A4
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TuESDAY, JANuARY 8, 2019
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
OUR VIEW
Culture change needed in Capitol
A
scathing report about sex-
ual harassment in the Ore-
gon Capitol is both deeply
disturbing and deeply flawed.
Legislative leaders must take
its concerns seriously, instead of
focusing on its shortcomings so as
to protect their reputation. Regard-
less of what Senate President Peter
Courtney, Speaker Tina Kotek
and others say, they failed to ade-
quately address sexual harassment
through meaningful training, effec-
tive monitoring and swift action
against offenders.
They are not alone. State
archives show that lawmakers as
far back as the 1990s struggled
with how to address sexual harass-
ment. The slight progress made
since then is demoralizing.
A state Bureau of Labor and
Industries’ Civil Rights Divi-
sion report issued last week found
substantial evidence of unlaw-
ful employment practices based
on sex. Critics of the report will
say that is no surprise, because
the investigation was instigated
through a complaint filed by the
head of BOLI, Brad Avakian.
Indeed, much of the report
does read as if it were designed
to reach a preordained conclu-
sion. Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hay-
ward, who like Sen. Sara Gelser
had filed a sexual harassment com-
plaint against Sen. Jeff Kruse, said
she was not interviewed by the
BOLI investigators and disagreed
with their conclusions. The fail-
AP Photo/Andrew Selsky
Val Hoyle, center, poses for photos for well-wishers with Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum,
left, and Gov. Kate Brown after Hoyle was sworn in Monday as Oregon’s labor commissioner.
Hoyle has an ambitious agenda but an investigation pushed by her predecessor on sexual
harassment in the Capitol looms — and the report drew new criticism.
ure to talk with Steiner Hayward
and some other key figures is odd
and diminishes the investigators’
findings.
But the overall issues raised in
the report remain valid.
The report was released just
days before Avakian’s term as
BOLI commissioner ended. That
leaves it up to his successor, Val
Hoyle, to recommend any sanc-
tions, including whether interns
who were sexually harassed should
receive compensation.
A Capitol work environment
can be toxic because of the over-
whelming imbalance of power.
Everyone wants to gain the
approval of elected officials and
is expected to treat them deferen-
tially. For good reason, people fear
they will be marginalized — polit-
ically, professionally and socially
— if they complain.
“I believe harassment is
based on power,” lawyer P.K.
Runkles-Pearson told Kotek,
Courtney and other members of a
legislative committee last month.
“It starts with the power associated
with privilege. …
“Enhanced power relationships
inherently make it difficult for
anyone to make waves. And this
includes victims of harassment,
those who observe harassment
and those who are charged with
addressing harassment.”
Courtney and Kotek had asked
the Oregon Law Commission to
recommend improvements in how
the Legislature dealt with sex-
ual harassment. Runkles-Pear-
son chairs that work group. Its
upcoming report — a draft was
released last month — calls
for a complete change in Capi-
tol culture and offers a series of
recommendations.
There is no justification what-
soever for sexual harassment of
any form or in any place or against
any person. Yet there are those in
the Capitol, including some leg-
islators, who still seem to believe
in “boys will be boys,” “go along
to get along” and “quit your whin-
ing!” It will be difficult, but imper-
ative, to help them understand
what sexual harassment actually is
and how it affects the victims.
“The way you change culture
is that you have people in power
show that they want the environ-
ment to change,” Runkles-Pearson
said.
So true. Instead of arguing
whether the Capitol was or was
not a hostile workplace, legisla-
tive leaders must ensure it is not
one. Update the rules, overhaul
the training and start to change the
culture so the Oregon Capitol truly
is a harassment-free environment
for everyone.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Urban Core plan no longer
represents Astorians
T
hose concerned about our riverfront
and Riverwalk between Second and
16th Streets should attend the 6:30 p.m.
Astoria Planning Commission meeting
tonight at City Hall concerning the Urban
Core Plan (UCP). The document continu-
ally uses the words “should” and “encour-
age” that require nothing of the devel-
oper, and must be replaced with “shall.”
This meeting may provide wording to eas-
ily deny the design/architecture/mass of
another Fairfield Hotel.
This plan is more than 10 years old.
It no longer represents 2019 Astoria resi-
dents, with large buildings being proposed
on both sides of the trolley tracks. This
will force people to leave the Riverwalk to
walk through corridors between adjacent
over-the-river buildings to have “managed
views” of the river and ship movement.
