At the end of the day, the purpose of every public organization should be to improve the quality of life for the citizens it serves. But far too often, it seems that the politicians and bureaucrats in government agencies prioritize pet projects over their residents’ needs. Throughout my careers in both the public and private sector, I’ve placed an emphasis…
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I’ve long admired the pioneer spirit that founded Oregon, as well as the industries that brought people to this region in the first place. And as much as society and the world have changed since then, our natural resource industries are still a critical part of the state’s economy. Even though we’ve seen the advent of technology, tourism and other…
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After years of riding on the coattails of a booming national economy with low unemployment, the State of Oregon is now in a world of hurt. The impact of the coronavirus and resulting forced government closures of business have caused a record number of unemployment claims to be filed. Because Oregon has no sales tax, it is highly reliant on…
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There were a lot of things I learned when I served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2001 to 2005. One of them was how to best prioritize and utilize taxpayer resources to fund critical government services. I was assigned to the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee. Many of my colleagues were on policy committees and would be able…
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One of the most important function of a commissioner is to represent the interests of county residents. That’s especially true of whichever commissioner serves as chair of the board of commissioners. As a longtime Clackamas County resident, I’m extremely familiar with the county’s communities and its residents’ needs. I’ve seen the area evolve over the years alongside the neighboring metropolis…
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All too often, we see what happens when the government tries to do too much—cost overruns, lax oversight, mission creep between different agencies and core functions not being done well. That is one of the many reasons that I’ve always thought government should stick to doing a few things and should seek to do them well. In my two terms…
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Throughout my campaign for chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, I’ve emphasized the need to focus on the most essential of services. And out of all of them, law and order is arguably the most critical. When I served on the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners from 2013 to 2017, I strived to ensure that county residents had…
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Everyone is aware of the immediate impacts of the coronavirus, with regular news reports on the numbers of infections, deaths, product shortages, closures and restrictions on peoples’ daily activities. But much less obvious are its short and long-term impacts on the economy, businesses, household finances and government budgets. It’s always been my philosophy that government budgets should more closely resemble…
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Now, more than ever, citizens need to know that their local governments and the officials in them have adequately prepared for any disasters that may arise. That is one of the many reasons why I became certified through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). When I served as Clackamas County Commissioner from 2013 to 2017, I realized that there was…
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One of the biggest reasons I’m running for chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners is the continued fiscal irresponsibility being shown by that body. I strongly feel that the county is on the wrong track when it comes to taxing and spending, and I am determined to fix it. Throughout my years of public service, I’ve faced many…
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