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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2017)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 FRIDAY EXCHANGE Unfair assessment egarding the Clatsop County Reclassifica- tion of Forestland: In the fis- cal year 2016-17, accord- ing to the Clatsop County Budget in Brief, the county received $5,065,495. Approx- imately $7 to $8 million in revenue was produced in tim- ber; another $2.1 to $2.4 million went to the Oregon Department of Forestry rev- enue sharing with four other counties. Clatsop County taxpay- ers should have no addi- tional assessment by the ODF because of the timber reve- nue sharing classification of 2013. The new assessment should be paid out of the rev- enue sharing money before the revenue is shared with other counties. Thirty percent of revenue was shared with Washington County for mas- sive state tax cuts for Intel, Nike and for schools and infrastructure coming for the South Hillsboro development project. I asked state Sen. Betsy Johnson and Rep. Debbie Boone to help with this bur- den. All taxpayers in this county use forestland in one way or another. No new assessments for some taxpay- ers, or an assessment for all taxpayers of Clatsop County. Forestry issues are shared by all county residents. I did attend the Clatsop County Forestland Classifi- cation town hall meeting in Seaside Saturday, along with approximately 75 other con- cerned county taxpayers. Sen. Betsy Johnson did appeal to the ODF on Saturday, and asked people with this con- cern to email her at Sen.Bet- syJohnson@oregonlegisla- ture.gov RICK CULVER Astoria R Obscene profits ’m sad to see “Welcome Walmart” letters to the edi- tor in The Daily Astorian. They will add 500 part-time, low paying jobs in Warrenton. They have obscene profits our local small business can’t compete with. Their buying power is unmatched. I want the personal service I’ve enjoyed in the Pacific Northwest for the last five years. I left California, and never looked back. The gen- uine “hi” and “hello” will never be matched in a big box store. The Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce touts “buy local.” This means the merchant whose kids attend school locally. DUGAN JENNINGS Warrenton I Protecting forest egarding the local news story “A look at county’s timber decision” (The Daily Astorian, Feb. 6): The person most prominent in the article was John DiLorenzo, the lead lawyer for Linn County, and his version of events was pre- sented without context. It would have been helpful for your readers to know that DiLorenzo and his firm hope to take in more than $200 mil- lion should the Linn County suit succeed. Rather than pre- senting a balanced view of Clatsop County’s decision to opt out, DiLorenzo was argu- ing his case on your pages. No space was given in the article to the reasoning of Clatsop County commission- ers, who spoke eloquently after their public hearing on the issue about their reasons for opting out, and their deter- mination to protect and main- tain the many diverse bene- fits of the county’s state forest resources, logging being only one of them. ROGER ROCKA Astoria R Funds needed easide and Gearhart’s county commissioner, Sarah Nebeker, cast the deciding vote against Clat- sop County participating in a class-action lawsuit (“County won’t join Linn County suit,” The Daily Astorian, Jan. 19). The lawsuit claims that the state of Oregon did not live up to its contractual obliga- tion to generate required rev- enue from our forestland that was given them to manage by Clatsop County. Clatsop S The Blue Warrior (“War- renton Warrior statue moves downtown,” The Daily Asto- rian)? Think Standing Rock Sioux and the Dakota Access Pipeline. Sad. GARY DURHEIM Cannon Beach Postal patrons are grateful n response to the complaints about the post office (“Astoria post office strug- gles with staff shortages,” The Daily Asto- rian, Feb. 10): We here at 821 Erie Ave. have no complaints, and are actually amazed at the diligence and dedication we see from postal carriers who are still deliv- ering mail in the most horrendous weather conditions, and lately well into the night. I County might have received $262 million from the state under this suit. Over time the state, under pressure from those through- out the state who prefer our forested lands remain unhar- vested, has cut back the orig- inal contractually required plans to generate revenue. This revenue is needed to help operate Clatsop County schools and local government. The county commission, by a 3-2 vote, said that the state is doing a good enough job. Our county commis- sioner evidently wants the for- est to be a state park, with a lesser need for our schools and roads. In July, Commis- sioner Nebeker was enthusi- astic about the county’s plan for improving the Lewis and Clark mainline road to pro- vide a disaster evacuation route behind Gearhart and Seaside. There is no fund- ing plan for this $15 mil- lion project; just 5 percent of the potential judgment would meet the funding needs for this life and death project. Our area needs these types of projects so it can survive, and continue to flourish in the event of a disaster. The county commission needs to enforce our contract. If they don’t like the contract, then renegoti- ate it to get the state to pro- vide the revenue from another source. JOHN DUNZER Seaside Proud tree hugger egarding Chinese toilet paper (“Dear tree hug- gers,” The Daily Astorian, Jan. 27): I’m a tree hugger. I’ve hugged them all, big and small. Cedar, fir, hemlock — I even talk to the big spruce behind my house. But I must admit, when I worked at Astoria Plywood I peeled a lot more than I hugged. Nowadays I go to the Port and kiss those trees good- bye. I wondered what the Chi- nese were doing with them. DANIEL B. HEINER Astoria R A college of fools ow dare they. When their moment arrives, their