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3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2016 Oregon heads for ballot brawl over tax increase sales tax measure wasn’t the answer. “We really worked hard to SALEM — When a ¿QG VRPHWKLQJ WKDW HYHU\RQH proposed statewide $15-an- could agree to,” recalls former hour minimum wage measure Kitzhaber chief of staff Curtis gave businesses heartburn, Robinhold. “In the end we Gov. Kate Brown intervened GLGQ¶W ¿QG QHZ UHYHQXH WR ÀRDW D FRPSURPLVH SODQ options that everyone could agree to or that we thought earlier this month. In contrast, Brown has would pass muster with the stayed squarely on the side- voters.” Kitzhaber always planned lines when it comes to an initiative aimed for the to seek out other alternatives in November ballot that is KLV¿QDOWHUPSDUWLFLSDQWVDQG arousing just as much oppo- former aides agree. That never sition: A $2.6 billion annual happened, thanks to escalating tax increase on many large controversy over the appear- DQFH WKDW KLV ¿DQFHH &\OYLD corporations. Aside from some Demo- +D\HV SUR¿WHG SHUVRQDOO\ cratic senators, nobody is IURPKHUUROHLQKLVRI¿FH In January 2015, as proposing an alternative — including the business Kitzhaber struggled to cope community that would be with the situation, the union- backed Our Oregon group affected. That might seem surprising ¿OHG LWV SHWLWLRQ IRU WKH WD[ in light of Oregon’s long increase. The measure likely history of compromise and wouldn’t have had the gover- alternative measures to defuse nor’s support because of his belief in avoiding large-scale impending ballot warfare. So why is Oregon headed ballot warfare, participants in for a serious political rumble? the talks say. Weeks later, that became Some say there’s scant incentive for supporters to less of an issue for the public consider common ground, employee unions backing thanks in part to an expected the measure, when Kitzhaber federal court ruling that could resigned. drastically reduce the clout of public employee unions New urgency in future election cycles. The Meanwhile, a ruling by the sponsors of the measure say U.S. Supreme Court that is they’re done compromising expected this summer could on tax measures as they did hamper those unions’ ability under former Gov. John to raise political funds in the Kitzhaber. future, potentially adding “I think the coalition to the urgency behind the that’s behind the measure measure, several Democrats is saying we don’t want to say privately. Heather Conroy, executive just have peace, we want to make people’s lives better,” director of Service Employees says Ben Unger, the former International Union Local 503, lawmaker who leads the says the urgency is primarily group spearheading the initia- because years of talks have tive, Our Oregon. “I would gone nowhere. “We really just rather help people than avoid cannot wait any longer to put forward a solution. ... We need disagreeing.” to see change.” Brown, who’s running for Huge budget boost Initiative Petition 28 re-election and is expected to focuses new taxes on a receive strong union support, swath of corporations with has not taken a position on $25 million or more in whether the initiative makes Oregon sales. The tax is sense. “It’s a complicated issue, QRW RQ SUR¿WV EXW RQ JURVV receipts. It would generate and she’s consulting with $5.2 billion in Oregon’s next stakeholders, and she has not two-year budget period. That reached a conclusion about it money, which is supposed to herself,” says spokeswoman boost education and health Kristen Grainger. “There’s spending, will increase the GH¿QLWHO\VWLOOWLPHWRFRQVLGHU state’s $18 billion general the measure and what’s going to happen.” fund by nearly a third. State House Speaker Tina The money raised would be seven times the amount Kotek, D-Portland, who raised by the corporate tax generally leans in support of measures that spawned a the measure, says she hadn’t bruising labor-business heard of alternatives from ¿JKW LQ 2EVHUYHUV DUH the business community, and predicting the opposition added that a much smaller campaign alone will spend measure probably would not $15 million to $20 million — be enough to make Initiative a staggering, record-shattering Petition 28 go away. “We have a revenue sum. Supporters already are problem in this state,” Kotek airing out their arguments says. While the measure is not that Oregon schools and perfect, she says, “it would other services desperately solve our revenue problem.” Oregon Business Asso- need funding, and that out-of- state companies will bear the ciation head Ryan Deckert brunt of the hike. Opponents, says the magnitude of the however, say the increase tax increase has businesses will result in higher prices for focused on beating the consumers and local compa- measure, rather than modi- fying it. “It kind of focuses the nies, too. State Senate President mind, job one is to defeat that Peter Courtney, D-Salem, ... I think there’s just a collec- has called for a compro- tive ‘No way.’” He, like initiative supporter mise, predicting the initiative will spark a political blood- 8QJHU H[SUHVVHG FRQ¿GHQFH bath with lasting negative over who will win. “We think that when effects on the state. And Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, has consumers and citizens in sought to build momentum Oregon see how this will behind the idea of an alterna- affect them, they will react negatively,” says Deckert, tive measure. However, so far there’s a former Democratic state little evidence that other senator. political players have been persuaded. And past compro- mise revenue efforts have not panned out. By NICK BUDNICK Capital Bureau Kyle Spurr/The Daily Astorian A humpback whale washed ashore in Seaside Sunday. Dead humpback washes ashore in Seaside By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian SEASIDE — A dead 24-foot humpback whale washed ashore Sunday in Seaside. Keith Chandler, the manager of Seaside Aquarium, said a samples from the whale to deter- mine how it died. The animal was maybe a year old, Chandler said, and had been