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THE ASTORIAN • TuESdAy, ApRIl 12, 2022
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
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GUEST COLUMN
Is the rural-urban divide myth or reality?
F
or your political reading plea-
sure, the early edition of the state
voters’ pamphlet for the May 17
election – the Military/Overseas Voters’
Guide – is online from the Secretary of
State’s Office.
At the tail end are three local ballot
measures. Ones in Klamath and Doug-
las counties would continue the unlikely
quest to merge eastern and southern
Oregon into Idaho. The
voters’ guide endorse-
ments from Move Ore-
gon’s Border ask, “Who
do you trust with your
child’s future: Idaho
government or Oregon
government?”
DICK
The third measure,
HUGHES
in coastal Charleston,
would tax short-term
lodging to promote tourism, support
public safety and spruce up the commu-
nity. An argument in favor states, “All
of the funds stay within the county and
nothing is sent to Salem, benefiting the
area directly.”
Ah, the fraught relationship between
rural Oregon and the state capital,
although more often it’s characterized
as the rest of Oregon vs. Portland.
Is the rural-urban divide a myth or
daily reality? Talking with reporters
before this year’s legislative session,
state Sen. James Manning Jr., D-Eu-
gene, called it a myth because he rep-
resents both urban and rural areas. He
said it’s his responsibility to understand
all constituents’ concerns.
Does that happen with all, even
Some conservatives want to move parts of Oregon into Idaho.
most, legislators? In this election year,
it seems worth quizzing legislative
and gubernatorial candidates about the
urban-rural relationship. How many
urban candidates have visited all 60
Oregon House districts? How many
rural politicians have gotten to know
every legislative district in the Portland
metro area?
Certainly, many issues are statewide,
such as child care. Or housing, which
is in such short supply everywhere that
Salem ranks even worse than Port-
land in comparative housing affordabil-
ity. Hospitality workers in tourist areas,
whether along the coast or in winter
sports areas, cannot afford to live there.
Yet vast differences exist between
big cities, with revenue to pay for gov-
ernment services, and sparsely popu-
lated areas. For example, much of rural
Oregon must depend on state police
for law enforcement protection, as
Sen. Fred Girod, R-Lyons, reminds his
colleagues.
Drug cartels gained a foothold in
southern Oregon for illicit marijuana
grows, he said, because Oregon’s pop-
ulation nearly doubled since Tom
McCall was governor while the num-
ber of troopers dropped by more than
one-third.
Other rural examples: Klamath
County has the highest unemployment
rate in Oregon, not having fully recov-
ered from the Great Recession. Internet
access is so poor in Jackson and Jose-
phine counties that 22% of respondents
to a recent survey said they had consid-
ered moving.
Meanwhile, rural residents have
legitimate reasons for believing they
have less say in state government. They
increasingly are outnumbered. “This is
why Oregon passes laws that kill south-
ern Oregon industries and values,” said
Mike McCarter, of Citizens for Greater
Idaho, in his voters’ guide argument.
It’s important to note, however,
that the 2022 Legislature took several
actions aimed at helping rural Oregon.
That included devoting $100 million for
rural projects vetted by a team consist-
ing of Reps. David Gomberg, D-Otis;
Mark Owens, R-Crane; and Greg Smith,
R-Heppner; and Senate Republican
Leader Tim Knopp, of Bend.
Pollster John Horvick, of DHM
Research, recently pointed out that only
42% of voters live in the Portland metro
area. Of the remainder, 27% live in the
other Willamette Valley counties, and
31% in the rest of the state.
However, a majority of Demo-
crats (53%) reside in the Portland area,
whereas a plurality of Republicans
(41%) live outside Portland and the
Willamette Valley.
Bear in mind that Democrats, Repub-
licans, Independent, unaffiliated and
minor-party voters can be found every-
where, including Democrats in drought-
stricken Klamath County. Democrats
included this statement in their vot-
ers’ guide argument against creating a
county Border Relocation Board: “… It
won’t rain any more here just by calling
ourselves part of Idaho. …”
dick Hughes has been covering the
Oregon political scene since 1976.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Horrified
was horrified and incredulous to find
reports that Russian soldiers had killed
and tortured children in Bucha, Ukraine,
shot people while their arms were tied
behind them and so many more atrocities.
We are a small community, but that does
not permit us to turn away. We are citizens
of the world. These war crimes have to be
accounted for.
Please write your governor, your senators
and your president in protest.
MARY TANGUAY WEBB
Astoria
I
Understandable
storia City Council’s decision to end its
negotiations with a developer for Her-
itage Square was understandable, given the
vocal public opposition to the project.
Given most Astorians’ love for the his-
tory and unique beauty of our great city,
perhaps this project was simply the right
idea for the wrong place. Unfortunately, the
misinformation that accompanied the stri-
dent opposition contributed to the caustic
discussion.
