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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Mt. Ashland offers shuttle service Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Education Levy supporters kick off campaign Bowling for knowledge Sharing black culture It's alive! SOU students create thought-provoking art Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Silvio Calabi: Range Rover Sport, the off-road GT Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Ride & Drive: The 2015 BMW M4 Silvio Calabi: Jeep’s Patriot earns respect Politics and elections Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation State News Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Legislative leaders join in call for Kitzhaber resignation (updated) Oregon secretary of state: Meeting with governor 'strange' Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital Nation - World Obituaries Arlene M. (Ryan) Mills Michael Wayne South Claire G. Craft Theodore F. 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Infante: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, some favorite breakup songs The Farr Side: Smith dominates, Beck surprises at Grammys Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Fifty Shades’ of boring Movie review: ‘Kingsman’ transcends spy-movie tribute status Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Movie review: ‘Leviathan’ tells a whale of a human tale Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories David Murdock: Take a nice little walk Looking Up: The sky on Valentine's night Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Jimmy Smothers: Car trouble turns into a pleasant experience Marketta Gregory: We are loved Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... POLITICS Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Comment By John Darling for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 5:37 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 6:58 PM By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 5:37 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 6:58 PM » Social News Reaction in Ashland to the Friday resignation announcement by Gov. John Kitzhaber was swift, ranging from sad regret to relief that the long slog through scandal is over. “He did the right thing. It took too long, though,” said Ashland Councilwoman Carol Voisin. “It was obvious something was going sideways. I’m sorry he had to resign. He was a good governor, but circumstances made it so he had to go.” Opinion was varied about whether the fourth-term governor was “tried, convicted and sentenced by the media with no due process and no independent verification of the allegations,” as Kitzhaber said in his resignation statement. “No, he wasn’t tried in the press,” said Voisin. “His fiancee had far too many counts against her. If he’d come forward sooner with an explanation, but he thought it was going to go away. So don’t blame the messenger, the press.” Jeff Golden, producer-host of “Immense Possibilities” on public TV and a former county commissioner, called the resignation “sad,” but said he suspected it wouldn’t have come to this precipitous end unless the governor and insiders were aware of damaging information and events that would emerge under an investigation. “There is a whole lot we don’t know at this point. It happened so fast, and then the Democratic leaders joined the bandwagon,” said Golden. “It must be pretty dramatic for leaders who worked with him so long to turn like this.” Ashland Councilwoman Pam Marsh called it “shocking and sad” and agreed that “we just don’t know the inside scoop here,” though noting the conflicts of interest seem to be with Kitzhaber’s fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, rather than directly with the governor. Marsh said while there’s “no concrete proof of wrongdoing” by the governor, he “did a very poor job of defending himself” before tough questions from the press, then lost the faith of his own party. Marsh wishes he would have kept a 2010 campaign promise to leave office after a third term and help nurture the next generation of leaders to eventually run for governor. “When I saw him run last year, he looked tired and haggard,” she said, adding that it’s “another politician brought down by testosterone-fueled bad judgment.” Longtime political science professor and city councilor Don Laws, now retired, called the resignation “regrettable, but necessary,” especially after he lost the support of his own party's leaders and The Oregonian newspaper. “It didn’t look good from what I saw in the media,” said Laws, “but I was willing to wait until independent parties had all the facts.” Brown, to be sworn in Wednesday, has the credentials to be a good governor, said Voisin, who has met her and says she likes her. “She knows what she’s doing. She’s been very transparent in all she does and will make a great governor. I love it that we have a woman governor, and I celebrate it because we should have a representative democracy, with women more populous than men. The Legislature is mostly men, for instance. Women are needed because women solve problems differently than men — more empathetic, they think more about the ramifications of choices, know how to speak and listen critically.” Two of those men in the Legislature, Sen. Alan Bates and Rep. Peter Buckley, both Democrats who represent Ashland, said it had been a trying few days for everyone involved. “It’s a sad day for the state,” said Bates. “It’s a sad day that a governor can be hounded out of office by a newspaper.” At this point, Bates said he’s not inclined to believe Kitzhaber did anything unethical based on their 30-year friendship. Bates said Kitzhaber’s erratic behavior, described in an email by Brown, is likely because the governor hasn’t slept for a week as he faced increasing calls to step down. Brown said Kitzhaber asked her to return from a conference in Washington, D.C., then asked why she left early when she arrived. “He’s probably mentally and physically exhausted,” Bates said. “The pressure on him is a complete nightmare.”  Buckley said there had been a strong desire to support the governor among legislators, but the events of the past week evolved so quickly it caught everyone off guard. “Everyone was trying to figure this out but there was a lot of confusion,” Buckley said. “The governor had found himself in a situation he’d never been in before.” As the revelations mounted over the past few months, Buckley said the governor continued to believe he had acted in an ethical manner. “He never foresaw there was a conflict,” Buckley said, adding that the media played a part in the pressure for Kitzhaber to resign. Getting tripped up by ethics in office is easier than you’d think, Golden noted. “People in public office get careless about matters of fairness, scrupulousness and the complexities of conflict of interest. It happens a lot. They think of themselves as good people who wouldn’t do anything dishonest, but then, there it is.” Golden summed up Kitzhaber’s long career in state government: “He was a terrific public servant who contributed really great things. I hope this last chapter doesn’t define his whole legacy. He’s at the very top rungs of people who have given value to Oregon.” John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Email him at [email protected]. Mail Tribune reporter Damian Mann contributed to this report. By John Darling for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 5:37 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 6:58 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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