KAST COASTWATCH

Can You Go Too Far?

2009-12-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

When it comes to our men and women in uniform I don't think so.

Judging from what I hear from many of you the feeling is mutual yet our government, that makes so many demands on these people, consistently fails to meet those human needs which help sustain our troops and support their families. That responsibility falls on those who organize care package campaigns aimed at supplying basic needs.

Lets take something real simple. Phone calls home. Why should servicemen and women working in war zones have to depend on their, or their family's personal resources to make a phone call? I find it ridiculous that families have to send prepaid phone cards overseas to have the opportunity to hear from their loved ones. Why can't this be a service that is simply provided as a small acknowledgment of the sacrifice these people and their families make?

How about something more complex and yet necessary? Transport.

The law does not allow the military to disrupt operational transport functions to prioritize getting military personnel home on leave. If there is space available on scheduled transportation then the law allows military personnel to hitch a ride but there is no scheduled transport into and out of Afghanistan, or Iraq or any of the other places around the world where the U.S. has a presence that approaches what commercial airlines do everyday.

If you are a Marine with two or three weeks leave before being sent off to a hot zone your chances of hitching a ride to see your family before that happens are dismally small.

How about just making sure that when personnel are transported they are going to be taken care of when they get to their destination?

As we've recently seen logistical support that is supposed to move military personnel in a way that makes sense sometimes sends those troops to bases that won't even be open when they are scheduled to be there.

It takes Congressional pressure to fix it. Ridiculous.

We can bail out major corporations but we can't afford to pay for a soldier's phone call. Trillions for Wall Street, charity for our troops.

Something is out of whack.

Roberts A Keeper

2009-12-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

49% voter turn out and boy did people ever turn out for Patricia Roberts! 59% voted against the recall effort that was once again fueled by anti-LNG groups and a desire on the part of some to make a living as political activists in our community.

A note too on the Sierra Club.

I heard from some of you regarding my last rant on naughty non-profits that the Sierra Club is not a non-profit. Actually they are. They just aren't a 501(c)3 non-profit. They lost that status in the 60's over political actions the group took to oppose industrial projects. They established the Sierra Foundation as a 501(c)3 and transitioned Sierra Clubs to 501(c)4 non-profit status which allows for political activities. The Oregon Sierra Club states it is a non-profit on it's website (several times) they just don't tell you what kind they are. Contributions to 501(c)4 non-profits are not tax deductible.

Comment here: http://webfoot.womf.com/85265/Good-For-Voters

Why Not Sierra Club?

2009-12-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

There is a big stink over Columbia Riverkeepers involvement in the recall of Clatsop County Commissioners including a complaint filed with the IRS regarding CRK's status as a non-profit.

I would also like to point out that the local organizer/volunteer/staffer, whatever you wish to label her, Olivia Schmidt signed her emails not just representing CRK but also on behalf of Oregon Sierra Club, yet another outside organization obviously involved in local politics. If the investigation into misuse of non-profit status proceeds against CRK it should most certainly proceed against the Oregon Sierra Club. The Portland Audubon Society is also suspect in all this outside agitation. These organizations are guilty by association of misusing their non-profit status and inflicting pain on our communtiy and it's residents.

At very least, if you have been contributing to these organizations in the past you should reconsider your support.

Comment here: http://webfoot.womf.com/85123/Non-Profits-In-Politics

Coat Drive Success..Thank You

2009-12-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

Sunset Empire Transportation District (The Bus) is deserving of a big pat on the back for seeing a community need and filling it with their first winter coat drive.

The event could not have been a success without the generosity of local residents in our communities who heard our call and took the time to dig out those nice warm winter coats and jackets that have just been sitting in storage and meeting us at stops in Astoria, Warrenton, Gearhart and Seaside over the last three nights to donate them.

Hundreds and hundreds of coats will now be made available to those in our county who are most in need and most deserving of help.

Thank you

Winter Coat Drive III

2009-12-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

This is the final night for The Bus Coat Drive. Last night we had a great turn out in Warrenton and we've collected hundreds of coats for those in need so far and are looking for more.

Tonight is Gearhart and Seaside as we make stops in those communities asking people to bring clean, gently used coats or new coats to our drop off locations. Those coats will go to the Christmas basket and clothing bank programs right here in Clatsop County.

