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issues & transparency
Here’s a rundown of what Anderson believes and what he’s done that will affect us as he works to make the coast a better place.
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Issues & Transparency
Police Departments & Second Amendment
Our freedoms are worth standing up for
Overview
Anderson supports:
- Keeping police department funding in place for the safety of our communities
- The importance of Americans having their gun rights
NO Defunding the Police
Anderson believes that our communities value our police and sheriff departments. He will be an ardent supporter of them in Salem and will adamantly stand up against efforts to defund law enforcement.
Endorsed by
- Oregon Coalition of Police and Sheriffs
- Sheriffs of Oregon
- Oregon Firearms Political Action Committee
- National Rifle Association (NRA)
Second Amendment
What’s Anderson’s stand on gun ownership?
Anderson is endorsed by Oregon Firearms Federation, as well as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and has been a life-long supporter of the 2nd Amendment. He believes the right to bear arms is important to Americans and that our Bill of Rights is vital to our entire democracy.
Issues & Transparency
Housing, Tolls & Roads
make it better without adding to coastal tax burdens
Overview
Anderson doesn’t believe that raising taxes is the answer to these issues. He’d like to see creative solutions explored and pursued instead.
- Crumbling roads and bridges under constant repair require state funding to truly fix. All Oregonians use the coast, fund the coast.
- Affordable housing, homelessness, broken schools, unemployment debacles and more examples are simple reasons why we need balance in Oregon.
- Invest in infrastructure for our coastal communities – bridges and roads, as well building a better broadband cell phone network ASAP
“I will always look to creative solutions that will not put additional tax burdens on taxpayers. Our coastal communities can’t bear more taxes.” – Dick Anderson
Affordable Housing
How can we make house more affordable, and home ownership more prevalent on the Coast?
Anderson understands the value of a community comprised of a high percentage of homeownership. There is a tremendous lack of supply in the markets up and down the coast. No matter how much someone is ready to buy a home, if there are no homes available, then there are no homes! Anderson believes that our communities need to have flexibility from the State to grow sustainable housing based on the needs of that community. Local is everything. Our land use system in Oregon needs some reforms when it comes to housing.
Affordable housing is not a simple and easy answer, but Anderson is committed to finding the answers.
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Some in Salem are talking about taking the Mortgage Interest Deduction away. What’s Anderson’s stand on that?
He is a hard “no”. As someone who has spent decades in real estate finance, he believes the deduction could have profound effects on the industry. On the coast, this is even more vital to our tourism industry as well. Anderson is in full support of keeping the Mortgage Interest Deduction.
Roads & Bridges
How do we address the issue of our Coast’s bad roads and old bridges?
Pretty much every tourist, local, Oregonian, Californian, folks from Washington and beyond travel up and down Highway 101. Anderson believes that this highway is a Oregon problem, not a coast problem. The entire state benefits from having an exceptional Highway 101. So, the whole state should help in the solution too.
He believes we need to work with our Mayors, Commissioners and City Councilors to make sure we have a comprehensive plan about how traffic flows through Newport, Florence, and all the towns up and down the coast.
He also believes we need to take a serious look at the infrastructure of all the bridges we have on the coast, not just the big huge ones in peoples photographs but all the ones crossing creeks, and rivers as well.
What would happen if we had a major earthquake on the coast? Are we prepared for that?
Anderson believes that infrastructure is a MUST for any community to attract high paying employers. Not just roads, but ports are vital and community water systems and sewer systems are important. According to him, it’s the job of state representatives and senators to make Oregon the best it can be so our local and county leaders can attract the companies that they want to see in their communities for the long run.
Tolls
How would we pay for infrastructure upgrades?
It will not be through tolls that is for sure.
Anderson feels that we have a strong coastal caucus led by Senator Johnson in Astoria. He believes that we can work with all of our representatives and senators on the coast to start pushing this issue to the top of list.
There is a saying in the capital, it is called PGE–Portland Gets Everything. Not just in infrastructure but how the funding formulas are determined–Portland Gets Everything.
