4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017
Electoral votes: ‘The
Electoral College has
made the voice of
rural America count’
Continued from Page 1A
Urban-rural divide
Under the proposed leg-
islation, once states repre-
senting a majority of elec-
toral votes join the compact,
Oregon’s electors would be
awarded to the candidate
who wins the national popu-
lar vote.
The compact has been
described as a “workaround”
for the Constitution’s Elec-
toral College system.
Proponents say the cur-
rent system of states awarding
electoral votes based on their
state’s results does not honor
the principle of “one person,
one vote,” and distorts both
how candidates campaign and
presidents govern by shifting
the focus to swing states.
Opponents, though, say
the Constitution calls for the
Electoral College in order to
prevent “tyranny of the major-
ity” and to give small states a
voice in presidential elections.
Discourse
about
the
so-called
“urban-rural
divide,” an issue in the wake
of Trump’s strong support in
non-urban areas, plays into
the debate, as well.
Joseph Rice, chairman of
the 2nd Congressional Dis-
trict for the Oregon GOP and a
member of its executive com-
mittee, claimed the proposal
would rob rural voters of their
say in national elections.
“For hundreds of years the
Electoral College has made
the voice of rural America
count,” Rice wrote in a let-
ter to the House Rules Com-
mittee. “Pushing forward with
(the proposal) silences the
voices of (tens) of millions
of Americans, giving urban
America and our densely pop-
ulated cities the overwhelm-
ing voice in our national
elections.”
But Paul Finkelman, a vis-
iting professor at the Univer-
sity of Pittsburgh School of
Law, has argued that the Elec-
toral College had its roots
not in states’ rights or fear of
tyrants riding a wave of pop-
ulist sentiment into office, but
in an attempt to appease pro-
slavery states.
By allowing slave-own-
ing states to factor slaves into
their population as “three-
fifths” of a person — and in
denying slaves suffrage —
those states could artificially
inflate their populations to
garner more representation in
the Electoral College to out-
weigh their smaller voting-el-
igible populations, Finkelman
has argued.
‘Outcomes have
dictated philosophy’
House Minority Leader
Mike McLane, R-Powell
Butte, took issue with the
popular vote proposal at Tues-
day’s hearing, arguing that
under the same premise, the
country should do away with
the U.S. Senate.
“I wonder if outcomes
have dictated philosophy,”
McLane said, suggesting that
the recent election had stirred
up Democratic interest in the
cause.
Rayfield, one of three
major sponsors, said he would
support the national popular
vote measure, even if Ameri-
can voters selected a Republi-
can president.
“When the majority of the
electors control who our pres-
ident is, then the policies com-
ing out of the most import-
ant office we have are going
to match what the majority
of the electors wanted,” Ray-
field said. “And that’s why it
doesn’t matter who wins the
popular vote. I may be in the
minority, but our democracy
is founded on the majority
principle.”
Similar proposals were
passed by the House in 2009,
2013 and 2015, but stalled
in the Senate all three times,
according to National Popular
Vote, an organization advocat-
ing for the change.
Senate President Peter
Courtney, D-Salem, said he’ll
wait to see what happens in
committee if it moves to the
Senate.
“Personally, I believe Ore-
gon’s electoral votes should
be cast for the candidate
chosen by Oregon voters,”
Courtney said in a statement.
“Under the national popular
vote proposal, that would not
be guaranteed.”
The measure has not yet
been scheduled for a vote.
The Capital Bureau is a
collaboration between EO
Media Group and Pamplin
Media Group.
Station: Fire chief made an appeal
Continued from Page 1A
Rating properties
Each of the proposed sites
is either owned by the city or
would be available to the city
at a minimal cost.
Gearhart Park offers com-
pacted sand for advantageous
foundation and a higher eleva-
tion, geologist Tom Horning
said. “The park site is a good
site,” he said. “High enough,
and it’s near enough town to
provide great services.”
Disadvantages
include
loss of parkland and effects
on neighboring homes.
A public safety building
would take up “about half the
park,” Sweet said.
“There’s obviously an aes-
thetic aspect that would be
negative,” Speakman said.
The Trail’s End location
offers a central location and
the city already owns some of
the land.
But low elevation and con-
cerns from neighbors who
hope to preserve that property
could be downsides.
The current firehouse site,
while built “fairly stoutly,”
according to Horning, is
likely to flood even in a mod-
erate tsunami.
“If you’re going to relo-
cate here, you’ll have
upwards of 20 feet of water,”
Horning said. “You can’t do
anything with the equipment
Sen. Peter Courtney, D-Salem
because it will be inundated
by the water. After the town
is flooded there will be fires.
They will break out, in a fire-
place, natural gas line that
sparks — and if you can’t use
the local water to pump onto
the fire, how will you put it
out?”
Community need
Tuesday’s meeting ended
without resolution, but the
issue will now head to the
City Council for discussion.
“The ultimate decision
about this will be up to the
Consult
a
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
Painkillers and anti-
inflammatories can get us
through a tough time with
back, neck, head or leg pain,
but they weren’t designed for long-
term use. Yearly deaths from pain
medication are climbing. Other side
effects can include constipation, liver
and kidney damage; addiction from
them is real and a growing problem.
Pain is a signal that something is
wrong. Pain medication does not fix
the problem — it changes the brain.
Reducing pain can be as simple as
identifying its source and providing a
different approach —
chiropractic is an important part of
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Roby’s Q:
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Saturday 10:00 to 5:00
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6255 SW Hwy. 101
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council,” Speakman said.
