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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
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Business Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
OUR VIEW
Vote Bonamici, Griffith for Congress
he field of candidates running
against U.S. Rep. Suzanne
Bonamici of Beaverton in the 1st
Congressional District is not strong.
Her challengers in the Democratic
primary are both political newcom-
ers. And looking forward to the gen-
eral election in the fall, the last time a
Republican held the seat was in 1974.
Bonamici herself has held the seat
since 2012. The district she represents
covers the northwest corner of the
state — including Clatsop, Columbia,
Washington and Yamhill counties, and a
portion of southwest Multnomah County
in Portland.
After operating for years in the
Democratic majority in the state
House and then Senate, she labors
in the minority in the U.S. House of
Representatives — perhaps the most
partisan political body in the nation.
She is proudest of her work on the
conference committee for the Every
Student Succeeds Act, she said. She
stood with President Barack Obama
when he signed the rewrite of the
nation’s education requirements in 2015.
Opportunities to reach across the aisle
have become fewer in President Donald
Trump’s administration. She has focused
on working on behalf of her constituents
and fighting to preserve federal money
for programs that matter to Northwest
Oregon, such as earthquake and tsunami
alerts, she said.
Democratic challengers Ricky
Barajas and Michael Stansfield have
zero political or government experience
between them.
Barajas, a dental office manager in
Portland, does have a master’s degree in
political science from the University of
Oregon. Bonamici has forgotten about
T
the working class, Barajas said. He would
fight for rent control, increased access to
health care and full funding of education.
He would also fight the U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement agency’s
abuses of power in detaining immigrants.
“My platform is about the people,”
Barajas said. “I want to fight for them.”
Stansfield, a software engineer and
author from Tualatin, is a one-issue can-
didate. He talks passionately and emo-
tionally about the
struggle of the
Palestinian people.
He specifically crit-
icized Bonamici’s
support of HR 1697
— the Israel Anti-
Boycott Act —
which he describes
as a “witch hunt”
Suzanne
Bonamici
to silence critics of
Israel. The bill has
not made it out of the House.
When pressed to talk about issues of
importance to Clatsop County voters,
Stansfield could not name any.
“My chances of winning may be the
same chances of reaching the moon,” he
said. “For me, this is it.”
We agree.
Neither Barajas nor Stansfield make
any convincing case. Bonamici has
been accessible to her constituents in
this county, and to this newspaper. We
believe she shares and will fight for
the values of the county’s Democratic
majority, and deserves their votes.
‘Uphill battle’ for GOP
Republicans comprise only 24.6 per-
cent of the 1st Congressional District’s
voters. Any GOP candidate looking to
unseat Bonamici must find a way to
court the 39 percent who list themselves
as unaffiliated.
The likeliest candidate to do that is
George Griffith, a retired mechanical
and design engineer. His platform skews
libertarian. He hopes to appeal to fiscally
conservative, strong personal liberty vot-
ers who do not feel welcome in today’s
GOP and wants to reel in the party’s
extreme wing, he said.
Griffith pledges to put Oregon first
and his party second.
He will support all
good ideas, regardless
of political ideology,
he said. He describes
himself as “stubborn
as all hell.”
Griffith’s biggest
issue is the effect
of money on poli-
George
Griffith
tics. Big money is
not free speech, he
said, and corporations are not people.
He described the bank bailout as a huge
transfer of wealth from the working
class to the 1 percent.
“Since I will be a representative of
the people once I am in office, I will
only accept support from the people,
while I am running for office,” he said
on his campaign website. “No special
interests. No big money. No favors to
pay back.
It’s that simple.”
He is active in Habitat for Humanity
and wants safe, decent and affordable
housing available for everyone, he said.
His other issues include education and
vocational training, a balanced budget,
health care, and restoring a respect for
science.
The other Republican candidates,
John Verbeek and Preston Miller, seem
less electable. Their statements on the
campaign trail may appeal to President
Trump’s base, but less so to the majority
of voters in the district.
Verbeek, a business strategist, has
referred to his home as “the people’s
republic of Portland.” He believes
Trump’s policies are working and is
unhappy with the Affordable Care Act,
also known as Obamacare.
He has run unsuccessful campaigns in
the past for metro councilor in Portland,
state senator and state representative.
Taking on Bonamici is a “formida-
ble, uphill battle,” he said, but he is open
to debate and looking at other points of
view, particularly on health care.
“I will speak up for what is right,
what I believe in,” he said.
Miller, an Army field artillery veteran
and Portland State University student,
will earn his history degree in June, he
said.
He is a study in contrasts. He fully
supports President Trump and wants to
turn Oregon into a red state, but believes
in marriage equality and LGBTQA
rights, and doesn’t want to overturn the
Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision
legalizing abortion, he said.
He also sends mixed signals. On the
one hand, he says he’s not happy with
partisan politics. On the other, he falls
back into Fox News talking points,
including referring to Bonamici as a
“Pelosi stooge.”
Miller’s Army stint included a combat
tour in Afghanistan. We thank him for
his service and for his interest in pursu-
ing a career in politics. His passion and
energy might be a better fit at the local
level before aiming for Congress.
“I may be young, but we have to start
somewhere,” Miller said.
ries, which were less on what her plans were
(as they are published), but more on how she
would accomplish what she has set out to do.
For example, two of my many questions
were: how would she balance the needs of
forestry, farming, and fishing; and how would
a commissioner affect the economic viability
of our county.
Our discussion was lengthy; her answers
were thoughtful, insightful and considerate.
Moreover, she used real-life planning and
work examples to outline her plans. I was
grateful and impressed with her answers that
blended wisdom with experience; I learned a
great deal.
