THE ISSUE:
SECURING CLACKAMAS COUNTY
SAFE COMMUNITIES
AFFORDABLE LIVING
PRIORITIES FOR
CLACKAMAS
COUNTY
As a County Commissioner, Shull is committed to restoring public order, practicing strict fiscal discipline, making housing attainable, and championing our local economy.
By focusing on common-sense solutions, government transparency, and community safety, we can ensure Clackamas County remains a safe, affordable, and prosperous place to live, work, and raise a family; a place where our kids will want to stay and build their lives.
Clackamas County families deserve safe neighborhoods and clear, accessible public spaces. For too long, tax dollars have funded programs that enable addiction rather than solving it. Shull will maximize the county’s budget and legislative authority to restore public order, protect taxpayers, and deliver real help to those in crisis.
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Restore Safe, Clear Sidewalks: Implement common-sense public camping restrictions on county lands, roads, and right-of-ways. By coordinating with law enforcement and maximizing existing regional shelter spaces, we can legally and compassionately clear encampments while keeping public spaces accessible to everyone.
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Prioritize Taxpayer Dollars for Actual Recovery: Audit and shift county health budgets away from failed "harm reduction" programs that only prolong the misery of addiction. We will redirect those existing funds into local, secure, affordable treatment facilities, mental health beds, and recovery-oriented care that actually breaks the cycle of addiction and untreated mental illness.
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Support Smart Law Enforcement Partnerships: Optimize current public safety budgets to support the Sheriff’s Office without raising your taxes. We will expand pairs of deputies and behavioral health specialists teams to systematically address illegal camping, public drug use and untreated mental illness—offering a clear choice between entering local treatment or facing legal accountability.
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While a county commissioner cannot control national inflation, they have a direct duty to control the local taxes, fees, and government spending that strains your household budget. Shull will treat your tax dollars with the respect they deserve—operating an efficient county government that lowers your cost of living and ensuring families and business are always protected.
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Protect Homeowners and Seniors: Advocate for strict limits on the county’s portion of property taxes to provide meaningful relief. Keeping property taxes stable ensures that rising costs do not price young families out of the market or force seniors on fixed incomes out of their homes.
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Streamline Government and Eliminate Waste: Order an independent, top-to-bottom audit of every county department to identify redundant administrative positions and overlapping programs. By modernizing county operations, funding only needed and effective operations, we can save millions in taxpayer dollars and fund essential public services without ever asking you for a tax increase.
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Hold the Line Against New Fees: Oppose new local registration fees, hidden utility hikes, and unnecessary development charges. Government should learn to live within its means, just like Clackamas County families do every single day. Shull will also work closely with members of the Oregon State Legislature to encourage the same level of concern.
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Clackamas County is pricing out the next generation. Our children and young families are forced to move away, because the dream of homeownership is out of reach. While a county commissioner cannot control national interest rates, they heavily control the local regulatory tape and fees that add tens of thousands of dollars to the price of a home. Shull will champion free-market, common-sense solutions that lower construction costs, reward work, and make starter homes affordable again.
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Fast-Track "Starter Home" Permits: Establish an express "Green Light" permitting process that prioritizes 30-day reviews for builders constructing modest, entry-level starter homes and townhouses. Cutting regulatory delays slashes holding costs for builders, passing those immediate savings directly onto the homebuyer.
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Reduce Infrastructure Fee Burdens: Modernize and lower county, System Development Charges (SDCs) specifically for first-time homebuyers and local young families. By restructuring how these upfront fees are assessed, we can instantly shave thousands off the closing costs of a new home without shifting burdens to existing taxpayers.
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Unlock Surplus County Land for Local Housing: Conduct a rigorous audit to identify vacant, underutilized county-owned land. Rather than letting public land sit idle, we will return these properties to the tax rolls by selling them to private builders under strict, transparent guidelines that require the construction of high-quality, entry-level homes reserved for local buyers.
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Small businesses are the backbone of Clackamas County, but rising overhead and heavy regulations are making it harder for them to survive. Shull will champion common-sense economic policies that reduce government friction, lower costs, and empower local entrepreneurs to grow and compete.
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Cut the Bureaucratic Red Tape: Streamline the county permitting and licensing processes by ensuring efficiency of the online application system. Shortening approval times ensures small business owners spend less time waiting on government paperwork and more time serving customers and creating jobs.
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Reduce Costly Development Fees: Review and lower county SDCs and regulatory fees that disproportionately burden new and expanding small businesses. Reducing these upfront costs allows local shops, restaurants, and startups to reinvest that capital into higher wages for workers.
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Prioritize Clackamas County Contractors: Implement a "Local First" policy for county procurement. When the county awards government contracts for goods, services, and infrastructure projects, we will prioritize qualified Clackamas County businesses to keep local tax dollars working right here in our own community.
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Exempt Micro-Businesses from Compliance Burdens: Advocate for scaling back complex county-level reporting requirements for micro-businesses with fewer than five employees. Giving our smallest neighborhood businesses breathing room allows them to remain competitive against massive national corporations.
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250 Years of American Resilience: A Legacy We Must Honor and Carry Forward
By Mark Shull, Clackamas County
As we approach July 4, 2026, the United States of America stands on the threshold of its 250th anniversary. Two and a half centuries ago, in the sweltering heat of Philadelphia, brave men pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to declare independence from tyranny and birth a new nation conceived in liberty. This semiquincentennial is not merely a date on the calendar; it is a profound reminder of who we are, what we have overcome, and the bright future that awaits us if we remain true to our founding principles.
My 25 years in the military, combat experience and my political experiences have shaped me with the same spirit that animated our forebears. Those experiences taught me the true meaning of leadership, accountability, and sacrifice, not as abstract concepts, but as lived realities. They reinforced my unshakeable belief that America’s greatness flows from the courage of ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things in service to something larger than themselves.
