With the general election just a few weeks away, voters should consider where the financial backing for the various candidates is coming from.

In the race for East Lane County Commissioner, Jake Pelroy, the lobbyist for garbage collection companies, is running to defeat the incumbent, Heather Buch.

In September alone, state campaign finance records show Pelroy — clearly the poster boy for the clear-cut and development industry — received $120,000 from the timber industry and Kathleen Jones-McCann (listed under two LLC’s as “manager”):

  • Gerking Ranch LLC (managed by Jones-McCann): $25,000
  • Weiser River Paradise LLC (managed by Jones-McCann): $25,000
  • Wildish Land Co.: $20,000
  • Sierra Pacific Industries: $20,000
  • Swanson Group Inc.: $10,000
  • Zip-O-Log Mills Inc.: $10,000
  • Rosboro Lumber: $10,000

In the same period, incumbent commissioner Buch received only a single contribution over $1,000, that being $2,500. Jones-McCann and the timber industry certainly do not expect commissioner Buch to do their destructive bidding.

East Lane voters must think about which candidate will continue serving their constituents and which will serve their monied interests before they vote.

Lauri Segel
Eugene