It is clear by now that the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic shutdown is going to hit people and businesses right in their pocketbooks. What can government do to ease the pain for the average family from economic ruin? The...
28 April 2020
Customer Service as a Top Priority
At the end of the day, the purpose of every public organization should be to improve the quality of life for the citizens it serves. But far too often, it seems that the politicians and bureaucrats in government agencies prioritize...
23 April 2020
Farmers, Loggers, Ranchers and Truckers Are Essential
I’ve long admired the pioneer spirit that founded Oregon, as well as the industries that brought people to this region in the first place. And as much as society and the world have changed since then, our natural resource industries...
21 April 2020
Prudent Planning with Proper Priorities
After years of riding on the coattails of a booming national economy with low unemployment, the State of Oregon is now in a world of hurt. The impact of the coronavirus and resulting forced government closures of business have caused...
16 April 2020
The Fundamentals of Good Management
There were a lot of things I learned when I served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2001 to 2005. One of them was how to best prioritize and utilize taxpayer resources to fund critical government services. I was...
14 April 2020
Putting Clackamas County and Its Residents First
One of the most important function of a commissioner is to represent the interests of county residents. That’s especially true of whichever commissioner serves as chair of the board of commissioners. As a longtime Clackamas County resident, I’m extremely familiar...
9 April 2020
Getting Back to Basics
All too often, we see what happens when the government tries to do too much—cost overruns, lax oversight, mission creep between different agencies and core functions not being done well. That is one of the many reasons that I’ve always...
7 April 2020
The Importance of Law and Order
Throughout my campaign for chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, I’ve emphasized the need to focus on the most essential of services. And out of all of them, law and order is arguably the most critical. When I...
2 April 2020
Saving for a Rainy Day Before It Starts Pouring
Everyone is aware of the immediate impacts of the coronavirus, with regular news reports on the numbers of infections, deaths, product shortages, closures and restrictions on peoples’ daily activities. But much less obvious are its short and long-term impacts on...
31 March 2020
Leadership in Times of Crisis
Now, more than ever, citizens need to know that their local governments and the officials in them have adequately prepared for any disasters that may arise. That is one of the many reasons why I became certified through the Federal...