On December 3rd we'll be making stops in Gearhart/Seaside

5:00pm Gearhart Builders Supply
5:30pm Seaside Factory Outlets
6:00pm Sunset Empire Pool

So please take some time to collect up all those coats you don't need, or maybe buy a new one and plan to come down to one of our pick-up locations. Coats will be distributed at the fairgrounds when people come to pick up Christmas food baskets..and yes we'll also take canned food donations.

Winter Coat Drive II

2009-12-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Last night Astorians were generous donating warm winter coats and jackets on the first night of our first coat drive sponsored by The Bus. Thanks to those who came down to our trolley bus stops we collected enough coats to fill every seat. That's a good start.

It's Warrenton's turn tonight. Here's the schedule of stops where we are asking you to bring down your gently used or new coats tonight:

5:00pm - 5:25pm Serendipity Cafe

5:30pm - 5:55pm Warrenton High School

6:00pm - 6:25pm Lums Auto Center

6:30pm - 7:00pm Vince Williams Suzuki

All coats are accepted, any size and will be made available to those in need during the annual Christmas basket and wishing tree gift pick-up at the fairgrounds. We are hoping to have several racks of coats available but we can't do that without your help. So please go through your closets and your storage today and plan to bring those coats you won't use to one of our stops tonight so we can get them to local people who can use them.

Tomorrow night we will be making stops in Gearhart and Seaside.

Winter Coat Drive

2009-12-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight we hit the streets looking for new or gently used warm winter coats in The Bus winter Coat Drive.

I'll be aboard The Bus Trolley as we make stops in Astoria this evening. First at the Columbia River Maritime Museum at 5pm and then at 5:30pm at the Astoria Transit Center. At 6pm we'll be at the new CRS Thrift Store at 7th and Bond across from the post office and at 6:30pm we'll be at Astoria High School.

Just gather all those coats you won't be using and do something nice for someone else in need this season and bring them down to one of those locations. As a special incentive we'll be giving out free raffle tickets for a chance to win bus passes including an annual pass and tickets to our listener appreciation concert with Andy Griggs coming up on December 11th at the liberty theater and tickets .
Then on December 2nd it's Warrenton's turn:

5:00pm Serendipity Cafe
5:30pm Warrenton High School
6:00pm Lums Auto Center
6:30pm Vince Williams Suzuki

On December 3rd we'll be making stops in Gearhart/Seaside

5:00pm Gearhart Builders Supply
5:30pm Seaside Factory Outlets
6:00pm Sunset Empire Pool

So please take some time to collect up all those coats you don't need, or maybe buy a new one and plan to come down to one of our pick-up locations. Coats will be distributed at the fairgrounds when people come to pick up Christmas food baskets..and yes we'll also take canned food donations..
The coats will be made available to families picking up Christmas baskets at the Fairgrounds.

Please do what you can.

Thanks

Beer Pong Safety

2009-11-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

With everything else in the world going on you would think I'd have something better to write about. I assure you this is an issue.

The drinking game called "Beer Pong" is responsible, in part, for the rapid spread of the H1N1 swine flu amongst young people who are in the primary target group for the disease.

It's true.

For those of you who don't know, Beer Pong is a game that has grown in popularity to the point where there is a championship in Vegas each year.

It started as a college drinking game but has reached the mainstream to the point where there is a virtual Beer Pong app for the IPhone.

Kids..Have fun but remember when you don't replace the cups once someone has drank from them then you are at risk. No, beer is not a disinfectant in spite of what you may have been told.

Happy Thanksgiving and remember to beer pong safely.

Comment here:http://webfoot.womf.com/84157/Beer-Pong-Safety

Well Worth It

2009-11-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

When the "rain" park concept on the Astoria waterfront at 9th street just didn't quite appeal to anyone a new idea came along.

A very good idea.

The concept of honoring Astoria's historical connection to China emerged in the proposal to take that pocket park and develop something there that would help tell the story of those Chinese immigrants who contributed so much to the town's history.

The Chinese Interpretive park is a worthy project and one we should support.

We had not heard very much publicly about the planning except that it would be challenging and that it would take both time and money to come up with a workable final plan that would ensure a quality endeavor.

Last week the city council dealt with a staff request regarding some bronze artwork that will be part of that tribute. The senior planner for the firm hired by the city to bring the park to reality has been working with a gentleman in China who owns a bronze foundry and had offered to donate the materials. This is something he has done throughout America in gratitude for medical care he received here, a kindness he felt needed to be repaid.

