An Oregon county could vanish along with timber payments

The Oregonian ^ | July 13, 2008 | MATTHEW PREUSCH

[george76]

Is it possible that one of Oregon's 36 counties could disappear? And if so, would anyone step in to provide basic services to its residents?

The answer to the first question, according to many in and out of government, is yes, and soon. At least two Oregon counties, Curry and Josephine, warn they may stop providing state-mandated programs as soon as a year from now.

But no one is sure who would step in to take over services such as elections and law enforcement, which has county leaders concerned and the state scrambling to put together a system for saving counties in crisis.

How did Oregon arrive at a point where the dissolution of one or more of its counties is being contemplated and planned?

The problem is tied to the state's wealth of federal forests. For more than a century the federal government shared timber receipts with local governments, which rely in large part on property taxes to pay for services.

Federal land is exempt from local property taxes.

Following the decline of public lands logging in the 1990s, Congress passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which expired in 2007...

But some counties will fare far worse than others.

Many counties have already eliminated jobs or shut libraries ...

[Domangart]

Only every other section. It keep Weyerhauser co from locking up the whole state. They own the sections of timber that BLM doesn't. Fed Judges and Unions keep the logging down.

[Foolsgold]

HEY - Hey _ Hey, say California Ok, But most of us in So Cal are somewhat Conservative

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I live here and think Josephine County is corrupt from top to bottom. The courthouse is run by a bunch of petty little Martinettes... Let the county government die... I have never seen such a bunch of crooks running a municipal government - - and I came here from California...

I vote no on any taxes.

The county needs to get off welfare.

[correctthought]

Thanks for your kind response.

We are moving to Portland Metro, or rather I am as my wife is already there. I’m leaning towards Washington County for us to settle in. Both my wife and I love the state for its natural beauty and it seems to be more business friendly than NYC, believe it or not.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I live in Josephine county...

It is corrupt from top to bottom.

The courts are run by crooks.

Two of the three county commissioners are flaming liberals.

It has the second highest per capita use of methamphetamine in the USA.

Everybody is on the take, many are trying to either extort money from or blackmail someone.

The real estate ripoffs and sales scams are everywhere.

Let the county government die, especially the district court. I have never seen such a bunch legal welfare case lawyers in my life and I came from California.

I’d like to see a complete IRS audit of the civil court division, half of the contactors and mortgage brokers here would go to jail.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

See #25...

I am looking North as well...

[BruceysMom]

Congratulations. you just perfectly illustrated the main problem of Josephine county. People from California that don’t want to pay taxes. If you think the county is so corrupt what are you doing to change it? I talked to a woman whose husband is running for mayor,(and in Grants Pass that is an UNPAID position) and although her and I agree on many of the things you said, we both want to work to change it. BTW if you think JoCo is corrupt You’re REALLY going to be unhappy in the Peoples Republic of Eugene, or the Dem enclave of Salem, or the really drugged out town of Portland. My god children live in Washington county, it’s a cesspool. I was raised there but I will never go back to the Portland area.

[fish hawk]

You are safe as anywhere is not as bad as NY City. LOL

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Congratulations. you just perfectly illustrated the main problem of Josephine county. People from California that don’t want to pay taxes.

I am actually from Michigan originally.

The main problem of Josephine county is the dishonesty in local government, in predatory business practices and in the nepotism thereof. Consumer fraud is a way of life here.

Somehow, if someone is from California (or wherever) many of the locals think it is fair game to rip them off. They are aided and abetted by the crooked judges.

AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS PART OF THE UNITED STATES!

---

If you think the county is so corrupt what are you doing to change it?

I'll starve them of taxes and let them hang themselves. But first, they need a huge Internal Revenue Service audit.

Maybe I will run for the presiding judicial seat.

The county is also the subject of a big lawsuit for deliberate indifference in matters of criminal prosecution that the locals are trying to cover up.

I know a lot more than what I am saying... it won't be the first time the Feds have stepped in...

Some Jackson county officials, immediately South, are aware of these things, but lack the oversight authority to deal with it.

---

BTW if you think JoCo is corrupt You’re REALLY going to be unhappy in the Peoples Republic of Eugene, or the Dem enclave of Salem, or the really drugged out town of Portland.

