Redistricting Update: Historic Bipartisan Agreement Reached and Passed

Rep. Shawn Lindsay (OR-Dist. 30) via E-mail, 6/10/2011 (Hat tip: D'Ann Mathews) - [Excerpts]: This week, the Oregon Legislature made history. On Tuesday, the Co-Chairs of the House Redistricting Committee and Chair and Vice-Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee reached an agreement on a bipartisan redistricting plan for the Oregon House and Senate legislative districts. This is the first time in several decades that a redistricting plan has been drawn by the Legislature and passed. ∴ To read Tuesday's press release from the Co-Chairs, click here. ∴ Today [Friday 6/10], the Redistricting plan passed through the House and the Senate Chambers and is expected to be signed into law by the Governor. Read More......

Bureaucrats are killing us!

OREGON HOUSE REPUBLICANS (fb) - State Bureaucracy Stifles Job Creation in Oregon: Reps. John Huffman (R-The Dalles), Mike Schaufler (D-Happy Valley) and Jim Thompson (R-Dallas) give an example of how state bureaucracy stifles job creation in Oregon. Read More......

Rep. Richardson: Oregon's Political War Has Begun

REP. DENNIS RICHARDSON (R-Central Point), 4/7/2011 NEWSLETTER - The “Co-Chairs Budget” was the subject of last week’s newsletter. It was signed by my two Democrat Ways & Means Co-Chairs, Senator Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin), Representative Peter Buckley (D-Ashland) and me. ∴ This Co-Chairs Budget was agreed upon after weeks of daily meetings and negotiations between the Democrat and Republican Co-Chairs. ∴ While Oregon’s fiscal problems are being addressed in a bipartisan manner requiring thoughtful and well-reasoned compromise, it was disappointing to learn that three of Oregon’s most powerful political groups, the Oregon Education Association (OEA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), are now trying to disrupt this bipartisan work through deception, intimidation and demagoguery. ∴ Consider the deceit in their political attack ad now being aired from Portland to Ashland: Click Here. Unfortunately it has caused anxiety and fear for vulnerable and confused seniors who have been deceived by it.

We three Co-Chairs and the rest of your Democrat and Republican legislators on the Ways and Means Committee are working together to face the reality of a difficult state economy. Such is not the case with three of Oregon’s most powerful unions, the OEA, AFSCME and SEIU. Instead, they collaborate and propagate lies. Their ad says: “Richardson wants to make drastic cuts to services we depend on … so Richardson can keep more than $440 million in unspent funds for his political priorities.”

This statement is false. The ending balance belongs to all Oregonians for protection from further recessionary pain.

As far as I am concerned, the airing of this fear-mongering statewide political attack ad is intended as a warning to other Legislators. They want to scare them into dancing to the unions’ tune, or risk being the subject of the next attack ad. The goal is to motivate the “unions’ legislators” to abandon fiscal prudence and perpetuate Oregon’s history of unsustainable spending. It was this kind of denial of economic reality that has grown Oregon’s all-funds budget by 50% in just the last four years.

Meanwhile, these very same public employee unions stand against every government reform intended to stabilize Oregon’s out-of-control spending, including the reforms suggested by former Governor Kulongoski’s Reset Cabinet and those proposed in Governor Kitzhaber’s recommended budget.

People in Oregon are tired of such negative political smear campaigns, and long for truth, transparency and meaningful reform. For the past decade Oregon unemployment has been above the national average. Yet during this same period, Oregonians have watched state government spending balloon by more than 100% in only ten years.

While hundreds of thousands of Oregon workers have taken pay cuts or lost their jobs, these public employee unions have negotiated sweetheart benefit deals, automatic pay increases and lucrative retirement packages. Even Wisconsin’s employee unions have allowed something to be paid by their members toward their retirement plans and health benefits. But not Oregon.

The attack ad states, “Richardson wants to make drastic cuts to services we depend on….” It implies the “we” are seniors, kids and vulnerable Oregonians. In fact, the opposite is true. The unions are angry because I suggest that their union members pay something toward their retirement and group insurance plans, which would free-up hundreds of millions of precious dollars that could provide services vital for Oregon’s most vulnerable seniors, disabled and children.

Oregon has great teachers who are members of the OEA, and dedicated public servants who are members of AFSCME and SEIU. These teachers and public workers should be embarrassed. While they work hard and earn their pay, their union bosses and lobbyists wield political power like aristocrats and take home six-figure paychecks, while acting as if they have actually contributed something to society.

The public sector unions get their employers to collect their union dues for them, which they use to recruit, fund and elect “their legislators.” These legislators pass pro-union legislation that gives the union members favored pensions, positions and pay. Such “sweetheart” union power brokering is incestuous and is threatening the financial stability of our local, state and federal government.

Political war has been declared against me and other fiscal conservatives by the OEA, AFSCME and SEIU. I am unimpressed. I will continue to work with Republicans and Democrats to pass a balanced budget that will meet the needs of Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens with the revenue we have available.

If we win, we pass the best balanced budget possible, end this legislative session and go home. In short, if we win, Oregon wins.