A caller questioned why the city council would approve an expenditure for the bronze work that would outsource the work to a foreign country instead of using a U.S. based operation such as one in Joseph, Oregon. The council approved an amount that actually goes to the firm working
on the planning to ensure their senior planner will oversee the production of the Chinese bronze work and it's acquisition. While the materials are donated, the work itself will cost just a little over $82,000 most of which has been raised by the local committee charged with executing the park along with a grant secured for the project by U.S. Congressman David Wu. The city took about $10,000 from the promote Astoria fund to make up the difference.

When the piece arrives we will have a wonderful example of genuine Chinese bronze work to display in that new park at far less than it might have cost to have it done here.

When the Chinese Garden was built in Portland a few years ago they not only imported artifacts from china to accomplish the project, they also imported the stone and brought in a team of carpenters and artisans from china to build the project because they could accurately construct all the rooms, walkways, and rain shelters that dot the garden.

Our project in Astoria won't involve that level of complexity but will be a very special place in our town. Obviously I support it. I hope you do as well.

Not A Leg To Stand On

2009-11-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading the findings of U.S. Magistrate Judge John Jelderks in the matter regarding Oregon LNG and the Port Of Astoria and individual commissioners.

Oregon LNG asked for a summary judgement on just one of five claims regarding the Port's failure to extend the state lease to 30 years with DSL to match the lease Oregon LNG holds with the Port on the lands on the Skippanon. That claim is very basic: Oregon LNG has renewed it's sublease for the land with the Port and that the Port is in breach of it's sublease obligation to extent the master lease with DSL for 30 years.

Judge Jelderks agrees with the claim saying, in part, that the Port's arguments for not entering the 30 year extension with the state are not supported by fact. He states that the claim should be granted Oregon LNG.

The Port had argued that Oregon LNG "could be" in material breach of the sublease because they did not submit a final master plan that included an 18 hole golf course on the property. The judge found that the sublease required Oregon LNG and the Port to submit that plan. When final version of the plan was submitted he says the Port did not object to the lack of a golf course.
Further he says when the zoning was changed on the land to a use that would be incompatible with a golf course the Port did not object. Judge Jelderks says there is no evidence to suggest that Oregon LNG was in material breach in any way.

The Port had argued that it would be irresponsible to enter into a 30 year lease extension when the Department of Justice was investigating former Port Director Peter Gearin over the flap about making a sweetheart deal with the energy company in order to get his girlfriend, now wife, a job with the company.

The Judge writes: "This conclusion does not support defendants' contention that it is not obligated to extend the Master Lease at this time. There is no evidence that impropriety on the part of the former Port Executive Director in any way affected the Port's negotiation of the leases in question, that the Port Commissioners who unanimously voted to approve the leases were misinformed or mislead as to the material terms of the leases, or that execution of the leases was in any manner affected by deceit or fraud on the part of Gearin or anyone else. In the
absence of such evidence, the DOJ's investigation provides no basis for the Port to avoid its
clear contractual obligations."

I could go on and on with this but basically it boils down to exactly what I said when all this came up in the first place.

The Port is risking a multi-million dollar judgement that will cost taxpayers dearly for no good reason. This summary judgement will be passed on to a District Judge. It lays the groundwork
for one of two things. The Port Commissioners get the point and vote to extend the state lease with DSL or, Oregon LNG recovers all it's costs to date.

What was the point again? Oh yes. The Port argued that they are concerned that Oregon LNG will fold and leave them holding the bag for a 30 year lease with the state. The Judge said that's shear speculation not supported by fact as Oregon LNG has been making lease payments for five years and the Port happily cashes those checks without a word.

Here's An Idea For Christmas

2009-11-20T06:20:00.000-08:00

I think anyone would agree that it's been a tough, stressful year. If you work hard I believe you owe it to yourself to play hard as well.

Here's your invitation to come along as we take off for our fourth annual NNB radio cruise. Each year, working with Sundial Travel, we've managed to come up with great vacation trips cruising to Alaska, the islands of the Caribbean and Mexico.

This year we go in April for a very special cruise that only happens once a year.

We are traveling to the world's most famous destination. The Hawaiian islands offer warm weather and beautiful beaches to explore year-round but it can be quite expensive to see more than one island in a single trip. Our cruise aboard the top-rated Carnival Spirit starts in Oahu and visits Maui, Kauai and the big island Hawaii. We arrive early enough to spend the afternoon in Honolulu, overnight in port and depart the following afternoon. We spend a couple days in Maui and a couple days on the Big Island and a day on Kauai.

