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May 28, 2025
Two local city council members have drawn a mixed response from the public after making a Facebook post last week.
On Thursday, Longview City Council Member Erik Halvorson and Kelso City Council Member Keenan Harvey shared a post captioned “If you can’t beat them… join them!” It featured the two council members with a tent and camping chairs set up, along with a sign that read “Civic Center Campground.”
Community member Pam McCutcheon, with support from the Cowlitz County Democratic Central Committee, issued a response yesterday calling for community action. She accused the council members of “mocking the unhoused while serving on the County Homelessness Task Force.” Halvorson and Harvey both currently serve on the Cowlitz County Homelessness-Housing Task Force. The statement argues that the council members’ actions contradict the mission of the task force.
McCutcheon outlined several demands in response: the immediate removal of Council Members Halvorson and Harvey from the Cowlitz County Homelessness-Housing Task Force, a formal censure by the Longview and Kelso city councils, and a renewed commitment from public officials to uphold the dignity of all residents—especially those without housing.
The Democratic Central Committee also announced plans to hold an event at the Civic Center to serve meals to unhoused residents. The event will include speakers, volunteers, and local Democratic candidates planning to run for office throughout the county. A date for the event has not yet been determined.
Council Members Halvorson and Harvey responded with a joint press release today, further explaining their post. They stated, “The photo brought forth several issues that we hear on a consistent and repeatable basis. The community has largely been asking for something to be done about the homeless population that is plaguing our city parks, as it is creating public safety, quality of place, and community morale issues.”
They said the photo was intended as satire, highlighting what they view as insufficient action regarding homelessness in the community. They added, “The photo was also mocking the community members, like the Cowlitz Democrats, that continually enable a small minority of the homeless population to camp, defecate, and litter in our public parks. Mr. Halvorson and I were acting in our personal capacity and in no way was the photo meant to represent the feelings of our respective cities.”
In their response, Councilmembers Halvorson and Harvey also claimed to have majority public support, characterizing the criticism from the Cowlitz County Democrats as an “80/20 issue.” They further accused the organization of failing to address publicity problems within its own ranks.
They said that the photo succeeded in its intended purpose: sparking continued conversation about homelessness—a conversation they plan to pursue with the Homelessness-Housing Task Force.
