From Seattle Times: David Wu And Those Pesky "Earmarks"

Update: WU STATEMENT FOLLOWING STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

"WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman David Wu released the following statement after the president's final State of the Union address tonight:
"The president and I have differed on many foreign and domestic policy issues, but tonight I am gratified to work together with him to pass a timely economic stimulus package to prevent Wall Street from dragging our Main Street economy into recession.
"An economic shot in the arm: cash rebates for most Americans, tax incentives for small business and addressing part of the national mortgage crisis is common sense and the right thing to do.
"What the American people and Wall Street want to see is not just an economic package, but a government in Washington that works.
"I hope that the president's decision to work with Congress on this economic stimulus package indicates that we will also do those things we should always be doing to ensure America's long-term economic health.
"We always need to enhance education, from kindergarten to community colleges and universities; work with employers to improve job training programs; invest in research and development; foster partnerships between government and the private sector to bring new technologies and products to store shelves; and craft trade agreements that take care of American jobs first.
"These are the fundamental challenges we need to address. I hope to find a willing partner in the White House.”"



Doug Hoschek sells the Army's elite Special Forces a T-shirt that resists burning — a feature that can save the lives of soldiers under fire.

He wanted to sell his creation to the Marines, as well.

Working out of his Sammamish home, the seasoned garment maker toiled for months preparing to bid but, Hoschek was stunned to learn recently that another company, InSport International, snagged the T-shirt contracts without having to compete.

InSport had lobbied members of Congress for an "earmark" — federal dollars lawmakers direct to favor seekers, often campaign donors. Company executives also donated nearly $9,000 to the re-election effort of Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., who sponsored three earmarks for InSport.

"Earmarks", he said, "cheat businesses that play by the rules. They not only deprive the military of getting the best price, he said, but can saddle soldiers with inferior products that politicians handpick."

It's not supposed to work that way.

Federal law requires that all military contracts, even earmarks, be offered through competitive bidding. Exceptions are allowed in those few cases in which the military has an urgent need or the product is unique.But in case after case, The Seattle Times found, earmark contracts were awarded without competition.

From The November 19, 2007 Special Hearings On Bradwood: A Blatant Lie Or Selective Blindness?

"Hazen asked for clarification of the pipelines and said the Palomar pipeline is separate and that Bradwood is using the pipeline going to Kelso;

Coppedge said that is correct.

Hazen asked if Bradwood would consider using the Palomar pipeline down the road if it was feasible.

Coppedge said they are not developing the Palomar pipeline and the current plan is to transport
gas through the Bradwood Landing pipeline.

Hazen asked what the reason was for the Palomar pipeline and referred to a statement in the Bradwood materials.

Paul Soanes, Bradwood Landing President, Houston, Texas, said the statement is a direct FERC quote and FERC would be the best source for an answer to the commissioner’s question."

And now, coincidentally, we know that Bradwood is indeed abandoning the pipeline crossing "The River" that goes to the "Williams Pipeline" in favor of "The Palomar Pipeline" along, obviously, with Oregon LNG/Pipeline and Northwest Natural Gas, going south and east, then connecting to Trans Canand Pipeline east of Maupin, Oregon.

To me this appears to be a blatant non-truth by Northern Star Natural Gas and not a peep out of Hazen, Lee, Samuelson, Roberts, Patrick regarding this breech.

And of Course new Commission President Roberts tells NNB's Michael Desmond it can all be undone it if all issues are not mitigated properly?

Well, Patricia what the heck are you and yours going to do about this flagrant misdirection by Northern Star?

You have been lied to right out the box and, yet, you sit there, not a peep?

I ask Hazen: Why did you not speak up when you caught the news that NSNG is working with consultants doing feasability for NSNG's use of 'The Palomar" pipeline.

No flags were raised at all?

From The Oregonian On Clatsop County Commission. Is This The Perception We Want To Convey?

Is This The Image We Want To Convey?

Clatsop County Commission needs the "Kindgerten Cop"
by The Oregonian
Thursday January 24, 2008, 12:55 PM

"Arnold, please return to Astoria and use that whistle the get these kids in order. I would love to be the beat reporter at the Daily Astorian that gets to cover these folks and write stories like this. Actually, that's the beauty of it. These stories write themselves. You can't make this up.
Turmoil amid the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners boiled over again Wednesday.
Chairwoman Patricia Roberts scolded a fellow member of the board for flipping other commissioners "the bird" during Tuesday's goal-setting workshop.
Roberts told fellow commissioner Sam Patrick she was stunned and shocked by his conduct."

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/clatsop_county_commission_need.html

Grass Roots Straw Poll On Recall

73% Yes
26% No

Samuelson Sells Astoria Plumbing And Tile! - Just More Perception Reinforcement of "Them Against "Us" You think? Read This!

From KAST Coastwatch Blog

Nasty People
Clatsop County Commissioner Ann Samuelson is selling her business. She was on her way toclose the deal today when she called to tell me why she was doing this. Ann told me she is entirely committed to her job as a commissioner and decided it was time to get out of the plumbing contracting business because the people that work for her were being targeted by those who don't like some of the decisions she has made as an elected official.

Yes, I've seen the list of CCFOG members who are seeking to dismantle county government.

Those who would "agree" to have their names made public.

I've decided some research is in order. It will take some time so please be patient.

