Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2022)
A6 THE ASTORIAN • TuESdAy, SEpTEmbER 6, 2022 Governor: Winner will help set the state’s direction Continued from page A1 or wood chips, or potato chips out in Boardman, or fish and chips in Astoria, that we have throughout Oregon different microeconomies, and the governor needs to understand that. Drazan: The opportunity to bring Oregonians together is a big part of why I’m running. When we have a Portland focus and hard, progressive Democrat agenda, you end up taking that agenda and you impose it on the rural parts of the state. Too often in the public policymak- ing process, you have folks drive six or eight hours to Salem and testify for two or three minutes. No one asks them questions and their proposals do not change outcomes because this sin- gle party control machine — they’ve got the votes. Having a Republican governor ensures (lawmakers) have to compro- mise. They have to listen to the stake- holders, because if they don’t, they’ll get a veto in my administration. Kotek: For me, it is about how you listen to people, making sure you’re out in local communities, engaging with local leaders. As speaker of the House, it was really important for me to represent the entire state. I made a point to encourage my colleagues, Democrats and Repub- licans, to visit each other’s districts. As governor, getting out of Salem more often — it’s important. You bring people together by listening. And focusing on issues that I don’t think are very partisan. Every part of this state has a housing problem. That’s not a partisan issue. I honestly think water’s not a partisan issue. We all need water. So, focusing on issues that aren’t highly politicized is a good place to start. Q: What marching orders will you give the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality? Johnson: Big ones. I want that agency to stop torturing Oregonians and to help Oregonians. Frequently, DEQ’s answer has been ‘no’ — to everything. I want can-do, want-to, will-do people running state agencies. I want them to start at ‘yes.’ I want agencies with reg- ulatory authority to work with farmers and not constantly be looking for fault or wanting to over-regulate. Drazan: My favorite thing that’s going to happen on my first day is ask- ing all the agency heads to turn in their resignations — all of them. And we’re going to sit down and have a conver- sation. My commitment to Oregonians is to lead in a new direction. We’re not going to get that done if you keep the entire bureaucratic machine crankin’ along like nothing’s changed. I have an expectation that my agency heads are expert in the subject matter, commit- ted to customer service, to being prob- lem-solvers, to getting to ‘yes’ first and ‘no’ second and to partnering with Oregonians rather than standing as a barrier. Kotek: I think one of the biggest issues right now is to make sure (DEQ has) the resources and staff power to meet current regulations. Nothing is more frustrating for me than to hear someone say, ‘I want to expand my business, but it’s taking 18 months to get my new water permit or In terms of overall forest practices, my air permit renewed.’ the Private Forest Accord is a template The other issue is making sure our of how we can improve forest prac- tices. (The accord was a deal that tim- rule-making processes and rules are ber and conservation groups reached inclusive. Oregonians support regu- lations that have goals. We believe in last fall.) clean water, clean air — we all agree Where does Kotek stand on logging on that. And things have to be set up and grazing? in a way that businesses can function. I don’t have a particular agenda on Q: Do you think agriculture has either of those issues because I’m not too large a claim on Oregon’s water an expert. supply? Kotek says solving Oregon’s hous- ing crisis is a top priority. does she Johnson: I do not. Oregon’s econ- omy rests on the back of agriculture. support using timber harvested from Farmers, fishing interests, ranchers, Oregon’s forests to build houses? other producers are part of the back- We’re gonna have to build 36,000 bone of our economic past and cer- housing units per year for the next tainly our economic future. decade to actually meet our gap and Drazan: I don’t. Oregon agricul- get ahead of it. I love the cycle of ture has always been a critical partner using Oregon-based mass timber to in Oregon’s economy, to Oregon cul- construct homes. Mass timber is a ture, to Oregon families. And we can- very viable product that we have to not overlook the need for access to promote. local food production. Q: Was it a mistake to shut down Kotek: I don’t know if I can com- schools and businesses during the ment on that. What I do know is Orego- COVID-19 pandemic? nians like the fact that we grow things, Johnson: Hell, yes. that we are a leader in export products I think we did enormous damage. I in the ag sector, and it’s kind of in the don’t think we’ve measured the social, DNA of Oregon to grow things. So, I emotional, mental health and academic think ag is really important. damage that we’ve done to our kids. Q: What does good forest and A lot of the hospitality industry is not public lands manage- going to recover. We’ve ment look like to you? dissipated the workforce. For example, do you And our response to the support prescribed distribution of money OREGON IS burning, grazing, thin- was not consistent or ning and logging? objective. HOSTING AN Johnson: Yes, yes, What would she have UNUSUAL yes, yes. done differently? (Although Johnson I would have THREE-WAY supports all four prac- approached the issue with RACE AMONG tices, she described more humility. I would nuances. have talked to county A TRIO OF Johnson said she sup- commissioners and city ports prescribed fire but councilors and mayors. WOMEN has ‘questioned the com- If you don’t have the WHO ARE petency of the Forest affected people’s opin- ion(s), you just have what Service not to let some ALL RECENT emanates out of Salem. of those prescribed burns My reaction to what get away.’ MEMBERS OF happened was that the Johnson said there are THE STATE agencies were punitive “subtleties” on grazing: (and) retaliatory. They ‘Do you keep the critters LEGISLATURE. didn’t work with business out of the streams?’ to try to prescribe the saf- On thinning, she said, est conditions for patrons ‘We have got to thin.’ and workers. Rather, they Johnson said she also just had their little regulatory Big- backs post-fire salvage logging.) ger Book of Bureaucracy out, running Drazan: There’s a place for all of around trying to tell people what they that, to be clear. We need to have active were doing wrong. management of our working lands, and Drazan: I’m a mom of three kid- that has got to include forests. dos. I had my daughter at home online Technology exists for us to be able trying to teach herself algebra in mid- to identify, say, when lightning strikes dle school. It was absolutely a mistake occur, which may result in a fire start. to keep schools closed as long as they We also have the Good Neighbor were. Authority program; we should con- tinue to invest in that. (The program Those first days where we did not allows states, counties or tribes to do fully understand how to navigate forest, rangeland and watershed resto- COVID, who was at risk, how this was ration projects on federal lands.) going to move through our communi- ties. … As House Republican leader, I I think we should make more of our sent a letter to the governor on behalf forestlands available for logging. We’re of our caucus saying: Whatever you either gonna manage (our forests) or need, however we can work with you, we’re gonna watch (them) burn. we need to do everything we can to Kotek: My baseline is: Talk to the protect public health. experts. OSU (Oregon State Univer- sity) is a huge resource for us, under- And that suddenly became: She standing what the experts at OSU think did whatever she wanted. And she we should be doing. mandated everything. I think that the I believe we do need some level of duration of that shutdown was heavy- prescribed burning, and it has to be handed and was an absolute abysmal done safely. failure. What will Drazan do differently if there’s a future pandemic? I’d give more local control to our school boards with recommendations. And businesses? And businesses. You can trust Ore- gonians with the best information and the most support possible to make the right choices for themselves, their cus- tomers, their clients and their families. Kotek: There was certainly dis- agreement across the state on how best to do this. I think it was import- ant that we instituted public health requirements that kept people safe, and frankly, alive. There are a lot of people walking around today because we tried to do the right thing. Will Kotek keep schools and busi- nesses open moving forward? The No. 1 priority to me is, no matter what, we have to keep our schools open. We have to have students in person. What about businesses? I think one of the things (that) didn’t go well is you can’t tell busi- nesses they are open and give them 48 hours and say, ‘Oh, and you’re clos- ing in two days.’ You have to give peo- ple advance warning. It’s important to have businesses part of the conversa- tion and give them adequate notice whenever you’re gonna do something that could impact their business. Q: Rural economies are largely based on agriculture and natural resource industries. What do you see as the ideal jobs of the future in rural Oregon? Johnson: I think that industry in rural places is doing it. Walking through the plywood mill in Elgin, realizing how much of that is now computer-driven. We’re innovating new products we had never even dreamed of. Oregon is uniquely positioned to do the things we’ve already talked about — thin- ning, logging — but also, I think we’re uniquely positioned to innovate. Drazan: Across every generation, you see the evolution of community. What we have to continue to protect and preserve, though, is the autonomy of local communities. We live in a free society. That is the beauty of our nation — its inde- pendence. Oregonians should have the right to choose for themselves and their families their best lives. And I frankly don’t believe there is a future for our state and nation with- out rural communities that continue to provide the values and benefits that our agricultural community has pro- vided for centuries. Kotek: I’m super bullish about the strides we’re making on broadband infrastructure. The other issue for me is clean energy jobs. We have to produce more clean energy in our state. That is jobs for rural Oregonians. That is large-scale solar. It’s offshore wind. It’s the pumped storage (hydropower) facility down in Klamath. One of the things about large-scale solar in particular (is) finding proper- ties that are on low-grade or low-value farmland. We have to protect the land use system. So, clean energy jobs and broadband (are) very important and supporting our traditional industries as well.