This anniversary invites us to reflect with deep appreciation on all the Americans who have gone before us. From the Minutemen at Lexington and Concord to the doughboys of the Great War, from the Greatest Generation who stormed the beaches of Normandy to the brave men and women who have defended our freedoms in the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq. Each generation has carried the torch of liberty through often bewildering challenges. They were farmers and factory workers, teachers and tradesmen, immigrants and native-born, bound by a common love for this experiment in self-government. Many paid the ultimate price. Their precious blood waters the tree of liberty, as Thomas Jefferson reminded us. We owe them not just gratitude, but the solemn vow to preserve what they built.
My military service opened my eyes to the cost of freedom. In the Marine Corps and later with the Oregon Army National Guard, I witnessed the unbreakable bond of comradeship forged in heat of conflict. I saw young Americans from every corner of our land, urban streets and rural heart lands, unite under the Stars and Stripes. That same unity defined our response to crises throughout history. It carried us through the Civil War’s division, the Great Depression’s despair, and the existential threats of world wars. This year, as we mark 250 years, we honor those who planted the seeds of liberty in 1776 and those who have nurtured them ever since.
Central to this legacy is our faith in God. Our Founders understood that rights come not from government but from our Creator. They inscribed this truth in the Declaration: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” In times of doubt, Americans have turned to divine providence. George Washington knelt in prayer at Valley Forge. Abraham Lincoln sought God’s guidance amid national anguish. My own faith has sustained me through the rigors of military life and public service. It reminds me that America’s story is one of redemption and renewal. We are not perfect, but we are a people capable of extraordinary moral courage when we are grounded in higher truths.
As we celebrate this milestone, we must confront the challenges of our own era with the same resolve. Inflation squeezes family budgets, government overreach threatens local control, and divisive ideologies seek to erode our shared heritage. In Clackamas County and across Oregon, families and small businesses deserve leaders who prioritize affordability, fiscal discipline, and common sense. That is why I continue my campaign; fighting for property tax relief for seniors, opposing new taxes and tolls, reforming land use to build more homes without sacrificing our way of life, and rejecting policies that divide us by race or identity rather than uniting us in equality of opportunity.
Yet this 250th anniversary calls us beyond politics to a higher purpose. It demands we recommit to the principles that made us exceptional: limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise, and the rule of law. It urges us to teach our children the unvarnished truth of American history not as a tale of unrelenting oppression, but as the greatest story of human progress ever told. Millions have come to our shores fleeing tyranny precisely because America offers opportunity unmatched anywhere on Earth.
I have faith, deep abiding faith that America will continue to shine and prosper. Our communities, when rooted in faith, family, and neighborly love, demonstrate resilience that no bureaucracy can match. With God’s blessing and our own hard work, the next 250 years will eclipse even the first; one people, one Nation, one future together.
May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America, the State of Oregon and our own Clackamas County.
America's Sovereignty in Peril: We Must Defund and Exit the United Nations Immediately
America is being betrayed—from within and without. For decades, we have bankrolled the United Nations, an organization that actively undermines our sovereignty, empowers our adversaries, spreads virulent anti-Semitism, and wastes billions in a bloated, corrupt bureaucracy. This is no accident; it's a deliberate assault on American greatness. The time for polite debate is over—we must demand Congress pass the DEFUND Act of 2025 (H.R. 1498 and S. 669) to terminate our membership, halt all funding, and reclaim our independence before it's too late.
The UN's globalist machinery erodes our national sovereignty at every turn, imposing treaties and agendas that override American laws. At COP30 in Brazil, despite President Trump's principled boycott, the UN rammed through demands for at least $1.3 trillion annually in "climate finance" by 2035—massive wealth transfers from hardworking Americans to developing nations and corrupt regimes, all while exempting top polluters like China.
Far worse, the UN has devolved into a shameless megaphone for anti-Semitism, relentlessly targeting Israel and fueling perpetual Middle East instability. From 2015 through 2024, the General Assembly passed a staggering 173 resolutions condemning Israel—more than double the 80 against every other country combined. This obscene bias shields terrorists in Iran, Syria, and Hamas while demonizing our closest democratic ally, emboldening aggression and ensuring endless conflict.
American taxpayers foot an outrageously disproportionate bill for this treachery. In 2025, the U.S. is assessed 22% of the UN's regular budget—the largest share—plus over 26% of peacekeeping costs, totaling billions every year. China, our primary strategic rival, pays slightly less yet wields growing influence to advance its agenda.
And what does the UN give our enemies? A prestigious global stage to savage America. China routinely denounces U.S. actions as "hegemony" and "bullying" in UN forums, pushing a "multipolar" world that erodes American leadership while Russia and Iran pile on with anti-American venom.
In exchange for our generosity, we get a scandal-riddled, money-devouring bureaucracy plagued by waste, duplication, and corruption—failing miserably in crises while its elites lavish in luxury. If the UN's glittering New York headquarters ever shut down, the city's taxis, nightclubs, and escorts would take a bigger hit than world peace ever would.
This madness must end. The DEFUND Act of 2025, introduced in the 119th Congress as H.R. 1498 in the House and S. 669 in the Senate, provides the straightforward solution: full withdrawal, zero funding, total freedom.
Envision the America we can reclaim—billions redirected to our borders, military, and families; foreign policy driven solely by U.S. interests; unwavering support for allies like Israel; and leadership on the world stage without groveling to globalist elites or hostile dictators.
The choice is stark: Continue funding our own diminishment, or rise up and restore American sovereignty. Call your representatives today. Demand they cosponsor and pass the DEFUND Act without excuses or delays. Our children's future—and the survival of the Republic—hangs in the balance.
Get US Out—now!
