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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2019)
A6 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019 Former housing authority administrator fi red Sims hopes to clear her name By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian A top administrator for the Northwest Oregon Housing Authority was fi red in June following the results of an investigation into her conduct. Among the allegations against former d eputy d irec- tor Teresa Sims was that she falsifi ed records to secure affordable housing for her son and fellow employee, Benjamin Navidad. Todd Johnston, the agen- cy’s executive director, said Sims’ termination — and the termination of another employee for related rea- sons — was justifi ed based on the investigation. B ut he would not go into detail , cit- ing an ongoing lawsuit Sims fi led against him and the agency earlier this year. Krista Le Roux, a Port- land attorney who rep- resents Sims, said her cli- ent has no comment at this time. B ut she added that Sims plans to attend a hous- ing authority board meeting in September to try to clear her name . Sims was appointed dep- uty director at the hous- ing authority in 2011. She supervised the federal hous- ing choice voucher program staff and oversaw human resources. After Sims was put on leave in April 2018 pending an investigation , she shot back with allegations of her own. She fi led complaints with the state Bureau of Labor and Industries against John- ston. She claimed he pro- moted an employee who wasn’t qualifi ed for the position, obscured informa- tion and, with the nonprofi t Helping Hands, misman- aged public funds. She also said Johnston created a fear of retaliation against anyone who reported problems. Internal investigators for the housing authority refuted the claims and the state dismissed the labor complaints . Sims fi led a lawsuit in Circuit Court in February, alleging she faced retal- iation from Johnston for speaking out about unlaw- ful hiring practices and mis- managed funds. She is seek- ing $1 million in emotional and economic damages. The housing authority has denied Sims’ claims. A trial is scheduled for January. Trump raises tariffs on Chinese goods as trade war escalates By PAUL WISEMAN, JILL COLVIN and JOE McDONALD Associated Press WASHINGTON — Esca- lating his trade war with China, President Donald Trump bumped up his tariffs on Chinese imports Friday, lashing back after Beijing raised taxes on U.S. products. In a tweet, Trump said he will raise planned tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese goods from 10% to 15%. The Offi ce of the U.S. Trade Represen- tative also said existing tar- iffs on another $250 billion in Chinese imports would go from 25% to 30% Oct. 1 after receiving feedback from the public. The move came hours after Beijing said it would hike tar- iffs on $75 billion in U.S. imports, escalating a confl ict over trade and technology that threatens to tip a fragile global economy into recession. Though expected, the president appeared caught off-guard by China’s Friday action, and was angry when he gathered with his trade team in the Oval Offi ce before departing for France. Offi cials, including U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and adviser Peter Navarro, discussed potential retaliatory options. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, returning from vacation, joined by phone. Earlier Friday, the presi- dent said he “hereby ordered” U.S. companies to seek alter- natives to doing business in China. The rising tensions between the world’s two big- gest economies sent the stock market into a tailspin. The Dow Jones Industrial Aver- age closed down 643 points — before Trump announced AP Photo/Keith Srakocic A General Electric washing machine in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. the new tariffs. Tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese imports are sched- uled to go into effect in two stages — on Sept. 1 and Dec. 15. Originally scheduled to be 10%, they will now be 15%. Trump’s latest escala- tion will impose a burden on many American households. Even before he announced an increase Friday, J.P. Morgan had estimated that Trump’s tariffs would cost the average household roughly $1,000 a year if he proceeded with his threats. Businesses large and small joined in a chorus of oppo- sition to the intensifying hostilities. “It’s impossible for busi- nesses to plan for the future in this type of environment,” said David French, senior vice president of government relations at the National Retail Federation. “The administra- tion’s approach clearly isn’t working, and the answer isn’t more taxes on American busi- nesses and consumers. Where does this end?” By adding onto the Chi- nese imports he’s already tar- geted, Trump is extending his tariffs to just about everything China ships to the United States. China responded Friday with new tariffs of 5% and 10% on $75 billion of U.S. products in retaliation, deep- ening a confl ict over trade and technology that threatens to tip a weakening global econ- omy into recession. Like Trump’s, the Chinese tariffs will be imposed in two batches — fi rst on Sept. 1 and then on Dec. 15. China will also go ahead with previously postponed import duties on U.S.-made autos and auto parts, the Finance Ministry announced. On Friday, Trump tweeted, “Our great American com- panies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing... your companies HOME and mak- ing your products in the USA.” The White House did not immediately respond to questions about what author- ity the president believes he has to order private compa- nies to change their business practices. French at the National Retail Federation said it was “unrealistic for American Knappa schools: ‘We have a year to plan’ Continued from Page A1 But the health centers have stoked concerns over parental control of their chil- dren’s health care and fear that the school could offer reproductive health services, such as contraceptives. By state law, minors age 14 and older can access outpatient mental health and substance abuse services without paren- tal permission. The Astoria School Board, facing a backlash from some in the community , nixed the planning of a health center in 2013. The Knappa School Board bowed out of pursu- ing a grant last school year after the public expressed concerns ranging from the location of the health center, safety, access and quality of providers to the potential for drug deals and child abuse. After declining to pursue the grant, the school district convened an ad-hoc commit- tee to explore the concept. To address community concerns, Knappa would limit its health center to students and only operate during school hours. The center would not offer reproductive health services. The school district only has a nurse four hours a day, Knappa Superintendent Pau- lette Johnson said, and many families are lacking basic ser- vices like dental screenings and counseling. “I only see it as positive,” she said. At a school board meeting Monday, Tammy Goozee, the chairwoman, and members Ed Johnson and Will Isom supported applying for the ‘YOU REALLY WANT TO HIT FOLKS WHO ARE MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED. THAT’S THE GOAL OF SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS.’ Mike McNickle | county’s public health director grant. Board members Craig Weaver and Cullen Bangs, the vice chairman, opposed the application. Goozee said she heard from people in the commu- nity about the high level of need, especially among younger children, while much of the opposition seems to be about the unknowns of a health center. “With the planning pro- cess, it will help us to defi ne it better what’s available and what’s not,” she said. “One big concern was to not have contraceptives available.” Weaver declined to detail the reasons he voted “no,” but said he will support the plan- ning of the health center now that the district is moving for- ward. He mentioned con- cerns some in the commu- nity had over children over 14 seeking services without permission, and over where to put the center on campus. Johnson said he was swayed by a survey, com- piled by Jewell Superin- tendent Stephen Phillips to inform his school board, of 10 other rural school dis- tricts with health centers that reported increased attendance and access to health care ser- vices with minimal cost or other issues. He also liked the increased anonymity a clinic offers students over a tradi- tional counselor for mental health treatment. “We have a year to plan,” Johnson said. “My hope is as we work through the plan- ning process, all the board members will participate, and we’ll end up with fi ve people who think it’s a great idea.” Another challenge of the health centers is fi nding con- tractors in a tight construction market to build them. Jewell, expected to start its clinic this coming school year, has been struggling to fi nd a builder. Mike McNickle, the coun- ty’s public health direc- tor , approached Knappa and Jewell to expand health care access for students in under- served rural areas. He is plan- ning to approach Seaside as it builds out a new campus far- ther away from town, but said Astoria and Warrenton aren’t as strong of candidates for the health centers because of their proximity to other medi- cal services. “You really want to hit folks who are medi- cally underserved,” he said. “That’s the goal of school- based health centers.” In observance of Labor Day… WE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY SEPTEMBER 2 ND DISPLAY ADVERTISING DEADLINE Tuesday edition: THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 th CLASSIFIED DEADLINES: Tuesday edition: NOON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 TH retailers to move out of the world’s second largest econ- omy ... Our presence in China allows us to reach Chinese customers and develop over- seas markets. Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun!, a Boca Raton, Florida, toy company that imports from China said Trump’s statements were outrageous. It was an “unprece- dented statement for a presi- dent to make to private busi- ness when there is no national security issue involved,” he said. The trade war between the U.S. and China has been rat- tling fi nancial markets, dis- rupting international trade and weakening prospects for worldwide economic growth. Washington accuses China of using predatory tactics — including outright theft of U.S. trade secrets — in an aggressive drive to turn itself into a world leader in cut- ting-edge technologies such as artifi cial intelligence and electric cars. Twelve rounds of talks have failed to break the impasse, though more nego- tiations are expected next month. Chinese leaders have offered to alter details of their policies but are resisting any deal that would require them to give up their aspirations to become a technological powerhouse. The two countries are also deadlocked over how to enforce any agreement. China’s announced tar- iff hikes — and Trump’s response — is the latest sign that both countries are dig- ging in. “China is signaling yet again that it has no intention of backing off from the trade war, further reducing the like- lihood of the U.S. and China agreeing on any sort of trade deal in the coming months,” said Cornell University econ- omist Eswar Prasad, former head of the China division at the International Monetary Fund. The Chinese said tariffs of 25% and 5% would be imposed on U.S.-made autos and auto parts on Dec. 15. Beijing had planned those tar- iff hikes last year but tempo- rarily dropped them to keep the talks going. BMW, Tesla, Ford and Mercedes Benz are likely to be the hardest hit by the Chi- nese auto tariffs. In 2018, BMW exported about 87,000 luxury SUVs to China from a plant near Spartanburg, S.C. It exports more vehicles to China than any other U.S. auto plant. Buses: ‘I love the job itself. But changes need to be made’ Continued from Page A1 according to Hazen. But Lines doubts such assurances. He is work- ing with current and former Sunset Empire employees to bring the issues at the transit district to the public eye. Lines claims the tran- sit district has disregarded reports of mechanical prob- lems by bus drivers . “They would be thrown away,” Lines said . “Many drivers, including myself, watched it being done.” Former and current Sunset Empire employees reached out to The Astorian regarding the mechanical state of the buses. Rose Ominski, a for- mer employee, expressed frustration . “Why is it that day after day after day when we get into the same bus that we wrote up with all these defi ciencies and all these defects,” she said, “they’re not fi xed and you still have them running on the road?” “The company can be better. It could be great,” Lines said in an email to Hazen earlier this month. “I love the job itself. But changes need to be made.” OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER Get the inside scoop on state government and politics!
