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      Are We Being Ruled or Governed?

      Are We Being Ruled or Governed?

      One of the main debates of our time is one that is nothing new. Society has always seemed to be split between people subscribing to two competing political philosophies—some want to be governed and some want others to rule over...

      WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR BELOVED OREGON?

      “THERE’S A TRICKY BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE OVERALL PUBLIC HEALTH OF SOCIETY VERSUS AN AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT TO IMPOSE ITS WILL ON ALL OF US.” For many of us, it seems like the last year and a half...

      Local Control and the Consent of the Governed

      The last year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit have taught us a lot about ourselves, each other and the true intentions of many people entrusted with leadership positions. Elected officials throughout Oregon and the United States...

      Blindsides, Broken Promises and Burning Bridges

      Anyone who is even the least bit familiar with my public political stances knows that I’ve traditionally had a tough time trusting Metro and its officials. This position comes from years of watching this agency chronically waste tax dollars and...

      What We’re Working Toward

      In order to truly thrive, an organization needs to have clearly defined goals and objectives in place. Those goals should be agreed upon by the organization’s leaders and employees and be understood by all involved, for the sake of achieving...

      Let’s Salvage and Manage What Remains

      Summer is now officially underway. We can all recall last summer, when catastrophic wildfires touched and torched nearly every corner of Oregon. Devastation was literally everywhere, and much of it remains to this very day. The small town of Gates,...

      A Community-Wide Effort results in Clackamas County moving to ‘Lower Risk’

      Published in Pamplin MediaGroup - EstacadaNews "This is great news for our Clackamas County residents and businesses. I'd like to express my thanks to our local business community and residents for their sacrifices as they worked to reduce the spread...

      Promises Made, Promises Kept

      This time last year, I was elected chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners outright in the May 2020 primary election. I accomplished this by winning over 50 percent of the vote, meaning that a runoff in the November...

      We Must Not Be Unprepared

      Unfortunately, residents throughout the rural parts of Oregon have become used to the ghastly sights and smells resulting from catastrophic wildfires ravaging the landscape. And while these disasters have become commonplace in areas like the southern part of the state,...

      The Perils of Government Overreach

      Last fall, I made some public statements that caused quite a stir. Fed up with the government-forced lockdown of COVID restrictions, I simply said that I was going to have family and friends over for Thanksgiving and that our governor...