Kehoe has variety of endorsements

To the Editor:

Now that we have expanded the Board of County Commissioners from three to five positions, this election offers us some choices to fill the two new seats. Position 5 has seven people running for election. I’ve spent a great deal of time sorting this out and have decided that Kami Kehoe would be the best person for this seat.

Kami is passionate about preserving our natural resources, and just received the endorsement of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters! She particularly values our highest value upland habitats, which are currently not protected in the County, and led the charge to preserve green space in the Park Place Concept Plan in Oregon City. She came to Urban Green and offered her assistance early on, in support of their tree protection proposal. She is against the LNG pipeline that is planned to come through Clackamas County, causing farmers to lose their land and wilderness over Mt. Hood to suffer.

Kami is smart and does her homework. She researches issues, and isn’t afraid of asking difficult questions. Some of her questions make people already in government uncomfortable. These questions are ones we all have, and these questions often don’t tend to show up at the table. I trust her to ask them with intelligence and persistence. When she gets the answers, I trust her to share them with everyone. And if there aren’t any answers then I trust her to start finding them.

Kami will help to bring change, open government and inclusive public processes to the County. Like many of us outside of government, she wants citizens to be empowered. For example, she is chairing the ORCAS PAC, which is currently gathering signatures to put urban renewal bonds to a vote of the people in Oregon City.

Kami is currently chair of the Holcomb Outlook CPO, in the unincorporated area northeast of Oregon City. Because she is not part of city government, she understands keenly what unique issues the unincorporated areas have. Even though the Board is supposed to represent those of us in the unincorporated areas of the County, at the present time that is not happening to my satisfaction. Kami will be our voice on the Board, a voice that we can trust. For example, she has been endorsed by the Oregon Communities for a Voice in Annexation.

As a representative of the minority community, Kami will bring to the table the voice of people often ignored by the current Board, as well. She has been endorsed by the Oregon Black Political Convention. As an advocate for education, Kami co-leads the Oregon City chapter of Stand for Children, and will work on setting up anti-drug programs for our schools.

Please vote for Kami Kehoe for Board of County Commissioners Position 5.

Susan Shawn

Oak Grove