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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017 Merkley, Wyden critical of Trump’s nominee to the US Supreme Court GOP bill would sell 70,000 acres of Oregon public land Democrats plan to oppose Gorsuch 40 acres are in Clatsop County Staff and wire reports U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley on Tuesday condemned President Donald Trump’s choice of fed- eral appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court, calling it “a stolen seat being filled by an illegitimate and extreme nominee.” The Oregon Democrat had warned he would filibus- ter any nominee other than Judge Merrick Garland, who was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court but was blocked by Republicans for nearly a year. “The most fundamental thing that must be understood about tonight’s announce- ment is that this is a stolen seat,” Merkley said in a state- ment. “This is the first time in American history that one party has blockaded a nomi- nee for almost a year in order to deliver a seat to a president of their own party. If this tac- tic is rewarded rather than resisted, it will set a danger- ous new precedent in Ameri- can governance.” Merkley said the “strategy of packing the court, if success- ful, could threaten fundamen- tal rights in America, includ- ing workers’ right to organize, women’s reproductive rights, and the rights of ordinary citi- zens to have their voices heard in elections rather than being drowned out by the corrupting influence of dark money from the richest Americans.” U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden called the Gorsuch nomina- tion a “breathtaking retreat from the notion that Ameri- cans have a fundamental right to constitutional liberties, and harkens back to the days when politicians restricted a people’s rights on a whim.” Gorsuch, a 49-year-old judge on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Colorado, wrote “The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia,” a book that outlines his oppo- sition to assisted suicide and euthanasia based on the intrin- sic value of every human life. Oregon was the first state to adopt an assisted suicide law for terminally ill patients. Four other states have followed with similar laws. “His opposition to legal death with dignity as success- fully practiced in Oregon is couched in the sort of jurispru- dence that justified the horrific oppression of one group after another in our first two centu- ries,” Wyden, an Oregon Dem- ocrat, said in a statement. “No senator who believes that indi- vidual rights are reserved to the people, and not the gov- ernment, can support this nomination.” Gorsuch is the youngest Supreme Court nominee in a quarter-century. He’s known for clear, colloquial writing, advocacy for court review of government regulations, defense of religious freedom and skepticism toward law enforcement. His nomination was cheered by conservatives wary of Trump’s own fluid ideology. If confirmed by the Senate, he would fill the seat left vacant by the death last year of Scalia, long the right’s most powerful voice on the high court. Gorsuch earned Republi- can praise today as he visited Capitol Hill. The judge was accompanied by Vice Pres- ident Mike Pence as he met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McCo- nnell called Gorsuch “an outstanding appointment” and said Republicans were “thrilled” to get the confirma- tion process started. Pence predicted that as sen- ators get to know Gorsuch, “they’ll come to understand the enthusiasm” Trump has for Gorsuch. A Senate Judiciary Commit- tee spokesman said the panel hoped to begin confirmation hearings in about six weeks. Veterans get new van for medical trips to Portland hospital The Daily Astorian Excited volunteer driv- ers for Astoria-area Disabled American Veterans gathered on a Saturday in December to inspect their new Ford passen- ger van and pick up their new keys. The new van replaces one with a quarter-million miles, all driven by volunteers. It is larger, with room for 11 pas- sengers, and provides safer access for people with disabil- ities, according to Dick Lang, the driver coordinator. The local volunteer driv- ers make the round trip to Portland almost every week- day — totaling about 1,000 miles per week — enabling local veterans to receive med- ical treatment and prescription medications. The DAV is a nonprofit that provides support for vet- erans of all generations and their families. The nationwide organization, which helps more than 1 million veter- ans each year, provides more than 700,000 rides for medical appointments and assists vet- erans with more than 300,000 benefit claims annually. The local van is always in need of drivers so that veterans do not miss important appoint- ments and treatment. These appointments often take weeks to schedule; a cancellation due to lack of transportation can be consequential. Lang said it is a rewarding experience to be able to assist local veterans, many of whom would not have any other way to get to the Portland VA Hos- pital for treatment. For information on becom- ing a driver, contact Lang at dicklang@charter.net or 503-298-8757. By ZACH URNESS Statesman Journal A lawmaker from Utah has introduced legislation that would “dispose” of 3.3 mil- lion acres of public land nation- wide, including 70,300 acres in Oregon and 40 in Clatsop County. In what some have called the opening shot by Republi- cans to sell or transfer federal lands, U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz