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.