Pam Wev would be a great asset to this
community, I sincerely hope she is elected.
DANNELL DAVIS
Astoria
Susana has lived in Jewell for over 40
years, and has been active in our community
from the beginning. I believe she will bring
positive energy to our board of commission-
ers, and will continue to work on improving
our quality of life in Clatsop County.
Please vote for her, and help save our
beautiful area for future generations.
KAY BRIGGS
Seaside
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Vote Orr for state
representative
have known John Orr and his family since
they moved to Cannon Beach back in the
1980s. I spent the last six years as John’s
lead investigator for his law practice. I can
say without equivocation that — despite the
apparent proclivity of some politicians toward
deception and lack of moral values — I have
the deepest respect for John and his adherence
to the American values we all hold so dear.
John is a student of history, and a tireless
researcher, and I cannot imagine anyone more
suited to a political avocation founded on
those values and ideas, coupled with a deep-
rooted sense of honesty and integrity.
If we’re going to affect change in the
“infected” brand of political self-serving that
threatens those values and beliefs, I can’t
think of anyone more suited to the task than
John.
Please vote for John Orr. We deserve adult
leadership.
PAUL and MARGO DUEBER
Cannon Beach
I
National parks
urgently need maintenance
ational Park Week ran from April 21-29.
It is a time to celebrate what national
parks mean for our history, culture and econ-
omy. We in Astoria, especially businesses like
ours, who benefit from tourism activity, are
lucky to have the Lewis and Clark National
Historical Park in our back yard.
Fort Clatsop continues to draw an import-
ant connection to our local and national past
for hundreds of thousands of visitors each
year. Those visitors help support Fort Clat-
sop, but also support our local economy by
spending more than $16.5 million in commu-
nities surrounding the park, according to 2016
National Park Service estimates.
What visitors may not see are the exten-
sive costs required to keep the park accessible
and fresh for visitors. Our park is facing over
$2 million in deferred maintenance needs,
including repairs to buildings, water, waste
and electrical systems, trails and more. The
National Park system is facing over $11 bil-
lion in deferred maintenance that is affecting
every park’s ability to provide the best possi-
ble experience for the visitors.
The good news is that many of our Ore-
gon members of Congress are supporting bills
like the National Park Restoration Act and the
National Park Service Legacy Act that will
begin to tackle this problem. We encourage
N
all friends of Fort Clatsop, and all supporters
of local businesses, and a robust Astoria econ-
omy to applaud those efforts.
RICHARD AFORNORPE
Astoria
Thanks to Lee,
Moore for civics class
ur Exploring New Concepts Of Retire-
ment Education (ENCORE) class on the
U.S. Constitution and local governments of
April 26 was presented by Clatsop County
Commission Chairman Scott Lee and County
Manager Cameron Moore.
Both gentlemen acquitted themselves
most admirably of the task. Both accepted the
invitation with alacrity, came prepared, and
answered the many questions of the astute
audience. More than one of the listeners com-
mented on the knowledge and professional-
ism of our county leaders in a potentially con-
troversial environment. Thanks, Messrs. Scott
and Cam.
ERHARD GROSS
Astoria
O
Please do not shoot the elk
lease. Please. Do not shoot the elk. They
were here first … then came the humans.
If we can land on the moon, certainly we can
find a way without firing a shot.
For certain, the garden, flowers and shrubs
I have, or had, return better after the herd has
romped, stomped and chomped their share.
Remember, the good Lord provides the elk
for our enjoyment, to view and protect.
DENNIS JAMES MURPHY
Gearhart
P
Vote Wev for
county commissioner
lease use your individual and important
vote to choose Pamela Wev for the Clat-
sop County Commission. Her experience in
land-use planning and running a small busi-
ness has given her on-the-job experience
that would be an asset for our county lead-
ership. Her clear understanding and respect
for communication between commissioner
and constituent will be a big improvement
for the transparency of our working local
government.
Ms. Wev has promised to take the time to
converse and answer questions that her con-
stituents have. I know this to be true, as she
graciously met with me and answered my que-
P
Vote Gladwin for
county commissioner
ear fellow citizens of District 5 in Clatsop
County: Please vote for Susana Gladwin
for our district commissioner. She is seriously
involved in protecting our natural resources,
and has been for years.
She fought the liquefied natural gas (LNG)
project to the end, and she fought to save the
wetlands in Arch Cape, to name just a couple
of her projects in the past.
She believes in responsible logging prac-
tices, and is adamantly against aerial spray-
ing of chemicals that are not only harmful to
humans, but also affect the wildlife and our
water resources.
D
Educate yourself and vote
his is the season that the majority of
letters to the editor contain personal
endorsements of candidates in the upcom-
ing election. While I appreciate that, I prefer
to hear it from the horse’s mouth. I applaud
the Astoria American Association of Univer-
sity Women for conducting a candidate forum,
and compliment the reporting and recogni-
tion given in The Daily Astorian’s editorial on
April 26, “Candidate forum a useful exercise
in civic discourse.” But, it was disappointing
to see such a low turnout.
For those of you who could not attend, you
can hear what every candidate said by tuning
in to the podcasts on Coast Community Radio
at bit.ly/2HvEu4P. And, learn more from each
county commissioner candidate by listening
to the interviews conducted by Joan Herman.
Even though I’m not in a district for which
there is an election this year, I know each
county commissioner affects the whole county,
and I want to be an informed citizen. Educate
yourself, so you can have an informed voice.
And use that voice to have a say: Vote.
TITA MONTERO
Seaside
T