ENDORSEMENTS
2C
| ATTORNEY GENERAL
Rosenblum is
clear choice for
attorney general
f all the statewide,
placed. He tried to saddle
cabinet-level
her with mistakes that were
positions being con-
made by others before she
tested in November, voters
even took ofice, and when
have the easiest decision to
made aware of that fact,
make in the race for attor-
he was unable to muster
ney general. Democratic
another line of attack.
incumbent Ellen Rosenblum
While in ofice,
is a clear choice and should
Rosenblum hasn’t needed
be re-elected.
any of Crowe’s bluster.
Before becoming
She has been a quiet hand
attorney general in 2012,
in a dificult job, doing her
Rosenblum’s experience
best to avoid the pitfalls
included 22 years as a
that her predecessor John
judge, eight years as a
Kroger fell into. Kroger was
federal prosecutor
unable to inish
and ive years in
his term, nor get
private practice.
much meaningful
While in ofice,
legislation passed.
she has been called
Rosenblum con-
“The People’s
siders both the
Attorney General”
legal and political
for her reputation
ramiications and,
of looking out for
while that may
those Oregonians
make her proposals
who are most
imperfect, it does
vulnerable. She
Ellen Rosenblum mean they have a
has championed
better chance of
enforcement of the Internet
becoming law.
Crimes Against Children
If there have been short-
Act, which includes prose-
falls during her term, it has
cuting sexual predators and
been in the area of public
child pornographers. She
records reform. While
has also prioritized ighting
Rosenblum knows those
consumer fraud and scams
reforms are much needed,
targeting older Oregonians,
they have yet to be enacted.
and she secured funding for
But she has pledged she
an elder abuse unit in the
will make those reforms,
attorney general’s ofice.
government transparency
Her opponent,
and openness a priority.
Republican Daniel Crowe,
Her experience and per-
is not ready for a statewide
formance as attorney gen-
position, and his bluster
eral easily warrants another
directed toward Rosenblum
term, and voters should
during a joint endorsement
not hesitate in re-electing
interview was clearly mis-
Rosenblum.
O
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016
| GUBERNATORIAL RACE
Reluctant nod goes
to incumbent Brown
I
n the battle to become Oregon’s
next governor, color us unsat-
isied and disappointed by both
candidates.
Incumbent Democrat Kate
Brown is facing Republican new-
comer Bud Pierce, and voters face a
conundrum in this special election
of having to choose between a sit-
ting governor who lacks vision, vis-
ibility and leadership, or an inex-
perienced newbie whose debate
stumbles showed he’s not ready for
prime time. The winner will serve
the remaining two years of former
Gov. John Kitzhaber’s term.
Libertarian James Foster,
Independent Cliff Thomason and the
Constitution Party’s Aaron Donald
Auer are also on the ballot, but none
of the trio provide voters with a suit-
able alternative to Brown or Pierce.
Given that, we reluctantly give
Brown our nod to retain her seat.
Brown is not an elected governor,
she was secretary of state and inher-
ited the ofice through succession
when Kitzhaber resigned amid an
inluence peddling scandal in 2015.
Pierce is a Salem oncologist who is
seeking state ofice for the irst time.
On the issues, we agree with
Pierce on a number of points. He
opposes Measure 97, the tax on
gross sales of “C” corporations with
more than $25 million in revenue;
he favors public employee pension
reforms to ix the problematic retire-
ment plan; he favors iscal reform
and better oversight of state agen-
cies; and he is against growing gov-
ernment at the expense of the pri-
vate sector.
On the other side of the ballot,
Brown endorsed Measure 97, which
would be the largest tax increase
in Oregon history, and she initially
promised that she would steer the $3
billion a year it would generate to
Kate Brown
funding education, health care and
senior citizens. But the Legislature
is already whispering about potential
changes it may make to the funding
plans even before it passes. Instead
of leading and taking a public
stance, the governor’s response thus
far has been noncommittal, saying,
“It’s in the Legislature’s hands.”
As governor, Brown also
hasn’t been a visible leader push-
ing reforms for the ongoing Public
Employees Retirement System
inancial crisis. She and the
Legislature had a chance during
the last session to initiate action,
but were silent and took none.
Additionally, she has been notice-
ably absent from campaigning in
Clatsop County to answer constitu-
ents’ concerns.
Unfortunately for Clatsop County
residents, both candidates say they
favor Kitzhaber’s ill-conceived
summary decision to ind alterna-
tives to gillnetting on the mainstem
of the Columbia River. The action,
which called for “adaptive manage-
ment” of isheries and ishing meth-
ods and was scheduled to be fully
implemented by 2017, would make
it untenable for most family busi-
nesses that depend on the gillnet-
ting to survive. It would also deprive
many consumers here of a chance to
buy the salmon from non-tribal gill-
netters. The plan, however, hasn’t
worked as state leaders assumed.
As a result of the shortcomings,
state wildlife commissioners will
be meeting next month to discuss
options for it going forward.
While the differences between
Brown and Pierce on other issues
would potentially move us to
endorse Pierce, we can’t overlook
his inexperience or his glaring and
unacceptable responses on domes-
tic violence that he made during a
debate with Brown in which he said,
“A woman that has great education
and training and a great job is not
susceptible to this kind of abuse by
men, women or anyone.”
Pierce’s comments, which came
in the same debate where Brown
acknowledged she had once been a
victim of domestic violence, were
interrupted by loud boos and met
with scorching national press.
The recent “Count Her In 2016
Status Report of Women” reported
that up to 50 percent of all Oregon
women have been the victims of
domestic violence.
Pierce has apologized multi-
ple times, and has said it opened his
eyes to the problem and he will now
join the ight to combat it.
We are pleased that Pierce has
seen that light, but as Oregon gov-
ernor, he would always be in the
limelight and any such uninformed
and unacceptable statements on any
issue relect on us all.
As a result, voters — reluctantly
— should put Brown back in ofice,
and hope for greater leadership
going forward.
Watch the editorial board
endorsement interviews with EO
Media Group and Pamplin Media
Group at http://bit.ly/2dxpGQb
| TREASURER
Read is best suited
for treasurer
eople accuse those
In addition to PERS,
running for treasurer
Read believes the biggest
of being a boring lot,
issues that need to be
but perhaps that is what
tackled are management of
makes a good treasurer.
the state’s assets with trans-
The four people seeking
parency that government
the seat do lean toward
has lacked and to deliver
the soft-spoken and
Oregonians the best return
programmatic: Democrat
for their tax dollars.
Tobias Read, Republican
As treasurer, Read’s
Jeff Gudman, Independent
planned improvements are
Chris Telfer and Working
small but helpful: moderniz-
Families/Progressive Chris
ing the investment program,
Henry.
hiring state employees to
Only Read, Gudman and
manage investments rather
Telfer have actively
than farming out
campaigned, and
the job to expen-
we support Read.
sive consultants,
Read has the
and slashing Wall
more complete
Street fees in the
resume, being one
process.
of the longest-serv-
He also believes
ing state repre-
the treasurer’s
sentatives, since
ofice needs to pro-
2007, who rose to
vide the Legislature
House speaker pro
with better
Tobias Read
tempore.
“straight-ahead”
He also has
inancial analysis
worked for the U.S.
that looks at long-term
Treasury and has experience
impacts of inancial deci-
in the private sector at Nike.
sions rather than those used
Telfer, a current Oregon
by the Legislature for short-
Lottery commissioner and a
term political strategies.
certiied public accountant
To accomplish those
for more than 30 years,
goals, it may take an
is the most interesting
increase in state treasury
alternative, who has tossed
employees and their com-
out ways the state could
pensation packages, but his
improve the dangerous and
ideas make sense.
ineficient marijuana bank-
If a sizable portion of the
ing system.
state’s budget is dependent
Still, treasurer is not a
on returns from our invest-
position where you want to
ment portfolio, then we
take risks.
should have more control
The growing problem
over that investment.
that the next oficeholder
All in all, Read has the
will have to face down
right amount of experience
is the Public Employees
and expertise and we think
Retirement System, a rising
he would do a serviceable
menace to Oregon’s state
job in a very important
budget and its inancial
position.
future.
