A Few Words from Jim – November 2022

This month is mostly about employment. It’s top of mind for me. The subject comes up at every meeting I attend. The Oregon Employment Department always has great articles on employment that we can all learn from. I’m reposting several of the most recent and relevant in this months journal. 

Hunter Fiber is rolling out 2.5 gigabit broadband speeds up and down in the communities they serve. That is incredible. Speaking of broadband, check out the new internet mapping service, FasterInternetOregon.org. I encourage you to do a speed test and provide your real address. We need to know the broadband capability across the state. 

I’ve done stories on legitimate cannabis companies before and I ran across a story about the Jackson County Sheriff busting a black market farm that used over 1 million gallons of water in 40 days, during a drought. I’m glad they caught them. 

The election is over. I held this issue a few days to see if anything business related would come from it.  

I ran for school board once and lost. During that process I learned a lot about what voters expect and think even before they get to know you. I don’t like the deluge of ads for and against that run constantly up to Election Day. So I always look forward to the peace and quiet that comes after. That being said, I’m publishing a wonderfully written opinion piece written by Joel Barker. He’s a Democrat and lives in Redmond, Oregon and shares his sadness about his vote for Tina Kotek. 

When you google “Oregon Election Results”, Governors race, you will see that most of the counties in the state show “red”. 

Rural Oregon is different from Urban Oregon. Instead of trying to change the color of the county we are in, why don’t we find ways to respect it and work together.

Thank you to my friends that ran for office. Win or Lose, I appreciate your commitment to working together to make Oregon a better place to live, raise a family and grow a business. 

Thanks for reading. 

Jim
Jim@SouthernOregonBusiness.com