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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 2016)
ENDORSEMENTS 4C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016 | STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 32 Oregon voters should lengthen Boone’s Oregon House tenure T he race for the District 32 seat in the Oregon House of Representatives pits incumbent Democrat Deborah Boone against Republican challenger Bruce Bobek. Boone is in her sixth term of ofice and seeks a seventh, while it’s Bobek’s irst time running for state ofice. Both candidates have a deep desire to help others and make Clatsop County a better place to live, but Boone’s lengthy tenure, experience and record of accomplishments make her our choice to ill the seat. We hope that in the event of Boone’s re-elec- tion, Bobek will remain active in the area’s civic and political affairs, he has much to offer. Bobek is an impressive challenger. He is president of the medical staff at Columbia Memorial Hospital, but will be retiring at the end of the year after spending 50 years in health care as a physician and internist. He has previously served as a Warrenton city commissioner, and stresses the state’s need for compassionate, nonpolarizing leadership. Bobek sees education as a priority issue with a reduced amount spent on administration and more on students and teaching. He also believes the state’s transportation shortcomings are aggravated even more by too much bureaucracy in the Department of Transportation. Bobek’s long experience in health care, no doubt, would be an obvious asset in the Legislature. But Boone’s accomplishments and record of legislative leadership, support and sponsorship of projects in the state House beneiting this area are even more impressive. She has a background in the con- struction industry and in oceanogra- phy, and she has been a strong backer of emergency preparedness for the region. Boone served as the legislative lead on the Oregon Resilience Plan, which outlines ways to reduce risks and improve recovery in the event of a Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. She has been a forceful voice in support of Oregon’s veterans and she has served on the House Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee, the Energy and Environment Committee and on the Ways and Means human services subcommittee. On a statewide basis, she is a vocal supporter of educational improvement efforts, public safety, children’s wel- fare, senior services and, importantly, of simplifying state government and how residents interact with it. She sees the great need for Oregon to improve its infrastructure and to tame the beast of the Public Employees Retirement System with- out breaking the contractual promise to its current beneiciaries. She also wants the state to start more long-term strategic planning rather than just planning for the short term of legislative bienniums. Locally, Boone helped procure funding for sea-loor mapping that has | GEARHART MAYORAL RACE Jones’ experience merits Astoria seat n the race for the Ward 4 seat on the judgment, integrity and leadership that Astoria City Council, both candidates would make him a true asset to a council have the enthusiasm to serve and the that is clearly in transition. desire to make Astoria a better place to live. Jones has a master’s degree in public Vying for the seat are two political administration, and he served his inal years newcomers: Bruce Jones, a retired U.S. in the Coast Guard as commander of the Coast Guard commander with an impres- Columbia River sector. He is active on sev- sive record of career achievements; and eral nonproit boards, including the Colum- Cory Pederson, a symphony conductor and bia River Maritime Museum, Friends of the music teacher who has achieved success by Astoria Column and Friends of the Astoria working with people, getting all perspec- Armory. He previously was on the United tives and focusing on common Way of Clatsop County board. goals. Importantly, neither can- One of his top priorities is didate is running to ix a speciic day-to-day budget management problem with an agenda going with future foresight, especially into ofice. Both would want their on matters of infrastructure so tenure on the council marked by the city isn’t surprised down the simply doing the job with daily road by its past decisions. He also excellence. believes the city needs to have While both candidates would better relationships with its neigh- be a good it, Jones stands out bors, as well as working closer for his leadership, experience with the county and the Port of Bruce Jones and vision, and he merits our Astoria to solve common prob- endorsement. lems throughout the region. Although Pederson, 37, doesn’t have a Jones understands the changing face resume quite as full as Jones, he has a solid of Astoria and the delicate balance of pre- record of success in his profession, of tak- serving the