March 7, 2010

Greetings! I hope you are well. Thanks for your interest in my campaign. I have some exciting news to share with you. A few weeks ago I signed up to be a candidate for Lane County Commissioner. I am aiming to get elected to the Board of Commissioners as a representative from the East Lane District in the May 18, 2010 election. I have a good chance of winning this election and I am writing to ask for your help.

As you know I have been a community organizer and activist all of my adult life. Beginning with my opposition to the war in Vietnam, I have committed my time to helping people and Nature. I continue to work full-time to make our world a more just and humane place. I believe it is our responsibility as conscientious human beings to assist in our communities and to support the work of others who promote peace, environmental conservation and personal freedom.

I have been employed as Executive Director of Sustainable Forestry Network (SFN) since 1993. SFN is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the forests and wildlife of Oregon and to educating the public about ecologically sustainable forestry. We do a variety of projects including educational booklets, video documentaries and political work to halt deforestation. We continue to promote legislation to establish better regulations for ecologically sustainable forestry in Oregon. You can read all about SFN at our web site: http://www.sustainableforestry.net

Since moving to Lane County 30 years ago I have developed a variety of skills as a community organizer, a journalist and video producer. This gives me the hands-on experience to understand the importance of citizen involvement in the decisions of public agencies that affect our lives. From my earliest days as a concerned activist opposing the destructive wars in Vietnam and Southeast Asia to my current work as Executive Director for Sustainable Forestry Network I have been a leader in pushing for win-win solutions to social, political and environmental challenges in our communities. For 25 years I have worked with Eugene PeaceWorks speaking out for an end to immoral wars in Central America, Iraq and Afghanistan. I have always stood up for the oppressed, the poor and those less fortunate than I and have promoted practical solutions to the problems of poverty, hunger, homelessness, domestic violence and drug addiction. As an advocate for environmental protection I have spoken out for Nature: for animals and plants who cannot use human words to words to speak for themselves. I have accepted the challenge to be a responsible citizen by serving as a volunteer with a variety of non-profit organizations including Big Brother/Big Sister of Lane County, Eugene PeaceWorks, Community Television of Lane County, and Growers Market Food Co-op.

Our work for peace and human rights in our world is far from over. The current economic recession continues to hurt families who ethically play by the rules while politicians give billions to greedy corporations that fund their campaigns and hand bailouts to rip-offs artists with shams and scams. Tax dollars that citizens have paid with their blood, sweat and tears go to wealthy campaign contributors who laugh all the way to the bank with tax shelters and tax right-offs for the few.

It’s time for us to join together for fairness and moral principles that we work so hard for in our personal lives. We can change public policies by taking responsibility for our future and our children’s future. We can stand up for freedom and justice by electing people like me who will work tirelessly for a healthy future for all and by working with me when I’m elected to show that we truly care about life on our beautiful planet. We can redirect taxes now spent on war to domestic programs to rebuilding communities.

The position I am seeking is a four-year term sharing ideas with many local organizations that I have networked with for decades. Having worked as a journalist in the community since 1985, I know a lot of the people who are involved in leading edge work to improve our quality of life. I have done a significant amount of lobbying for political reforms and I am familiar with the processes for law-making and governmental administration. Working for so many years with grassroots organizations I understand the importance of thrift and making the best use of resources at hand. I am a fiscal conservative and a socially conscientious person concerned with the plight of the poor and oppressed. I believe we can help our neighbors realize their fullest potential by offering a hand up when needed and promoting public education and involvement in our communities. By working together I believe we can accomplish a great deal and improve the quality of life for all who seek a fair and humane society.

I am hoping that you can help in this important endeavor by making a contribution to my campaign. Raising the money I will need for publicity and networking will be critical for me to have a chance of prevailing over the incumbent, who will have access to large amounts of money from wealthy individuals and corporations. In his six years in office he has done very little to help local people or the environment and all too often chooses to ignore the needs of people here who are struggling just to survive.

A contribution of $100, $50, $25, $10 or whatever you can afford will go a long way to allow me to get my message to people in my district who will be voting in May. In keeping with my belief that campaign financing should be fair for all candidates, I have decided to accept no contribution greater than $100. Also, I will only accept contributions from individuals. I will not take contributions from corporations or unions. I will challenge my opponent to do the same. If you live here in Lane County you can help as a volunteer in the campaign. Otherwise, the best way to help is to contribute money to cover my costs for printing, phone, and travel. With your help we can bring a more humane and environmentally friendly voice to Lane County government. Contributions should be made out to: Gary Kutcher for Lane County Commissioner and sent to me at: 85560 Svarverud Road, Eugene, OR 97405.

I spend my free time writing, playing and recording original music, hiking, camping, gardening and reading. I feel that I have a lot to offer our community as county commissioner. I’ve having been a student of politics and life for 40 years. In the last three decades I have worked full-time with community organizations advocating for peace, social justice, democratic government and environmental protection. I have learned a variety of skills related to community networking, lobbying, grassroots organizing and political campaigning. This puts me in an excellent place to help Lane County develop programs for job creation, environmental restoration and helping meet the needs of less fortunate folks in our communities.

Gary Kutcher  
 

P.S. Important note: Oregon state taxpayers! You can count up to $50 of your contribution ($100 if you file jointly) toward your state political contribution tax credit and receive a 100% refund offered by the State of Oregon. This is better than a tax deduction since you can get your entire contribution back. You can use either the short or the long form for this tax credit.