Gregory: Change by going with write-in

Oake Gregory

Age: 36

Residence: Plum City

Occupation: Caregiver

Family: Single

Education: Horticulture at University of Wisconsin-River Falls, yearlong program in the healing arts, massage therapy and nutrition at Heartwood Institute, California

Oake Gregory has a different approach in mind for the Pierce County sheriff’s job.

A write-in candidate in the Nov. 2 election, Gregory intends to be an alternative to other office seekers.

He emphasizes relying on feedback to deal with several aspects related to the position.

“I’d be a good listener,” he said of his effort to keep up morale in the sheriff’s department.

He’d ask the deputies what their concerns are, he said. He’d also hold a friendly competition among them each month, treating the winner and their family to dinner as a reward, for example.

“I’m as concerned with the well-being of the deputies as I am with the rest of the citizens,” he said.

Similarly, in making the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in area schools more worthwhile, he said he’d tap the participants.

“I’d find out from them what is troublesome in their lives and help them address it so they don’t fall into (drugs),” he said.

The candidate said it’s important for this type of program to identify the underlying causes of substance abuse. One of the accomplishments he foresees as sheriff is working with troubled youths to help them find purpose and meaning in their lives. He plans to donate 30 percent of his salary toward starting and maintaining a youth center.

He also wants a 30 percent reduction in crime to be a top priority. He’d work to end domestic violence in the county and promote officials honoring their solemn oath to maintain the U.S. Constitution, he said.

He would approach solving the antiquated jail problem through crime reduction, he said. With modern technology, any non-violent offenders can be housed in their homes.

“If the sheriff is doing the job, a low jail population is an indicator,” he said, adding the meaning of sheriff is peacekeeper.

The budget is a challenge, he said.

He pledged to maintain a high level of service based on a tight budget and to achieve effective budgeting, avoiding as many tax levies as possible.

Tags: pierce county, elections, county, sheriff