Friday, September 11, 2009

The GRP Straw Poll Asking: How Would You Vote On A Recall Of Clatsop County Commissiners, Jeff Hazen And Ann Samuelson Has Ended - The Results Below


Ann Samuelson

Yes To Recall
131 (83%)

No To Recall
25 (16%)

Votes on this poll: 156

Jeff Hazen

Yes To Recall
126 (81%)

No To Recall
29 (18%)

Votes on this poll: 155




The Arguement For Recall
Proponents
of the recall maintain that it provides a way for citizens to retain control over elected officials who are not representing the best interests of their constituents, or who are unresponsive or incompetent. This view holds that an elected representative is an agent, a servant and not a master.

The Arguement Against Recall
Opponents argue that it can lead to an excess of democracy, that the threat of a recall election lessens the independence of elected officials, that it undermines the principle of electing good officials and giving them a chance to govern until the next election, and that it can lead to abuses by well-financed special interest groups.

The Oregonian:A Gem Of A Teachable Moment In Jewell

By: Doug Bates - The Oregonian
Thursday September 10, 2009, 4:57 PM

Don Anderson is a hard-working high school teacher, devoted to his students and the subjects he teaches. From time to time, he has brought his journalism classes at tiny Jewell High School on visits to The Oregonian's editorial department, and his students have always been well-informed about current events.

Unfailingly, they've been highly prepared with good questions, and their paper, The Jay, is outstanding for a high school with an enrollment of only 60.

Read The Full Article

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

I'd Like To Introduce You To ........

Miss Isabella Rose Redding
Another Blessed Gift Bestowed On Our Family
September 8, 2009
Astoria, Oregon

The Daily Astorian: Samuelson, Hazen Recalls Move Forward

9/9/2009 4:27:00 PM

Recall takes next big step toward election

By JOE GAMM - The Daily Astorian

Local citizens groups have turned in signatures to place the recalls of two Clatsop County Commissioners on a ballot.................


Read Full Article

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

LNG:The Passamaquoddy Study Shows Impacts Of LNG Development Costly, With Limted Benefit

By: Edward French

A study of the potential impacts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Passamaquoddy Bay concludes that the economic stimulus provided to the region by one or more LNG import terminals would be limited. An LNG terminal would have significant economic consequences throughout the region, with costs for public safety, staffing and infrastructure running into the millions of dollars for host communities, while the loss in property values along the U.S. side is estimated at $3 million to $8 million. Benefits would be less than expected, as the study concludes that each LNG terminal would provide only 27 construction jobs and 8 operations jobs to local people........

Read The Full Overview

From AP: Obama Speech To School Students


Monday, September 07, 2009

From The Daily "A": "The Jay" Editorial From Jewell

Jewell student editorial causes backlash
* Dave Samuelson threatens to ‘come after’ editor
* KAST-AM radio reports(September 9, 2009) Dave Samuelson saying, upon contacting Clatsop County Sheriff's Department and I am paraphrasing..."Clatsop County Chief Deputy Paul Williams stated that the complaint from Jewell School on the implied threat was so silly no report was filed"

By DEEDA SCHROEDER - The Daily Astorian
September 7, 2009

When Jewell High students wrote an editorial for the school's newspaper, The Jay, condemning the Bradwood Landing liquid natural gas project and its political supporters, they had no idea the article would make such a splash when it was published last week.

Now, after former Jewell School Board member Dave Samuelson complained about the story, those same students are afraid to speak about why they wrote the piece...

Full Article



A need for a second look

The following editorial is reprinted from The Jay, the Jewell community newspaper
Don't be fooled by bureaucratic double-speak
The Palomar pipeline that most concerns residents of the Jewell area would transport imported regasified LNG from the Bradwood Landing LNG site, about 10 miles east of Astoria on the Columbia River.This would be 36 inches wide and would wind its way about 110 miles from the terminal to Molalla, Oregon and from there another 100 or so miles to Maupin in eastern Oregon.
From there it could connect to the massive interstate TransCanada pipeline to quench California's huge thirst for natual gas.
Much of the pipeline from the Bradwood facility would go through the Jewell area. Current standards have the pipeline only three feet under ground.
The Jay challenges readers to come up with one, just one concrete advantage of having the LNG pipeline go though the Jewell area.
Over the last several years now there has been a lot of hype and hot air given by company propaganda, local and state politicians, and government bureaucrats.The issue is mired in so much red tape that it may seem to some hard to decipher fact from fiction, but that is just the way Bradwood Landing (the LNG corporation) wants it.
The more they can confuse, obfuscate and bamboozle local residents, the more sway they will have over the (unfortunately few) politicians that have your back. Let's look at some of the myths that Bradwood is foisting upon us and the facts that lie behind them.
Myth No. 1: Bradwood Landing will provide much needed jobs in the area. FALSE. Although a few local excavating and construction companies might get temporary work, once the pipeline is in place, the Bradwood Landing facility on the Columbia River uses just a small crew to operate and inspect the pipeline. The net job growth from the pipeline is close to zero. In fact, the jobs that the LNG company does have (around 40 or so) will all be state jobs and won't (necessarily) involve local people at all.
Myth No. 2: Bradwood Landing will provide much needed tax dollars. FALSE. Because of the loss in property value over land the pipeline will run, the actual projection of tax dollars reaching local schools is revenue negative. Not only that, Oregonians will be forced to subsidize the gas companies through taxes on the gas we would use. Would you buy property that had a three-foot highly explosive pipeline running through it? Property values in the areas anywhere close to the pipelines would plummet even farther than they have during this recession.
Myth No. 3: An LNG pipeline is safe. FALSE. Not only are property values at risk, so are is the safety of our citizens, our families. The final destination for all the LNG going through the Jewell area is California.
We, the citizens, students, teachers, workers of this wonderful rural area are not even taken into consideration. Many of our local politicians think we are a bunch of country bumpkins in Clatsop County and don't know how to read. But we do.
We read the facts about LNG, how it imposes safety issues that include massive explosions like those that have occurred in New York and Maryland. If you are in doubt, look them up.
Finally, California, the state that is to benefit from this LNG, has already rejected five of these proposed LNG regasification plants.
Why should Oregon do California's dirty work?
Why should we tear up our precious soil to feed the insatiable state of California?
Write your newspaper.
Call your representative or senator.
Call Bradwood Landing.
Tell your parents or kids.
Let it be known that we don't want Bradwood Landing and its pipeline running through our land.

We Are Witnessing A Piece Of Our History Die Before Our Very Eyes!

Harry Flavel Dead At 82 On May 31, 2010Read Full Daily Astorian Report

This is the Flavel House. Although the nearby home of Captain Flavel is better known, this is a Flavel house too. It was built by the Captain George Flavel's son, George Conrad Flavel Jr. It is still owned by the Flavel family - Harry Sherman Flavel (born 1927) and Mary Louise Flavel (born 1925). They are the grandchildren of George Conrad Flavel Jr. and the great-grandchildren of Captain George Flavel. The house is currently unoccupied and neglected.

Yes, the Flavel House, the other one and it is very distressing to see it deteriorate daily, with no attempt at dialogue at all by those who care with Harry and Mary Louise Flavel in whose care it is now in.

Who, out there has the magic to get the ear of these two with a solution that benefits them as well as this home's place in history?

Its value, in my view, goes way beyond becoming just the private home of some "High Roller" with a pocket full of money to restore it but should belong to us all.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Astoria-Warrenton CofC! Are You A Member Business? Do You Support The Exec. Director Hauke's Position On your Behalf?

Though I am certain "Political Posturing" on any particular issue by this organization is not permitted in its "ByLaws", what is your view, if you are a member business, of the Executive Director speaking on your behalf regarding the recall petitoning in process of Clatsop County Commissioners Ann Samuelson, Jeff Hazen and Patricia Roberts?