Chad Hansen Interview Candidate for Commissioner Position #2 | Season 2, Episode 25

Part 2 of our 3 part candidate series. I sit down with Chad Hansen, candidate for Josephine County Commissioner Position #2.

Full Interview Video Here : https://youtu.be/jzCZkaUgD88

Chad was born and raised in Josephine County with deep roots in the timber industry, public works, and local business. We talk about his background, why he decided to run, and what he thinks needs to change at the county level.

In this interview we cover his experience with roads, bridges, and infrastructure, his time on the budget committee, and his perspective on transparency and leadership. We also get into homelessness, mental health, economic development in the Illinois Valley, and what it really looks like to serve the community.

Chad shares his views on working with people across the board, staying accessible to the public, and focusing on real solutions instead of politics.

Watch the full interview and decide for yourself.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Part two of my three-part series. Chad Hansen running for commissioner and position number two. Let's get into it. I'm here with Chad Hansen. So you're a candidate for position two commissioner. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Uh so how long have you lived in the area? I was born and raised here, Jordan. Um yeah, super blessed to be born here. Uh raised through a lot of change here. You know, I was raised in a timber family. Right. My grandfather was buying and selling timber sales uh in the Siskiyou National Force out of Cave Junction for decades in the 60s, 70s, 80s. And my dad was a logging contractor also here in Josephine County. And uh so I was around when the spotted owl and the environmental movement and government regulation changed our community.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

So that was do you know how many it was like 89? Okay, 8990. The the regulations changed with the marble mirrorette and the spotted owl, as I remember. I was a 16-year-old in high school, and I just remember my dad coming home and they couldn't go back to work. Like what happened? All our jobs got shut down, and we had wow, all at once. Yeah, we had a lot of men working for us and support a lot of families, and so that was a big change. And and during that time, we ended up, you know, working out of town a lot because you know, this thing was shut down. So that was a big change in our family. Um, my dad continued to log in, such, but you know, local high school graduate, Hidden Valley High School, uh, married my high school sweetheart, CC. Cool. We're still together. Uh we've been married 34 years this summer, three beautiful children, Austin, Morgan, and Rylan, 33, 31 nearly, and 29 nearly, and seven grandkids. Wow. Two wonder three wonderful, uh, two son-in-laws and a daughter-in-law that are great. And so I just have deep roots here. And you're a big dude. You you lift. I I am I've been I was fortunate enough to have uh shoulders wider than my hips.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

That's what I told you. No, yeah, just I I'm working on it. I go to the gym too, but you know, I've I've always been like the computer nerd. Oh, yeah. So I'm you know, I'll get there someday.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

And the one commissioner you could probably call to come help you move your refrigerator.

unknown 2:06

That's fine.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

That's my one calling card. Yeah, right on. No. So you know, I was born and raised here, and then my wife and I um were able to start a contracting business. We started in the logging industry, actually, and then transitioned into um transportation, trucking, hall and uh asphalt, sand and gravel. We had a bunch of trucks doing that for a long time here, and and then during that season started a commercial concrete business. Cool. So have a lot of extensive um experience in public works, roads, bridges, the um being on the um end of those public works jobs all over Southern Oregon, Jackson County, Curry County, uh Josephine, obviously, Douglas County. So got a little taste of public works, so I have a lot of experience of that. And then the timber part, uh it's still deep in my my roots. And I think if there was a funnest job I've ever had, it was logging. Logging, cool, it was so fun. Yeah, um, but I didn't really enjoy two-hour crummy rides one way and work all day. And you know, loggers have a hard time being involved civically, but anyway, uh with the timber, I really think that it gives me kind of a some insight. You know, I'm not an extra subject matter expert by any means, but being raised in that family and around the industry and gives me a little glimpse of some of the constraints we have with the timber that we own with the with the ONC funds and all of those things tied up. And um, you know, we've been battling that for 30 plus years, and you know, everybody everybody says it seems like campaign after giving, we're gonna free that up and we're gonna do well.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

I don't know about that. Yeah, I know what Trump was talking about. Was it like 85 million board feet is being opened up, but it's gonna take a long time for that to happen. And it's not like an immediate thing, it could be years now.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

And we thankfully we do have a let uh uh, you know, the the current administration is pro natural resources, and obviously within the uh, you know, the timber harvesting uh practice, forest practices acts, and obviously do it legal and and as environmentally sound as possible. But we you know, we're we're tied up. And to sit and say we're gonna open those up while I'm in office and you know fund our schools and our sheriff, and we won't have any property taxes again, that that won't happen. Right. But maybe we can start some inroads into change because we do have a favorable administration towards that. So, what made you want to get into this?

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Like what were you sitting around one day and going, look, okay, a commissioner thing is coming up? Am I gonna just gonna just dove in?

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Well, the last three or four years um been very involved um civically through our nonprofit that I am the president of home bridging. And so we work with planning, we work with um the commissioners on properties. You know, we bought a property from Josephine County, so I got to see some of how that works with um, you know, property recapture, you know, that was foreclosed on and the county sold it at auction. And so I got to see some of that, and and then just working with with public works on some of our developments with the city and the county. Um, I just have a I have a lot of relationships in all of those uh departments, yeah. And then, you know, just we've had so much disruption the last few years in county leadership, and some of it understandable, you know, honestly, and some of it kind of dis discouraging. You know, I think I think all of those uh guys that got recalled would probably look back or potentially recalled and say, Oh man, we could have probably communicated that better. Or um, it's unfortunate. And then sometimes you can't control who doesn't like you.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

Well, you know, that's the thing I talk about with my my the people that watch my show. It's also it all it's almost like a sport in Josephine County to go after public servants, like it's almost like we're gonna recall people, especially on the conservative side, yeah, yeah, seeing that, you know.