The personal attack on me this morning by the group spokesman Rodger Rocka, followed closely by a call from a commissioner telling me she was giving up her family business to protect her employees from these kind of attacks tells me that regardless of what this group may say about their intentions their actionsspeak volumes.

I certainly don't wish to see anyone from this group affecting public policy orattempting a run for office at this point.Neither should you.

Commissioner Sells Business -From Ann Samuelson Explaining Her Reason

The following is the text of an email I recieved from Clatsop County Commissioner Ann Samuelson which clarifies her position.

Hi Tom, I appreciated talking with you the yesterday morning regarding my sale of the plumbing business.

I just want to clarify what I wanted to convey.

I am concerned that my employees "would have been impacted" by how I am treated as an elected official, i.e. their income etc. This was one of the reasons on my list of why I needed to sell at this point in my life.

I have made a commitment to Clatsop County and I have three years left in that commitment.

You can talk to past Commissioners who have businesses of any type and many will tell you they experience a negative effect on their businesses.

Because what I did pay a living wage and benefits on an hourly basis, I was becoming very concerned over the last year about the impact this group behavior in the community would have on others in my life, thus the solution was to sell, and this was part of the reason for that decision.

Further, to protect that as best I could most of our work was not done in Clatsop County, and that had become exhausting as well, I did that because I wanted to limit mine and my employees exposure to the behavior we are seeing from this group.

That is proving to be a real concern, in that I have been turned in to the Secretary of State for laundering money for a campaign, by a fellow Commissioner, and the head of the democratic party in Clatsop County (a false allegation, thrown out by the Secretary of State).

Note that I hold a non-partisan seat as a Commissioner, but I am the only democrat on the BOCC. Currently a Freedom of Information Act request has been submitted to the county building codes department by former Commissioner Helen Westbrook regarding any dealings I have had with them regarding permitting.

The bullying tactics being used here against Mr. Lee, and that I have experienced, are certainly unpleasant but I know and hear daily from supporters of the work we are doing, so it doesn't have the impact I think they hope for.

This is apparently the political climate of our community, it is a climate that is exhausting, time consuming, and very negative, making it challenging to run a business under these circumstances. Know that I will continue to do the work I was elected to do.Thanks so much for the work you do to keep folks informed.Ann
Posted

"The Finger" - An Update.

Now, Clatsop County Commissioner Sam Patrick freely admits he displayed the hand jesture of displaying a raised middle finger in session at a recent meeting but, he qualified it as a clarification of a representation of what another fellow commissioner or was it county manager had portrayed on a piece of paper representing Commission's sentiment towards the constituents.

Anybody know what the real story behind this is?

Update From Patricks Explanation: "The second event occurred when we had broken into smaller groups, discussed several topics and were asked to report on what we'd come up with. One of the groups had drawn a picture describing how the commission felt about the community. I asked "if it looked like this," extended my arm, curled my fingers and extended my middle finger. Yes, this comment and the previous statement are inexcusable and I shall maintain my composure in the future and refrain from such boorish behavior."

Commissioner Hazen Weighs In On Commissioner Patrick

From Clatsop County Commissioner Jeff Hazen's Blog

January 24, 2008

Sam Patricks behavior

As you may have heard, The goal setting meeting wasn't without drama.

During a brief time that I was out of the room, Sam gave his opinion on the discussion with sign language.

Yes, he flipped the bird. I am astounded that he would choose to do this during a meeting where we were attempting to shape our goals for the year and to find common ground in order to work better together. Clearly, he has no desire to work with the rest of the commission and I don't understand why he continues to serve as a commissioner. I guess that I am not surprised by his actions.

I remember when the budget committee met last year and I brought up the district attorney's stipend issue. After the meeting, Sam came up to me and told me that I "f***ed up".

We all know what the fallout was after the decision was made to cut the stipend.

Clearly Sam has made his mission to tear down county government.

He personally filed a complaint against the rest of the commission accusing us of money laundering.

The complaint was baseless and tossed out by the state. He used an old campaign ploy to try and drum up controversy as the citizens were about to vote. He chose to go on the attack about the county and the disaster mitigation plan and give the local newspaper misinformation about who was responsible for the plan.

This plan lies under the auspices of the Sheriff's office and they are working diligently on the plan.

Fortunately, this commission has 4 people committed to working together for the betterment of the county. While the 4 of us may not agree on certain things as they come up, we won't create personal vendettas against each other.

We will move on to the next topic and continue the work we were elected to do. We won't get bogged down in the sewer that Sam has chosen to be in.

GRP Invites Commissioner Lee To Clariify His Statement........

and how, in his leadership in the Clatsop County citizen's Trust, he has prospered that philosophy.

Richard Lee's statement to NCO and KAST -“As a lifelong resident of Clatsop County I truly believe I represent the silent majority of constituents who want and deserve economic growth, affordable housing, and family wage jobs, along with a fiscally responsible government in a livable and friendly community that your children, my children and our grand-children can continue to live in and enjoy. I am committed to this philosophy.”

From Daily Astorian: Clatsop County Commissioner Richard Lee Faces Recall!

One petitioner said; Lee has made a series of incredibly bad decisions.

"It doesn't seem to be getting any better. Every indication is that it's going to get worse," Auerbach said.

