The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Why are you running for this position?

Backman: I've enjoyed doing the job. I've gotten to help people and see a different aspect of town. I've lived here my whole life yet I didn't realize some of the inner workings of it. I've been really fortunate to meet and reintroduce myself to a lot of different people. I get to help some people, talk to people and see stuff. It's a good job.

Experience:

Backman: I've been going on four years of doing this. I think one of the things I bring to this job that is really beneficial, in my opinion, is being a commercial fisherman. I meet people like you and have a cup of coffee and I don't think about what you do for a living. I just see the person. I think from being a fisherman, because I didn't work for other people, I grew up outside the circle. I wasn't the low guy or the high guy or the middle guy trying to get to the high guy. I think that aspect of talking to everybody the same is one of the biggest things.

I'm learning. I'm not perfect. I'm learning to be more diplomatic. I'm straightforward and I'm trying not to be so abrasive about it. I think that comes from the experience of this job. I did carpentry work, I went through an apprenticeship and that taught me to do things I wasn't comfortable with. I realized that if you put your mind to it, you can do things you don't know you can do. I think a lot of that comes with this job. You almost surprise yourself with the knowledge that you end up with from doing that stuff.

It's been a blessing. There are moments when it doesn't feel like that, but overall, it's been a blessing.

What do you hope to achieve if re-elected?

Backman: We're working on economic stuff. My biggest goal is to try to find ways to help people get jobs here. I'm working on several different things, fishing, farming, added value to the product. Taking stuff that is already here and figure out how to make more money. For the youth to be able to get into something. I've been working on the food and farm network, working with the Marine Resources Committee and the Council of Governments. I'm working with port districts in Kalama and in Longview, to have a conversation. What can we do economically and how do we figure out what fits here so we can keep our small town atmosphere, our same kind of life? We're not looking for the next big mill, we're looking for things like a USDA butcher shop or a mobile slaughter unit, so we can add value to the farms, so the farms are producing more up to capacity. That kind of healthy environment.

I've been working to get the Hunger Task Force more situated. It's a volunteer thing. I'll do that even if I'm not elected. Once you've been on the front line and seen people hungry, you just realize that it is not right and you're going to keep doing what you can. Because once you pull the curtain back and take a look...We all want to think this is Mayberry, but there is hunger here and troubles here and people need jobs and need to be walking upright.

We're trying to develop programs that help you to help yourself. There are a lot of people here that are willing to help that have a lot of expertise. So we're trying to develop those relationships.

What is your vision for Wahkiakum County?

Backman: My vision is that we are still a small enough community where you walk downtown you know most of the people you are talking to.

I lived in Vancouver for five years. If you had a flat tire, you'd be lucky if somebody let you use their phone. If you see someone with a flat tire in Cathlamet, all the sudden someone is saying "I've got a jack." We have a population where the average age is 65. You want them to be comfortable and at the same time the kids need to grow up here, to have jobs here. VoAg really needs to be stronger. Fishing, logging, some kind of farming, but it's not your dad's farm. It's more likely to be a going to Saturday market farm.

Other than that I don't want to change anything. I love that it's small. I like knowing the people.

What should be a county commissioner's role in working to support local business and the economy?

Backman: Get out of your own way and let it happen. Try to figure out what they want, not what you want. It's not about you. It's about the job.