As far as I know people who work for government don't have an automatic tax exemption for doing so. They pay taxes. They pay fees.
When we talk about government on the show there is a tendency for the conversation to steer toward how many government workers there are, what they make and the benefits they get. As a result of this people who are government workers tend to get stuck in a silo.
We applaud firemen as heroes. We recognize that members of our military provide an important contribution to our collective security and safety. How many times has the Coast Guard gone out in incredibly dangerous conditions to save lives around here? Who responds to emergencies and battles crime? Yet when it comes to discussions about government growth we tend to forget all about that.
As far as the local economy goes it is pretty clear that our exposure to the country's financial meltdown has been buffered somewhat by the large number of government workers that live here. Those paychecks helped keep many local businesses afloat.
Saying that we could solve all our money problems by cutting back or freezing government growth sounds like an easy solution until you consider the whole picture.
Comments expressed
April 15, 2010
April 14, 2010
Just Not Nice
The "crash the tea party" project inspired by an Oregon teacher is just plain nasty. It does nothing to add to the debate over the priorities in this country. What it does do is take the discussion to the level of "Jackass The Movie" which reflects poorly on progressives and the real issues they must deal with.
People who are part of the tea party movement are passionate about what they are attempting to do but temper that passion with a sense of reason about their cause. They don't dismiss government waste as the cost of doing business. They call for a different approach and use visible protest to make their point. They have a right to do that without interference.
If you disagree then by all means you can counter protest. In Astoria we see this every Friday on the 8th street turn.
People who are part of the tea party movement are passionate about what they are attempting to do but temper that passion with a sense of reason about their cause. They don't dismiss government waste as the cost of doing business. They call for a different approach and use visible protest to make their point. They have a right to do that without interference.
If you disagree then by all means you can counter protest. In Astoria we see this every Friday on the 8th street turn.
April 13, 2010
The County Says....
In its latest ruling, LUBA accepted the county’s definition of “small to moderate scale” development as affecting less than 100 acres, but ruled that certain development activity proposed for the Bradwood project, including in-river dredging, on-site areas disturbed by construction of the terminal and pipeline, and off-site disturbed by construction of the gas pipeline must be considered in determining whether the 100-acre threshold has been exceeded.
“On remand, the county should calculate that acreage based on our conclusions set forth above about the types of activities that constitute ‘development activity’ ‘at Bradwood,’” the ruling states.
LUBA also ruled that the definition of “protect” contained in the latest findings did not meet the requirements of statewide planning goals. In doing so, LUBA provided clearer direction to the county on remand by stating that “the development that is to be allowed by the disputed rezone is not consistent with the Goal definition of ‘protect’ unless the measures proposed in seeking to rezone the property are sufficient to reduce harm to such a degree that there is at most a de minimus or insignificant impact on the resources that those policies require to be protected.”
The state panel rejected a third argument raised by opponents – that the county commissioners improperly limited public input at the 2009 hearing by redacting portions of some written comments that did not directly address the two remand issues.
At this point it is the decision of the applicant, Bradwood/NorthernStar, whether to request that the county hold another public hearing to address the remand issues. The applicant also has the option of appealing the LUBA ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals.
“On remand, the county should calculate that acreage based on our conclusions set forth above about the types of activities that constitute ‘development activity’ ‘at Bradwood,’” the ruling states.
LUBA also ruled that the definition of “protect” contained in the latest findings did not meet the requirements of statewide planning goals. In doing so, LUBA provided clearer direction to the county on remand by stating that “the development that is to be allowed by the disputed rezone is not consistent with the Goal definition of ‘protect’ unless the measures proposed in seeking to rezone the property are sufficient to reduce harm to such a degree that there is at most a de minimus or insignificant impact on the resources that those policies require to be protected.”
The state panel rejected a third argument raised by opponents – that the county commissioners improperly limited public input at the 2009 hearing by redacting portions of some written comments that did not directly address the two remand issues.
At this point it is the decision of the applicant, Bradwood/NorthernStar, whether to request that the county hold another public hearing to address the remand issues. The applicant also has the option of appealing the LUBA ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals.
