Candidate Ed Diehl: Why I am running to represent the Santiam Canyon
Diehl, the Republican nominee for House District 17, explains why he is running, the recent crises that have plagued the Canyon, and what issues he plans to bring to Salem.
I’m honored to be the Republican candidate for State Representative in House District 17. HD17, or the ‘Canyon District’ as some call it, covers Idanha west and into unincorporated East Salem. It includes Breitenbush, Detroit, Gates, Mill City, Lyons, Mehama, Stayton, Sublimity, Aumsville, and Turner plus much of the outlying communities including portions of Scio.
My wife Jamie and I have lived in this district for over 25 years, raising our family here. We started and grew a successful manufacturing technology company (Concept Systems, based in Albany) that I sold to my business partners a few years ago. I’m heavily involved in community service and advocacy, through the Knights of Columbus (a Catholic Men’s Fraternity) as well as serving on the boards of Santiam Hospital & Clinics and Catholic Community Services Foundation.
Our district was hit hard in September 2020 with wildfires; we lost 700 homes and several lives in the Santiam Canyon. In the days immediately after the fire, I led a team of Knights and other community members to establish a disaster relief center at Anthony Hall in Sublimity. The center provided donated clothing, personal supplies, food, water, and other goods to families that had lost everything in the fire. Anthony Hall became the hub of the relief effort for the Santiam Canyon. It was an amazing, humbling experience to see our community come together in a time of crisis.
I also serve on the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief Fund advisory committee and the Santiam Canyon Long Term Recovery Group Board of Directors.
I intend to be our next State Representative because our district is demanding a more balanced legislature in Oregon. The current one-sided House and Senate do not represent the values and interests of our community. My business experience, connection with the community, and rural values make me the best choice to represent the people of HD17. Top priorities for our district include:
Reduced regulatory burden on small businesses and farmers. Our legislature continues to make it hard on Oregon businesses. I have friends that have picked up their operations and moved to other states. I will push to have the CAT tax eliminated. And, I will work to repeal or replace the recently passed Ag Overtime bill. The bill raises farmers costs and reduces farm workers’ take-home pay (due to the inevitable reduction in working hours.) The Ag Overtime bill is bad policy for Oregon farmers and farm workers.
Reduced crime. Everywhere I go in our district people are seeing rising levels of crime; cars stolen and homes robbed in broad daylight. This is a time to get tougher on crime. But recently our state legislature has passed bills that tie the hands of our police. For example, HB 3164 (2021) makes it possible for individuals in many situations to simply refuse a citation, leaving officers with no recourse. Other bills have severely limited force options for law enforcement. I want to see these bills revised or repealed, so that criminals are held accountable and victims see justice.
Active forest management. We no longer manage our forests for the benefit of those who live, work, and recreate here. In September 2020, our community paid a devastating price for this neglect. I believe we are stewards of this land, and a healthy forest is a managed forest. We should be selectively harvesting, reducing the fuels, and putting out fires when they start.
These are just some of the issues important to the people in my district, things that have been shared during meet and greets and while knocking on doors. I’ve met thousands of you already as I worked through a challenging primary, and I look forward to meeting many more of you before the general election in November! You can learn more at https://EdDiehl.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/eddiehlfororegon/ . And please call or email 503.897.0033 / Ed@EdDiehl.com.
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