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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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In Our View: Cheers & Jeers

DNR, other input on oil terminal praised; water activities require safety, sense

The Columbian
Published:

Cheers: To input about a proposed oil terminal. Adjudication hearings on the Tesoro-Savage terminal at the Port of Vancouver begin Monday as consideration of the project moves to the next phase. As revealed this week, the state Department of Natural Resources has joined the chorus of voices opposed to the proposal, sending a submission to the state regulatory agency that speaks of “the potential for tremendous catastrophic loss.”

The Columbian long has editorially opposed the terminal, and the five-week adjudication process will give voice to vast concerns about the danger posed by the project and the impact it would have on Clark County’s quality of life. Meanwhile, jeers are warranted for Tesoro and Savage officials who believe that state regulators should assess only the terminal itself. Suggesting that such a project would not impact the surrounding community is an affront to those of us who actually live here.

Jeers: To poor water safety. Firefighters were called out to Lacamas Lake late Monday to rescue two people who had overturned a canoe while failing to wear flotation devices. Authorities were called after two people were heard yelling for help, and firefighters put on flotation devices, grabbed two extra ones, and swam out to the victims.

It is fortunate that nobody was injured, but the incident points out the need for common sense when engaging in water activities. Although summer weather is approaching, large bodies of water are cold and dangerous this time of year, and the need for flotation devices remains evident. Regardless of age or swimming ability, water activities call for some common-sense safety measures.

Cheers: To the rights of tenants. The Seattle City Council has passed a bill that forbids landlords from increasing rent on properties that violate the city’s core standards for livability. Washington state law prevents government from instituting rent-control measures, but the Seattle bill provides some reasonable power to tenants who have few housing options.

With rental vacancies at historic lows and rent prices rapidly increasing, tenants often have been left in an untenable situation. Now, landlords in Seattle can no longer increase rent if there is mold growing on the walls or if there is no hot water in an apartment. The move is a reasonable one in helping to ensure that residents have decent living quarters.

Jeers: To unaffordable housing. It certainly comes as no surprise, but an article from Columbian reporter Brooks Johnson recently detailed what happens when rising home prices meet with stagnant wages. The result: Average people will soon be priced out of the average home. Last year, the median home sale price in Clark County rose 8 percent, while median wages rose 1.5 percent.

The only solution is an increase to the housing supply. Basic economics tells us that when demand — driven by an expanding population — grows more quickly than supply, prices go up. There has been much talk nationally and locally about a lack of affordable housing for low-income people, but the woes of middle-income people also require attention.

Cheers: To local concerts. One sure sign of summer is a plethora of live music throughout the area. Concerts in downtown Vancouver, La Center, Camas, east Vancouver, Ridgefield, and elsewhere in Clark County are on the docket for the coming months (http://tinyurl.com/hqccwwg).

Most important, many of the shows are free or charge a nominal fee. In an era when big-name acts often charge upwards of $150 for a show, it is nice to be reminded that a quality live performance doesn’t have to break the bank. There likely is no better way to spend a sunny summer afternoon or evening than enjoying the song stylings of a local band.

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