April 12, 2010
The Trolley Pulpit
We played tourist yesterday. It's one of the perks when you live here. We went to the Maritime Museum to renew our membership and take in the new exhibit there. The exhibit tells the story of the Columbia River bar from the perspective of the bar pilots and it's exceptional. It's the first time I saw video of the old pilot boat and how they used the launch to reach ships coming into the channel in huge seas. Those pilots make it look easy when they stand out on the deck and time the waves to grab the rope ladder leading up to the ship they will pilot over the bar. There is also an old film showing how they used to use a row boat to get to the ships. Just amazing.
Then we decided to jump on the trolley and ride it from end to end. It was fun to hear the commentary on points of interest along the way and I appreciate the people who volunteer time to run the trolley. Then as we were heading under the big bridge with a new conductor he talked authoritatively about the bridge and pointed out the big wooden fenders saying they are there to help protect the bridge pylons from collisions.
Then he goes on to talk about LNG tankers that could someday be going under that bridge and stated that "a few of us" are concerned about that and what would happen if one of those tankers should lose it's steering when going under the bridge. He went on at some length. I was sorely tempted to say something but my wife reined me in. I'm glad she did. It would have accomplished little other than to make the tourists uncomfortable. It reminded me of the last time I rode the trolley and a conductor was commenting on the LNG tankers and how dangerous they would be and how "most" Astorians do not support LNG projects. I stopped riding the trolley for awhile after that.
My issue is simply that I don't believe it's appropriate for that conductor to express his or her opinion and assign that as the opinion of the people of Astoria. It's certainly not mine. If the conductor wants to state a personal opinion that's okay (maybe not the appropriate venue but expression of a personal opinion is very different from representing that opinion as that of the people in the town). The trolley volunteer organization should take steps to curb this kind of thing.
I'm really not angry about it. It just sparks a knee-jerk reaction on my part. I was less disturbed after some time passed and this conductor started mispronouncing common local names and in talking about the Kindergarten Cop mural on Astor Elementary he says he's not sure if it's an elementary school or not. Obviously he hasn't lived here long. A newby who donates time can be forgiven an indiscretion.
The incident got me to thinking about the influence that the Trolley can have on outside opinion. Locals are very familiar with the LNG issue and many know far more about ship propulsion than the fellow who was offering his opinion as mine. He probably wasn't here the year a storm caused the mooring lines to part on a large ship at Pier one. He never saw that huge ship set adrift and slamming into the big bridge. He wouldn't know that ODOT inspections later revealed absolutely no damage to the very pylons he says a few of us are worried about.
Anyway, it was an interesting afternoon yesterday.
Then we decided to jump on the trolley and ride it from end to end. It was fun to hear the commentary on points of interest along the way and I appreciate the people who volunteer time to run the trolley. Then as we were heading under the big bridge with a new conductor he talked authoritatively about the bridge and pointed out the big wooden fenders saying they are there to help protect the bridge pylons from collisions.
Then he goes on to talk about LNG tankers that could someday be going under that bridge and stated that "a few of us" are concerned about that and what would happen if one of those tankers should lose it's steering when going under the bridge. He went on at some length. I was sorely tempted to say something but my wife reined me in. I'm glad she did. It would have accomplished little other than to make the tourists uncomfortable. It reminded me of the last time I rode the trolley and a conductor was commenting on the LNG tankers and how dangerous they would be and how "most" Astorians do not support LNG projects. I stopped riding the trolley for awhile after that.
My issue is simply that I don't believe it's appropriate for that conductor to express his or her opinion and assign that as the opinion of the people of Astoria. It's certainly not mine. If the conductor wants to state a personal opinion that's okay (maybe not the appropriate venue but expression of a personal opinion is very different from representing that opinion as that of the people in the town). The trolley volunteer organization should take steps to curb this kind of thing.
I'm really not angry about it. It just sparks a knee-jerk reaction on my part. I was less disturbed after some time passed and this conductor started mispronouncing common local names and in talking about the Kindergarten Cop mural on Astor Elementary he says he's not sure if it's an elementary school or not. Obviously he hasn't lived here long. A newby who donates time can be forgiven an indiscretion.
