Your voice

County commissioners make decisions that affect our daily lives, and I believe those decisions should always be made with transparency, fairness, and the well-being of our residents at the center. Wasco County faces real challenges — from wildfires and drought, to shrinking federal dollars and increasing costs for infrastructure. Now is not the time for on-the-job training. I spent nearly 10 years as county clerk, and I know how county government works. Whether you live in the city, on a farm, or in a small town, you deserve a commissioner who listens, understands your needs, and works with you to find practical, community-driven solutions. No matter the challenge, I’ll focus on treating every person with respect and finding solutions that keep our communities safe.

You deserve leaders you can trust to do the right thing for the right reasons. I would be honored to earn your vote for Wasco County Commissioner Position 1.

Lisa Gambee

Tygh Valley

For Gambee

Ask anyone who has served as a Wasco County Commissioner, and they will tell you the job has a very steep learning curve. The range of subjects for which you are required to make informed decisions is vast, from the details of the annual operating budget of approximately $100 million, to ruling on alleged building code violations. The budget includes more than 30 cost centers, from community corrections to public works and the road department.

As a candidate for Position 1 on the board of commissioners, Lisa Gambee has the benefit of more than nine years of service and leadership as the Wasco County Clerk. Part of her responsibility in that role was answering questions from the commissioners and working with them to find solutions to problems experienced by Wasco County.

When you combine her work experience with her history of community volunteer service, you have the ideal candidate for the Wasco County Board of Commissioners. Please join me in voting for Lisa Gambee.

Keith Mobley

Dufur

Local support

Yesterday, I picked up my grocery order from the Gorge Farmer Collective and then shopped at Dickeys Farm Store in Bingen. I firmly believe in supporting our local food economy and have found the quality is far better than week-old produce that has traveled hundreds of miles and more in our grocery stores. The air quality for this week is labeled as unhealthy due to the wildfire smoke. Yet, local farmers, market growers, orchardists, and agricultural workers are outside harvesting, washing, and packing food. I want them to know that despite the smoke, I see them and thank them for the work they do to feed our communities. I urge readers to buy locally produced food whenever possible. We need a strong local food economy.

Sue Kusch

White Salmon

 Wasco County ‘Land Rush’

Decades ago, Oregon’s counties were awarded the authority to grant Conditional Use Approvals to accommodate development that isn’t allowed but could be compatible with a neighborhood. It’s unlikely the developers of the process envisioned it could be used to authorize thousands of acres of solar panels and batteries on rural property.

In 1973, the Oregon Legislature created a land use plan with a primary focus on protecting agriculture. The need to honor that commitment is stronger than ever. Unfortunately, the “Wasco Land Rush” is on.

Promoters are stringing sites together by offering lucrative monthly income to property owners who agree to lease their land. It’s created unforeseen division in rural communities and placed the Wasco County Board of Commissioners in a very awkward situation.

Governor Tina Kotek has issued executive orders to speed up approvals. Applicants can now apply directly to the county instead of the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council. That possibility increases the need to update the county code.  Fire buffers, property line setbacks and other standards must be established to protect neighbors and prevent recurring battles.

Promises of big income streams for struggling farmers and local governments are hard to turn down. In the future, our farmers’ and ranchers’ plight should be addressed to increase productivity and income. Ironically, rural landowners are heavily regulated by rules that have been tossed aside to allow thousands of acres to be converted to industrial solar use.  

The application for Deschutes Solar on Highway 216 is the latest controversy. Their gerrymandered layout of 14,000 acres sprawled across Juniper Flat could surround many property owners on all four sides. The proposal includes 27 acres of toxic batteries. I typically advocate for private property rights, but the proliferation of commercial solar is creating impacts that permanently degrade farm and range lands. There is no requirement to return property to its previous condition after a facility closes.

A recurring issue has been a lack of consideration for the impacts to neighboring properties. Regardless of the governor’s pressure, it’s time for the county to slow down and update its ordinances before accepting new applications.                                                                                                                                  

Les Poole

Sweet Home

 Editor’s note: The Poole family owns property in Wasco County.

Boundary idea                                                          

It is time to rethink legislative representative boundaries. Geographical boundaries have us locked in paradigm paralysis!

Geographical boundaries define congressional and legislative boundaries. The original idea was that people living in small communities had common interests, and thus representatives from those communities would represent those interests. That has been the idea for 250 years and longer, considering the influences of Great Britain, Athens, and Rome. Political power has carved out boundaries, expecting to change the structure of the legislature. Gerrymandering has been a fact of our democracy from the beginning. Times, culture, and technology have changed drastically!

The Constitution does not specify congressional or legislative boundaries, but gives Congress in Article 1, Section 4, the power to “make or alter such regulations.” Likewise, state legislatures exercise the power to set boundaries. Specifically, Public Law 90-196 requires single representative and geographical boundaries. I suspect Oregon law has similar requirements for legislative districts. Geographical boundaries are legislative laws and not constitutional constraints!

Oregon has a unique election system which will allow it to experiment with a different and fairer definition of legislative boundaries. What would happen if voter age rather than voter location defined legislative districts? I strongly suspect we would move toward a “more perfect union.”

Voter age is a much better factor in finding common interests. The younger voters, middle aged voters, retired voters, and elder voters have well-defined interest in such things as employment, education, pensions, taxes, travel, and culture. However, older voter participation is more than 80%, the younger voter participation is less than 25%. Defining legislative districts by age will more evenly distribute the representation. Presently, younger voters do not vote because they think old white men are in charge.

Oregon’s 3,386,962 voters would have 30 senatorial districts of 112,900, and representative districts of 56,450. Each district would have a definition of voters older than one date and younger than a later date. It would be a mathematical calculation not manipulated by partisan gerrymandering. The legislature would more accurately and effectively represent the people. We can make this paradigm shift without an act of Congress!

Terry Armentrout

The Dalles 

Vote Hege

It’s not hard to find a headline these days that details how poorly Oregon is doing. Our economy continues to weaken, jobs are leaving our state and things get tougher for working families. Last week’s big headline was about Daimler shutting down their manufacturing in Portland and another 400 good paying jobs leaving our state. We need change in Oregon. It is said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different outcomes. If we are going to ever turn our state around, we must elect different leaders to direct our state government.

In November, the Gorge and Mount Hood region will be electing a new representative for House District 52. In my mind, there’s no question that Scott Hege is the best qualified candidate for the job. Scott has lived in the Gorge for decades and has been a county commissioner in Wasco County for the last 16 years. In that time, Scott has served the area well. He’s created jobs, expanded housing opportunities and balanced budgets without raising taxes. He has received bipartisan support from county commissioners he has worked with throughout District 52. I’m confident he can provide the kind of leadership we need in Salem to make the changes required.

In contrast to Scott’s record and experience is his opponent, Hank Sanders. He is just 25 years old and moved from Portland into the district and established residency barely in time to qualify to run for office. Hank’s job has been working for his mother, who is an Oregon State Senator (Sen. Lisa Reynolds) who represents downtown PDX and who has been the largest personal donor to Hank’s campaign.

What do we know about Hank and what kind of representative he might be? Not much. He really has no public record, but we do know that, while working in his mom’s office, she supported the gas tax increase that 83% of Oregonians rejected last May. Don’t think we need more of that in Salem.

Please join me in voting for Scott Hege for State Representative in November.

Rebecca Rouston

Parkdale