Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2014 General Election

Thank you for responding to this questionnaire.

Why this matters: The Statesman Journal Editorial Board will use this questionnaire in deciding
whom to endorse for the Nov. 4 General Election. Your answers also will be shared with
reporters and probably will be published in the newspaper and/or on our website,
StatesmanJournal.com.
We also ask that you respond to every question, instead of simply attaching campaign materials,
resumes, etc. You are welcome to send us lists of supporters, a resume, etc., in addition to this
questionnaire.
If you completed our questionnaire for the 2014 Primary Election, you will notice that some
questions are similar. (This questionnaire is shorter and several questions have been changed.)
Please complete this questionnaire instead of simply referring to past answers.
Please return the finished questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an email or an attached Word
document to Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com. (Handwritten or fax responses dont work.)
Important; Please submit the questionnaire by the deadline listed in our email to you.
Questions? Contact Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes, 503-399-6727, dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com, or
Editorial Assistant Nancy Harrington, 503-589-6944, nharring@StatesmanJournal.com.
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Your name as listed on the ballot:
Age: 65
(If your age will change before Nov. 30, please indicate your birthday. We want to ensure we use
accurate ages in pre- and post-election editorials and news coverage.)
City/town of residence: Woodburn, OR
Political party(ies), if this is a partisan office:
Democratic Party
Position you are seeking (name of position, district number, etc.):
State Representative, House District 22
Are you currently a full-time resident of the district you seek you represent?
Yes.
Number of current, consecutive years living in the district you seek to represent:
21
Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home or number of grown
children): 4 daughters, Melinda, Leslie, Amanda, Lynette
Your education (high school, trade, college, post-baccalaureate; indicate degrees you earned):
BS and MS in Education from Western Oregon University
If employed, current occupation, employer and job duties:
Currently serving as the State Representative for District 22
Previous employers and when:
Farm hand, Sears Hop Farm 84-90
Youth Minister, St. Marys Church, Mt. Angel 84 90
Assistant Principal, Woodburn High School 94- 98
Teacher, Woodburn High School 90 94
Principal, French Prairie Middle School 98 04
Military service and when:
n/a
Volunteer/civic/religious service and when:
French Prairie Kiwanis, 98 04, Mt. Angel school board member from 86 90
Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when:
School Board member 86 90
State Representative, House District 22
Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when:
State Representative, House District 22, 2002
Other prior political and government experience:
How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information will be made public):
Mail address:
Elect Betty Komp
PO Box 676
Woodburn OR 97071
E-mail address: Electbettykomp22@gmail.com
Web site URL: http://bettykompfororegon.com/welcome
Phone: (503) 884-2337
Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words.
1. To an outsider, how would you describe the region you wish to represent -- geographically,
economically, politically and socially?
House District 22 is geographically, culturally, and economically diverse. The district
contains portions of Salem, Woodburn, Gervais, and Keizer. But no matter what part of the
district you live in or what your background, what brings us together is that were hard-working
and committed to giving our kids a brighter future.
Census data has the current population of the district at 64,704, with the majority of that
population coming from Woodburn and Salem. We have a high Hispanic population and a
strong senior citizen community.
2. What are the positives and negatives of this region (district, county or state) that you wish to
represent?
The districts greatest assets are the people who call it home. It is a close-knit
community, supportive of small businesses, and home to great schools. The districts challenges
are that even though were working harder than ever, many families in our community are
struggling just to get by. We have one of the lowest median incomes in the state. We also have
high mobility of families and students, which creates issues with housing and education.
3. What specific skills and experiences do you bring to the position that would help turn those
negatives into positives?
My long experience in education has given me insight into what our schools need in order to
really thrive. I have high expectations for our schools and our community to help our students
reach high levels of success so that they can have good, family-wage jobs. Ive got a long track
record in the legislature of getting things done for our community.
5. What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be specific.
I can call on twenty years of experience in education systems as a school board member and
other leadership roles since 1996. Ive had 10 years of experience in the legislature, where Ive
worked hard to get things done for the people of HD22.
I grew up with adversity, but was able to get ahead by taking advantage of opportunities
given to me. I know how to inspire and work towards a better life for our District and those
within it.
6. Please list five specific accomplishments that you have achieved in politics or civic affairs:
As an assistant principal, I dramatically lowered the absentee rate of high truancy
students.
In my six years as principal, I increased student achievement levels from 18% of
students being at grade level to 47.97% when I left.
I helped pass House bill 3619, in 2011, increasing the level and amount of professional
development for our teachers.
Last year, we increased the budget for schools by $48 million for House District 22.
5. The first bill I ever passed in 2005, as a member on the veterans committee, provided funds to
cover the costs of veterans school tuition to become a teacher. The bill was called Troops to
Teachers.
7. How much will your General Election campaign cost (be specific)?
A minimum of $150,000 200,000.
8. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing
board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details.
No.
9. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or
been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details.
No.
10. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected, and how? (75 words
for each issue)
Looking forward, these are all issues that I am currently working on

A. Education: I want to ensure that community college credits transfer to every public university
in the state, so that students are not wasting credit time and money. We need smaller K-12 class
sizes and college tuition rates that are more affordable for working families.
B. Reducing government waste: Im working to make sure that the new education data system
is more efficient and has the information to help our students and teachers. This new data
system is in progress.
C. Boosting the local economy:
Boosting the economy starts with improving our education system so that our students graduate
with high analytic, collaborative, and evaluative skills so that they can be effective at their jobs
and contribute to a stable economy .
11. What do you see as other important issues?
Continuing to improve our corrections system so that we have less recidivism. Constantly
monitoring our early childhood health inventions so that our children have healthy bodies and
healthy minds and can succeed in school.
12. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you should
disclose before it comes up in the campaign? Anything (including health issues) that would
affect your ability to serve your full term? Any changes in your life situation that are
contemplated or expected before the election or before you would take office?
No.
Thank you. Please return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an attached Word document to
Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com by the requested deadline.