Anderson believes there are sufficient funding opportunities out there and we can get creative and not just revert to tolls. According to him, tolling is a bigger tax on locals because they will have to use the roads and bridges multiple times a day, versus a tourist just driving through once.
There are many federal opportunities that we can start with, Anderson says. We can do it–creatively!
Issues & Transparency
education for our kids
because our kids deserve the state’s funding priority
Overview
Our schools continue to be broken and some of the worst in the nation, all while spending per student is near the highest. We can do better for our kids and grandkids.
- Provide incentives to private schools and other institutions of learning to develop competition in our coastal communities.
- Create pathways for high school students to trade schools not just University systems. Invest in CTE programs across the state but especially here on the coast.
- Prioritize education budgeting first, not last!
- LET THEM PLAY. School sports are vital to our kids. They must be allowed to play sports again in a safe way.
- Put kids back in the classroom. Kids do better in school versus being home. This can be done safely and effectively.
- Give our schools liability protection.
FACT: As Mayor, Anderson supported and applauded a welding program for high school students (as well as adult learners) to complete courses in welding. This public-private collaborative welding program allows students to gain significant training in a trade especially important to coastal communities.
Fixing Our Education System
Oregon Ranks 39th in the nation in education by US News and World Reports. We were 39th out of 50th. We used to spend about $5000 a kid in the mid 90’s and now that number is over $11,000 per student.
What are Anderson’s thoughts about fixing this significant problem in Oregon?
Anderson believes we can do better for our kids and grandkids. If we don’t go after and tackle education, no boats get lifted.
He feels that while we keep spending more and more, we STILL fall behind even being average in the nation. We are near the bottom, circling the drain.
Anderson said that the answer from the Democrats last session was to put in a tax on all sales in Oregon and say its for education spending. Anderson says that we should call it what it is–a sales tax.
That’s 0.57% on sales. Friends of the Democrats were given carve outs that wouldn’t force them to pay. Other companies that can’t afford to pay that tax simply pass it on to the consumers by increasing prices. So, according to Anderson, the evil corporations and other companies that are paying the tax really aren’t. It’s us the tax payers paying it again.
All under the veil of helping kids right?
Anderson says that it makes him sick to think about it. And this is a great reason why he ran for office. We have to have balance in Salem so that both sides of the aisle are at the table ensuring we don’t get urban politicians running amuck.
College Alternatives
What does Anderson feel the coast needs for education?
Anderson believes the coast is different than other areas of the state, and the other areas of the state are different than the coast. One size does not fit all in Oregon. It is a really diverse state.
On the coast, we have things like mining, fishing, logging, welding, banking, restaurants, ports, etc. Basically every industry you can think of, it seems it is somewhere on the coast. Anderson feels that those industries have well paying career opportunities that we need to train our youth to fill. Not every person needs to go to U of O or OSU. If that is their path then great, but some kids want career training and want to work with their hands.
Anderson firmly believes that we need to create pathways into those careers for our youth.
Schooling & COVID-19
Does Anderson want to keep schools closed down during the COVID-19 pandemic?
He believes that we need to remain open-minded to our parents needs for
serving their children the education they need during COVID-19.
Issues & Transparency
Taxes And More Taxes
Anderson has never voted to increase taxes
Overview
New state taxes, fees and regulations are breaking our coastal communities and local businesses. Democrats solution is just more taxes, we need creative solutions and back to basics budgeting today.
- Put a moratorium on any new taxes and business taxes for 2 years.
- Prioritize state budgets for all agencies and programs immediately.
- Suspend state taxes on unemployment claims to keep more money in the pocket of Oregonians
- Repeal the Gross Receipts Tax – CAT Tax
- Invest in infrastructure for our coastal communities – bridges and roads ASAP
FACT: He also advocated for a new police station, and it was built utilizing revenue from tourism.
Cap & Trade
Does Anderson support Cap & Trade to solve our climate problems?