failure to act has put our union in jeopardy. The Trump presidency is the result of a massive dys- function of the electoral pro- cess, and one that the found- ers anticipated and provided for in the original document. The Electoral College alone makes a Trump presidency possible, and the Electoral College is the place it should have been reversed. “Let’s see what will hap- pen” is not a prudent response to a crisis, and this is a crisis. There is nothing in Donald Trump’s history or his rhetoric to suggest thoughtfulness or compromise. If he lived in a third-world country we would be calling him a despot, but since he is ours, we call him forceful and charismatic. The truth is he’s a blowhard who’s never soiled his tiny hands, and has always had others to do his dirty work. He is not my kind of man, nor is he the man I would wish to repre- sent my country to the larger world. We should do bet- ter, because we know bet- ter. We’re not accustomed to picking our president from the bottom of the barrel, nor was there a good reason to do at this moment, except that we have a paucity of thought- ful, courageous leadership and a dangerous tide of dis- enchanted citizens thinking they can make up democ- racy as they go along. Both conditions are fraught with problems, and a Trump pres- idency makes the situation worse. The refusal of the elec- tors to do their job throws the H It embarrasses us to know that among our fellow patrons there are complaints so trivial as a mailbox left open or irregular- ity of delivery times. Please consider us appreciative of the tremendous effort we witness, and consider us grateful patrons. JANET SALENSKI Astoria task back to the Congress, which being overwhelmingly Republican, will find no favor in impeaching a Republican president, which leaves us with a Trump presidency for the next four years. My hunch is that by 2020 we will have had quite enough Trump, and will send him and his cronies packing. I do hope there’s enough left to salvage when that day comes. JACK GUYOT Astoria What right? here have been many actions by the new pres- ident that have been upset- ting in his first few weeks, but I am terribly troubled by two moves that affect two groups who are not part of the D.C. power structure. Trump has ordered the Dakota Access Pipeline proj- ect to be restarted without the required environmen- tal impact study, and negat- ing treaties made with the tribes involved. Thousands of people gathered in camps to stand up for protecting an important water source, not just for native Americans, but for all people in that area. Once again we tramp on the rights of the First People. What gives us that right? In the last few days there have been heart-wrench- ing stories of a new effort to deport Spanish-American people. The Trump adminis- tration says they are fulfill- ing the campaign promise to deport aliens who have com- mitted serious crimes. I can see the worth in that, but the government is not admitting they are also scooping up oth- ers whose only “crime” is to be here without proper visas or green cards. So, in Arizona, a 38-year- old mother of three is taken from her home and in a nearby state, a man who has lived here 30 years is taken from his family. Now we have children in fear that the next knock on the door will be federal agents come to seize adults who are all the secu- rity these children have in this country. It reminds me of the brutal captures of the Jews by Nazis. What gives us that right? I try to believe that my country’s actions reflect a strong moral code with jus- tice for the oppressed. How- ever, as Trump himself said when defending his interest in backing Putin of Russia, “No, we have done ‘terrible’ things as well as Russia.” I realize that statement is true, but my question still is: What gives us that right? SANDY NIELSON Ocean Park, Washington T Opting out latsop County could sure use more funds for a library upgrade, a jail upgrade and some enlightened care for citizens with mental dis- orders. But Clatsop County is industry-poor and, most would agree, property taxes are already high enough. This makes the 3-2 vote by our local county commis- sion to opt out of the cur- rent lawsuit against the state of Oregon a total mystery (“County won’t join Linn County suit,” The Daily Asto- rian, Jan. 19). At no cost to our county (win or lose), we could have benefited finan- cially from a win by the counties. What lawsuit? Good ques- tion. It’s about a breach of contract over forestry har- vesting issues. In the 1930s, many private forest landown- ers went bankrupt, and coun- ties took over logging oper- ations to generate funds for schools, health, law enforce- ment and other services. In the 1940s, the counties C Promote sea lions let the state take over all that in the interests of efficiency. The agreement was to maxi- mize sustainable returns (dol- lars) to the counties. In 1998, the state of Ore- gon unilaterally changed the definition of “sustainable.” It now includes environmen- tal and recreational concerns. As a result, logging decreased and income to counties decreased. The purpose of the lawsuit is to require the state to make of the dollar difference since 1998 to the counties. Thanks are due to county commissioners Lisa Clem- ent and Lianne Thompson for voting to stay in the lawsuit for the future benefit of their constituents. JOSEPH M. HERMAN Astoria Sad news eb. 8, page one news: The Astoria Port Com- mission up to its usual quib- bling and infighting, and a reliable source of amusement/ despair as a certain commis- sioner worries aloud about the Port’s credibility (“Com- mission roils in Port’s ongo- ing strife,” The Daily Asto- rian). Think rowboat, with just one oar in the water … or one oar pulling as the other pushes. And in Gearhart, where the Planning Commis- sion takes some heat over the denial of video poker in a brew pub (“Is gambling ‘good for