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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Medford teenager indicted on attempted murder, assault charges Summer ends Thursday for Hellgate jetboats Police seek help in Eagle Point poaching case American Red Cross has new app Free HAM radio license classes offered Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Medford teenager indicted on attempted murder, assault charges Police seek help in Eagle Point poaching case Officials warn of scam involving fake invoices for school supplies Mandatory evacuation ordered in Happy Camp Complex fire Former Medford gymnastics coach arrested again on child pornography charges Politics and Elections Mark L. 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NW Raw Kelly's Crepes Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Medford teenager indicted on attempted murder, assault charges ... Police seek help in Eagle Point poaching case ... Officials warn of scam involving fake invoices for school supplies ... Medford teenager indicted on attempted murder, assault charges ... Police seek help in Eagle Point poaching case ... Officials warn of scam involving fake invoices for school supplies ... POLITICS Senate race could be expensive Both candidates vow not to go negative By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 7, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 7, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News A state Senate race in Jackson County that could shift the balance of power in Salem is being watched closely by politicos in the northern part of the state. Sen. Alan Bates, D-Medford, is running in what could turn into a very expensive race against Dave Dotterrer, R-Ashland, who lost by only 282 votes in the 2010 election. Both candidates have viewed polls that show there is no clear winner for the Nov. 4 election. Also, a late entry by Pacific Green Party candidate Art Krueger could siphon votes from the Democratic ticket. “It is tight,” Dotterrer said. “The polls show us neck and neck,” Bates said. The race for Senate District 3, which encompasses Medford, Ashland and most of the southern parts of Jackson County, could be the most competitive of the 16 open positions in the 30-seat Senate. Democrats hope to at least retain their majority of 16 seats, while Republicans hope to topple the Democratic dominance. Dotterrer, who became a colonel in the U.S. Marines, is also running on the Libertarian and Independent ticket, while Bates, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, is on the Working Families ticket. As in previous campaigns, Bates said he will not turn negative no matter what kind of pressures he receives from party leaders in Salem. “I’d rather lose the election being positive than win being negative,” Bates said. Bates said he thinks Republicans will likely invest up to $1 million on the Dotterrer campaign. He said he will probably raise about $300,000. “It’s for control of the Senate,” Bates said. “It’s the only race left in the state up for grabs.” Dotterrer has so far received just over $150,000 in contributions, and Bates has more than $100,000, though Bates had $85,000 left over from the previous race, according to the Oregon Secretary of State. Dotterer said, “I’m not going negative.” He said he does intend to drive home his belief that his opponent’s leadership has been lacking in Salem, citing the disastrous rollout of Cover Oregon, the state’s attempt to create its own version of the Affordable Care Act. “Folks in the district need to know what’s going on,” Dotterrer said. “Clear oversight wasn’t done in this case.” Dotterrer worked with Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, on budget issues with the Legislature. He said his position gave him a unique opportunity to witness the failings in leadership at the Legislature and the governor’s office. He said the Senate, in particular, has a crucial leadership role in Salem, and senators should push for accountability at every step of the way in developing the health care reforms. “A decision was made not to form an audit committee six months before this thing rolled out,” Dotterrer said. He said Bates, a doctor and friend of Gov. John Kitzhaber, had been one of the strongest supporters of Cover Oregon. “It was his signature issue,” he said. Oregon has a history of problems with rolling out software systems, so Dotterrer said he thought it would be prudent for lawmakers to establish audits and other ways to hold software developers accountable for systems that will be of great importance to the public. Another health care reform, the creation of regional coordinated care organizations, appeared to be making progress in curbing health care problems, but Dotterrer said he thinks time could show it is fraught with problems as well. “I think the jury is still out on the CCOs,” Dotterrer said. But Dotterrer, who supported the basic idea of health care reform in the state, said the biggest failing in leadership is the lack of new jobs generated in Southern Oregon under Bates’ term in Salem. He cited recent economic reports that show Medford and other rural areas lagging far behind other metropolitan areas of the state in terms of recovery from the recession and in job growth. At the beginning of legislative sessions, many legislators make noise about job creation, but the idea dies quickly as other issues take precedence, he said. Dotterrer said he’s heard complaints from businesses in this area about how cumbersome the state’s permitting process has become, which he thinks impedes growth and job creation. “It’s not a rational, logical process,” he said. Dotterrer said the permitting process is less cumbersome for larger corporations in the northern part of the state because they have the staff to handle it. Since he announced his candidacy, Dotterrer said, he and his wife have knocked on 8,600 doors to get his message out. Bates, who has been a senator since 2004 and was previously a House representative, said he thinks the bugs are being worked out of Cover Oregon, and with the success of the CCOs, the state is well on its way to providing health care to most of its citizens while curtailing costs. “Oregon has done the best job in the U.S. for its population size for the CCOs,” he said. Bates said the state has seen a decrease in Medicaid patients going to the emergency room, though he expects a slight increase next year because more people have signed up. He said the expansion of health coverage is important in Southern Oregon, which has a larger share of older residents. The expansion also means more living-wage jobs for the area, and Asante is one of the biggest employers in the region, Bates said. Bates said he wasn’t on the committee responsible for the information technology portion of Cover Oregon, and he agreed that it was badly handled. “It should have gotten the attention because it was a total failure,” he said. But, looking at the entire multi-billion-dollar budget for Cover Oregon, the amount wasted on the IT portion was a fraction of 1 percent, he said. Bates said the state expects to take online applications for Cover Oregon through the federal website during the open enrollment period in November. Bates said he’s hopeful the state will be able to recover much of its costs in its lawsuit with Oracle. Bates said he agreed with Dotterrer that Medford lags behind other metropolitan areas of the state in job creation. He said that in general the most conservative areas of the state, including the Oregon Coast and Eastern Oregon, generally haven’t pulled out of the recession as fast as the more liberal Willamette Valley. The main problem, Bates said he hears from employers, is the lack of qualified candidates for key professional positions, which discourages businesses from setting up shop and forces other businesses to move out of the area. He said that is one reason why he pushed hard to get the new higher education building in downtown Medford to help train local students for professional careers. “Where would we be without that?” Bates said. “That’s the kind of thing we have to do to build jobs.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @reporterdm.   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 7, 2014 @ 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. 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 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. 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