To the editor:
I voted for Cal Mukumoto of Coos Bay for Oregon House District 9 after reading both candidates’ priority statements.
Cal Mukumoto understands forestry as an insider with over 30 years experience in the timber industry. He wants to keep the forest products businesses of Oregon running using stewardship and holistic approaches that encompass fish, wildlife, tourism, and the science of ecosystems.
Mukumoto has proven experience helping businesses overcome challenges, including tribal enterprises. He notes in the Siuslaw Voters Guide 2020 that improving the economy, tackling public health issues, and developing strategies for supporting young people in vocational success will take not one person, but leadership and the ability to work with others who hold diverse positions and beliefs.
I like that Mukumoto wants to seek guidance from doctors and public health officials on how to rebound from Covid-19 and its accompanying recession. I like that he points out that Portland, as a big city, will of course recover from all this. His pledge is to advocate for and lead the coast to a path of recovery and revitalization.
Boomer Wright’s remarks in the Siuslaw News Voters Guide 2020 are lacking specific examples of how he would help businesses reopen or school resume. He says he wants what’s best for students, but also does not want taxes, which can pay for educational programs and teacher salaries. He says nothing about how to turn those limitations he sees into the opportunities he hopes to create.
Worse than those things, however, is that Boomer Wright is supported by Timber Unity, a special interest group that advocates leaving the Legislature instead of hammering out tough legislation through negotiation and dialogue.
Boomer Wright was a coach, teacher, and principal, and Cal Mukumoto did none of those. Yet Mukumoto is endorsed by the Oregon Education Association, and Wright is not.
— Ivy Medow, Florence