Gearhart’?” The Daily Astorian). If the deci- sion stands, this may be the only brew pub in Ore- gon without video poker. The discussion calls to mind the wrangling over the per- mitting for the Pacific Way Bakery and Cafe, when it was then argued whether to allow pastry in the com- mercial district. The subtext to today’s episode seems to question whether we shall make an entrepreneur whole. Brew pub is a nice way to say beer joint, and entrepre- neur a wheeler dealer, but still, Gearhart will always be Gearhart. F am writing because I attended the Feb. 7 pub- lic meeting at the Port of Astoria. The term “conflict of interest” was frequently tossed around the room like a cold Budweiser at the Super Bowl by Commissioners Ful- ton and Hunsinger. I would like to remind everyone, and especially Hunsinger, that life is based upon our perceptions, and that life is like belly buttons — everybody has a point of view. Reality is not objective, it is subjective. What one person sees as a “conflict of interest” — such as your affiliation as a Port commissioner, Hunsinger — and the Port bylaws clearly state that the Port of Astoria is beholden to tourism. Moreover, yearly, approx- imately 24 cruise ships come to the Port of Astoria, and by the Port not advertising that there is this wonderful opportunity for people to get off the ship and to visit the sea lions in the East Moor- ing Basin, and to encour- age them to return yearly for this rare and fun oppor- tunity for all ages — which will create millions of mem- ories and tax dollars to bene- fit Clatsop County — can be seen as a conflict with local business interests in Clatsop County, and wildlife lovers everywhere. It is a conflict of interest that the sea lions are not pro- moted by the Port as a benefit to Clatsop County, when for- est extraction is, which does not benefit the fish or wild- life or tourism whatsoever. People do not plan vacations to visit clearcuts, or want to sleep in a aquatic paradise under the stars that smells like fungicide. On the other hand, if folks do happen to get off the ship without the focus of visit- ing the sea lions, little chil- dren and pets are in exponen- tial danger from the increased log truck traffic and road dust and particulate air pollu- tion created from diesel truck exhaust, which clearly does not attract hundreds of thou- sands of people to Clatsop County every year like the sea lions hauling out in the East Mooring Basin do. NINETTE JONES Sea Lion Defense Brigade I 5A Moving the warrior K, I swore no more pol- itics, but on my way home I see that the Legisla- ture, the Department of Edu- cation and some local non-In- dian persons, who think they advocate for everyone, have had the warrior statue removed from the Warrenton High School grounds. Because it offends them? Does warrior symbolism offend? Tribes were very much warriors when they tried to keep their lands from being stolen, their fami- lies from being killed. War- riors Cherokee, Choctaw and Navajo code talkers assisted this country in World War I and World War II. American Indians have served in all our wars to pro- tect land that was stolen from their ancestors. They wor- shiped the land and used it wisely. Even at this moment in history, warriors are fight- ing for the land and their rights, and everyone else’s, at Standing Rock. Certainly cartoon-like derogatory images, such as mascots, are not right, in my opinion. But the Warrenton warrior is made of 1,000 war- riors welded together in the 1970s by students. A mas- cot is supposed to bring good luck, not reverse bigotry. Where are Magua and Hawk-eye when you need them? But perhaps they have come from the pages of “The Deerslayer,” and now cemented the warrior at the main crossroad in Warren- ton. When you drive by, think what American Indians, Inu- its and the native people of Hawaii have sacrificed for this country. REBA OWEN Warrenton O News, not views uestion: Is The Daily Astorian engaged in pro- fessional journalism? I have noticed that the new section “World in Brief,” containing Associated Press articles, has had many items containing opinions and partisan views instead of just factual news reporting. You still have an “Opinion” page for editori- als and columns, which is the proper place for just that. If the answer to my ques- tion is “Yes, we are profes- sional journalists,” then please let the rest of the paper just report the facts as they hap- pen. Even though these arti- cles are written by other peo- ple, you are responsible for what is published in your newspaper. ERIC OLSON Astoria Q F EBRUARY 23 What’s Ahead for the Regional and State Economies? A Columbia Forum Presentation Erik Knoder Erik Knoder has lived in Oregon since 1988. He received his master’s degree in natural resource economics from Oregon State University in 1999. Aside from labor market economics his research interests include land use, growth and development, and the fi shing industry. Erik joined the Oregon Employment Department as a regional economist June of 2003 and works in Newport. He is responsible for generating and disseminating labor market information for Lincoln, Tillamook, Clatsop and Columbia counties. Josh Lehner Josh Lehner is an Economist with the Oregon Offi ce of Economic Analysis. He develops the quarterly Oregon Economic forecast, including outlooks for employment, income and housing. Additional responsibilities include forecasting revenues for the Oregon Lottery, Oregon Judicial Department and state tobacco taxes. TO ATTEND: LIMI SEATI TED NG RESER V For Members: Dinner & Lecture:$25 each; Lecture only: no charge SPACE E YOUR TODA For Non-Members: Dinner & Lecture: $35 each; Lecture only: $15 ea. 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 Feb. 20, 2017 Columbia Forum is sponsored by: The Daily Astorian • Craft3 • OSU Seafood Laboratory • KMUN-FM Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa
