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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 2016)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016 FRIDAY EXCHANGE Rename Broadway think Broadway in Seaside should be renamed Jason Goodding Way. It’s where he patrolled; it’s where he gave his life; it’s the heart of the city; it’s where he will be remembered now and forever. JIM SPURR Cannon Beach I The Bernie factor o me, the most interest- ing and puzzling aspect of this election season is the Ber- nie factor. Interesting, because it arises at a time of wholesale disillusionment in the minds of our citizenry, and puzzling in WKDWE\UHÀHFWLQJWKHEDVLFWHQ- ants of our supposed democ- racy, it is regarded as far-left wishfulness. We have come to expect that our politicians give lip service to the will of the people, but go about the business of encouraging and fostering persons and ideas WKDW UHÀHFW WKH OHDVW RI RXU aspirations. We have been led to believe that justice and fairness and accountability are admirable ¿FWLRQV EXW LQ WKH UHDO ZRUOG such romantic notions become OLDELOLWLHVZKHUHSUR¿WLVWKUHDW- ened, and almost to a man we have allowed this hollow nar- rative to become the subtext of our lives. Then along comes a man who speaks of justice, fairness and accountability as if they exist, not on the fringe but are central to a free, inclusive soci- ety. Perhaps we’re not as jaded and cynical as we imagined, for he has forced us to look at our supposed democracy and made us realize that we have not only the power, but the obligation to put it right again. So I’m voting for Bernie Sanders in the primary. I may T Take the LNG multiple-choice test n this year of elections, every so often I still hear someone say, “Is that LNG issue still around? I thought it went away.” Well yes it is, but Harney County and marijuana have dominated the head- lines lately. Since LNG is now a state- wide issue, let’s do a multiple-choice test, just to review. Carbon dioxide, methane and hex- ane are: A) Code names for the Three Stooges. B) Environment-polluting gases from an LNG terminal (yuck). Permanent jobs for local people are: A) So many, America will pay off the national debt. B) Not many, especially when compared to the estimated 44,000 jobs lost, or negatively affected through- out the Columbia River Basin, due to constant interruption of river commerce. The correct spelling of sunami: A) Tsunami. B) Who cares when you’re get- ting hit by it — think Fukushima. A blast zone is: A) Remember the old saying, “have a blast”? B) An area around I be throwing my vote away, as I’m often reminded, but is that worse than voting for someone whose history and motivation are, at best, questionable. I’m asking you, is that so absurd? JACK GUYOT Astoria Fund infrastructure he Astoria City Council, led by ex-librarian Arline LaMear, is attempting to push through an expensive new library construction project with costs projected between $29.7 and $38.7 million. We all know that if $38.7 million is the initial estimated cost, it will be much higher — pub- lic construction project costs always are. During the mayoral debate T the LNG terminal where property values will likely go down, and house insurance up — bummer. Pipelines: A) Clatsop County Com- missioners voted 5-0 against one. B) The public voted 68 percent no. So please, Gov. Kate Brown (503-378-4582), lis- ten to us. 7KHGH¿QLWLRQRID¿VKKDELWDWLV$ 6RPHWKLQJ ¿VK GR RYHU DQG RYHU 2K wait, that is a habit. Sorry. B) Where food IRUWKH¿VKLVDQG2UHJRQ/1*SURSRVHV to dredge out 1.1 million cubic yards. 2XU¿VKHUPHQKDYHEHHQKXUWHQRXJK Rumble, rumble: A) The soundtrack from a Harry Potter movie. B) The sound of hundreds and hundreds of trucks haul- ing construction material through down- town Astoria. The Army Corps of Engineers is: A) Possibly Oregon LNG’s worst night- mare, as the corps holds an easement on the proposed terminal location. B) Answer A is the only thing I can think of. in the last election cycle when LaMear was running for mayor, it seemed very conve- nient that the woman picked to ask questions for it had two regarding a new library. It was an omen of things to come. Once elected, the new library was going to take on a forward momentum of its own. Today, here we are with the council considering whether to approve and pay for it, despite the wisdom of such a decision. All this will do is