“We have a new mayor, Matt
Brown, who’s very pas-
sionate about this, and we
all feel very confident that
hopefully we can convince
the population that even
though this is going to be a
costly venture, the time has
come to upgrade our capa-
bilities here so we can main-
tain a first-grade fire bri-
gade. The need is not going
away.”
Fire Chief Bill Eddy
made an appeal for Gear-
hart’s volunteer firefighters.
“Everybody talks about
the equipment in here,”
Eddy said. “The biggest
asset we have are the fire-
fighters in our department.
The amount of money that
each one of these firefight-
ers is worth dwarfs what
these apparatus are worth.
Part of the station is for
them. They’re the ones that
have to come here to drill,
to respond. To have afacil-
ity that’s current and up-to-
date when it comes to train-
ing and all the other aspects
of it — it’s needed.”
Professional
Q: Chronic pain
A :
Furniture & Appliance
‘Personally, I believe
Oregon’s electoral votes
should be cast for the
candidate chosen by Oregon
voters. Under the national
popular vote proposal, that
would not be guaranteed.’
The Daily Astorian/File Photo
Gearhart Fire Chief Bill Eddy outside the Gearhart Fire Station in July. He made an
appeal Tuesday for a new station on behalf of the town’s volunteer firefighters.
Will I have to
assemble my
furniture when
it is delivered?
A :
Most wood furniture
products require
assembly prior to delivery.
Our delivery service at
Roby’s includes assembly
of your furniture prior to
delivery. Our delivery
service also includes
complimentary removal of
your old furniture if
necessary.
have several email
Q: I accounts.
How can I
see all my emails in
one place?
LEO FINZI
In Windows 10, click on
the Windows Icon, and
Astorias A:
type “Mail” or click on the mail
Best.com app in the Start Menu. Add
O pen
7 D ays
a W eek !
M-F 10-6 Sat & Sun 11-4
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503-325-2300
your first email account and
password. To add a second,
third, etc. email address, click
on the gear in the lower left
side of the window. Click on
“Manage Accounts” at the top
right. Click on “Add Account”
and enter your additional email
addresses and passwords.
the difference
Q: What’s
between Medicare Part
A and Part B?
A is hospital
A: Part
insurance. It covers
Stefanie Cao
Medicare
Market Manager
careoregonadvantage.org
inpatient hospital stays and if
you are discharged to a
skilled nursing facility, some
home health care, and
hospice. Part A is free for
those with a qualifying work
history.
Part B is medical insurance.
It covers doctor visits, out-
patient tests, services and
some durable medical
equipment. Part B has a
monthly premium; Medicare
sets the amount.
Senate president
garden is infested
Q: My
with moles. How do I
is Respite
Q: What
Care ?
A :
get rid of them?
Kujala: Warrenton’s
first elected mayor
Continued from Page 1A
Kujala is Warrenton’s first
elected mayor. Voters chose
him for a four-year term in
November 2014. Previously,
mayors — including Kujala
— were selected among fel-
low city commissioners for a
one-year term. He had been
appointed mayor in 2011,
2013 and 2014.
He said he has enjoyed
working with his fellow com-
missioners and city staff. “I
really, really have appreciated
my time on the commission
very much.”
The City Commission will
decide how to fill the vacancy.
Personable and accessi-
ble to residents, Kujala had
focused this term on jobs and
economic development, pub-
lic safety, urban renewal and
levee certification. He also
played a leading role in the
dispute with the Skipanon
Water Control District over
control of the Eighth Street
Dam.
The mayor presided over
the city during the fractious
debate over the Oregon LNG
project. The energy company
sought to build a liquefied nat-
ural gas terminal and pipe-
line on the Skipanon River
but withdrew the proposal last
year.
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You are in good company!
Moles are best controlled
with traps and baits. We can
show you how they work.
Castor oil in spray or pellet form is a
very good deterrent. Smoke bombs
are also available with varying
degrees of effectiveness as are
various breeds of canines. Since
moles are primarily carnivores, they
do the most damage to the roots of
plants by undermining them as they
dig. On the brighter side, moles do a
lot of good in the garden by eating
crane fly larvae and aerating the soil.
A :
BRIM’S
Farm & Garden
34963 Hwy. 101 Business
Astoria • 503 - 325-1562
For beautiful gardens
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Loop-Jacobsen
Jewelers, Inc.
T im O ’Brien
Adult
Outpatient
CLATSOP
Supervisor
BEHAVIORAL
HEALTHCARE
“Helping People Live Well”
65 N. Hwy. 101
Suite 204
Warrenton
503-325-5722
Respite Services provide
short-term relief for a person
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offering an average length of stay
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staffed by mental health, nursing and
psychiatric professionals to help
develop safe plans for recovery. We
work closely with local hospitals,
law enforcement and other
healthcare professionals to move
people from crisis to care. For
information regarding the referral
process, call 503-325-5722.
the
Q: What’s
best advice for
is the
Q: What
Birthstone
me to keep my
teeth healthy?
for March?
A :
Frank & Judy VanWinkle
A family owned and
operated jewelry
store since 1919
(503) 325-6181
1360 Commercial
Astoria, Oregon
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Seriously, this begins with
you. In today’s dental
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their teeth. The very best advice is to
be diligent, maybe even obsessive in
your home-care brushing and
flossing. Next, like it or not, see your
dental hygienist frequently and your
dentist regularly for dental checkups.
You will be way ahead — cost-wise,
time-wise and treatment-wise — by
making routine dental care part of
your life’s commitment. We look
forward to seeing you.
A :
JEFFREY M. LEINASSAR
DMD, FAGD
503/325-0310
1414 MARINE DRIVE,
ASTORIA
www.smileastoria.com
