THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
FRIDAY EXCHANGE
5A
Thank you Sen. Johnson
olumbia, Clatsop and Tillamook
counties are truly fortunate to
have a powerful and compassion-
ate advocate in Sen. Betsy Johnson.
Because of her tireless commitment
to meet our needs, Oregon lawmak-
ers made decisions that protect and
provide resources for our most vul-
nerable neighbors.
Community Action Team (CAT)
staff and board members wish to
express deep gratitude to Sen. John-
son for asking the hard questions,
seeking our input regarding com-
munity needs, and for carrying that
information to the legislative arena.
Senator, please accept our many
thanks for your unshakable loyalty
in serving all of us.
LEANNE MURRAY
St. Helens
C
Studies waste money
am wondering why the Asto-
ria City Council seems to be so
enamored of studies. For the last
several years one issue that has been
forefront in our community is the
lack of workforce housing. Now that
a large number of units are under
construction in Astoria and Warren-
ton, the county and cities are spend-
ing $100,000 to “study” the housing
situation.
Hundreds of thousands were
spent to study, and then restudy
the library renovation, money that
would come in handy now to do the
actual work. The firm that studied
and determined that downtown Asto-
ria has adequate parking is obviously
composed of healthy individuals
who have never tried to park in the
pouring rain to “shop locally.”
Some issues may warrant costly
studies, but I’d like to see my tax
dollars go to solutions, not costly
study after study telling us what we
already know.
TERRIE POWERS
Astoria
by The Daily Astorian on Sept. 18,
our Hispanic community could not
hold a cultural celebration, without
very real fears of ICE agents target-
ing their event and sweeping up cit-
izens and immigrants alike (“Heri-
tage celebration, rally for immigrants
in Astoria”). Can a society tolerate in
silence such intimidation of a group,
by a secret police and still be free?
It is time for city councils and
boards of supervisors to get together
with our local judges, district attor-
neys and local law enforcement to
bring transparency and accountabil-
ity to this process.
No more silence.
DANI WILLIAMS, ESQ.
Astoria
Iran’s missile test
Trash problem growing
egarding “Trump Administra-
tion Debates Options on Iran
Nuclear Deal” in The Wall Street
Journal Sept. 21: Less than four
weeks after the Obama-Iranian deal
was implemented in January 2016,
the Iranian government announced
renewed access to $100 billion in
frozen assets, according to the Feb.
3, 2016 US News and World Report.
After the asset release, the sanc-
tions lifted, and the prospect of bil-
lions in European Airbus sales to
Iran was announced, Iran tested
the resolve of the U.N. to imple-
ment “snapback” by firing ballistic
missiles.
On March 29, 2016, Reuters
reported that at or around the ninth
of March, Iran tested ballistic mis-
siles capable of delivering a nuclear
payload, in direct defiance to U.N.
Resolution 2231, adopted Oct. 18,
2015 (http://bit.ly/2xkwm13).
Resolution 2231 “ … calls upon
Iran not to undertake any activity
related to ballistic missiles designed
to be capable of delivering nuclear
weapons, including launches using
such ballistic missile technology.”
From the adoption of U.N. Reso-
lution 2231 through the Obama-Iran
deal, to the testing of ballistic mis-
siles: 142 days. From the nascent
Obama-Iran deal until the missile
test? A mere 68 days.
WAYNE MAYO
Scappoose
O
I
R
Shameful ICE tactics
n Sept. 20 The Daily Astorian
reported on how an Oregonian
couple were wrongfully detained,
after a court hearing, by plain-
clothes ICE agents (“Oregon man,
US citizen, mistakenly approached
by ICE agents”). The agents did not
identify themselves. I gather from
reading the article that to unsuper-
vised ICE agents all Hispanics look
the same.