take much needed resources from infra- structure projects that the city desperately needs, and put it into a new building that’s rarely used by most Astori- ans. The City Council should turn its focus to other issues that really matter to taxpay- ers. I’d bet my library card If you missed any of these ques- tions, please attend an LNG informa- tion meeting, held on the third Thurs- day of each month, at 3 Cups Coffee (under the bridge) at 6:30 p.m. Refresh- ments are at 6 p.m. If you got a perfect score, here is a bonus question: What vital local multi-million dollar industry has been providing good jobs since the 1850s, and as recently as 2013 was No. 1 on the entire West Coast for the amount RI ¿VK ODQGHG" ,I \RX VDLG FRPPHUFLDO ¿VKLQJ\RXJHWDJROGVWDUDQGZHZRXOG be happy to meet you at the above LNG meetings. Oh, one more question. What are those key words to use if you decide to call Gov. Brown (503-378-4582) and ask her to stop all LNG terminals in Oregon? They are: A) Coastal Zone Management Act; B) Clear Air and Water acts. CARL DOMINEY Astoria that most taxpayers, if actually consulted, would like to see better city streets, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, housing proj- ects and the parking situation improved. Ask people going to and from Astoria and Warrenton last summer what the biggest infrastructure problem is, and they’d say U.S. Highway 101 and the Youngs Bay Bridge, not a library expansion. The City Council should address this issue head on, and begin a planning process to widen the bridge to four lanes, or make another alongside it, with a four lane highway from the bridge to Seaside. Obvi- ously this would require the city to get state and federal funding to proceed. It’s a multi-million dol- 5A maybe the City Council can focus their time and atten- tion to projects that will really improve Astoria. JEFF JACQUES Astoria Vote Bernie s a 75-year-old mother, grandmother, strong fem- inist and pro-choice advocate, Bernie Sanders is my presi- dential choice. First, because he is the only candidate of either party with strong empathy for all people. Bernie gets it. Second, because the younger generations get it that the quality of the rest of their lives hangs in the balance with the 2016 presidential out- come, and that Sanders is the RQO\FDQGLGDWHZKRFDUHV¿UVW about them. Third, Sanders wisely and boldly opposed the Iraq War, correctly forecasting the dire result of the war. Fourth, he continues work- ing to reign in Wall Street and ¿QDQFLDOLQVWLWXWLRQVWRRELJWR lar project, but the longer this fail because they do not have is ignored by city, county and LQÀXHQFH RYHU KLP )LIWK KH VWDWHRI¿FLDOVWKHPRUHH[SHQ- has a 100 percent rating from sive it will be when it must Planned Parenthood, and has be done. Sooner or later it always been strongly pro- will have to; Clatsop County choice. Sixth, Bernie supports a is not going to stop growing. living wage and a multitude of The argument to move on this measures providing opportuni- now is that 10, 15 or 20 years ties and equality for all citizens. down the road, this size of a Bernie Sanders will win the construction project won’t get presidency if my generation joins any cheaper — it’ll come at an the strong drive of the younger astronomical expense. generations to protect and Better streets, sidewalks, improve the quality of all their parking, roads, bridges, hous- lives. Listen to what they have to ing projects or moving for- say. Do not heed the messages of ward on a convention center the dark money media forces. on Port property would be time Together we can improve well spent by the city council. lives for all generations. A modest library remodel is It is a legacy we can and ¿QH DQG OHW D GHYHORSHU EX\ should leave our children and the Merwyn, tear it down and grandchildren. build a small housing or park- CAROL SCHERER ing structure instead. Then Eugene A Republicans see how long they can hold their breath Of course you don’t. There’s MXVWVRPXFKVWXIIWKDW¿WVLQWR a human brain and no reason whatsoever that McConnell aybe we’d better should be taking up space. He used to say that when refrain from having Republicans got control, any new opinions until after democracy and venerable tra- the election. dition would rule. No more of those sneaky tricks that his Follow the leader. predecessor Harry Reid used to keep Mitch McCon- the other side’s ideas nell says