4A • February 26, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Views from the Rock
Former mayor Morgan
says let bylaws be bylaws
Civic Club did
everything but
bake our city’s pies
CANNON SHOTS
C
R.J. MARX
A
couple of months back we wrote
about Initiative Petition 28, a state
proposal headed to the November
ballot. Corporations with more than $25
million in revenues would be subject to a
gross receipts tax, with a new levy of 2.5
percent of their gross Oregon sales. The
$5.3 billion it could raise over two years
would go into the state’s general fund.
Former Cannon Beach Mayor Mike
Morgan likes the proposal. He thinks it’s
fair to raise state funds for education and
public safety through a tax on the state’s
largest companies. And he doesn’t want
to see local business groups derail a fund
that could provide money for Oregon’s
schools, which, he said, are desperately
short-changed.
SUBMITTED PHOTO/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
*eorgiaPaci¿ c holdings in 2regon
Safety, school needs
Oregon is 49th out of 50 states in
business tax rankings, behind only Lou-
isiana, Morgan said. Washington state is
24th, he added, citing statistics from the
nonpro¿ t group A Better Oregon, an ad-
vocate for the corporate earnings tax.
“That’s the thing that struck me,”
Morgan said over coffee at Sleepy Monk.
“Look at some of the states that have
higher taxes but a much stronger econ-
omy. You can’t possibly make the argu-
ment it’s going to hurt the economy.”
Morgan and proponents initiative say
it would fund schools and services, to
the tune of more than $2 billion a year,
bumping up the general fund by “10 per-
cent or so.”
“Thirty-four hundred teachers laid
off in last decade, third-largest class size
in the nation, 200,000 people who don’t
have health insurance,” Morgan said.
“Oregon, supposedly such a progressive
state, has such a terrible higher education
system. The amount of money the state
provides to the higher education system
is pathetic compared to other states.”
A portion of the $2.5 billion per year
potentially raised by the tax could be
used for emergency preparedness: build-
ing and retro¿ tting the state’s at-risk hos-
pitals, schools, city halls, and police and
¿ re stations.
Morgan said he is outraged the Can-
non Beach Chamber of Commerce is
considering a change in bylaws to allow
lobbying in opposition to the tax.
“It’s not going to affect mom-and-pop
operations,” Morgan said. “It will affect
the Intels, Walmarts and the Georgia-Pa-
ci¿ cs. I think it’s amazing that the cham-
bers of commerce brought this issue up.
Probably the only corporation in Clatsop
County that has more than $25 million in
sales is the Koch Brothers’ Wauna Mill
on the Columbia River.”
Wauna Mill’s parent Georgia-Paci¿ c
has revenue in the billions, Morgan said,
R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Mike Morgan
a substantial slice of that from Oregon
operations.
Koch brothers in mix
Our attention really perked when Mor-
gan mentioned the Koch brothers. Bringing
them into a political debate is like throw-
ing red meat to the lions. The brothers —
Charles and David — are summoned as
demons by the progressive left and herald-
ed as not-so-quiet doers for the right.
Koch Industries Inc. purchased Geor-
gia-Paci¿ c for $21 billion in 2005. Geor-
gia-Paci¿ c, according to their own busi-
ness overview, employs 2,000 people in
nine Oregon locations from Clatskanie to
Coos Bay. The company provides a total
of $517 million in total combined wages
and bene¿ ts to Oregon workers and $2
million in capital investment for growth.
In Clatsop County, one doesn’t need
to do much research to ¿ nd a direct con-
nection.
“Georgia-Paci¿ c’s Wauna paper mill,
which turns 50 this year, remains the larg-
est single employer in Clatsop County,
with more than 800 employees,” wrote
Edward Stratton in The Daily Astorian last
October.
Are the Koch brothers ¿ ghting this
corporate tax?
We contacted Georgia-Paci¿ c at their
Atlanta, Georgia, of¿ ce and Koch Indus-
tries in Wich ita, Kansas.