The petition was filed today with the Clatsop County Clerk by a new group called Clatsop Citizens for Open Government (CCFOG).

Members list the reasons for recall as:"By his actions as a Clatsop County Commissioner, Richard Lee has harmed the future of Clatsop County and its residents through:
"• Squandering public funds by choosing to hire planning and management consultants and expensive attorneys but disregarding their professional advice and findings; "
• Undermining common values, adopted plans, established policies and regulations of the county; "
• Failing to be open and transparent in decision-making and development of policy, violating the spirit of public meetings law; "• Ignoring and failing to respond to the advice and concerns of paid staff, volunteer committees, and the public; "
• Jeopardizing the justice system through threats of underfunding support staff; "• Manipulating the membership of the Planning Commission to control the Planning Commission's decisions and actions; "
• Endangering the public and disregarding public safety by failing to require funding guarantees for emergency services and personnel from major industrial proposals; "
• Creating a divisive environment that is acrimonious and counterproductive in doing the public's business

."If the petition is approved by the County Clerk, recall supporters will have up to 90 days to collect about 500 signatures necessary to force an election.

When the signed petitions are submitted, the county will have 10 days to verify the signatures and Lee will have five days to either resign or respond.

If he does not resign a recall election must be held within 35 days.

Members of Clatsop Citizens for Open Government will be collecting signatures from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday in front of the Astoria Post Office, outside the Liberty Theater and at the Cannery Pier Hotel.

Only registered voters who live in Lee's district are eligible to sign petitions.

Clatsop County officials say District 3 encompasses the area of Astoria east of Fifth Street, southeasterly of Denver Avenue and south of platted West Niagara Avenue, as well as the communities of Miles Crossing, Jeffers Gardens, Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark, Youngs River, Olney, Green Mountain and part of Walluski. These areas are Precincts 4, 5, 6, 21, 31, 36. and part of 3.

For the entire article click below:
http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=48535

MLK Memorial Sculpture Controversy

Controversy Erupts Over Selection of Chinese Sculptor for Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

From the Associated Press

The selection of a Chinese sculptor to carve a three-story monument to Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall is raising questions about what part of his legacy should be celebrated.King promoted peace and understanding among all people. His primary fight, however, was to win particular opportunities for blacks in the United States by juxtaposing the plight of an oppressed people against a message of freedom and democracy.A loose-knit but growing group of critics says a black artist — or at least an American — should have been chosen to create the King memorial between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials in the nation's capital. They have been joined by human rights advocates who say King would have abhorred the Chinese government's record on religious and civil liberty."They keep saying King was for everyone. I keep telling people, 'No, King wasn't for everyone. King was for fairness and justice,"' said Gilbert Young, a black painter from Atlanta who has started a Web site and a petition drive to try to change the project."I believe that black artists have the right to interpret ourselves first," Young said. "If nobody steps up to the plate to do that, then certainly pass it along to someone else."The memorial foundation directing the project seems surprised at the criticism. Ten of the 12 people on the committee that chose the sculptor, Lei Yixin, are black. Lei is working closely on the design with two black sculptors in the U.S., organizers said, and the overall project is being directed by a black-owned architecture firm.The foundation also points to King's preaching — in a quote that will be incorporated into the monument — that to achieve peace, humans must "transcend race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.""The bottom line is Dr. King's message that we should judge a person not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character," said Harry Johnson, the foundation's president and chief executive. "In this situation, we're talking about the artistic character."Lei, designated a master sculptor by the Chinese government, is one of nine artists in the field who are considered national treasures in China. He has carved monuments to many of the country's national figures, including Mao Zedong, father of communist China.In a telephone interview Friday from Hunan province in central China, Lei said he was honored to have been chosen and was aware of the controversy."I deeply understand because Martin Luther King is a hero for black Americans," he said.But, he added, "Martin Luther King hoped that everyone would be brothers and sisters no matter the color of their skin or their social status, that they would all enjoy the same opportunities and rights. ... I want my sculpture to show that Martin Luther King fought for democracy."Ann Lau, a Chinese native who lives in Los Angeles, bristles at the suggestion of democracy in her home country and said King would never condone Beijing's policies. The granite used for the statue probably will be mined by workers laboring in unsafe and unfair conditions, the human rights activist said.Lau, Young and others plan to present their online petition to lawmakers in Washington next month in an effort to force the foundation to reconsider the project. Although the $100 million project is financed with private donations, they said citizens should have a say because the monument is being built on public land."The whole thing is wrong," Lau said. "We are going to be permanently connecting Dr. King with someone whose ideology is totally opposed to Dr. King's ideology."But Johnson, the foundation president, asked why the foundation should hold Lei accountable for his government."I think you have to take this away from the government," he said. "We didn't question Lei about his politics or his ideology. We questioned him about whether he could do the work."The King monument is scheduled to be completed in 2009.

N.M.F.S. FERC Document Pushes For Denial of Bradwood

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has appropriately recommended that the US Army Corps of Engineers deny Northern Star's application. NMFS describes likely adverse impacts on page four which include "extensive dredging, filling of off-channelaquatic habitat and the 100-year floodplain, modification and chronicdisturbance of nearshore habitat, and alteration of riparian and estuarine habitat."