the Sen- from coming up for ate shouldn’t do a vote: “The answer anything about the is to let folks debate, Supreme Court’s to let the Senate vacancy as long work its will.” He as Barack Obama had a vision of a is president. Not deliberative body even go through the that argued so long motions of pretend- and hard that even- ing to think about it. Gail tually all the Demo- We’ve hit a whole Collins crats would collapse new level in the poli- from exhaustion and tics of obstruction. Don’t he, Majority Leader Why stop there? For the next 11 even Mitch, would walk over their prostrate months it’s probably bother bodies to principled better if we let every- victory. thing go except for That was the the purchase of food to fake good old days. We staples. it. remember them with Don’t even nostalgia, like the bother to fake it. Vir- tually every Republican with a golden era when members of job more elevated than zoning both parties drank in the same commissioner thinks the best bars. Now apparently the Sen- thing to do with any Supreme ate can’t even be trusted to hold Court nomination is to act as if a committee hearing. “We’re not moving for- it isn’t there, like a wad of gum ward on it, period,” said Sen. on the sidewalk. “Delay, delay, delay!” Marco Rubio. He used to be cried Donald Trump at the last regarded as the most rational debate. Some listeners might person in the Republican pres- have presumed he was call- LGHQWLDO ¿HOG 7KDW ZDV MXVW ing for the return of the for- because we hadn’t had time to mer House majority leader get acquainted yet. If you want to under- who resigned during a cam- SDLJQ¿QDQFHVFDQGDODQGODWHU stand why the Republicans rehabilitated himself by doing are broadcasting their com- the cha-cha on “Dancing With mitment to obstructionism, the Stars.” Exactly the kind it’s useful to take a look at of guy Donald Trump would Rubio’s campaign. Given the like. But in this case he was tenor of our times, it’s nat- talking about stonewalling any ural that all the candidates would depict Barack Obama Supreme Court nomination. “If I were president ... I as the worst thing that’s hap- guess I’d put in a name,” Trump pened to America since ... oh, admitted in a phone call to Ste- I don’t know. Pearl Harbor? phen Colbert. This is extremely The Panic of 1837? But Rubio mild language for the leading also insists that the president Republican presidential candi- has been ruining the country date. Normally you’d expect on purpose: “All this damage Trump to say something like: that he’s done to America is “If I were president I’d nom- deliberate.” This is a theory, much loved inate somebody who would scare the hell out of them. on talk radio, that involves an Putin! I’d nominate Putin. And insidious presidential plot to then they’d be so nervous that make America just a run-of- they’d let me have anybody I the-mill country — smaller and wanted, which of course would weaker and burdened with uni- versal health care. When things be Sarah Palin.” People, do you remember go wrong it isn’t because of what Mitch McConnell used ineptitude. It’s a careful Obama to say when he was the pow- scenario aimed at bringing the erless Senate minority leader? country down. A man that sin- By GAIL COLLINS New York Times News Service M ister can’t be allowed to even put a nomination into play. God knows what would happen. Close your eyes and pretend he isn’t there. Ben Carson made the same point in his traditional way — that is, in language that made no sense whatsoever: “It is imperative that the Senate not allow President Obama to diminish his legacy by trying to nominate an individual who would carry on his wishes to subvert the will of the people.” 7HG&UX]YRZHGWR¿OLEXV- ter any attempt by the Senate to vote on a nominee. Because ¿OLEXVWHU LV \RX NQRZ ZKDW Ted Cruz does. Just put your hands over your ears and hum very loudly until you get your way. And Jeb Bush ... OK, we don’t need to talk about Jeb Bush. This is the man who recently tweeted a picture of a handgun with his name engraved on it, over the title “America.” The only good thing you can say for his cam- paign is that he did not send out a video called “It’s Morn- ing Again in America” that opens with footage of Vancou- ver. That was Marco Rubio. OREGON MANUFACTURERS. LOCAL BUSINESSES. YOUR NEIGHBORS. ALL GETTING MORE FROM THEIR ENERGY. 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