THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016
FRIDAY EXCHANGE
Thoughts
ust a few questions about
the passing scene: Con-
gressman Greg Walden and
Mr. Barry Bushue, president
of the Oregon Farm Bureau,
think new laws need to be
passed that will “prohibit
prosecution of farmers and
ranchers…” for breaking ex-
isting federal laws, because
it’s having “… a ‘chilling ef-
fect’ on farm practices” (“As
US focuses on rural West,
what’s next?,” The Daily As-
torian, Jan. 19).
Is not punishment for
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tended to have a chilling ef-
fect? How about the farmers
and ranchers stop breaking
them?
Secondly, why is the Asto-
ria City Council entertaining
a proposal of $29 million for
this new library? How about
entertaining taking about one
tenth of that amount, spend-
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existing building, and put-
ting $2 million into … oh …
maybe books? That’s what
the library sorely lacks (“City
Council might downsize li-
brary project,” The Daily As-
torian, Jan. 13).
And lastly, why do your
editors think that years of
“no economic growth” in
a logging-dominated area
where all the marketable
timber has already been cut
and milled should be “an
alarm” (“40 years of no
growth should be an alarm
bell,” The Daily Astorian,
Jan. 19)? Endless growth is
cancer, not a viable econom-
ic plan or principle.
JOSEPH WEBB
Astoria
J
Thank you
he Warrenton Commu-
nity Center Advisory
Board held a breakfast with
Santa at the Warrenton Com-
munity Center on Saturday,
Dec. 19. The breakfast was
a great success, and we want
to thank the community for
their awesome support.
We served 200 individ-
uals. A special thanks to all
our great volunteers; to the
Starbucks Coffee shop in
Warrenton for their great
coffee; the Pig ’N Pancake
for their pancake batter;
T
Warrenton Mini Mart and
Warrenton Deep Sea for pur-
chasing supplies and food;
Mel and Betsy Jasmin for
the raffle items, and for their
monetary contributions; Vet-
erans of Foreign Wars No.
1228 and the VFW Auxilia-
ry; Warrenton Fiber; Ocean
Beauty; Lektro; Main Street
Market; Costco; Marcia
Harper Insurance; McCall
Tire Center; Wauna Federal
Credit Union; and the Co-
lumbia River Bar Pilots.
A special thanks goes to
the Pig ’N Pancake staff who
made sure our pancakes were
up to standards set by the
restaurant, to Santa for drop-
ping in, and to the volunteers
from the senior citizens group
who served our breakfast and
washed our dishes.
FRANK BECKER
Chairman, Warrenton
Community Center Advisory
Board
Face reality
he only word missing was
“pristine” (“Oyster grow-
HUVQHHGVKULPS¿[´The Dai-
ly Astorian, Jan. 14). Despite
the routine spraying of oyster
T
beds with pesticides and near-
by clear-cut forests with her-
bicides, Willapa Bay is often
touted for its “pristine” wa-
ters. While it is true that oys-
ters thrive in clean water, the
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to interpretation.
The oyster industry, like all
other industries, has to face
up to the realities of the mar-
ketplace. That marketplace
is increasingly demanding
chemical-free food, produced
in an environmentally respon-
sible manner. Even large re-
tailers, including Costco and
Walmart, are responding to
the food demands of their cus-
tomer base.
To assert that the oyster
industry’s dilemma with bur-
rowing shrimp is the fault of
those who “don’t live here”—
city dwellers, in other words
— is ignoring reality. You
don’t have to go far in our
UXUDO DUHD WR ¿QG WKH WHUPV
“organic,” “chemical free,”
“GMO free,” and “rBST
free” on products available at
any food retailer, and on the
menus of many restaurants.
This marketplace phenome-
non is happening despite the
millions spent, and columns
printed, to defeat food label-
ing legislation favored by
many consumers.
Like any other industry
faced with a legacy of pollu-
tion, the oyster industry (yes,
it’s an industry) will have to
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with native burrowing shrimp.
This has already been done
by a small grower in Willapa
Bay, and it can be done again
on a larger scale.
FRED WHITE
Astoria
5A
Grateful
am so grateful to the young
lady who found my purse at
Fred Meyer on Wednesday, Jan
13. It was returned to the Infor-
mation Desk intact. I extend
a huge ‘thank you’ and ‘God
bless you for your honesty.’
It is so good to know that
there are good people in our
community. Again, I say thank
you.
EILEEN STRAIN
Warrenton
I
Helping Linda
inda Geisler is a cashier at
Astoria’s Safeway store.
She always remembers peo-
ples’ names and greets each
person in a way that honors
their presence. She is sweet
rain in a parched desert. More
times than not I have left the
store feeling better than when
I entered, after being served
by her.
So, I was sad to read in
the obituaries section that her
young 25-year-old daughter,
Whittney Ferguson, had lost
her life to addiction. Such a
loss is unbearable and unjust.
I did not know Whittney, but
if she was like her mother, she
was special.
The obituary for Whittney
asked for donations to the
Northwest Chapter of the Na-
tional Council on Alcoholism
and Drug Dependency in her
name. I will send a donation to
them, but I also wish to send a
donation to Linda, in memory
of Whittney, for care of their
horses. It would be kind if all
those who have been touched
by Linda’s grace do the same.
POLLYANNA MINER
Warrenton
L
Ten values, beliefs that will shape Oregon’s 2016 political landscape
By ADAM DAVIS
For The Daily Astorian
On your mark, get set …
go! Here comes election year
2016.
Oregonians will be facing
a number of potentially divi-
sive issues including raising
the corporate minimum tax,
raising the minimum wage,
and rolling back climate
change legislation. We are
entering a year that state Sen.
