Economic realities could be described with a number of different data sources and comparisons. I chose to compare the average per capita income between Douglas County and the rest of Oregon, as well as the entire country. While different perspectives on the logging and forestry issues can be found both intermixed within and outside of the region, there is a definite opposition between the government as a whole, and the county. This could also extend to the environmental activist community as a whole, as there is a large anti-logging push in the general environmental community.
The two following graphs were displayed amongst varied comparisons of the data, and I felt that they accurately depict the point that I would like to highlight regarding Douglas County:
Real Per Capita Personal Income Indices (1969=100): 1969-2014
Figure 1.
Per Capita Personal Income as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2014
Figure 2.
In both of these examples, the average per capita income within Douglas County is significantly less than both the state of Oregon and the greater United States. Figure 2 shows Douglas County as only 75% of the US average in 2014, while Oregon as a whole rested at 90%. For both, particularly Douglas County, there has been a steady decrease since the 1980s. Looking at the per-capita income shows a particular type of economic reality in the county, particularly because it does not demonstrate the wealth of the county as a whole, meaning the wealth from timber revenues, etc. The county itself has historically been quite wealthy due to logging and timber revenue, but this wealth is not synonymous with the personal wealth of the individuals within the county. I choose to look at this because there can be arguments made against the way the County as been run by those in charge, implying that the economic downturn of the county is not the federal government’s fault. Looking at individual income, however, demonstrates the disadvantages of the individuals within the community and their ability to involve themselves in the political process.
https://oregon.reaproject.org/analysis/comparative-trends-analysis/per_capita_personal_income/tools/410019/410000/