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THE ASTORIAN • TuESdAy, JuNE 8, 2021
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
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GUEST COLUMN
Legislator conduct queries leave more questions
W
hat really counts as “bad”
behavior in the Oregon
Capitol?
Political observers are salivating over
what will happen to state Rep. Mike
Nearman, R-Independence. I’m more
intrigued by the conduct case involv-
ing Rep. Brad Witt, D-Clatskanie, whom
Rep. Vikki Breese Iverson, R-Prineville,
accused of sexual harassment.
Let’s start with Near-
man anyway. An inde-
pendent investigator’s
report concluded that
on Dec. 21, 2020, Near-
man “more likely than
not intentionally assisted
demonstrators in breach-
DICK
ing security and entering
HUGHES
the Capitol,” which was
closed to the public and
remains so.
Nearman also has been charged with
two misdemeanors in Marion County —
official misconduct and criminal mischief
— from the incident.
It seems a reasonable conclusion that
Nearman “more likely than not” deliber-
ately opened an Oregon Capitol door so
demonstrators could enter after he exited.
A video emerged on Friday of Nearman
coaching people to text him and coordi-
nate the entrance.
However, is “more likely than not” the
appropriate standard by which the Legis-
lature should judge him?
House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Port-
land, and others already have called
for Nearman to resign. The speaker
announced on Monday that she would
convene a special committee to consider
expelling Nearman.
First, however, the House Conduct
Committee met Friday to discuss what to
do about Witt. In a series of votes earlier
in the week, they ruled that his text mes-
sages responding to Breese Iverson were
of a sexual nature and affected her ability
to do her job as a legislator. She and Witt
serve on three committees together.
Witt disagrees with how his texts were
interpreted.
State Rep. Brad Witt is a Democrat who represents Clatskanie.
On Friday, the committee — equally
weighted between Republicans and Dem-
ocrats — voted to recommend that Witt
receive coaching and training but could
not agree on any other penalties. By
Monday, Kotek removed Witt as chair-
man of the House Agricultural and Natu-
ral Resources Committee.
Regardless of whether his texts were
clumsy, subconsciously suggestive or
deliberately so, they illustrate once again
that a) some legislators (and others) still
don’t “get it,” and b) the Legislature
and Oregon Capitol are inherently hos-
tile workplaces where behavior is toler-
ated that elsewhere would be considered
wrong.
Where is the line, asked committee
member Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Port-
land: “We can all be offended all the time
by lots of different things.”
For example, legislators (and others)
sometimes lie. “I personally have been
offended so many times recently,” San-
chez said. “What offends me the most
is when someone lies to me, straight up
baldfaced lies to me.”
Yet lying doesn’t count as a hostile
work environment.
When I first started covering the Leg-
islature years ago, I was stunned to real-
ize that certain legislators had flawless
public reputations that belied their duplic-
ity and hypocrisy within the Capitol.
Some such legislators have gone on to
higher office. On the other hand, there are
many legislators (and others) whose word
is good.
Politics is built on power. For almost
every other occupation, research shows
that the most important asset is emo-
tional intelligence, which roughly can be
described as a combination of one’s work
ethic and one’s ability to work well with
others. In politics, what counts is the abil-
ity to amass power, whether by personality
and charisma, fundraising prowess, alli-
ance-building or arm-twisting (and worse).
By the way, Witt was irritated that
Breese Iverson texted him, asking him to
support one of her bills, after supposedly
opposing much of Witt’s agenda. (She
disagreed with that characterization of
her record.)
Two observations: First, I am neither
a lawyer nor a legal investigator. How-
ever, the Legislature’s outside investiga-
tors’ reports often have struck me as full
of holes.
Second, the Legislature has a long,
long way to go in establishing a respect-
ful, harassment-free workplace — let
alone deciding what constitutes a respect-
ful workplace.
From Independence but not: Rep.
Nearman is listed as being from Inde-
pendence because that’s the post office
for his mailing address. He lives outside
town.
In light of Nearman’s actions,
local officials have emphasized that
the city actually is in the House dis-
trict represented by Rep. Paul Evans,
D-Monmouth.
O, for transparency: Undecided
whether to adjourn or to continue the
June 1 meeting, the Conduct Commit-
tee took a short recess. That apparently
was when the decision to adjourn was
made — offscreen and out of public view.