SPEAKER_00 5:38

Um, but so you know, just watching how things were unfolding and you know through around the first of the year with the recall and those things, and then uh position two came up as a two-year position, which is not even in the charter. It was like, how did that happen? And I don't know if anybody actually has the real answer. I haven't heard why this year and this pre this um position is a two-year appointment. Um, but it is. And I thought, I don't want to go for four years if I don't like it or they don't like me. Yeah, so this two-year position sounds like a good apprenticeship to go, okay, you can get your feet wet, you can learn, you can get in and help instigate or start, you know, initiating changes, hopefully, and solidifying things. And then if you you feel like you're getting traction, you go, hey, I'm gonna run again and get another four years and see if we can continue to help. And if not, you worked your tail off, you learned a lot, you you did everything you could for two years, and it wasn't your thing. Yeah. I mean, so that's part of my motivation for the two-year position. And um really the only reason, I mean, I don't care if it's position one or two, what I would have ran for, but the the two-year was really attractive to me. Yeah, and um, but to run in general, you know, I have a lot of history here, I have a lot of uh connections, and um, I'm not, you know, the most proficient currently yet, you know, ORS dot dot dot law this and yeah, but I have a good sense of common sense. Um we produced a lot of things in this community. Um it was funny, interesting. We were on a Grants Bath City Chamber of Commerce and the Courier on Wednesday night, two days ago, had a forum for candidates. And one of the questions was, you know, what committees have you been on that that you think would help you be um you know successful in leadership for the county or as a commissioner? And I was like, Well, I I am on a couple, I'm not no, I'm not on any county committees, yeah. But I'm involved in all every department head or leader in our city and our county. And I thought, well, I'm doing stuff, I'm not just on committees and you know, because committees are where usually great ideas go to die. Yeah, you know, and so I that in my opinion, or really slow.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Well, there's only one out of the seven candidates that actually had, I think Mark Jones was the only guy that was actually on committees. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Because I was there and I remember everybody's like, well, uh I was on the budget committee uh the previous 12 months, uh, recently was removed from that, and that's their that's their prerogative of the commissioner.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

That's it was weird. Uh you know, I I don't understand what happened there, and I you know, I haven't really got a chance to look into that yet, but that it seemed like kind of an injustice to you guys.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

Well, I guess I I think they would they would say, and a couple of them have said to me since that you know we could have done that differently. The communication, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:15

Um because you never got a call, you never got a call.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

No, I heard it through a friend on social media, hey, you just got kicked off the budget committee. Yeah, okay, yeah, you know, and we're in Grants Pass, like we're in Los Angeles or Portland, like I know these people, right? Like, especially two of the current sitting commissioners. I poured the concrete at Gary Richardson's house, yeah, you know, 25 years ago. And I've known Colleen for 30 years, and her son's worked for me for years, and we're friends, Brady and Dan. And so just not to even get a heads up. Uh, it's just like strange, which is fine. Um, but the budget committee was frustrating in the sense of um, you know, the expectations, and and there was no training last year, so we walked into it blind, along with three freshmen, basically uh budget uh on the budget committee, three freshmen commissioners. Yeah, so no one had been on a budget committee. Even we had a a new at that time brand new um budget officer in Ruth Nelson, and then even Cassie, who's the um the staff for the commissioner, she was also a first year. And so we were all kind of like, okay, we're all new at this. And so that that was frustrating because I thought, man, we could have equipped each other better, we could have been equipped better as volunteers, right? Um, thankfully, you know, some of the people on the budget committee had um a lot of corporate experience and could understood how to read it initially. Um the budget's a little more complex than just your normal PL or budget. If you're it's a government, it's a government um uh document. So if you don't read government and understand where funding streams come from, and there's additional funding streams and this grant, and so getting up to speed takes a little bit. It did for me.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

Um, but and then to think that oh, we get to do another one. We know we're on a three-year, we had a three-year commitment, and it was exciting to go into another budget cycle and and feel more confident that you could really communicate why you why you voted what you did, and and uh or ask the right questions. And so then to be removed is kind of like, oh, darn it. Okay, yeah, we didn't get to finish this.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

Yeah, that's that's too bad.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

Yeah, and it's a great way to that. And the reason I even got on a budget committee is like I want to know what's going on in our community. So I I applied. I want to understand how to better understand what goes on behind the scenes financially, and I thought, well, you just jump in with two feet, and um, anyway.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

Well, it might have been political, you know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

I think everything in Josephine Cannon right now is political.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

It's true. I mean, it's it's just kind of like who you know, what side are you on, you know, a lot of that, a lot of that stuff is yeah, it's weird.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

Yeah, you know, like uh I've been friends with Dwayne Yunker since I was 12 or 13. He was 12. His brother Mike and I have been best friends since we were in eighth grade, and uh so and I like Dwayne. Yeah, I mean I've known him literally, you know, since I was 12, 13. And so I support him. I support what he's about, I support um what he's fighting in Salem. I don't think we realize how how hard it is up there for Republicans, yeah, being in such a minority. And um, he's been communicating things that I think are important, and he's starting to get some traction now after being there. Well, I say all that because um I support him, and uh I have I have policy reasons why I support him. It's not just red or blue, or you know, he wears the pants I like, or you know, he runs he runs around with this group of people and not that group of people. He has actual policies that I agree with, and so you know, another candidate had asked me who I'm I'm fortunately, unfortunately, I know a lot of the candidates in in all this because of just my time here.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Yeah, and you're friends with Seth too. Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

