Douglas County is sad. I say that having lived there for many years in the past.

Douglas County has the third or fourth lowest property tax rate in Oregon. Private forest owners who constitute the largest collective property holding and value in Douglas pay only about 4% of the total property tax due to their many subsidies.

Meanwhile, Douglas County commissioners clamor constantly for more federal logging to provide funds for important public services like sheriffs patrols and libraries. I like to think of this as extortion... log more public land or we'll close your libraries.

If Douglas County's citizens want more public services, they should lobby for more equitable private property tax policies, not just bemoan a loss in federal logging funds.