{"id":32624,"date":"2017-05-01T00:00:55","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T07:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oreca.org\/?p=32624"},"modified":"2017-06-04T18:24:38","modified_gmt":"2017-06-05T01:24:38","slug":"a-blueprint-for-a-better-oregon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/a-blueprint-for-a-better-oregon\/","title":{"rendered":"A Blueprint for a Better Oregon"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mark
Mark Johnson, right, has been a successful contractor in Hood River County for three decades. Photos by Lynn Howlett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rep. Mark Johnson brings a builder\u2019s sensibility\u2014and political savvy\u2014to the Oregon Legislature<\/h2>\n

By Ted Case <\/strong><\/p>\n

Rep. Mark Johnson (R-Hood River) is not a man to cut corners. Measuring twice and cutting once is good business for someone who has been a successful general contractor in Hood River County for three decades. Constructing a durable home requires vision, a blueprint and precise execution\u2014not words Johnson feels are normally associated with the Oregon Legislative Assembly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just seem to be feeling our way along,\u201d Johnson said, \u201cinstead of working on what\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Johnson, the foundation of the legislature\u2019s work should be transportation issues that are critical to the economy of the Columbia Gorge, and the $1.6 billion shortfall that looms over the state like Mount Hood looms over his scenic House District 52.<\/p>\n

As the session reaches a critical phase, Johnson says he is still waiting for House Democratic leadership to break ground on issues that matter most to Oregonians.<\/p>\n

\"Johnson
Johnson is known for his soft-spoken yet incisive questions in committee hearings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThere has been a disappointing lack of focus on these issues,\u201d Johnson said, \u201cand no sense of urgency.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s four committee assignments give him a front row seat to debate other high profile issues, including climate change and the future of the state\u2019s education system. For someone who has studied education policy for years and immersed himself in the minutiae by serving as chairman of his local school board, Johnson makes no apologies for where he thinks the state\u2019s focus should be.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Oregon, climate goals are the Holy Grail, but education goals are more like suggestions,\u201d he said. \u201cIt tells you a lot about our values as a state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not that Johnson is against carbon reduction. In the 2016 session, he voted for the so called \u201cCoal to Clean\u201d bill that, among other provisions, doubled the state\u2019s renewable portfolio standard. But as vice chairman of the House Energy and Environment Committee, he has been outspoken about the legislature\u2019s almost singular focus on carbon goals, which Johnson calls \u201carbitrary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson also has raised concerns with proposals to double down on the scandal ridden Oregon Department of Energy by transforming it into the state\u2019s climate czar\u2014an area for which they have little expertise.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we don\u2019t get this right, it could impact the delivery of affordable, reliable electricity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Johnson, who was first elected to the legislature in 2011, has quickly carved out a niche as a savvy, well informed legislator with bipartisan credentials who is unafraid to tackle many of the state\u2019s thorniest issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can think of few legislators who work harder or are smarter than Rep. Johnson,\u201d said Mike McLane, the House Republican leader. \u201cHis passion for balanced environmental, revenue and education policy is well noted by members of both parties. His leadership in the energy sector is, of course, his signature skill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s measured tone in committee hearings belies an incisive questioner who does his research.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s effective because he\u2019s thoughtful, but he can really make a point without throwing a bomb,\u201d said one lobbyist familiar with the energy committee.<\/p>\n

Another advocate often on the other side of issues with Johnson explains their strategy for testifying in front of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try not to offer weak arguments,\u201d they said. \u201cOtherwise, Johnson will find the hole.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson calls his legislative district \u201cone of the most photogenic in the state but also one of the most diverse.\u201d For Johnson, navigating the political\u00a0diversity of the district is akin to taking on Mount Hood\u2019s infamous Cooper Spur route in a snowstorm. The city of Hood River\u2014with its breweries and galleries\u2014 probably has more in common with Portland\u2019s trendy Pearl District than the working class communities in Clackamas and Multnomah counties, whose values are more in line with the Rust Belt than those of Portland.<\/p>\n

The latter includes members of Odell based Hood River Electric Cooperative. Johnson, whose roots in the area run deep, grew up in the small unincorporated community of Parkdale and has been a member of the electric cooperative since 1987. Johnson is well acquainted with Hood River\u2019s board of directors. He also relies on the cooperative for more than his own electricity.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a builder, it\u2019s always a breath of fresh air to work with the coop,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThey are easy to deal with and always have a can do attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

The admiration is mutual. Hood River Electric Cooperative Manager John Gerstenberger lauds Johnson\u2019s \u201caccessibility, graciousness and attentiveness\u201d to the coop and its members.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe understands our mission supplying electricity and broadband to the area,\u201d Gerstenberger said.<\/p>\n

While Johnson is frustrated with the pace of some of the issues facing the legislature, he is optimistic about what he calls \u201clandmark legislation\u201d in the House Education and Workforce Development Committee regarding credit transfers for frustrated college students. It is a subject for which he is clearly passionate.<\/p>\n

Johnson also holds out hope for a bipartisan transportation package that will address the state\u2019s ailing infrastructure. However, he believes partisan legislation on extraneous subjects makes it much more difficult to do the important things.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot afford to get sidetracked,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Johnson will use the limited tools he has been given to focus the legislature on his blueprint for a more prosperous Oregon. As a member of the minority party, there is only so much he can do: cast votes, build coalitions, and attempt to persuade the Majority Party to adopt a builder\u2019s sensibility when it comes to the state\u2019s future: Measure twice, legislate once\u2014and no cutting corners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rep. Mark Johnson brings a builder\u2019s sensibility\u2014and political savvy\u2014to the Oregon Legislature By Ted Case Rep. Mark Johnson (R-Hood River) is not a man to cut corners. Measuring twice and cutting once is good business for someone who has been a successful general contractor in Hood River County for three decades. Constructing a durable home […]\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[232],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32624"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32624\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreca.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}