OPINION
6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
Founded in 1873
DAVID F. PERO, Publisher & Editor
LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
JEREMY FELDMAN, Circulation Manager
DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
CARL EARL, Systems Manager
OUR VIEW
GUEST COLUMN
AP Photo/Don Ryan
Gov. Kate Brown, shown here in Salem in January, is facing a defin-
ing moment as the legislative session enters its final weeks.
A definining test
of leadership for
our governor
ov. Kate Brown faces a legacy-defining challenge as the
Legislature enters its final weeks: standing up to pub-
lic-employee unions and her other traditional supporters.
The success or failure of this year’s legislative session may well
hinge on the Democratic governor’s willingness to defy the unions
and other prospective supporters of her 2018 re-election bid.
Brown deserves credit for criticizing the strong-arm tactics of
Service Employees International Union Local 503 last week, as
well as for prodding the business community toward compromises
on tax and budget issues. But, publicly at least, she was a late-
comer to the debate.
This becomes a defining test of Brown’s leadership. Taking a
seat at the political table is insufficient. Demanding action by oth-
ers is inadequate. Can — and will — she emerge as a determined,
decisive and effective leader?
Much of Oregon’s economic future is at stake. The Legislature
is struggling to improve the state’s transportation system, reform
state spending, better stabilize the pension system and adequately
fund state services.
And never before in a legislative session have all those big
issues been so intertwined, as state Sen. Betsy Johnson and other
veteran legislators have noted.
And that complexity emboldens partisans who threaten to
thwart progress on all issues if they don’t get their way on one
issue.
The prime example arose last week. The SEIU threatened to
sink the Legislature’s transportation-infrastructure package unless
lawmakers also increased taxes on businesses to pay for state ser-
vices. Brown aptly described that as cutting off one’s nose to spite
one’s face.
It is unconscionable that unions and the business community
learned little from last fall’s bitter defeat of Measure 97, which
would have instituted a gross receipts tax — a form of sales tax
— on corporations. Neither side has shown much willingness to
compromise.
Brown is more pragmatic. So is the state Senate.
But Brown must persuasively stand up to those union lead-
ers and House Democrats who insist on passage of a corporate tax
increase or they’ll torpedo the transportation package.
Hearings began today on the latest corporate tax proposal from
House Speaker Tina Kotek and Sen.
Mark Hass, but there aren’t enough
It is not
votes for it to pass the Senate. A more
easy to
realistic compromise is needed.
And Brown must stand up to those
stand up to
Democrats, including Kotek, who are
longtime
unwilling to modify the controversial
low-carbon fuel standards.
friends
Republicans have demanded some
and allies,
assurances on controlling the pro-
gram’s costs. That is a reasonable
especially
condition for their supporting the
when
transportation package.
counting
Furthermore, Brown must stand up
to unions and Democratic legislators
on their
who will accept only tepid changes
future
in the Public Employees Retirement
System.
political
Lawmakers recently unveiled a
support.
PERS cost-sharing proposal. The
concept is good; but as currently
designed, any savings easily could be undone in the collective bar-
gaining process.
It is not easy to stand up to longtime friends and allies, espe-
cially when counting on their future political support.
But that is what Oregonians sometimes need from their gov-
ernors. Tom McCall did that on environmental issues. Vic Atiyeh
did that on taxes.
Now it’s Kate Brown’s turn.
G
A courtly night in
the nation’s capital
By DON HASKELL
Special to The Daily Astorian
he first time I wore a tuxedo
and held an adult beverage
in a conference room of the
U.S. Supreme Court was 35 years
ago. The second
time was earlier
this month. I wore
the same tuxedo,
but held a glass
of wine instead of
bourbon.
The occasion was the cock-
tail hour during activities of the
Supreme Court Historical Society,
which I joined over 40 years ago
while I still practiced law in down-
town Chicago.
Annual meetings of the soci-
ety are always black-tie affairs
held in nonpublic areas of the per-
fectly symmetrical Roman tem-
ple-styled Supreme Court building
in Washington D.C. The building
was designed to show the law’s
majestic authority and power in a
democracy. And its design and con-
struction in the 1930s and 1940s
does that in spades. The neoclas-
sical-style building is encased in
gleaming white Vermont marble
that almost blinds with luminos-
ity in the sunshine. Its tall pillars
around the main entry, its imposing
steps and solid bronze doors are
meant to awe, if not to intimidate.
But they appeared to do both to the
tourists I saw.
The business meeting of the
court’s historical arm preceded
cocktails and dinner. The meeting,
also black tie, was well attended
and filled all the seats in the court-
room where the nine justices hear
oral arguments. As does the entire
building, the courtroom exudes
power and awe with the room’s
massive pillars of white marble,
royal red draperies, 20-foot ornate
ceiling, and a slightly raised bench
for the justices. Immediately in
front of the bench are the lawyers’
tables. And surprisingly close to
the justices is a lectern where ner-
vous lawyers are grilled by the jus-
tices about the law and facts of the
cases the lawyers bring to them.
After too-long speeches by the
historical society’s officials and a
perfunctory election of officers,
Chief Justice John Roberts, stand-
ing by the lectern, handed one of
two small marble blocks to mem-
bers who had given extra effort to
the society. After each recognized
member had their picture taken
with the Chief Justice — both
holding the small block of marble
— the member promptly handed
T
the marble block back to the Chief
Justice.
