Small Town Politics
We spent the last week on vacation in small towns. First on the Oregon Coast (Rockaway Beach), then in Mitchell, Oregon. Population 160.
Jack grew up in Klamath Falls, Oregon, population 20,000. (To be accurate, he also grew up in Harlingen, Texas (he can still count in Texan) and Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where he went swimming on a beach with white sand. That is about all he says about those two places.)
While he was in Klamath Falls, he learned a lot about small town politics. They didn't pull punches when national politics was still polite. One time the local county commissioner was so bad that nobody liked her. When she came up for re-election, the opponent just spent the $25 (or so) to put his name on the ballot. No TV ads. No radio ads. No newspaper Letters to the Editor. No nothing. He got 47% of the vote.
Traveling from the coast to Mitchell, we drove almost the entire way along highway 26. After Portland, it goes south of Mt. Hood almost straight to Mitchell. Well, twisty turny straight, anyway. It goes through towns you probably have never heard of, like Government Camp, Warm Springs, Madras, and Prineville. And, of course, Mitchell, our destination. (In that order.) (In those 139 miles of Eastern Oregon, those are the ONLY towns on the route.)
We drove into Prineville (population 9,000), and came across these signs. Jack, admits to almost spraying a mouthful of peanuts all over the windshield of the car. So he had to stop and take pictures.
I though it prudent, if these people are so bad, to paint out their names.
Oh, and Prineville, Oregon, is in Crook County. I just thought you should know that.
posted by Marion @ 8:27 PM
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