Voters should elect him.
P
| SECRETARY OF STATE
Richardson should be secretary of state
ennis Richardson’s temperament, ability to work
area of smaller miscellaneous contributions which are
with legislators from both political parties and his
nearly impossible track to their source; provide nonparti-
vision for the Secretary of State’s Ofice make him
san leadership on other elections issues with innovations
the best candidate to serve, and voters should elect him to
like creating an independent citizens commission to
the position.
help develop more clear and accurate ballot titles; would
Richardson, a Republican from Central Point in
make a priority of examining government spending; and
southern Oregon, is facing Portland Democrat Brad
would audit the Department of Human Services, which
Avakian, who heads the state Bureau of Labor
has had repeated failures in its mission to protect
and Industries. The two candidates are vying
children. To avoid gerrymandering, he advocates
for the position that oversees state records,
planning for the 2020 census and nonpartisanship
business registrations, audits, and voting and
when the redrawing of legislative districts is
elections. Importantly, the secretary of state has
considered.
two other critical functions: the secretary of
Richardson’s opponent, Avakian, has “Hulk-
state redraws legislative district boundaries if
sized” ambitions and a record for partisan
lawmakers are unable to reach agreement; and
activism, even though most of the functions in
the secretary of state is irst in succession in the
the ofice he seeks depend on the appearance of
event of the resignation or death of the governor.
impartiality and neutrality, especially in elections.
That is how then-Secretary of State Kate Brown
Avakian has been labor commissioner since 2008,
Dennis Richardson has a background as a civil rights attorney, and
became governor after John Kitzhaber resigned.
Richardson ran against Kitzhaber and carried
his experience includes being both a state senator
Clatsop County when Kitzhaber was re-elected in 2014.
and representative. He believes the secretary of state’s
He would bring a steady personality to the ofice and
auditing duties should be expanded, without the need of
would provide impartial checks and balances to what he
outside approval, to include auditing private corporations
calls a “system broken by a lack of integrity.” He would
that do business with the state, even though other state
provide a strong presence for accountability, ethics and
leaders and agencies already have that responsibility. He
transparency in state government, and his experience
does not believe gerrymandering is a problem in Oregon.
includes 12 years as a state legislator, during which time
Avakian’s ambitions and agenda simply don’t make
he was widely known for his ability to work well with
him a good it for secretary of state. Integrity, accountabil-
other legislators in both political parties.
ity and vision make Dennis Richardson far better suited
As secretary of state, Richardson said, he would
to occupy the secretary of state’s ofice, and voters should
support reforms for campaign inancing, especially in the
make Richardson their choice.
D
| MEASURE 95
Universities need investment options
M
easure 95 gives Oregon’s universities a better
ability to control their own inancial destinies. It
deserves voter approval.
The measure, if approved, gives universities the ability
to invest in stocks and corrects a conlict with a provision
in the Oregon Constitution that occurred when the state
Legislature created independent governing boards for the
universities in 2013.
The Legislature’s intent in 2013 was to allow the
universities to each manage their money wisely by giving
them more investment options, including stock owner-
ship, but a provision in the Constitution bans state own-
ership of equities. That conlict creates a glitch with the
investment options that the Legislature tried to provide.
Measure 95 ixes the error by exempting universities
from the constitutional prohibition and will allow them
to better manage both the inancial risk of leaving money
on the table when better investment options are available,
and with strategies to improve their inancial returns on
their investments. It’s also important to note that Measure
95 has nothing to do with university foundations, which
routinely invest in stocks of all kinds and are independent
of the universities and the state’s investment oversight.
The measure only applies to the state-supported uni-
versities themselves and the amounts of money in their
accounts from things like student tuition, room and board,
and money from state appropriations and other sources.
Long term, larger returns for the universities could
help keep tuition down and more affordable for students.
Voters should give Measure 95 a resounding “Yes.”
DAVID F. PERO, Publisher & Editor
• 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
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