And so, you know, um Seth wanted me to support him, and I said, I can't. Yeah, and you know, face to face, actually at this dinner table. He invited me over for dinner. Yep, and my wife and I. And it was nice. We had a great evening, and I like Seth, and he goes, Hey, you, you know, would you would you endorse me? And I said, Oh no, no, not because I don't like you, yeah. Sure, yeah, but policy-wise, I don't see a reason to replace Dwayne Younger.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

No, Dwayne's up there, and he's the we call him the junkyard dog.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

I mean, his his scoring says they have a scoring system, and it's he's representing the the his district and and his contingent. Yeah, you know, they voted him in. Yep, and or he was appointed, but he's running for the first time. But he's got a lot of traction up there, relationship-wise. And so I've seen how he operates up there. And uh, I think he's gonna grab second and third gear, you know, as you build relationships and you can start getting momentum, and it takes a long time to do that. I say all that because um, and this is not a dig at all on Seth. It's like, no, Seth, you're I like Seth. You've never done it before. Yep. You just got on the city council a little over a year ago, and uh, I'm not I'm I just I don't see a reason to replace Dwayne.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

Right, yeah, and I told Seth something similar, but you know, we we had coffee and stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Oh, we talked, we talked, yeah. I've known I did his wedding. Oh, cool. I've initiated his wedding. Yeah, I mean, I've known him literally since he was like 18, 19 years old, and we worked together in a corporate setting for a season over in Medford. And and Susan's great too.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

I don't know if you know Susan, she's she's awesome. Yeah, I mean, she's a Democrat, right? But so I can't support her just because you know Yeah, totally. She's an amazing person. There are three candidates.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

Oh, yeah, great bright. Susan's bright, articulate. Yeah, she she she um can really share her her vision and her commitments. And no, she she um she did a great job in that that forum. She was great.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Honestly, because like all three candidates, it was like, wow, do you you know? I I was wondering if it was like a prepared thing. Like, did they prepare the questions ahead of time? No, they're not. Because I was like, wow, they did so good. And I just like trying to picture myself being up there, and I'm gonna be like, um, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Well, it shows how much work they put in to kind of be prepared for their message, yeah. So it didn't matter what the question was, they had thought it through, and I thought they did a great job. And um, and then we we had our had our forum.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

Yeah, I was there and I saw it, you know, and I and I I was telling people like you had one of the most real, you and Mark Seligman. Seligman, because he's a he's a Democrat. He was like, you know, I'm not really planning on winning, but maybe someday somebody is gonna be like, oh Mark, that was a great idea. Yeah and you know, he was just giving it real.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

Mark, Mark has called me multiple times. And I I just remember I for some reason I remember 660-1505. That's Mark Seligman's number. And he calls me, and what I appreciated to him, he's so genuine. Yeah, and he's this is what he thinks. And so were you.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

Oh, thank you. You know, I mean, some you know, some of the questions were like, some of the questions to me were kind of like, what? That doesn't even make sense. You know, I mean, uh, the Daily Courier and the and uh what was it, the chamber, they put those together. Yeah. And what was the question that was weird?

SPEAKER_00 14:31

I can't remember what it was, but it was like Well, you know, like one question, and I don't know, I didn't have to pose the questions, but I I I thought it was an interesting, it wasn't even really a question. Well, in the sense of, so do you support tourism? Yeah, and do you think tourism could be an economic driver or something?

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Or collaboration question, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Who would say no? Yeah, who's gonna say no? I know, or and I have to apologize. I kind of was like a smart Alec. I when they asked that question, I was I think I was the first person to have to be asked that question, and I was like, Well, who would say no to that? Well, of course you would if you would work to the best result with all the players at the table. Absolutely, you know, and so if they have great ideas or you have great ideas, hopefully those win out. Well, that's a that's the commissioner's one of the commissioners' roles is like the urban part simple. We're representing 88,000 people. Exactly. Yeah, they're the only people not represented in in at the courthouse, you know. The the employees have managers and directors and unions, and uh who's who's actually you know looking after the public, yeah, the citizens, the taxpayers, it's the it's the elected officials. They voted us in, they vote us in and choose, and so it's our job to represent our base and and the people that put us in the office.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

And that's what you want to do.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

I do. Yeah, I um it's funny because I've kind of lately been become very um content with moving through May and November to January, and if not, I'm content. Okay, yeah, you know, I don't need the job per se, like paycheck wise, and um I've never had a problem supporting myself, and uh thankfully healthy and sm and you know, I've been able to provide for our family, but just the fact of just the negativity out there, it's a lot shortened. Yeah, it's bad.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