“Thanks for reaching out to us on this
and apologies for the delayed reply,”
David Dziok, Director, Communications
Koch Companies Public Sector said in
an email Tuesday. “This measure is not
yet on the ballot and we’re continuing to
assess it. It’s fair to say, however, that
like hundreds of other employers in our
state, we have some initial concerns.
A $5 billion tax increase on the sale of
products and services that Oregon con-
sumers buy every day will increase costs
for Oregon families, small businesses
and large employers alike.”
Chamber role
A meeting of the Cannon Beach
Chamber of Commerce — an indepen-
dent chamber not af¿ liated with the 8.S.
Chamber of Commerce — on the topic
locally was delayed, according to Exec-
utive Director Court Carrier.
“We were shy a few board of direc-
tors due to vacations, medical issues,
and holiday conÀ icts from the week-
end,” Carrier said after the chamber’s
February meeting. “I have emailed
our president requesting that he call
a meeting of the bylaws committee to
discuss it.”
Morgan said the chamber should stay
out of political lobbying.
“I’m glad Cannon Beach uses the
bulk of its hotel and lodging revenues to
run the city,” Morgan said. “You’ve got
expenses caused by tourism, like police,
parking lots, public restrooms, all of
those things are directly caused by the
inÀ ux of tourists.
“As far as political lobbying — the
chamber would be wise to stay away
from that,” he added.
Dueling statistics
under state control such as personal and business
tax levels, minimum wage rates, and Right to
Work status, has slipped from 35th in 2008 to 45th
today.
“Oregon off ers the eighth-worst policy climate
for entrepreneurship and small business growth
among the 50 states,” the Small Business and En-
trepreneurship Council fi nds.
“Oregon imposes the second-highest personal
income and capital gains taxes, high unemploy-
ment taxes, a state death tax, and a high state
minimum wage. Oregon also has a weighty ener-
gy regulatory burden.”
Oregon has the lowest corporate taxes in the
nation, says the advocacy group A Better Oregon.
The average Oregonian is getting paid $1,000 to
$2,000 less today than they were in 2002.
At the same time, corporate profi ts have risen
by 170 percent and just reached a new record
high. According to a Council on State Taxation
study, in 2013, only $500 million of the $6.2 billion
the state collected in business taxes was from
corporate income, they state.
But the conservative Cascade Policy Institute
reaches far diff erent conclusions. The state’s
economic outlook, based on 15 public policies
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CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
The Cannon Beach Gazette is published
every other week by EO Media Group.
Sunday, Feb. 28
MOORE, Boice R. — Cel-
ebration of life at 2 p.m., Our
Saviour’s Lutheran Church,
320 First Ave. in Seaside.
Reception follows at the Sea-
side Fire Hall, 150 S. Lincoln
St. Moore, 79, of Manzanita,
died Monday, Feb. 1, 201,
in Portland. Crown Memorial
Center in Tualatin is in charge
of the arrangements.
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Copyright 2015 © Cannon Beach Gazette. Nothing can
be reprinted or copied without consent of the owners.
annon Beach is very unique in many ways, while in
other ways it is like many small towns. We look back
on a bygone time, our memories dulled by nostalgia.
Remember when so-and-so did this, or this was like that? It
is easy to forget that changes are often be good, even if they
do inevitably alter
the feel or look of a
REFLECTIONS
town.
ELAINE TRUCKE
One big change
for the small town
of Cannon Beach
occurred in 1927
was when eight local
women took it upon themselves to organize the “Cannon
Beach Civic Club.” The ¿ rst step was to provide the town
with a library. Books were brought in from the Oregon State
Library in Salem for the town. That isn’t the only thing that
these women organized. They also promoted street lighting
(back when street lights had to be lit), garbage disposals,
better roads, and general beauti¿ cation of the town.
The group managed these “projects,” some might say the
town, until 1947 when the Commercial Club got its start.
The Cannon Beach Civic Club became the Cannon Beach
Library and the Women’s Club. The Commercial Club took
over many of these projects, with the exception of baking
pies every Thanksgiving and Christmas for the bachelors in
town.
Many towns were deeply affected by World War II.
