You probably got your voting form in the mail last week, and on May 15th, two of Lane County’s environmental stewards are in the political fights of their lives: Rob Handy and Pete Sorenson. I have had personal experience with both of these candidates, and as a single issue voter (wild fish), they get my vote and endorsement.
Rob Handy: A couple years back, Rob Handy called me into his office to help stop the McKenzie water grab, calling in Water Watch and working on a strategy to make sure we keep water speculators off the McKenzie River. He fought the WOPR. He sided with us on the wild/hatchery fish battle.
Pete Sorenson: Pete is a nationally recognized leader in protecting our land, air, water, trees and soil. He has a 100 percent rating from the Oregon League of Conservation voters. Most recently, he opposed a plan to allow private water developers to extract water from the McKenzie River. Pete wants to retain 1.3 million acres of federal forest land in public hands, despite pleas from some to sell them to the timber industry. Pete has voted against costly freeway development and in favor of mass transit, bicycling and pedestrians.
County politics are complicated, and you don’t need to take your voting advice from the people who sell you fly rods. But if you want to cast a vote for wild fish, support Handy and Sorenson.
-MS
Great post! Giving grades to politicians is long over due. It is a shame some of the native fish clubs, organizations, etc can’t combine resources and hand out grades state wide.
Snoopy,