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In Our View: Cheers & Jeers

Vancouver salary petition democracy in action; make national parks a priority

The Columbian
Published: June 4, 2016, 6:03am

Cheers: To power of the people. Advocates of repealing a large salary increase for Vancouver’s elected officials have succeeded in qualifying a referendum for the ballot. After 3,049 valid signatures were gathered, the petition now goes to the city council, which could vote to repeal the pay raises or refer the matter to voters in November.

The issue arose last month when the city’s Salary Review Commission increased the mayor’s pay for next year by 117 percent (to $60,000), and provided raises of at least 50 percent for city councilors. We believe raises of that size for positions that are part time — as dictated by the city charter — are excessive. But, for now, that is not the issue. The important part at this point is that a group of citizens saw something they felt was wrong and worked to get fellow citizens to take action. It is representative democracy in action.

Jeers: To funding for national parks. Or should we say a lack of funding for America’s outdoor cathedrals? Mount Rainier National Park is one of 20 parks competing in on online popularity contest this summer for part of $2 million in funding from the private National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The National Park Service was created in 1916 — it will celebrate its centennial in August — and since then it has preserved, protected, and promoted some of the nation’s most stunning landscapes. But a lack of funding has been a growing problem in recent years, and the parks’ maintenance backlog has grown to an estimated $12 billion. Americans — and those who represent them in Congress — should make parks a priority rather than having administrators resort to online contests.

Cheers: To something being done. This also could be considered a jeer, but we will give a bit of credit to the U.S. Department of Energy for providing a little attention to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The department’s inspector general has started a review of the agency’s actions related to vapors at the nation’s largest nuclear waste depository, near Richland.

This spring, some 50 Hanford workers have required medical attention for possible exposure to chemical vapors. The investigation by federal authorities is welcome, and it bucks the decades-long trend of ignoring problems at Hanford.

Jeers: To rapid snowmelt. Unseasonably warm temperatures throughout the region have quickly rekindled concerns about drought conditions this summer as the snowpack in the Cascade Range dissipates. A lack of available snowmelt throughout the summer creates difficult conditions for wildlife, fish, and agricultural industries.

As Teresa Scott of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife told The (Tacoma) News Tribune: “It’s hard, because who doesn’t like nice weather? But in terms of what would be the best for fish and probably wildlife right now, a cooler summer would probably be better.”

Cheers: To Flag Day. While this year’s presidential election has highlighted and feasted upon the issues that divide Americans, Flag Day is one thing that all citizens should be able to agree upon. The June 14 event commemorates the official adoption of the U.S. Flag in 1777, establishing a symbol that has endured through world conflicts and has been planted on the moon. And it should be mentioned that the oldest continuing Flag Day parade has been taking place in Fairfield (Spokane County) since 1909 or 1910.

In preparation for the holiday, Davidson & Associates Insurance in downtown Vancouver is handing out 3-foot-by-5-foot flags to anybody who would like one or would like to exchange an old flag. For information about local Flag Day events, visit fortvan.org/flag-day.html.

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