Josephine county has the second highest per capita use of methamphetamine in the USA.

There are just as many kooky liberals here as there are in your aforementioned places of Eugene and Salem, many of them hide behind a Republican mask of respectability.

With all the Obama and Ron Paul signs I see around here, I really wonder.

[jmaroneps37]

Keep voting democrat, fools!

[Salvation]

**It has the second highest per capita use of methamphetamine in the USA.**

Unbelievable for Josephine County.

[FreedomProtector]

Many of the issues of the Pacific Northwest arise the government owning a huge percentage of the land resources of the area....the government is never efficient at managing resources....

[FreedomProtector]

Much of Oregon actually votes fairly conservative...if u take Portland out of Oregon, Oregon would be be fairly red.....

[Dan12180]

Welcome to Oregon. We have lived in Washington Co. since 1995 and love it here. Yes there are liberals here but it’s not too bad. Hope you enjoy it here as much as we do. Check out the state parks, many beautiful places. This is their web site http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/index.shtml

[BruceysMom]

So you want to starve the government, all that means to me is that our sheriff goes on the record telling citizens to buy a gun cause there aren’t any police when you need them.( and just so you know, I already own a gun and haven’t relied on the cops for quite some time, but many of my elderly neighbors are not so fortunate) There aren’t any libraries either. I’m a native and the “starved them out” has been tried before.

Washington county has more then meth problems. Per capita means nothing when many of your neighbors are gang bangers.

In post number 23 you said you came here from California so you ARE from Cali.

I have worked in Jackson county it doesn’t have any room to malign Josephine county, just as much if not more corruption. A friend from childhood is a leo over there.
and again, except for voting against taxes what are you doing to help?

Where do you see Obama and Ron Paul signs? I work at one of the largest employers in Josephine county and I’ve seen two Paul bumper stickers and One Obama. Maybe you should stay away from the community college.

Care to elaborate on when the feds last stepped in? I’ve lived here since 83 and it hasn’t happened since I’ve been here.

I’m not denying Joco has big problems, I just am sick of people that only complain and do nothing but continue to enjoy this beautiful area and refuse to pay to help it stay that way.

Paul Walters is this you?
Nah of course not, as nutty as he is, he at least runs for office.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I just am sick of people that only complain and do nothing but continue to enjoy this beautiful area and refuse to pay to help it stay that way.

I didn't say I was enjoying it. And, I don't pay extortion to inbred local mucky mucks who think they have their own country within the United States of America.

I thought I got away from that in California, guess not... I have lived in several other states and spent time overseas...

---

Paul Walters is this you?

Nope. I don't agree with him on a number of things, but I DO like him. Yes he is nutty, but an honest nut he remains.

I also like, Gordon Anderson, Sandy Cassenelli, Ron Maurer, Gil Gilbertson and a few others... but the courthouse is run by grifters and cheats.

I also never said what I do as a profession, and I repeat, I know a lot more than what I am saying here...

I came here to raise my children in peace, but when I see the predatory business and legal practices against fellow Americans, I object. Let the county government die, I want nothing to do with it...

Oh, and by the way, Peter DeFazio can also go to hell.

[BruceysMom]

Oh, and by the way, Peter DeFazio can also go to hell.

Well at least we agree on something.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

**It has the second highest per capita use of methamphetamine in the USA.**

Unbelievable for Josephine County.

I won't elaborate, but it is pretty common knowledge that there are advisory personnel from the military looking at the problem...

[TruthWillWin]

Bring back Sheriff Arnado. He was very effective at cleaning up the riff-raff. But then again, he had a workable budget to get things done. Gil doesn’t have a chance with the money he has to work with. Heard they were down to one sheriff per 24 hour day in Cave Junction.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Ha. People say that about Oregon, it's those darn flatlanders coming in done ruined it. Our late Gov. Tom McCall (R - though of the authoritarian left quarter of the plane) of the ‘60s actively discouraged Californians moving up here. But he is largely responsible for the death of the rural culture in this state through his pioneering of state controlled land use planning, which was a model adopted by other states over the years. These land use regulations typically encourage high density urban development while making rural development (and sometimes even maintaining existing rural uses) extremely difficult.