Jun 6, 2012
Jim Cook ousted as Siskiyou supervisor
Criss leads race by 2-1 margin
By LEE JUILLERAT
H&N Regional Editor
June 6, 2012
Brandon Criss unseated incumbent Jim Cook in Tuesday’s Siskiyou County Supervisor District 1 election.
Based on early returns, Criss, who lives in Macdoel , was outpolling Cook by nearly a two to one margin, 792 to 481.
“I’m ecstatic,” Criss said Tuesday night.
He credited a “great campaign team” and strategy. Criss launched his campaign in May 2011 throughout his district, which includes portions of the Tulelake Basin and Butte Valley.
“I was door-to-door shaking hands, standing out in front of the post offices,” he said of his campaign strategy. Criss also said he emphasized to voters throughout his large geographic district that he will represent all areas of his district, including the Shasta Valley and McCloud areas. “I’m committed to representing the entire district. The goal is to represent the whole district.”
Criss said one of his immediate priorities will be opposing the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, which calls for removal of four Klamath River dams. He also pledged to advocate water supplies for Tulelake Basin irrigators.
“It’s been an honor and a pleasure to serve the constituents of District 1,” Cook said Monday night.
Two other incumbent supervisors in areas outside the Klamath Basin were re-elected. District 4 Supervisor Grace Bennett of Yreka was unopposed while District 2 Supervisor Ed Valenzuela of Mount Shasta City easily withstood a challenge from Dan Dorsey by taking more than 70 percent of the early returns.
City Council elections for Dorris and Tulelake will be held in November.
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NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
This information and much more that you need to know about the ESA,
the Klamath River Basin, and private property rights can be found at The
Klamath Bucket Brigade’s web site – http://klamathbucketbrigade.org/index.html –
please visit today.
May 1, 2012
PLEASE JOIN US FOR DINNER
TO MEET
BRANDON CRISS
Candidate for Siskiyou County Supervisor, District 1
Music
Cowboy Poetry
Dessert Auction
Thursday, May 17, 2012
6 – 8 pm
$8 per person/families encouraged
Pasta, salad, garlic bread, dessert, punch, coffee
MONTAGUE COMMUNITY HALL
Tickets available at the Grange Insurance at 347 N. Main St Yreka
or call 586-1430
Sponsored by the committee supporting Brandon Criss for Supervisor 2012
Apr 19, 2012
By Skye Kinkade
Mount Shasta Herald
April 18, 2012
Skye Kinkade Brandon Criss
Southern Siskiyou County, Calif. — Brandon Criss, a fourth generation Siskiyou County farmer and volunteer firefighter from Butte Valley, hopes to replace incumbent Jim Cook as District 1 supervisor.
Making a pledge to bring strong leadership to the county, Criss said he’s looking forward to representing the citizens of McCloud and the rest of District 1.
A firm believer in the process of coordination and the need to save the Klamath hydroelectric dams, Criss was the Butte Valley-Tulelake regional campaign manager for the “No on Measure G” campaign in 2010, an advisory vote that showed a large majority of those who voted opposed dam removal.
Criss holds a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on economics and political science and a master’s degree in public administration. He said he’s concerned with economic growth, job creation in the county, and keeping the family resource centers viable. He hopes to bring a proactive approach to county government and pledges to stay involved with all his constituents to represent them to the best of his ability.
Economy
“Natural resources are the base of all economic growth… A county this rich in natural resources shouldn’t have this high of an unemployment rating,” said Criss, who describes himself as “pro-ag, pro-timber and pro-mining.”
He hopes that through coordination, state and federal agencies will be forced to respect local land-use laws.
If elected, Criss hopes to help the county “move beyond dealing with the county budget in a year-to-year crisis mode and establish long-term planning that would give the county a sounder fiscal policy.”
On his website, Criss said he believes that sound funding prioritization for essential services such as emergency services, fire, law enforcement, public works and public health is critical, and the county should be taking a long-term approach to funding.