This was a war that was just too close to home for many.
It inspired many towns to take stock of their programs and
organizations. Shortly after the end of the war, a home in
Cannon Beach burned to the ground. It wasn’t the ¿ rst time
by any means, but it was the ¿ rst time that a death was
related to the ¿ re. It was this ¿ re that inspired the formation
of the Commercial Club. The club’s ¿ rst order of business
was the formation of the Cannon Beach Fire Department in
1947 and the organization of the town’s lifeguard program.
Cannon Beach had a lifeguard program the ¿ rst lifeguard
was hired in 1938. According to history books, the program
wasn’t sustained and the Commercial Club felt that the town
needed it to be. This is one of the reasons that the Cannon
Beach Fire Department and Lifeguard Department work so
closely together.
At this time in our history Cannon Beach wasn’t incorpo-
rated, so it was up to the Commercial Club to gather funds to
support these incredibly important programs. The Club also
collected funds to keep the street lights functioning, side-
walks repaired and more. Many of these tasks were taken
over when Cannon Beach became incorporated in 1957.
What would Cannon Beach be without its volunteer ¿ re-
¿ ghters or its warm and welcoming library? One of the few
libraries that still operates as a private nonpro¿ t, in essence
ensuring that both organizations remain owned by the town
and in so doing, adding to the town’s unique charm.
The perfect wardrobe for
birdwatching in the rain
A
fter growing up and living in Minnesota and then at
2,400 feet on MounbtAdams in Washington for a total
of 38 years, I love living where it doesn’t snow massive
amounts all winter long. I have never had to shovel rain!
That said, I don’t totally love the rain when I want to bird.
Keeping binoculars and eyeglasses free of water can be a real
issue, as was the case last month when I was hunting for the
pine grosbeak at Fort
Clatsop.
My husband bought BIRD NOTES
me a terri¿ c hat with
SUSAN BOAC
a wide brim to keep
rain off my glasses and
the back of my neck (I
don’t like drips down
my back and I can’t wear a hood because then I can’t hear the
birds!) So this hat really serves a great purpose and makes me
look quite dapper as well!
The third or fourth trip out to Netul Landing at Fort Clatsop,
was one of the rainiest days we have had at 3.38 inches. As I
often do, I was wearing my fabulous hat and binoculars (with a
harness — another comfort gift from my loving husband) and
holding a handkerchief over the lens of my binocs. It was raining
so hard! Visibility was low and I thought my chances of seeing
the bird were minimal. But wait, I heard it and there is was only
25 feet from me. I glanced down at my binocs to remove the
cover and SPLOOSH, all the water that had been collecting, un-
beknownst to me, on my hat À ushed over my visual aids. 8GH!
Luckily the bird was cooperative and hung out until I slipped my
camera out, got a few shots and a video! (very cooperative).
I did my happy “saw a new bird” dance, learned a lesson
about my hat and for once didn’t mind about being wet!
Five people walked around the north Cannon Beach neighbor-
hood in February. Join the group for more birding adventures in
the Cannon Beach area. We meet the ¿ rst Sunday of the month
at the Lagoon Trail parking lot on Second Street at 9:00am. As
a group, we decide where the best birding is and bird until about
11. Bring binoculars and wear appropriate clothing. Everyone is
welcome! 8pcoming dates are March and April 3. Join us!
Also, please mark your calendars for April 9 — the fourth
annual North Oregon Coast Birdathon, an event inspired by
Cannon Beach’s 12 Days of Earth Day (April 11-22). Together
we will raise much needed funds for the rehabbing birds and
wildlife at the Wildlife Center of the North Coast. Information on
the birdathon can be found on the 12 Days of Earth Day website
at TwelveDaysofEarthDay.com.
Susan has spent her life enjoying the great outdoors from the
lakes and woods of northern Minnesota, Mt. Adams in Washing-
ton and now the Oregon beach environs. After spending many
pleasurable hours driving her avid birder parents around, she
has taken up birding as a passion, to the mixed emotions of her
husband Scott.
THE NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING