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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, January 25, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 11, 2004 Densmore, Smith differ on air quality, land use The two are vying for a seat on the Jackon County Commission By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune From air quality to land-use issues, the two candidates for one commissioner seat are worlds apart. "I think the differences are big," said Republican C.W. Smith. "I think they are pretty glaring." Democrat Sue Densmore couldn’t agree more, criticizing Smith’s stand on air quality. "C.W. has stated the air-quality discussion is over," she said. "It certainly isn’t." Densmore and Smith are running for the seat on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners currently held by Sue Kupillas. Advertisement Densmore said Smith has supported relaxing standards for industrial polluters, a proposal that was opposed by more than 5,000 Jackson County residents. Smith said, "I felt the issue was politically hijacked." He said relaxing the standards is now a moot point because the state Department of Environmental Quality has withdrawn its proposal. He said he has never proposed a reduction in standards. "That’s a false and spurious statement on the part of my opponent," he said. Smith said industry is already looking ahead and preparing for new, stricter federal regulations.Air quality, Smith said, is a larger problem than just industry, requiring better roads and cleaner diesel engines. New types of vehicles, including hybrids, should also contribute to long-term pollution benefits, he said. "I have faith in our technological abilities to do this," he said. Densmore said more work needs to be done to improve Jackson County’s air quality. Some industries are still operating with older pollution control equipment, and she’s hoping the county can find a way to help them upgrade their systems. She will urge more testing to determine where the valley’s pollution is coming from to get a better handle on how to improve it. In the meantime, the county needs to encourage more low-polluting businesses like Central Point’s Rogue Valley Creamery or Ashland’s Darex Corp., she said. "What kind of business can we bring in here that will keep our air clean?" she said. The candidates also have differing opinions about land-use issues. Densmore said the board needs to get a handle on urban growth that is leading to sprawl in the county. She supports current state laws on land use and thinks the county needs to look at the global relationship between such issues as land use, transportation and tourism. Densmore said she remembers the example of a man who was visiting Ashland and hadn’t rented a car. He was puzzled over how he could get to the Britt Festival in Jacksonville using public transportation. She said this is an instance where global-planning efforts could take into account everything from tourism to transportation issues. Densmore opposes Measure 37, the land-use initiative, which she fears could bankrupt the state. This would have a major impact on school funding, she said Smith supports Measure 37, saying it’s a way for property owners to right some of the wrongs from land-use decisions made in Salem. "It’s not going to bankrupt communities," he said. He does agree that the measure might be too broad, but thinks it will help correct what he sees as a "cancer" on property rights through decisions made by the Land Conservation and Development Commission. This has also hurt the ability of many families who can’t afford to buy a home, he said. "It’s been extremely difficult in this valley for low-cost housing to be built," said Smith. The candidates also had differing opinions about the $22 million in federal timber money that comes annually to the county, and that is in danger of being lost by 2007. Densmore said, "The very first thing I will do is fight to retain that amount of money coming into Jackson County." She would also work with U.S. legislators to make the timber dollars a permanent part of the federal budget. If the federal government shuts off the money, she would push to take a hard look at squeezing more efficiencies out of county government, but also look to other sources of federal money. The county would have to take a firmer stance against unfunded mandates coming from the state, she said. Smith agreed that the county needs to do everything possible to keep the timber money, including working with U.S. legislators who represent this area. "It is incumbent on us to lobby very diligently and very hard to keep it," he said. However, if the county doesn’t get the money, Smith will continue with efforts to create a contingency plan. "I was a political leader in charge of the sheriff’s office and I understand how to make those cuts," he said. Even though some programs might have to be scaled back if budget cuts are necessary, Smith said the two crucial areas he will fight to maintain are public safety and public health. Neither candidate specified which county programs they would trim. They said they must do a thorough review of the county budget first. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Sue Densmore Age: 54. Residence: Medford. Background: In private business as Sue Densmore Communications Strategies, former member of Rogue Valley Transportation District and Medford Urban Renewal boards. Campaign manager: Trish Bowcock. *Campaign contributions: $25,513.18. Largest contributions: $2,500 from Planned Parenthood of Oregon; $500 each from American Medical Response of Greenwood Village, Colo., Oregon Sierra Club of Portland, Debra F. J. Lee of Medford, Estelle H. Voeller of Ashland, and K.A. Shaffer of Medford. C.W. Smith Age: 57. Residence: Eagle Point. Background: Former sheriff of Jackson County, former captain of support services division for sheriffs, and was in private business and agriculture Campaign manager: Nick Preboski. *Campaign contributions: $52,110. Largest contributions: $5,000 each from Linda Isola in Eagle Point, Zoe Dell Nutter of Zenia, Ohio, George St. Laurent of Vancouver, Wash., Kimmel Family Foundation of Escondido, Boise Cascade of Boise, Idaho; and $2,000 from Timber Products. *Contributions are derived from the latest statements filed with the Jackson County Clerk. To view the entire statements, go to the elections information at www.jacksoncounty.org . 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