“The county can do this by funding essential services during economic good times and saving the extra money to cushion the county during economic poor times in order to maintain those essential services,” Criss said. “It shouldn’t take a recession for the county to prioritize its funding… [it] should be a basic operating premise for the county as it is for any private business.”
Criss said he’d like to ensure programs in the county’s outlying areas, not just the Interstate 5 corridor, are funded. He believes the cost-effective family resource centers are vital in meeting that objective.
Dam removal
“The dams provide the cleanest, cheapest electricity that can be produced,” Criss said.
“It was believed by the incumbent county supervisor that a majority of the Tulelake Basin supported dam removal because farmers had been promised water if they supported it,” Criss continued. “I couldn’t stand by and let part of Siskiyou County be fooled about false promises. I was told it would harm my future Supervisor’s race if I got involved with the issue in Tulelake because it was very divisive locally. Instead of being scared, I assumed a leadership position… we won with 77 percent of Tulelake voting against dam removal and an 83 percent average in my entire campaign region.”
Thoughts on McCloud
Though the Nestle issue is “still big in McCloud,” Criss believes that with strong leadership, the community can come together, much the way Tulelake did on the dam issue.
“The community has already taken several initiatives to improve the economy especially with tourism,” Criss said. “I would organize roundtable meetings between the business community and the county asking community members what needs to improve from the county’s end,” Criss said. “Leading and listening will be key.”
Background
Criss has been married to his wife, Kerry, for two years. He’s a seven-year volunteer firefighter and six year volunteer ambulance crew member.
Criss has worked for Oregon State Senator Doug Whitsett as his legislative aide, and is familiar with reading legislation and long budget reports. He has made contact with state and national elected representatives and their staffs.
“I have the knowledge and experience to lead us successfully in really beginning and continuing with coordination as a tool to stop dam removal,” Criss said.
Contact Criss
Criss is available to discuss concerns and answer questions by phone at (530) 859-5548, or by email at brandoncriss22@yahoo.com or at his website, brandoncriss2012.com
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NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
This information and much more that you need to know about the ESA,
the Klamath River Basin, and private property rights can be found at The
Klamath Bucket Brigade’s web site – http://klamathbucketbrigade.org/index.html –
please visit today.
Feb 24, 2012
By Brandon Criss, candidate, Siskiyou County Supervisor District 1
Siskiyou Daily News
Letter to the Editor
February 24. 2012
Butte Valley, Calif. — M. David Stirling, vice president of the Pacific Legal Foundation, described the 2001 water shutoff to the Tulelake Basin like this:
“Homesteaders were lured by the federal government to enter into contracts under which they would pay for and the federal government would provide irrigation water in perpetuity.
For almost a century, irrigation water was delivered without fail. For the sucker fish and coho salmon, 1,400 farm families were denied water for their livestock and crops.”
He also explained, “The results included numerous bankruptcies, two known suicides by distraught farmers and many dashed dreams.”
Then came the KBRA and dam removal agreements. The Tulelake Basin, which is dependent on its agriculturally based economy, was promised by the state and federal governments as well as by radical environmentalists that if they support dam removal they will be promised water for their farms.
The Tulelake Basin stood up against that blackmail attempt and voted 77 percent against dam removal. The political importance of the Tulelake Basin’s vote is incalculable when it comes to lobbying Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
The Siskiyou County government has no choice but to fight intelligently and effectively for the Tulelake Basin. We have to do this in order to keep that unity in Siskiyou County. The Tulelake Basin must know that Siskiyou County greatly appreciates their support for the dams. That we appreciate Tulelake standing up against the blackmail attempt.
Siskiyou County must now use its “coordination” powers vested to it under federal law and demand government to government meetings with the federal bureaucracies that shut off the Tulelake Basin’s water in years past.
Every year for years now, the Tulelake Basin is unsure whether or not it will get its irrigation water. If we fight and lobby the state and federal bureaucracies in a united front, together we can win for all of Siskiyou County.
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NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
This information and much more that you need to know about the ESA,
the Klamath River Basin, and private property rights can be found at The
Klamath Bucket Brigade’s web site – http://klamathbucketbrigade.org/index.html –
please visit today.
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