I've been posting quite a bit about Jeff Morris, who is running a tough campaign against Wally Herger in California's Second Congressional District. This post is going to be a bit different, because I want to talk about Jeff on a personal level.
Jeff is my brother. But that doesn't mean that we have always agreed. In fact, there have been times in our lives when we were at each other's throats like cats and dogs, Sunni and Shia, Yankees and Red Sox. That's all water long under the bridge, but my point is this: I would not be writing these posts if I didn't honestly believe that he's the best man for the job.
I thought it would be fun to share some family history so that you can better understand the forces that shaped Jeff Morris into the public servant he is today.
My brothers and I come from a family of regular folks -- not rich people, by any means. Our parents were both lucky enough to have decent educations, but they struggled financially when we were kids. Our mom comes from a family of foresters and educators; our dad's family is made up primarily of civic-minded people and small business owners. I'm proud of what our family has accomplished in rural Northern California over the years, and it's pretty obvious that their approach to life shaped my brother Jeff.
We are sixth generation Trinity County residents. Our great-great-grandparents and their children were ranchers. Our grandfather Leonard went to business school and was elected the Trinity County Clerk/Recorder in 1935 at the age of 24. He served three terms, then started a local company to manufacture ship fenders for the Navy out of fir saplings from the Trinity forests. The company employed more than 30 locals during World War II. In 1945, Granddad and a partner bought a building on Weaverville's Main Street, from which they sold furniture, appliances, and various household items. Morris & Sebring, later known as Morris Hardware and then Morris & Co., was a cornerstone of the local Main Street commercial and historical district for nearly half a century.
Our grandmother Florence grew up on a working ranch and was a talented artist. As an adult, she worked with Granddad in the family business while raising three children and maintaining active membership in a variety of local community organizations, including the Historical Society, Chamber of Commerce, and Art Center. An article from the Trinity Journal described her as "the driving force behind a community paint-up project in 1957 -- a project still talked about in the area as an example of what community cooperation can accomplish. She was named one of the county's outstanding citizens by the Redding Record Searchlight that year for her efforts."
Florence and Leonard's children inherited the family gene for hard work and community service. Our uncle took over the family business when Granddad retired and later helped form Trinity County's Public Utilities District. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, our dad was a primary organizer of community efforts to gain wilderness status for large portions of the rugged Trinity Alps, which are an essential part of Trinity County's tourism economy. This effort was supported by the Trinity County Board of Supervisors with widespread community backing. My grandmother's testimony at a Congressional hearing on the topic was picked up by national newspapers.
When you grow up with that kind of activity around you, it rubs off. You know in your bones what it is to care for a place and its people. You see first-hand that community is important. You get a taste for hard work. You understand that when regular people do that hard work together, they can accomplish amazing things.
Jeff's childhood personality is nicely summed up in this recent letter to a local paper:
I watched Jeff Morris grow up with my children. As a young boy he shared and played well with others. If squabbles ensued, he often was the one who negotiated peace and got things going again.
Now, as an adult, he still has those same basic qualities. In addition, he is also intelligent and well educated and has the strength of character to get things done.
Like many young people in the area, Jeff left Trinity County to go to school. Later, after a stint with a legislative tracking and information service, Jeff spent 6 years as an advertising executive for the late great Tower Records -- no surprise, since our family was very musical. Jeff met his wife Judy when she doing marketing for Billboard Magazine. A backstage passes romance ensued.
They could have stayed in the big city and done what most people do -- work, buy a house, be cogs in the system. Instead, Jeff and Judy returned to Weaverville in 1999 and opened a coffee house / music store / performance space on Main Street, just 2 doors down from Morris & Co. The business was a huge hit with the townspeople and became a center where locals gather to get their caffeine fix, hear live music, share news with their neighbors, and build community. While running their business, Jeff was elected to the Trinity County Board of Supervisors (a position previously held by our mother in the 1980s).
Judy was Jeff's partner in their small business, while serving as President of the Chamber of Commerce. She also worked on the start-up of a local micro-enterprise program through Trinity County's Economic Development Office. The program's goal was to help qualified applicants create home-based businesses in the community through outreach and training.
When Jeff announced that he would be leaving the Board of Supervisors for his Congressional run, Judy threw her hat into the ring to succeed him. (Her opponent in November's run-off has since dropped out of the race, nearly ensuring her victory.)
Jeff decided to run for the House of Representatives after the incumbent, Wally Herger, showed up at a local town hall meeting and refused to answer certain questions from his constituents. "I don't want to talk about that," he said to several members of the audience. What kind of representative doesn't want to talk about the things that worry his constituents?! It was at that point that the family mantle of community service really slipped over Jeff's shoulders. It was at that point that he stood up and said "Enough!"
Jeff Morris learned about the grassroots in Trinity County, but I'm glad that the district sees that Jeff is not just about Trinity County. If there are those who are still not convinced, I'd like to show them the odometer on Jeff's car. He's spent months traveling the district, talking to the localsand listening to their issues. I'd remind them that Jeff served as vice-chair of the California State Association of Counties' Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee, was elected to one of two rural-county seats on the association’s executive committee and appointed chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resource Committee.
I'd also like to tell them about our mom, who grew up near Dunsmuir; our youngest brother, who went to college in Chico; our uncle, who lives in Etna; our cousins, who live in Anderson; and our family friends who live in Yuba City. I'd like to tell them that Redding was the place we went to buy clothes, take piano lessons, and see world-class musicians perform at the Civic Auditorium. Our roots are deep in the district, and have been for years.
Jeff is running a superb race (and he's doing it on a shoestring) -- I'd be impressed even if I wasn't related to him -- but it's not over yet. As we all know, the last few days of a campaign can be crucial. Jeff could really use your support.
Go to www.jeffmorrisforcongress.com to find out how you can help. If you can't donate, volunteer. If you can't volunteer, post a blog entry about Jeff or write a letter to your local paper. And if you don't like to write, pick up the phone and tell your friends about Jeff Morris -- a strong new voice for Northern California.
(cross-posted at Calitics)