THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016
FRIDAY EXCHANGE
Just kidding
still think that Mr. Trump is
going to walk to the podium
one of these days and say, “Just
kidding. Never wanted the
job. Just wanted to show what
a circus can be made of the
American campaign season.”
DAVID AMBROSE
Astoria
I
Support refuges
’m writing to express my
support for the people of
Harney County, the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge, as
well as our local Haystack Rock,
which itself is part of the Oregon
Island National Wildlife Refuge.
In Southeastern Oregon,
armed outsiders advocating for
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overtaken the county, the people
of Burns and the refuge for
several weeks now. The lives of
the citizens have been seriously
disrupted. Financial damages
mount. The uniqueness of that
refuge is being trashed daily.
Clatsop is a rural, though
coastal, county. Imagine the
chaos that would ensue in our
communities if an armed group
overtook Cannon Beach and the
Rock. It is not that far-fetched.
Who thought a group such as
Bundy and company would set
up housekeeping at the Malheur
Refuge?
National wildlife refuges
belong to all Americans.
MELISSA
CADWALLADER
Cannon Beach
I
Know the numbers
was in the Fred Meyer parking
lot the other day and someone
was looking at my tire cover
which says: “Feel the Bern.”
I asked the young woman if
she liked Bernie Sanders and
she said, yes, she did, but she
thought it was time for a woman
president. Is this what we need
now?
Bill Clinton, in 1994, brought
us the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA). We
were told that this would bring
strong economic growth to our
country, and create 200,000
jobs. But it brought economic
ruin. One hundred million U.S.
jobs lost because of NAFTA,
decreased wages, and increased
inequality, and we have not
recovered from this.
President
Obama
promised the U.S. free trade
agreement with Korea, KORUS,
would produce 70,000 jobs, but
instead lost 75,000 jobs. You
I
Linn County suit is economic terrorism
he Linn County commissioners’
lawsuit against the state for its
management of forest policies shares
common ground with the militants in
Harney County. The militants want grazing
restrictions lifted on land maintained by
the government as a wildlife sanctuary for
over a century.
The commissioners want the state to
forsake its duty, established in 1998, to
manage forests for ecological, recreational
and aesthetic values as well as logging.
Like the militants, the commissioners
would degrade the long-term quality of
our public lands for the sake of immediate
economic gain. Their massive law suit is
economic terrorism that could cost the tax
payers a billion dollars.
It’s no coincidence that this legal
threat coincides with the timber industry’s
proposal to open 70 percent of Clatsop
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are supposed to believe that
we “recovered from the 2008
recession” and that the unem-
ployment rate is a little over 5
percent.
The Bureau of Labor
calculates unemployment six
different ways. John F. Kennedy
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started manipulating jobless
numbers, and future presidents
did, also. It excludes several
categories of workers in order to
show lower unemployment rate.
These workers are unemployed
but are not counted. Both Bernie
Sanders and Donald Trump
have stated that the real unem-
ployment rate is around 40
percent, and Fortune magazine
says they are spot on.
Our presidents have been
sending our jobs overseas. We
need jobs, good paying jobs,
now. Although every candidate
for president after 1994
promised “more jobs,” we do
not have jobs that replaced those
that have been lost. Now 70,000
more jobs will be lost through
the new trade agreement, the
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(TPP). So for starters, what we
need is a president who knows
what the real unemployment
number is. Do you agree?
DIXIE GAINER
Nehalem
School changes
here are somethings I would
change about Broadway
Middle School in Seaside. I
would allow students to use
their cell phones in class, and
a longer passing period time
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and Tillamook counties’ managed forests
to clearcutting, reducing conservation to a
mere 30 percent. Like the timber industry,
the commissioners say “to hell with the
general public,” whose interests are being
protected by the government.
The 15 counties that receive revenues
from logging have had 18 years to get
used to the idea that massive clear cutting
on public lands is a thing of the past.
During that time span they have failed
to create alternative sources of revenue
for their constituencies. The Linn County
lawsuit is an example of failed leadership
at the state and local levels, and a lack of
character on the part of commissioners,
who would rather litigate and connive than
do the hard work of creating a sustainable
vision for the future.
Last year, the Clatsop County commis-
sioners created a 30-year vision plan that
between classes, and have
longer lunches.
First, I think students should
be allowed to use their cell
phones in class. If students need
help spelling a word they don’t
know, they will be able to use
their cell phones. Also if students
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a cell phone would be good.
Another thing is if students
need to research information,
the students can use their cell
phones.
Second, I think students
should have a longer passing
period time between classes,
because if some students can’t
open their lockers, they won’t
be late if they had more time.
Also, if students need to go to
the bathroom they won’t be late
to their class. Another thing is
if students drop their stuff, and
pick up their papers and spirals,
they won’t be late to their class.
