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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2016)
OPINION 6A Founded in 1873 STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager THE DAILY ASTORIAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016 Former Cannon Beach mayor says, let bylaws be bylaws SOUTHERN EXPOSURE CARL EARL, Systems Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager Water under the bridge Compiled by Bob Duke From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers 10 years ago this week — 2006 “We’ve burned the mortgage. We now own the trolley,” a beaming Mayor Willis Van Dusen recently announced to the Astoria City Council. Known as Old 300, the Astoria Riverfront Trolley is the mayor’s pride and joy and a favorite of visitors and residents alike. The Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association (ARTA) had been leasing it from the San Antonio Art Museum for $1 a year. But with concerns rising that someone else might come along and buy it, last August the Trolley Association borrowed $50,000 from the Bank of Astoria and made the trolley its own. In the short time since then, the community came forward with enough money to pay off the loan and then some. “Everyone was more than gener- ous,” said Van Dusen, who besides being mayor is president of ARTA. The trolley is insured for $450,000, he said, so ARTA got a very good deal. A lack of funding in Oregon’s education system may have consequences for Knappa students that follow them beyond high school and out of the state. Knappa High School has withdrawn from the Northwest Asso- ciation of Accredited Schools, the regional agency that reviews whether schools meet standards that ensure their students can transfer degrees and academic credits to other institutions. Schools pay to be members of the association, and most of the process involves self-review, aside from an outside-team visit about every ¿ve years. Knappa High School belonged to the organization for half a century, said Knappa School district Superintendent Rick Pass. The district paid $600 to $700 annually. He said it was pointless for the high school to pay to be graded on standards it can no longer afford to meet. A vicious storm barely slowed the workers and volunteers assembling the new Fort Clatsop this week. The team building the replica fort took the afternoon off Wednesday when high winds began dropping branches on the work site. But the group was back and ready to go Thursday morning, and despite more wind, rain and hail the walls rose Tuickly on the “Of¿cers’ 4uarters” side of the structure. SEASIDE – While Rep. Scott Bruun had plenty of kind words for the Republican Party at the 42nd annual Dorchester Confer- ence Saturday night, he said Republicans have lost their way. “We’ve become the party of power for power’s own sake,” said Bruun, R-West Linn. “We’ve become the party of big government.” 50 years ago — 1966 Clatsop County was ¿ghting to break the late grip of winter Wednes- day as temperatures began to warm and snow was melting from highways. This area now has an industrial site ready for delivery, so far as land title is concerned, to a site-seeking industry. This results from 3aci¿c 3ower and Light’s purchase at public auction of the county-owned portion of the so-called aluminum plant site south and east of Warrenton. The site became well-known at the time a combine of aluminum produc- ing companies sought a site somewhere in the Northwest two years ago. The combine’s agents looked over this site and apparently gave it serious consid- eration before eventually picking Bellingham, Wash. Astoria clinched a Metro League berth in the Oregon A-1 high school basketball tournament Tuesday night and they didn’t have to play to do it. Coach Pete Bryant’s Fishermen, with a 16-3 overall league mark and an 8-1 second half record, were assured of at least a second place ¿nish in the second half and a tourney berth when David Douglas surprised Gresham 76-59 to knock the Gophers partially out of contention for the second round laurels. 75 years ago — 1941 The captain and of¿- cers of the Russian ship Serge Kirov, which entered the river last week, saw what they considered an amazing sight as their ship passed Fort Stevens, it was related by Clarence Ash, bar pilot who brought the vessel over the bar. Ash said the cap- tain was standing on the bridge and look- ing toward the new cantonment buildings recently erected there. He scanned the shore- line with his binoculars, then suddenly called several of his of¿cers to the bridge for a look through the glasses. They all babbled in Russian and appeared This editorial cartoon appeared in the Dai- to be excited by some- ly Astorian this week in 1941. It expressed thing, Ash said. the mood throughout the country as war The captain told Ash approached. he had seen a red Àag, carried by some soldiers who were marching within sight of the ship. Ash said it was either a guidon or regimental colors. The Russian ship captain told him, “I never expected to see the red Àag in the American army.” B Y R.J. M ARX couple of months back, we wrote about Initiative Petition 28, a state proposal headed to the November ballot. A Corporations with more than $25 million in revenues would be sub- ject to a gross receipts tax, with a new levy of 2.5 percent of their gross Oregon sales. The $5.3 billion it could raise over two years would go into the state’s general fund. Former Cannon Beach Mayor Mike Morgan likes the proposal. He thinks it’s fair to raise state funds for educa- tion and public safety through a tax on the state’s largest compa- nies. And he doesn’t want to see local busi- ness groups derail a fund Mike that could pro- Morgan vide money for Oregon’s schools, which, he said, are desperately short-changed. Safety, school needs Oregon is 49th out of 50 states in business tax rankings, behind only Louisiana, Morgan said. Washington state is 24th, he added, citing statis- tics from the nonpro¿t group A Better Oregon, an advocate for the corporate earnings tax. “That’s the thing that struck me,” Morgan said over coffee at Sleepy Monk. “Look at some of the states that have higher taxes but a much stron- ger economy. You can’t possibly make the argument it’s going to hurt the economy.” Morgan and proponents initiative say it would fund schools and services, to the tune of more than $2 billion a year, bumping up the general fund by “10 percent or so.” “Thirty-four-hundred teachers laid off in last decade, third-largest class size in the nation, 200,000 peo- ple who don’t have health insurance,” Morgan said. “Oregon, supposedly such a progressive state, has such a terrible higher education system. The amount of money the state pro- vides to the higher education system is pathetic compared to other states.” A portion of the $2.5 billion per year potentially raised by the tax could be used for emergency preparedness: building and retro¿tting the state’s at-risk hospitals, schools, city halls, and police and ¿re stations. Morgan said he is outraged the Cannon Beach Chamber of Com- merce is considering a change in bylaws to allow lobbying in opposi- tion to the tax. “It’s not going to affect mom-and- Submitted Photo Georgia-Pacific holdings in Oregon. pop operations,” Morgan said. “It will affect the Intels, Walmarts and the *eorgia-Paci¿cs. I think it’s amaz- ing that the chambers of commerce brought this issue up. Probably the only corporation in Clatsop County that has more than $25 million in sales is the Koch Brothers’ Wauna Mill on the Columbia River.” Wauna Mill’s parent Georgia-Pa- ci¿c has revenue in the billions, Mor- gan said, a substantial slice of that from Oregon operations. Koch brothers in mix this and apologies for the delayed reply,” David Dziok, director of communications for Koch Compa- nies Public Sector said in an email Tuesday. “This measure is not yet on the ballot and we’re continuing to assess it. It’s fair to say, however, that like hundreds of other employ- ers in our state, we have some initial concerns. A $5 billion tax increase on the sale of products and services that Oregon consumers buy every day will increase costs for Oregon families, small businesses and large employers alike.” Our attention really perked when Morgan mentioned the Koch brothers. Chamber role Bringing them into a political debate A meeting of the Cannon Beach is like throwing red meat to the lions. Chamber of Commerce — an inde- The brothers — Charles and David — pendent chamber not af¿liated with are summoned as demons by the pro- the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gressive left and heralded — on the topic locally as not-so-quiet doers for was delayed, according Oregon to Executive Director the right. Koch Industries Inc. Court Carrier. is 49th purchased Georgia-Pa- “We were shy a few ci¿c for $21 billion out of 50 board of directors due in 2005. Georgia-Pa- to vacations, medi- ci¿c, according to their states in cal issues and holi- own business overview, day conÀicts from the business weekend,” Carrier said employs 2,000 people in nine Oregon locations after the chamber’s tax from Clatskanie to Coos February meeting. “I Bay. The company pro- have emailed our pres- rankings, vides a total of $517 mil- ident requesting that lion in total combined he call a meeting of the behind wages and bene¿ts to bylaws committee to only Oregon workers and discuss it.” $662 million in capital Morgan said the Louisiana. chamber investment for growth. should stay out In Clatsop County, of political lobbying. one doesn’t need to do much research “I’m glad Cannon Beach uses the to ¿nd a direct connection. bulk of its hotel and lodging reve- “Georgia-Paci¿c’s Wauna paper nues to run the city,” Morgan said. mill, which turns 50 this year, remains “You’ve got expenses caused by the largest single employer in Clatsop tourism, like police, parking lots, County, with more than 800 employ- public restrooms, all of those things ees,” wrote Edward Stratton in The are directly caused by the inÀux of Daily Astorian last October. tourists. Are the Koch brothers ¿ghting “As far as political lobbying — this corporate tax? the chamber would be wise to stay We contacted Georgia-Paci¿c away from that,” he added. at their Atlanta, Georgia, of¿ce R.J. Marx is The Daily Astori- and Koch Industries in Wich ita, an’s South County reporter and edi- tor of the Seaside Signal and Cannon Kansas. “Thanks for reaching out to us on Beach Gazette. The Donald doesn’t understand libel law … which surprises no one already established as to to be on target has vastly his rights to do that. outweighed any circum- But we all know that stances where it wasn’t. The fact is that our society onald Trump said Friday, Mr. Trump isn’t interested in legalities in this case. relies upon the newspa- “I’m gonna open up our He is clearly just trying per industry to be a consis- libel laws, so when they write to intimidate news organi- tent, challenging voice to purposely negative and horrible, zations and bully them in the wealthy and powerful — and newspapers have false articles, we can sue them providing more positive coverage of him and his a long history of carry- and win lots of money.” candidacy for president. ing out that mandate with David The speci¿c He should care and a deep sense of Chavern media outlets he pick a dif- responsibility. mentioned were The Newspapers ferent target. News- Newspapers have successfully have dealt stood up to sitting presidents, vast New York Times and have dealt papers with more intimidat- religious organizations, governors, The Washington ing ¿gures and immensely powerful with more Trump. than Mr. mayors Post. corporations, among many others. If By DAVID CHAVERN Newspaper Association of America D The ¿rst thing to intimidating Newspapers, understand is that actually, have a under the landmark figures than long, long history of Supreme Court case speak- Mr. Trump. responsibly of New York Times ing truth in the face vs. Sullivan, it was of great power. One determined that news organizations could think of Watergate or the could be found liable when they Oscar-nominated movie “Spotlight” deliberately publish false informa- for some better-known examples. tion. The speci¿c standard is “actual Throughout history, those in power malice.” So if Mr. Trump wants to have complained about newspaper address media organizations that reporting when it didn’t meet their “write purposely negative and hor- agenda and the number of instances rible, false articles” then the law is where the reporting has been found Mr. Trump wants to try to bully news organizations into providing report- ing that he likes, then he will have to do a whole lot better than mak- ing weak, misguided promises about changes to a law that aren’t needed in the ¿rst place. David Chavern is the president and CEO of the Newspaper Associ- ation of America, a nonpro¿t orga- nization representing nearly 2,000 newspapers and their multi-platform businesses in the United States and Canada.