It was unfortunate that the narrative about
Heritage Square was derailed to include the
problems posed by Astoria’s homeless pop-
ulation to our residents, tourists and vibrant
small businesses. Addressing homelessness
demands a far different response than pro-
viding affordable housing to our workers
who make less than $20 an hour.
We need workforce housing throughout
Clatsop County, and the county is working
hard to partner with our cities to expand our
housing supply in both urban and rural areas.
I am the county’s representative on the
Northwest Oregon Housing Authority,
which includes Columbia and Tillamook
counties. NOHA owns 186 housing units
in Clatsop County, ranging from four com-
plexes with 32 to 46 units to five smaller
buildings with two to eight units.
We are about to break ground on a
42-unit apartment complex in Warrenton.
We are also studying the feasibility of reno-
vating the 46-unit senior housing at the his-
toric Owens-Adair building in Astoria.
NOHA also provides vouchers for
low-income tenants to use for private hous-
ing. There are 300 vouchers in use in the
county; unfortunately, there are 788 house-
holds on the waiting list.
PAMELA WEV
Clatsop County commissioner
Astoria
A
Desperate need
he U.S. must continue to rally the inter-
national world to assist the Ukrainian
people as they face a humanitarian crisis that
has resulted from Russia’s brutal invasion.
Ukrainian civilians are in desperate need
of shelter, food, clothing and basic medi-
cal care.
We can help them through the Interna-
tional Monetary Fund. They can allocate a
reserve fund called Special Drawing Rights
T
that is designed to help nations in times of
crisis like the one Ukrainians are facing
now.
Due to the effectiveness of SDRs in help-
ing those who need it the most, it’s no sur-
prise that Ukrainian officials have asked for
a new round of these resources.
Certain voices in Washington have stood
in the way of Ukraine receiving this much-
needed assistance by misconstruing the truth
about SDRs, and absurdly arguing that they
could somehow get into Russian hands. The
reality is that if we send SDRs to another
country, we get to designate the recipient.
Ukraine is a country of incredible capac-
ity, education and industry, whose people
are heroically resisting authoritarian inva-
sion. U.S. leaders who feel strongly about
defending Ukraine should vote to send
SDRs to support Ukrainians now.
CHASE JOHNSON
Astoria
Orchestrated
egarding the Clatsop County commis-
sion vote April 13 on short-term rentals:
Cove Beach is a small residential com-
munity just south of Arch Cape, located in
Oswald West State Park and the Cape Fal-
con Marine Reserve. It is beautiful here, but
the harmony of this beautiful community
has been tarnished.
Over the past several years, a small group
of homeowners have worked relentlessly to
stop other homeowners from renting their
R
homes as short-term rentals. This small
group has orchestrated water board morato-
riums based on inaccurate data, attempting
to prevent new homes from being built.
Their efforts have caused commissioners,
staff, volunteers and homeowners to spend
thousands of hours — and our tax dollars
— to shape Cove Beach to their liking. It
appears their goal is that Cove Beach and
Falcon Cove effectively become an exclu-
sive gated community.
We own a small cottage home in Cove
Beach, and we use it for family, friends and
rentals. Prior to this, our family had been
renting a home in Cannon Beach and Arch
Cape for a week or two every summer since
the 1940s.
We are proud to offer our Cove Beach
cottage home to visitors to share this experi-
ence. Our guests follow good-neighbor pol-
icies and observe the rules the county has
established for quiet time and night sky.
Like us, our guests and their children are
grateful for the opportunity to have visited
the Oregon Coast in this beautiful place.
We hope the Clatsop County Board of
Commissioners will do the right thing for
our community.
JOHN and MARIA MEYER
Cove Beach
Healthy tourism
hort-term rentals are an important con-
tribution to the economic livelihood of
Clatsop County. The accommodations and
S
food services and retail trade industries
account for significant commercial activity
in the county.
Aside from the economic benefits
enjoyed by the retail shopkeepers in Cannon
Beach, Seaside and Astoria, county residents
benefit from the tax revenue contributed by
our tourism industry. This tax revenue will
need to be replaced by increases on tax bur-
den of the full-time residents in the absence
of revenue generated from tourism.
Demand is increasing for vacation rental
accommodations by tourists from around
the world. Tourists seeking the experience
of staying in a private residence as a vaca-
tion rental tend to have the means to spend
more on vacation travel, staying longer and
spending more on local goods and services.
Retail shops, groceries, restaurants and
galleries benefit from making Clatsop
County and Oregon a sought-after destina-
tion for these tourists.
The restrictions on short-term rentals
being entertained by the county run counter
to the demand of the market and our state-
wide sentiment of welcoming tourism. They
broadcast a message to the large segment of
the tourism market that the county wants to
prohibit their ability to visit. This prohibition
on accommodation options is, quite simply,
a prohibition on tourism.
Please let the Clatsop County Board of
Commissioners know that you value and
support our tourism industry.
RON COX
LESLIE ANN BUTLER
Falcon Cove