NMFS provides numerous reasons for the Corps to deny the permits needed to construct the terminal and pipelines. For example, on page seven the fisheries service notes that "recent consultations have been founded on improvement of estuary habitat and stated that remaining salmonid habitat should be protected and enhanced. This includes the very habitat proposed for loss or modification by the subject project."

These findings support the testimony that I gave to the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners on behalf of Pacific MarineConservation Council, as well as statements by others including ColumbiaRiverkeeper and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. This isyet another example of the myopic manner in which four of the commissionersdisregarded significant public testimony, how they failed to dig deeper intothe harm that this project would bring to the salmon of the Columbia River andthe businesses that depend upon these fish.

NMFS connects the interdependent actions such as the pipelines(including Palomar) and moorage of tugs. NMFS also understates the fact that "The need for this volume of natural gas to service the Pacific Northwest has not been convincingly demonstrated."

This is a good read and a useful document(see link below). Perhaps in the end it will be a federal agency thatacts to protect the environment and sustainable economic development of theestuary. Four of five Clatsop County Commissioners sure showed noinclination to serve their constituents. Instead they exhibited recklessdisregard for our safety, our jobs and the quality of our life.

Bravo NMFS!

Peter Huhtala

Subject: Government Agency Submittal submitted in FERC CP06-365-000,et al.by NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

On1/18/2008, the following Filing was submitted to the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission (FERC), Washington D.C.:


Filer: NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

Docket(s): CP06-365-000
CP06-366-000
Filing Type: Government Agency Submittal
Comment on Filing
Description: National Marine Fisheries Service comments on the public noticedated 10/18/07 re an application by Bradwood Landing LLC to constsruct aliquefied natural gas import terminal etc under CP06-365 et al.

To view the document for this Filing, click here
http://elibrary.FERC.gov/idmws/file_list.asp?accession_num=20080118-0297

What Is A National Heritage Area?

From: National Parks Service

A "National Heritage Area" is a place designated by the United States Congress where natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally-distinctive landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography. These areas tell nationally important stories about our nation and are representative of the national experience through both the physical features that remain and the traditions that have evolved within them.
How is it different from a national park?A National Heritage Area is not a unit of the National Park Service, nor is any land owned or managed by the National Park Service. Instead, a National Heritage Area is a locally-managed designation that focuses heritage-centered interpretation, conservation and development projects over a complex matrix of public and private land. National Heritage Area initiatives are coordinated by a local entity in partnership with varied stakeholders that work collaboratively on projects that meet the area's stated management plan goals. In addition, while a National Heritage Area designation is permanent, the NPS relationship with and commitments to a NHA vary over time.
How do communities benefit from the National Heritage Area designation? The designation has both tangible and intangible benefits. Heritage conservation efforts are grounded in a community's pride in its history and traditions, and in residents' interest and involvement in retaining and interpreting the landscape for future generations. Preserving the integrity of the cultural landscape and local stories means that future generations will be able to understand their relationship to the land. Heritage areas provide educational and inspirational opportunities which encourage residents and visitors to stay in a place, but they also offer a collaborative approach to conservation that does not compromise traditional local control over and use of the landscape.
In addition to enhancing local pride and retaining residents, designation comes with limited technical and financial assistance from the National Park Service. NPS primarily provides planning and interpretation assistance and expertise, but also connects regions with other Federal agencies. Federal financial assistance provides valuable "seed" money that covers basic expenses such as staffing, and leverages other money from state, local and private sources. The region also benefits from national recognition due to its association with the National Park Service through the use of the NPS arrowhead symbol as a branding strategy.
Why utilize the heritage areas strategy? Nature, ecology, and topography shape the culture of a community, which in turn determines how land will be used and consequently what values it will provide to society. This human imprint on the land creates what is called a "cultural landscape," a setting comprised of natural, cultural, social, and economic components that reflect a complex and continuous interrelationship between people and the land.
Many of our nation's unique cultural landscapes now face irrevocable alteration through development or neglect. The heritage area concept offers an innovative method for citizens, in partnership with local, state, and Federal government, and nonprofit and private sector interests, to shape the long-term future of their environment. Heritage areas work across jurisdictional and demographic boundaries by identifying multiple cultural landscapes that are linked thematically, historically, or geographically. Constituents utilize shared concerns about these landscapes to collaboratively shape a plan and implementation strategy that focuses on maintaining the distinct qualities that integrate the region and make it special.
Becoming a heritage area does not require prior state or Federal designation or approval. Five states (Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Utah, and New York) currently have heritage area programs, and there are hundreds of locally defined grassroots heritage area initiatives. Federal designation depends upon Congressional support, whether the region's resources are nationally important and the degree to which the public is engaged in and supportive of designation.
What are the benefits of a partnership approach to heritage development? The partnership approach creates the opportunity for a diverse range of constituents to come together to voice the range of visions and perspectives that exist in any community that has strong connections and interests in the place in which it lives and works. Resident participation in the collaborative exercise of idea sharing and planning encourages the dialog that needs to occur to reveal the goals and visions that members of a community have in common. Basing regional planning upon the shared goals of its constituent communities, and pursuing and encouraging cooperation regardless of other perceived differences can unite the energies and resources of multiple voices in a common goal to preserve and enhance the qualities of the place in which they live. Partnering also encourages the leveraging of financial and in-kind resources and reduces the possibility of duplicating efforts and wasting scarce resources.
How are National Heritage Areas managed?The management entity, outlined in designation legislation, may be a State or local agency, a Federal commission, or a private nonprofit corporation. The management entity is empowered to create a management plan for the heritage area, and is authorized to receive Federal funds on the area's behalf. The authority to implement the management plan is local--it rests in the hands of willing local officials and the actions of local organizations and individuals. Designation legislation does not provide the management entity or any Federal agency with the authority to regulate land. The management entity is also prohibited from using the Federal funds it receives through enabling legislation to acquire real property.
The management plan, required in the designation legislation, describes the ways the management entity and its partners can work together toward the fulfillment of their common vision. Short and long-term actions listed in a management plan might include developing and implementing an interpretation plan, assisting in the rehabilitation of a number of historic sites, working with partners to open regional visitors' centers, or creating a network of recreational trails. The management entity and its partners have three years following designation during which to develop a plan and receive approval by the Secretary of the Interior.
What is the role of the National Park Service? After a heritage area is designated by Congress, National Park Service staff are enlisted as partners with local community activists in planning and implementing heritage area activities. NPS enters into a cooperative agreement with the local parties. The compact is a statement of assent to mutually shared goals, and also serves as the legal vehicle through which Federal funds can be passed to non-governmental management entities. National Park Service involvement is always advisory in nature; it neither makes nor carries out management decisions.
Why is the National Park Service involved? Since 1916, the National Park Service has been the Federal agency responsible for preserving nationally significant natural and historic resources for present and future generations. Heritage Areas allow the Park Service to fulfill this mission without having to acquire or manage more land. Instead, NPS assists citizens who express the initiative to protect their nationally important resources. Fostering local stewardship of distinct and largely intact historic and cultural landscapes allows the National Park Service to work more directly with the public in the direct preservation and protection of important landscapes which have helped define a distinctly American identity.
What kinds of activities does a National Heritage Area offer to outside visitors?Geography, history, resources and maturity all shape what a National Heritage Area can offer visitors. Most National Heritage Areas offer a range of activities for all ages and interests, from recreation (biking, boating) and cultural events (food festivals, art circuits) to history and culture activities (walking tours, museums and historic buildings). Because heritage areas link resources and stories, they provide unique opportunities to understand the larger context of the region's stories, landscapes and people. Many areas provide volunteering, group tour or multiple-day excursions. Others provide combined events that highlight unusual combinations of the region's natural, historical and cultural assets, combining bike tours with Bed and Breakfast stays, for example. You can also combine your trip to a National Heritage Areas with a nearby National Park Service site or trail.

