4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
| OCTOBER 17, 2018
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
C
The First Amendment
ongress shall make no law respecting an es-
tablishment of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press, or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of grievances.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800)
Do the Albatross know what real food is?
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submis-
sions on this and other topics are always
welcome as part of our goal to encourage
community discussion and exchange of
perspectives.)
Imagine a 22-pound ocean-going bird
with a wingspan of up to 11 feet, taller
than man if you look at it askance, as if
it was on its side. The Albatross lives and
breeds in the North Pacific. There are
three species of Diomedeiade on Midway
Island: the Laysan, the Black-footed, and
the endangered Short-tail.
Young, from the parent’s only egg, take
flight and soar over the ocean between
three and 10 months after hatching. One
will glide for hours without flapping its
wings or settle on the surface of the ocean
without returning to land for five to 10
years until it is time to reproduce. These
birds and three billion people rely on the
ocean for survival.
They are carnivores; they eat squid
and schooling fish. And yet, there are
signs that they are increasingly confused
about what is real food. They are dying
by the thousands on Midway Island, and
the shocking sight of rotting corpses with
stomachs full of plastic is prevalent.
There are two great garbage patches in
the ocean: one in the eastern Pacific be-
tween California and Hawaii, and one in
the Western Pacific near Japan — both
spinning off debris that ends up on coast
lines around the world or is pulled into
the eye of the Great North Pacific Gyre
where four currents meet and flow clock-
wise.
Eighty percent of this debris is plastic.
Nearly every piece of plastic ever made
still exists. The Journal of Science reports
that 8 million metric tons of plastic go
into the ocean each year. By 2025, the
Guest Viewpoint
By Joanna Henderson
Florence
cumulative estimate will be 20 times that
number — or 100 plastic bags for each
foot of ocean coastline.
According to the World economic Fo-
rum, we produce 300 million tons of plas-
tic a year.
Plastic takes decades to break down.
You will find whole electronics whose
parts may eventually sink to the ocean
floor, decaying blocks of styrofoam, every
manner of plastic item from throw-away
lighters, straws, plastic bags and six pack
rings to toys, chairs, containers — all
breaking down in massive soups over de-
cades — in garbage patches in the ocean
and on the coastlines of islands and con-
tinents.
Plastic’s last stage of decay becomes
styrene based micro-plastic particles that
are now being found in every part of the
ocean, floating in seemingly clear water
everywhere and washing up on beaches
to become the new sand.
These micro-particles are small enough
to be ingested by phytoplankton, the base
of the ocean food chain, and then affect
marine organisms up to birds, mammals
and the tissue of fish we eat. We are lit-
erally eating the plastic we haphazardly
discard.
So why is the fish-eating Albatross
eating plastic? Along with what washes
ashore, these birds fly in 5 tons of plastic
in their bellies each year. Perhaps garbage
patches of plastic are now substitutes for
less abundant shoals of fish. Perhaps the
adults feed their chicks shiny bits of plas-
tic shards without discriminating.
Whatever thw case, speculation is that
the young Albatross, having been fed
plastic as a chick, now eats what he be-
lieves to be food. In any case, volunteers
on Midway are removing an increasing
number of carcasses whose rotting bodies
leave only piles of plastic behind to mark
their deaths.
Perhaps it’s time we kick this habit of
convenience and get plastic out of our
lives before it kills us as well — in the fish
we eat and in the destruction of an ocean
that could eventually have more plastic
than fish.
LETTERS
Argumentu againut Meauure
105 don’t hold water
The opponents of Measure 105 have
tried to label those who favor this mea-
sure as hate mongering anti-immigra-
tion bigots.
I will try not to be so intolerant to per-
sons with a different point of view, no
matter how misguided and uninformed.
I believe that legal immigration is vital
to America’s well-being with an ongoing
transfusion of new ideas and talents.
My own extended family and friends
include Mexican, Philippine, Sikh and
Vietnamese who have come here legally,
and have become citizens. I have great
admiration for them, along with the oth-
er 750,000 people who participate in cit-
izenship ceremonies each year.
To compare their accomplishments
with those who remain here illegally is
demeaning.
Its said that illegal immigrants are
necessary to harvest our crops. The big
farming corporations agree, because
they have a cheap labor supply that they
can control and abuse with low salaries
and poor working conditions.
As Cesar Chavez pointed out, it’s
very difficult for legal, organized farm
workers to negotiate for fair salaries and
working conditions when illegals under-
cut their efforts.
You should vote no on 105 if your
cheap lettuce, produced on the backs of
oppressed illegals, is that important to
you.
The argument that by cooperating
with the enforcement of federal laws,
crime will increase because illegals will
be afraid to assist local police doesn’t
seem to hold water with the 18 County
Sheriffs that support Measure 105.