I'm on that's why I'm the social media director for the Republican Party, and it's like I see that all every day.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Yeah, I don't, I don't, I don't feed into it, I don't get involved. Um lately, so this is what I started doing. You know, I've been doing these little videos. I saw the videos every day. Yeah, I started doing these little videos because I wasn't gonna do anything. Yep, I was like, nah. And then my daughter in Kentucky called me. She goes, Dad, you know, not everybody knows you. You need to put something out there where they get to know you, your heart, yep, uh, the things that you're uh think are important for the community to know about you. And and I'd never made a little video, I'd never taken a selfie, none of that stuff. And so if you ask anybody close to me, I am the I'm I'm not the anti-technology guy. Yeah, yeah, right. I'm a text, email, it's about the use of my uh computer skills. Uh I can do a few few spreadsheets, but anyway, it's just not something I spend a lot of time at. Um, I started making these little videos and just putting them out there three, four minutes and things that just pop into my head that I think are important for people to know about me. So what I did was I I downloaded the Facebook app, I make a video, I post it, and then I take the app off my device. So I'm not even tempted to look at social media. Yeah, I just don't look at it. Yeah, and so my friends, unfortunately, they have dark sense of humors. You gotta see this one about you. This is funny. So other candidates or friends of mine will send them to me, and I'm like, oh, thanks. And you know, or other candidates, like you know, Colleen has even called me and said, I'm sorry you're going through this, and very sweet. Right, right. But it's just really sad, Jordan. And and you know, yesterday it kind of hit me. Um, I'm 53 years old, I got pretty thick skin. Um, the lies and the misdirection that people are trying to cause and division um is really sad. Yep, but it what it really opened my eyes to is there's middle school and high school kids doing that to each other. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

And that's kind of the mentality of Michael.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Oh, that's why some of these kids go down deep, dark holes of bullying, cyberbullying. Absolutely. And I thought, oh, and you know, unbelievably tragic, we've had students in our community over the last few years commit suicide. Right. And one of the factors was cyberbullying or online bullying. And I get it. Yeah, I'm like, oh my gosh, if I could see you're 12, 13 years old and people at your school are lying about you and making things up, and then people jump on, they don't know you, and they spread it. Yep. If you don't have a great support system, you know, and you you don't have a place to to outlet that pain and and and then there's no consequences for these uh online bullies and and the lies. No, there's not. And I thought I thought, oh my gosh. So I'm not complaining. I just it gave me empathy for children going through that. Yeah. I'm like, oh, this is impossible.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

They they will throw you under the bus. And and anybody that wants to do anything public service, they're gonna throw you under the bus. And it's there's nothing you could do.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Yeah, you know, the I call them trolls, I don't know what to call them. Troll troll trolls are what I call them trolls. I call them crazies, the crazies. Why don't you just get your Rolodex or your um your day planner out? Sure. And show me what you're doing for our community to make it better on a daily basis, and I'll I'll put mine up there, or any of the other candidates. Right. And go, okay, if you're doing these things, you don't have time for this. They're in their mother's basements trolling.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

What does your wife think about you running?

SPEAKER_00 19:23

It it kind of came up over the last few years just because I'm so civically involved. Yep. Uh, behind the scenes, as far as you know, um development and the nonprofit. And we're we are also home bridging works with the county and the city uh with their CDGB grant program. Uh, we administrate that as a subgrant recipient for the county. And we also uh do that for the city, uh part of their team there with Bradley Clark, community works director and um public work community, community development director, and Aaron Kubick, the um city manager there. We work with them. This will be our fourth year uh working with them on their program. And then this is our second year as being the subgrant recipient with the county. Um and so we we've been really involved with seniors predominantly. These programs really kind of target um seniors who own their home and they're below, they have they're in a poverty level, and they have problem. Their homes have issues where it's gonna be difficult for them to stay in place, age in place. So leaky roof, uh bad water, um, sewer plug sewers, uh HVAC or heat um is are the big ones, some plumbing issues. But tradition it's so the there's a lot of folks in our county that in city and county that um their houses are um they can't afford to repair them, you know, they're on a fixed income, and then they they need a $15,000 roof. Wow. You know, tear off and replace and replace some of the rot and put a roof on is you know, 12 to 20, depending on how bad or big your house is, or how are they gonna do that? A lot of people don't have that just sitting around, or their HVAC goes out and they need a mini split, and well, still like three, four grand at a minimum, you know, to do that, or you know, they have dangerous electrical work in their house and things are popping off, or and so we we we help with the the the administrate administration, but also the actively just doing that work for for the city and the county. What that did, Jordan, is it got me in a the kitchen table of dozens and dozens of mostly seniors or single moms, a lot, a lot of seniors, and and you just see the really the financial fear on their on their in their person where they're like, man, if I don't get this grant from the city or the county, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Right. And you start to meet people just right where they're at. And we have a lot of seniors in our county that are vulnerable financially. And so I walk with those folks, hundreds of them.

SPEAKER_02 21:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:47

I mean, I don't know, I think we did 30 roofs this year between both programs, and we drilled a well and we did all kinds of septic work, repairing septics, or just, you know, and we we we cleaned 30, 40 of them. I don't know, a ton. I don't have all those. In front of me, but yeah, and so that just gets us right on the ground floor of what's going on in our county, all over our county, you know, from the north to the south, Cape Junction. Um, and then uh we work with workforce housing, you know, our nonprofit um has been just given immense favor, uh, really spiritually, uh practically, and uh it's just been so generous. People have bought properties for us that have um subdivisions. Well, and we were given a subdivision, a foundation came alongside of us, a private group uh from Jackson County actually came alongside of us and said, Hey, we'd like to help you guys um move your initiative. What would you what could we do to help you? And we said, Hey, fund this uh subdivision for us in Cape Junction that we want to buy. And they did. Wow, cool. Yeah, no strings attached, just here's the money. And that that that enables us to sell, uh build houses and sell houses without that cost. So you've been you've been you've been civically engaged and community engaged, and so your wife is pretty much she was just pretty much on board with Yeah, and she's a school counselor, so she went back to school at 39, 40 years old to we had taken in uh from 2008 to 2022. Cece and I took in at-risk youth.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 23:10

