Clackamas and Multnomah County might border each other, but their policies couldn’t be further apart. As the capital descended into chaos, Clackamas residents dutifully directed their government to reject the Portland model. The people spoke up, pushed back, and charted...
18 March 2024
Clackamas Won the Fight Against the Decriminalization of Killer Drugs…But the Fight Isn’t Over
The people of Oregon have won a hard-fought battle against the nightmare of drug decriminalization. Governor Tina Kotek will sign House Bill 4002 into effect which officially recriminalizes the possession of illicit substances. After three devastating years of Measure 110,...
4 March 2024
The ‘Clackamas Way’ for Tackling Homelessness
With Oregon racking up one of the nation's highest homelessness rates, no county in Oregon has been unaffected by this harrowing epidemic. It’s a statewide issue. Just a few years ago, Multnomah County and Clackamas County were in a similar position. After taking...
22 January 2024
Putting Public Safety First
In Clackamas County, public safety isn't just a talking point thrown around to win cheap political points – it's a priority. This commission has remained steadfast in its commitment to end the importation of disastrous policies of Portland Creep. This...
24 May 2023
Housing Programs That Work
Despite what people may think and what they read and hear in the press, we’ve actually had a huge reduction in homelessness in Clackamas County over the last year. And we have the data to prove it. According to the...
27 March 2023
It Takes All of Us – A Community-Centric Approach to Solving Homelessness
By Tootie Smith Chair, Clackamas County Commission We all agree communities face the monumental task of addressing homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health across Oregon. While we did not create this crisis, as elected leaders it is our responsibility to...
21 September 2022
Too Little, Too Late
Housing is, and has been, one of the top issues for the citizens of Clackamas County for years now. The simple fact of the matter is that the amount of available housing has not kept up with the demand created...
27 April 2022
The Perils of Progressive Policies
As of right now, so-called progressives have been in charge of Portland for decades, the Oregon Legislature for years, the U.S. Senate and Congress and the White House. So what, exactly, do we have to show for it? We are...
2 February 2022
Fleeing from a Free-for-All
Over the past year, I’ve written about the decriminalization of two of the biggest problems facing the residents of the Portland metropolitan area and Oregon—drug use and homelessness. Now, some people are hoping to add prostitution to the list of...
8 September 2021
Finding the Right Balance
Having completely failed to address the homeless crisis in any meaningful way, Portland politicians have concocted another way of dealing with it. This mostly involves passing legislation telling every other city throughout Oregon to take care of the problem while...
