CITY COUNCILOR 5: NATHAN BODDIE Mark Capell is a smart man, but he is also an in-the-box type of thinker. When asked what City Council should do to create more affordable housing—one of the most pressing issues facing City Council if it wants to preserve an all-inclusive way of life for residents—he responded by discussing […]
The Source Editorial Board
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
CITY COUNCILOR 6: LISA SEALES
One of the most interesting and encouraging races for public office is between the four candidates to fill the place of departing Jodie Barram; each candidate is individually impressive—and, moreover, as a group, they truly represent the best that the city offers in terms of democracy and civic engagement. Casey Roats, a fourth-generation Bend resident […]
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CITY COUNCILOR 7: BARB CAMPBELL
This is truly a tough race to call. Both candidates are qualified, but in very different ways. Incumbent Scott Ramsey is contemplative and calm. “I take in a lot of information,” he explained about his decision-making process. Meanwhile, the challenger for his seat on council, small business owner (Wabi Sabi) and community activist Barb Campbell […]
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U.S. SENATE: JEFF MERKLEY
We are endorsing incumbent Jeff Merkley, but not with a great deal of enthusiasm. In his endorsement interview, the senator displayed a woeful lack of understanding about issues in Bend. The senator repeatedly talked about central and eastern Oregon, as if interchangeable, and when asked about what he has done specifically to represent issues here, […]
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U.S. CONGRESS: AELEA CHRISTOFFERSON
In the 16 years (four terms) since Greg Walden has served as the representative in the U.S. House for the Oregon’s expansive second district, central and eastern Oregon have moved toward a more even split between Democrats and Republicans, with an increasing number of independent voters. While Walden’s by-the-book Republican views (he also serves as […]
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GOVERNOR: JOHN KITZHABER
Though Oregon’s economy continues to limp, there have been slow but steady improvements in healthcare and education over the past four years. Say what you will about investigations into Gross Happiness Quotients, Kitzhaber has given us no reason to dethrone him. And while Dennis Richardson comes across as an unassuming grandfatherly figure, his assurances that […]
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COUNTY COMMISSIONER: JODIE BARRAM
We are not necessarily making this endorsement based on personality differences—Tony DeBone is easy-going and likable, while his challenger Jodie Barram is high-energy and equally likable. But we are endorsing Barram because she has shown that she can translate her effusive personality into actively soliciting citizen input on issues and building coalitions. We should note […]
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Election Guide 2014
Our Picks for Politics
Our concerns about Bend’s City Council are best typified by the lack of forward progress on issues such as Mirror Pond and the lack of hustle initialized to set in place a tax of recreational marijuana sales. With Bend’s rapid growth—an expected 50 percent population boom over the next decade—it is concerning that the current […]
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Ballot Measure Endorsements 2014
BALLOT MEASURES MEASURE 86: YES Requires creation of fund for Oregonians pursuing post-secondary education, authorizes state indebtedness to finance fund With the cost of post-secondary education increasing faster than incomes for college graduates, a means to mitigate the debt burden on young adults is sorely needed. This measure will make college a reality for more […]