Mark Shull
Sandy, Oregon
Dear Editor,
As an American patriot concerned about our nation's future, I urge a bold reevaluation of our involvement in NATO. It's time for the United States to withdraw from this outdated alliance, freeing us to prioritize our own security and prosperity in a rapidly changing world. Below, I outline compelling reasons for this step and proposals for resetting our military and foreign policy accordingly.
First, NATO imposes an unsustainable financial burden on American taxpayers. The U.S. has long shouldered a disproportionate share of the alliance's costs, funding defense for wealthy European nations that often fail to meet their own spending commitments. This drains resources that could be better invested domestically, such as in infrastructure, education, or border security and in an updated, relevant American defense policy.
Moreover, the alliance entangles us in potential conflicts far from our shores, risking American lives and treasure in disputes that don't directly threaten our homeland. I am reminded how President George Washington warned of the entanglement hazard. With the Cold War long over and the Soviet Union dissolved, NATO's original purpose—to counter a massive front line of 24 Divisions of Russian threat—has become obsolete. Continued expansion eastward has only provoked unnecessary tensions with Russia, escalating global risks without clear benefits to U.S. interests.
Critics like President Trump have rightly highlighted how allies exploit our generosity. Withdrawing from NATO would end this imbalance, forcing Europe to stand on its own feet and allowing us to redirect focus toward emerging worldwide threats.
In essence, leaving NATO would enhance our strategic flexibility, keeping adversaries uncertain about our responses and promoting a more multi-polar American world position. It would encourage Europe to form its own defense alliance, taking full responsibility for European regional security as soon as possible.
Upon withdrawal, we must reset our military and foreign policy to emphasize effective defense over endless interventions. Start by reducing our overseas footprint: Withdraw 130,000 troops and equipment from Europe and the Far East, closing unnecessary bases and reallocating those forces in response to a much needed updated Department of Defense military strategy.
On the foreign policy front, shift toward pragmatic diplomacy: De-emphasize commitments in the Middle East and Europe while increasing positive interaction in the western hemisphere. Freedom from NATO chains would allow America to focus on maximizing mutually beneficial relations and trade deals and closer ties with every nation, instead of being polarized by NATO involvement.
This reset would prioritize American interests, reducing the risk of entanglement in foreign wars while strengthening our global position and ending the unnecessary spending of US treasury.
It's time for leaders in Washington to act decisively. Withdrawing from NATO isn't isolationism—it's smart realism for today’s world and today’s America.
Let's reclaim our sovereignty and build a stronger, more self-reliant America.
Sincerely,
Mark ShullLTC USA (retired)
Sandy, Oregon
It's Time to Repeal Oregon's Sanctuary Law: Put Oregon Citizens First
For nearly four decades, Oregon's 1987 sanctuary law has tied the hands of state and local law enforcement, limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities on civil violations. What began as a well-intentioned bipartisan measure has evolved into a barrier that isolates Oregon from effective partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This policy restricts inquiries into immigration status, information sharing without judicial warrants, and honoring detainers for removable individuals. The result; reduced efficiency in removing criminal aliens and strained public resources at a time when everyday Oregonians are struggling to make ends meet.
Oregonians are financially pressed like never before. In fiscal year 2025, roughly 771,000 Oregonians, about 18% of the state's population relied on SNAP benefits (food stamps) to put food on the table. That's one in six residents, among the highest rates in the nation. Many are working families, seniors, and children facing high housing costs, inflation, and economic uncertainty. Yet state and local governments continue to bear significant costs for services that support an estimated 155,000 undocumented immigrants in Oregon.
These costs are real and substantial:
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Education: Federal law requires K-12 schooling for all children, regardless of status. This diverts taxpayer dollars from Oregon's own students and overcrowded classrooms.
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Healthcare: Programs like Healthier Oregon provide state-funded coverage to income-eligible adults regardless of immigration status, with budgets reaching $1.2–1.5 billion in the current biennium, more than the allocation for Oregon State Police in some recent figures. Emergency care is federally mandated, but broader expansions add to the burden.
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Housing, food, and other supports: While undocumented individuals are generally ineligible for most federal benefits like SNAP, mixed-status households and state/local programs create indirect and direct expenses. Law enforcement, corrections, and uncompensated care add up further.
Critics rightly note that while undocumented workers contribute through sales, property, and other taxes (estimated around $353 million annually in one study), the net fiscal impact at the state and local level often tilts negative due to education for U.S born children in those households and use of emergency/public services. With 771,000 citizens needing food assistance, Oregon cannot afford to stretch limited budgets across competing demands without clear priorities.
The sanctuary law's biggest flaw is how it hampers public safety and federal cooperation. Immigration enforcement is a core federal responsibility under the U.S. Constitution. When local agencies cannot routinely assist ICE, such as by detaining individuals with serious criminal histories pending removal, public safety suffers. Repeat offenders may be released back into communities rather than efficiently transferred. This isn't about "profiling"; it's about practical partnership. Repealing or reforming the law would allow better information sharing on criminal cases, faster removal of threats, and a focus on actual community policing rather than navigating sanctuary restrictions.
Oregon voters rejected repeal via Measure 105 in 2018, but circumstances have changed. Budget pressures have intensified, federal enforcement priorities have shifted, and citizen needs remain urgent. Continuing down this path means more resources diverted from struggling Oregon families to accommodate those without legal status.
Repealing the sanctuary law would deliver clear benefits to Oregonians:
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Stronger public safety: Enhanced cooperation with ICE would improve removal of criminal aliens, reducing risks from those who have already violated laws. Local police could focus on Oregon's crime problems without federal civil enforcement distractions.
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Fiscal relief: Redirecting savings from reduced education, healthcare, and support expenditures toward citizen priorities, expanding SNAP access, lowering property taxes, investing in affordable housing, or bolstering mental health and addiction services for Oregon families.
