Ordinarily, county commissioners refrain from endorsing candidates for state representative because eventually they are going to have to work with the candidate who gets elected.

That being said, it would appear conventional wisdom has been cast aside in the race for House District 58 since my counterparts in Union and Wallowa counties have all offered up endorsements.

The time has come for Umatilla County to step into the conversation particularly in the wake of a number of very disappointing recent developments in the campaign.

Greg Barreto, a successful businessman and nice person with virtually no record of public service, is being touted as the new kid in town by some of his local supporters. Thats a bit contradictory when he just received a $30,000 donation from Nevada businessman Loren Parks. Parks is far from a new kid on the block when it comes to trying to choreograph politics in this state. He is the largest political contributor to campaign causes in the history of Oregon.

Why in the world would a businessman with no known ties to Eastern Oregon invest that kind of money in a house seat held by the minority party and representing a portion of the state well removed from Salem? People in this area typically get suspicious when outsiders try to muscle their way in and shape the course of our events. This is certainly a prime example.

The Barreto campaign website emphasizes the critical importance of local control and local decision-making concepts which are difficult to assimilate with the idea of a $30,000 contribution from an out-of-state political machine.

Now we have the opportunity to replace Bob Jenson with someone who offers the same quality decision-making capabilities. Someone who will be able to make his way around Salem on the first day he gets there and someone who has a proven track record of public service.

John Turner brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. And, he is someone who is bound not by ideology but by the needs of his constituency. Thats a quality sorely needed at both the state and federal levels. Obstructionist politics produce more paralysis than results.

We need someone representing our area who will have a meaningful role in the legislative process and someone who answers to the people of District 58 not someone calling the shots from Henderson, Nevada.

For all of these reasons, John Turner has my unabashed support and my endorsement.