4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher JIM VAN NOSTRAND Editor Founded in 1873 JEREMY FELDMAN Circulation Manager DEBRA BLOOM Business Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager CARL EARL Systems Manager GUEST COLUMN Keep communities safe, vote ‘no’ on Measure 105 C ommunity safety is top priority for law enforcement officers. That’s why I’m urging voters to reject Measure 105, which would get rid of Oregon’s anti-racial profiling law. Good policing isn’t just about responding to 911 calls; it’s about being a resource to help identify issues and solve problems before they escalate. It’s about being someone that the community feels comfortable turning to for help when they have been victimized, or when they RON witness a crime. LOUIE That’s why, when I heard about the effort to eliminate Oregon’s 31-year-old anti-profiling law, I felt the need to speak out. If we eliminate this law, we’ll lose the trust we’ve worked so hard over decades to build — and in turn, local commu- nities will become less safe. Please vote “no” to keep this law in place. Let me give you an example of how work- ing to build trust with communities makes a difference. We do a lot to build trust with commu- nities because when people trust the local police, they’ll turn to us when they need help, report crimes, testify in a trial and more. I can remember one time when local nonprofits teamed with corporate partners to provide laptops and technology to local Latino youth in the neighborhood. We had police officers Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian People rally July 28 in Astoria as part of statewide protests against a measure that would repeal Oregon’s sanctuary law. help out, and I recall more than one occasion sitting down with parents and grandparents who were so very proud of their child being able to navigate these new computers, but also nervous of the uniformed police officers in the room. Their excitement of seeing their children playing on the new devices, and seeing how local police helped make this pro- gram possible, overruled their fear of police. They began to trust us. As time went on, these community members felt more comfortable approaching us, and with every interaction they were able to see that we were there to serve as a resource. This experience and others like it showed me how community policing, particularly 28), was perfect timing. With big-dollar ballot measures coming up, it’s good to see Sheriff Bergin exposed for who he is. He picks one bad case in Iowa to make his point, but way more innocent people are murdered annually by police than by illegal immigrants. His statement on how immigrant criminals visit violence and heartbreak on “Americans” says so much about Mr. Bergin’s knowledge and mentality. Using that reason- ing — if you are not a citizen of the continen- tal U.S., you are not American — Central and South America don’t count. Hand over your statistics — did Clatsop County find 20 illegal immigrants, 50, 100, 500 or 1,000 that you were not able to hand over to Immigration and Customs Enforce- ment (ICE)? Surely you have the numbers. State those numbers. Give us the facts. Really interesting to see him checking out the old jail, probably figuring how many dog kennels it would hold to house toddlers ripped from their immigrant parents’ arms and orphaned. Please join me in voting “no” on Sher- iff Bergin’s $20 million Warrenton Taj Mahal (jail). Are the toilets gold-plated? Also vote “no” on Ballot Measure 105. Oregonians should not have to deal on a daily basis with George W. Bush’s storm troopers with their $7.6 billion budget. LARRY MORGAN Astoria That aside, what part of a building that reflects the character of the town aren’t they understanding (“Developers revise plans for waterfront hotel in Astoria,” The Daily Asto- rian, Aug. 24)? The second plan submitted is less cobbled up than the first, though it could be Anytown, USA, and looks cheaply made, not to mention that it is still four stories, and will block the river view. People passing through town will be less inclined to stop and enjoy the other amenities we have to offer, not to mention the low-paying jobs will only add to the housing problem. Perhaps if they weren’t in such a hurry to throw something together, they would have taken the time to absorb the flavor of our com- munity and come up with a more fitting pro- posal, instead of the generic offering they sub- mitted. I don’t think the Fairfield has a place in Astoria, and can only hope the review commit- tee will not succumb to their bullying tactics. MARY SCHNASE Astoria within marginalized communities, provides much-needed resources and increases trust, solves problems, and makes us all safer. But Measure 105 would erode that trust, and that’s exactly why, to keep communities safe, we must vote “no” on Measure 105. When local police begin to do the work of federal immigration agents, people no longer feel safe calling us for help, crimes go unre- ported, and witnesses do not come forward. Measure 105 is bad public policy and will hamper law enforcement from effectively pro- viding public safety services. As police offi- cers, we’re trying to build bridges with people living in fear, not erode them by making them more afraid. If police officers serve the role of ICE agents, their ability to deal with issues such as domestic violence and crime preven- tion will be severely curtailed. Under current law, we can already hold people accountable who commit crimes and harm our neighbors — while also providing important civil rights protections. The current law keeps local police focused on local communities. We shouldn’t divert Oregon taxpayer money to do the job of federal immigration enforcement. That’s why, to