The best part is you take your hotel, restaurants, personal service, and world class entertainment with you. No packing and unpacking over and over. No valuable time spend waiting for commuter flights or checking into numerous hotels. It's all taken care of once.
Those are just a few of the reasons why cruising is the preferred way to vacation and the only sector of the travel industry that grows regardless of the economy.

There's more.

After we have experienced all the best Hawaii has to offer we spend a few days at sea relaxing as the Spirit takes us on a transpacific cruise to our final stop in Vancouver, BC.

This trip has everything you would want and at a package price no one else can offer. The package includes all transportation, your cabin, meals, on-board gratuities and starts around
$1950 per person for 12 of the best days you'll ever have. We take our travel agent along too so cruise expert Bruce Conner is right there to handle everything.

Consider putting the "Cruise with Tom" and NNB radio under your tree this Christmas and come along on our adventure.

Talk to Ruth at Sundial Travel in Astoria and she will tailor the trip to suit your desires.
Toll-free its 1-800-433-1164 or locally call 503-325-4484

To those of you who read this blog throughout the country..This invitation is for you as well. I'd love to meet you.

Oregon LNG

2009-11-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

There have been two significant developments regarding Oregon LNG this week. The first came on Tuesday when the court ruled that the Port of Astoria should enter into the 30 year lease with DSL and Oregon LNG for the lands on the Skippanon. I asked Oregon LNG CEO
Peter Hansen to comment this morning:

Tom,

This ruling does not specifically force the Port to do anything. However, it does indeed pave the way for future rulings to force the Port's hand. We expect the Port to do the right thing and renew the 30 year lease.

Peter

With that said, it is not likely that the Port will take this ruling as a directive since so much potential revenue is at stake. At this point if the Port were to follow the court suggestion it could be tantamount to admitting that the original lease agreement should stand.

The Port Commission is looking to it's own bottom line and it's responsibility to district constituents in taking actions to resolve the Skippanon ownership issues that Commissioner Floyd Holcom has brought forward. They've even hired an attorney who, until his current term ends, sits on the board of Columbia River Keepers (the same organization whose volunteers were quite active in the recent recall campaigns against Commission Chair Hazen and former
Commissioner Ann Samuelson) to pursue it's claims and handle the suit against Oregon LNG. For his part, that attorney told us that his reason for joining that organization years ago came from concerns over the long overdue clean up of the Willamette. It still seems to represent a conflict.

They What?

2009-11-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, they did.

Columbia River keepers ,apparently ,very actively participated in the recent recall election. It doesn't come as any surprise considering River keepers involvement in the LNG issue but the problem for the non-profit environmental organization is that 501 (c)3 non-profits are strictly prohibited from participating in political campaigns of any kind. An article on the local news website NCO reveals an email exchange between local river keeper staffer Olivia Schmidt and the organization's head guy Brett VandenHeuvel following the Hazen/Samuelson recall election where Olivia is seeking advice about how to word a news release so that it doesn't look as though anti-LNG forces completely failed to make their point with a recall campaign that was clearly a loss for them.

An independent organization that supports the energy industry has called for Columbia River keeper's board of directors to review the actions of it's staff and volunteers to determine if there was a violation of the prohibition against non-profits getting involved in any political campaign. VandenHeuvel had, during the course of the campaign, sent a message to former Commissioner Samuelson to "clear up a rumor" that his organization was involved in the recall in any way. These emails between Olivia and VandenHeuvel seem to conflict with his statements.

It's sad to see Columbia River keeper in this situation. The organization is a major player in serious waterway clean-up efforts and as such has garnered huge donations for that work. It may well be that a handful of individuals have placed this organization in considerable jeopardy.

Comment here: http://webfoot.womf.com/83447/On-The-RecallLNG-Front

Opportunties We Should Not Miss

2009-11-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

Something a little different today.

For many years local people in the know have recognized that the city of Warrenton, with it's acres of flat land and ready access to highway 101, represents the future when it comes to urban development on this part of the Oregon coast.

Over the next few years we'll see major commercial development and a continuation of the residential development. More streets, more intersections, more traffic lights, more vehicles on those roads. Perhaps we'll need a bigger public transport system to go with all that.

Warrenton is well on it's way to separating it's civic identity from that of Astoria. The proposal favored by a majority of Warrenton businesses polled so far to establish a Chamber of Commerce separate from Astoria is yet another indication that this city is ready to move past old associations and create a unique identity.

