHV 2I DOO RI WKHP WKH GULYH WR UHVWULFW PL- nority voting is among the most short-sighted and debilitating. Instead of competing for Hispanic votes and responding to workplace needs for immigration UHIRUP 5HSXEOLFDQ OHDGHUV DUH motivated by fear. That fear pro- pels them to turn the clock back – to defy the demographic wave that is coming. The war against Hispanic vot- LQJIRULQVWDQFHLVKDSSHQLQJQRW just for presidential reasons. It is also about local politics in states OLNH7H[DV³7KH1HZ$WWDFNRQ +LVSDQLF9RWLQJ5LJKWV´E\-LP Ruttenberg of The NeZ YorN TiPes focused on city politics in 3DVDGHQD7H[DV :URWH5XWWHQEHUJ³2EDPD¶V election was followed by a sud- den return of restrictive new YRWLQJ ODZV PRVW RI WKHP GLV- proportionately affecting mi- QRULWLHV WKDW ZHUH HQDFWHG E\ newly empowered Republican legislatures throughout the FRXQWU\´ re consumers smart enough to be trusted with their own food choices? direct real-world impacts on our lives. +HUH LQ WKH 1RUWKZHVW ZH must be prepared to make full use of all regulatory and politi- cal mechanisms to make certain WKH FRPSDQLHV WKDW SUR¿W IURP oil shipments fully internalize all costs. This will include holding them to ultra-strict safety stan- dards and indemnifying commu- nities for losses from spills. Beyond eliminating the export EDQLW¶VZRUWKWDNLQJQRWHRIRWK- er things in the bill: • The Land and Water &RQVHUYDWLRQ )XQG KDV EHHQ saved with a $450 million appro- priation. This is a huge deal for parks and recreation programs throughout the nation. • Planned Parenthood was left alone. • $610 million was approved IRU IHGHUDO ZLOG¿UH ¿JKWLQJ ² OHVV WKDQ WKH SHUPDQHQW ¿[ WKDW LV QHHGHG EXW QHYHUWKHOHVV ZHO- come. • Federal help for alternative wind and solar energy was re- newed. Achieving fundamental legis- lative tasks shouldn’t have to rely on the kind of stealth that accom- By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER panied important aspects of this GHDO &R]\ WD[ EUHDNV DQG RWKHU Washington Post Writers Group favors are certain to be sprinkled $6+,1*721²5HFHQWO\ WKURXJKRXW1HYHUWKHOHVVLW¶VUH- %DUDFN 2EDPD JDLQHG WKH IUHVKLQJWRVHH&RQJUHVVPDQDJH second jewel in his foreign poli- to do its job in any way at all. cy triple crown: the Paris climate 5HVWULFWHGYRWLQJGH¿HV the demographic wave B A 7KH -RKQ 5REHUWV 6XSUHPH &RXUW DLGHG WKLV RIIHQVLYH E\ gutting enforcement provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The Roberts’ majority’s logic was that America’s racist restriction of voting was ended. But if you fol- low Ruttenberg’s reporting out of 3DVDGHQDWKHGULYHWRLQWLPLGDWH and exclude minority citizens from the ballot box is alive and well in Texas. Voting is the most basic American right. The people ZKRP *23 ODZ\HUV VHHN WR LQ- timidate are citizens. All of this is UHPLQLVFHQWRIWKH-LP&URZHUD LQ ZKLFK SROO WD[HV YRWHU WHVWV and implied violence were used to keep blacks away from the polls in the South. ,Q -DQXDU\ ZH ZLOO PDUN Martin Luther King Day. Dr. King’s legacy includes the libera- tion of the South from a debilitat- ing way of life in which political control was achieved through vi- olence. ,QWKHORQJWHUPUDFLVPLVQRW a healthy credo for a nation. It de- means every citizen — the perpe- trators as well as the victims.
