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Former Douglas County Oregon commissioner Michael Winters cites the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Tribal Government for its efforts to attract high caliber businesses such as Dell Computer to Douglas County.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Learn from Douglas County
I see much lip service being paid to the economic development woes of Portland and the Willamette Valley. I have followed this dilemma for eight years as a Douglas County commissioner. I have noted the political infighting and bickering in Portland and Multnomah County over permit processing and land-use policy posturing. I have seen businesses such as Columbia Sportswear. move out of downtown Portland, and others leave our state.
In that same eight years in Douglas County, we have built a major recreational vehicle resort in Winchester Bay (south of Reedsport) and attracted to our area several Fortune 500 companies, such as American Bridge and Dell Computer Corp., and several smaller companies.
How does a small, rural county attract business of this caliber? We do it by being open for business. We do it by forming community partnerships between county and city governments, the Cow Creek tribal government, chambers of commerce, citizen advisory boards and even some agencies of state and federal government.
It's being solution-oriented, not guarding our turf. It's looking out for our citizens, communities and schools. We want good business to locate in Douglas County, and we roll up our sleeves and get the job done!
MICHAEL J. WINTERS
Roseburg
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