Jamie's Priorities

It’s time to put partisan politics aside and make Clackamas County work for every citizen from Estacada to Wilsonville. As a resident of Eagle Creek since 1996, and mother of two daughters in our public schools, Jamie understands the challenges we are facing as a county: a struggling economy, schools failing to meet our children’s needs, and a diverse county with many different interests.

But these challenges present an opportunity for us to make things right.

Now is the time to face these challenges with local solutions that revitalize our economy, invest in our schools and connect our communities.

 

Building our Economy, Supporting our Local Businesses

As your next County Commissioner Jamie will make job creation her number-one priority. We need to put Clackamas County back to work, and that begins with helping our small businesses thrive. Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy, and as your next commissioner she will work to eliminate unnecessary regulations that stifle job growth, encourage local preference in county contracts and end the “one size fits all” economic development plans that ignore the diverse needs of different communities in our county.

Educating Our Children for the Jobs of Tomorrow

The best way to ensure future economic opportunity for our children is to expand educational opportunities today. Clackamas County businesses are changing to meet the demands of the 21st century economy, and our education system must do the same. As commissioner, Jamie will:

• Restore Technical and Career Education in our Schools- To prepare our children for coming advancements, it’s time to invest in vocational and technical training.  Jamie is working to make this a reality by connecting local schools with the resources they need, like the vocational funds recently approved by the legislature (HB562) to restore vocational and technical training around the state.  Jamie is fighting to make sure those resources are invested right here in Clackamas County schools.

• Expand the Oregon Youth Employment Program - The research is clear – employment in teen years is the single best predictor of life long earnings. However, youth employment is at the lowest level since World War II. The Oregon Youth Employment Program is designed to let teens learn while they earn. Jamie will partner with the Governor and local businesses to expand and improve these job training and apprenticeship programs.

Connecting our Communities

As a long-time Clackamas County resident, Jamie understands that the needs of one community are very different from another. But there is strength in our diversity. The way forward is not bitter partisan politics, but in finding the common ground we all share as residents. We need leaders who know what it takes to reach across divides geographical, partisan or otherwise and understand how to treat everyone with fairness and respect. With 25 years of real-world experience as a professional mediator, Jamie has done just that—helping resolve conflicts in communities around the Northwest—from the Willamette Valley to Alaska. And as your newest county commissioner, Jamie Damon will continue that work in our community, so that we can rebuild our economy, educate our children, and protect local families.