This takes little away from Astoria. In fact, there are definite advantages to having a swiftly developing modern commercial center right on your door step. Those big box businesses and national franchises will find themselves welcomed in Warrenton as they do not fit Astoria's approach.

Astoria will benefit if it continues to enhance it's historic character and focuses on attractive lifestyle amenities like the nice hotels that have been springing up. Encourage improvements to tourism offerings like those offered by the Clatsop County Historical Society and the Maritime Museum. Astoria should go to bat for those organizations on every front. Astoria as a center for government continues to make sense but more government services makes for more demand on parking and that needs to be addressed. Astoria needs to prepare for a future that must include a downtown core without deserted rundown buildings and full of those little touches tourists enjoy. Wider sidewalks might be a good idea simply to accommodate outdoor dining without people tripping over tables. Pocket parks like the long-in-coming Chinese park are crucial.

The one issue there is the current location of Columbia Memorial Hospital. It's run out of room and might be more effective in all of it's services by relocating to Warrenton. With the increasing number of seniors in need of assisted living perhaps the existing Hospital building might be better utilized for that purpose. It was explained to me once that Columbia Memorial was laid out like a senior home anyway.

Yes, there is room for industry. Yes, Warrenton's mooring basins need a face lift that would include more commercial development and services. Imagine a waterfront hotel..imagine more than one.

The possibilities are limitless.

Comment here: http://webfoot.womf.com/82591/Opportunities

Recall Replacement Process

2009-11-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

Taken from the county news release:

Under the Clatsop County charter, the board must appoint a new commissioner to the vacant seat within 45 days. The board has tentatively set the following schedule for the replacement process:
· Nov. 12 – Board declares vacancy, sets timeline
· Nov. 13-Nov. 30 – County accepts applications
· Dec. 2 – Board hosts public meet-and-greet of applicants; interviews applicants
· Dec. 4 – Board makes selection

The new Clatsop County Commissioner for district 5 will be a very important selection on the part of Jeff Hazen, John Raichl, Patricia Roberts and, Dirk Rohne. The individual they select could join forces with Commissioner Rohne in opposition to job creating construction projects or be the kind of person who comes to the commission as a thoughtful advocate for what makes sense and therefore represents the interests of the majority of county residents while at the same time representing the concerns of a district that has been divided by the recall. The impending recall election for Patricia Roberts will happen after this process has been completed. If she should be recalled the board could be split over her replacement based on the decision made about Ann Samuelson's replacement in District 5.

In short, this decision will determine the future direction of the entire county.

(comment here: http://webfoot.womf.com/82471/A-Key-Decision )

Commentary on WOMF

2009-11-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

Our new webfoot.womf.com website is the ideal place to comment on Coast watch commentary. here's a link to the latest on LNG:

http://webfoot.womf.com/82469/Heres-Oregon-LNGs-Stand

What They Say And The Truth

2009-11-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

Clatsop County Commissioner Pat Roberts is now facing a December recall vote. The approach petitioners are taking is the same as that taken in the recall of Commissioner Ann Samuelson and the unsuccessful attempt to recall Commission Chair Jeff Hazen in blaming them for moving LNG along in Clatsop County but adds a charge that as a member of the NW Oregon Housing authority she failed to keep that agency out of financial trouble earlier this year. This is mis-directed against Roberts. As she states in her ballot response, it was she who provided the leadership that actually got money flowing back to those who depend on help for paying their rent after significant federal cutbacks hit the program. She says she also helped in getting the agency better organized. Having sat on many local boards over the years I can tell you that staff only tells you what they think you need to know and unless it just happens to occur to you to ask the question potentially embarrassing operational blunders don't come to light until it's an emergency. It shouldn't be that way and usually results in the firing of the staff director if it's clear that the problem could have been avoided. So it doesn't matter what position you may have on these boards under these circumstances. What matters are the steps you take to correct the problem and Roberts did just that.This recall is still about decisions on LNG made by the Commission. Decisions that were carefully considered. Vote No

Comment here: http://webfoot.womf.com/81964/Next-Recall-Coming

Today's Mail

2009-11-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

Peter Hansen, CEO for Oregon LNG writes:

Last week a letter from the Attorney Generals office was released alleging misconduct by the former executive director of the Port of Astoria five years ago. I am writing to point out some facts about the letter, which was written by Sean J. Riddell, chief counsel at the Attorney Generals office.

According to earlier statements from the Attorney Generals office, neither Oregon LNG nor I were ever targets of this investigation. Further, last week's letter makes no accusations or charges of any kind against Oregon LNG or against me.

