For over 40 years, Clackamas County has lacked the ability to control its own destiny. That’s how long the county and its residents have been subjected to the additional layer of government, bureaucracy, taxation and regulations that have accompanied our...
23 November 2022
Is Oregon in Denial?
I love Oregon. My family has called this state home for multiple generations. In fact, I still live not too far from the farm where I grew up with my parents and two siblings. I’m a proud graduate of local...
19 October 2022
Putting the Cart Before the Horse
It’s no secret that I’ve been a vocal critic of Metro throughout the multiple decades of my life as an elected public official. Even prior to my stints as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives and Clackamas County...
5 October 2022
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...
7 September 2022
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...
10 August 2022
Holding ourselves accountable. An 18 month check-in.
Long before I ever served in any public office, I believed in holding elected officials accountable for upholding the promises they made while campaigning for their positions. All these years later, I still feel the same way. This is especially...
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...
13 April 2022
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....
23 March 2022
All Eyes on Clackamas
Even though much of Clackamas County is rural in nature, it’s considered part of the Portland metropolitan area. The “tri-county area” consists of Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah counties. Those three jurisdictions are also part of Metro. Due to the close...
16 February 2022
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....
