Take Two: Alex Poythress, candidate for Medford City Council

Alternatives to Ankerberg:

Medford can avert a disruptive mess. Voters have choices.

Alex Poythress

Sometimes it really matters how people vote in a City Council race. This is one of those times.

A Guest Post from one of the candidates.

One candidate in that race for Medford City Council Ward One has name familiarity, Curt Ankerberg. He gained it by repeated runs for public office, by getting into the newspaper for being sanctioned by the Federal Tax Court for underpayment of taxes, and for writing angry and obscene comments and threats in public places.  Some were at me.

Bad publicity is still publicity. 

Attempts to starve him of attention has not worked. This blog tried it. Voters forget why they recognized his name. I decided to reverse course and publicize Ankerberg fully and uncensored. Surely he is is own worst enemy, and will be displayed as unsuitable for public office. I quoted him verbatim from comments he sent me and others for publication. They are part of the public record. They are ugly and obscene. I have screen printed and kept them.

See for yourself: 

Click: Ankerberg part one. Warning. Vulgar language.  

Click: Ankerberg part two. More of it.  

The Tribune joins in

On Monday, the local newspaper adopted the same approach. They did an article publicizing the pure, unfiltered words of that candidate for City Council.

Voters have other choices. Avoiding Ankerberg requires people to vote for someone else. Three other people filed for the position. None are well known, and one, Dobrin, even failed to get into the Voters Pamphlet. All three told me they are staying in the race, which will make this a more complicated task for voters, and will likely split the anyone-but-Ankerberg vote.

I want to give attention and visibility to each of the three alternative candidates--Alex Poythress, Steve Dickson, and David Dobrin--so voters might cast an informed vote for an alternative. I wrote profiles on each candidate based on long interviews.  Click: Alex Poythress interview and write-up.  

I suggested each might do a Guest Post. I had quoted Poythress carefully in my post last week, and my impression then was that he brought self confident discontent to the table. He had sharp criticisms of the city and its office holders. He saw problems to fix and policies to change.  But now he seems to me to be refining his message and tone.

Here he is in his own words:

Alex Poythress: Guest Post

"I love Medford. My wife and I chose to make our home and raise our family here. I want to address in detail a few of the issues that are closest to my heart and have inspired me to seek political office in our beautiful valley. I’ve received a lot of questions about three issues in particular, and I’m grateful for Mr. Sage’s invitation to discuss these concerns in more detail.

-      Medford is facing a workforce shortage that adversely affects many businesses

-      Homelessness is a complex issue, that requires thoughtful, diligent attention

-      Our City Councilors deserve our respect for the many ways they serve our community

 

Building a Lasting Workforce

When Mr. Sage asked me to name the biggest challenges facing local businesses, I mentioned a “lack of talent”. I learned very quickly not to use industry jargon in everyday conversation! 

As a small business owner, I use the word “talent” to refer to the great people I have the privilege of employing. I also use the word when referring to the difficulty I’ve experienced when attempting to fill available job postings in Southern Oregon. I celebrate the highly talented professionals who live and work here—the nurses and doctors who care for my family, the attorneys and financial advisors who help me run my company, and the countless fellow small business owners who make Medford thrive. I also know that the need we have for employees is greater than our current workforce can fulfill.

The last time I attempted to fill a position at my business, the job was left vacant for fourteen months. We were left to scramble on many jobs. I know from fellow business owners that this is a common experience.

When we finally managed to fill this full-time position, which included medical benefits, we had to hire a long-distance professional. Instead of supporting a household in Medford, I now send a family-wage annual salary to Florida. Many employers hear this recurring theme when trying to attract new hires: the cost of living in Medford is higher than the salaries small businesses here can offer. Rental vacancies are difficult to find, and home prices are out of reach. If we do nothing to increase the workforce through appropriate education, varied and available housing options, and a safe and attractive downtown, we will face even greater employment issues in the future. We are situated in an idyllic place and enjoy incredible natural beauty. We can and must build a stellar workforce so that we do not end up sacrificing the things we love about Medford.

Homeless Population: “Make them Uncomfortable”?

The homeless population in Medford is personal to me because I have family members who have struggled with homelessness. To begin to solve this complex issue, we must be able to see different types of homelessness for what they are. There are three major causes of people living unsheltered: mental illness and substance addiction, lack of affordable housing, and criminal homelessness.

Our non-criminal homeless population deserves our help and attention. The statewide housing shortage means that when people fall on hard times, being without a permanent address is a looming reality. When we can differentiate people who are working to change their situations from those who are a menace to our public areas, we can start to provide meaningful services to citizens in need. By strengthening our mental health services and building the housing we so desperately need, Medford can become a place where homelessness is rare and dealt with quickly and compassionately. 

I also believe it is important to identify the criminal homeless population and house them accordingly, which is in the justice system. Medford’s sidewalks and parks should not be an inviting place for people to break the law and make us feel unsafe. I applaud the current City Council on its addition of Kid Time to the Carnegie Building and Youth for Christ to old Fire Station 2. I look forward to adding more after-school and family-friendly organizations and activities to our downtown core. Bringing safe, engaging events and non-profits to the city center will serve to improve our parks and streets. We need to continue to make downtown Medford a place where families and children are welcome and safe.

City Councilors Deserve our Respect

When pressed to name which incumbent City Councilors I take issue with, I felt I would be letting my interviewer down if I left him unanswered. I personally know and work alongside all of our current Councilors. They are hard-working people who have the best intentions for our city, and they have earned my gratitude and respect for their service to Medford. Running for office and serving in volunteer positions is not a task for the faint of heart.

I believe it is important to take a collaborative approach to problem solving and reach the best solution for our city, taking into account our differences in opinion and background. I am currently the chair of the Parking Commission and a member of the Planning Commission. I volunteered for these agencies because I am excited and willing to work for the common good in Medford. 

The current Council has implemented many positive changes in our community. From putting the final touches on our Urban    Boundary to adding exclusionary zones that aid in keeping downtown safe, we as a city have many things to thank this group of eight citizens for. 

Moving Forward Together

Medford is succeeding in so many ways that should be celebrated and encouraged. I am happy with where we are as a city, but we are not in a place where we can grow complacent. I think we should all continue to do our best, to address issues that need our attention, and to be bold in the face of difficult decisions. I consider myself infinitely fortunate to be your neighbor, and look forward to the opportunity to serve you as a City Councilor by continuing the work of so many before me."