Yeah, and is there kids that weren't in the system? They were just kids that were cow chopping or friends of our kids or through the school system, mostly Hidden Valley, because that's where our kids went to school. And we've been plugged in there since 1987. Wow, not now anymore, but up until our kids graduated. And so we started meeting these children, you know, these young, young, these teenagers, and they would need a place to go. And uh the football coach a couple of times would just drop a kid off, go, hey, this kid needs a place to go for a little bit. Can he stay here? And um, yeah, Coach Fagoni would come by. Yeah, cool. And the kid would stay with us for a couple weeks, three weeks, three years. We had multiple kids stay with us for years, and wow. Now we're still friends with many of them, obviously, and giving them a just a place to land and reset. And hopefully, our number one goal, Jordan, day one. How do we help you forgive your parents?

SPEAKER_01 23:57

Yeah, that's a big thing.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

They're gonna be your parents forever. You might be here a couple weeks, a couple years, whatever, whatever God says or allows, or whatever. And so, but you're gonna have that mom and dad forever. Yeah, so how do we help you navigate forgiveness? Because obviously there's been a hurt, that's why you're here.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

I had to go through something similar. Yeah, did you? Yeah, I mean, I my my dad, he basically here's five dollars in a bus ticket. I'm 17 years old. Wow, and I was out of there. Yeah, you know, so I was like, okay, totally, I mean, yeah, so we started my journey and being homeless. I was lit roughly eight years, but it was technically like more like 13 years of bouncing, just drifting, yeah. Just drifting around. Wow, you're a miracle, yeah. I'm here. So but there obviously was some people along the way that gave you a little nudge and some help. Yeah, and I mean just my own self-motivation, too. I mean, but a lot of people in the community, Kate Lasky over at the library, she really saved one of the people that saved me. That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Um, but so our CC9's relationship with all those uh children, and then my my involvement civically, and then you know, through our church, you know, we've been involved in our church for churches, many churches, a couple churches in this community our whole life. And uh, so you just you're amongst the people, you know. We were blue-collar employers for 17 years, so that's a whole different you know demographic. And and then the last 10 years in the nonprofit world, um, five, six extensively now with uh home bridging nonprofit that's board run, and I'm the president and um just some phenomenal board members that have been with us since day one as volunteers. And um, so I have a pretty good pulse on the people.

SPEAKER_01 25:31

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 25:32

Yeah, and I I tell people all I tell young people all the time the number one thing that you need to protect and then and the thing that will get take you the furthest in life is your network.

SPEAKER_02 25:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

You know, the group of people that support you, that you learn from, that hold you accountable. I mean, you can get all the skills and you and you can have aptitude to learn, obviously, like education and and you know, reading, writing, arithmetic, all that stuff. And but if you're alone in it, who you know, and then you know, you have a tough day or you get a flat tire, who's gonna help you?

SPEAKER_01 26:02

You know, yeah, and people can call you too. You I mean you've got your number online. Oh, yeah. I didn't see it. I was I I mean, I'm the social media guy, I didn't see your number.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

I don't know where you posted it, but oh I just say it 606895, call me. Um, the same phone number since cell phones came out, right?

SPEAKER_01 26:18

And uh so super transparent. So if I mean if you got in the office, I mean it's gonna be the same thing. People can come to you and tell you about it.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

I want to, yeah, because there's so much talent in this county, right? Amazing. I was you know, on the on the dais the other night at the uh thing I at the uh chamber courier the forum. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just said, hey, look, you know, I all the solutions to anything we have going on, needs or or issues in our county are all right here.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

Yeah, that's your whole contact list, essentially.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

And you have one, you have one. You're like, I'm not here to figure out all the issues. Yeah, I'm here to make sure they get resolved and for the best for the best of Josephine County. And if and I have no problem, you can ask any of my friends. Chad calls all the time. Hey, how do I do this? Or who do you know that I'm a connector because I know so many people and it's not about me, you know. It's you know, it's funny, like they ask you questions, you know, even today, you need to learn, get up to speed, absolutely. But I'm not gonna be the subject matter extra and all that. No, no, yeah, economic development is my my kind of my my mantra right now. Um, there's gonna be, you know, it's a group of three, the commissioners, and I really hope I'm gonna do my part that the three of us are very respectful and that we to each other. Sure. And that we use each other's gifts and talents. Yeah, and we operate as one.

SPEAKER_01 27:32

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 27:32

And man, if that can happen, and then that can that attitude and that collaboration can bleed down through the staff, and and they can see that hey, that those guys and gals or whoever's on the board, um, they're they're of one mission, right? And it's Josephine County's success.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Right. And and those will also include hard decisions, you know, like, hey, what if funding gets cut for certain things from our outside sources that we don't control? We're gonna have to make some hard decisions. It's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Yeah, it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

Yeah, I I don't think uh I don't know if we're ever gonna get out of debt in our country, but as we hopefully start control controlling the spending, there's gonna have to be some changes. Yeah, and we have to anticipate that. So um doesn't mean they will happen, but are are we as a board ready? Have we already discussed if this, what will we do? Yeah, you know, are we prepared?

SPEAKER_01 28:24

And and communicating with the public, you know. Yeah, and I think a lot of commissioners in the past, and I'm not gonna name any names, but some commissioners in the past, it's like I don't think people thought that they could reach out to them, or maybe they just didn't try. Or they just re read social media headlines and made their own choice, and instead, you just call chat.