—Keith R. Kraft
Florence
Florence needu ukill and
experience of Miltenberger
I first met Maureen Miltenberger
when she attended a committee meeting
where I was a member. She spoke effec-
tively though briefly, stayed on topic and
brought insights based on what I later
understood to be her skill and experi-
ence in committees at many levels.
It was not a surprise to learn she was
not just a member but chair of the EMAC
committee for the city. She knows how
to lead, how to involve everyone, how
to not push beyond what can be accom-
plished and to get things done which
benefit our entire community.
The Polystyrene (styrofoam) ban
is working and the community is still
whole. The proposed single-use plastic
ban is moving as quickly as the com-
munity can accept it so that our oceans
can be kept from deteriorating by the
amount of plastic we together discard.
Florence needs her skill and ex-
perience on our Council so that her
strengths can be applied to every pro-
gram and issue affecting our lives. Join
me in voting for Maureen Miltonberger
for City Council.
—Milton Nelson
Florence
Thanku to community
for uupport
This letter is to the community who
came out Sunday for the Rally for Siu-
slaw Schools. Thank you, thank you. It
is really great to see so many people who
want better schools for our kids. Several
students made beautiful posters for the
contest.
The bond measure is expensive. How-
ever, if we don’t pass it this year, it will
cost all of us more next time. Construc-
tion costs keep going up and the back-
log of maintenance needed in the high
school won’t go away.
The high school uses 48 percent of the
district utility budget and 42 percent of
its maintenance budget.
This could fund a new teacher.
Quality schools attract health profes-
sionals and new businesses. Currently,
our schools need a lot of upgrades to get
to code and as a result we can’t keep new
doctors very long as their families want
better schools and better opportunities
for their children.
—Nancy Rickard
Florence
McKeown takeu all uideu
into conuideration
In an atmosphere of corruption and
un-American values associated with the
current White House, and the spectacle
of a judicial nominee making an embar-
rassment of himself on national televi-
sion, I found it very refreshing to hear
and talk to my local state legislator last
week.
I wish all politics were local these days.
Our House District 9 Representative
Caddy McKeown is rooted in Oregon
values. She was a school board mem-
ber when her children were in public
schools, was appointed by the Governor
to be a Port Commissioner on the cen-
tral coast, and she knows the lay of the
land in our diverse district very well.
Representing all of us in Salem is
a tough job, and for pay that is bare-
ly above minimum wage. Caddy is a
straight-talker and listener, always tak-
ing every side of an issue into lengthy
consideration.
She has supported bi-partisan legisla-
tive work on transportation infrastruc-
ture, quality schools including trade
and technical courses, greatly reducing
tuition at Oregon Community Colleges,
and expanding affordable health care in
Oregon that includes keeping cover-age
for pre-existing conditions.
Caddy McKeown's parents were both
veterans. Her father at age 97 gives
Caddy a personal understanding of the
needs of our senior citizens.
We have a sincere and well-liked rep-
resentative who knows this district and
our state.
I will be voting to re-elect her.
—Karin Radtke
Yachats
Vote for a well-qualified
candidate with integrity
It is my privilege to recommend Mau-
reen Miltenberger for Florence City
Council. I met her two years ago when
she offered to volunteer for my Adult
Basic Skills class at LCC. I feel fortunate
to have such an experienced and com-
petent retired educator work with my
students.
She brought her many resources and
her compassion to help our lowest lev-
el students gain reading skills and con-
fidence. She made a huge difference in
their lives. As in my classroom, Maureen
makes a difference wherever she com-
mits her time, energy and skills.
She has so many wonderful qualifica-
tions. Maureen serves on the Environ-
mental Management Advisory Commit-
tee for the City of Florence; she is also
the chair of Siuslaw Climate Alliance.
She has former experience as a council
member for the City of Canby.
Maureen has shown the courage of her
convictions as an outspoken advocate for
the rights of all people in our communi-
ty. We would be blessed to have such a
competent, caring person representing
all of us in Florence.
—Nora Kent
Florence
CLARIFICATION
In the Oct. 3 edition of the Siuslaw
News, the Guest Viewpoint “Time To
Ask Serious Questions of State Legis-
lators” was attributed to “Joe Henry —
Mayor of Florence.”
Siuslaw News would like to clarify that
the viewpoint submitted by Mr. Henry
was as a citizen, and not as Mayor or as a
representative of the City of Florence or
Florence City Council.
Siuslaw News appologizes for any con-
fusion.
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Ned H ickson
Erik Chalhoub
Publisher, ex t. 318
Editor, ex t. 313
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O ffice Super visor, ex t. 312
Pro d u c t i o n Su p e r v i s o r
Pre s s M a n a ge r
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Je re my G e n t r y
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Emal letters to:
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WHERE TO WRITE
Pres. Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments:
202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line:
503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
www.merkley.senate.gov
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio
(4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609
541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan
(Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@
oregonlegislature.gov
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email: rep.caddymckeown
@state.or.us
West Lane County
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us