Finally, I think school
lunches should be longer.
Students who are in last in line
don’t have much to eat. Also, if
you’re last in line you don’t get
what you want to eat. Another
thing is to have a longer recess.
It should be like an hour.
As you see, I would make
some changes to the school.
I would allow students to use
their cell phones in class, have a
longer passing period time, and
have a longer lunch time.
EZEQUIEL LOPEZ-MOTA
Seaside
Need all information
pen letter to the Cannon Beach
Planning Commission: Many
O
was forged with abundant public input.
In the second line of the “Overarching
Vision” it clearly states that we as a county
“protect and enhance our scenic beauty
and natural resources as the foundation
of our prosperity and outstanding quality
of life.” The operable words here are
“protect” “enhance” and “scenic beauty.”
I have faith that Chairman Scott Lee
and the other commissioners will live up
to the county’s vision plan by repudiating
the Linn County law suit. In that same
spirit, I trust that our commission will
repudiate the 70/30 proposal by the timber
companies and work for a county-wide
moratorium on clear cutting, which is
exacerbating global warming, desecrating
the visual environment and poisoning the
air and water.
ROGER DORBAND
Astoria
of the arguments for and against
Jeff Nicholson’s proposed Planned
Unit Development (PUD) have
been expressed very well by others.
After attending the December
meeting on this matter, I would
like to express my reflections on
the topic, regarding procedure. The
opinions are mine and mine alone.
Oregon wisely requires
many land use decisions to be
made during a 120-day window
to provide fairness to all parties
involved. In this case, the city
has a reasonable period in
which to analyze the proposal,
the public has a reasonable
period to offer comments for or
against, and the developer can
expect a reasonable period for
a decision to be reached. This
all assumes that the developer
provides the information
required upon which a decision
can be made. It also assumes
that staff members will accept
only a complete application
from the developer.
What Oregon law does not
anticipate is a municipal staff
member formally accepting an
incomplete application. When
that happens, the 120-day clock
starts ticking, but neither the
municipality nor the public
have the information needed to
evaluate the proposal, much less
the ability to render a reasoned
decision.
I don’t know whether
Mr. Nicholson’s incomplete
application was accepted by the
city (and approved by its legal
counsel) in error, or out of bias
in favor of the development.
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it inexcusable when “profes-
sionals” perform their duties in
such manner.
CLEVE ROOPER
Cannon Beach
Escape tower
onsidering the Cascadia
Subduction Zone event
predicted in this area, I am
concerned about the possible
tsunami that would accompany
such an occurrence. Because
I’m retired and have time to
prepare for this event, I have
complied with some of the
suggestions put forth by Patrick
Corcoran and other experts on
the subject.
I have become a ham
radio operator to enhance
my communications, been a
participant with the Clatsop
County Sheriff’s Department
search and rescue team to
educate myself on survival
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prepared a “to go” pack with
emergency supplies. I have
also attended local up-dating
meetings on the North Coast.
But the 50-foot elephant
in the room is the tsunami
that would accompany such
an event. Since I live near the
mouth of the Columbia River
in Hammond (with 100 other
homes, more or less), we will
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water comes. And if the wave
that reaches us is anything like
the experts predict, there is no
adequate high ground to walk
to (all concrete/asphalt roads
would likely be disrupted or
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tsunami.
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Vertical evacuation is
really the only practical
way to prepare. That means
constructing a steel (?) tower
within a 10-15 minute walking
distance of us to accommodate
60-100 people, probably some
pets, and personal supplies.
Where? There is a vacant
lot on the corner of Russell
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the brick guardhouse. Other
possible sites also exist in the
area. Eventually, any locale
along the coast that lacks
immediate high ground could
be a candidate for such a tower.
Financing might be provided by
a combination of government
grants, contributions from
interested groups (such as tours
during the summer, antennae
from local governments, ham
radio users and bird watchers),
and donations and fundraisers.
Such a tower would need
to survive the liquefaction
from the initial and subsequent
quakes, as well as the water
surge. I am hopeful that
expertise in such construction
(50 feet high or so) exists in the
North Coast area.
I realize that obtaining
momentum for such a project
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since most people worry today
about paying the rent or putting
food on the table. An event that
may occur tomorrow or some
years from now is easy to set
aside. And I’m not sure my new
year’s resolution of winning the
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myself is all that viable. But it
might be worth thinking about
it.
DAVID SKARRA
Hammond
Get realistic
really think the letter by
Joseph Webb hit the ol’ book
in the binding (“Thoughts,”
The Daily Astorian, Jan. 22).
My wife and I enjoy our library
and use it a lot. But, as a retired
building contractor, I think the
$29 million cost of a new library
is way overboard.
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by Mr. Webb are do-able, if we
don’t get too big for our pants.
As many people today only read
apps, why waste the money.
