FRIDAY EXCHANGE
8A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
Vote Goldthorpe
Reliable protection
am writing you this letter
to let you know why I am
endorsing David Goldthorpe for
Circuit Court judge.
I got to know David during
the campaign for the Warren-
ton City Commission in 2014.
I was impressed by his ability
to dissect a problem to its core
issue, and deliver a reasoned and
thoughtful response. He always
had a calm disposition, even
though he passionately cared
about the issues facing War-
renton. I respected his opinions
and the way he conducted his
campaign.
Since then, I consider him a
friend. His involvement in the
community is integral to the
success of the next generation
here in Clatsop County. He is a
leader in supporting scouting,
youth sports and our schools.
His ethics and professional-
ism are reÀected through the
endorsements he has received
from local law enforcement and
the district attorney¶s of¿ce.
I support David Goldthorpe
as our next Circuit Court judge,
and ask that you join me in cast-
ing your vote for him in this
important election.
MARK KUJALA
Mayor, city of Warrenton
I
I
CBH serves
n response to Kitty Paino’s let-
ter, “Help needed” (The Daily
Astorian, April 8): First, you are
right you do not know the clin-
ical director or CEO of Clatsop
Behavioral Healthcare (CBH).
If you did, you would know
they are two individuals who
are highly dedicated to the citi-
zens of Clatsop County. Second,
these individuals are beholden
to the taxpayers, who pay the
salaries of CBH workers.
CBH has had negative press,
but what is missed in the let-
ters and articles is the amount
of problems a few employees
have caused the county; not
CBH or its leadership. It seems
that a few employees who are in
the throes of this political mess
are hiding behind the union and
blaming leadership — when
an employee is held account-
able for their actions he/she is
shielded by a union, which gives
excuses and lays blame. Anyone
who knows Michele Crump-
Hart understands she is ethical,
and knows the parameters of her
license.
Working in public health is
extremely tough, and takes ded-
icated, passionate individuals
with the fortitude to not pull up
stakes when the going gets dif¿-
cult. The executive leadership of
CBH are people who live, work,
shop, socialize, and raise their
families among the people they
serve.
There are numerous obsta-
cles in recruiting and retain-
I
ing mental health professionals,
including lack of housing avail-
able and the high cost of liv-
ing. The “string” of employees
referred to were possibly stay-
ing only long enough to clear
their debt by working in a rural
community for two years, but
not obligated or committed to
remain to be the change agent.
For every dissatis¿ed client,
there are accounts of those who
have received quality professional
services. At any given time, 1,200
clients are seen at CBH.
There are two sides to every
story and this is mine. I am the
proud wife of CBH’s clinical
director and I’m fed up with
these outrageous allegations. It’s
taking its toll. I will not stand
idly by. So as we all make our
cases and tell our stories, please
remember there are dedicated
leaders at CBH serving our
communities mental health and
substance use needs.
RENÉ HART-CRUMP
Gearhart
Get tough
s much as I would like to
return to my usual diatribes
about lefties and Democrats, I
¿nd that my peers on the right
— mainly the establishment and
the Conservative wing of the
party — are just as contempt-
ible this election as any Demo-
crat. So, for now, you get a pass.
While at a fast food establish-
ment the other day, a small nug-
get of entertainment occurred
when my son was playing in
the play area. I was sitting in the
back of the establishment, and
A
observed one of our local tran-
sients really say thank you to the
area he resides in by “dropping
trou” and urinating in the park-
ing lot between the hotel and the
establishment.
Disgusted, I quickly realized
that spring and summer is fast
approaching — another time
of year when our local police
force will receive increased
calls about public drunkenness,
aggressive panhandling, loiter-
ing, public urination and defe-
cation and excessive littering,
conducted by those who are
affectionately called the needy.
How I look forward to see-
ing booze bottles near play-
grounds and the Riverwalk, and
public consumption of alcohol
near Pier 11. What charm this
will give the cruise ship visitors
we expect to enjoy themselves
and spend money.
I wonder if the side of the
state building on West Marine
Drive will resume its side func-
tion as a urinal for the transients,
as was described last year in
the Astoria Dispatch. I wonder
what viewing platforms on West
Marine will the public have
taken away, due to transients loi-
tering and haggling pedestrians
on the Riverwalk.
All of this while the rest of us
sit back and wonder why Asto-
ria cannot enact “get tough” city
ordinances, thus making Astoria
unappealing to these types who
migrate here in the spring and
summer to leech off the tourists.
Why would having tough
penalties for every offense
above be a bad thing? Why
would Astoria defending itself
be a bad thing? The answer is,
that it’s not. But, I am sure the
bleeding hearts just see it as a
nontraditional lifestyle that only
enhances our diversity.