Peter Courtney describes as
possibly being our Armaged-
don. It is also the time of year
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so here’s another one for the
record book, based on DHM
Research surveys and focus
groups: Oregonians’ values
and beliefs that will inform
the state’s political landscape
in 2016.
First at the 50,000 foot lev-
el.
1. Oregonians remain
woefully ignorant about
how government, politics,
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Many do not know how
many branches of govern-
ment we have in Oregon and
cannot name a tax that helps
pay for state government
service.
Sadly, they also have little
knowledge about the state’s
geography and history. How
much of the state is outside
the Willamette Valley? Which
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Willamette River? What can
you tell me about the beach
bill, the bottle bill, SB 100,
Tom McCall?
“Who?” “What?” . . . Oh
well, you get the idea.
2. Oregonians are split in
assessing the state’s current
direction. About the same
number believe the state is
headed in the right direction
as believe we’re off on the
wrong track.
Scary, however, is how
soft the right direction people
are in their feelings. Bring up
such issues as the state’s high
school graduation rate, rural
poverty statistics, PERS, or
even national and interna-
tional issues like terrorism,
immigration, and climate
change and they are quick to
get squeamish.
3. The economy and ed-
ucation are important to
Oregonians, and they want
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cials to do something about
these issues. Underneath
this sentiment, however, the
negativity and skepticism on
both issues runs high.
For example, with the
economy, government of-
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breast-pounding over the
private and nonprof-
falling unemploy-
it sectors.
ment rate does not
Now at the
impress
voters;
ground level.
they are looking for
6. Proponents of
family-wage jobs
increasing the cor-
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porate minimum
eco-friendly busi-
tax are currently
nesses. For educa-
sitting pretty. They
tion, voters want
have going for
better use of the
them a good bal-
money the schools
Adam
lot measure title,
already have as
Davis
voter
antipathy
much as they want
toward big business,
more money for them.
Gird and concern about
It is also more specif-
funding, fueled
ically about K-12 ed-
your K-12
by headlines about
ucation and less about
colleges and universi- loins! low graduation rates.
On the other hand,
ties.
the measure would
And while the
economy and education are be in trouble if there was an-
important, just as important other measure on the ballot
is government spending and directing any increase in tax-
taxation. Related to this is es to property tax relief or a
also a growing sentiment that companion measure with a
our system of government is reduced tax rate.
7. A graduated increase
broken.
4. Despite strong differ- in the minimum wage to $15
ences between political par- in 2019 is a toss-up at this
ties about how much gov- point, but $13.50 by 2019
ernment should be involved does better.
But a strong 40 percent
in addressing the challenges
facing the state, we Orego- or so appear to oppose the
nians continue to value the measure either way. Many of
same things about living these are older residents, Re-
here: the clean air and wa- publicans, or voters who live
ter, natural beauty, outdoor outside the Willamette Valley.
8. If the unions go for
recreation
opportunities,
sense of community, and cli- increased corporate taxes,
will business go after the
mate (snow, baby, snow!).
We also are concerned unions? Well, we’re not sure
about the future of small where that would get them.
Currently voters appear
businesses in Oregon and our
low-income children and se- split on a Right-to-Work mea-
sure similar to Wisconsin’s.
niors.
About 40 percent support
5. Perhaps as validation
of what they value about Oregon’s current law, which
living in Oregon, residents allows collective bargain-
consider the most important ing agreements that require
union-repre-
“public services” still to be non-member,
SROLFH ¿UH DQG HPHUJHQF\ sented employees to share
services, all basic to feeling in the costs of union repre-
secure and having a sense sentation. A similar number
of community. But, just as support allowing non-union
important to Oregonians public employees to refuse to
is protection of productive share costs. A good chunk of
forest and farm land and voters are undecided.
9. And what about repeal-
air and water quality, along
with K-12 education and ing current law requiring
services for low-income chil- the Environmental Quality
Commission to adopt rules
dren and seniors.
Economic development for low carbon fuel stan-
subsidies and tax breaks for dards to reduce greenhouse
attracting or developing busi- gas emissions?
“No” is up by 17 points.
ness remain at the bottom of
This is not surprising in light
the list.
These preferences cut of a strong majority of Orego-
across political and demo- nians who tell us that climate
graphic subgroups, but — be- change requires us to change
cause they’re public services our way of life, such as driv-
— they are also susceptible ing less or living more simply.
10. And number 10 for
to concerns about govern-
ment spending and taxation, our list is . . . the ground
which can quickly put people game. It is all going to be
in opposing camps. Talking about voter turnout. The
about core values and public, higher the turnout of young-
SULYDWH DQG QRQSUR¿W SDUW- er and minority voters, the
nerships helps unify feeling, better the results will be for
especially with more involve- Democrats. It is that simple.
A competitive presidential
ment and leadership from the
election will help, but here in
Oregon will less frequent vot-
ers take time to wade through a
long list of ballot measure de-
scriptions and local candidate
choices? Hard to say, but that
is where the action will be this
coming year: Get out the vote!
Is 2016 the year of Arma-
geddon for Oregon? Consid-
ering what Oregonians don’t
know about government and
politics, one wonders whether
they know what Senate Pres-
ident Peter Courtney means.
The Webster Dictionary’s
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conclusive battle between the
forces of good and evil.”
The site is Oregon, the time
is now, and good and evil are
in the eye of the beholder. As
battle lines are being drawn,
we may want to keep in mind
what voters know, care about,
and how they’re feeling about
some key issues. It may serve
us well as we start the battle
that is election year 2016.
Gird your loins (know what
that means?)!
Adam Davis, who has been
conducting opinion research
in Oregon for more than 35
years, is a founding principal
in DHM Research, an inde-
pendent, nonpartisan ¿rm
9isit wwwdhmresearchcom