B7
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2019
Assumptions can
hurt your friends
Dear Annie: I have known one of my presume to tell her how she should manage
friends, “Pam,” for more than 50 years, and her personal affairs, and you hope she will
at times she has been a very good friend. She put herself in your shoes and see how her
and her husband introduced me to my now- comments could come across as judgmental.
ex-husband and were both in my wedding
Dear Annie: I’ve been told that young
party.
people should use a credit card more often
Last year, I had a disagreement with a so that they can build a good credit history.
mutual friend, “Sharon.” Quite frankly, I I’m 24. I’d like to get a credit card that I can
thought Sharon was in the wrong,
use for small recurring expenses.
but I decided her friendship was
But I don’t really know anything
DEAR
more important than who was right
about banking, let alone which of the
ANNIE
and who was wrong. I apologized to
dozens of option is right for me. I’d
Sharon and took the blame.
like something with travel benefi ts,
When we all had our 50th high
such as airline miles. And of course,
school reunion recently, Pam hung
there are technical things like inter-
out with Sharon and only briefl y
est rate to take into account. Can you
said hello to me, though her husband
provide some clarity on credit cards
came over to talk to me.
for beginners? I’ve heard horror sto-
More recently, she sent me an ANNIE LANE ries about credit misuse. But more
Creators
email saying that my ex-husband
importantly, there are just so many
Syndicate Inc.
had come to visit her husband and
similar options! No one taught me
her. She said that he looked bad, and
how to do this. — Credit Confused
he told her that my children have not been
Dear Credit Confused: You don’t
there for him, which is not the truth. She told sound so confused, only (wisely) trepida-
me I should speak with my adult children tious. You’ve got the right idea about using
and tell them to visit him more.
a credit card for small recurring expenses,
I feel that in both instances — with Sha- such as utility bills. If you fl y a lot, choos-
ron and my ex-husband — Pam judged me ing one of the airline cards could be a good
without hearing my side of the story. I would option, as you’ll often automatically get
never dream of telling her that her two kids perks such as free checked bags. This is
were not assisting her or her husband with- better than usage-dependent perks (e.g.,
out knowing more. How should I handle spending $2,000 in the fi rst three months
this? — Friends Like These
of opening an account), which can end up
Dear Friends Like These: It is inevita- encouraging you to spend more than you
ble that people will make assumptions and can afford. I’d also recommend looking at
judgments about one another’s personal not just the introductory interest rate (which
business. It’s petty, foolish — and utterly is often 0 percent) but the rate after the intro-
human. Trust yourself and your decisions ductory period is over. However, no advice I
and put no stock in others’ uninformed opin- could offer can take the place of advice from
ions of your life. You can’t manage every- a good fi nancial adviser. Financial advisers
one’s perception of you, and you’ll go crazy aren’t just for the wealthy. Accredited Finan-
trying.
cial Counselors work with low- and mid-
That said, you can and should tell a friend dle-income clients. You can visit their web-
when she’s been hurtful. Share with Pam site (https://www.afcpe.org) to learn more
what you shared with me: You would never and fi nd an accredited counselor.
Facebook.com/DailyAstorian
After 38 years
in practice,
Dr. Sears is retiring
and moving on to new and
interesting things!
My last day in operation at Astoria
Chiropractic will be Friday, June 21st.
Please call if you would like to obtain
your records or schedule an appointment.
Dr. Barry Sears
Astoria Chiropractic
2935 Marine Drive, Astoria
503-325-3311
2. After Director Knight told ODOT that the Port would withdraw its award for the $2,200,000 grant he did not submit the nec-
essary paperwork to ODOT to release the funds for reallocation to other ports. This unnecessary delay in Director Knight filing
the paperwork caused the release to expire and the funds could not be reallocated. Because of Director Knight, the Port will not
be viewed a creditable applicant for future ODOT/State of Oregon grants. This release of the grant was done without informing
the Commission. It was later revealed to the Commission that the port actually had funds in a special reserve fund that could have
been used for the ODOT grant match. This cost the port $2,200,000 that would have been used for repairs.
3. The Port has incurred over $4 million in lawsuit verdicts and settlements, mainly due to a Clatsop County jury finding by clear and
convincing evidence that Director Knight made knowingly false statements of fact regarding the Riverwalk Inn contract.
4. Additionally, the Port appears to have incurred a minimum $138,000 in attorney fees due to the Riverwalk Inn lawsuit;
5. The Port granted Director Knight a raise and a new 3 year contract totaling over $627,000 in pay and benefits within a month of a
Clatsop County jury verdict against the Port;
6. The Port has incurred over $63,000 in DEQ fines plus unidentified attorney fees for stormwater violations and Director Knight
did not inform the Commission until it was a reported by the press;
7. Director Knight accepted a statewide managers award nomination made by one Commissioner, when he knew or should have
known that required the full Commission’s nomination;
8. The Port is significantly over the budget ($1.75 million) for its DEQ required stormwater system, and the Commission still has no
documented DEQ acceptance that the system is working property or that the construction project has been completed;
9. Director Knight told the Commission that Port tenants would pay 50% of the Port’s stormwater system construction costs, yet the
Commission has no proof any of the tenants has ever agreed to pay for stormwater improvements. This is a litigation problem for
the Port since Director Knight misrepresented the facts to the Commission;
10. Port log exports have decreased or gone away potentially costing the port over $1,000,000 per year;
11. The Oregon State seafood building at the East Basin has not been transferred back to the Port and the Pier 2 and 3 area wide oil
pollution cleanup issues have not been resolved during Director Knight’s five years of management (priority);
12. The Port has given away Tongue Point forever, when there was an option to negotiate a long term lease with the previous tenants
that would have kept the site under Port management;
13. The Port has lost Bergerson Construction, J.E. McAmis Corporation, and the Oregon State Police as tenants, where the only
tenant added in the last five years is a daycare center;
14. Life Flight stated they didn’t need the $2,200,000 Airport Bond as Knight promoted for expansion at the airport. Life Flight is
currently building in their exact same location, at no cost to the public, as reported in the May 31, 201/9 Columbia Press. When
this bond issue failed, I estimate it saved every citizen in Clatsop County $66.00.
15. When a member of the Port staff quit, he told me “Ultimately, I could no longer support Jim’s (Director Knight’s) dishonesty
and incompetence. I did not want my name and reputation associated with Jim Knight’s any longer”.
These listed factual errors and costly mistakes have all occurred under and through Director Jim Knight management of the Port of
Astoria. In my final days as a Port Commissioner, I am again making this information available to the public in a hope that in the fu-
ture the Port is not mismanaged and allowed to continue wasting public funds. The tax paying public should care about these problems
and the Port.
I sincerely hope that the something will cause a change at the Port of Astoria before it goes bankrupt or it is taken over by the State of
Oregon. I’m sure Clatsop County tax payers would not like to see the Port of Astoria go away.
Bill Hunsinger
Paid for by re-elect Bill Hunsinger
and Bill Hunsinger