November 1, 2022

Defend the Police, Don’t Defund Them

Police Honoring a Slain Officer-cm

There are certain things that current Clackamas County Commissioner Sonya Fischer doesn’t want voters to hear. One of the most important has to do with her stance on law and order. This has become one of the biggest issues in the 2022 election, because law-abiding citizens are becoming increasingly weary of politicians whose policies are causing crime to skyrocket all …

Continue reading
October 28, 2022

Telling the Truth on Tolling

Tollgate-cm

There are certain signs that a campaign isn’t going well. One of the biggest is when you feel like you have to pay an attorney to contact your opponent and make threats of legal action. While this kind of thing may be more common at the federal level, with the highest public offices in the nation, I never expected to …

Continue reading
October 27, 2022

The Role of Local Government

The role of local government-cm

I’ve always thought it’s important for candidates who are running for office to be familiar with whatever that position entails. That way, they have a better sense of what they’re getting into. But more importantly, it means that they’re also aware of the limitations of what they can and cannot do after they’ve been elected. Many people try to get …

Continue reading
October 20, 2022

Drug legalization is killing us

Social advertising on the topic of drug addiction-cm

An analogy that comes up quite often in public policy is that of a pendulum. The explanation goes something like this: The same approach is used for a while until it stops being effective and develops its own unique set of consequences. Voters then start to demand that something different be done, and the metaphoric pendulum then swings in the …

Continue reading
October 19, 2022

One of Two Directions

Voting -cm

Because the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners is a five-member body, each election can change its overall direction. Recent history has also shown that ours is a swing county, meaning that its voters go back and forth in their preferences every couple of years. With that being the case, I think there are two different ways that this county can …

Continue reading
October 18, 2022

My Thoughts on Tolling

Toll gate on the highway -cm

As far as I’m concerned, tolling is the single biggest issue in the race for Clackamas County Commissioner, Position 5. The entire race boils down to this simple question: Do you want to pay to drive on I-5 and/or I-205? If the answer is no, then I am asking for your support so I can work to help stop this …

Continue reading
October 6, 2022

What Really Matters

Protest-cm

Labor Day marks a turning point in every election year. That’s when races really start heating up and campaign season kicks into high gear. The upcoming November 2022 general election will follow the same pattern as most every cycle. Candidates who have spent months fundraising and building a base of support are going to start bombarding voters with advertisements through …

Continue reading
September 21, 2022

Reading Between the Lines

Interviewing businessman or politician, press conference-cm

There are a lot of nuances involved when it comes to public policy. Candidates will often stick to the most generic, reliable, poll-tested catch phrases to seem as inoffensive as possible and appeal to the broadest cross section of voters. The same phrases, if applied properly, can also mean different things to different people. That’s why it’s important to read …

Continue reading
September 14, 2022

Are These Policies Working?

Supporters waving American flags at political campaign rally-cm

Often times, candidates running for office make their pitches to voters based on partisan inclinations and considerations. So how’s that working out for all of us? I think that campaigns should be based on issues, candidates’ visions and practical considerations. The most important of those is whether or not they support policies that are working as they were intended. It’s …

Continue reading
September 7, 2022

Ideology Shouldn’t Come First

DOLLAR_1-cm

As I make my way around Clackamas County to campaign for commissioner position 5, people often ask why I’m running. I tell them about my track record of advocating for underdogs at the local, state and federal level, including my current stint as a Wilsonville City Councilor. But when they ask me about who is currently in the position I’m …

Continue reading