Should America Follw This Man's Lead?

Prime Minister John Howard - Australia

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians'.

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'. 'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,
'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

LNG: Report Says LNG/Oil Tankers Vulnerable - Coast Guard Protection Inadequate

By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Writer Wed Jan 9, 7:17 PM ET

The Coast Guard lacks the resources to adequately protect tankers carrying liquefied petroleum or crude oil from a possible terrorist attack, congressional auditors reported Wednesday.
The report by the Government Accountability Office said the Coast Guard is stretched too thin in some cases "to meet its own self-imposed security standards such as escorting ships carrying liquefied natural gas."
Also, said the report, some ports visited by the government auditors did not have the resources needed to promptly respond to a terrorist attack on a crude oil or LNG tanker, including a shortage of fire boats and inadequately trained people.
The GAO report said past incidents overseas have shown that fuel-carrying tankers are significant terrorist targets, with the biggest concern being a suicide attack. The report noted the 2002 suicide boat attack on a tanker off the coast or Yemen, for example.
While the GAO cited no specific terrorist threat to a vessel or U.S. port, the report said "the threat of seaboard terrorist attacks on maritime energy tankers and infrastructure is likely to persist," with the greatest risks at shipping chokepoints far from U.S. shores.
But it also said the United States "has limitations" in its ability to head off a terrorist plot overseas and that actions taken in U.S waters and ports "carry increased importance."
The Coast Guard has the primary responsibility for maritime security. It monitors arriving ships, boards vessels before they reach port and conducts escort patrols of incoming LNG tankers.
But the GAO auditors said Coast Guard documents show that at some ports a lack of resources has hindered some Coast Guard units from meeting their security duties, including vessel escorts and boarding. It said the Coast Guard has sought to prioritize its security activities to focus on the most risky shipments such as LNG, but that may have reduced security involving other commodities such as crude oil.
"We know that terrorists are looking for the weakest link in our security efforts, and this GAO report is a timely reminder that LNG and oil tankers are serious targets," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., who long has been concerned about security for LNG tankers going into Boston harbor.
Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he would support more money for the Coast Guard for these security activities.
"If there is an attack on an energy tanker or terminal in a U.S. port there could be significant economic environmental and public safety consequences," Dingell said.
Tankers carrying liquefied petroleum now account for 3 percent of U.S. natural gas supplies and that is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. LNG imports now are equal to two large tankers arriving at a U.S. port every three days. There are four onshore LNG terminals operating, but federal regulators have approved construction of at least 11 new facilities, and dozens more have been proposed.
Fire from a terrorism attack against a tanker ship carrying LNG could ignite so fiercely it would burn people one mile away, according to various government studies.
A report by the GAO in March concluded that further research is needed to understand the consequences of an LNG inferno. But it also examined six unclassified studies about the effects of a major spill and fire aboard a double-hulled LNG tanker, concluding that fierce heat from the intense fire — not explosions — would be the biggest threat to the public.
LNG is natural gas that has been cooled to minus 260 degrees, so that it becomes a liquid that can be transported in a tanker. Once brought ashore it is warmed so that it again becomes natural gas.
The GAO report was requested by Dingell, Markey and Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas.
Barton said in a statement that most LNG safety experts surveyed by the GAO said the protection zones required for LNG tankers and terminals will protect the public.
"Who can disagree that in an age of suicide bombers and America-haters, the vessels which deliver energy to Americans warrant protection," Barton said. "We'll need to protect the tankers, but we'll require far fewer of them if we can summon the political will to produce our own energy from our own reserve."
Barton has been a strong advocate for opening more offshore waters for natural gas exploration and drilling and more domestic oil and gas production.

