By Hasso Hering
Albany Democrat-Herald | Posted: Saturday, May 10, 2008 12:00 am
Candidates with a diversity of backgrounds are seeking the Democratic and Republican nominations for the state representative in House District 23.
The Democrats are Jason Brown, a self-employed computer researcher making his first run at public office, and Wesley West, an Army veteran with service in Vietnam who just finished his term on the tribal council of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.
The Republicans are Craig Pope, who in 20 years built his agricultural implement company, Agriweld Inc., from a one-shop business to one that sells all over the world, and Jim Thompson, the director of the State Pharmacy Association who is seeking to regain the office in which he served nine months in 2004 as an appointed legislator.
All hope to succeed Rep. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, who is running for the state Senate in District 12 instead.
House District 23 includes Jefferson and parts of southwest Linn County, including Halsey and Harrisburg, and extends north to take in Sheridan in Yamhill County.
All four candidates spoke in telephone interviews with the Democrat-Herald.
The Democrats
Brown, 47, of Dallas went to grade school in Kansas City, has lived in Oregon for 20 years and has worked in computer research and development for 15. His profession, he says, has given him 15 years of training and experience as a problem solver, something the legislature could use. He thinks the legislature must become more pragmatic instead of being hung up on politics.
Brown thinks the state should do more for rural districts such as making more apprenticeship training available for sought-after trades, including welders and electricians.
He thinks small communities could improve their economies by investing in marketing databases to help local enterprises.
West, 65, lives in Sheridan. He grew up near Hood River and spent 20 years in the Army, was wounded during his first tour in Vietnam and then served two additional tours. After the service he ran a business rebuilding mobile homes.
West believes the legislature is not listening to the concerns of individual communities and citizens. His own concerns include gang-driven crime that results in drug addiction, poverty and homelessness.
West says the police may not have enough authority, and the state may need stiffer penalties, but he also wants more and better treatment for addicts to wrest them out of a life of crime.
The Republicans
Pope, 51, of Monmouth grew up on a grass-seed farm, graduated from Crescent Valley High School and attended Oregon State University for two years in mechanical engineering. Twenty years ago he started Agriweld and made it grow from a one-man shop.
He wants the legislature to exercise better oversight on state spending and tighter management to improve productivity.
Agencies - and he mentions ODOT - could do a lot more with the money they have, he believes.
Pope would like to find a way to reduce the power of the lobby and the influence of money.
Thompson, 61, of Dallas has been in Oregon since the first grade. As a medical botanist, he worked 26 years for Bayer Corp. on products such as allergy shots.
He was named to the House in 2004 after Rep. Lane Shetterly of Dallas became head of a state agency, and unsuccessfully ran for the office that year.
Thompson believes rural communities have lost employers because of a proliferation of regulations, and they should get a bigger share of state redevelopment assistance than they do.
Sample Issues
None of the four say they would put additional limits on field burning because growers that use it usually don't have another option.
None was happy with Oregon's new ethanol requirements. West called it a temporary fix that will have to be changed eventually.
Even though he favors alternative energy, Pope called it "a disaster, a train wreck" because some equipment can't run on E10, which is now required.
Brown said he's very concerned about climate change but the legislature should give the ethanol requirement another look.
And Thompson said the state should revise the requirement, which has helped push up the price of food.