Anderson stands with our ag communities and Timber Unity. He does not support Cap and Trade. He believes it’s a useless tax that won’t actually solve our climate issues. He’d rather be a problem solver and has heard of some very unique new ideas on it. But Anderson does not support just taxing people to send money to some unknown DEQ program. Not at all.
Gross Receipt & Tax on Sales
Should we have Gross Receipt Tax or Tax on Sales?
Anderson believes this is a horrible policy and it should be ended.
Anderson believes the idea that you would put a tax on all sales, from the production of a product all the way the way down the supply chain, multiplies that tax for the end buyer.
He says it makes no sense to him nor any part of his economic development brain. He wonders how we could we ask a company to move to the coast, make a product, hire local folks, train them, be part of the community, donate to our local non-profits, and then tell them, “oh, and by the way the state will tax you on every single dollar you sell!”?
Property Taxes
How about property taxes? How do we get those lower?
Anderson believes that Oregon’s entire tax system needs to be reviewed and amended to bring balance to the system. He recalls when we voters approved the change to move away from property taxes based on current market value. It was because it was forcing folks out of their homes due to a tax burden.
During his 12 years as Mayor, he experienced how city services are so dependent upon these property taxes. He has not been a party, as an elected official, to any property tax increases.
However, some Oregon Coast voters have approved levee after levee for such things as Fire Departments to Animal Control programs; this puts an unintended burden on the property tax system and drives up the affordability of home ownership.
Raising Taxes
Do we raise any taxes?
No! As Mayor, Anderson has been confronted with budget issues constantly. He believes the government should prioritize and fully fund essential services like education and public safety first.
He feels that we’ve witnessed billions of our tax dollars wasted on the I-5 Bridge plans, the DMV computer debacle, the Cover Oregon health insurance website, Highway 20 that was built twice, and most recently the craziness that has come out of the employment department–approximately $80 million or so that apparently disappeared. Anderson believes we must fund essential services first and new programs and pet projects last. There have to be priorities.
Issues & Transparency
Healthcare for all
It’s time to re-think healthcare and make it better
With Coronavirus, the health care system was pushed to the extreme. We saw that on the coast and now must rethink our health care strategy and systems.
- Senior facilities need to be upgraded and new policies put into place
- Access to quality health care up and down the coast need to be a priority
- Hospitals need more capacity and supported by the state system
- Open up pathways for health care to cross state lines to drive down insurance cost
- Expand health savings accounts for Oregonians to write off health care expenses
Issues & Transparency
Ending one party control
other politicians side with portland agendas. Anderson won’t.
Overview
Democrats have treated all corners of the state the same and ignores the unique attributes and needs on the coast. Without balance in our state, more of the same is the only guarantee.
- All Oregonians use the coast, fund the coast.
- Affordable housing, homelessness, broken schools, unemployment debacles and more examples are simple reasons why we need balance in Oregon.
- Radicals and lawyers will continue to destroy our state, unless we fight back from the coast
Anderson’s opponent is supported by radicals and Portland politicians that will continue to forget the coast and fund urban policies first. She will forget us as soon as she gets to Salem.
Why vote Republican for this seat?
Why should someone vote to add another Republican to the Oregon Senate?
A vote for Melissa is a vote for the Portland-first agenda. Not the coast’s agenda. Can we afford that again? The coast gets left behind so much. In order to fix that, we need need to change the dynamic in Salem. The only way really we can do that is by voting for a Republican this fall.
Here’s the reality. The Senate is made up of 30 people–currently there are18 Democrats and 12 Republicans. Because Democrat Arnie Roblan is retiring, if we vote to place a Republican into that seat, then we could would have a 17-13 ratio in the Senate.
If our district votes Democrat this fall, it’ll put us back into the 18-12 Senate ratio really puts the coast in a bad position again. And the coast will again be left behind.
Democrat Melissa Cribbins is a lawyer and putting another liberal lawyer in Salem probably is not the best move! The coast doesn’t need to be steamrolled anymore. s
