DARK MONEY AND THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT

I believe voters have a right to know who is trying to influence their elected officials. That principle is especially important in local government, where decisions made by the Board of County Commissioners directly affect taxpayers, public safety, county employees and the services our communities depend on.

Political influence should never be hidden behind layers of money, organizations or special interests. Whether the money comes from wealthy donors, corporations, advocacy organizations or political groups, voters deserve transparency about who is funding campaigns and what interests may be seeking influence.

That is why I have made a deliberate choice to run my campaign differently.

I do not accept money from special interests. I believe the people who elect me—not organizations seeking favorable treatment—should be the people I am accountable to.

That principle is particularly important when it comes to public employee unions whose contracts are negotiated by the Board of County Commissioners. I have not accepted campaign contributions from the four public employee unions whose contracts come before the Board for negotiation. I believe voters should be able to look at that distinction and decide for themselves whether it matters.

To me, this isn't about attacking public employees or their unions. Our county employees perform important work, and they deserve to be treated fairly. But there is an important difference between respecting employees and becoming financially dependent on organizations whose contracts I may ultimately have a responsibility to negotiate.

When elected officials receive campaign contributions from groups that may have business before the government, citizens are entitled to ask a simple question: Will that money influence the decisions being made?

Even when there is no improper action whatsoever, the appearance of a conflict can undermine public confidence. Government works best when citizens believe decisions are being made on their merits rather than because of political contributions.

Oregon provides voters with access to campaign-finance information through ORESTAR, allowing citizens to examine campaign contributions and expenditures. My campaign-finance records are part of that public record.

I believe we should encourage more citizens to use that information. Don't simply listen to campaign advertisements. Look at who is funding the campaigns. Look at where the money comes from. Look at who has interests before the government.

I also believe local elections should remain focused on local issues. Clackamas County voters should be able to decide who represents them based on that candidate's judgment, experience, priorities and willingness to stand independently—not on which special interests can spend the most money.

My approach is straightforward: I work for the people of Clackamas County.

I don't believe elected officials should owe political favors to organizations that contribute to their campaigns. I believe decisions involving county finances, public safety, employee contracts and taxpayer dollars should be made openly, honestly and based on what is best for the people we were elected to serve.

Ultimately, transparency is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It is a government- accountability issue.

The public deserves to know who funds political campaigns. More importantly, the public deserves elected officials who are willing to make difficult decisions without wondering who might be unhappy because they didn't receive something in return.

That is the standard I have set for my campaign, and it is the standard I intend to bring to public service.