#### Oregonians for the removal of Ron Wyden - Jeff Merkley and Tina Kotek
Greater Oregon - The Respublica Backtrail · pensrSdoot3f8731f0f0t05fhimula5c5g3amh62u8c681g711l122i35125 ·
Based on statewide polling, government reports, economic data, and recurring news coverage, these are consistently among the top five issues facing Oregon:
1. Housing affordability and homelessness
○ High home prices and rents.
○ Insufficient housing supply.
○ One of the nation's highest rates of unsheltered homelessness.
2. Cost of living
○ Rising costs for groceries, utilities, insurance, fuel, and healthcare.
○ Wage growth has not kept pace for many households.
3. Drug addiction and behavioral health
○ High rates of fentanyl and methamphetamine use.
○ Limited access to addiction treatment and mental health services.
○ Ongoing debate over the state's drug policy reforms.
4. Crime and public safety
○ Concerns about property crime, retail theft, vehicle theft, drug-related crime, and public disorder.
○ Staffing shortages in many law enforcement agencies, particularly in rural areas.
5. Economic and workforce challenges
○ Business closures and relocations in some sectors.
○ Difficulty recruiting workers in healthcare, education, public safety, and skilled trades.
○ Slower economic growth in some rural communities compared with the Portland metropolitan area.
Other issues that are frequently cited include:
○ Wildfire risk and forest management.
○ Transportation infrastructure.
○ Education outcomes and chronic absenteeism.
○ State budget pressures.
○ Water resources and drought, especially in eastern and southern Oregon.
Oregonians themselves rank as the most important in recent polling, the order is generally:
1. Housing/homelessness
2. Cost of living/inflation
3. Crime/public safety
4. Drug addiction and mental health
5. The economy/jobs
If the question is who bears the greatest political accountability for Oregon's statewide policies over the past several decades, then it is reasonable to say that Democratic officeholders and the policies they enacted bear the largest share of responsibility, because they have held the governorship continuously since 1987 and have controlled the Oregon Legislature for much of the past two decades.
Some observers point to:
○ Persistent homelessness.
○ High housing costs.
○ Drug overdose and addiction problems.
○ Crime concerns.
○ Slower economic performance in some regions.
...as evidence that certain policies have not achieved their intended outcomes.
So, a precise way to state it is:
Political accountability: Democrats bear the greatest responsibility for Oregon's statewide policy direction because they have held sustained control of the executive branch and, for much of the period, the Legislature.
Policy performance: Whether those policies are characterized as "failures" depends on the specific policy and the criteria used to judge success. Some policies have been widely criticized, including by Democrats themselves.

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