From Willamette Week: Three Sources Say State Senator Betsy Johnson Under FBI Investigation!

Three Sources: State Sen. Betsy Johnson Under FBI Investigation

January 8th 2008 3:17pm
BY: Nigel Jaquiss - Willamette Week

(Click Jaquiss's name for full story)

Oregon On Track To Add Seat In Congress

U.S. House - The state's growth positions it to gain a sixth representative after the 2010 Census
Friday, January 04, 2008
CHARLES POPE - The Oregonian
WASHINGTON -- If power in Congress is a measure of numbers, Oregon is likely to become a wee bit stronger after the 2010 Census.
Political demographers say Oregon is growing large enough and consistently enough to make it a strong candidate for adding a sixth House seat after the next census.
It would be the first addition to the Oregon delegation in 30 years.
"Earlier in the decade, we didn't see Oregon gaining a seat, but Oregon is now showing a strong potential," said Kimball W. Brace, president of Election Data Services, a Washington-based consulting firm that specializes in redistricting.
Brace's analysis, based on new census estimates, shows Northwest states booming, along with those in the Southeast and Southwest. The projections show population draining from the Northeast and Midwest.
Oregon's population is estimated to increase from 3.4 million in 2000, to 3.9 million by 2010, according to Census estimates.
Texas is likely to add four seats while Arizona and Florida would gain two each. Others likely to add at least one member of Congress are Georgia, Nevada and Utah. Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania are projected to lose seats.
The projection of seats, which translates into winners and losers, is an intense parlor game played out every 10 years in state capitals and in Washington, D.C. Under federal law, legislative and congressional districts must be redrawn after each census to preserve one-person, one-vote equality. With the census completed by the end of 2010, the job will fall to a new governor and Legislature to remake Oregon's political map.
By law, the president is required to report the census results to the U.S. House early in the year. Within 15 days, the clerk of the House must tell all the governors how many seats their states get.
In Oregon, as in most states, the lines are drawn by the state Legislature, which means the party in power shapes districts to maximize its prospects. If the Legislature can't agree, the secretary of state intervenes to decide state legislative districts and a federal judge decides congressional lines.
It can get messy.
"It's usually the case that the Legislature can agree on congressional districts," said Norman Turrill, first vice president for the League of Women Voters of Oregon, who helped write a 2007 study on redistricting in Oregon. "They don't usually have a conflict of interest like they do when they draw their own boundaries."
Even so, if Oregon adds another House district, some difficult questions will have to be answered: Should the new seat be used to shrink the sprawling 2nd District in eastern Oregon that is rich with Republican voters? Should the lines around Portland be redrawn to consolidate it into a single district rather than divide the city and its suburbs among three lawmakers? Should the oddly-shaped 5th District, which runs from Clackamas County to the coast, be adjusted?
Whatever decisions are made, the districts will have to conform to unforgiving math; they will each have about 700,000 residents.
Here's more math: The number of House seats is capped at 435, which means a gain by one state causes another state to lose. Congress could change the number, though it seldom has. There were only 105 members after the first census in 1790. In 1910, Congress set the number at 435, where it has remained ever since.
Even the census itself is under scrutiny. State populations are derived by counting everybody -- citizens and non-citizens alike.
In March, Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., introduced legislation directing the Census Bureau to count only U.S. citizens. The bill quickly stalled.
"It's one thing if we lose seats simply because of population loss, but it's another thing if we lose this seat because of illegal immigration, and that's exactly what is happening," she said at the time.
All of this for an outcome that will barely move the needle on the power index. Even with six seats, Oregon will remain one of the smaller delegations, a far cry from California with 53 and still trailing Washington's nine. With six House members, Oregon will have parity with Kentucky and South Carolina.
"We'll have a little more clout in Washington, D.C.," Turrill says, "but not significantly more."
Charles Pope: 202 383-7819; charles.pope@newhouse.com
©2008 The Oregonian

Oregon Democrat Law Makers List Their Priorities For Upcoming Legislative Session

Of Course Not a Word On LNG Speculation And Siting!