The letter has absolutely no bearing on the sublease agreement between the Port of Astoria and Oregon LNG. In fact, the letter, which says the investigation "interviewed 31 people, issued 11 Attorney General subpoenas, [and] reviewed hundreds of pages of documents" never once mentions the sublease.

Additionally, the sublease was neither approved nor signed by the former Port Executive Director. It was approved unanimously by the votes of the five Port Commissioners and signed by the Commission President in 2004. Four of the five Commissioners have publicly and recently stated that the process was proper and above-board. Attorneys for all parties-including the Oregon Department of State Lands and the Port of Astoria-were fully satisfied with the process.

The investigation and it's conclusion have no bearing on Oregon LNG or on our sublease with the Port of Astoria. Our sublease with the Port of Astoria is a valid, legally binding contract and we continue to expect the Port to honor the contractual commitments it has made.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There has been a great deal of speculation in the press and on the web about the possible impact of the Peter Gearin investigation. Some writers say this could allow the Port to make the case that the sublease itself is invalid. That might be true if the sublease had been approved and signed by Gearin but it was not. Gearin, acting as the Director made the recommendation to the Port Commissioners to accept the terms of the lease with DSL and the terms of the sublease with Calpine. That sublease passed to Oregon LNG. If an investigation were to reveal that the Port Commission members or the Port Commission President in 2004 had personally benefited from signing the agreement it might be an entirely different matter. There hasn't been any investigation regarding this point and there is no reason to believe it is necessary to do so.

The sublease was written in such a way as to give Oregon LNG unilateral authority to pick up two 30 year options immediately following the end of the first five year term. They did so and well within the stipulated deadline to exercise the option. This sublease is said to mirror the Port's lease with the Division of State Lands.

The current Port Commission has decided to dig in it's heels regarding the lease with DSL attempting to forestall the first 30 year option by entering into an agreement with the state to extend the first five year option.

Oregon LNG is suing the Port for breach of contract and the Port has filed a counter suit.

Port Commissioner Floyd Holcom has serious doubts that the Port should have to pay anything to DSL. He believes that, based on his historical research, the Port owns the submerged and submersible lands on the Skipanon and therefore should be able to forge it's own direct lease with Oregon LNG, if they choose to do so, which could result in a big payday for the Port of Astoria. Right now the money Oregon LNG pays for the sublease passes directly to the State to pay the Port's lease with DSL. If it is found that Holcom is right about the actual ownership then that would likely invalidate the current DSL lease and possibly the sublease it is based upon depending on how the sublease was written.

This ownership issue is key to this controversy.

Recall Outcomes

2009-10-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

As we predicted months ago, Commission Chair Jeff Hazen handily retains his seat on the county commission .
Unfortunately, as we also predicted, the Commission Samuelson recall is too close to call with just four votes in favor of recalling the district 5 commissioner. The close numbers trigger an automatic recount with results due within ten days.

If Samuelson is recalled the commission must appoint her replacement within 45 days from the
confirmation of the election results.

Recall supporters are reluctant to say that this was a vote on LNG but I would have to say that because of the way the ballot questions were worded this is a huge victory for Bradwood Landing specifically. District 1 covers Warrenton and a slice of Astoria. District 5 covers a broad swath
from Jewell clear out to Arch Cape. To see such a positive response to the decisions made by the commission regarding Bradwood is a strong indicator of support when you consider that the voter turnout exceeded the predictions of the county election department for a special election. The turnout was higher than the previous special election regarding allowing pipelines in areas zoned for open parks and recreation which anti-LNG forces attempted to use in this recall election. It is quite clear that this strategy backfired with voters expressing some level of disgust with that tactic. That is particularly true in District 1.

It's interesting to note that just days before the election people got their property tax bills in the mail. Even with property values dropping everyone saw an increase in their taxes based on assessed value. The county instituted a policy of increasing the percentage to the legal limit of 3% every tax year regardless of actual need. Since assessed value is generally lower than real market value and certainly lower than what a homeowner might receive in the sale of a home or property then the taxes assessed annually will increase every year. At a time when local people are struggling just to hang on to their homes this policy on the part of the county likely created a backlash that impacted this recall. This would be particularly true in Samuelson's district which contains some of the most expensive property in Clatsop County.

