Published on dailymail.co.uk
Clackamas County commissioners have voted to close the Equity and Inclusion Office, a move expected to save taxpayers nearly $1 million a year. Commissioner Ben West, who led the effort, said the office had become divisive and counterproductive to the county’s mission of fairness and unity. In interviews with multiple outlets, West emphasized that government should focus on “merit, fairness, and equality — not racializing the workplace.” He said he wants county employees to be valued for their individual contributions rather than their demographics, noting that his own family reflects genuine diversity and inclusion in practice, not policy. West described the shift as a return to principle-based governance that celebrates the “individual spark” in every person. Supporters on the commission, including Commissioner Mark Shull, agreed that the office had become a distraction from real service delivery. The decision marks a clear philosophical turn in Clackamas County toward recognizing personal merit and accountability over bureaucratic identity metrics.
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