Lookin’ up
Rust says county morale is improved;
cites shenanigans for past problems
By ANN TRENEMAN
Of the Emerald
Lane County government has
not been in the peak of health for
some time. In fact, it could be
characterized as sick. Employee
morale is low; two commissioners
have faced the threat of being re
called; and everyone it seems is
criticizing the county assessor.
And that’s just for starters.
But Lane County Commis
sioner Jerry Rust says things are
looking up. Rust sits drinking cof
fee, surrounded by stacks of
papers and memos in his office at
the county's Public Service Build
ing.
“Things are getting better. We had
to accept the fact things were not
good." He compares the county
with a sick person; “That person
can’t get well if he doesn't admit
and recognize the sickness first.”
Rust says that was a major
reason behind a recent press con
ference during which he be
moaned the "political shen
anigans” in county government
and admitted to having hindered,
instead of helped, the situation.
“We weren't tolerant enough
and we criticized too much,” he
says. “It infected the whole or
ganization.”
The board of commissioners,
which Rust chairs, should deal
with administrative problems as
well as general policy-making,
Rust emphasizes, but adds that in
the past the board has confined it
self too much to administrative
decisions.
“We should pay more attention
to policy making,” he says.
"We've intruded too much into
administrative space.”
Employee morale is on the rise
with a new grievance policy in the
Commissioner Jerry Rust
making and the introduction of
more delegated responsibility
within each department.
“All it takes is the will to work
together," Rust says shaking his
head. “We sure haven't helped it
(employee morale) any."
The Nov. 7 election could
change several aspects of the
county structure. Archie Wein
stein, who along with Bob Wood
and Rust make up the commis
sioner board, faces a recall vote;
an assessor will be elected; and a
ballot measure vote will determine
if the assessor’s job will be elected
or appointive in the future.
The measure concerning the
assessor’s job is a “vindictive
thing against Bylund," Rust says.
“Why would anyone want Archie
Weinstein, a millionaire property
owner, to pick an assessor?”
Problems in the county asses
sors office aren’t new but Rust
still endorses Bylund over his op
ponent, Bill Bain.
"He’s taking a lot of heat from
big business, ” Rust notes, adding
Bylund isn’t a "Republican-style
assessor” — meaning he’s not
in favor of giving businesses lower
property taxes. Rust adds that
Bylund hasn’t had the monies to
perform his job up to snuff. “Trie
budget committee came down on
Bylund hard.”
Rust is looking forward to Jan.
r
1, when the board will be ex
panded to five members. “I’d love
to share some of these respon
sibilities," he says pointing to the
vanous piles around him. Will he
be able to get along with the new
comers? “No one can raise as
much hell on this board as Archie
has..he says grinning.
Indeed Weinstein’s raised voice
can be heard coming through into
Rust’s office. “We hear Archie
whenever he gets upset," he says
nodding toward the wall.
What about Archie Weinstein?
Does Rust think he and Wood are
ganging up against him? “There’s
never been a stable coalition
against me or Archie,” he says.
But administrative and political
quibbling aren’t the only things on
Rust’s mind. The issue of how to
deal with 30,000 people in the
River Road/Santa Clara area and
the county jail are upper-most in
his mind this week.
“What’s really happening at the
jail?” he muses. “The bottom
line is that it's an unconstitutional
jail.” He cites overwork of trus
tees, unhealthy conditions, and
people who really don’t deserve to
be in jail being kept there as things
that need reform.
The county has imposed a
growth moratorium on the River
Road/Santa Clara area which, as
an unincorporated city, has no
sewage facilities. There is a
quarter-million ground water
study being conducted now and
the initial results should be in
within a year.
Other issues on his mind? "I've
got to write a letter on Measure
10,” he mutters, rifling through his
papers. Measure 10 would
abolish the Land Conservation
and Development commission.
“It’s going to set us way back.
People don’t understand the is
sues.
“LCDC isn’t a burden; land-use
planning is working. We are pre
serving timber land and flood
plane...
"The way to reform isn’t a con
stitutional ammendment, but a
legislative act. LCDC is only an
administrative body. The county
has tremendous leeway in making
their own comprehensive plan.”
Rust is planning on changing
his party registration from Inde
pendent to Democrat this year.
The way to be effective in politics
is to belong to the political party.
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