It has become so bad that our
Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice
Thomas Balmer has been compelled
to send a letter to the U.S. Attorney
General Jeff Sessions and the Home-
land Security Secretary John Kelly
asking them to stop their agents from
arresting people in and around Ore-
gon courts. Let’s hope that federal
agents operating secretly in our com-
munity are more responsive to our
chief justice, than they have been to
our local law enforcement.
The Daily Astorian reported on
Aug. 31 how “Peninsula police shut
off from immigration arrests” by the
feds, refusing to give the police prior
notice of operations in their police
jurisdictions, despite Sheriff Scott
Johnson’s written request to them for
such notice.
Such prior notice is not just cus-
tomary; it is necessary to the peace
and safety. Just imagine a local
police officer pulling up to a situ-
ation where one or more apparent
civilians are holding guns on another
civilian.
It is shameful that, as reported
O
n my way down Williamsport
Road to a Fishermen football
game recently, I saw an old oak table
on the downhill side and thought,
“The lack of respect people have for
our community and nature sure is
getting bad. I’ll pick it up after the
game. I can at least burn it.”
So, stopping for the broken table,
I grabbed a flashlight and became
thoroughly disgusted to see a trail-
er-worth of garbage going down the
hillside. A mattress, rags, bags, more
broken furniture.
Over the last few months I have
noticed an increase in “oops” road-
side trash, i.e. plastic bags, candy
wrappers, soda cups. Some of this I
can point to tourism for the blame,
but the increase of broken furniture,
toilets, tubs and unwanted items
unfortunately seems to be growing.
I know your time and effort are
valuable, but to disrespect nature,
your community and your own chil-
dren, let alone breaking the law has
to stop. Please.
TROY J. HASKELL
Astoria
How war is perceived
read, in the Sept. 8 edition of The
Daily Astorian, Jay Reeves’ and
Felicia Fonseca’s comments on the
Civil War, “We’re still fighting, more
than 150 years after Appomattox.”
It is illogical to fight a war over
slavery, especially a war one is
bound to loose. What possible good
could such a war bring. Take “recon-
struction.” Was this designed as a
way to sentence our black broth-
ers and sisters to hundreds of years
of virtual slavery? To drive a wedge
between the races? Let us hope not,
but …
Today slavery flourishes in many
nations where it is legal or illegal,
even here in the U.S. I say without
fear of contradiction that there are
now more slaves in New York City
than there were before the Civil War.
Is anybody doing anything about
this? Are they trying to start a war?
The part of the Civil War both
sides wish to sweep under the table
is the participation of blacks. The
North encouraged blacks to join
them in a fight for their freedom
— more bodies for Gen. Ulysses
S. Grant to lose, along with merce-
naries from Europe. When Grant
took over, the body count was 2-1
in favor of the Union. When the war
ended, the South was ahead 2-1,
despite having to fight most of that
time short of ammunition, and other
necessities of war.
Union blacks faced modern
repeating gunfire armed with fake
rifles with fixed bayonets. Blacks
were thought not to be able to han-
dle a real rifle. While Gen. William
T. Sherman was marching his way
across Georgia, a mop-up Union
army evacuated its white wounded,
but left its black wounded behind, to
be massacred by civilians.
Both Union and foreign observ-
ers of the Confederate artillery, Gen
I
Robert E. Lee’s long arm, mentioned
that many blacks were participat-
ing in this very effective contingent.
One might well wonder how well
an army would perform if it didn’t
implicitly trust its artillery.
In conflicts, sometimes the side
of right wins, sometimes the side of
right loses. This may have a great
deal to do with how a war is per-
ceived, and why those who doc-
ument history come to different
conclusions.
BENJAMIN A. GREAVES
Seaside
Other side of rentals
read Mayor Matt Brown’s let-
ter with sadness (“What Gearhart
repeal means,” The Daily Astorian,
Sept. 22). Yes, I own a “politi-
cal firm out of California.” But my
wife, Sharon, grew up in Portland,
spent her summers in this area, and
has been coming to Gearhart for
60 years. We have owned a house
in Gearhart for 17 years now, been
part of the Homeowner’s Associa-
tion, and support the volunteer fire
department. We have paid more than
$200,000 in property taxes. We have
known Matt for many years and
consider him a friend, so this is not
personal.