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Respect for citizens first: Government exists to serve "We the People", U.S. citizens and legal residents who built this state and pay its taxes. Prioritizing their welfare isn't exclusionary; it's responsible stewardship of scarce resources.
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Better rule of law: Signaling that Oregon respects federal immigration authority could deter further illegal entries and encourage legal pathways, while restoring trust that taxpayer dollars serve those with the strongest claim on the system.
The sanctuary framework, strengthened by the 2021 Sanctuary Promise Act, was sold as promoting trust and safety. In practice, it has contributed to isolation from federal tools, higher costs, and frustration among citizens who see their needs deprioritized. Oregon's rural communities and working families have borne much of this strain.
It's time for the Oregon Legislature to act. Repeal or substantially reform the 1987 sanctuary law. Document and audit the true costs of current policies. Put Oregon's real citizens—those 771,000 on SNAP and millions more scraping by first in line for care, respect, and support.
Oregonians deserve leaders who prioritize the people who call this state home legally and contribute every day. Repealing this outdated law is a practical, compassionate step toward fiscal sanity, safer streets, and renewed focus on Oregon families.
The time for change is now.
Mark Shull
Clackamas County
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STOP THE THEFT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM: HOME OWNERSHIP
By Mark Shull, Clackamas County
The American Dream of homeownership is under immediate, systemic assault from both Wall Street capital and predatory foreign investments, and it requires an urgent, structural policy response before our neighborhoods are permanently stripped from American family property owners. As a retired military officer, former county commissioner, and family man, I have spent decades defending our nation and managing local governance. Today, I am speaking out as a deeply concerned citizen because our domestic housing market has become a global playground: multi-billion-dollar corporate asset managers and government-subsidized foreign buyers are aggressively outbidding our citizens; weaponizing all-cash offers to buy up single-family homes and stripping local families of the ability to build generational wealth.
This is no longer a standard market cycle; it is a multi-front economic invasion that demands immediate regulatory intervention. On one side, everyday Americans attempting to purchase a home are being systematically priced out by Wall Street giants such as Blackstone, BlackRock and others whose capital dominance reshapes entire housing markets. On the other side, our citizens face an even more insidious threat: cash-flush buyers heavily backed and subsidized by the Chinese government, who treat American residential real estate as a secure asset class to park foreign capital. Whether it is an out-of-state corporate board room or a foreign adversary, the result is identical; local families and first-time buyers are instantly locked out by unconditional, all-cash offers they cannot hope to match.
From a national security and economic policy perspective, the consequences of allowing our residential neighborhoods to be monopolized by institutional and foreign interests are catastrophic:
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Artificial Price Inflation: Global and institutional cash injections block natural price discovery, driving home valuations, and in some cases, property taxes completely out of reach for working families.
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The Permanent Renter Trap: By converting single-family homes into permanent rental portfolios, wealth is extracted from our towns and sent to out-of-state corporate balance sheets and foreign accounts.
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Erosion of Civic and Sovereign Stability: Homeowners are stakeholders who invest in schools, local businesses, and community safety; faceless corporate boards and subsidized foreign buyers only answer to foreign interests or quarterly earnings reports.
We cannot address this crisis with passive rhetoric or incremental measures. Congress is currently debating the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which has advanced through both the House and Senate. A critical, bipartisan provision within this federal legislation aims to restrict large institutional investors owning 350 or more single-family homes from purchasing further property. We must demand our federal representatives reconcile these bills without weakening the restrictions on Wall Street and China. At the same time we must aggressively advance federal measures like the proposed tax penalties on foreign nationals from hostile governments purchasing American real estate.
Defensively, state legislatures are also stepping up to protect their citizens. Oregon recently advanced House Bill 4228, the "Buyers Before Billionaires Act, giving local families a fair, unobstructed 90 day window to bid first before corporate entities can swoop in. Better yet, states like Texas have enacted sweeping laws like Senate Bill 17, which blocks non-US citizens and entities from China and other adversarial nations from buying up real property. Local county and city governments must follow suit by aggressively utilizing targeted zoning restrictions, implementing heavy tax penalties on non-owner-occupied corporate properties, and creating strong tax incentives for primary-residence buyers.
We must enforce clear, unyielding statutory boundaries that prioritize American families over global capital and foreign interests. Our neighborhoods must remain the bedrock of citizenship and family stability, not high-yield asset classes for global financial institutions or foreign governments. Our children must be given the opportunity to afford that home, start that family, and build the American dream.
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Clackamas County Can Lead Oregon’s Economic Recovery
By Mark Shull, Clackamas County
Oregon faces serious economic headwinds: stagnant population growth, sluggish job creation in key counties, rising housing costs, and persistent transportation bottlenecks. While Multnomah County has lost jobs and Washington County has leveled off, Clackamas County with its diverse industries, suburban-rural balance, and quality of life has a real opportunity to become the state’s economic standout. As a candidate for County Commissioner, I believe targeted, common-sense actions can turn this potential into reality without new taxes or heavy-handed mandates from Salem or Metro.
Clackamas already boasts strength in advanced manufacturing, metals and machinery, healthcare, high-tech and software, food and beverage processing, renewable energy, nursery/agriculture, and forestry. These traded-sector clusters export goods and services and bring wealth into the region. Yet challenges remain: property taxes continue to climb (over 5% per year in recent years), housing affordability pushes young families away, I-205 and Hwy 212 congestion hurts commuters and commerce, and inefficient spending on homelessness has delivered poor results despite massive investment.