SPEAKER_00 28:44

I mean, yeah, and then as commissioners like, hey, here's the reasons we did this, yeah, and this is the black and white finances of it. Yep. You can't argue with with the facts, right? Right. There's gonna be times that that you know, some subjective decisions have to get made, no doubt, some some judgment calls. But a lot of times with excuse me, with the county, it's there's land use laws. Yeah, a lot of those. There's there's budget constraints, there's there's how you can actually spend the money and where it's allocated. You can't change that. No, so you just make sure you're staying within the lines and and then where we need to um you know cut or you know, adjust, of course we need to do that. We need to be as self-sufficient as possible. So a lot of it to me is um, you know, we have common sense, we have experience, and we have a network of people, and we have a great team. Um, let's use it to to grow Josephine County.

SPEAKER_01 29:33

And you're ready to talk to anybody. I am ready to talk to anybody, Democrats, you're you're whoever, right?

SPEAKER_00 29:38

Yeah, yeah, it's interesting. Um, I've given my phone out, phone number out now for months, and I've never been shy about it in the past anyway. And if you want to Google my name, I'm sure it'll come up. Yeah, but they don't call me. I will say this no, one person has called me and I appreciate it. Matt Spurlock called me. Cool, yeah. He sent me this quick little thing, and he he was just trying to bait me with something. And I just said, Hey man, call me. And he did. Yeah, give me a call. It was great. Yeah, and I said, Matt, what's going on? Oh no. I said he goes, I get all these crazy questions all the time. I said, I said, you mean like the one you just sent me? And he just had a good laugh like that, right? I appreciate it. I said, Matt, I get it. Bro, that's not privy to that, doesn't have anything to do with us running for commissioners or you know, the gotcha stuff. Just call me. Yeah, but if you don't just want to play gotcha, why? He's you know, and I but he wasn't like that. He was super respectful. I appreciated it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:30

I know, I know Matt. I'm in a in a classroom with Matt, the leadership training thing that we're just put on by the chamber. Yeah, that's a cool thing. Yeah. Um is that a good thing? It is so far. It's it, yeah. We're we're on month number eight. It's coming up. We're gonna graduate here in a little bit. You think there'll be fruit from that? I think so, definitely. That's good. Yeah, because it's it's there's I want to say there's about 50 of us, and the numbers did dwindle a little bit. That's expected. Um, a lot of uh interesting people there, and you know, it's a good message, and we're it increased your network too. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, um, but Matt's in there and he's you know, he's a he's a Democrat and he's got different political views and stuff, but I like him as a person.

SPEAKER_00 31:08

He's hey anyone that wants to do what they can to help their community, you have to give him some credit.

SPEAKER_01 31:13

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

He's not in my experience with Matt, it's just been very limited, and he communicates, yep. Um, he's passionate about what he loves and believes in, and he's been respectful to me. Yeah, and I'm like, hey, that's cool.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Yeah, and I mean a lot of the candidates on that forum, I mean, well, there's seven of you guys, yeah. Um, and everybody did really well.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

I I mean, I think I think there's a mutual respect up there. I mean, I've had I have never I haven't had a negative interaction with any of those guys. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So it's funny because like uh um you're not there's certain political things I guess you're not supposed to say. Yeah, right. But I was on a forum with Matt Matt Eyed. Um, it's it that's how you pronounce it. Idee, I think. And I didn't know him. Yeah, I met him through this process, and we now we've been on a couple forums together and sat next to him. And and uh the the first forum we were at together with a Republican women's group or whatever, there was a point in there I almost said, I'll say it now, but I almost said it then. Guess you just vote for this guy.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

He he was kind of next level. I mean, he's with the the stuff that he's done, yeah. You know, like I was kind of amazed at like his resume. Yeah, and um and absolutely he's not involved as in the community.

SPEAKER_00 32:21

Well, I think I think Matt's I think the the the you know the deficit Matt comes from is just not being here very long. Yeah, you know, nobody knows him yet, and he hasn't had any traction with any any um you know event uh any what's our he wasn't in any communities locally either. No, and and and just like okay, what have you done? Yeah, right. Like and and I don't and I'm not saying he's not a get-it-done guy, it's just he's just new here, yeah. And resumes are and I'm sure his is stellar, and I'm not discounting anybody's resumes, but yeah, I mean I could put a pretty good resume together, it doesn't mean I'm good at it. Right. That's true. I mean, yeah, right. So, and that's not the case. I'm not by any way uh saying that about Matt, because I think Matt's a from what I've known, just this little bit I've known him, I think he's a square guy. I like him, yeah, he's very smart. But I I do like that some people that have not been involved before are raising their hands saying, Hey, I want to get involved. Yeah, well, and so like um, you know, I I've been told by seasoned uh politicians, you know, never mention your your can't, your, you're you know, people you're running against. And I would never you know put them down by any means, but hey, some of them have some great things to offer. Yeah, and I I just really hope that um after January, uh when I'm when I'm elected as uh county commissioner for zip position two, man, that I've built a relationship with those that have subject matter expertise, and I can, you know, like hey, you know, it sounds like Matt, I'd be great for the budget committee or some HR type questions or consultant, maybe consulting, absolutely, you know. So um I'm not shy about that stuff. And you know, another thing, you know, when you're passionate like I am and you're involved, um, you know, I'm super involved in the Illinois Valley, right? Uh my grandfather came there in the in the late 40s after World War II as a smoke jumping instructor, he was a paratrooper in World War II, and he got off the bus in Cape Junction at the Force Service at the airport and started teaching people how to jump out of planes. And uh so my family's deep rooted out there, and we own property out there still. And uh my family, my kids and I uh have some investment property out there, and I'm out there building houses with our um nonprofit uh home bridging. I think we've built 11 or 12 houses now out there and relocated families from uh mostly Grants Pass and some from Cape Junction, um, but mostly Grants Pass out there and increasing the population and you know bringing some life to some of those subdivisions that were vacant. And um so and then I'm really involved in a church out there, CJ Fellowship. Some friends and I uh started meeting a few years ago just um in a circle at Wild River on Sunday mornings, and um and then it just kind of grew. And we were like kind of busting at the seams and we're we don't have any money, you know, nobody's getting paid. It's it's it's super fun. I've never been of a part of something like that, a startup church. And uh we're like, hey, let's protect this thing from becoming corporate or organized, and it's organized order, obviously, but and there's leadership to you know keep it on the rails. But then we're like, what are we gonna do for room? We're kind of like growing out of this thing, and we didn't have any plan, we have any money. And this family approached us and said, Hey, uh, yeah, we're gonna buy the old red garter saloon and uh why don't you just move your church over there and use it for free?

