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 […]
Election 2014
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
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 […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
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, […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
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 […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
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 […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
OREGON HOUSE DISTRICT 54: KNUTE BUEHLER
In the race for House District 54, candidates Craig Wilhelm and Knute Buehler are virtual clones in terms of policy stances. Aside from their perspective on Measure 90 (Wilhelm is opposed, Buehler is in favor), the two men hold exactly the same positions. Both are fiscally conservative and socially moderate. They support abortion rights and […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
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 […]
Posted inOpinion
Hats Off!
In the three races for City Council positions, our editorial team had an incredibly difficult time choosing which candidates to endorse, and for the best reason—we were impressed by all of the candidates. Over the past few months, we have had the opportunity to profile each of the candidates, and additionally hosted them for endorsement […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
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 […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
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 […]
