October 12, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A Jail is a necessity, not a luxury I COLIN MURPHEY/THE DAILY ASTORIAN The visitation room at the Clatsop County Jail. Please vote ‘yes’ on Measure 4-195 A s your elected sheriff of Clatsop County, I have always tried to do what is right for the majority of the people. This includes everyone, no matter what walk of life they may come from. I can tell you all kinds of stories related to having an inad- equate jail and the lack of accountability. We have more than 1,500 outstanding warrants. I can tell you people are released on a daily basis who consistently get out just hours or days after being arrested, then commit additional crimes at every level from shoplifting to domestic violence to murder. I can tell you the vulnerable, mentally ill and those with drug GUEST COLUMN dependencies default TOM BERGIN to the jail, where we do our best to take care of them — however, again due to lack of space, programs or proper treatment, real help is never fulfilled. I can tell you the current jail was originally built for 29 in- mates. It was overcrowded the day it opened almost 40 years ago in 1980. Every study (four) over the last 20 years has stated we need a minimum of 140 beds with room for future expansion. We have that opportunity now with the closing of the Oregon Youth Authority juvenile prison in Warrenton that was run by the state. It is in a good location away from neighborhoods and close to the current sheriff’s office. We would be repurposing an old build- ing into a modern facility able to meet the needs associated with keeping our community safe. This building would not only create accountability for the in- carcerated, but would also create a safer environment for mentally ill inmates. Most of them should not be there in the first place, but we often have many. It would also provide a better working environment for corrections deputies, mental health workers, drug and alcohol counselors, lawyers, doctors, nurses and clergy, all of whom work within the walls helping to create a place of rehabili- tation and again accountability. Some people say I want a remodeled jail because of my support of Measure 105, which would repeal the state sanctuary law. They say I want to lock up all illegal immigrants. That is the furthest thing from the truth. It just doesn’t happen like that. There are still many laws in place to protect everyone, no matter where they come from or what they believe. I have dedicated my life to protecting rights and upholding the law. I will continue to do so as long as I serve as your sheriff. However, without the accountability of incarceration — cou- pled with treatment and compassion — we are just spinning our wheels and not helping anyone to become productive, sober or mentally balanced to integrate back into society. Think what you may about me, but know I have spent 33 years serving this community and doing my best to maintain the integrity of the law. Clatsop County is in dire need of a jail facility that will work with our criminal justice partners such as the courts, mental health and the previously mentioned numerous other entities. Clatsop County is a beautiful place to live and a beautiful place to visit. If you truly want our community to be a safer place through accountability and compassion, please vote “yes” on Measure 4-195 to fix our current situation. n many ways jails are orphans. Most of its “users,” or those directly affected by them, are confined to the victims of more serious crime, the officers who arrest those accused, and the people accused of crimes. On the November ballot coming soon to your mailbox is Clatsop County Measure 4-195, which would authorize bonds to remodel the mothballed Oregon Youth Authority detention facility in Warrenton into a much-needed county jail. The cost to families with a house assessed at roughly $200,000 would be about $43 a year, a fraction of what is being asked for by local school districts and other GUEST COLUMN local districts. JOSHUA MARQUIS The difference, of course, who does a jail actually serve? As your elected district attorney for the last quarter century, I can say without hesitation, a jail is there to protect you, your family and your neighbors. Oregon has one of the lower incarceration rates in the nation and criminals need to really outdo themselves to actually get locked up. Even in more serious felony crimes, only 30 percent of convicted felons go to prison. That means 70 percent of convicted felons stay in the community, may do some local jail time and hopefully learn stealing, selling drugs, or driving under the influence are not good ways to live. But even if you or your family don’t “use” the jail, it is as necessary to a safe and livable community as a hospital. You probably don’t want to go there, either, but you sure want it there if needed. Some might say that as a career prosecutor, of course I advocate for a jail. However this winter, after 40 years in law enforcement, 38 years as a lawyer, and 25 years as your DA, I will become a private citizen, who hopefully has no more personal need for the jail as most of you. There are many reasons this bond needs to pass. This is the third try in 15 years. It is a likely one-time use of an existing state facility that might otherwise cost taxpayers twice as much. But most importantly it is because for the entire justice system to work, from police to probation, prosecutors to judges, drug treatment to restraining orders, there has to be an empty jail bed available if a judge determines it is appropriate. Most people arrested, even for their third drunk driving offense, do not await trial in jail. At a cap of 60, the jail is one- third its needed capacity and dangerous felons are released every week. A few years ago one of those men murdered two young women just a few weeks later in Portland. That should never happen. Some people have claimed that the sheriff’s political views should be punished by rejecting a desperately needed public building. That is spiteful and short-sighted. If I had a dollar for every time a crime victim or family member tearfully asked me why the abuser of someone’s spouse or child was walking