North Coast Oregon

Rumors and Gossip

by Tryan Hartill

Nothing I can substantiate, just gut feelings and whispers.

Birdies are telling me:

• Richard Lee will fight the recall and the “Anti-Recall” Committee Members will be from District 3 only.

• There is more dirt to come from the CCfog group.

• The Richard Lee Oregon DOJ Investigation is over something that happened months ago and has nothing to do with land-use.

• Helen Westbrook is a major player involved with the investigation.

Gut Feelings:

• Things are going to get ugly out in Jewell (School Board)

• The Marine Reserves Meetings are going to get rowdy.

• If Richard Lee is recalled, Peter Huhtula will be pushed as a replacement by CCFog, Daily A, Josh Marquis etc. etc…

• There will be a partial moon eclipse soon.

UPDATE

Almost Forgot….

This is also the Official “Religious Discussion Thread”.

If anyone wants to debate one religion versus the other…please post them here.

(Also I distinctly remember Patrick saying lots of good things about Bahai’s when he had the ACJ Forum…even going as far as saying it was his second favorite…of course this was before him and CB had the various “issues”)

Daily Astorian LTE Rejection

by Tryan Hartill

Was sent to me as a rejected letter. If anyone else has something they would like to post, please send them in.

UNFAIR & PERSONAL

I was listening to Tom Freel on the radio when he told Mr. Rocka that what he was doing was wrong and Roger said and I quote, “I don’t care, this is a democracy.”

Is it democratic to attack Mr. Lee because his opinion is different from yours? There are five commissioners and they all agreed on L.N.G. with the exception of one.

Is Mr. Lee just the first one? Why doesn’t Mr. Rocka tell you what his agenda is instead of trying to dig up dirt to try discredit Mr. Lee? It’s all about perception, be it the truth or not.

There is not one contractor, architect, developer or home builder that hasn’t been frustrated by the planning department. My opinion of the planners is they throw common sense out the window and try to run rules and regs by the book and each one has a different interpretation of the book. I know horror stories to numerous to mention.

It seems like the last few years we have been inundated with new people. Roger Rocka, Helen Westbrook, Carolyn Eady to name a few. I don’t belong to the “Coffee Klatch” downtown, but you would have to live under a rock to not notice that they all are very vocal and want to take over and run things. Mr. Rocka has an agenda, to start with in a open forum letter he was telling us how prosperous and how great things are. He has never seen great in Astoria, but I have seen much better times. The Plywood Mill was running, several canneries were going, the Can Co. was running, Crown Zellerbach was here making many jobs and I have watched all of these things go. If it wasn’t for Warrenton being so progressive and the bridge over the Columbia, things would be much worse. Can you imagine if the Wauna Mill was trying to site their plant here now? I can tell you with some certainty it would be quite a chore. They have helped Astoria, Svenson, Knappa and all the way to Longview. They made jobs and paid taxes. You really can’t measure the benefits!

Mr. Rocka doesn’t want L.N.G. which means more jobs and helps our infrastructure, helps our schools and helps all of us pay for ever growing government. Where is he and his cronies coming from? When he starts calling our Commissioner the worst of the bunch, I have to take issue with that. The worst of the bunch we all know is the guy with the Thuggish behavior, Mr. Sam Patrick, the fly in the ointment. Is it because they wouldn’t let him mind the store? He should do all of us a favor and resign.

As for my commissioners, Richard Lee, Pat Roberts, Jeff Hazen and Ann Samuelson, they are doing a good job and I believe have the best interest of the County at heart. They are dedicated individuals doing a thankless job.

So Mr. Rocka, do your recall and we will vote to retain them and you may have to eat a little crow. Does this sound a little personal? You made it that way when you called my public servant the worst of the bunch. I have lived in Astoria 52 years, have experienced many ups and downs and this is a hatchet job if I have ever seen one.

I am asking all my friends, associates and Clatsop County voters to see this for what it is.

