Oregon House District 21: A tale of two Salems

Carla Axtman

(This is the second in what I hope to be a series of profiles featuring various Oregon House Districts. Today the focus is on Oregon House District 21, represented by Democrat Brian Clem. The first profile on Oregon House District 31/David Edwards can be found here.)

Brian Clem is a busy guy. Our meeting began in downtown Salem and as I approached the location, Clem was standing outside on the sidewalk, chatting on his cell phone. I presumed he was speaking to another legislator as I overheard the phrase, "..the reason this issue is important to me..." from Clem as I entered the coffee shop. Clem's wife and toddler-age daughter were there, sitting at a table. As the Representative entered, his wife had already unpacked a toddler feast of fruit and other snacks, busily feeding their very squirmy (and very cute) daughter.

We sat and chatted awhile in the shop as the three ate their lunch. Clem talked about how much he enjoys being a legislator for the Salem area. "Our daughter's daycare can be seen from the Capitol. I can pick her up at night or even get her during the day if necessary." Clem then stepped up to wave over a constituent sitting nearby, who he later explained is a Republican who he'd won over when door-knocking. Clem even knew that she'd recently painted her house, and asked her about the project. They then talked over a few local issues before parting. He's clearly comfortable with his those he represents.

After lunch, Rep. Clem and I got into his car and took a drive to an area of his district in east Salem. Clem describes this part of the district as "more conservative and working class". I noticed a large number of churches, running the gamut from Baptist to Unitarian. The Representative said that this part of his district reminded him of his boyhood in Coos Bay. I asked him about the reaction he gets at the doors here, given that he's a Democrat. Clem responded, "These are like the people I grew up around. We don't always agree on every issue, but I've found that we have a lot of common ground and that's what we talk about." Many of the residents of this area work for the State of Oregon, according to Clem.

This area of District 21 contains an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) line. Clem has a self-described "passion for ag" and is a strong supporter of the UGB. "My family has been in Oregon since 1850. I like representing a district with so much farming just next door". Clem is a big proponent of land-use laws, citing the importance to keep sprawl at bay.

As we drive through a few of the neighborhoods outside the UGB, there are very few sidewalks and the lots are larger. Inside the UGB are bigger, newer homes on smaller lots. Clem explained that there are a number of mobile home parks in this area as well, so one of the district's big issues is tenants rights. Clem has worked on legislation which gives specific rights to mobile home park tenants when a landowner decides to sell out from under them. The rights include closure notices, waiting periods and even financial compensation under certain circumstances.

There's only one actual farm in this district and its owned/operated by the Zielinski family. We stopped at their farm stand shop, where much of what they sell is local (although on this trip we didn't see much of that, given that most things are out of season for Oregon at the moment).

What this shop DID have was some awesomely delicious freshly made donuts...apparently with apple cider in them. They are melt in your mouth fabulous, incidentally.

The main thing I noticed about this tour with Rep. Clem was the constant running narrative about his constituents. House after house, Clem knew the resident(s) and their issues. He regaled me with the stories of these people. Their problems and issues form the backbone of Clem's priority list as their legislator.

Representative Clem and I then moved on to the west (and more urban) side of his district.

The first major landmark we visited here was the Oregon State Hospital.

The hospital is in the process of a major physical overhaul. After large sections of the buildings were condemned, it became evident that they would need to be razed and new facilities built. That process is still in the early stages.

Clem mentioned an interesting dynamic about representing the Salem region. Much of the construction/infrastructure work that goes on has to do with state buildings. So many of the local issues are also issues of the state, which makes for a complex relationship.

This part of District 21 is also an area of historic homes.

Unike its eastern, rural counterpart, this area is more diverse in terms of economics. Many state workers and Willamette University professors reside here, a spectrum of working to middle-class. There are also a few pockets of wealth, and some absolutely gorgeous homes:

The district as a whole is vastly residential (Wachovia, Kettle Chips, Lancaster Mall and Costco are the major in-district employers). The Dept of Forestry and the Oregon Lottery buildings are also within the boundaries. The urban residential areas, according to Clem, are just learning what it means to be a city. Neighborhood restaurants, pubs and shops are just now starting to emerge.

Clem said that city code is changing to encourage this type of development--with the guidance and support of the Mayor of Salem.

Another piece of the puzzle are luxury condos, in the Orenco Station style, such as the one in progress as seen in the photo below. Housing units are built around and near neighborhood grocery stories and other shops, within walking distance (or perhaps just downstairs) for tenants. Clem said he hopes to see much more of this kind of residential building, allowing for tightly knit urban communities to have a strong sense of neighborhood. This is a "thriving, noisy, fun, entertaining and challenging" part of the district, according to Clem. It's what it means to be urban.

It's also got to be pretty interesting to have the Governor of Oregon as a constituent:

As we wrapped up our tour, I asked Clem to take me to the place in this area where he'd most like to have me take his photo. Clem chose the waterfront park area of Salem at the new statue of former Oregon Governor Tom McCall:

Clem cites McCall's fierce dedication to the environment and his founding of Oregon's land use system. "I'm not sure its right to say that I want to be just like Tom McCall," said Clem. "But I really admire what he did for Oregon.."

(The statue in this photo was modeled after a photo of McCall and placed in the Salem park at the request of his wife, Audrey. Its a stunning work. And a great tribute to McCall.)

By Carla Axtman March 30, 2009