And yes, we use our home as a
short-term rental — about 90 days a
year. Why does the mayor make us
out to be “outsiders”? What else isn’t
being said?
The mayor is not telling you that
our measure ensures that all sep-
tic and safety measures that already
apply to every home in Gearhart will
apply to vacation rentals, as well. He
didn’t tell you that only 84 families
will be able to rent their homes as a
short-term rental — ever.
He didn’t tell you that your prop-
erty values are being affected. One
day you may want to sell your home
and the buyer could say, “I can
afford to buy this property only if
I can rent it out occasionally.” But
current law prevents a buyer from
doing that. So in order to sell your
house you lower the price … a lot.
Is this the mayor’s plan to provide
more affordable housing in Gearhart,
by lowering your property values?
Measure 4-188 does three things:
It protects property rights for all
Gearhart homeowners, not just the
84 who currently have vacation
rental permits; it requires all home-
owners to follow existing safety and
septic rules; and it requires a vote
of the people for any changes that
restrict or take away property rights
of Gearhart homeowners.
Vacation rentals have always
been a part of Gearhart. They are
not a threat to our “quiet residen-
tial community,” nor are they “high
commercial use,” as the mayor
claims — they are unoccupied much
of the year.
These are distortions, like claim-
ing that my wife and I are “outsid-
ers.” The mayor has unfortunately
proven that “the first casualty in war
and politics is the truth.”
DAVID TOWNSEND
Gearhart
I
A terrific typhoon
any years ago, I was a young,
cocky, full of myself “I can
conquer the world” merchant marine
officer, until I met a terrific typhoon
in the South China Sea.
When I came to the bridge that
morning, all I could see were moun-
tainous seas, over 100 feet, coming
right at us with winds over 130 miles
per hour. All of a sudden giant seas
broke over the entire ship, tossing
it about like a tiny toy. I was so full
of fear that I hustled to my quarters,
got down on my knees and prayed,
“Lord, you know that I haven’t
been the greatest person. Help me to
M
change and save our crew and ship.”
The point I’m trying to make
is that oftentimes it takes a dra-
matic event to help us recognize that
maybe we do need to change, and
we do have a living, loving Lord
who can help us change. I know,
because he did make a real change
in my life.
JIM BERNARD
Warrenton
Together we grow
he time is now to invest in a new
Astoria Co-op. The then “com-
munity store” was one of the first
businesses in town which I shopped
at, and volunteered for, upon my
entry into Astoria. As a long-term
shopper and past board member, I
am proud to see the continuing suc-
cess which demands that the Astoria
Co-op move toward a bigger, more
beautiful and bountiful store and
location.
This type of business expansion
is unlike any I have seen in our area.
It exemplifies the power of co-oper-
ation when members are being asked
to get involved and invest in order
to see a successful project come to
fruition. This level of involvement
and commitment from the residents
of Clatsop County and beyond is
inspiring; something you would you
not see from the chain grocers in our
area.
And why? Because co-opera-
tives are more than the businesses
they operate. They are a unique busi-
ness model involving individual and
family members in order to support
its local community and economy.
When you join a co-op you play a
role in the way the business looks,
feels, operates and more importantly,
when it comes to a food co-op, the
quality of nutrition and health it
provides.
We the Astoria Co-op commu-
nity were notified last week that the
4,000th member had joined; that is
nearly half of our city’s population.
And if that does not inspire you, then
the staff of the co-op, lead by Mat-
thew Stanley should; he is a suc-
cessful leader whose passion for the
co-operative movement is infectious.
I encourage those who are cur-
rently co-op members to look into
investment; to join those of us who
have invested to financially sup-
port something that truly fosters our
local community, economy and food
choices. If you haven’t found a rea-
son to join as a co-op member, the
reason is this, and the time is now.