The society’s president had
explained earlier to the group that
“the real” marble engraved blocks
were not yet finished. Thus, it
became necessary to use a faux
memento so that members honored
that evening could have their pic-
ture properly taken shaking hands
with the Chief Justice. And she also
explained that two marble blocks
were available in case a member
absentmindedly carried one away
after the photo was taken.
To me, a
highlight of
the dinner
was the lack
of speeches.
After all, it
was promoted
by the court
as a social
occasion. But
the lack of
speeches was
still a pleasant
surprise.
When the meeting adjourned,
the cocktail hour began in the
large east and west conference
rooms of the Supreme Court. The
large rooms, equivalent in size
and decor, are across a wide mar-
ble hall from each other, and are
designed for social and busi-
ness gatherings of the court. Their
walls are covered with gorgeous
dark oak paneling, and the rooms’
20-foot high gold-leafed ceilings
make the rooms look especially
distinguished. And most notewor-
thy are the large portraits of all of
the Supreme Court chief justices
who’ve held the office since Amer-
ica’s founding.
Both conference rooms open
onto their own inner courtyards,
replete with trees, benches and
fountains. But the white mar-
ble walls were noticeably dull in
appearance due to lack of sunlight.
A memorable end to the eve-
ning was the fancy dinner held in
the main reception room of the
Supreme Court building — the
Great Hall. This awe-inspiring
room is huge, with marble walls
and floor and massive marble pil-
lars around all sides of the room.
The Great Hall was designed as the
grand approach to the courtroom
at one end of the hall. But it’s also
large enough to comfortably hold
26 tables of 10 guests each.
The dinner began with raised
glasses and a most respectful toast
“to the President of the United
States.” No one did anything dis-
respectful to President Donald
Trump, as seems to be the thing
to do these days by so many folks
who are still disgruntled by the
election. And the dinner ended
with a tear-provoking rendition of
“America the Beautiful,” sung by a
highly professional vocalist.
As an interesting and touch-
ing three-generation sidelight, the
vocalist was accompanied on the
piano by her mother. And the sing-
er’s 12-year-old daughter turned
the pages of the music her grand-
mother played for her mother!
To me, a highlight of the din-
ner was the lack of speeches. After
all, it was promoted by the court as
a social occasion. But the lack of
speeches was still a pleasant sur-
prise I hadn’t remembered from the
first time Carol and I attended the
dinner 35 years ago.
Before we arrived, I thought
Neil Gorsuch, the newest justice,
was going to attract the most atten-
tion. But his absence was the most
noticeable thing about him. The
most noticed justice was the only
woman justice who attended, Jus-
tice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a tiny,
hunched over and remarkably
frail-looking woman. I find it so
sad the political situation is such
today that it makes Justice Gins-
burg, a year younger than me at 84,
feel herself unable to experience
the joys and freedom retirement
would bring to her in her remain-
ing years.
The only cloud over the whole
affair was the distance Carol and
I — both in our 80s and both in
formal attire, and she in ill-fit-
ting shoes — had to walk to find
a taxi back to the hotel. But that
cloud quickly dissipates when we
remember how we saw the third
branch of our federal govern-
ment up so close in a social set-
ting where everybody, including
Supreme Court justices, were as
congenial and as down to earth as
Oregonians are.
Don Haskell, a retired attorney
who served on the Clatsop County
Board of Commissioners, lives in
Astoria.
WHERE TO WRITE
• U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
(D): 2338 Rayburn HOB, Washing-
ton, D.C., 20515. Phone: 202- 225-
0855. Fax 202-225-9497. District
office: 12725 SW Millikan Way,
Suite 220, Beaverton, OR 97005.
Phone: 503-469-6010. Fax 503-326-
5066. Web: bonamici.house. gov/
• U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D): 313
Hart Senate Office Building, Wash-
ington, D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224-
3753. Web: www.merkley.senate.gov
• U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D):
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, D.C., 20510. Phone:
202-224-5244. Web: www.wyden.
senate.gov
• State Rep. Brad Witt (D):
State Capitol, 900 Court Street N.E.,
H-373, Salem, OR 97301. Phone:
503-986-1431. Web: www.leg.state.
or.us/witt/ Email: rep.bradwitt@
state.or.us
• State Rep. Deborah Boone (D):
900 Court St. N.E., H-481, Salem,
OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-1432.
Email: rep.deborah boone@state.
or.us District office: P.O. Box 928,
Cannon Beach, OR 97110. Phone:
503-986-1432. Web: www.leg.state.
or.us/ boone/
• State Sen. Betsy Johnson (D):
State Capitol, 900 Court St. N.E.,
S-314, Salem, OR 97301. Telephone:
503-986-1716. Email: sen.betsy john-
son@state.or.us Web: www.betsy-
johnson.com District Office: P.O.
Box R, Scappoose, OR 97056. Phone:
503-543-4046. Fax: 503-543-5296.
Astoria office phone: 503-338-1280.
• Port of Astoria: Executive
Director, 10 Pier 1 Suite 308, Asto-
ria, OR 97103. Phone: 503-741-3300.
Email: admin@portofastoria.com
• Clatsop County Board of Com-
missioners: c/o County Manager, 800
Exchange St., Suite 410, Astoria, OR
97103. Phone: 503-325-1000.