© 2022 Tootie Smith for Oregon. All Rights Reserved.

Rights and Responsibilities

Rights and Responsibilities

Many of the most important public policy debates these days are the result of fundamental disagreements on what, exactly, rights are. Some people are quickly to declare everything they want to be a “right,” meaning that the rest of society...

All About the Economy

This has been a rough year for households all across the United States, Oregon and Clackamas County. Reckless federal spending policies have reduced the value of the dollar and caused the worst inflation in four decades. The results are hitting...

Managing Tax Dollars the Right Way

I’ve long maintained that government agencies should manage taxpayer dollars the same way individuals and households manage their finances. As chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, I take this fiduciary duty very seriously. I have to live within...

Upholding the Social Contract

There are certain expectations that come from living in a free society. The most important is that, as long as you work hard, obey the law and don’t hurt anyone else, you’re generally free to go about your business peacefully....

Of Results and Intentions

If it’s true that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then it must not have very many potholes. Time and time again, we find in the public policy arena that decisions are often based on stated intentions....

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...

Truth and Consequences

Headlines all across the United States have declared for months that our hospitals are completely at capacity. This has been done largely for the sake of shaming people into getting the COVID vaccine. But the reasons for the strain on...

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...

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...