© 2024 Paid for by Tina for Clackamas #23086. Services by burnett media group. Hosting by Hostdoodle
© 2024 Paid for by Tina for Clackamas #23086. Services by burnett media group. Hosting by Hostdoodle
The core causes of chronic homelessness are mental health, drug addiction, and affordable housing. Our residents have had to endure tent cities, open air drug use, and an increase in violent crime because of Measure 110 combined with the failure to prosecute criminals. On top of that, state leadership prioritized building affordable housing for those suffering with mental health issues and addiction that were not ready for it; treatment must come first! The recent recriminalization of drugs is a step in the right direction to ending chronic homelessness, but I support all efforts to repeal Measure 110. Between 2020 and 2022 alone, overdose deaths increased by 75% in Oregon. As your next county commissioner, I will take deliberate action to ensure people get affordable housing when they are ready for it, affordable housing locations make sense for all residents, and that those in treatment have opportunities to connect and reintegrate back into our community.
We’ve all seen the results of “defund the police” movements — soaring crime, boarded up windows, and frustrated first responders. Luckily, Clackamas County chose not to take that approach and fully funded the police. As your next Clackamas County Commissioner, I will ensure law enforcement remains fully funded, criminals are prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and victims have the support services and resources they need. As the daughter of a retired police officer, I understand law enforcement's crucial role in ensuring our county remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.
Governor Kotek announced a pause on tolling, but ODOT has made it clear it is leaving the door open to implement tolling in the future. The proposed tolling plan is a tax on the poor to subsidize the rich. They want to force you to pay to get to work or take your kids to school while they use your money to make those same roads free to those that can afford electric cars. Tolling would create numerous burdens for Clackamas County including, hitting families hard when they are already struggling to get by, restricting the freedom of movement across the county, and driving away business and investment opportunities in our county. To stop tolls PERMANENTLY, we must all do our part and sign the IP-4 petition, which would require a citizen vote before a toll is put into place.
Having owned an employment agency that helped build the skill sets and careers for thousands and as chair of the Clackamas Workforce Partnership, I know how to bring local government and employers together to focus on creating valuable resources tailored to benefit our workforce. I was able to keep a significant number of local people employed with critical good-paying jobs through Covid with a creative plan that kept our food production open while protecting workers. My highest priority as your next Clackamas County Commissioner will be to use my experience to create stronger training programs, build relationships with local businesses, and connect them with good local workers.
Your local government has a significant impact on the cost to live. Every unnecessary additional fee, regulation, or restriction added on individuals and business results in higher costs to you and I. With inflation at its highest level in decades, Clackamas County residents need all the relief they can get. It’s important that our county government operates within its means and eliminates unnecessary financial burdens on residents. To ensure that happens, I will oppose all tax and fee increases without a vote of approval by the people and will work to reduce regulations that increase costs on businesses.
Clackamas County has so much to offer from our amazing outdoor activities to our local art, food and events. But there is so much more we can do to become a more livable, family friendly community. We have the chance to make Clackamas County a safe haven for businesses, families, and young people just starting out by cutting unnecessary regulations and financial burdens, opening up to new ideas and creating new opportunities for residents to gather, engage, and promote our county’s shared values.