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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017 Board to vote on change to public pension system Associated Press SALEM — The board overseeing Oregon’s pub- lic pension system is set to vote on whether to downgrade assumptions about how much return the system will get on its investments. Changing the assumptions about returns on the invest- ments that fund payments to public employees in retirement could increase the pension’s unfunded liability from $22 billion to $50 billion, mean- ing that state agencies and school districts would have to put more money into the system in the coming years, The Oregonian reported. The decision would also impact employee benefits, employer benefits, public services and the state’s long-term economic competitiveness. Astoria man charged with drug crimes By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian An Astoria man has been charged with numerous drug crimes after a traffic stop last weekend. Astoria Police stopped Michael Konecny, 29, in a pickup Saturday night for allegedly driving without insurance. He also allegedly did not present a driver’s license because it was crimi- nally suspended. He was wanted for a parole violation and arrested. While searching the car, police found a large amount of cash, syringes, two grams of her- oin, 10 grams of methamphet- amine, 30 Suboxone prescrip- tion pills and several other drug-related items. In addition to the parole violation and license-related charges, Konecny has been charged with possession and delivery of heroin, metham- phetamine and a schedule III controlled substance for the Suboxone. Wyden bill encourages recreation By CASSANDRA PROFITA Oregon Public Broadcasting U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden introduced a bill Wednesday that aims to simplify the per- mitting process for outdoor recreation on public lands. The Oregon Democrat says getting outdoors often requires obtaining permits, parking passes and camping fees that can be confusing, complicated and time-consuming. He wants to cut the red tape around access to public lands to encourage outdoor recreation, giving an eco- nomic boost to surrounding communities. The Recreation Not Red Tape Act, co-sponsored with U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, requires the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Manage- ment to review their permitting processes with an eye toward minimizing costs and process- ing times, and create educa- tional materials to help people applying for permits. The Public Employees Retirement Systems Board cur- rently assumes its investments will earn 7.5 percent annually. Market experts have said that is a gross overestimate that does not reflect the real size of today’s underfunded pub- lic pension system and it min- imizes required contributions from government employers. The state’s actuary, Milliman Inc., estimates the board will make a 6.7 percent earning on its investments over the next two decades. The board has voiced its intention of lowering the rate, but it is unclear by how much the rate will be lowered. Board member and Eugene business- man John Thomas said should the board vote for a rate higher than what is being recom- mended “we better have some very specific reasons and meth- odologies to back that up. I per- sonally don’t see where those changes would be.” Some employers sup- port cutting employee bene- fits that they say are too gen- erous as an alternative solution — in addition to lowering the assumptions. “If they’re trying to cover someone politically, stop it,” said Jim Green, deputy exec- utive director of the Oregon School Boards Association. “The system needs to be looked at and reformed, and keeping the assumed rate high, or using rate collars is just allowing pol- icymakers at the state level to say, ‘It’s really not that bad.’” If the board does not lower its assumption on Friday, Milli- man has said it will flag the dis- crepancy in its next report card on the system. The action could hurt Oregon’s credit rating. Brownsmead man pleads not guilty to sex abuse and drug charges Indicted for crimes against a teenager By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian A Brownsmead man accused of multiple sex abuse and drug charges against a teenager pleaded not guilty Wednesday. Greg Howard Smith, 50, was indicted last week on charges of luring a minor, three-counts of first-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual penetration with a foreign object, delivery of a con- trolled substance to a minor and furnishing alcohol to a person under 21 years of age. He allegedly gave alco- hol, marijuana and possi- bly other drugs to a 16-year-old boy earlier this month. While being treated at C o l u m - Greg bia Memo- Howard rial Hospi- Smith tal, the boy said he woke up to Smith sexually abusing him inside a camp trailer near the res- idence at 42800 Fish Lane where Smith was staying. The boy had spent the previ- ous night with Smith, whom he described as a friend. The Clatsop County Sher- Clatsop Post 12 Ham Steak Dinner with Scalloped Potatoes and Salad Friday th July 28 4 pm until gone At the Port of Ilwaco This Friday & Saturday 7/28 & 7/29 10 am – 5 pm $ 8. 00 6PM “Karaoke Dave” ASTORIA AMERICAN LEGION Call Kerby 503-298-7835 Clatsop Post 12 1132 Exchange Street 325-5771 iff’s Office arrested Smith, a registered sex offender, later in the week. Also known as Greg Tyrone Jesus, he pre- viously was sentenced to six years in prison in Columbia County in 2006 after being convicted of first-degree sex abuse and second-de- gree sodomy. A third-de- gree rape charge in Clatsop County that same year was dismissed. In a previous court appear- ance, Smith used a profanity to liken the charges against him to bull feces. Circuit Court Judge Paula Brownhill warned him that he would be held in contempt of court if he used that language in fur- ther proceedings. 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