Together we grow.
TRACY ERFLING
Astoria
T
The health care mess
ow can making health care a
single payer system ever hap-
pen, when America spends $3.2 tril-
lion on health care in 2016, with a
cost of $10,345 per person? Con-
gress now wants to get rid of the
problem they created by throwing it
on the states. Wow, I would hate to
see states handle that one.
Americans need to get the gov-
ernment out of health care com-
pletely, just for the fact it would stop
the corruption they generate. So that
leaves the hospitals, health care pro-
fessionals, private companies, local
governments, insurance companies
and you to work out the solution.
I believe hospitals and health
care professionals are working to
reduce costs the best way they can.
They must get away from the health
insurance mentality, though. Phar-
macy issues need to be resolved
drastically. Private utility compa-
nies, including electrical power, nat-
ural gas, garbage, cable TV, phones,
water and sewer should all be free to
hospitals and health care facilities.
I agree with competition within
H
the insurance industry, but all insur-
ance companies must sell health care
policies, no matter what — instead
of four, there should be 40 — and
they can cross state lines. Since
insurance companies provide a com-
munity service, their investments
should go back into the health care
system instead of nonhealth invest-
ments, helping to reduce health care
costs and provide better health care.
Insurance providers to hospitals
and doctors need to be eliminated
or come way down as well; if they
don’t, then attorneys should pay for
all our health care expenses.
We can start by eating healthier,
exercise consistently, put less stress
in your life (if that is possible), and a
yearly checkup. You should be able
to just Google up your symptoms,
it will tell you what is wrong, what
you need to do to correct it, fill out
the prescription and send it to your
local pharmacy, no doctors required.
There you go, free health care,
and no act of Congress required. Or,
go back to the days before health
insurance ever existed, which might
not be such a bad idea. I can raise
chickens.
RAYMOND GARDNER
Warrenton
‘No’ on Measure 4-188
avid Townsend, out-of-state
political strategist and owner
of a vacation rental in Gearhart, is a
supporter of Measure 4-188 which
will appear on November’s ballot.
If approved, this measure would
repeal and replace Gearhart’s law
limiting and regulating short-term
rentals. This measure would allow
all homes in Gearhart to be con-
verted into transient rentals. Think
about it. Short-term rentals could
take over our entire community.
The repeal and replace mea-
sure would satisfy the vacation
rental agencies like Vacasa, secur-
ing them more units in Gearhart.
Townsend’s agent, Oregon Beach
Vacations, has contributed $4,000
to his war chest for Measure 4-188,
according to the Oregon Secre-
tary of State. More rentals mean
more money for these agencies and
absentee landlords.
Short-term (less than 30 days)
rentals are a commercial activ-
ity not permitted in Gearhart’s sin-
gle-family residential zones, but
they are grandfathered by law
pending eventual sale of the rental
properties, which then revert to
much-needed permanent residences
following existing Ordinance 901.
Ordinance 901 also does double
duty as a solution to the existing
(permanent) housing crisis.
In Gearhart, properties in a res-
idential zone cannot be used for
commercial purposes. Transient
rentals such as short-term vacation
houses are commercial uses, there-
fore illegal. Those who buy prop-
erty zoned residential are entitled
to expect their neighborhood will
remain residential, not to become
commercial hotel-like zones.
The existing Gearhart law that
regulates and limits short-term
rentals has been upheld by Ore-
gon’s Land Use Board of Appeals
(LUBA). This validates the city’s
right and obligation to follow its
Comprehensive Plan (1994, p. 1),
to wit: “The City will recognize the
importance of the City’s residen-
tial neighborhoods and the need
to protect them from the negative
impacts of transient rental property,
and to discourage increased levels
of traffic and similar disruptions.”
Help protect our property values
and our neighborhoods from pro-
posed unlimited short-term rentals.
Vote no on Measure 4-188. Keep
Gearhart residential.
JEANNE MARK
Gearhart
D