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Yeah, cool.

SPEAKER_00 35:31

Yeah, so we're partnered with Joe's place, and uh, we share the space outside. So they use it during the week with the kids, and we use it on Wednesday nights and Sundays and multiple times throughout the week. And we painted the front and we're remodeling it. And the family that um facilitated all that's just been so generous. And here's this little church with no money, and we have everything we need building, and so I'm vested out there. I'm out there almost every day in some capacity doing things and working with local merchants out there, also uh as a volunteer, just trying to help them become more successful financially. We have a whole mentoring program through Home Bridging that's uh for businesses also that we walk alongside of them and uh with CFOs and with consultants and try to make sure they can be successful. So I'm very involved in multiple businesses in the Illinois Valley, uh, just as a friend and with our professional uh contacts, and we sit with them weekly and work with them and a lot of people go through 6,000 a day per day. Yeah, and so some of the two two of the largest traded sector uh companies in in Josephine County out there with uh Taylor Sausage and um Rogue Truck Body, and and as many people know, you know, Fower Mountain Jumps started out there, right? And they couldn't get a left-hand turnoff of 199, so they came into town, you know. So if they had probably gotten that left-hand turnoff 199 into their current their at that time location, they probably would have expanded out there, right? Wow, but as you know, things worked out there in Grants Pass and employing all these people, it's fine. And then you know, Krauscraft, which is now playcraft, started out there, and they're one of the largest employers out in the Merlin Industrial Park. And so Cave Junction has had a has a just tons of talent. Um, they have some constraints with the road as far as you know, there's no rail out there for train. They have some, yeah, but there's a bunch of people live out there, and then the traffic, like you said. So, anyway, I made a comment. I was on Mike Jones. I was gonna ask him because I was talking to the city the at the time, the commissioners, about how do we help economic development out there? And I said, Man, you got a road that's got six, seven thousand cars every day, right? And and then that large, you know, big big weekends going to the coast, it's probably doubles. And why aren't we, why is that town kind of suck in a way? Yeah, you know, like because you got Sisters Oregon, you got Joseph, Oregon, you got other small communities like that. They're not even on a thoroughfare of traffic like that. Right. And you got so it's really a it's a conundrum. Like, why does this town struggle? And I said, you know, I can't judge it's like a rat hole. Yeah, I heard that. And I said that. And I'm like, you know, it's like a term of endure. Like, I want it to be better. Right. And I I feel like, you know, I've got some investment out there. I think they should have watched that whole video. Yeah, totally. So people are people get online like, you called this town a rat hole. Okay, it's not, right? Yeah, come on, people the hotel has been burned down for how long? Yeah, when when you know, like business, like buildings burn out there and they sit for two years, and like, come on, you know, and and that's not a reflection of the people, no, nor the leadership of the community. It's like, how do we inject some hope and some commerce out there so that we can do better? That was my whole you know context of that. There's a lot of good people out there.

SPEAKER_01 38:30

I've got lots of clients, you know, Kimp Sportsman, Tower and Kim. Absolutely. Um, you know, a lot of people out there they're they're they're just fantastic warm people.

SPEAKER_00 38:36

Well, it's interesting. I think there's somebody could fact check this, but there's 17, 18,000 people that r reside in the Illinois Valley. And the Illinois Valley is basically the top of Hayes Hill to the state line. Right. Well, the majority of that population being probably Selma on. Yeah. And that's an amazing amount of people. Yeah. And they're all just out there in the woods somewhere on their 510 acres, and you know, it's pretty gruff looking folks.

SPEAKER_01 39:01

You know, I mean, you walk around the people that walk around town, I say it's somewhere between ZZ Top and Mad Max. Yeah, you know, because they got this look about them.

SPEAKER_00 39:08

Well, one of the things I personally, and I I think I have enough street cred in Cave Junction to say this. One of the things I like about the Illinois Valley is it's not pretentious. People are who they are, people are who they are. And I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 39:20

And that makes sense, and that's why I like you voting as candidate, because you're very real.

SPEAKER_00 39:24

Yeah, you know, and you know what? Each of them is created in God's image and has gifts and talents. Yeah, and it's up to us to find it. They're people in this community.

SPEAKER_01 39:33

That's what I try and push. Like everybody, it doesn't matter what your political beliefs, what your religious beliefs are. Yeah, we're people in this community.