The incident got me to thinking about the influence that the Trolley can have on outside opinion. Locals are very familiar with the LNG issue and many know far more about ship propulsion than the fellow who was offering his opinion as mine. He probably wasn't here the year a storm caused the mooring lines to part on a large ship at Pier one. He never saw that huge ship set adrift and slamming into the big bridge. He wouldn't know that ODOT inspections later revealed absolutely no damage to the very pylons he says a few of us are worried about.
Anyway, it was an interesting afternoon yesterday.
April 08, 2010
Circus Animals
I picked this post off our webfoot.womf.com site this morning. The proposal is worthy of discussion.
...................................................................................................................................................................
Ban on Animal Circuses in Clatsop.
Because of the horrendous cruelty involved in training animals to perform in circuses, because of the lack of veterinary care, and because there are many excellent non-animal circuses, I am proposing a ban on animal circuses. I will submit my request to the County Commissioners on Wednesday 21 April. Will you sign a petition in this regard? Or,if you support such a ban please email me at janellicott@earthlink.net.Thank you.Janice Robertson, Astoria.
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The old fashioned style circus Jan talks about is a dinosaur from another era. It is difficult to prove cruelty in training and that has been argued for years but there is a larger principal involved here. It comes down to a single question: Are we being good stewards?
Elephants in captivity is a great example of bad stewardship. The argument is that somehow we are doing these animals a favor by taking them out of the wild and using them for our personal entertainment. People point out that man has had a working relationship with these animals for centuries. People say these elephants have been born in captivity and were never wild. What would happen if we just stopped breeding them? How about another? Why are we holding Killer Whales in captivity? What is the point to that other than to add to the coffers of the companies that use them for entertainment?
I tend to agree with Jan. Banning animal circuses from Clatsop County is not going to change things on a worldwide level anytime soon. It is a step in the right direction.
...................................................................................................................................................................
Ban on Animal Circuses in Clatsop.
Because of the horrendous cruelty involved in training animals to perform in circuses, because of the lack of veterinary care, and because there are many excellent non-animal circuses, I am proposing a ban on animal circuses. I will submit my request to the County Commissioners on Wednesday 21 April. Will you sign a petition in this regard? Or,if you support such a ban please email me at janellicott@earthlink.net.Thank you.Janice Robertson, Astoria.
.....................................................................................................................................................................
The old fashioned style circus Jan talks about is a dinosaur from another era. It is difficult to prove cruelty in training and that has been argued for years but there is a larger principal involved here. It comes down to a single question: Are we being good stewards?
Elephants in captivity is a great example of bad stewardship. The argument is that somehow we are doing these animals a favor by taking them out of the wild and using them for our personal entertainment. People point out that man has had a working relationship with these animals for centuries. People say these elephants have been born in captivity and were never wild. What would happen if we just stopped breeding them? How about another? Why are we holding Killer Whales in captivity? What is the point to that other than to add to the coffers of the companies that use them for entertainment?
I tend to agree with Jan. Banning animal circuses from Clatsop County is not going to change things on a worldwide level anytime soon. It is a step in the right direction.
April 02, 2010
NHA Highlights
" The location of the proposed Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area is one of the most distinctive geographical points on the North American continent"
That quote taken from the just released feasibility study on the proposed National Heritage Area for this region. The comprehensive 135 page report details the history, the community connections and the resiliency of the area over time. It details the reasons why this area is unique and worthy of designation.
The study commissioned by the National Park Service sets the stage for an entirely new way to administer NHA's through the use of an organization most of us are already familiar with.
NHA programs are not run by the National Park Service. They are local efforts administered by a coordinating entity that is identified by the NHA's authorizing legislation. Early NHA's were typically run by a locally appointed commission that would use any federal funding received to focus on education, visitor programming and facilities, branding and regional promotion rather than on economic development activities. Typically those early commissions would use the federal funds to make small grants and once the money was gone the program would disappear in many cases.