The other factor affecting the Samuelson recall campaign would include the revelation that the commissioner contacted the Sheriff when she discovered that one of his staff had signed the recall petition. Regardless of the intent this was a miss-step in an otherwise well conceived and hard fought campaign and worked against her public image with those who would perceive this as an inappropriate use of her position quite similar to the charges leveled against former Commissioner Richard Lee in his recall from office.

New York Post On Walmart

2009-10-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

NYP reporter CHARLES PLATT went undercover in the American heartland this year going to work as an associate at Walmart and offers a different perspective on the retailing giant

including the following:

Walmartwatch.com, for instance, is partnered with the Service Employees International Union; Wakeupwalmart.com is entirely owned by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. For years, now, they've campaigned against Wal-Mart, for reasons that may have more to do with money than compassion for the working poor. If more than one million Wal-Mart employees in the United States could be induced to join a union, by my calculation they'd be compelled to pay more than half-billion dollars each year in dues.

Walmartwatch.com provides the local anti-Walmart group with much of it's ammunition as they seek to stop the retailer from locating a store in Warrenton. As to the treatment of employees at Walmart, Platt writes:

In fact, the deal at Walmart is better than at many other employers. The company states that its regular full-time hourly associates in the US average $10.86 per hour, while the mean hourly wage for retail sales associates in department stores generally is $8.67. The federal minimum wage is $6.55 per hour. Also every Wal-Mart employee gets a 10% store discount, while an additional 4% of wages go into profit-sharing and 401(k) plans.

As to the uproar over the impact Walmart has on small local business operations:

The argument, of course, is that smaller enterprises cannot compete. My outlook on this is hardcore: I think that many of the "mom-and-pop" stores so beloved by activists don't deserve to remain in business.

When I first ventured from New York City to the American heartland, I did my best to patronize quaint little places on Main Street and quickly discovered the penalties for doing so. At a small appliance store, I wasn't allowed to buy a microwave oven on display. I had to place an order and wait a couple of weeks for delivery.

At a stationery store where I tried to buy a file cabinet, I found the same problem. Think back, if you are old enough to do so, and you may recall that this is how small-town retailing used to function in the 1960s.

As a customer, I don't see why I should protect a business from the harsh realities of commerce if it can't maintain a good inventory at a competitive price. And as an employee, I see no advantage in working at a small place where I am subject to the quixotic moods of a sole proprietor, and can never appeal to his superior, because there isn't one.

I found all of this rather interesting considering this reporter didn't depend upon what is said about the company, he went to work for them to find out for himself.

Here's the link to the article:http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/fly_on_the_wal_K8hD47GcZBkh1v3SjNYldI/5

Word Of Mouth Forum: WOMF

2009-10-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

WOMF, WOMF, WOMF

It's short for "Word Of Mouth Forum" and it is launching today for our area. The Webfoot WOMF is part of a new worldwide phenomenon in social networking. On WOMF you'll find citizen reviews of local businesses and services, a place for writing about community issues that you care about, a centralized place on the web to post community events, ask questions, start discussion threads and catch up on what local people think.

The site is family friendly with 24/7 moderation and you'll find that people who use WOMF are those who comply with some simple rules of civil discourse that are often missing in simple message boards. That doesn't mean you can't express yourself regardless of your take on what might be happening in the community.

Check it out by clicking the "Webfoot WOMF" link on this page. It's easy to join and there is a quick video you can watch to explain how it works along with simple tutorials you can access via site links at the bottom of the home page.

So let me ask you: Have you WOMF'ed Today?

This Just In...

2009-10-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Busy news day today! Just got this from the people at Bradwood Landing and thought I'd share.

An urban legend, sometimes called a modern myth, is a story whose teller would have you believe is actually true, but is usually distorted, exaggerated or fabricated for sensational effect. Most people understand these stories for what they are: a myth meant to perpetuate a viewpoint, agenda or frighten the listener.
Some well known urban legends include stories of alligators living in the New York City sewer system, stolen kidneys and claims that the Apollo moon landing was actually filmed at a Hollywood studio. And when it comes to LNG, there seems to be no shortage of myths, all of which are easily refuted by facts.
Recently, Steve Forrester, editor and owner of a local newspaper and acknowledged project opponent, wrote an editorial speculating that Bradwood was secretly planning to export domestic natural gas.
Like anyone else, Mr. Forrester is certainly entitled to his opinion. Our initial response to this concern was straightforward: the idea was absurd, and we spelled out the reasons in detail why export could never happen in a rebuttal Opinion later published by the paper.

