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...
19 May 2023
It’s official: There will be no tolling on I-5 or I-205 for at least the next couple of years.
Governor Kotek has directed the Oregon Department of Transportation to put a stop to those plans until 2026. At one point, it was considered inevitable. We were told it was a foregone conclusion. But those of us who were against...
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 December 2022
Investing in Our Communities
As the chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, one of my most important jobs is to ensure that we spend public resources in ways that best benefit our residents. Not only does that include county property tax revenues,...
7 December 2022
The Short End of the Stick
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...
2 November 2022
Armchair Quarterbacks Should Stay on the Sidelines
When I ran for chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners in 2020, I knew what the position entailed. I knew that once elected, I would face the task of getting a majority of my fellow commissioners to agree...
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...
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...