The foundation for leadership starts with housing. Strict land-use rules and regional mandates have constrained supply and driven up prices. I support smart, locally controlled reforms that accelerate permitting for workforce housing and missing-middle units near job centers, while protecting prime farmland and rural character. Density bonuses, targeted zoning updates, and partnerships with cities can improve the jobs-to-housing ratio. More attainable homes will help retain and attract working families and talent—the lifeblood of long-term growth.
A strong business climate is equally critical. Clackamas should expand its Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program with regular employer visits and a dedicated red-tape reduction task force. The goal: cut permitting timelines by 30-50% for priority projects. A modest Economic Development Fund—financed through government efficiencies rather than tax increases—could offer targeted incentives like forgivable loans or infrastructure support tied directly to sustained job creation. Recruiting and retaining firms in high-potential sectors such as advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, and food processing positions Clackamas as the pro-business alternative in the Portland metro area: lower costs, better access, and family-friendly communities.
Transportation infrastructure remains a major barrier. I have consistently opposed tolling on I-205 and instead demanded accountability, audits, and smarter spending to fix congestion. Public-private partnerships and focused investments in key corridors and industrial zones will unlock shovel-ready sites and support commerce. Expanding broadband in rural eastern Clackamas will further enable remote work, ag-tech, and small business growth.
Workforce development must keep pace. Strengthening partnerships with Clackamas Community College, the Clackamas Workforce Partnership, and local employers can build pipelines in high-demand fields through apprenticeships, career-tech education, and “earn-while-you-learn” programs. At the same time we must advocate for a complete make-over of Oregon K-12. Emphasizing the county’s quality of life—good schools, outdoor recreation, and safer neighborhoods—helps attract and retain workers.
Fiscal discipline underpins everything. By eliminating waste, rejecting new taxes and dumping current repressive taxation levels, and redirecting savings from ineffective programs toward core priorities, the county can deliver relief without burdening families or businesses.
Implementation requires leadership and accountability. Establishing a County Economic Prosperity Council—bringing together business leaders, cities, workforce experts, and residents—would set measurable goals: leading job growth among Oregon’s large counties, increasing traded-sector employment, and boosting housing permits. Annual public reports would track progress and maintain transparency.
Clackamas County does not need more government mandates or spending. It needs focused execution on what works: abundant housing choices, thriving businesses, efficient infrastructure, and a skilled workforce. With battle-tested leadership rooted in fiscal responsibility and local control, Clackamas can become Oregon’s economic engine—creating opportunity for families, rewarding hard work, and offering a model the rest of the state can follow.
The time for bold yet practical action is now. Voters in November can choose the leadership that puts Clackamas first and delivers results that matter.
Powering Prosperity: Reliable, Affordable Energy for America's Future
As a former county commissioner and someone who has considered serving in the United States Senate, I have spent years focused on practical solutions that strengthen families, create jobs, and build economic resilience. Few issues matter more than energy. Affordable, reliable electricity underpins manufacturing, small businesses, agriculture, healthcare, and daily life. Without it, costs rise, opportunities shrink, and communities suffer. We must reject ideological constraints and embrace pragmatic innovation. The future of electrical energy demands efficient, scalable sources that deliver power where needed without bankrupting consumers or hollowing out industry.
We cannot rely solely on expanding large hydroelectric dams. Suitable river sites are limited, and environmental concerns rightly constrain new mega-projects. Intermittent renewables like wind and solar, while part of a diverse mix, have proven challenging at scale. Germany's Energiewende offers a cautionary tale. The aggressive push toward renewables led to sharp rises in household electricity prices, often cited in public debate as multiplying costs significantly while energy-intensive industries faced competitive disadvantages. Wholesale prices fluctuated dramatically, and high costs contributed to deindustrialization pressures, with companies relocating or curtailing operations. Even as some prices moderated later, the episode highlighted the pitfalls of over-reliance on weather-dependent sources without sufficient baseload backup. Germany continues grappling with affordability and industrial competitiveness.
America can learn from this. We need firm, dispatchable power that operates around the clock, independent of wind or sunshine. Two promising pathways stand out: advanced modular nuclear reactors and emerging ocean wave energy technologies. Both offer hope for abundant, affordable electricity that stimulates growth rather than stifling it.
Small Modular Reactors: Localized Power for a Distributed Economy
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) represent a transformative evolution in nuclear technology. Unlike traditional large-scale plants requiring massive upfront investment and vast infrastructure, SMRs are factory-built, compact units that can be transported and assembled on-site. Capacities typically range from tens to hundreds of megawatts, allowing incremental deployment as demand grows.
Their greatest advantage is siting flexibility. SMRs require smaller footprints and can be located near industrial parks, data centers, military bases, or remote communities reducing the need for expensive new transmission lines and substations. This decentralization cuts costs and enhances grid resilience. Many designs incorporate passive safety features, enhancing security and simplifying regulation. Multiple units can operate together for larger needs or independently for targeted applications.
Development is accelerating. In the United States and globally, projects advance with government and private support. Designs from companies like NuScale, and international efforts, target commercial operation in the late 2020s and early 2030s. States across political lines are enacting supportive policies, recognizing SMRs' role in meeting surging demand from electrification, AI, and manufacturing. Nuclear already provides the most reliable carbon-free electricity, with unmatched capacity factors. SMRs extend these benefits more broadly.
Economically, SMRs promise lower capital costs per project and faster construction through standardization. They create high-skilled jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and operations. For rural America, an SMR could anchor economic development—powering factories, attracting investment, and stabilizing local grids without dependence on distant utilities. By enabling co-location with users, they minimize losses and support energy-intensive industries that have fled high-cost regions elsewhere.
Critics raise waste and safety concerns, but modern designs address these through advanced fuels, smaller inventories, and robust containment. Decades of safe U.S. nuclear operation provide confidence. With thoughtful policy streamlining licensing while maintaining rigorous standards, SMRs can deploy safely and swiftly.