SPEAKER_00 39:40

I have this really good friend, uh, I shouldn't say really good friend, but a friend. He's becoming a friend. I spent a lot uh quite a bit of time with him now. He's a Midwesterner, he's from the Michigan area and he's 35, and his name's Nathan, and he lives in a bus and drives it around out in Cape Junction. And he's awesome. Yeah, I love Nathan. And uh he's got a different path than I have. Yeah. I don't understand somebody lives in a bus. I'm like, oh, you live in a bus. He chooses to, and he's not a drain on society and not, you know, and he's really helped me um communicate this. He goes, the homeless or maybe the disenfranchised, they're not a people group, they're people, yeah. They are, and you're right, and seeing them in that light, but also I'm not okay with people staying stuck and choosing to stay stuck.

SPEAKER_01 40:22

No, and that was my thing when I was homeless. There was no enabling there like there is now. I mean, they're given everything that they want to stay homeless, and that sucks. And you know, when I was homeless, it was like lunch at the soup kitchen, dinner at the mission, that's it, right? Yeah, and so it's like I had to change.

SPEAKER_00 40:38

Well, I have a family bottom. I have a family member, and I I won't name his name, but I have a family member who's a city, a leader of a local small city around here in Southern Oregon. And a couple years ago, I was in that city doing some business, and I walked into their offices and caught caught him. And I said, Hey man, you don't have any homeless in your town. Really? Huh? Interesting. Yeah, it's not a you know, maybe they might roll through, but there's no like visible like encampment or any this is exactly what he said. We don't feed them. That's yeah. I mean, that's kind of like you know, it's like uh either move towards progress or keep moving along. Yeah, but if you're just gonna stay here and then draw and take, you know, it's like our little church in Cape Junction. Um, we're right in the center of town, literally on one and nine in the center of town. So there's there's a there's an element of of homelessness around that. And uh we we eat a meal every Sunday as a church. We cater instead of we don't pay people, we don't pay staff, we don't we don't have to pay rent, praise God. But we to what money we do take in, um, we buy it, we take care of widows and orphans first. Cool. But we um we buy a meal from a local restaurant and have it catered every Sunday. Oh wow. So yeah, at 11:30, the chairs get moved and the tables come out and we set up, and 78, there's like 70, 80 of us every Sunday, and we have a meal catered from a local restaurant. So we support local business and we have a meal together. And so at first, you know, homeless were like, hey, we have some food. Right. It's like, no, it's not a soup kitchen. Yeah, it's not a soup kitchen. You want to join us? You want to come from the beginning to the end, you can have a meal. But if you just come for the meal, no, yeah, yeah. And there was a little pushback, but I was like, hey, this is a this is a gathering that people choose to be here to be involved in each other's lives. And so if you want to if you want to be a part, if you want to participate with us, right now, if you're starving, we'll feed you. Sure. You know, oh you know, single mom walks up and she's got some hunger to look. Come on. Yeah, totally help, right? Exactly. But it's just that I'm not helping you if I'm helping you and there's no expectations, there's no skin in the game, you know. Enabling.

SPEAKER_01 42:38

Yeah, the enabling, I think, is the it just almost right up there with the drugs. I think it's a close second, is enabling drugs. You know, HB 3115 is unfortunately we've got to deal with the state puts down these laws. SB483115. Yeah. Um, I mean, we got to do it. So when the people asking you, oh, as a commissioner, what are you gonna do about the homeless? I mean, it's kind of a loaded question. You've got to kind of do what the state says to do.

SPEAKER_00 43:03

Yeah, there's there's that for sure. A lot of what we can do for the homeless is it's one one soul, one person at a time. Right. If everyone took a little responsibility, I've I'm not like the subject matter expert on homeless, but I have spent time with them and I have helped um quite a bit. Um, but you know, a lot of the naysayers um about or you know, the pro, hey, we gotta help them out. How many of them have ever had any of them living in their home?

SPEAKER_01 43:30

Yeah. I I don't know that. See, me being homeless, you'd think I would be more passionate about helping them, but I'm not. I'm the opposite. I'm like, stop giving them stuff. And I know people are gonna be like, gosh, Jordan, that's really harsh. Well, you lived it. But I lived it. So you're you're a subject matter expert. I mean, I had to hit rock bottom, otherwise, I would have never gotten out of it. Sure. Period at the end.

SPEAKER_00 43:51

Well, I my friend Dave put it in a really he's spent he has spent years and years working with homeless uh internationally in multiple multiple large cities. In our in our country. And I never heard it this way. And he and I appreciate this. He said, no, they're they're they're addicted. Most are addicted to autonomy. I don't want your rules. Yeah. Civilization doesn't work unless we have boundaries and we have expectations and give and take.

SPEAKER_01 44:16

So they wanted to be lazy, and that was my thing. I was like, for my eight years, I was like, I just wanted to be lazy. Yeah. At least you're honest. And smoke some weed. You know, whatever. I wasn't really into the drug scene. I did a little weed, but you know, dabbled with a couple other things. But yeah, sustainable. It's unfortunate.

SPEAKER_00 44:32

I can't. There's well, and that just kind of dovetails into the mental mental health, lack of mental health facilities in our state.

SPEAKER_01 44:39

Yep. They're not there. Our streets are the mental health asylum.

SPEAKER_00 44:42

Yeah, and that's a really poor doctor. Yeah, it is. It's a hard doctor. Oh, it's brutal. It's evil. Yep, it is. It's evil. Yeah.