The proposed coordinating entity for the Columbia-Pacific NHA is Shorebank Enterprise Cascadia. You may be more familiar with Shorebank Pacific. That organization merged with another to form the current organization. Shorebank isn't a traditional bank at all. It is a non-profit organization that has the capability to capitalize projects using grants from foundations and private individuals matching those funds against government grants to build sustainable loan funds. They use a number of other methods to finance projects that around here has included the Mill Pond Village, The Red Building Bridgewater Bistro, The Hanthorn Cannery at pier 39 and the rebuild of Clatsop Community College, just to name a very few. They have a results oriented way of doing business and they look for projects that will meet more than one need in the community.
According the the study it is rare that a coordinating entity would have the tools to directly invest capital in communities.
Monday morning I'll be talking with the National Park Service on the show and then Wednesday I'll be talking with Shorebank.
We'll be talking about what this designation means. Why should you take an interest? What will it allow us to do in the future that we can't easily do now without being part of an NHA? What opportunity does this present for local business? Does this designation impact our ability to change with the times or do we instead become frozen? Does an NHA designation make it more difficult to deal with our already tough land use regulations? How will Shorebank incorporate this responsibility? What kind of heritage projects would they entertain? Will there be grants available at all?
That quote taken from the just released feasibility study on the proposed National Heritage Area for this region. The comprehensive 135 page report details the history, the community connections and the resiliency of the area over time. It details the reasons why this area is unique and worthy of designation.
The study commissioned by the National Park Service sets the stage for an entirely new way to administer NHA's through the use of an organization most of us are already familiar with.
NHA programs are not run by the National Park Service. They are local efforts administered by a coordinating entity that is identified by the NHA's authorizing legislation. Early NHA's were typically run by a locally appointed commission that would use any federal funding received to focus on education, visitor programming and facilities, branding and regional promotion rather than on economic development activities. Typically those early commissions would use the federal funds to make small grants and once the money was gone the program would disappear in many cases.
The proposed coordinating entity for the Columbia-Pacific NHA is Shorebank Enterprise Cascadia. You may be more familiar with Shorebank Pacific. That organization merged with another to form the current organization. Shorebank isn't a traditional bank at all. It is a non-profit organization that has the capability to capitalize projects using grants from foundations and private individuals matching those funds against government grants to build sustainable loan funds. They use a number of other methods to finance projects that around here has included the Mill Pond Village, The Red Building Bridgewater Bistro, The Hanthorn Cannery at pier 39 and the rebuild of Clatsop Community College, just to name a very few. They have a results oriented way of doing business and they look for projects that will meet more than one need in the community.
According the the study it is rare that a coordinating entity would have the tools to directly invest capital in communities.
Monday morning I'll be talking with the National Park Service on the show and then Wednesday I'll be talking with Shorebank.
We'll be talking about what this designation means. Why should you take an interest? What will it allow us to do in the future that we can't easily do now without being part of an NHA? What opportunity does this present for local business? Does this designation impact our ability to change with the times or do we instead become frozen? Does an NHA designation make it more difficult to deal with our already tough land use regulations? How will Shorebank incorporate this responsibility? What kind of heritage projects would they entertain? Will there be grants available at all?
April 01, 2010
Heritage Area Study Released
http://www.nps.gov/lewi/parkmgmt/upload/Entire%20NHA%20Study%20-web.pdf
Follow the link to download the 135 page Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area Feasibility Study.
Happy reading
Follow the link to download the 135 page Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area Feasibility Study.
Happy reading
New Century, Same Issues
Way back in the 20th century we struggled with the issue of jail overcrowding. Those of you old enough to remember will recall how in spite of some very good arguments people in the old century just didn't care. In those days people only got involved in matters affecting them personally. It was the "ME" century in every way imaginable.
Things must have changed as we entered the dawn of the 21st century. People must have changed. I say this because once again our elected notables have begun to discuss jail overcrowding.
I hope they do another study.
Things must have changed as we entered the dawn of the 21st century. People must have changed. I say this because once again our elected notables have begun to discuss jail overcrowding.
I hope they do another study.
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