I was born in Portland, 1945.  Raised in Mt. Angel; farms and creeks, rivers, farm labor, a “Fighting Angel” at Mt. Angel Prep,  PSU with a Soc. Sci. degree,  A labor contractor in my 20’s, a youth program director in my 30’s, a small business owner in my 40’s, and a property owner and manager for the last 20 yrs.

I have 4 children and 2 grandchildren.   Lost Erick at 20, 8 yrs. ago to suicide; this campaign is becoming part of my recovery process from that loss.  I’ve been in recovery from alcoholism for 28 yrs. and continuously sober for 16 yrs.  I’m a skier, sailor, swimmer (snorkel the Willamette yr. round), OSAA Basketball Official for 25 years, work with younger people working on recovery from addictions.  I’ve traveled to Norway, China, Mexico, almost every state and Canada, many trips to Hawaii with the kids. I’ve learned Oregon is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been – the people, the geography, the ocean (I sailed the Oregon Coast for 10 years and now have the boat in the Gorge), the desert, the mountains, the Valley.  A treasure on this planet I feel a responsibility and gratitude to sustain, protect and restore.  As 10 and 12 yr. olds we used to watch the lamprey and the smelt and the salmon traveling up the Abiqua Creek, the Mollalla, Butte,  Pudding Rivers, and occasionally Zollner Creek!

I am new to politics.  I am outspoken and fearless about my career – it is behind me.  I have joined this campaign to raise awareness about the single most devastating problem we face in our state:  the epidemic of alcohol and drug addiction.  I want to create an awareness of the grave nature of use for the Jr. high kids who are going to experiment with substance abuse.  We know that 1 in 5 will have a disease response to their 1^st experiments at 10, 11, 12 years old.  We must get this information to their peer group.   We will not only save countless lives and suffering of families we will begin to restrict the pipeline into the corrections system – now at a cost of about $80,000 per inmate, 80% of those inmates have a substance abuse problem:  We must insist on abstinence as a condition of release/parole.  While at PSU I did a 6 months practicum at the Milwaukie Work Release Center, in the late 70’s I did Masters Degree work in Corrections at WOSC.  I’ve been on both sides of addiction, both sides of jail and know the hope and the hopelessness of addiction.

My life experiences have brought me to a place of sound judgment, Oregon values, and fiscal responsibility; our state government can be much more supportive of our small business economy, more efficient, responsive.  It must be directed by legislators who will strive for reducing its size and cost.  We are legislating ourselves into paralysis.  Incidentally, one of the primary causes of the fall of the Roman Empire (I am a voracious reader).

— Marvin Sannes