Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2014 Primary Election

Thank you for responding to this questionnaire.

Why this matters: The Statesman Journal Editorial Board will use this questionnaire in deciding
which candidates to endorse at the May 20 Primary Election. The board is doing fewer in-person
interviews this spring. Your answers also will be shared with reporters and may be published in
the newspaper and/or on our website, StatesmanJournal.com, so the public will see what you
submit.
We also ask that you respond to every question, instead of simply attaching campaign materials,
resumes, etc.
Please return the completed questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an email or an attached Word
document to Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com. (Handwritten or fax responses dont work.)
Deadline for submitting your questionnaire: 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 16.
Questions? Contact Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes, 503-399-6727, dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com, or
Editorial Assistant Nancy Harrington, 503-589-6944, nharring@StatesmanJournal.com.
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Your name:
Age: 45
(If your age will change before the May 20 primary, please indicate your birthday. We want to
make sure we use accurate ages in editorials and news coverage.)
Political party (if this is a partisan office):
Republican
Position you are seeking (name of position, district number, political party if applicable):
Oregon House of Representatives District 20
Number of years living in the area you seek to represent:
17
Are you a full-time resident of that area?
City/town of residence:
Salem, Oregon
Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home, number of grown
children):
Married to Kimberly Erickson since September 1990. Daughter, Sarah, is a sophomore at
Western Oregon University, and our son, Stephen, is a sophomore at Sprague High School.
Your education (high school, trade, college, post-baccalaureate; indicate degrees earned):
I graduated from Eisenhower High School in Yakima, Washington, then attended Seattle
Pacific University and University of Kansas. A new family drew me away from higher
education plans, but I did obtain an Associate in Science degree from Regents College in
January of 1994.
If employed, current occupation, employer and job duties:
My day job is as a Tax Auditor for the Oregon Employment Department (875 Union St. NE
in Salem). While I have been a state employee since 1997, though, I am actively seeking a
career change at this time. On the side, I am also an author and essayist.
I have two traditionally published childrens books: Tristans Travels and Toupee Mice.
The Blood Cries Out will be released as my first novel through Amazon later this year.
Previous employers and when:
Oregon State Employment Department (April 2003-Present)
Oregon Department of Revenue (June 1997-March 2003)
Nordstroms (Portland Rack, Salem Center, and Dallas, TX. stores from May 1996 through
May 1997)
Military service and when:
N/A
Volunteer/civic/religious service and when:
City of Salem Board of Ethics (two terms) as well church activities at Queen of Peace
Catholic Church.
Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when:
None. The mayor appointed me to the city board.
Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when:
None.
Other prior political and government experience:
Been a state employee since 1997, which has given me an opportunity to informally advocate for
positive changes within the state agencies. I have proposed many cost-saving suggestions over
the years, for example.
How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information may be made public):
Mail address: 4742 Liberty Rd. South, #198, Salem, OR. 97302
E-mail address: karlfororegondistrict20@gmail.com
Web site URL: http://www.karlerickson.com/oregonhousedistrict20.html
Phone: 971-304-4486
Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words.
1. To an outsider, how would you describe the region you wish to represent? What is it like
geographically, economically, politically and socially?
District 20 covers a diverse swath of Oregons Willamette Valleyfrom south Salem north
to the downtown and across the river to West Salem, Independence, and Monmouth. This
diverse district boasts it all: high number of public sector jobs, high tech industry,
construction, transportation, retail, medical, the arts, agricultural, etc. These differences
serve to remind the candidate to bear in mind that the elected representative serves
everyone, not just one particular demographic.
2. When did you decide to run for this office, and why?
Frankly, I was tired and embarrassed of all the horror stories coming from state
government. I felt there was no common sense or accountability in the decisions being
made, then I realized it was time to stop complaining and start doing.
3. How much will your primary campaign cost (please be specific)?
When all is said and done, it should fall under the $3,500.
4. Who are your key endorsements from within the Mid-Valley?
Oregon Right to Life
5. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing
board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details.
No.
6. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or
been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details.
No.
7. Why should people vote for you? What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be specific.
I dont hide my positions, and I also dont have high dollar donors. I am an outsider to the
political process; this is a grassroots effort. I know how to get things done and how to
convey complex information in a clear and sensible way. I am an authentic conservative
who cares deeply about his community.
8. Describe your philosophy of governance:
Limited government is the key. State government needs to concentrate on their
constitutionally mandated responsibilities and leave everything else to the citizens of the
state.
9. Give an example of a political mistake you made and what you learned from it:
I scheduled the a campaign dinner fundraiser before I was known in the community.
10. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more open and transparent?
There is an inherent conflict of interest when state human resource departments are tasked
with completing a review of management behavior or management culture; their livelihood
is dependent upon the maintaining of a certain status quo. I suggest the time has come to
change the delivery mechanism for these services. It's time to move all (or most) human
resource personnel out of the specific agencies where they currently work and locate them
centrallyat !"#$ for e%ample. &n a rotating basis$ then$ '( staff can be assigned to
specific agencies as needed. This removes the conflict of interest$ increases transparency$
and reduces overhead costs. ('uman (esource "nalysts should have limited say in where
they are assigned in order for the aim of this process to not be derailed by '( seniority.)
11. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more fiscally effective?
First, scrap Cover Oregon and stop throwing good money after bad. Second, there is a
great deal of service duplication within state agencies. We need to merge agencies with
similar goals and missions. Third, (as mentioned previously) change the service delivery
method for state human resource services; move them outside the serviced agencies.
Fourth, go after middle managers everywhere. There are far too many middle managers
throughout state government.
12. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected, and how? (75 words
for each issue)
A. Explore dedicated funding for Oregon State Police.
B. Begin to reduce state governments size. It should be shrinking and not continuing to
grow with every new year.
C. When you get down to it, so much of our states problems are rooted to a lack of sound
ethical practices within state government. Its time to emphasize a return to ethical and
responsible decision-making. This means its time for a housecleaning across state
government. Managers need to be evaluated for competency and understanding of the
ramifications of their decisions upon the public. I want state agencies to be more
responsive to citizen concerns. People shouldnt have to navigate a bureaucratic labyrinth
to get the answers they need.
13. What do you see as other important issues?
I believe its time to remove all state funding for abortionsincluding the Oregon Health
Plan.
14. What magazines, newspapers and Web publications do you regularly read to keep up on the
news, especially on issues related to the office you are seeking?
NBC News, CNN, Fox News, NPR, and Statesman Journal.
15. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you want to
disclose before it comes up in the campaign?
While I have a backbone, I have no skeleton(s).
16. If you are running for a governing board in Oregon (such as city council, county board of
commissioners or the Legislature), how many meetings of that board have you attended in
person during 2013 and 2014? How many have you watched online or on TV, if applicable?
I have not attended any state legislative proceedings in 2013/2014 due to my day job for the
Oregon Employment Department.
Thank you. Please return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an attached Word document to
Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com by 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 16.