Bill Cunningham

The 20%

by Tryan Hartill

Inevitably there are two sides to every issue. No where does this hold more true than in the world of politics. Every main stream idea has 2 opinions. Whether it be health care, land use, recalls or the candidates themselves. And each side usually has at least 40% of the population agreeing with them at any given time. The rest is what I call the 20%ers. These are the folks that can never be sure one way or the other on any given issue. And really don’t totally make up their minds until they have to. Many times you will hear them be referred to as “flip-floppers” or “wishy-washy”. I admit that I am a 20%er. I don’t know how this came to be, or why, but I really can’t make up my mind on any given issue until I toss my ballot into the election box. Another 20%er is Tom Freel, although I have a feeling some of his “flip-flopping” has to do with enticing people to listen to his show….”stirring the pot” he calls it.

A while back I had this conversation with Oregon Guy. He used this analogy: Everyone is jumping on each side of the boat…..you think it’s going to tip over and move from side to side to make sure it doesn’t.

Political Campaigns

At the start of every political issue with a “up or down vote” at the end, the 20% group is what every campaign should worry about. No matter how much time or effort is put into a given issue, 80% of the population already has their mind made up. The trick for any campaign is to convince a majority of the 20% group that your side is the right choice.

No where is this more glaring than the LNG issue. A poll was taken a while back on whether or not locals support LNG on the Columbia. The results were 42-40% in favor. This poll was taken about 2 years after the LNG issue first came up. The result of this poll shows that neither side really convinced anyone at all. If it was taken the day LNG was revealed to the public, chances are it would have been the exact same result.

In the near future we will have another issue ending in a “up or down vote” which involves Richard Lee. As of now it is about 40% in favor and 40% against recalling Mr. Lee.

Talking to some of the other 20%ers out there, they almost all lean toward voting no on the recall, as do I. The main reason is because there just isn’t enough “dirt”. All the reasons given are all issues that the voters took into account when they voted for Lee 20 months ago. We knew he had questionable land-use issues, we knew he would do anything in his power to welcome LNG, we knew he was against the D.A. and liked “studies” to put issues off for a while. We all knew it and still a majority voted for him. I didn’t like some of these back in 2006 and that is why I voted for Cindy Price. But as of now there is no way I am going to undermine the will of the voters on issues that even someone living in a cave knew were going to happen.

There very well may be “dirt” out there that will be revealed, in fact I’m hearing a whisper here and there about it almost daily. I could easily change my mind if a major issue came about that seriously undermined our County Government’s ability to function properly.

For the sake of CCFog members and supporters, and their ability to bring future issues to the voters, the dirt better come fast and furious, otherwise they are looking at a 60-40 defeat at the ballot box.

On Photographs

by Tryan Hartill

Well the time has come for me to look for a new digital camera. My old one got in a fight with the Seaside High School Gym floor. It was great for taking pictures of scenes, but if anything was moving, or even slightly moving in low light, you might as well forget it. I’m leaning toward the Canon EOS 300D. I have yet to find anyone unhappy with it online. The only complaint out there is that it takes 3 seconds from being off to be able to take a picture. Which this is still a vast improvement form my old one.

This Canon is fairly old, produced mainly in 2004, but you can’t beat the prices on used ones. If anyone has any other suggestions for a SLR Digital Camera, please leave in the comments so I can check some others out.

More Photo

Ever since the first Daily Astorian article came out, I have wondered where they got the picture of Richard Lee for the story. In that photo he looks like he just woke up after drinking a 1/5th of whiskey. So I did some searching today. First I went to the County website to have a look and I found this photo:

Then went back to the Daily A story and realized it’s the exact same picture!.....except someone doctored it using photoshop.

I can’t copy it for copyright reasons, but go and have a look.

Even More?!

Under the fold is the “Best Arrest Photo Ever”...and I would have to agree.

Words of Note and Clatsop Commission Rumors

by Tryan Hartill

Lots of Birdies flying around telling me things here and there…...

• Helen Westbrook

So has anyone decided if she is in District 3 or 4? Are we going to need a ruling from the Clerk on this one? Is she going to run if she is in 4?

• Sam Patrick

Word is that Sam had a few outbursts at Tuesdays Goal Setting Meeting. Anyone know about the KMUN broadcasts I keep hearing about?

• Recall Effort

Some say phone calls are being made to test the waters for a recall effort….

• Stock Market

I know the Market is a huge part of our economy, but this just can’t continue. The Fed lowered rates to 3.5% today and the D.C. critters are cutting taxes and….wait for it….increasing spending….huh? Our dollar is already in the shitter and now they are going to beat it some more…..all in the name of infinite economic growth. The youth of this country are getting kicked in the teeth.

