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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TuESDAY, FEbRuARY 26, 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
GUEST COLUMN
Time to act on cap-and-trade
F
or well over a decade, Oregon has
considered legislation to cap car-
bon and put a price on pollution.
As a business whose survival depends
on the natural environment, we at Fish-
people urge policymakers to move
beyond consideration — and act.
Adopting cap-and-trade legislation in
Oregon’s 2019 legislative session would
be a significant step towards curbing car-
bon emissions. It would also send a pow-
erful signal to businesses and govern-
ments far beyond our state that investing
in clean energy technology is smart for
both the economy and the environment.
In 2012, we founded Fishpeople to
“re-imagine North America’s relation-
ship to the sea.” By committing to our
fishermen, the oceans, and transparency,
we wanted to offer consumers a chance
to deepen their understanding of where
their seafood comes from and the people
who bring it to them.
We believed then and still believe
now, that linking the economies of rural
coastal communities to today’s natural
food consumer is essential for pioneer-
ing industry change. Our vision includes
an industry capable of serving the con-
sumer unparalleled quality while pre-
serving fish stocks and promoting eco-
nomic prosperity in the communities that
rely on seafood for their livelihoods.
Doing right by the ocean, our work-
ers and our customers is a never-ending
journey. Being a transformational com-
pany means embracing transformational
policies and programs that drive the
innovation required to sustain economies
Kipp Baratoff working on the Yukon River in Alaska.
for generations to come. Establishing a
carbon pricing mechanism for Oregon is
one of those policies.
In 2018, the Pacific cod quota in
the Gulf of Alaska was cut by 80 per-
cent, and further cut in 2019. The rea-
son: a severe depletion of cod stocks due
to warm water, resulting in the worst
numbers in decades. While the National
Marine Fisheries Service believes that
stocks will rebound, that recovery
requires water temperatures to remain
normal. The warm water off the Gulf of
Alaska, known as “the blob,” has made
that difficult. Warm water decreases the
nutrients required for cod egg popula-
tions to survive.
The impacts appear to be linger-
ing, affecting other species and extend-
ing all the way down to California. For
example, warming-related damages in
the prized West Coast Dungeness crab
fishery led the Pacific Coast Federa-
tion of Fisherman’s Associations to file
suit against 30 companies in the fos-
sil-fuel industry. Warming waters cause
algae blooms that produce the neuro-
toxin domoic acid. Domoic acid makes
crab and other shellfish unsafe to eat,
and requires fisheries be suspended until
levels reduce. These suspensions have
negatively impacted California, Oregon
and Washington fisheries in the last few
years.
Water temperature, flow and acid-
ity are crucial to sustaining marine econ-
omies and jobs, the lifeblood of many
coastal communities in Oregon, Wash-
ington and Alaska. Simply put, fewer
fish equals fewer jobs.
Oregon may be a small state, but we
all know pollution doesn’t have borders.
Passing cap-and-trade policy during this
year’s legislative session would link us
to similar ongoing efforts in California
and Washington.
Too often cap-and-trade opponents
try to paint the issue as business versus
the environment. As an Oregon-based
business reliant on the environment for
our survival, Fishpeople rejects that
view because we know it to be a false
dichotomy. We support cap-and-trade
because it will help protect the future of
our coastal communities and the peo-
ple who live and work there — and ben-
efit Oregon as a whole. The time to act
is now.
Kipp baratoff is co-founder of Fish-
people Seafood, which operates facilities
in Garibaldi and Ilwaco, Washington.
LETTERS
Miss Daylight is delightful
ur wonderful little library fills so
many needs in our community.
Speaking as the mom of a toddler, I am so
grateful to Suzanne Harold for all of the
engaging and entertaining activities she
organizes; the library serves a vital func-
tion in our weekly routine and socializa-
tion. Suzanne relies on amazing volun-
teers, like Miss Daylight, to make these
community events happen, and they all
deserve our gratitude and respect.
Miss Daylight is an absolutely delight-
ful character, and the children have so
much fun at this special event. If you’re
somehow confused by a person in char-
acter or offended that a man is wearing a
dress, then by all means, don’t attend this
event; it’s really that simple. This story
hour does not represent anything nefarious
or immoral, it’s simply fun.
This town (and state) is incredibly
homogenous and I, for one, welcome with
open arms every little shred of cultural and
social diversity we can scrounge up. When
we contemplated moving here, I took heart
that because of the Gay Pride parade and
rainbow posters in shops, that this small
town was different, more accepting.
I still believe that about Astoria, and
hope that our LGBTQ community feels
welcome, respected, and appreciated; they
are an asset to our community.
I apologize to Miss Daylight for the
negative, close-minded opinions expressed
by some of our residents. I sincerely hope
they do not dissuade you, or the library,
from putting on this event many, many
more times.
