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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018
editor@dailyastorian.com
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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
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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