Cross-posted from my campaign blog
The trip from Oregon City to Boise is over 430 miles. I know because I made the round trip by car this weekend, trust me my gas tank reminded me how far that really is, but that is another post...
In the 860-mile round trip I saw exactly two police officers (both Oregon State Troopers) -- one on the trip over and one on my return home.
I must admit I was astonished! I-84 is too well traveled of a road to be so sparcely patroled. The small number of troopers in Oregon makes it difficult for troopers to perform critically needed patrols to keep our highways safe, to stop the meth entering Oregon via I-5 and I-84, and to stop the increase in traffic deaths.
"The 2005 Legislature reduced the number by 20 troopers" according to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Office. "As a result of sworn staff reductions, almost all of the state is without 24-hour coverage, patrol areas have been expanded, many duties have been eliminated, response time has increased, and officer safety has been compromised." Read it yourself on their website:
www.leg.state.or.us/comm/lfo/05_07agb
When these state trooper cuts were proposed in House Bill 5167, strangely, my opponent Wayne Scott defended these state trooper cuts and voted "yes" along with a narrow majority of the House. This is poor public policy.
In the 1979-81 biennium, there were 665 sworn full-time patrol troopers in Oregon. After last year's cuts, there were only 309 remaining -- a cut of more than half of our state troopers! Meanwhile, Oregon's population is up by over one million people (a 40 percent increase), highway traffic is up, and meth trafficking is up.
If we want to have a safe Oregon and a secure America we need to stop firing first responders and state troopers and start finding the money to adequately fund our homeland security.
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Mike Caudle is the Democratic nominee for the Oregon state House of Representatives in district 39. For more information on his candidacy or to get involved in his campaign, visit MikeCaudle.com.