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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Mail Tribune 100: Dec. 24, 1915, continued ... Cave Junction woman killed in head-on crash ... Washington man dies in I-5 crash near Wolf Creek ... Mail Tribune 100: Dec. 24, 1915, continued ... Cave Junction woman killed in head-on crash ... Washington man dies in I-5 crash near Wolf Creek ... OUR VIEW Our View: Breidenthal still traveling on thin ice Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Dec. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Dec. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Doug Breidenthal doesn't get it. The Jackson County commissioner whose travel spending has been questioned in an ethics complaint told his two colleagues in a Tuesday work session that he plans to continue his peripatetic ways next year, including trips to Washington, D.C., to lobby members of Congress. Breidenthal has spent more than $73,000 on travel in the past three years, and this year alone has missed more than 30 meetings. Fellow commissioners Rick Dyer and Colleen Roberts said they will not make many of the possible trips in the interest of saving the county money. Breidenthal insisted the travel is important because Congress authorizes payments to western counties to offset lost timber revenue. He also said he plans to advocate for policies that will put local residents back to work in the woods, and that East Coast lawmakers don't understand how logging cutbacks hurt rural Western counties. Western timber counties have been telling Congress for decades that logging is important and timber payments are crucial. A visit from one commissioner from Jackson County, Oregon, is unlikely to make much difference on either front. And if Breidenthal plans to bring up claims he's made in the past that counties can essentially "take back" federal land, he's unlikely to find a warm welcome on Capitol Hill. More to the point, Breidenthal appears to be oblivious to the questions raised about his travel in past years and the amount of taxpayers' money he has spent doing it. Dyer noted that one commissioner has limited impact on federal decisions, and he hasn't seen much effect from previous trips. Neither have we. What we have seen is a county commissioner who seems more interested in pursuing a "leadership" position in a national group not directly connected to Jackson County than in sticking around and tending to business at home. And he still faces a potential ethics investigation over his acceptance of contributions to a fund he used to campaign for that position with the Western Interstate Region, a subgroup of the National Association of Counties. Breidenthal would be well advised to wait until that issue is resolved before booking many more trips. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Dec. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501