introduced H.R. 621 last week to free up resources “for eco- nomic development in strug- gling rural communities.” Environmental groups denounced the effort, say- ing Chaffetz is pushing an “anti-American public lands agenda” with the broader goal of privatizing natural treasures across the West, a statement from Oregon Wild said. The land identified for dis- posal — meaning sale to pri- vate entities or states — includes acreage from 10 different states. The bulk comes from Nevada (898,000 acres), New Mexico (831,000), Wyo- Astorias Best.com Loop-Jacobsen Jewelers, Inc. Frank & Judy VanWinkle A family owned and operated jewelry store since 1919 (503) 325-6181 1360 Commercial Astoria, Oregon Astoria • (503)325-1535 1555 Commercial Street Store Hours Mon. - Fri. 9:30 to 5:30 Saturday 10:00 to 5:00 More Locations: Tillamook • (503) 842-7111 1126 Main Ave Lincoln City • (541) 996-2177 6255 SW Hwy. 101 Newport • (541) 265-9520 5111 N. Coast Hwy. Florence • (541)997-8214 18th & Hwy. 101 T im O ’Brien Adult Outpatient CLATSOP Supervisor BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE “Helping People Live Well” 65 N. Hwy. 101 Suite 204 Warrenton 503-325-5722 Medicare Market Manager careoregonadvantage.org Bloomin Crazy A: Yes, Floral would be happy 971 Commercial Street Astoria 503.325.3571 bloomincrazyfl oral.com accepting new patients? 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T HE D AILY A STORIAN ’ S 3 rd at 1997 survey The identified land comes from a 1997 survey conducted by the Clinton administration, which was seeking potential revenue to benefit the Ever- glades Restoration effort. The survey never resulted in the land being sold. There’s no map showing the exact location of each par- cel, only a short description of the land’s character, monetary value and possible problems with disposal. In the entry for 1,475 acres in Deschutes County, for example, it’s noted that “rec- reation is a major support of Deschutes County’s economic base, consequently, the county is opposed to any loss of fed- eral lands.” The 2,120 acres in Jefferson County, meanwhile, is identi- fied as having mining claims, endangered species, wetlands and floodplains, along with his- toric and cultural resources. The largest area proposed for disposal is in Harney County, where 44,500 acres is described as agricultural and grazing land with some public access. “These lands have been deemed to serve no purpose for taxpayers,” Chaffetz said. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., disagreed. “Legislation based on a decades-old report on lands supposedly ripe for disposal clearly belongs on the shelf,” Wyden said in a statement. “Public lands belong to all Americans, and preserving these lands in public owner- ship keeps them accessible to everybody — including hunt- ers, fishers, timber enterprises and recreation lovers.” Professional screen. the Windows key on A: Press LEO FINZI then type, “Sticky Notes”. It will show up as a “Trusted Windows Store App.” Install the app. The app places a “Sticky Note” on your desk- top screen, just like those 3M W e match or Post-It notes you have in real beat all c ostco life. You can have multiple online prices ! “Sticky Notes” stacked on top of each other, you can change M-F 10-6 Sat & Sun 11-4 the color to another color from yellow, and much more. 77 11th Street, Suite H Astoria, OR Happy Sticky Noting! 503-325-2300 N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Deadline to vote is Oregon counties In Oregon, the 70,300 acres comes in parcels from 19 coun- ties managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The par- cels range from 44,533 acres in Harney County to 1 acre in Marion County. “I think this bill is basi- cally a ‘test balloon,’ to get the effort and conversation mov- ing,” said Jim Moore, profes- need to keep Q: I information on my Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber 2016 C UTEST B ABY C ONTEST ming (694,000) and Arizona (450,000 acres). Consult a W A NTED Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 AP Photo/Rick Bowmer U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, speaks during news conference in Salt Lake City last month. Chaffetz has introduced a bill to sell or transfer some federal lands. sor and director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Inno- vation at Pacific University. “The land referenced here is pretty scattershot and may or may not make sense. I’d watch for a more focused effort if we’re really talking about this happening.” It’s not clear whether Pres- ident Trump’s administration would support the bill. Trump has made statements oppos- ing the sale of public lands and nominated Montana lawmaker Ryan Zinke, who also opposes the idea, to lead the Department of Interior. “That’s kind of the fly in the ointment of this whole idea,” Moore said. ASTORIA CHIROPRACT I C Ba rry S ea rs , D.C . 503 -3 25-3 3 11 2935 M a rin e Drive, As to ria , Orego n It is the most effective care for many problems including low back pain, both new and old, neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, sports injuries and more. Chiropractic is over 100 years old and the second largest health care profession in America. Ongoing worldwide research is proving the efficacy of chiropractic for a variety of ailments. It has very few risks and none of the side effects associated with medications. It is cost effective care. Chiropractic is safe to utilize in conjunction with other medical care. Call today to find out how we can help you! 503-325-3311