free, I’d be a rich man. Immigration cases have not been held in the county jail for at least a decade. It’s far too full of people charged with violent felonies who are citizens. There are a limited number of times the county is willing to go to the voters for a need like this, which many think will never impact them. Women will be abused if their abusers are not held in jail, children will be beaten or worse. This is not a scare tactic. This is actual experience, in this county. Measure 4-195 is a modest proposal, using the Oregon Youth Authority facility the state abandoned. I doubt it will be usable in the same way in four to five years. Many people claim the jail does not affect them because 1) their family or friends aren’t locked up, 2) they haven’t been the victim of a serious crime, or 3) if we don’t build a jail crime will magically decrease. That’s called “magical thinking” for a reason. Do not be misled by emotion or a lack of empathy for the victims of crime, who tend to be women, children, and the poor, far more than people like me. Please join me in voting “yes” on Measure 4-195. Joshua Marquis is Clatsop County’s district attorney. Seaside Public Library is a hot spot to be L ately I’ve realized folks don’t know everything the Seaside Public Library offers and because we keep adding things, sometimes we forget to toot our own horn. Did you know that the Seaside Public Library offers way more than books? Here is a refresher course on just how many cool and awesome things we offer at the Seaside Public Library. We offer all these things to out of town folks for the price of a library card. For folks in the city limits of Seaside, your card is free, we just need to see proof of who you are and where you live. First of all, we have a few books. OK, make that a lot of books. In fact, we have thousands of books. Plus, if you don’t like the books we have, we can get you just about any other book you are looking for with a few exceptions, just give us a few weeks’ time to find it and get it to you. We request and borrow books from other libraries in Oregon and across the United States. In fact, one time we even got a book from Langley, Virginia, from the Central Intelligence Agency library. Yes, they loan out books too. I don’t remember what the title was but likely it was something about spying or going undercover. We also have sev- eral thousand music CDs and over 5,000 DVDs and Blu-ray disks. We also offer magazines and news- papers. We have about forty different magazines we subscribe to and you can check out the back issues. The latest BETWEEN THE COVERS ESTHER MOBERG issue is for in the library only. We also have audiobooks on CD which are great for listening to on long road trips in your car. We also have something called Play- aways which are an entire book in one little box that you can attach headphones to. These are great if you want to take an audiobook on a walk or to your job. The box is small enough to carry easily in a pocket. If you are looking to do a little research on the Seaside area, a great way to start is the back issues of the Seaside Signal newspaper. We have the entire newspaper on microfilm going back to the early 1900s and staff are happy to help show you how to use the digital mi- crofilm reader. You can print out pages as you go along. The library also has an energy meter called a Kill A Watt. If you plug this into outlets around your house and follow the instructions, you can find out just how much energy you are using and maybe even find out some ways to reduce your electricity costs. Something new that we offer at the library is Wi-Fi hot spots. This is a small box you can take home for a week and it will give you free Internet access for up to 10 devices! We offer this service so more people have access to the Internet. We have a lot of demand for this hot spot so unfortunately, at least for now, a week at a time is all you can check it out for before getting back in the line of people waiting to use it again. We have two of these devices. They work in the car or in your home. We love when folks bike to the library and we offer free bike locks for use while in the library. Just let us hold your ID for you and you can use a bike lock to chain up your bike to our bike rack while you are in the library! While you are in the library, feel free to use our wireless or Wi-Fi internet connection. In today’s digital age, people walk in carrying a smart phone, tablet, and a laptop and they can connect them all to our Wi-Fi. Just ask for the password at the library’s front desk. For those a little less connected, we also offer public computers. We allow ninety minutes per day for adults to surf the Internet, look for a job, check your email, we have the Microsoft office suite on all 14 of the computers in the adult computer lab. This is just a small sampling of what the library offers. We also offer over 250 programs each year for kids, teens, and adults. Our monthly calendar always has listed what is available at the library and the full calendar can be found in the library or the latest events can be found at www.seasidelibrary.org. LETTERS Letters from Page 4A workout rooms and found them small but adequate. The middle school just next door to the SEPRD property will soon be vacated. The fate of that property is now an unknown. This should be a consideration when planning this project. I feel that it is premature to request $20 for this project. Remember that a larger facili- ty will cost considerably more for operations. Improvements have recently been made so let’s get some use out of those first! Now is not the time to ask the taxpayers to pay for this project. Taxes are already too high. Please vote no. Diane Wells Seaside A response to mean-spirited letter In response to the letter written by Jane Gable and printed in The Daily Astorian on Oct. 4: It is easy to determine this writer refers to Kerry Smith, who is the only one, with an opponent, running for re-elec- tion to the Gearhart City Coun- cil. In response to these false accusations: Neither Kerry or I would ever condone the stealing of signs or the stealing of any- thing. We are saddened this has happened. I can assure you Kerry is not