John Masterman

I'm a dad, small business owner, and third generation Oregonian. I live the struggles that most families do: Working hard to pay for housing, child care, gas, groceries, insurance, etc. The decisions made by elected leaders in Oregon have made every aspect if living in this state more difficult. It's time for a more level-headed and practical approach. Common sense needs to be more common.

• Education for our kids is a top priority. Public schools use a lot of money per student to achieve very poor results. A lot of things are taught that don't have anything to do with learning the basics needed to enter the adult world. Reading, writing, math, economics, history, geography, civics are all examples of what should be taught and learned. We are failing at that. Graduating from high school now requires NO proficiency testing in any of these areas to graduate. That isn't helping our kids, and it doesn't help us. These are our future leaders! I support parental rights and school choice. Transparency with curriculum, and allowing funding to follow students would help in all areas, and give parents the options needed.
• THe cost of living in Oregon is out of control. Housing costs too much. Energy costs too much. The state budget his risen dramatically over the last few years. Even with that hgue increase, $5.6 billion dollars extra were collected last year. We are being taxed right out of being able to live here. Reducing the tax burden encourages economic growth, which generates taxable income and more jobs. Everybody wins that way. So many unnecessary taxes and fees exist in Oregon, from the estate tax to the incredibly high cost of operating a semi-truck. The corporate activities tax is an illegal sales tax on businesses. That tax requires products and services to cost more, as a business has to make a profit to stick around. No free lunch available.
• Crime shouldn't pay. Going soft on crime has clearly been a total failure. Having no consequences attracts more bad behavior. Look around the streets in Portland. The taxpayers are being held hostage by those that refuse to play by the rules, and that isn't right. Simply enforcing the laws we have now would be a huge first step toward correcting the rampant crime problem. If someone is on the streets and does not want to be there, there should be a path out of that. A hand up is fine. A hand out is not, as that only enables them. Helping people stay on the streets is not humane. We need to help interested people get into whatever recovery is needed. Those that refuse will need to deal with the consequences of breaking the laws.

School choice in education. Plenty of money is spent on public education. Parents deserve to have their choice for their kids to be respected. Parents have the responsibility of raising their kids, not the government. Allow the funding to go where the parent decides is the best option. It's our money, and we should decide how it is spent.

An elected official is hired by the people to represent them. Interacting with, and understand the views and concerns of the voters is critical. A decision or vote by an official should respect the will of those that elected them. Considering the majority viewpoint needs to happen, rather than simply pursuing an agenda that negatively affects most of the constituents.
Being honest about intentions and principles is a basic requirement of an elected official. If there is no trust, you end up with a politician in the negative view. Nobody wants a self-serving person trying to have power. An official needs to work to take care of real problems for real people.

I have an understanding of what it takes to manage real life. As a dad, husband, and small business owner, managing real-world needs is a daily activity for me.

Understanding what is best for the voters in my district as well as the entire state are fundamental. Evaluating and understanding proposed legislation is key. These are potential laws considered that affect all aspects of life for everyone in the state. What helps the most people? What is right? Remembering and respecting who elected you is necessary. The people call the shots, not the government.

Pietro's Pizza. I worked there for three years. Good pizza!

Ideally, the governor and the majority of the legislature would pursue the same goals, and those goals would be beneficial to all Oregonians. Right now, our legislators and governor push forward policies that make no sense for most people. They make life cost more, and remove freedoms we are guaranteed by our constitution. Respect those that elected you! In the absence of agreeing on the overall goals, working together to find common ground is next best. Set aside radical agendas and work toward things that help the average citizen both short term and long term.

The list is long. Poor leadership has created numerous areas where change is needed. Focusing on policies that make sense for residents is where we need to begin. People need to be able to make ends meet.

Yes and no. Learning how the process workd as an elected official can be beneficial, but it is also critical to stay in touch with the voters. Understanding their concerns and struggles is necessary to properly represent. Someone with real world experience in life provides this.

Of course. The other legislators are your co-workers. Teamwork is what will work best.

www.voteforjohnmasterman.org has a full list of endorsements

Transportation is one of my top interests. People and things need to move around, and we need to make that as easy and cost-effective as possible. Transportation is required even for those that don't drive or even move around much. All the things used in daily life have to get transported to where they will be used. Let's do things that make it easier and cheaper to move things around, rather than making it difficult and expensive. We own the roads already, so tolling them is not an option. Making decisions that keep fuel costs down is a high priority for me. People want to move freely and when they want to. Public transportation is only used as the primary mode for 5% of the people. We need to respect the needs of the other 95% as well.

Government money is taxpayer money. It needs to be easy and quick to find out where our dollars are being spent. The government works for the people, Transparency is critical. If a decision is made on spending taxpayer money, elected officials need to be willing to answer for where and why the money was spent. This philosophy carries over into all areas of government. Unelected people are not accountable to the voters their decisions affect. Example: Oregon Department of Education was recently given the authority to suspend graduation standards. And they did. And there is nothing we the people can directly do about it, even though the decision has negative consequences for nearly everyone in the state.
In short, just be honest about what is done and why. That's the job, after all.

I’m your neighbor down the street. I'm a 4th generation Oregonian, a husband, a dad, and a small business owner. As the owner of a small transmission rebuilding business, I understand each aspect of operating a successful business. Helping run a household is quite similar: The business model has to work or we go broke.

My experience that I believe qualifies me for the job of Representative is 36 years as a taxpayer, including everything from time in college (AAS in Auto Mechanics) to being an employee to running a business.

Activities ranging from skiing to kayaking to drag racing are where I look for fun. Mountain, river, or racetrack, there's a lot to love about our beautiful state.

The direction Oregon has taken is enough to motivate me to make the commitment to run for Representative, and I will take my practical life experience to Salem to help steer our state in a better direction.

• Public safety is a primary function of government. If you call 911 with an emergency and nobody answers, there is a problem. From dispatchers to police to fire fighters, we need to back our first responders. Proper funding and training to properly staff these departments is critical for the safety of our citizens. They all have tough jobs, and we need to be making them easier, not more difficult.
• Homelessness needs a different approach. The folks that want to get off the streets need the necessary resources to succeed. Living in unhealthy and unsafe areas at taxpayer expense is not acceptable. Assistance for improvement, not enablement to continue the lifestyle.
• Support and encourage businesses. Each time a tax is added or increased on any business, the burden of paying it ends up with the customer. Businesses exist to make money. Encouraging business growth through less taxation and regulation creates more jobs and sales, which means more tax revenue. Everybody wins that way.

To consider the needs of everyone in the district. Everyone;s voice matters.

To leave a better Oregon for future generations than what we have right now. A beautioful, clean Oregon and individual successes for the residents are important.

Grant, no. Oversee, yes. Checks and balances are needed. The governor has the authority to declare an emergency. The legislature should be able to end a state of emergency that never seems to end by other means.

Working together is necessary to accomplish things that accommodate the needs of more than a single viewpoint.

Speaker of the House:Julie Fahey

Majority Leader:Ben Bowman

Democratic Party (36)

Republican Party (24)