In the race for position 3 on the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners, it’s time for a change.
While we admire Patti Adair for advocating for Worrell Park and her work supporting Veteran’s Village and the expansion of service hours for the Deschutes County Stabilization Center, we simply find Morgan Schmidt more prepared, more polished and, due to her founding Pandemic Partners during the COVID-19 pandemic, her advocacy on behalf of women, the unhoused and those in need of resources during the pandemic simply more impressive and more aligned with the needs of a growing Deschutes County.
When discussing the important topic of groundwater in the region, Adair used her time during our interview to talk about the need to cut down water-sucking junipers. Schmidt, by contrast, advocated for on-farm efficiencies, for the need to expand water leasing programs and discussed the notion of collaboration among all stakeholders. Regarding county employees’ abortion services in their health plans, Adair said she felt it was perfectly fine to allow the county’s grandfathered plan—which doesn’t have to comply with the state’s Reproductive Health Equity Act, since it went into effect before the state’s change—is fine by her. Schmidt believes it’s not enough to meet the legal bare minimum and believes women of all professions and walks of life deserve to make their own medical decisions. On the psilocybin services in the unincorporated county, Adair was one of two commissioners who decided to put it back on the ballot for Deschutes County voters; Schmidt believes it’s a waste of county resources to compel voters to vote yet again in a county that already majority-voted in favor.
In sum, we believe Schmidt’s values and commitment better matches the values of a majority of Deschutes County voters. Vote Morgan Schmidt for the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners, position 3.
This article appears in Source Weekly October 6, 2022.
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This is a fine opinion, Morgan.
However, you are not running against Patti Adair.
Your competition for this position (seat#5)
so far, is Rob Imhoff, and myself (Rondo).
We should talk about how you are better qualified
for the position, than Rob and I.
In Central Oregon, I have given thousands of hours
of unpaid volunteer service, to NonProfits, and I
have been elected to the board of three of them.
One of them, a minor political party.
This includes hosting 21 blood drives for the
American Red Cross, and donating over 121 pints
of blood.
I am a US Navy Veteran. Many times a local business
owner, and employer.
Two careers after the Navy, both for almost 20 years.
I owned and managed a collection agency.
I waited tables and managed restaurant.
MY ENTIRE HISTORY IS SERVICE
My dedication to this job is obvious to
everyone that looks. Since Commissioner Chang
was elected in 2020, I have attended well over
200 Deschutes County Commission meetings.
I remember seeing you at one.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
Tell us what you have done since 2020
to prepare for this job? How many meetings?
More important than what I have done,
and what I can do,
is what I -want- to do.
This is what really separates us, Morgan.
You are loyal to a corrupt political party.
A WAR PARTY.
You intend to defend your Party,
and receive special help from them
during this campaign.
MY INTENT is to talk about, as commissioner,
what I always talk about. Something you cannot
talk about.
I am an antiWar activist.
You do not share Our Values!
The choice for seat#5 is clear.
Let’s re-make our commission into one
that has no partisan majority.
No BlueTeamPlayers, and no RedTeamPlayers.
VOTE FOR A QUALIFIED INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
Elect Rondo.