dead for quite a while. City crews will bury the whale at the beach. Chandler said it is not unusual to see a humpback wash ashore. “There were a few hump- backs hanging out in the mouth of the Columbia River last year,” he said. “They are usually further offshore. It could have died offshore and with the storm, washed in.” Washington approves monthlong razor clam dig EO Media Group OLYMPIA, Wash. — Razor clam diggers can look forward to more than a month of razor clam digging opportunities on the Long Beach Peninsula. The Washington Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife approved the dig, which runs from Thursday through March 10, at Long Beach after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat. All other beaches remain closed to recreational razor clam digging. The department approved this extended opening due to the abundance of clams available at Long Beach, said Dan Ayres, a VWDWHFRDVWDOVKHOO¿VKPDQDJHU “We had a late start to the digging season, so we still have plenty of clams to dig at Long Beach,” Ayres said. “We’re thrilled to be able to announce this lengthy opening.” Last fall, leading up to what would have been the start of the slamming season in a non-toxin year, the state estimated there were nearly 12 million adult clams more than 3 inches in length in Long Beach Peninsula sands. Adult clams averaged 3.8 inches in surveys done last summer. “This is the largest popu- lation of razor clams we’ve recorded at Long Beach since beginning annual stock assess- ments using the pumped area method in 1997,” according to WKHDJHQF\¶VSUHVHDVRQEULH¿QJ document. Based on this strong popu- lation, the potential recreational harvest was set at nearly 4.8 million clams. Since levels of the marine toxin domoic acid dropped below 20 parts per million everywhere on the Long Beach Peninsula in early January, there have been just over 28,000 digger trips and just under 400,000 clams harvested, Ayres said. The average catch is right round 14 clams per person, about comparable to the 2014-15 season. Digging has been permitted 15 days so far. Last year on the Long Beach Peninsula, an estimated 2.42 million razor clams were harvested and there were 163,929 digger trips — the total number of clammers multiplied by the average number of times they partici- pated in the season. The penin- sula was open for clamming on 104 days last season before being prematurely closed due to domoic acid. Season details The dig at Long Beach is on evening tides. No digging will be allowed before noon any day. Diggers should check tide charts before heading out, since tides of 1 foot or above aren’t conducive to digging, Ayres said. “For the best digging condi- tions, we advise people to plan their trips to the beach when the evening low tides are less than one foot,” Ayres said. Ayres noted the best digging usually occurs one to two hours prior to low tide 7KH ¿UVW ZHHN RI WKH upcoming dig at Long Beach is scheduled on the following dates and low tides: Thursday, 3:41 p.m.; 0.8 feet, Long Beach, Friday, 4:28 p.m.; 0.2 feet, Long Beach Saturday, 5:11 p.m.; -0.3 feet, Long Beach Sunday, 5:52 p.m.; -0.7 feet, Long Beach Feb. 8, 6:32 p.m.; -1.0 feet, Long Beach Feb. 9, 7:12 p.m.; -0.9 feet, Long Beach Feb. 10, 7:52 p.m.; -0.7 feet, Long Beach Knappa superintendent resigns, cites health and commute By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Terrence Smyth, hired in June as superintendent of Knappa School District and principal of Knappa High School, has resigned. Business Manager N i k k i F o w l e r said Smyth Terrence announced Smyth his resigna- tion Wednesday, and Knappa School Board Chairman Craig Weaver signed off Thursday. The district announced the resignation Monday morning in a release. In the release, Smyth, 51, cites his health and a long commute from Jewell as his reasons for resigning. He was not immediately available for comment. “Mr. Smyth offered his thanks for the opportunity to work with students and faculty in Knappa and wishes them all the very best in the future,” the release said. Fowler said the district can cover major functions using Hilda Lahti Elementary School Principal Leila Collier and Laurel Smalley, a science teacher on special assignment to handle student discipline at the high school. She said the district is reaching out to support orga- nizations like the Northwest Regional Education Service District and Oregon School Boards Association for help ¿QGLQJDQLQWHULP “We don’t expect the interim search to take very long,” she said. “I would expect us to place a person within a couple of weeks.” Smyth replaced Jeff Leo, who was with Knappa since 2011 as a principal and later superintendent. Leo was recently named superinten- dent of Banks School District. Upon his hiring, Smyth, who was previously prin- NEWS TALK FOR THE COAST Providing live a nd loca l new s covera ge every da y Y ou could see it ton igh t, rea d a bout it tom orrow or h ea r it live N O W ! cipal of Springwater Trail High School for eight years, said he planned to end his administrative career in Knappa, staying about six years before moving out of school districts but into a UHODWHG¿HOG Pelican Brewing Company is coming to Cannon Beach and we want YOU on our TEAM! 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D o n’t fo rg e t to P re -R e g iste r: O nline w w w .w ings-clatsop.com o r c a ll P a t (503) 717-1852 FREE Kitzhaber effort failed The initiative has its roots in a Kitzhaber-led push to tackle the belief, widespread in Salem, that the money ÀRZLQJLQWRVWDWHJRYHUQPHQW has not kept up with demands for government services. After KLV UHWXUQ WR RI¿FH LQ he sought to forge a compro- mise between business and labor, involving talks, polling and focus groups in Eugene and Bend. Those efforts were put on hold when all sides concluded the hoped-for team of marine experts from Portland State University and the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network moved the whale Monday to another part of the beach just south of 12th Avenue. 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