The general election is under way, with what has turned out to be a very interesting field of candidates and measures at both the local and state levels.
Ballots were mailed Oct. 15 and must be returned by Nov. 4, giving us another two weeks to decide how to vote.
And yes, we should vote. We need to avoid allowing cynicism over Oregon’s disproportionate balance of power between rural and urban dwellers, or disgust with another round of stupifying and deceptive campaign commercials, or general preoccupation with other things – smart phone apps and social media, football or the baseball playoffs, hunting season, or any of a host of other excuses that we’re not listing here which can keep us from the privilege and duty of letting our voice be heard.
It takes a few minutes and it’s a privilege that others have gone to great sacrifices to provide us. In our self-centered, entertainment-oriented world, too many of us are blithely ignorant of all of that – to our shame.
However, there’s also a deep sea of information out there, much of it questionable, which any responsible voter must make an attempt to flounder through and emerge with clear ideas of what’s right and what’s not. A difficult process, to say the least.
As is our practice in recent years, The New Era will not make institutional endorsements on candidates or measures, but since we have a member of our staff at nearly every public meeting that involves the City Council, we will offer some thoughts on the field.
In next week’s edition we plan to evaluate various local and state ballot measures.
Before we launch into this, we’re delighted to see a field of seven candidates for four City Council seats. We’ve stepped up our game in response, quizzing the candidates on various issues facing the city and about their vision for the future, which we reported in our Oct. 1 edition and which is available on our website (sans paywall) at sweethomenews.com under the Politics and Government tab. Also, a video of the candidates forum that took place Oct. 7 at the Sweet Home Police Department Community Room, which drew four of the candidates, is posted at sweethomenews.com. (The sound quality isn’t great and our tripod had problems, but the candidates’ statements are audible for those who persevere. It was a learning experience for all of us.)
The ball really got rolling then when some folks who were confused about the date of the first forum got together and held their own, in their own neighborhood, at the corner of 12th Avenue and Nandina Street on Oct. 10. Both of those were reported in some detail in last week’s edition. Those stories also are available without a paywall, also under the “Politics and Government” tab.
While it was disappointing not to have all of the candidates at one or both of the forums, they were forthcoming in response to the 13 questions we asked for our Oct. 1 report.
We think the most important consideration for voters in this go-around is to elect candidates who have a clear idea of what they want to accomplish, who have the experience – educational or practical – to make decisions that will help our city move forward, and who will be able to work collaboratively to accomplish what needs to happen.
Of course, a lot of that is subjective, which is why we’re not making these calls. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Sweet Home? Jobs? Drugs? The opportunity to develop our resources that might lead to recreational growth?
What bothers you? The size of your water bill? Crime? The condition of our downtown core? That water tank the city is planning to build but has decided to go back to the drawing board on? The condition of our parks? Homeless issues?
Warren Bennis, a scholar in the field of leadership studies, once said that “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” That’s what we think Sweet Home citizens should look for in making their choices in this election. We need to elect people who have clear ideas, hopefully along the lines of our own, and who have the skills and intelligence to make them bear fruit.
While City Council members may not be able to solve every problem, they have as good or better chance of doing so than the rest of us because it’s their responsibility to steer the city’s course. And that’s why we need to elect true leaders, people who can work with city staff, with county commissioners, with Sweet Home Economic Development Group board members, with others, in a proactive way to steer us in the right direction.
We need people who can think independently, but have enough common sense and charisma to work together in a positive way, to build coalitions to accomplish what they envision. We don’t need people who want to serve but have little idea of how to do it or who are running because they are on a power trip or looking for attention.
One other note of consideration: Our forum and the one organized by residents of the Northwest Neighborhood Watch both came about very quickly and with little forewarning to candidates. Some of these people live complicated lives, with lots of balls in the air, so we would caution readers not to jump to conclusions about why the same three were not present at either one. Our plan is to hold similar forums again for future candidates, and we will hopefully have the bugs worked out next time.
Here, then, are some quick observations from us to get our thinking process started – following our practice in these situations, in alphabetical order:
James Goble – A longtime resident who has owned a business here and has children in local schools, Goble has taken on the project of improving the BMX track at Sankey Park and, along with that is serving on the Planning Commission. Our read on Goble is that he definitely understands, first-hand, the challenges of doing business in town and isn’t afraid to take a stand, usually calculated. He is articulate, and he’s put in the time to learn the ropes.
Jeff Goodwin – A lawyer who also has a Master of Business Administration with emphases in business, government and nonprofit management, Goodwin is a newer resident with a young family. He hasn’t wasted any time getting plugged into the community, becoming active in local youth soccer league leadership, as a volunteer firefighter and Boy Scouts. He has clear ideas of what he thinks can be accomplished, with an outspoken goal of reducing crime; and he brings energy and obvious intelligence to the table.
Anay Hausner – A securities coordinator for the State Lands department, Hausner is working toward a Ph.D. In history.
She’s been a Planning Commission member since 2010, co-chair of the city Budget Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors for Oregon Virtual Academy, an on-line public school headquartered in North Bend. She was unable to attend either of the two candidates forums, but she gave decisive answers to many of the questions we asked in our Oct. 1 article, often referring to her experiences on the Planning Commission and Budget Committee.
She also was the only one of three candidates who did not attend the Oct. 10 forum to provide written answers to all of the Northwest Neighborhood Watch’s questions.
Bruce Hobbs – An incumbent running for re-election, Hobbs is a longtime resident who has owned a retail business and is currently employed at one, giving him a good grasp of the challenges facing local entrepreneurs. He has served on a variety of city committees and as president of the local Chamber of Commerce. A self-professed libertarian, he operates from a thoughtful “live-and-let-live” approach that is tempered by realism in dealing with staff, other council members and issues in front of the council and community.
Greg Mahler – Mahler is also a longtime resident of Sweet Home and owns one of the larger retail businesses in town, Hoy’s Hardware. An incumbent, he’s been a volunteer firefighter for 28 years and with three adult children, he understands the challenge of providing the kind of opportunities that would encourage the younger generation to decide to settle here. He has shown the ability to change his mind during council deliberations based on new information, and he brings a lot of experience in a wide variety of areas to the dais.
Aaron Pye – Pye has a wide variety of interests and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program after having earned three degrees in criminal justice, according to information he provided to The New Era.
He’s a full-time volunteer at the Sweet Home Gleaners and was a member of the city Charter Review Committee and is a member of the Traffic Safety Committee, as well as a volunteer at the Sweet Home Police Department.
He described a Sweet Home that has declined greatly in the past few years and wants to find ways to reverse that course.
Ryan Underwood – Raised and schooled locally, Underwood works as a manager at a local retail store and has been active in the Boys and Girls Club and in his church. Though he missed both forums, his answers to the written questions are thoughtful, decisive and clear.