Harvesting the Ocean's Power: Wave Energy Innovation
Complementing nuclear, ocean wave energy taps a vast, predictable resource. Waves offer continuous motion driven by wind and tides, denser in energy than wind or solar. The U.S. West Coast alone holds enormous potential estimates suggest wave resources could supply a significant portion of national electricity needs.
Technologies are maturing. Companies like CorPower Ocean and Eco Wave Power deploy devices that convert wave motion into electricity, some onshore or nearshore for easier maintenance, others floating offshore. Recent demonstrations show improving efficiency, with devices surviving harsh ocean conditions and delivering grid power. Projects in Europe, and pilots in the U.S. (such as at the Port of Los Angeles), signal commercial progress. While still emerging, wave energy's predictability, better than wind, makes it valuable for grid stability.
Challenges remain: corrosion, biofouling, and high initial costs. Yet, with investment in R&D and deployment, costs will fall through learning curves, much like offshore wind. Wave devices can coexist with fishing, shipping, and marine life when properly sited. For coastal communities, they represent job creation in construction, maintenance, and marine industries, sectors vital to many states.
A Path Forward: Policy, Innovation, and Hope
Combining SMRs for reliable baseload with wave energy for coastal renewable, alongside continued responsible development of other sources, creates a robust portfolio. This approach avoids Germany's pitfalls by prioritizing affordability and reliability. Lower energy costs directly benefit families reducing bills for heating, cooling, and groceries and empower manufacturers to compete globally, bringing jobs home.
As policymakers, we must act. Streamline permitting for advanced nuclear without compromising safety. Fund marine energy demonstrations. Reform regulations to encourage private investment. Support workforce training for these high-tech fields. Public-private partnerships can accelerate deployment, much as they have in other infrastructure.
The promise is profound. Affordable power fuels innovation, lifts living standards, and strengthens national security by reducing import dependence. It offers hope: thriving factories in the Midwest, resilient coastal economies, and energy abundance enabling AI and future technologies.
My experience in local government taught me that solutions succeed when grounded in reality, balancing environment, economy and engineering. America possesses ingenuity, resources, and entrepreneurial spirit. By embracing modular nuclear and ocean wave advancements, we chart a course to prosperity. Future generations deserve energy that powers dreams, not limits them. Let us build that future together; reliable, affordable, and abundant for all.
Stabilizing Public Safety: A Path Forward for Clackamas County Law Enforcement
By Mark Shull
As a former Clackamas County Commissioner who consistently supported our Sheriff’s Office while championing smarter, more efficient government, I view the recent budget challenges not as a crisis of despair but as an opportunity for innovation and renewed commitment to the safety of our families and communities. The defeat of the public safety levy in May underscores the very real pressures facing taxpayers rising costs, economic uncertainty, and skepticism toward new tax burdens. Yet, the need for strong law and order remains undiminished. Clackamas County deserves a hopeful future where effective policing thrives without unnecessarily straining household budgets or the broader county ledger.
During my tenure, I backed critical funding for deputies, jail operations, and essential services while insisting on accountability and efficiencies. Rising personnel costs, overtime, technology needs, and operational expenses have created shortfalls that mirror nationwide trends. With potential cuts in state and federal support on the horizon and growing reliance on local property taxes and levies, we must act decisively. The path forward lies in a balanced approach: targeted stabilization of the Sheriff’s budget, aggressive pursuit of efficiencies, and novel partnerships that deliver results without endless tax hikes.
First, we must prioritize core functions while trimming where possible. Patrol deputies, jail capacity, investigations into serious crimes like human trafficking and elder abuse, and mental health response teams form the backbone of our safety net. These cannot be sacrificed. However, the county’s overall budget, already facing structural pressures, demands discipline. One-time general fund transfers have provided temporary bridges, but they are unsustainable. Instead, we should explore multi-year budgeting with built-in contingency reserves funded partly through performance-based reallocations from less critical areas. This sensitivity to the full county portfolio ensures public safety does not crowd out roads, health services, or emergency preparedness.
Efficiency gains offer immediate relief. Modern law enforcement has powerful tools to do more with less. Data-driven deployment, for instance, uses predictive analytics to allocate patrols to high-risk areas and times, reducing unnecessary overtime and fuel consumption. Many agencies have reported 10-20% improvements in response efficiency through such systems. Clackamas should accelerate adoption of body-worn cameras and integrated evidence management not just for accountability, but to streamline prosecutions and cut court-related costs.
Civilianization is another proven strategy. Sworn deputies are expensive; replacing administrative, dispatch support, and certain investigative roles with well-trained civilians can save significantly on salary and benefits while freeing officers for street duty. Shared services with neighboring jurisdictions, joint training academies, consolidated evidence labs, or regional fleet maintenance, reduce duplication. Clackamas could lead a Metro-area consortium for bulk purchasing of vehicles, technology, and supplies, leveraging economies of scale.
Fleet management presents ripe opportunities. Transitioning high-mileage patrol vehicles to electric or hybrid models, combined with telematics to curb idling and optimize routes, can slash fuel and maintenance expenses. Predictive maintenance programs prevent costly breakdowns. Energy audits of facilities and LED retrofits further compound savings that can be redirected to frontline operations.
Novel ideas can transform how we sustain law and order. One promising concept is performance-based incentives tied to outcomes. Reward units or teams that demonstrate measurable reductions in response times, recidivism, or specific crime categories with modest efficiency bonuses funded from savings. This fosters innovation without increasing baseline costs.
Community-based prevention programs, such as expanded neighborhood watch coordinated via a county app with real-time reporting and AI-assisted triage, empower residents and reduce low-priority calls. Partnerships with local businesses for sponsorship of youth safety academies or mental health co-response teams divert non-violent incidents from the criminal justice pipeline, easing jail pressures.
