Oregon Rural Congress aims to remedy area economic difficulties
From our weekly issue dated August 27, 2008
Scott Jorgensen (Photo by Illinois Valley News)
Approximately 240 citizens from southern, central, western and eastern Oregon converged Thursday, Aug. 21 for the first Oregon Rural Congress (ORC), at the Port of Cascade Locks some 40 miles east of Portland.
Union County Commissioner Colleen MacLeod helped organize the event. In opening remarks, MacLeod said that the ORC aim is to devise solutions for the problems plaguing rural Oregon and forward them to Gov. Kulongoski and the Legislature.
As background information, MacLeod told participants that the Eastern Oregon Forum started 10 years ago had evolved into the Eastern Oregon Rural Alliance (EORA). She noted that the last Oregon legislative session was not good for rural parts of the state. She cited the “de-funding” of the Office of Rural Policy and rural initiatives as examples.
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In February, MacLeod said, EORA began outreach efforts to other similar groups throughout the state, including the Southern Oregon Resource Alliance and the Coastal Coalition.
MacLeod insisted that the ORC emphasis is educational, not revolutionary. She also characterized the bad policies currently harming rural parts of the state as unintended consequences, rather than malicious intent.
“We are in danger, folks,” MacLeod said. “(But) we’re going to fix these things.”
The first group discussion involved natural resource issues. In terms of water rights, one participant suggested their free transfer and allowing new out-of-stream use in times of surplus.
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Douglas County Commissioner Marilyn Kittleman proposed having the state lobby the federal government to allow more logging.
Other proposed solutions to natural resource issues included changing the poor federal management of forestlands and a call to eliminate a ban of offshore drilling on the coast, and using the money raised to fund county services.
Grants Pass resident Jim Frick, of Southern Oregon Resource Alliance (SORA), suggested that the state support Alternative 2 of the Western Oregon Plan Revision. Jack Swift, also of SORA, called for county control of federal natural resources.
Rural access to high-speed Internet and cell phone service was also an issue.
Suggestions for health care included tuition waivers for health-care personnel to commit to rural areas; the bolstering of mental-health services; allowing small businesses to join forces to form health-care purchasing pools; and providing incentives for small businesses to voluntarily provide health care to their employees.
Regarding economic development, ideas included oversight for the state’s administrative rules, work force development training, and more Enterprise Zone designations. A lack of “shovel-ready industrial land” in rural areas was listed as a top economic concern.
A discussion on general, catch-all solutions concluded Thursday’s session. Sen. Doug Whitsett (R-Klamath Falls) suggested a repeal of the state’s ethanol fuel mandates. Other issues to emerge were opposition to the proposed federal Clean Water Restoration Act; allowing counties greater flexibility in the use of hotel bed taxes, lottery funds and other revenue streams; and decentralizing state agency staff from Salem and into the counties.
ORC continued Friday, Aug. 22. It was decided that the group will seek 501c(3) nonprofit status so that it could operate on an annual basis. An executive committee may be formed for ORC, and it is hoped that it will be able to have a lobbyist for coming legislative sessions.
Representatives from the Coastal Coalition stated a willingness to host a second annual ORC in Seaside or Lincoln City next year.