LAURA JACKSON
Astoria
O
Medicare for All
P
eople are waking to the possibil-
ity of Medicare for All, a transforma-
tive health care reform that would provide
quality care to all people, regardless of
wealth, age or employment.
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal will soon
introduce the Medicare for All Act of
2019, legislation that is coming at a time
when upwards of 70 percent of Americans
support expanding this loved and proven
program.
The movement for Medicare for All is
snowballing, and no wonder. Millions of
people in America are not receiving health
care because they simply can’t afford it.
We’ve heard enough stories: delaying a
test because of high copays and deduct-
ibles; skipping doses because prescrip-
tions are too expensive; or turning to
bankruptcy and GoFundMe to deal with
outrageous medical bills. People are dying
unnecessarily.
To realize Medicare for All, health care
activists like myself are organizing our
communities to build our grassroots move-
ment and persuade legislators to pass this
lifesaving reform.
Join us. Call your Congressional repre-
sentatives and demand that they cosponsor
the Medicare for All Act. Show up at your
local Medicare for All organizing party
(medicare4all.org/actions).
Now is the time to act. Do it for the
health of yourself, your family, and
everybody.
SHERRI McDONALD
Raymond, Washington
When the big one comes, and you sail
off in your Titanic Lifeboat over the edge
of the earth, I’ll be here, cheering on the
Salvage Chief as we clean up the mess you
are leaving behind.
JOHN GINDER
Astoria
Our heads won’t explode
Thanks for listening
S
A
mart meters and 5G madness are all
the rage these days. I went to a local
screening of “Retake Your Power,” and
was surprised to see a rabid following. If
you haven’t seen it, I wouldn’t recommend
it, unless you like the pseudo-science
Area 51 conspiracy theory alien abduction
genre.
The simple act of starting to bring
the electric grid into the 21st century by
installing smart meters meets with a back-
lash fueled by Google searches and social
media.
I did a search for Titanic Lifeboat Acad-
emy, and I found the epiphany. They are
the same people who presented the video.
The video hammered home the idea that
5G is going to entrap us in a web of elec-
tro-magnetic radiation. What you didn’t
see in the video was a picture of the elec-
tromagnetic spectrum. Google it.
Since the advent of radio, we seem to
be able to survive and flourish in a world
that added more and more electromagnetic
waves. They go through us. Our heads
don’t explode.
I, for one can, remember growing up
with my head two feet away from a cath-
ode ray tube, watching “The Flintstones.”
Do you really think that I’m going to be
scared by a little 5G?
fabulous conversation about Astoria’s
future occurred at the City Council
meeting on Feb. 18. The topic was Asto-
ria’s development code: what we want
Astoria to look like in the future, what
views we want to save, what the right
scale is for future development, how we
honor our historic heritage, and how we
best welcome businesses that prosper as
well as benefit Astoria.
In just a week, Friends of the Astoria
Waterfront gathered more than 400 sig-
natures on their petition asking the City
Council to protect Astoria’s waterfront. To
our delight, we learned that Mayor Bruce
Jones had read all the online petitioners’
comments.
Councilor Roger Rocka proposed
changing the code from 45 feet (4 stories)
to 28 feet (two stories) in the Bridge Vista
area. When this idea was then embraced
by the rest of the council, the audience
applauded. We praise the City Council for
listening to the public.
Now there’s a real possibility of a code
that will preserve the views of the Colum-
bia River for residents, maintain views for
tourist to continue visiting and provide an
attractive location for businesses.
Changing the development code is a
step-by-step process. Please contact the
Planning Commission and City Council
to urge them to approve the 28-foot max-
imum in the final version of the develop-
ment code.
PAMELA ALEGRIA
Friends of the Astoria Waterfront
Share your thoughts
F
ellow Gearhart citizens and property
owners, the city of Gearhart needs
your input. This is a reminder that we all
have the opportunity to give valuable input
on the city’s consideration of a new Emer-
gency Response and Resiliency Station.
If you were unable to attend the town
hall presentation regarding the need for a
new fire station on Jan. 29, you can view
it online at cityofgearhart.com. Click on
“Community,” then “New Fire Station.”
The video will share facts about the need
for a new fire station to insure the resil-
iency of our community. You will also
see a list of Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) that may answer questions you
have, as well as the questionnaire the city
is asking you to fill out and return by April
29.
It is vital for the city to have your input
to help make an informed decision. This is
an opportunity for you to affect the course
of our survivability in the case of a cata-
clysmic event, as well as the ability of our
34 volunteer first responders to effectively
respond to all other calls.
Please take the time to share your
thoughts with the city. Our safety as a
community depends on it. Thank you for
your help.
JEANNE R. MARK
Gearhart