keep communities safe, I urge you to vote “no” on Measure 105. Ron Louie has more than 33 years of law enforcement experience, 20 of which were spent as police chief of Astoria and Hillsboro. He is now retired, with residences in both Hill- sboro and Astoria. LETTERS Sheriff should reconsider stance on Measure 105 s someone who was born and raised on the North Coast, I am ashamed that Sher- iff Tom Bergin has signed onto to a letter endorsing a law that would make it more dif- ficult for immigrants to live safely in Oregon (“Clatsop County sheriff takes leading role in sanctuary debate,” The Daily Astorian, Aug. 28). By supporting Measure 105, Bergin is abandoning his duty to help all people feel safe within Oregon, regardless of their sta- tus on paper. Without strong sanctuary laws, immigrants (documented and undocumented) will be less inclined to report crimes commit- ted against them, thus potentially furthering the very issues Measure 105 claims to solve. Bergin also should feel ashamed for invok- ing the name of Mollie Tibbetts in his defense of bad policy. Mollie Tibbetts was murdered by a man who refused to take “no” for an answer. However, Bergin and many others are using her death as a political agenda, even though the Tibbetts family has publicly stated that Mollie did not, and would not, support anti-immigrant policies. By invoking her name to further this agenda, Bergin is obscuring the real fact that immigrants of all kinds are more likely to experience violence rather than perpetrate it. I sincerely hope that Tom Bergin reconsid- ers his position. GARRETT BROWN Portland A We fear racial profiling because it exists heriff Tom Bergin’s take on Oregon’s sanc- tuary law is a dog whistle and strangely myopic (“Clatsop County sheriff takes lead- ing role in sanctuary debate,” The Daily Asto- rian, Aug. 28.). The sheriff’s argument is the classic “us vs. them” spook-speak, implying that illegal immigrants can break the law with impunity, while legal residents have to toe the line. President Donald Trump’s campaign of fear found its way into the Oregon sheriffs’ letter by referencing Mollie Tibbetts, mur- dered by an undocumented immigrant. The sheriff sees this as evidence of violence lurk- ing in the hearts of illegal immigrants. Inter- estingly, he did not see that evil in the native citizen father who killed his pregnant wife and two children, nor did he see the violence in the native citizen who killed 10 and wounded 10 in the Santa Fe, Texas, shooting spree. Here are some hard facts: enforcement of immigration law is a federal responsibility; no evidence exists that illegal immigration is a “gateway drug” for a life of crime, includ- ing identity theft. Mostly, illegal immigrants commit the crime of creating false identi- ties. Finally, the retort that it’s “insulting” to fear racial profiling is a denial that it goes on, including by our other favorite sheriff — Joe Arpaio. JOSEPH GONZALES Seaside S Vote ‘no’ on new jail and Measure 105 he article on Sheriff Tom Bergin, “Clat- sop County sheriff takes leading role in sanctuary debate” (The Daily Astorian, Aug. T Hotel should reflect character of town aybe it’s just me, but I was left with the impression that the Fairfield Inn and Suites folks thought they were doing our town a favor by building a motel here. I’m confused how someone who isn’t a local could think they know what is best for our town. M Hotel should be more sensitively designed nstead of a modest building sitting between a beautiful river and an historic town, the developer Hollander Hospitality has again proposed a large, four-story structure painted in a strident shade of red to be Astoria’s next hotel (“Developers revise plans for water- front hotel in Astoria,” The Daily Astorian, Aug. 24). I would like to add my voice to the many who have asked for a smaller building more sensitively designed. And, to ask the city to change the code for Astoria’s waterfront so that these proposals for large buildings will not happen again. KERSTIN ADAMS Astoria I Thanks for support of Lewis and Clark park hank you Rep. Suzanne Bonamici for supporting Lewis and Clark National His- torical Park and all our national parks through your sponsorship of the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act (“Bonamici backs fund- ing bill in Lewis and Clark National Historic Park visit,” The Daily Astorian, Aug. 16). Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is an important part of our local and national history. The bill the congresswoman is sup- porting will help the park address needed repairs and improvements that result from aging facilities, increased visitation and insuf- ficient congressional funding. The deferred maintenance backlog for Lewis and Clark alone grew by nearly $700,000 from 2016 to 2017, and the cumula- tive deferred maintenance in all national parks in Oregon grew by more than $10 million. Like a leaky roof on a house, the longer we go without addressing these critical repairs, the more expensive the fix will become. This bill finally will give the National Park Service (NPS) a dedicated funding stream to address repairs for visitor centers, trails, and water systems so that our parks are accessible, safe, and enjoyable, which is important cultur- ally and economically. Lewis and Clark visitors spent an esti- mated $16.8 million in local gateway commu- nities in 2017, according to NPS. That spend- ing supported 260 jobs, many of which, it is safe to say, were in Clatsop County. Lewis and Clark is a treasure that gives back to our county in many ways. Bravo to Rep. Bonamici for her efforts to support leg- islation that will safeguard that resource for generations to come. LIANNE THOMPSON Clatsop County Commissioner District 5 Cannon Beach T