OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2016
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
What lawmakers don’t
know will hurt us
W
e live in an information economy. So why are some
leaders willfully ignorant as they change public policy?
Savage may be off-base
Oregon has a Public
Utilities Commission, whose or he may be absolutely on
job is to be well-informed target. His insight and that
about complicated util- of his colleagues should
ity law and energy issues. have been part of the public
But Gov. Kate Brown muz- record.
Beyond a minimum wage
zled the commission as the
Legislature considered the hike’s impact on small busi-
landmark Clean Electricity ness in rural Oregon, the
barely explored impact will
and Coal Transition Plan.
The Oregon Legislature be on local governments and
has an array of economists school districts. Paris Achen
at its disposal. But economic of our statehouse bureau
analysis of a minimum wage reported that, “It’s unclear
bill’s impact on the private how much a $15 minimum
and public sectors is sketchy. would cost local govern-
Ted Sickinger’s Feb. 17 ments, including school dis-
article in The Oregonian tricts.” Achen notes the dis-
illustrates
skepticism parity between Oregon
Department
within the PUC about the Employment
Clean Electricity and Coal estimates and that of Linn
Transition Plan. An email County.
The obvious specter —
from PUC Commissioner
John Savage says: “This bill which Democratic lawmak-
is absolute crap … a shell ers are avoiding — is the
game that will result in no double whammy of increased
actual emissions reductions PERS assessments and com-
and higher rates for Oregon pulsory wage hikes that will
customers. And then the util- assuredly lead to layoffs in
ities get to stuff our decisions school districts.
What lawmakers don’t
they didn’t like down our
want us to know will hurt us.
throats.”
Organ donation
redeems tragedy
n “Somebody else’s mira-
cle,” by EO Media Group’s
Natalie St. John in The Daily
Astorian’s Friday Extra sec-
tion last week, we learned
of two individuals from one
family who died with days
of each other last year, and
donated their organs so oth-
ers might live.
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ine how it would be to lose
a 20-year-old daughter in
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The mere thought is enough
to bring tears to the eyes of
any parent. But if there is any
way to redeem what would
otherwise be a spirit-crush-
ing event, organ donation
may be it.
In one of the cases explored
in the story, a donated heart is
keeping a teenager alive, per-
haps allowing her to return
to school after years of ill-
ness. In another case, a mid-
dle-age man’s kidneys have
freed two individuals from
dialysis.
Transplants remain a rel-
atively new technology. We
are only now nearing the
I
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successful heart transplant by
surgeon Christiaan Barnard
in December 1967. About
3,500 heart transplants are
now performed each year
around the world, compared
to about 800,000 people who
would qualify for the opera-
tion based on the seriousness
of their disease.
Other kinds of transplants
are much more common. But
in every instance, demand
far outstrips the supply of
donated organs and tissues.
Fifty years from now,
or even sooner with luck,
advances in stem cell tech-
nology may permit us to
grow replacement organs
VSHFL¿FDOO\ FUDIWHG WR DQ
individual’s own DNA. Until
then, however, it will remain
the case that one family’s
tragedy can be transformed
into miracles for others in
desperate need of lifesaving
organs.
To learn how you can
become a donor, look
online at www.tinyurl.com/
OregonOrganDonation.
Editorials that appear on this page are written by
Publisher Steve Forrester and Matt Winters, editor of the
Chinook Observer and Coast River Business Journal, or staff
members from the EO Media Group’s sister newspapers.
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Community members hold candles as they gather to remember and honor fallen officer Jason Goodding
at Broadway Field in Seaside on Feb. 7.
Now Seaside begins
process of healing
SOUTHERN
EXPOSURE
B Y
R.J.
M ARX
EASIDE — I loved this line
best, from a remembrance of
Sgt. Jason Goodding: “He didn’t
just respond to a burglary call, he
stayed until the homeowner felt
safe.”
S
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
An officer stands watch by Sgt. Jason Goodding’s casket before the
memorial service Feb. 12.
as she presented the Medal of Ultimate
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have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The medal, established in 2012, has
been presented six times since.
Goodding joins heroes Coos County
Deputy Sheriff Gil Datan, Oregon City
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Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter
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Buddy Herron.
The cycle of violence is spinning
out of control.
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were shot in the line of duty. Derek
Geer, 40, in Mesa County, Colorado,
after being shot by a teenager. Two dep-
uties, Mark Logsdon and Patrick Dai-
ley, died responding to a shopping cen-
ter disturbance in Abingdon, Maryland.
Greg Barney, a Clayton County, Geor-
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serve a drug warrant.
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Jason Moszer responded to a domestic
Jason Goodding
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shot. He died the next day.
the mental health system, prison system,
Early this week Cpl. Derrick Couch
help for the homeless, social services.
was in critical condition at Regional One
Mark Terranova, the executive Health in Memphis, Tennessee, after a
director of Restoration House in Sea- point-blank shooting in the face. He is
side, where Ferry had been provided on a ventilator, has lost one eye and the
housing after his last prison release bullet remains lodged in his brain.