Asset forfeiture reform and reinvestment could generate dedicated streams. Proceeds from seized criminal assets, managed transparently with strict oversight, might fund technology upgrades or K-9 programs. Grant maximization is crucial: proactive pursuit of federal and state funds for body cameras, opioid response, and active shooter training has helped many counties bridge gaps. Clackamas should designate a dedicated grants coordinator within the Sheriff’s Office.
Public-private partnerships offer creative potential. Collaborations with tech firms for pilot programs in drone surveillance for rural areas or AI license plate readers could be funded initially by vendors in exchange for data-sharing agreements (with privacy safeguards). Regional consolidation studies, exploring deeper integration of dispatch or specialized units with cities like Oregon City or Lake Oswego, merit serious examination without forcing unwanted mergers.
Currently a large percentage of police calls are for drug related crimes. Solve the drug problem on our streets and you will have a corresponding reduction in police funding pressures. Solving this problem is paramount to the future of our county.
Looking ahead, we must prepare for leaner state and federal contributions. A diversified funding model—modest, voter-approved levies focused narrowly on proven needs, combined with relentless efficiency, protects against over-reliance on property taxes. Voter trust is paramount; any future ask must come with transparent metrics showing how prior dollars delivered safer streets and measurable savings.
I remain optimistic about Clackamas County’s future. Our community has a proud history of resilience and common-sense governance. By embracing efficiencies, deploying technology wisely, forging innovative partnerships, and maintaining unwavering support for our dedicated deputies and Sheriff Angela Brandenburg’s team, we can uphold the highest standards of law and order. Families will continue to enjoy safe neighborhoods, businesses will thrive without the drag of crime, and taxpayers will see responsible stewardship of their hard-earned dollars.
The challenges are real, but so is our capacity to innovate. Together, through collaborative leadership on the Board of Commissioners, we can build a stronger, more efficient Sheriff’s Office that secures our positive vision for generations to come. Clackamas deserves nothing less.
The Crushing of America's Middle Class: One Decision That Changed Everything
By Mark Shull, Clackamas County, Oregon
In 1955, a Detroit factory worker earning about $5,000 a year could support a family of four on a single income. He could buy a new house for $7,000, a new car for $2,000, put food on the table, save money monthly, and still ensure his wife never needed to work outside the home. This wasn't a rare success story—it was the norm. That era defined the American middle class: not extravagant wealth, but dignity, stability, and the promise that hard work delivered a better life for the next generation.
Post-World War II America built the largest, most prosperous middle class in history through an unwritten social contract. Workers, companies, and government aligned around a simple principle: if you contribute, you share in the rewards. Median family income in 1950 hovered around $3,300, with homes costing roughly twice that—about two years' salary. Cars cost half a year's pay. Mortgages ran $60–$80 monthly. Families saved, owned homes outright within 10–15 years, and one parent often stayed home. By 1960, incomes rose to $5,600 while prices lagged, reinforcing the dream.
The engine was the tight link between productivity and wages. From 1948 to 1973, as workers produced more value, their compensation rose in near-perfect sync. Companies profited, workers earned enough to buy what they made, and a virtuous cycle powered the economy: more spending created more jobs, stronger communities, and broader prosperity. In 1971, 61% of adults lived in middle-class households holding 62% of national income.
Then the line broke. Around 1973, productivity surged 74% by 2013, but average hourly compensation grew just 9%. The gains flowed upward. A new philosophy took root: corporations exist solely to maximize shareholder value. Stakeholder responsibilities—to workers, communities, and long-term stability—faded. This shift, accelerating in the 1980s, triggered cascading changes that dismantled the middle class.
Unions, once representing over 35% of workers in the mid-1950s and securing wages, benefits, and security, plummeted to about 10% by 2020. High marginal tax rates above 90% in the 1950s–60s (with lower effective rates) had checked wealth concentration and funded public goods. Repeated cuts from the 1980s onward left more at the top. Manufacturing jobs—over 7 million lost between 1979 and 2020—moved overseas for cheap labor, replaced by lower-paying service and retail roles.
Meanwhile, costs exploded. Housing now averages nearly six times median household income. Healthcare rose over 3,000%. College tuition, once hundreds per year, now burdens families with tens of thousands. Adjusted for inflation, typical worker wages have stagnated since 1973 despite longer hours. Two full-time earners bringing home $80,000 today often struggle for a starter home. Middle-class households dropped from 61% in 1971 to 50% by 2021, their income share falling to 42%. The top 1% now holds more wealth than the bottom 90% combined—an unthinkable inversion from 1960.
This was no accident or inevitability. It stemmed from a deliberate philosophical pivot prioritizing shareholders over shared prosperity. The handshake between productivity and pay broke. Factories closed, pensions vanished, single-income families became relics. Americans work harder than in the 1970s, yet the promise—"work hard and you'll be okay"—was quietly revoked.
Restoring the Middle Class: Practical Actions
Reversing this requires intentional policy and cultural shifts, not nostalgia. First, realign incentives so productivity gains benefit workers again. Tax reforms could reward companies that share profits through wages, profit-sharing, or domestic investment, while discouraging excessive executive compensation or stock buybacks untethered from long-term value.
Second, strengthen worker voice without reviving 1970s rigidity. Modern apprenticeships, sectoral bargaining in key industries, and incentives for union-like cooperatives in the gig and service economy could restore bargaining power. Trade policy must prioritize reciprocity—ending one-way globalization that hollowed out manufacturing towns. Targeted tariffs, reshoring credits, and investment in advanced manufacturing (automation paired with worker upskilling) can rebuild supply chains and high-wage jobs.
Third, tackle cost disease in essentials. Zoning reform and streamlined permitting would increase housing supply and affordability. Vocational training expansions, community college apprenticeships, and income-share agreements could make education an investment rather than debt. Healthcare competition, price transparency, and malpractice reform could bend the cost curve without sacrificing quality.