Sincerely,

Dennis Richardson
State Representative Read More......

URGENT - Ron Maurer race not over yet - your help needed ASAP!

The race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction isn't over yet and your help is needed. Republican Rep. Ron Maurer is still alive in the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction versus failed 8 year incumbent Susan Castillo. This race has turned out to be much closer than the media and pundits thought. Apparently a lot of voters, and not just Republicans, think Oregon being 43rd in the nation in K thru 12 academic results is a good reason fire Susan Castillo after 8 years and hire Ron Maurer to lead the educational system in Oregon. (see below [the fold] under "HERE IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO IMMEDIATELY" to find out how you can help)

In the last week, this non-partisan race is turning out to be the closest statewide race since Vote-By-Mail was instituted as the gap between Maurer and Castillo has narrowed to within 0.41%. More significantly, Ron Maurer's teachers union-backed incumbent opponent Susan Castillo is only 0.04% (four one hundredths of a percent or 307 votes) above the "50% + 1 vote" threshold she must reach to win the race outright now and avoid a run-off with Ron Maurer in November. Castillo's margin over 50% has been dwindling all week. Here's the latest numbers:

Superintendent of Public Instruction
View results by county

Nonpartisan [Statewide Position]

Susan Castillo
Votes....... 349,055
Percent....... 50.04%
Ron Maurer
Votes....... 346,199
Percent....... 49.63%
Write-in Votes
Votes......... 2,243
Percent........ 0.32%
________________
Totals:
Votes....... 697,497
Percent......... 100%
For updates: Sec. of State Election Results/2010 Primary

As of May 21st statewide, there are at least several thousand ballots have not been "accepted" (=counted) because the voter's signature didn't match from outside of their May 18th ballot with what their County Elections have on file. Voters have 10 days from election day to fix this with their County Elections office. By the way, the Secretary of State Elections Division and every County Elections office has officially refused in writing to supply us the list of folks receiving this letter. So now it's up to you and me to reach as many of these folks as possible without knowing who they are!

HERE IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO IMMEDIATELY

Please spread the word to every Republican (or anyone you think voted for Ron Maurer) about the need for voters who have received letters from their county elections office stating that their signature didn't match from outside of their May 18th ballot with what their county elections have on file - they need to get in to county elections before this FRIDAY MAY 28TH AT THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS to update their signature card in order for their votes to count. They must bring photo identification with them and sign a new voter registration card so their signature can be matched. BTW - if they don't do this now, they will have to do this in November anyways - so best to get it done now!

Here's a link to find the County Election offices http://www.oregonvotes.org/other.info/clerk.htm

PLEASE NOTE: We have learned that many new registrants who have used the new online registration option may be receiving these letters because their ballot signature is being match with their DMV signature from when they first got their driver's license, for instance, at age 16, but, due to some lack of clarity of some DMV images and the fact that signatures can change significantly during a voter's teenage years, these voters are getting these letters more often than your average voter.

Don't wait to get this message out, but do try your best to target folks that you think voted for Rep. Ron Maurer in this election. As you can see in the email below, Castillo's supporters are already out there getting this word to Castillo's supporters. They know that this election is a potential "bellwether" of where 2010 is going. Don't let them steal this election. Take action today!

Very truly yours,
Kevin Hoar, Field Director
Ruth Bendl, Voter Integrity Chair
Oregon Republican Party

Added: The OEA-PIE (teacher's union) and the Democrats are urging their members to do likewise. Read More......

Republican Rose Cook seeks District 16 seat held by Democrat Sara Gelser

CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, 2/18/2010 by Raju Woodward - Saying that she wants to help stabilize state funding of education, Rose Cook of Philomath filed her candidacy Tuesday for state representative in House District 16, which represents Corvallis, Philomath and much of Benton County. ∴ Cook, a Republican, is vying for the seat held since 2005 by Sara Gelser, a Corvallis Democrat. Gelser filed for re-election in December. ∴ Cook worked for the Philomath School District for 17 years, mostly as an administrative assistant to the principal of Philomath High School. She retired in October 1999. She has served on the Philomath School Board for the past seven years. ∴ “Every year, the same thing happens,” Cook said Wednesday. “There’s unstable funding. People complain about it, but nothing gets done. Education should be the highest priority, but it’s treated like one of the last.”

Creating more jobs and helping small businesses are other top priorities for Cook, whose husband Tom has owned and operated R&T Logging for 33 years.

“Small businesses are taking huge hits,” Cook said. “There’s so many rules, regulations and fees. We don’t need to be creating more red tape for them. We are becoming unfriendly to them.”

Cook said she isn’t impressed by Gelser’s voting record.

“She’s voted straight down her party line,” Cook said. “I don’t think that’s very responsible, and it isn’t representative of District 16.”

Cook also said she’s not worried about being a political newcomer.

“I’m going to tell people how I feel,” Cook said. “If people want someone who has been in politics, I am not their gal. If they want someone who has life experiences, I am their gal.”

Cook, 52, is a 1975 graduate of Toledo High School. In addition to serving as Philomath School Board chairwoman this year, she’s also on the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District budget committee. Read More......