past and pushing for the future. ing a symphony on the brink of disbanding His experience includes being the former and developing it into a thriving organiza- chief of strategic analysis for the Coast tion. He is president of the Jewell Educa- Guard in Washington, D.C., and he would tional Association union, and he sits on like to see the city develop a strategic plan the boards of the Astoria Music Festival, and establish a ive-year vision that takes Columbia River Symphony and North Ore- into account the diversity of the economy gon Coast Symphony. between its working-class roots and its However, we feel Jones, 56, is a stronger upscale tourism transition. His experience candidate for the position, and should he in disaster response and working with all win, we hope Pederson will become more responding agencies would be invaluable. involved in city affairs. Jones’ well-rounded and deep qualii- Jones spent 30 years in the Coast cations make him the right person at the Guard and faced making what amounts to right time for the position and voters should life-and-death decisions. He displays the respond by electing him to ofice. T I he race to become mayor of Gearhart and infrastructure. provides voters with two excellent At the heart of Gearhart’s divisiveness, candidates, Matt Brown and Bob which both candidates acknowledge, is the Shortman, who each want to help the city issue of short-term vacation rentals. The sort through its recent divisiveness. tranquil residential community recently We think Brown has a slightly better passed its irst ever short-term rentals regu- chance of making that happen and he gains lations after a long process. And while the our endorsement. Shortman, though, has a city’s comprehensive plan provides language number of good suggestions about consen- against vacation rentals in residential areas, sus building. City leaders should take heed the city compromised by grandfathering of that goal no matter who becomes mayor. existing rentals that meet speciic conditions, Brown, a professional but also enacted regulations that golfer and general manager at include density limitations and the Highlands Golf Club, and parking requirements. Shortman, a semi-retired general A segment of residents believe contractor, are vying to replace the regulations are too strict and Mayor Dianne Widdop, who is that they weren’t properly heard not seeking re-election. Widdop before the city enacted the ordi- defeated Shortman for mayor in nance. As a result there have been 2012 by only ive votes. threatened lawsuits and a ballot Both Brown, 41, and Shortman, initiative is already under way for 63, have prior volunteer city a future election. Matt Brown service. Brown served on the Shortman believes that after- city’s Planning Commission for math could have been avoided if six years including as president. He has a there had been more openness, transparency thorough background on the city’s compre- and efforts to be inclusive. There needs to hensive plan and says the city should adhere be consensus, he says, and if he is elected he to it. Shortman is a former chairman of the wants to be remembered as the mayor who Gearhart budget committee and continues to brought “friendliness back to Gearhart.” serve on the inance panel. He has a strong We think Brown has a slightly better background as a business owner with inan- future vision and chance of success. His cial matters, and wants to make sure city record includes helping resolve conlicts and projects come in on time, on budget. of fostering better communication between Shortman is also the current chairman of the Planning Commission, city staff and Clatsop County Republicans, but is leaving city councilors. Most importantly, he says that volunteer position next month when his the city needs to improve communication term expires. Importantly, the mayor’s job is with residents and suggests better use of the nonpartisan and is not a factor in the race or internet and social media. our endorsement decision. Brown’s vision for Gearhart is to “get Both candidates agree the city back to calm waters,” and voters should needs improved emergency preparedness allow him to try and accomplish that goal. | LOCAL BOND ISSUES Seaside’s school bond issue should be approved A Seaside schools bond Voters shouldn’t hesitate to say “Yes” to this initiative, which would move Gearhart Elementary, Broadway Middle School and Seaside High School to new, safe facilities on high ground out of the danger zone. Gearhart Elementary would move to become an annex of Seaside Heights Elementary, while Broadway Middle School and Seaside High School would move to a new campus close by. Seaside School District Superintendent- emeritus Doug Dougherty has worked diligently on the project, which U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden has termed “a life or death” matter for the children’s safety. The three schools were each built with an expected lifespan