When the meeting resumed, co-chair
Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, simply
announced they would be adjourning
instead of deliberating more.
I don’t have a problem with the
adjournment decision; I do with the
process.
Legislative committees are prone to
taking breaks so members can discuss
how to proceed or who’s going to vote
which way. This applies to Democrats
and Republicans alike.
In-person, this can be a couple of leg-
islators whispering to each other or hud-
dling in the hall. Virtually, it means the
video cameras and recording are stopped.
Whatever the means, the practice runs
counter to true transparency and pub-
lic accountability. The public’s busi-
ness should be conducted in public. That
includes discussions of how to conduct
that business.
dick Hughes has been covering the
Oregon political scene since 1976.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
An exit
S
teve Forrester wrote, “It is a curse to
live in an era you do not understand.” I
suspect that it is a rare era that understands
itself.
G.W.F. Hegel said that the owl of Min-
erva takes flight only with the setting of
the sun, that is to say, historical insight and
wisdom is possible only after an era has
passed. Be that as it may, it is not so diffi-
cult to recognize when there is a problem,
even if explicitly defining that problem is
more difficult. That Oregon now has prob-
lems, mostly self-inflicted, is mysterious
to no one.
Both Forrester and Dick Hughes, in
their essays on Greater Idaho (The Asto-
rian, June 1), emphasized the unlikeli-
hood of Oregon counties successfully pur-
suing their stated goal, but neither made
the obvious observation that this vote is a
rebuke and a repudiation of the direction
of Oregon’s political development.
Forrester noted that a rosy view of Ore-
gon’s past glosses over the hard negotia-
tions that made our formerly high qual-
ity of life possible, but if one is honest, it
must be said that the counties that voted to
leave Oregon are probably prepared for far
harder negotiations.
Where the willingness for such negoti-
ations is lacking is among a political class
that has placed ideology above and before
keeping the streets clean and potholes
filled.
For my part, I would like to see Brown-
smead also pursue an exit from Ore-
gon, as no one here is represented by the
politicians in Salem or the anarchists in
Portland.
J. N. “NICK” NIELSEN
Astoria
Shameful
R
egarding the humorous reference, in
the In One Ear column May 27, to Dr.
Bethenia Owens-Adair, who was Clatsop
County’s influential first woman medical
doctor in Oregon:
I had finished a letter to the editor
response with historical information about
the cruel history resulting from Dr. Owens-
Adair’s championing of the sterilization of
selected Oregon citizens. Her work even-
tually became the eugenics laws passed in
1923, and not fully repealed until 1983.
I found that I had written nearly 500
words on the subject, which in itself was
a quick summary. However, The Astorian
limits letter writers to 250 words.
I would urge readers to look to the
LETTERS WELCOME
Letters should be exclusive to The
Astorian. Letters should be fewer
than 250 words and must include the
writer’s name, address and phone
number. You will be contacted to
confirm authorship. All letters are
subject to editing for space, gram-
mar and factual accuracy. Only two
letters per writer are allowed each
month. Letters written in response
internet to learn more about this history,
and the good doctor’s successful effort to
harm thousands of Oregonians. It’s easy
to find, but doesn’t make for pleasant
reading.
As shameful as it is, this is our history,
and I do believe it will never be repeated.
JACK OSTERBERG
Astoria
to other letter writers should address
the issue at hand and should refer to
the headline and date the letter was
published. Discourse should be civil.
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97103.
Stop being selfish
I
t is looking more and more like
what the military trained us for may
be coming true. Our leaders believe that
knowing the truth about what happens
during a pandemic will lead to panic. But
something as important as one human life
being at stake is more than enough for me
to say something.
We are trained that even in a small mor-
tality rate global outbreak, just like the
one we are currently facing, it is not the
onset of the disease, or even the first year
or so, to be fearful of. It is the more deadly
and more contagious variant that will find
that one host who did not get the initial
vaccine.
From the beginning of
civilization, there has been a share of
every group of people, large or small,
tribal or clannish, who think without
empathy, striking out aggressively against
any change, without even listening to
others.
Today, we all know at least one of these
unvaccinated close-minded people. If we
truly care for one another, then we must
help these family members understand
how truly selfish it is to not get vaccinated
today.
Please get vaccinated.
TROY J. HASKELL
Astoria