Where do failed managers go to end their careers? Apparently, Clackamas County Oregon! I think the…read morerecent scandals, corruption and problems in Clackamas County government can be at least partially attributed to poor management of the county's civilian staff. I realized just recently that I've had the "pleasure" of working with no less than three individuals over the years who, in spite of very questionable work histories with other organizations, went on to senior management positions with the county. I believe only one of these persons is still employed by the county, someone who during the time we worked together put so much stress on the organization's HR department they were forced to higher additional staff. Nevertheless, my point is about the pattern here. With lackluster experience in previous jobs all three still somehow found managerial salvation in high level/high paying positions with Clackamas County. Has the county ever heard of a vetting process or background checks? Maybe ask for good old-fashioned references? To say the public deserves better. . .

It's fairly easy to review something you know quite a bit about and sort of like, based on a…read morefamiliar feel, the gut, and, occasionally, because of my apologism. Such an entity would be Clackamas County, Oregon. Clackamas County is one of the counties making up the Portland metro area, along with the counties of Multnomah, where Portland is located, and Washington, where the Silicon Forest is located. If the metro area is tallied as the Portland-Vancouver WA area, then Clark County WA needs to be included. However, for state and local government purposes, such as Trimet, the three county transit agency, Clark County would be omitted. Clackamas County is not always well understood, be it to its residents, to Portlanders who are content within its city limits except to travel, and to those from out of the area. Clackamas County figures prominently in Oregon's history, with its name derived from the Clackamas Indians who lived in the area, including across the river in Washington. It's also important because Oregon City, the county seat, is the end of the Oregon Trail, which brought settlers from America's heartland and, to a large degree, shaped its cultural composition. The county is the largest of the counties in the Portland metro area. Washington County to the west abuts several of the counties on the Coastal Range, separating it from Oregon Coast counties. On the other hand, Clackamas County sprawls eastward, almost to Central Oregon. In so doing, it is home to Mount Hood, Oregon's mountain icon. Most of the county is rural, with its population concentrated along the I-205 bypass arc which sweeps the metro area's East Side before rejoining I-5 north of Vancouver, WA as it continues up to Seattle and the Canadian border. Consistent with its rural flavor, it is the least populous of the three counties, despite being the largest. In 1990, it had about 375,000 people. Today, it has approximately 410,000 people. Growth in terms of infill is happening in already established cities, such as Milwaukie and Gladstone. Growth by expansion seems to be happening east and south, beyond Happy Valley, Oregon City, and Wilsonville. Some things are apparent and others are not. What is apparent is its lineage, with over 55% of German, English, Irish, and Norwegian ancestry, in that order. That is shifting as people from other ethnicities and races are calling Clackamas County home, though not as quickly as is in Portland proper. What is also apparent is that there is more light industry and distribution here, in contrast to more corporate and tech concerns in Multnomah and Washington Counties. Nevertheless, the county is diversified enough in terms of what it produces and what services it offers. What is not apparent is the county's political leanings. One could assume it would be overwhelmingly Republican. It is balanced, and at times tips slightly Democratic. What is also not apparent is how cosmopolitan it is or isn't, and its East Side versus West Side identity. Clackamas County is indeed mostly an East Side county. However, Clackamas County actually crosses the line of demarcation, the Willamette River, and the upscale suburbs of Lake Oswego and West Linn are west of the river, yet part of Clackamas County. They might be associated with the West Side because they are often accessed by I-5 and are adjacent to Washington County. The I-205 arc's major hub of commerce is the Sunnyside Corridor in Clackamas and Happy Valley, parts of which might resemble Lake Oswego and West Linn, though might be dismissed by some because of their more nouveau vibe. Growth in this area has been fueled by MAX train service to the Clackamas Town Center terminus. Clackamas County is growing and changing. Parts of it show vestiges of the "Sometimes a Great Notion" version of Oregon and parts of it show the input of transplantation from the state below and, as such, I jokingly refer to parts of it as "Clackafornia." It is actually growing in population with people from within the area and from all over the globe, its economy is changing, and its infrastructure is expanding. Though not as lengthy as the 2 rail lines to the West Side, 2 MAX train lines also now service the county, with the most recent addition connecting Milwaukie to downtown Portland. Some people like living in Portland, and in its established neighborhoods with their own look and feel. Some suburbanites prefer the West Side, on the same side of the river as downtown and with more dibs on intellectual cachet. Still, Clackamas County, offers quite a bit of diversity and is close enough to Portland's diversity, touching Portland's city limit adjacent to popular "Southeast," not to mention being on the same side of the river and thus closer to the airport, which is mostly accessed from the I-205 arc. One thing in Clackamas County that is certain and inevitable is change. What you might also discover is that it's an agreeable enough place.