Oregon Senator Ron Wyden showed up to a couple of town hall meetings last Thursday; the first at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria.
The audience had a lot to say about liquefied natural gas projects proposed for the lower Columbia River. Senator Wyden listened as citizens talked about everything from health care to fisheries management. But things really heated up, both for and against, when the discussion turned to LNG.
"If you look at the potential...not even just terrorist risk...we become this huge bullseye when this happens...We need projects like this. Sixty families, 65 families will have family wage jobs with benefits."
Wyden said he'd do all he could to address people's concerns about LNG, but didn't want to mislead anyone. He said a Senate vote had already given the federal government ultimate jurisdiction over the siting process. Wyden voted against the measure, in favor of local control. But he was blunt about the outcome.
Ron Wyden: "And that's really what the vote in the Senate meant -- is that FERC is basically given, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the power to just sort of walk all over local communities. It was a big mistake and I think Congress is going to regret it."
Wyden pledged to help citizens get more information on the proposals currently in the works. He said he'd partner with Betsy Johnson to seek common ground and evaluate the proposed terminals to see which one might be the most viable.
So far a total of four energy companies have proposed LNG ship terminals on the lower 35 miles of the Columbia River.
In the end, Wyden wouldn't go on the record for or against LNG, which isn't all that surprising these days.
A few hours later in St Helens, Wyden showed up for another Town Hall meeting. Lots of topics: Funding for Senior Centers, NW Power rates, the Cost of the Iraq War, and even Illegal immigration. But again, no one got any definitive answers, (at least they were given the opportunity to state their concerns to the Senator.)
Mayor Peterson was seen (!!!) at this meeting with Senator Ron Wyden, along with the mayor of Columbia City, several people from the Port Commission, Columbia River PUD, a County State Rep and Senator, as well as Two Columbia County Commissioners.
Curious to read y'all's take on Wyden's St Helens visit in Thursday's latest Update edition.
-Tom
2 comments:
I listened to Wyden. He did a lot of tap dancing and didn't say much. He, at least, voted against the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act.
Smith (our other Senator) votes for everything that the President wants. That says to me that he is more concerned about corperate welfare, than citizen welfare.
I hear ya friend!
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