So you can imagine our surprise when, just one month later, a second editorial was published by Mr. Forrester that concluded again that Bradwood will export LNG, repeating the same story already shown to be false.

This sequence of events led us to take the unusual step of having to pay to place a full page ad in his newspaper explaining again the many reasons why Bradwood can never export LNG. That letter is reprinted below, together with the editorial.

So the next time someone tells you that Bradwood's LNG terminal is planning to export LNG, let them in on the real secret: it's just another urban legend, repeated by project opponents, and forward them this email.

PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT.
An open letter to the Daily Astorian:
To Steve Forrester October 21, 2009
Publisher, The Daily Astorian

Your October 15 editorial, "Get real - U.S. natural gas inventory has been enlarged - terminals are for export", shows that you still don't understand how natural gas markets work.
You point to an increase in the amount of gas found in the U.S. as the reason for repeating your "LNG-as-export" claim, but you don't give your readers the details about how this gas costs more.
We have said plainly that Bradwood could never export liquefied natural gas. Here's a quick re-cap of the reasons why:

1. Oregon imports all of the natural gas it consumes and will continue to do so in the future. Oregon has no gas to export.

2. While the U.S. has large reserves of natural gas, much of this gas (such as shale gas) is more expensive to extract. And, none of the shale gas fields are near Oregon. Gas would have to be piped west thousands of miles, further increasing its cost. Piping gas to Oregon, liquefying it and exporting it into the Pacific Rim (which includes some of the world's largest exporters of low-cost LNG) makes no economic sense.

3. Because of the hills and cliffs, the Bradwood site doesn't have the space needed to build a liquefaction plant big enough to create enough LNG for export.

4. Bradwood is only permitted to import gas, not export it.

5. Bradwood will have no ability to make LNG, a process that requires completely different equipment than warming LNG back into a gas.

We've offered before to sign a contract with the State of Oregon stating that Bradwood Landing would never be an export terminal. This offer still stands.

Contrary to the claims of LNG opponents, Bradwood would benefit residential and industrial gas users by increasing competition among gas suppliers, and open the door to Alaskan LNG in the future.

Since January there have been 110 LNG cargoes delivered to the U.S. at an average price of $ 3.92 per Million British Thermal Units (MMBTU).

On October 15th, Northwest consumers were paying $4.76/MMBTU - a 20 percent increase over other U.S. regions with access to LNG imports.

* LNG is simply natural gas chilled to a liquid, making its transportation easier and cheaper. The fact remains that LNG imports are highly competitive with U.S. gas, which makes your export theory unsupportable.

Not Clamming Up..Actually

2009-10-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

Got an email from Peter Hansen saying that the Oregon LNG/Oregon Pipeline websites were actually having a server problem and they are back up and fully functional..Ahhhh technology..

WalMart Meeting

2009-10-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last night CNBC ran a lengthy investigative report on Walmart. Reporters related how the company does business, how it is attacked by labor unions trying to get a foothold, the connections with shoe and apparel factories in china, and Walmart's corporate image with it's own employees. Nothing has substantially changed since the 2005 debut of the documentary film "WalMart: The high cost of low prices" that successfully opened many eyes by featuring interviews with Walmart employees who had been among the many associates who lived, ate and,drank the Walmart culture rather than the typical "expert talking heads" one usually sees in these documentary films.

Coincidentally, a local meeting was held last night in Astoria at the Red Building organized by Ted Thomas (famous for organizing the Richard Lee recall) and Lori Durheim who is often in the news expressing her opposition to LNG, amongst other things.

I decided after seeing the CNBC report that I would go to the local meeting to get a feel for this group and who might be involved. There was one guy who admitted to actually living in Warrenton but the rest were apparently Astorians. It was Sara Meyer who pointed out that if they were going to have any hope of stopping the WalMart here it would have to be organized in Warrenton with residents of that city fully involved.

The response to outreach to Warrenton residents and businesses was not terribly successful and was met largely with indifference.

It was interesting to note that some of those in attendance clearly felt that this should be a county-wide outcry. I got the impression that most were there for the same reason I showed up; a need for more information combined with a concern over the direction this group might take.

It will be interesting to watch how a group of Astorians can manage to affect what is clearly a Warrenton decision without significant Warrenton support. So far.

Oregon LNG Clams Up

2009-10-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

I was just checking the Oregon LNG/Oregon Pipeline website for any news updates they might be offering and found that for some reason every link leads you to the same page. Gone are the reports, the filings, the media section...interesting. I wonder what it means?