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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 New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... 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 at 5:37 PM Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 6:58 PM By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Feb. 13, 2015 at 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 at 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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