Issue priorities for Senate and House Democrats, who are the majorities in both chambers of the Oregon Legislature, which will meet Feb. 4-29 in a test drive for annual sessions. Issues are listed in no particular order, and some are subject to money available in the 2007-09 budget:
STATE POLICE: Potential additional hiring of troopers to restore around-the-clock patrol coverage on major state highways. The 2007 session set aside money for 100, short of the 139 estimated to be needed.
CHILDREN: Potential additional hiring of protective workers to ensure the safety of foster children and others under state supervision.
SENIORS: Unspecified additional money for Oregon Project Independence and other alternatives to nursing home care for seniors.
FORECLOSURES: New legal protections for homeowners caught up in the national mortgage-lending crisis. A bill passed the Senate but died in the House in the 2007 session.
NATURAL RESOURCES: Potential additional money for a state task force reviewing Oregon's land-use laws; the 2007 session reduced but did not end support. Expansion of water drawn from the Columbia River for Eastern Oregon communities and farming; the House passed but the Senate shelved a similar bill in the 2007 session.
PERFORMANCE: Lawmakers are wrestling with how to enhance their oversight of state agency operations.

Natural Resource Group: Just More Appearance Of Bradwood Collusion To Ram LNG Down OUR Throats

State hints of conflict in firm's 2 LNG studies
Posted by The Oregonian January 05, 2008 08:47AM
Categories: Breaking News, Business, Clackamas County, Environment, Washington County
Oregon is skeptical of federal assurances that the terminal and pipeline reports were independently doneState officials aren't satisfied with federal regulators' steps to deal with a potential conflict of interest posed by the same environmental consulting firm working on two projects: a Columbia River terminal for liquefied natural gas and a pipeline that would ferry the imported gas to market.
They also are concerned that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's environmental analysis of the LNG terminal, Bradwood Landing, doesn't cover the pipeline proposal.
If both projects receive approval, the Palomar gas pipeline would carry gas from the LNG import terminal near the mouth of the Columbia River to a distribution hub south of Portland and from there on to an interstate pipeline in central Oregon.
FERC hired the consultant, Natural Resource Group, in 2005 to help prepare regulators' environmental evaluation of the terminal project -- a crucial part of the federal licensing process.
The next year, NRG went to work for financial backers of the pipeline, which now include TransCanada Corp. and Northwest Natural Gas Co., to help secure regulatory approval for the Palomar pipeline. At the time, NRG says, the Palomar proposal only connected Northwest Natural's distribution hub in Molalla to TransCanada's interstate pipeline near Madras.
The pipeline proposal, however, has since expanded to include a second section extending from the Willamette Valley to the LNG terminal, if the terminal is built.
The conflict-of-interest concern turns on whether, for regulatory purposes, the pipeline project and LNG terminal are considered related. The state of Oregon believes they are, and it wants FERC not only to eliminate any potential conflict with its third party contractor, but also consider the environmental impact of the pipeline in its analysis of the terminal.
"If these projects are related to each other, they both should have been covered," said Michael Grainey, director of the Oregon Department of Energy.
Backers of the LNG terminal and pipeline continue to argue that the projects are unrelated.
Bradwood could ship its gas to market over a shorter pipeline proposed to link it with the Williams Northwest Pipeline near Kelso, said Henry Morse, project manager for the Palomar pipeline. Similarly, the eastern section of Palomar, connecting Molalla and TransCanada's pipeline north of Madras, is still a viable project even if Bradwood is never built, he said.
"Neither one relies on the other for their existence," Morse said.
For licensing purposes, FERC is treating the projects as unrelated. In fact, Palomar's backers haven't even filed an application yet. But the agency acknowledges a potential relationship between the two. In late December, it sent a letter to NRG to express ethical concerns about its work on both projects.
"NRG's work on the Palomar pipeline could appear to provide it with a financial interest in seeing that Bradwood Landing LNG project gets approved," said the letter from Richard Hoffman, the director of FERC's Division of Gas.
Hoffman directed NRG to eliminate the potential conflict by separating staff and supervisors on the projects and segregating documentation on them.
Mary O'Driscoll, a spokeswoman for FERC, said such "Chinese walls" are common practice in corporate America.
"This is a longstanding practice in corporate circles and here at FERC," O'Driscoll said. "These are professionals. They have a blend of experience, and we know them from their past work."
Moreover, she said, FERC staff closely review every element of its environmental reviews. "Nothing goes out of here that is not signed and approved by FERC," she added.
U.S. agency critical, too
FERC issued its 600-page draft environmental analysis of Bradwood Landing, much of which NRG compiled, in August. Since then, Oregon state natural resource agencies have criticized the document as flawed and inadequate. The National Marine Fisheries Service, also critical, said FERC should include anticipated effects of the second section of the Palomar project in its analysis.
Douglas Lake, a vice president or NRG, defended the firm's work on the Bradwood Landing analysis and said no conflict existed.
"We've done work for FERC on many, many projects," he said. "We know what they want in terms of the level of detail. That's why they hire us again and again."
Lake said only one staff member from NRG, a soils expert, had worked on both Bradwood and Palomar. Meanwhile, he said, NRG had complied with FERC's request to separate project staff and documentation. The firm has even rented new space in Minneapolis so that staff working on the two projects won't interact.
State still worries
Mike Carrier, Gov. Ted Kulongoski's natural resource policy director, said the state is still concerned that NRG has the potential to be less than objective and separating the staff doesn't solve the issue.
"It's not sufficient," Carrier said. "Just a physical separation of the staff and work doesn't clearly resolve whether there's a material benefit for NRG to be working on both projects."
Depending on FERC's reaction to NRG's actions, Carrier said, the state might initiate a legal review of the situation. He wouldn't say whether the state was prepared to take any other steps.
In the meantime, the state is hoping FERC will substantially beef up its environmental analysis of the project.
"We have every indication that FERC is approaching this with a fairly light touch," Carrier said. "We'd like to see a more robust approach."
-- Ted Sickinger; tedsickinger@news.oregonian.com