desperate. He left for Africa before his opponent’s signs were placed. He has no idea what these signs look like. He carried with him 50 new T-shirts and school supplies for orphaned children with AIDS. Kerry and I are fortunate to have many friends. We are proud of the company we keep. They come from all walks of life and cultures. They include doctors, carpenters, plumbers, professors, librarians, land- scapers, waitresses, yoga in- structors, and more. Things we have in common are our open minds, care for others, and working to make the world a better place. Kerry has taken the job of Gearhart City Councilor se- riously, spending a great deal of time studying Gearhart’s Comprehensive Plan and ordi- nances. He prepares for meet- ings, reading the minutes dili- gently. If he has questions he seeks answers from higher au- thorities in specialized fields. In 2016 he cancelled a trip to visit our daughter in England, to attend a special meeting. Kerry is a dedicated city coun- cilor who studies facts before jumping to conclusions. Far from desperate, Kerry Smith is an individual who is intelli- gent, honest, and committed to Gearhart. Susan Edy Gearhart Candidate seeks positive campaign Though I am continents away, I have heard about my opponent’s signs disappearing. I would like to urge anyone who is involved in this activity to stop immediately and return the signs. This behavior is illegal. It gives our town a bad name, helping no one. Thank you to those who are supporting my campaign in a positive way. Everyone can ex- press their opinions by writing letters to the editor of The Daily Astorian or Signal. In hindsight, I would also like to thank Al Carder, my former opponent, who conducted himself with respect and dignity throughout the entire 2014 campaign. Ulti- mately, it is you the people of Gearhart, who will make your choice through the voting pro- cess. I urge you to vote on or before Tuesday, Nov. 6. Gearhart is a special town made up of kind, highly intel- ligent people, who may or may not have a college degree. The majority respect one anoth- er, look out for one another, and live together in harmony, though they may have different beliefs. These people are not about telling others how things should be. Gearhart folks like the way things are and that is why they live here. That is why I live here. Please help protect what we have. Kerry Smith Gearhart Candidate asks your vote Reflecting on the interview between Kerry Smith and my- self there are many practical differences which I believe Gearhart needs to know. The following are a few of those differences: • Smith on at least two oc- casions has stated Gearhart needs to be dragged into the 21st century; • Smith advocates for the city annexing new lands for high-density affordable apart- ments; and • Smith’s response to the lack of budgeting regarding many of the livability goals of the city’s comprehensive plan was: “The city is short on rev- enues.” As to Gearhart being dragged into the 21st centu- ry — I believe this is Smith’s code for more growth. His- torically Gearhart has always managed to determine its own cultural values. Taxpayers do not require an interpreter to shape their life styles or val- ues. The continual reliance on the comprehensive plan is probably driven by some form of revenue sharing but this also leads to increasing encroach- ment by county and state gov- ernment into Gearhart affairs. Smith took an additional step by advocating for annex- ation to accommodate afford- able high density apartments in north Gearhart. I understand how critical affordable hous- ing is to our small businesses, our tourism, and our aging population. However, Smith neglected to address the oper- ative word of affordability. He neglected to acknowledge the stress and costs such growth would place on all support services and natural resourc- es. The issue of affordability doesn’t need to be placed on the Gearhart taxpayer. This is a regional issue and should be left to the county and state to formulate and fund — Gear- hart can determine its appro- priate role, if any, after fund- ing sources are resolved. This upcoming vote is about enhancing the condition of all Gearhart residents. Its a vote for historical and cultural values. Its a vote to protect and improve our habitat and our livability but most important- ly its a vote to keep Gearhart just the way it is. Gearhart’s uniqueness, as in the past, is now caught between the ex- treme pressures of commer- cialization and high density urbanization. Smith’s lack of solutions will do nothing to diminish this dilemma. How- ever, if you believe as I do, Gearhart deserves to enhance its beauty; to hold on to its uniqueness and to protect our oasis by the sea, then I ask for your vote. Jack Zimmerman Gearhart Vote for Kerry Smith It is an honor for us to come out in full-throated support of Kerry Smith for re-election to the Gearhart City Council, Po- sition 1. And here is why: Over these past four years, Kerry has given thoughtful consideration and deliberation to the pressing issues our city has faced. In fact, existential is- sues that rocked the very foun- dation of keeping Gearhart as it was intended to be at its 1918 incorporation … a primarily residential community. In this regard, he was a huge part of creating the short-term rental regulations, helping to carry Gearhart’s primarily residential community legacy forward. He worked tirelessly to re- solve the dune vegetation issue that so weighed the city down in the last few years. Kerry believes in compro- mise and listening to the voices of his constituents. He has an impressive voting record and a record of working well with the council. Having lived in Gearhart for over 33 years, Kerry has a thorough understanding of our comprehensive plan. He realiz- es just what that means to the integrity and livability of Gear- hart. He lives by this plan and by the city ordinances. He believes in transparency and making sure his constituents are well-informed on all issues at hand, including the budget. He is not afraid to stand his ground in support of the comp plan and the best interests of Gearhart. Please join us in re-electing Kerry Smith. Jeanne and Wilson Mark Gearhart