Pass, thanks. Astoria City
Council, get tough on the
homeless.
JASON KOST
Astoria
No sense
love the Paci¿c Northwest,
and I’ve lived here nearly my
whole life, but boy does this
place throw you some curves at
times.
We’re critically short of
housing in the region and beg-
ging builders to put up more, but
politicians propose new taxes
and limitations on builders. We
beg our children to get higher
education, and then give away
more and more funding and
seats in college to illegal aliens.
We say we want more jobs,
but in the last year I’ve seen
Oregon and Washington say no
to literally billions of dollars
worth of private new develop-
ment like a methanol plant, an
oil re¿nery, a natural gas export
I
facility, a coal terminal and an
oil terminal.
We get more rain than most
places, but the government has
literally thrown a man in jail
for capturing that rain. We’re
famous for bottling stuff like
beer and wine, but give a cold
shoulder to a company that
wants to spend tens of millions
to bottle water and create jobs.
We have an unelected gover-
nor who loves the millions she
gets from state gambling but
says no to tribal gambling. And
we happily fund welfare and
food stamps, while more than
100,000 jobs go begging in Ore-
gon and Washington.
Meanwhile, the folks in gov-
ernment want to create a new
state-run pension savings plan
for private sector workers, while
they’ve run the Public Employee
Retirement System (PERS) $21
billion in the hole.
If any of that makes sense to
you, by all means call my talk
show today at 866-Hey-Lars
and explain how.
LARS LARSON
Alpha Media, KXL,
Compass Media Networks
Portland
n response to the article titled
“‘Buyer beware’ of water and
sewer coverage” (The Daily
Astorian, April 12), I want to
alleviate any fears about Amer-
ican Water Resources of Ore-
gon. I do not have any knowl-
edge of HomeServe USA, but
do have knowledge of Ameri-
can Water and American Water
Resources.
During my many years of
employment with American
Water, and then several with
American Water Resources, all
in Illinois at their call center, I
know all about their water and
sewer line protection plans and
in fact, I managed the customer
service department of Ameri-
can Water Resources.
There is no need for buy-
ers to beware of their protec-
tion plan. It is a very legitimate
plan and has helped many,
many customers who, without
this plan, would have incurred
thousands of dollars in repair
costs. Granted, it is not for
everyone, such as those with
septic systems, as they do not
cover those, or at least did not
at the time I was employed with
them.
American Water Resources
emphatically tells it subscrib-
ers that they are not providing
insurance policies, but rather
providing protection plans that
can give the subscriber peace of
mind for very little cost. They do
not hide this fact either in corre-
spondence, or when calling their
call center.
There is nothing hidden
here. Their literature is very
clear, and when I was employed
by them the mailers sent out
did not contain any decep-
tive wording that would make
the consumer think they were
part of a government organi-
zation or utility company —
but because they protect those
lines attached to the water and
sewer lines, it would seem to
the homeowner that there was a
connection.
Since I have not received
one of the recent mailers I can’t
attest to their current mailer ver-
biage. However, I can attest to
the reliability of the company.
They have been in business for
many years. They choose local
contractors and vet their con-
tractors very carefully.
PAT RASO
Gearhart
The art of being
a working artist.
Two local artists talk about their
painting and the business of art
APRIL 28
Healthcare at your
$POWFOJFODF
Darren Orange
Eric Weigardt
Based in Ocean Park, Weigardt is a nationally eminent watercolorist. Based in Astoria,
Orange has been described as a 21st Century painter in a 19th Century skin. Using
illustrations of their own work, Wiegardt and Orange will talk about their work
routines and how they manage the business side of being artists.
TO ATTEND:
LIMI
SEATI TED
N
RESER
VE G
For Members: Dinner & Lecture:$25 each; Lecture only: no charge
SPACE YOUR
For Non-Members: Dinner & Lecture: $35 each; Lecture only: $15 ea.
TODA
Y!
Appetizers will be available at 6 p.m. • Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.
The speaker will begin after the dinner service is complete and non-dinner
members and guests of the audience take their seats.
Forum to be held at the CMH Community Center at 2021 Exchange St., Astoria.
ColumbiaForum
FOR RESERVATIONS OR TO JOIN COLUMBIA FORUM CONTACT:
Holly Larkins at 503.325.3211 ext. 227 or forum@dailyastorian.com by April 25, 2016
Columbia Forum is sponsored by:
The Daily Astorian • Craft3 • OSU Seafood Laboratory • KMUN-FM
Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa
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You’ve got a million and one things to do this week. Taking
care of your health does not have to mean missing other
important events—like that game-winning slide into home.
See your doctor when it’s convenient to you.
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