LNG - Shifting To LNG Just Trades The Devil For A Witch, Energy Expert Says

Business
Saturday Reader - Arizona Star Newspaper

By Cecil Johnson
McClatchy-Tribune News Service

In energy industry parlance, LNG is short for liquefied natural gas. In the view of electricity production and delivery expert Jason Makansi, those letters should stand for "let's not go" there.
Makansi opines unequivocally in "Lights Out," his illuminating new book on the energy availability challenges confronting the U.S. and the world in the 21st century, that importing large amounts of LNG for bulk electricity generation is a bad idea whose time should not come.
"What we absolutely, positively do not want is to be dependent on imported LNG, as we are on imported petroleum today and into the foreseeable future," he writes.
"That should be painfully obvious. Threatening LNG imports could be helpful in tempering gas prices, but I wouldn't rely on them for anything else."
Makansi, an electricity-industry consultant, entrepreneur and author of two previous books on the industry, espies major problems with LNG. He says he considers LNG tankers "floating bombs" that are vulnerable to accidents and sabotage by terrorists.
But the overriding reason for curtailing or limiting LNG imports is the geopolitical factor, he says, noting that the largest reserves of it are in the Middle East and Russia.
If we must depend heavily on natural gas for electricity production, he argues, we should exploit our own substantial reserves. Environmentalists, however, object to extracting it from areas in the Rocky Mountains and Alaska, he reminds readers.
"At some point, people have to make a choice, in this case between national security and greater energy independence or retaining in a pristine condition the acreage where vast domestic sources of natural gas are located," Makansi writes.
That assertion, however, does not mean Makansi is environmentally tone-deaf. In fact, Mankansi shows as much concern about pollution and global warming as former President Al Gore does in his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."
But Makansi is a realist on electricity who embraces such unavoidable truths as the need to reach compromises and find "smart" solutions to the environmental problems attached to coal-fired and nuclear power plants.
"Lights Out" is a highly readable, well-written tome, laced with wit and practical wisdom.
It should be read and digested by politicians, business leaders and everyone else who has a stake in keeping the lights on and keeping the cost of doing so from ascending through the ozone layer.

The "Dark Ironies" At Carruthers Park/Tansy Point

Tansy Point, we all know the name.

Sits right next to Carruthers Park, between Warrenton and Hammond right?

Noted today for being a Log Storage yard, leased from the City of Warrenton by the "Nygaard Family Empire" right?

Not many, if one were to visit it now, associate Tansy Point with the fact that it, along with the property Carruthers Park sits on, was a part of the lands donated by the Carruthers Family to the citizens of Warrenton/Hammond for their benefit and pleasure.

It seems somewhat inappropriate that a "Log Yard" would be the current use for Tansy Point and add to that the prospect that it could, if manipulations go to someone's benefit, be sold?

Become another prospective site for another LNG Termunal?

Quite a dark future, in my view and below look at its bleak past. "Land Takings" all in the interest of greed and profit and displacement of people........

The Anson Dart Treaties

(From Chinook Nation WebSite)

"The first of the treaties were called the Anson Dart Treaties in 1851, and there was a whole series of them written with the different tribes. Each of the five groups that now make up the lower Chinook Indian nation, signed a treaty, and the United States Senate never acted on, or signed or ratified those treaties " (Gary Johnson interview: 2002).

Anson Dart negotiates 19 treaties in August of 1851, on treaty grounds at Tansy Point, on the south shore of the Columbia at the mouth of Lewis & Clark River (see map below). Treaties are drawn up with the Clatsop, Wau-ki-kum, Konnaacc, Kathlamet, Klatskania, Wheelappa, and Lower Chinook bands of the Chinook peoples, as well as the Tillamook and other bands. None of these is ratified by the Senate. (Beckham 1987:7)

Section of 1887 Army Corps ofEngineers map showing location ofTansy Point, 1851 treaty grounds.University of Washington Archives#UW128. -- University of Washington Library Archives Website, 2002

Adapted from portion of 1881 Symonsmap to show approximate boundary ofLower Chinook territory cession,as described in Anson Darttreaty at Tansey Point in 1851.
The geographical area described in the treaty for the cession of the Lower Band of the Chinook Tribe to the United States was as follows:

“Beginning at the mouth of a certain stream entering Gray’s Bay on the north side of the Columbia River which stream forms the western boundary of lands ceded to the United states by the Waukikum band of Chinooks, running thence northeroly on said western boundary to lands of the Wheelappa and of Indians thence westerly along said lands of the Wheelappa band to the Shoalwater Bay, thence southerly and easterly following the Coast of the Pacific Ocean band the northern shore of the Columbia to the place of beginning, the above description is intended to embrace all the lands owned or claimed by said Lower Band of Chinook Indians. [See Chinook Tribe and Bands of Indians v. United States, 6 Ind. Cl. Comm. 177, 184 (1958))]. (Bureau of Indian Affairs 1851: 32-35, Ex. 9). (Beckham 1987:8)