• Realtor Getting Sued

A woman in California is suing her Realtor because she paid too much for her house. Um…good luck!?

• Sued Part II

The top Court in the land has agreed to hear the Exxon Valdez case on February 27th. They refused to decide if the lawsuit is against the Constitution. They will only rule on whether the $2.5 Billion pay-out ruling, handed down by an Appeals Court, is allowed under Maritime Laws.

UPDATE

• Clatsop Goals

Jeff Hazen has updated his website and has posted the goals for 2008.

• EOC Moving?

Rumors have been flying about the Emergency Operations Center moving to Camp Riliea. Looks like the issue was added to today’s Clatsop Commission Meeting.

• Highway Open

Highway 47 is finally open today, there will still be delays.

Fast Food Customers Suspected in Sacagawea Heist

by Tryan Hartill

Thieves who stole the bronze statue of Sacagawea likely used some of the money to buy food.

Everyone must eat, and undoubtedly some of the money from the theft would end up at local fast food restaurants, this according to Klatsop County Sheriff spokesman Herb Schwartz.

“The money might be spent on rent, or for alcohol and drugs.”

When asked if some of the money would end up at fast food joints, “Yeah it could, most likely no” “yeah it could”, Schwartz replied.

Dollar Menu Keeps em Coming Back…..

Goals For Clatsop County Government in 2008

by Tryan Hartill

So I’m not a Commissioner, but I can pretend to be…right?

Here are some Goals that I would pick for 2008…..

• Finish the Mitigation Plan

Whatever who said what when or where, this thing is going to have to get done right away, unless of course you agree with my editorial a few weeks ago. Which I know none of the Commissioners do, so now is the time to go full speed ahead.

• Work out something with Josh Marquis

Yeah I know this is a very tough issue to tackle, but it’s time to push the egos aside and come up with something that will put this issue behind us.
The people of the County need to put this to rest.

• Put Meeting Audio Online

2 reasons for this. One, it will be very hard to spin anything said or not said. Two, someone is already writing up meeting notes and posting them on the website. This person could easily record the meeting and even separate every issue into 5-10 minute sound bites as they are recording. Yeah you won’t be able to charge the outrageous fee of $5 for the audio, but I still think it’s worth it.

• Get The Downed Timber

The County is way behind at this point. There really is nothing done along the lines of figuring out what to do with the downed timber. Sure it’s not worth much, but it will be a pain in the rear to deal with 12-18 months from now. The City of Astoria will be ready to remove their Timber by June and probably sooner if they really had to. That article I linked to above is already on the Timber Buy Sell website and is sending potential logging outfits to NCO to read about it.

• Save Money

I know things look OK for the next Budget year, but after that, even the most positive forecast looks pretty grim.

Things that can move off the list

• By-Pass

Really is any explanation needed? It isn’t gonna happen, so don’t worry about it. If you really want it, then call for higher gas taxes so ODOT has the money to fund it.

• Drugs

Yeah I’ve read the hype, but the reality is that drugs are not “Destroying the County” like some say. Local drug use is a little higher than the rest of Oregon and Oregon is a little higher than the rest of the country, so what? The only people that are making the noise are people that have a financial stake, or those that are trying to score political points. You know who you are.
And if you must “Do Something” give money to places like Thugz off Drugz, we know they need it.

From Hillsboro Argus: LNG Veteran Weighs In On LNG In Oregon

by Patrick McGee

LNG Terminal Carries Long-term Threats
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Hillsboro Argus
By Don B. Hennig

Special Opinion The Argus

I cannot understand why “the fix” appears to be in for proposals to site LNG facilities on the Columbia when similar proposals have been rejected for good reasons in California, Washington and Mexico.

The Dark Ironies At Tansy Point

by Patrick McGee

Predictions in 2008 for Clatsop County

by Tryan Hartill

• There will be some major flooding during the first part of the year that will rival 1996.

• The local housing market will weaken, but will be much stronger than the rest of the nation.

• No Condos over the water will be built due to weak demand.

• Building will continue around Astoria, but will slow inside the city limits.

• Bradwood will be totally approved and will start construction in late 2008.

continued….

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