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The INDEPENDENT, November 6, 2003
Nonvoters make travesty
of democratic elections
There was a time in Oregon when citizens had the
right to vote for or against issues without interference.
That time is long gone and it was Oregon voters who
threw away that unique element of a free and demo
cratic society.
Now, if a voter wants to say yes to a ballot measure
supporting a service as vital as 9-1-1 dispatching, an
other voter doesn’t even have to cast a ballot to nullify
that yes vote. This process blocks access to a fair elec
tion as surely as though thugs were blocking the door
to the polling place.
This may even be a violation of federal election law.
Perhaps state government should take a closer look.
Public transportation, ala
Columbia County BOC
Remember last year, when the Columbia County
Board of Commissioners wanted to develop a more ef
ficient transportation system? They started out by tor
pedoing the Council of Seniors, effectively encourag
ing the state to decertify the only agency that served
ALL seniors in the county and that, coincidentally, op
erated the only countywide transportation system.
Well, the BOC took over this summer, and senior cit
izens in Vernonia no longer have public transportation
to Portland unless they go first to St. Helens.
Smaaaart!
Don’t worry, though, the BOC will fix it just as soon
as they get enough money!
Remarkable, isn’t it? Senior citizens operated a bus
system with routes determined by the needs of people
in each community - with the same amount of money
that is absolutely, totally insufficient for the BOC!
The seniors had fund raisers to supplement the rural
transportation funds they received, they also used to
receive some money from the county. There was nev
er quite enough money, but they managed.
Columbia County Commissioners are going to im
prove the system, though - just as soon as they get
$146,464 more in grants! The lack of a system that
can’t even meet what the Senior Council supplied is all
the fault of the federal government!
Remarkable conclusion, but it just isn’t surprising.
Ike Says. . .
By Dale Webb, Member
Nehalem Valley Chapter, Izaak Walton League
This year’s Chinook
salmon run was very excit
ing. The fall Salmon Festi
val was a great success
and will surely grow in the
future. An unofficial esti
mate of the Chinook
salmon run in the Nehalem
this year was 45,000 en
tering the bay and 30,000
making their way up the river. This salmon run
has definitely made a huge comeback since the
‘60s. Part of the reason for that comeback has
been increased protection of spawning fish in
the upper Nehalem. The success in this protec
tion was the acceptance by the public that these
spawning fish had a value other than just some
thing to eat or kill for the fun if it. Without people
being active protectors, these fish would not
have fared as well as they have.
Another part of the equation of why these fish
have rebounded, is reduced fishing of these
stocks in Canadian waters. When these fish
leave the Nehalem as smolts, they turn north
and forage in Southern Alaska and Canadian
waters. Because of disputes between American
and Canadian fishermen and the resulting com
promises that have been developed, the Ne
halem Chinook salmon are not as heavily har
vested in the northern waters. As this run contin
ues to build, it will lead to increases in allowable
harvest and continued spectacular spawning
viewing. This run is also leading to ever increas
ing nutrient enrichment of the Nehalem system,
something that experts discovered has been
lacking in coastal waters for some time, and may
well lead to recovery of other fishes like Cut
throat Trout, Coho and Steelhead. The amazing
thing is, this is all occurring without a hatchery,
it’s all natural—the way it was in the past.
In 1998, the citizens of Oregon approved Bal
lot Measure 66, which allows 15 percent of lot
tery proceeds to be split between state parks
and agencies protecting native salmon, wildlife
habitat and watersheds. Many of us remember
the uproar when the legislature cut the general
fund budgets of state parks and GWEB (Gover
nor’s Watershed Enhancement Board, now
called OWEB) and backfilled with Measure 66
monies, effectively keeping the budgets flat,
when most Oregonians expected an increase in
these agencies’ budgets.
This controversy resurfaced after the latest
legislative session, when it was discovered that
over five million dollars was diverted from Mea
sure 66 funds for a new research facility at the
Fall Creek fish hatchery, on a tributary of the
Alsea River (People remember the Fall Creek
hatchery from news coverage showing hatchery
personnel clubbing salmon, which created a
furor among fishermen, landowners and the
state legislature.). The legality of this money
transfer has been questioned on the grounds
that this does not follow the intent of Measure
66. The Oregon attorney general has decided
that it does follow the intent of Measure 66 and
the transfer of money will proceed.
So what will we get for the approximately
$7,000,000 appropriated for the new facility? To
answer this question I contacted the Newport of-
Please see page 20