Document text
Candidates run on same issue Pennell photo With a drill in hand and a wood screw in his mouth, Cleve Wright, Republican candidate for Jackson County commissioner, puts up a campaign sign Thursday near the Talent freeway overpass. He�s getting help from John Tungate, right. By Dani Dodge In the race for Jackson County commissioner, both the challenger and the incumbent are running on the same issue: Sue Kupillas� record. While Kupillas points to her accomplishments during her three terms as commissioner, Republican opponent Cleve Wright complains that Democrat Kupillas has lost touch with the people. This is Wright�s second run for the board of commissioners. The owner of a private investigation firm, Wright was a Democrat when he ran against Commissioner Ric Holt in 1998. Now a Republican, he�s criticizing Kupillas� vote to approve a raise for commissioners during a year of budget cuts, saying it�s a prime example of how Kupillas has lost touch with constituents. Kupillas, a former teacher and bookkeeper, is seeking her fourth term as commissioner, citing her experience and accomplishments. She was instrumental in the renewal of unincorporated White City as an industrial center and safe community. She helped to persuade Boise Cascade to rebuild after its Medford mill burned in 1997. She�s worked hard to build coalitions and begin the process of long-range land use planning in the county, she said. "The biggest difference between me and my opponent is not just experience," Kupillas said, "but a record of achievement." Her opponent looks to other records when he says it�s time for a change. He disagrees with Kupillas� vote to approve a raise for herself and other commissioners that was higher than the cost-of-living increases given other management employees. He carts a poster-sized copy of news articles on the pay raise to campaign events, and says that if he is elected he�ll attempt to roll back salaries to at least last year�s levels. He also says commissioners should cut their travel budget and stop flying overseas to promote foreign trade. He says that while urban renewal has been good to White City, it�s come with a heavy price. (After a series of public hearings, an urban-renewal district was adopted in White City in the early 1990s.) "I�m really disturbed in the manner in which the urban renewal agency was formed and all the money is going to White City improvements," Wright said. "Nobody voted on that tax and there�s other blighted areas of this community that could use funding." Kupillas first ran for commissioner in 1988. She racked up more than 50 percent in a three-way race � despite spending only half what her Republican opponent spent. She�s twice won re-election with 60 percent or more of the vote. In a largely Republican county (41 percent GOP to 35 percent Democratic registration), Kupillas is the only Democrat on the three-person commission. If re-elected, Kupillas will become the longest-serving commissioner in the county�s history. Over the years, she�s proven herself true to her Democratic roots when it comes to social issues such as developing a teen pregnancy prevention program. But she�s represented more conservative rural interests when it comes to land use, such as opposing the move by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and President Clinton to give Soda Mountain national monument status. She said she objected to the process Babbitt used to make his recommendation on the monument. She said the "top-down" process excluded local citizens. Kupillas said she can�t be pigeonholed politically. "It�s difficult because people often want ... left or right ... and I don�t fit in that box," Kupillas said. In Wright�s 1998 race against Holt, accusations about improper campaigning came from both sides. In the end, Wright outspent his opponent but lost by a decisive margin. Wright is known for his "Restore the meaning: We The People" campaign signs, many of which never went down between the primary and general election seasons. County rules require campaign signs be up only 60 days before an election. Wright said the rule is unconstitutional and left his signs up in fields and parking lots. "My attorney wrote (the county) a letter and they haven�t bothered me since," Wright said. Wright says that with his better-fitting Republican suit on, he has a good shot at the county seat this time, especially with the raise issue still a factor. "It was sleazy the way they did that," he said. "They had more than 100 people there during the week, but didn�t even talk about the raise until everyone was gone and the public hearing was closed." The raise increased the commissioners� salary 6 percent to $58,053; their salaries have increased 25 percent over the past five years. "Jackson County employees are one of the lowest-paid county employees in the state," Wright said. "It was inappropriate to give raises when they said they have less money and have to make cuts." But Kupillas said raises were recommended by the lay members of the budget committee for all the elected managers, part of a five-year plan to make sure pay for elected officials is comparable to similar-sized Oregon counties. "Our goal has been to look at all management position and keep them in the range with positions around the state so we don�t lose good people," Kupillas said. She said the important issues regard the well-being of people in the county � something she�s kept in mind with everything she�s done from long-range planning to dealing with urban-style problems in White City. "The benefit for Jackson County from urban renewal is ... lower crime and a major industrial park," she said. "We�ve added hundreds of jobs, cleaned up the air and can still attract other new family wage jobs." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA