The Way: Hall's Opponent on Reforming Clackamas County Clerk and What Politicians Should NOT Do to Deal with Inflation
Op-Eds from candidate Catherine McMullen and our columnist, Mark Hester. PLUS, Rep. Karin Power on the Bridge, and how Hermiston increased graduation rates among students with disabilities
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This Week on The Oregon Way
1. Sherry Hall’s Opponent Weighs in on the Future of County Clerks
Catherine McMullen, Candidate for Clackamas County Clerk
Problem: How can Clackamas County prevent the May primary fiasco from happening again? Will it take a change to an appointed elections manager, which would require the adoption of a home-rule charter? Could the county add guardrails to hold clerks accountable? Or is it up to the voters to remove an incumbent?
Why You Should Read This: Two weeks ago, our columnists, Gary Conkling and Mark Hester, considered what actions voters and the county could take. This week, Catherine McMullen, Clackamas County Clerk Sherry Hall’s opponent in this year’s election, weighs in on the issue. One might conflate her running for the position as an endorsement of its elected status, but it’s more complicated. She recommends multiple reforms for the role, and her perspective is insightful because she could be the person they most affect.
2. The Popular “Fixes” For Inflation That Won’t Work
Mark Hester, columnist and retired journalist and editor for The Oregonian
Problem: Politicians are trying to show that they are taking action on rising prices, but some of the most obvious or popular steps are unhelpful, ineffective, or damaging.
Why You Should Read This: Our columnist, Mark Hester, explains why four actions could backfire on politicians. His op-ed should help readers navigate the political rhetoric surrounding such policies and warn policymakers of their downsides.
Call Back
Experts released a report this week detailing how some of Oregon’s school districts deny students with disabilities their right to full school days. Back in January, the superintendent of the Hermiston school district, Dr. Tricia Mooney, wrote about how Hermiston has made education more equitable, raising graduation rates across demographics. In light of this week’s report, the “Hermiston model” may be insightful in creating a fairer education system statewide. Read Dr. Mooney’s op-ed here.
To Do:
Read this week’s edition of the Liftoff. Alex and Ben cover
the New York Times feature on Oregon’s gubernatorial election;
polls showing a Republican advantage in Oregon’s toss-up district, OR-05 (even as the Oregon Republican Party undergoes another shakeup in its leadership);
historic Vietnamese American representation in the legislature;
and the crumbling consensus and organized opposition to change Portland’s government structure.
Listen to (or watch!) this week’s episode of our podcast, the Oregon Bridge. Alex and Ben speak to Representative Karin Power about legislator pay. The job’s low pay is one of the reasons she announced she would not seek reelection this year, and she talks about the likelihood of raising legislators’ salaries in the future. Representative Power also had some mind-blowing insights into Oregon’s childcare crisis, and she shares an under-the-radar issue more Oregonians should be talking about.
This Week’s Featured Idea
Representative Karin Power cited Business Oregon’s “Plan for a Balanced Economic Recovery” during her interview. If you feel lost in the economic news, this is a primer on Oregon’s economy. A couple of highlights from the plan —
The economy is still dealing with two shocks in tandem, a global pandemic and a huge stimulus package.
Labor force participation is less than it was pre-pandemic, in large part due to early retirements.
As companies and the federal government look to re-shore vital industries, Oregon should make more industrial sites ready for development on its interstate corridors.
There’s a lot to take out of this report. Here’s the executive summary. Here’s the full report.
Other Ideas
1. The co-chair of the Portland Charter Commission, Melanie Billings-Yun, argues for the commission’s proposals, which have recently come under attack, in her op-ed for The Oregonian/Oregonlive.
2. State economist Josh Lehner spoke to OPB’s “Think Out Loud” about the tight housing market and its future.
3. What does the Supreme Court’s EPA decision mean for Oregon? Greer Ryan, Climate Solutions’s clean buildings policy manager, gave some insights on OPB’s “Think Out Loud.”
4. In his departing words as the Editor-in-Chief of the Oregon Capital Chronicle, Les Zaitz, the legendary journalist and media entrepreneur, urged readers to support local journalism.
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