of 45 to 50 years. Each has been used beyond that span. “The schools are currently unsafe, they are deteriorating and they’re very ineficient,” Dougherty says. A 2013 district bond issue asked for $128.8 million to fund a new campus and would have required $2.16 per thousand dollars of assessed value for property owners. That measure failed. The new bond was scaled down and equates to about $1.35 per thousand, a 37.5 percent reduction in cost from the previous bond. The bond is not illed with “wish-list” items. As school board Chairman Steve Phillips says, it provides for “what we honestly have to have, not just as a safety factor for our children, but to replace dete- riorating buildings that are starting to cost the district money that we don’t have.” We agree, and voters should say “Yes” to it. Pot initiatives Voters should approve the proposed 3 percent marijuana taxes in Astoria and Seaside, as well as Cannon Beach if voters there do not ban recreational pot sales in the city. The tax, which would bring the retail tax to 20 percent in January, is an option all cities can pursue under state law. Elected oficials and local pot retailers provided tsunami modeling, isheries research and updated navigational charts, and she assisted with the NOAA Fisheries relocation to Oregon. And while Boone has been a strong Democratic voice in the House in representing Clatsop County interests, she hasn’t shied away from that com- mitment when those same interests may conlict with party platforms and policies. The region’s voters should reward Boone for that legislative leadership and commitment by returning her to Salem for the seventh term she seeks. | ASTORIA CITY COUNCIL Gearhart should tap Brown for mayor $99.7 million bond imitative that would help relocate three public schools in the Seaside School District out of the tsunami zone dominates local ballot initiatives. In another Seaside initiative, and Astoria as well, voters will decide whether to impose a 3 percent local tax on retail marijuana sales. Pot is also on the ballot in Cannon Beach, where voters are being asked to decide whether the city should ban the sale of recreational marijuana and also whether it should be taxed if the prohibition doesn’t pass. In Warrenton, voters will weigh in on a charter amendment that would require double-majority voter approval before the city can tansfer or dispose of assets valued at more than $100,000. Deborah Boone have supported the tax. Residents of all Oregon cities have the right to decide whether marijuana sales are compatible with the character of their communities, and we are not taking a position on whether Cannon Beach should or should not adopt a ban, but voters there should approve the 3 percent tax in the event that a prohibition fails. It’s also important to know what a ban does and does not do. Adults can legally possess and use marijuana, and banning sales doesn’t change that. Adults who wish to purchase pot need only drive to a community that permits sales, and they are free to use it as the law allows. Warrenton charter amendment Voters should say “No” to a charter amendment that would require dou- ble-majority voter approval before the city transfers or disposes of assets valued at over $100,000. Backers of the amendment have opposed the city’s potential transfer of Tansy Point to Warrenton Fiber. City oficials have said, however, that the amendment could also apply to other assets. The commission tweaked election law this year to make it harder to pass such restrictions. Approving this amendment requiring voters to approve asset sales and transfers by a double majority ties the hands of those who we elect to do that job. It should be defeated. Other races and unopposed positions There are three other contested races on the ballot, a seat on the Warrenton City Commis- sion and one each on the Seaside and Cannon Beach city councils. The Daily Astorian chose to limit endorsements in cities outside of Asto- ria to mayoral positions. A factor in that deci- sion was endorsements in two of three of those races had to be withheld because of profes- sional relationships with candidates that could present the appearance of conlicts of interest. In Warrenton, the City Commission Position 1 is between incumbent Pam Ackley and chal- lenger Ryan Lampi. In Cannon Beach, three are vying for a councilor-a- large position. They are Herb Florer, Brandon Ogilvie and Nancy McCarthy. In Seaside, Don Johnson and Tom Horning are vying for the Ward 3 council seat. Unopposed candidates across the region are: • Clatsop County Sheriff: Tom Bergin. • Astoria City Council, Ward 2: Thomas Brownson. • Gearhart City Council, Position 2: Sue Lorain. • Gearhart City Council, Position 4: Dan- iel Jesse. • Seaside City Council, Ward 4: Seth Morrisey. • Seaside City Council, At Large: Randall Frank. • Warrenton City Commission, Position 2: Henry Balensifer. • Warrenton City Commission, Position 3: Thomas Dyer.