Fourth, fiscal discipline paired with targeted investment: redirect savings from corporate welfare toward infrastructure, skills, and family supports like expanded child tax credits that favor working families. Encourage local small business ecosystems through regulatory relief—cutting red tape that favors big corporations—and community banking initiatives.
These steps demand bipartisanship and long-term thinking over short-term shareholder optics.
As a concerned American deeply invested in our nation's future, I worry profoundly about the trajectory for families and small businesses. Families face relentless pressure: dual-income exhaustion leaves little time for parenting, community, or rest, eroding the social fabric that once made neighborhoods strong. Young people delay marriage and children amid housing and education costs, threatening demographic vitality. Small businesses, the true backbone of local economies, struggle against consolidated corporate power, regulatory burdens, and squeezed consumer spending power. When the middle class shrinks, Main Street dries up—fewer customers for family restaurants, shops, and services. I see hardworking people priced out of the dream they were promised, fostering division and despair. Restoring broad-based prosperity isn't just economics; it's about renewing the American promise for our children and communities.
The middle class didn't vanish because Americans stopped working. It was crushed by decisions favoring extraction over creation. Reversing course through shared gains, domestic investment, and cost relief can rebuild it.
The virtuous cycle that lifted America once can do so again if we choose to restore the deal.
The Singapore Playbook for Fixing Oregon’s Mess: Common Sense Leadership That Actually Works
By Mark Shull, Clackamas County
Folks, look at what’s happening right across the Pacific Northwest. Oregon is blessed with incredible land, hardworking people, forests, farms, and tech talent, yet our streets are a disaster, families are struggling, and government keeps making things worse with one bad decision after another. We don’t need more fancy studies or progressive experiments. We need leaders who put results first, just like Lee Kuan Yew did in Singapore.
Before retiring from the military I worked in Singapore over a four year period. I found the country to be stunningly clean and safe. We can learn from Singapore.
Back in 1959, Lee took over a dirty, poor, chaotic island with nothing going for it; disease, ethnic fights, no jobs. Through straight-talking, merit-based government and zero tolerance for nonsense, he turned it into one of the cleanest, safest, richest places on earth. Oregon can do the same. We’ve got the resources. What we’ve been missing is discipline and accountability.
Hire Competent People, Not Connected Cronies
First thing: Run government like a business that actually works. Lee Kuan Yew demanded the best people in charge not party hacks or campaign donors. He built a professional civil service that delivered. Here in Oregon, we’ve seen the opposite. Delayed unemployment checks when people needed them most, billions thrown at drug treatment with little to show for it and endless bureaucracy while roads crumble and permits take forever. It’s time to demand real competency tests and performance standards for agency heads. No more political favoritism. Hire managers who hit measurable goals or they’re gone. Taxpayers deserve services that work, not excuses.
Safety and Order Come First — No Apologies
You can’t have a thriving state without safe streets. Lee understood that basic public order isn’t “mean”, it’s compassionate. It protects the vulnerable and lets businesses and families flourish. Portland and too many of our towns have become national punch lines for open drug use, property crime, tents everywhere, and chaos. Oregonians are compassionate people. We want to help those down on their luck, but compassion without consequences has turned into enabling. We don’t need Singapore’s cane. We need to enforce the laws we already have. Clear out illegal camps. Prosecute theft and vandalism consistently. Set firm rules for public behavior. Clean, safe neighborhoods aren’t a luxury, they’re the foundation for kids playing in parks, local shops succeeding, and people actually wanting to live here. Enough is enough.
End the Drug Experiment That Failed Oregonians
Measure 110 was sold as compassion. It delivered more addiction, more chaos, and more heartbreak for families. Lee Kuan Yew treated drugs as the societal poison they are; tough enforcement on dealers, mandatory structured help for users. Oregon needs to shift from passive “harm reduction” that harms everyone to active recovery. That means mandatory treatment programs for severe cases, real accountability, and getting people off the streets now, today, and back on their feet. We can be firm and humane at the same time. Our current approach is neither.
Pro-Business Pragmatism and Investing in Oregon Workers
Lee aggressively cut red tape, built great infrastructure, and attracted good jobs. Oregon has agriculture, timber, the “Silicon Forest”, and huge potential in clean energy and manufacturing. Yet over-regulation, high taxes, and instability are driving employers away. We need to streamline rules that make sense, offer targeted incentives for companies that create family-wage jobs, and stop punishing success with back-breaking taxation. At the same time, invest in real workforce training; vocational academies, apprenticeships, and programs that match what employers actually need. Not more ideology in the classroom, but skills that put Oregonians first in a competitive world.
Oregon Values + Singapore Discipline = A State That Works Again
This isn’t about turning Oregon into Singapore or giving up our freedoms. It’s about borrowing proven ideas that deliver results: accountability, merit, order, and long-term thinking. We keep Oregon’s creativity, community spirit, and love of the outdoors. We add the discipline and common sense that have been missing.
The career politicians and Portland-centric bureaucrats have had their turn. Their ideas have given us higher costs, worse safety, and struggling families. It’s time for a course correction; practical, no-nonsense governance that puts Oregon families, small businesses, and taxpayers first.
We can have clean streets again. We can have safe parks and thriving towns. We can have an economy where hard work pays and government stays out of the way. It won’t happen by continuing the same failed policies. It happens when we demand better.
Oregonians are ready for leadership that listens to the people, delivers results, and stops the madness. The Singapore model shows what’s possible when government focuses on what works. Let’s get it done for our kids, our neighbors, and the beautiful state we love.
Let us all work together as one people to restore America, Oregon and Clackamas County to the glory days of prosperity, social harmony and a bright future for all.