Since much of the river will be blocked we
will need to change this section from River-
walk to Buildingwalk. If you can afford to
go into these restaurants/buildings, you will
be able to easily enjoy the river.
They are also recommending balconies
on buildings facing both sides of the Riv-
erwalk. Imagine people on balconies inter-
acting with those on the Riverwalk — not
always in a positive way. Parking is a prob-
lem, and they are recommending reduc-
ing or eliminating parking requirements for
new buildings — hoping to solve the prob-
lem in the future. Parking requirements
and solutions are needed before the UCP is
finalized.
You are allowed to send commission-
ers and councilors multiple letters/emails
anytime on the UCP. Send them to Tiffany
Taylor (ttaylor@astoria.or.us) — a wonder-
ful administrative assistant who will for-
ward them to the right people.
GEORGE (MICK) HAGUE
Astoria
ignated Coast Guard City. Every time
the federal government shuts down, the
men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard
have to work without receiving a pay-
check, because they are funded by Home-
land Security. That’s 42,000 Coast Guard
service people who will be receiving late
paychecks.
Each of the above city governments
should have proclamations in place to pro-
test to the White House and our Congres-
sional representatives. It is an outrage to
know that the Coast Guard receives late
paychecks, but the president and those on
Capitol Hill remain on the payroll.
LARRY ALLEN
Astoria
Cities should protest Coast
Guard’s late paychecks
Support our Coast Guard
community
hat do these U.S. cities have in com-
mon? Mobile, Alabama; Kodiak and
Sitka, Alaska; Alameda, Eureka and San
Diego, California; New London, Connecti-
cut; Clearwater, Florida; Camden County,
Georgia; Rockland, Maine; Newburyport,
Massachusetts; Grand Haven and Travers
City, Michigan; Cape May, New Jersey;
Carteret County, Elizabeth City and Wilm-
ington, North Carolina; Astoria, Florence
and Newport, Oregon; Portsmouth, Vir-
ginia; and Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
We all have the pride of being a des-
L
W
et’s support our Coast Guard commu-
nity during the federal government
shutdown. While President Donald Trump
continues to tweet up his temper tantrums,
America’s Coast Guard is going to suffer.
While the government has determined they
will be paid if the Trump shutdown contin-
ues, the Coast Guard will not get paid.
The Coast Guard is funded through
the Department of Homeland Security. If
Trump and the GOP enablers continue to
ignore common sense and effective border
security measures, Astoria needs to step up
and help our Coast Guard community.
ROBERT DUEHMIG
Astoria
Here are some other ideas
for PERS reform
he Daily Astorian declares some
Public Employees Retirement
System (PERS) reforms — those
that would result in less economically
secure state workers — “solid ideas”
(“Our View: Solid ideas for restructur-
ing PERS,” Jan. 3). So, let’s look at a cou-
ple of other ideas that don’t amount to an
attack on public employees’ well being, but
still would reduce PERS public employ-
ers’ costs.
1. Direct the expected $724 million
upcoming state kicker to the PERS system
to reduce the unfunded actuarial liability.
The Legislature is empowered to redirect
that kicker from taxpayer kicker refunds to
other uses, like funding the PERS system.
After all, the bottom 20 percent of taxpay-
ers will get only an average of only $13.
Not getting the kicker would not be a hard-
ship, so let’s just divert the whole kicker to
a higher purpose — PERS reform.
2. The Legislature could create a new
tax surcharge on current benefits paid to the
top 7 percent of PERS beneficiaries, those
making over $6,001 to as much as $76,111
monthly. That revenue would be directed to
T
the PERS funding difficulties. Applying a
conservative surcharge of 7 percent on the
PERS income of the top 7 percent would
generate new revenue exceeding $54 mil-
lion/annually at minimum. Making the flat
7 percent surcharge progressive would gen-
erate even more revenue.
Let’s get these two options into the pub-
lic conversation, and on the minds of our
elected officials in Salem.
DAVID DELK
Astoria
Gearhart pub was
community gathering place
M
y husband and I are so sad to hear of
the closing of the Gearhart Crossing
Pub and Deli. As new permanent residents
of this lovely city, this vacates a significant
community gathering place for friends and
family.
When we bought our home here last
spring, we saw the business as one of the
draws for our quality of life. We knew the
owners and staff worked hard, but suffered
under locally induced impediments. All
efforts to recreate and support this essential
heart of Gearhart should be made in full. I
invite the residents, City Council and inter-
ested investors to please consider restoring
a vital center for the future of Gearhart.
DELORES SULLIVAN
Gearhart