We do need more books for us
fogies, and the existing parking
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Lets get some realistic specs
sent out for bid. Forget the pie
in the sky stuff. This (thank
goodness) is not Portland.
DICK DARBY
Astoria
I
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By CHARLES
KRAUTHAMMER
Washington Post Writers
Group
ASHINGTON —
It’s hard to believe
that the United States,
having resisted the siren
song of socialism during its
entire 20th-century heyday
(the only major democracy
to do so), should suddenly
succumb to its charms a
generation after its intellec-
tual demise.
W
Indeed, the prospect of
socialist Bernie Sanders,
whatever
his
current
momentum, winning the
Democratic
nomination
remains far-fetched.
The Dems would be risking
a November electoral disaster of
historic dimensions. Yet there is
no denying how far Sanders has
pulled his party to the left —
and how hard the establishment
candidate, Hillary Clinton, has
been racing to catch up.
The Republicans, on the
other hand, are dealing with a
full-scale riot. The temptation
they face is trading in a century
of conservatism for Trumpism.
The 2016 presidential race
has turned into an epic contest
between the ethno-nationalist
populism of Donald Trump and
traditional conservatism, though
in two varieties: the scorched-
earth fundamentalist version
of Ted Cruz, and a reformist
version represented by Marco
Rubio (and several so-called
establishment candidates) —
and articulated most fully by
non-candidate Paul Ryan and
a cluster of highly productive
thinkers and policy wonks
dubbed “reformicons.”
Trump insists that he’s a
especially of the tea
conservative,
but
party movement) —
in his pronounce-
limited government.
ments and policies,
The most telling
conservatism seems
example is his
more of a rental
wholehearted
— a three-story
support for “eminent
penthouse rental with
domain,” i.e. the
Central Park-view,
forcible appropria-
to be sure — than
tion by government
an ideological home.
of private property.
Trump protests that
Charles
Trump called it
Ronald Reagan, too,
Krauthammer
“wonderful.”
migrated from left to
Trump has not yet called
right. True, but Reagan’s trans-
formation occurred in his 40s — Vladimir Putin wonderful
but he has taken a shine to the
not, as with Trump, in his 60s.
In
radically
different swaggering mini-czar who
ways, Trump and Sanders are seems to run his trains on time.
addressing the deep anxiety When informed that Putin kills
stemming from the secular opponents and journalists,
stagnation in wages and living Trump’s initial reaction was,
standards that has squeezed the “Well, I think that our country
middle and working classes for
a generation. Sanders locates
the villainy in a billionaire
class that has rigged both the
economic and political system.
Trump blames foreigners, most
prominently those cunning
Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese
and Saudis who’ve been taking
merciless advantage of us, in
concert with America’s own
leaders who are, alternatively,
stupid and incompetent or
bought and corrupt.
Hence
Trump’s
most
famous policy recommenda-
tions: anti-immigrant, including
the forced deportation of 11
million people; anti-trade, with
a 45 percent tariff on Chinese
goods and a 35 percent tariff on
U.S. manufacturing moved to
Mexico; and anti-Muslim, most
notoriously a complete ban on
entry into the U.S. Temporarily
only, we are assured, except
that the ban applies “until our
country’s representatives can
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standard so indeterminate as to
be meaningless.
Trump has limited concern
for the central tenet of American
conservatism
(and
most
does plenty of killing, also,” the the two men. Cruz is a genuine
kind of moronic what-about-the- conservative — austere, indeed
Crusades moral equivalence that radical, so much so that he
conservatives have railed against considers mainstream congres-
sional conserva-
for
decades.
tives apostates.
Although, to be
The
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fair, after some
p r o m p t i n g , Republicans not conservative
at all, as he is
Trump did come
out
against are dealing now furiously,
belatedly
the killing of
with a full- insisting.
journalists.
My personal
Cruz is often
scale riot. preference
is
lumped
with
for the third
Trump in the
“anti-establishment” camp. That ideological alternative, the
suited Cruz tactically for a while, reform conservatism that locates
but it’s fairly meaningless, the source of our problems not
given that “establishment” can in heartless billionaires or crafty
mean anything these days. And foreigners, but in our superannu-
given the huge gulf between ated, increasingly sclerotic 20th-
the political philosophies of century welfare-state structures.
Their desperate need for reform
has been overshadowed by the
new populism, but Speaker
Ryan is determined to introduce
a serious reform agenda in this
year’s Congress — boring stuff
like welfare reform, health care
reform, tax reform and institu-
tional congressional reforms
such as the return to “regular
order.”
Paired with a President like
Rubio (or Chris Christie or Carly
Fiorina, to go long-shot), such
an agenda would give conser-
vatism its best opportunity since
Reagan to become the country’s
governing philosophy.
Unless the GOP takes the
populist leap. In which case, a
conservative restoration will be
a long time coming.