14 months ago, lamented: “When it
After the pomp and the bagpipers
becomes a situation where all the wrap- and the out-of-towners are gone, life
around systems fail, then we can’t have ZLOOJRRQIRUWKRVHRI¿FHUVRQWKHEHDW
him or anyone like that living here.”
in Seaside.
But these are questions we need to
The death of Phillip Max Ferry
“Every piece of evidence, every wit-
Probably the most controversial know: Why wasn’t Ferry in jail, or a hos- ness, leads us to the same conclusion —
aspect for us at the newspaper was cov- pital? Is it a result of a revolving-door that Phillip Ferry, with a long history of
erage of Goodiding’s alleged killer. justice system, or a failure of our pris- resisting arrests and assault on police
Phillip Max Ferry, 55, was a longtime ons to rehabilitate? How does a lifelong RI¿FHUV ZDV JLYHQ HYHU\ RSSRUWXQLW\
county resident when he wasn’t incar- criminal pile up an arsenal? We have to surrender peaceably to uniformed
cerated. Ferry was well-known — for “clean and sober” services like Resto- RI¿FHUV´ LQYHVWLJDWRUV VDLG 7XHVGD\
ration House and Helping Hands Reen- “He not only refused but made state-
criminality, addictions and demons.
“Let’s not talk about that now,” a try Outreach Center for the homeless, ments that now seem to indicate that he
SXEOLFRI¿FLDOVDLGZKHQZH¿UVWDVNHG but what are we doing for a much more intended to do worse.”
at-risk population of homeless substance
about Ferry.
In the police log posted by the Sea-
Yet Ferry was a father and a hus- abusers and mentally ill? The risk is not VLGH3ROLFH'HSDUWPHQWWKLVZHHNRI¿-
only to themselves, but to all of us who cers conducted two warrant arrests
band. He was somebody’s child.
One of the most poignant notes to share this city.
early Sunday morning on Broadway,
Social services, it seems, were in the not so unlike the one confronting Sgt.
pass our desk read: “Did it ever cross
your mind that he too has a family that hands of Jason Goodding and his part- Goodding and his partner. Another took
ner that night in Seaside.
is hurting from the whole thing?”
place the same day a little before mid-
The note continued: “He too has peo-
night. Warrant arrests are considered by
ple right here in this judgmental county.”
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The tears
The letter writer is right.
Amy Jones was the homecoming the most dangerous of all stops. Sub-
Ferry didn’t become a monster queen and Jason Goodding was the jects have often had the opportunity
overnight. He was mercilessly addicted football star. That was the message that to turn themselves in but have chosen
to drugs. He was desperately in need resonated, from the football and basket- not to do so. They have bypassed law-
of mental health and rehabilitation ser- ball jerseys and the video tribute focus- yers and good judgment. They have lit-
vices — or perhaps a more lasting jail ing on Jason’s life.
tle incentive to cooperate and may be
term. According to the Oregon Depart-
It was ironic, or maybe not so, that intoxicated or violent.
PHQWRI&RUUHFWLRQVKLVSDUROHRI¿FHU this was Valentine’s Day weekend.
Only those who wear a badge know
had lost touch with him. Since 2014, Amy Goodding did not need to speak the risk at hand when the call comes in.
Ferry devised homemade explosives, at the memorial: Her tears and those of
The rest of us can only salute.
KDUDVVHGQHLJKERUVVSLWDWSROLFHRI¿- her family spoke volumes.
R.J. Marx is The Daily Astorian’s
cers, even ripped off a member of a
7KHLPDJH,ZLOOUHPHPEHU¿QDOO\ South County reporter and editor of
biker gang in a gun deal.
from the memorial was that of Gov. the Seaside Signal and Cannon Beach
For Ferry, so much had gone wrong: Kate Brown, kneeling before the widow Gazette.
And as we learned from his friends,
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who joined in the salute, Goodding
responded to everyone with compas-
sion, working with local shelters and
social service groups to help get the
homeless or mentally ill off the streets.
In recollection after recollection
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found him an inspiration and a friend.
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gifts,” Seaside Police Sgt. Gary Wel-
born said at last Friday’s service at the
Seaside Civic and Convention Cen-
ter, a gathering that brought thousands
together in tribute. “Your presence will
be missed greatly. Your bravery in the
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These words were echoed by Sea-
side Police Chief Dave Ham, Sheriff
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In our own backyard, the grief stings
in an overwhelming and personal way.
“It’s going to be awhile before the
community heals,” the Rev. Rob E.
Sachs, pastor for the Seaside Police
Department and Seaside Fire Depart-
ment said last week. “And sadly, we’re
no different than Roseburg right now.”
The comparison was potent and
dead-on. Roseburg, where eight stu-
dents and a professor were shot dead in
a college shooting, has become a sym-
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upon the innocent.