That Genre

Newsweek has a long story about how The Funny Paper once again got totally scooped by Willamette Week and Nigel Jaquiss.

The story covers the details of the SAMBLA scandal, but the real point of the story was to explore why it is that The Funny Paper can't seem to bring itself to pursue big stories about leading figures in the Oregon power structure.

A bit too cozy, the article basically says. The funniest part of the story was a quote from Sandra Rowe. She was getting pretty defensive about getting scooped time and again by a little weekly alternative rag. She said:

"Nigel has built quite a reputation with sex scandal stories, and deservedly so. He is dogged and very good at that genre."

That genre? Oh yeah, that's all Nigel does - true crime sex scandal novellas. Excuse me, Publisher Rowe - THAT GENRE is called REPORTING!

And you are correct, Nigel Jaquiss is much, much better at it than your paper.

Sen. Atkinson on the Oregon "borrow and spend" plan

Oregon Republicans present alternative stimulus plan

HT: NWRepublican

The question is: Will the press in Oregon let the citizen's know there is an alternative to the "borrowing" plan that is offered by the Democrats and Sens. David Nelson/Jackie Winters?

On Tuesday we told you about the $250 million dollars in debt that Democrats in Oregon were proposing as a "stimulus." Of course that meant doing things like making 15 year interest payments for "moss removal." Smart...ugh.

Well today the House Republicans, led by Minority Leader Bruce Hanna presented their plan. The "Mainstreet Incentive Program."

SALEM—House Republicans today announced the Main Street Incentive Program to encourage businesses and home owners to immediately invest in improvements to their property through a tax credit. The proposal would stimulate the economy and create jobs without increasing state debt and locking up larger portions of the state budget.

Unlike the Democrat/Nelson/Winters plan the MIP has no borrowing and thus will not saddle future legislatures and voters with more than $17 million dollars a year in debt.

The MIP also sends money straight to the place the money needs to go the most and that is right into the job market.

Following completion of the project, property owners would be able to claim 50% of the cost of their project as a tax credit evenly distributed over a five-year period of time. If the project is “green” or focuses on renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar power), the property owner could claim 100% of the project’s cost. To qualify for the tax credit, projects must begin before September 1, 2009.

Now Democrats, and members of the media, should slow down for just a moment and think about that.

First of all this plan would incur no extra debt. Second, all of the projects must be done by Sept. 2009.

Third, and an even neater trick, is that all the money that will be spent on the new construction will be spent on PRIVATE property. Thus increasing the value of those properties in the future and building a stronger tax base. As opposed to the Democrat/Nelson/Winters plan that would be tossed down the rat hole of public projects that will provide no returns. (Unless you call removing moss or fixing a cattle guard a return.)

You know who else benefits from the Republican MIP plan? SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS!

That's right. The people actually doing the work would be hundreds if not thousands of small, medium and large contractors AND THEIR EMPLOYEES.

You know what else that would do? Well since those people would be working and earning income they would be...drum roll please....paying income taxes.

This could be legislation that is passed right now and Oregonians could start taking advantage of it right away. No waiting for some bureaucracy to implement or track (at an added cost.)

As State Rep. Scott Bruun said, “All of the money in the Main Street plan would go directly toward labor and materials for projects, providing immediate economic stimulus for communities across Oregon. The Main Street plan will enable businesses to expand and allow Oregonians to increase the value of their homes. Community lenders would benefit from increased business, and local government would benefit from new revenue generated by enhanced property values for years to come.”

He is right. Now let's see just how much the Democrats really care about the average Oregonian. And let's see how the press and editorial boards in Oregon treat this common sense proposal.

UPDATE: Harry Esteve has the story at The Oregonian's online version. With this asinine quote from Democrat Mary Nolan: "The problems we face cannot be solved by tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy."

What?! Is she kidding? Tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy? What tha hell is she thinking playing THAT card? Those "tax breaks" she is talking about will only come if REAL dollars are spent with small contractors, local hardware stores and such. What kind of nut case is she?

Talk about putting politics above everyday Oregonians. Man.

Oregon Democrats "Borrow and Spend"

What do you do when your income does not match your expenses? Well if you are an Oregon Democrat politician break out the credit card.

For the first time in modern Oregon history, both the governor and Democratic leaders want to run state general obligation debt up to the maximum level recommended by the state treasurer.

Bob Tiernan and the Oregon Republican Party

Crossposted at NWR:

We mentioned here that Oregon Catalyst had reported that former Republican legislator Bob Tiernan was interested in running for the position of Chairman of the Oregon Republican Party.

I had an opportunity to have a discussion with Bob about the condition of the Oregon Republican party and where he wants to take the party.

First a little background on Bob from my own personal experiences with him and observations.

I worked with Bob on a campaign in 1998 to stop the "Interstate Light Rail" plan that included the largest tax increase in the history of Portland (actually if I remember correctly it was the largest in the state). Bob was very organized and focused. I had a team of people working with me and since I was relatively new in politics (to some of the insiders) at the time there were some internal "issues." (nothing major just niggly little things that tend to get in the way).

Bob found out about my efforts and gave me a call. We met and he helped me arrange a meeting with the campaign staff and volunteers in which he helped articulate the message I was trying to pass along and the plan going forward. People walked out of that meeting fired up and we went on to win that campaign despite being outspent by approx $175,000 to $3 MILLION.

He was also elected to office at the zenith of the Republican rebirth of the 1990's (1992). As he said in our conversation about those early to mid 90's "many Republicans lost their nerve when it came to the tough negotiations, and fighting for the principals we all firmly believe in. " Rep. Bob Tiernan did not. In fact I had given him the nick-name "bulldog Bob" because of his solid approach to governing.

Now I have nothing against the current leadership of Vance Day as he has given a great deal of his time and energy on behalf of the party. He did it at a time when no one else was willing to do it. However after a while leadership needs to change.

The state of the party
In my discussions with Bob Tiernan it became clear that Bob understands that the Republican party is at a pivotal time right now. The Oregon party is reeling from some elections losses, a lack of message and an organization that is trying to find it's place. All of that makes it difficult to raise money.

Bob believes that it appears the party is "unorganized, fractured" and "in financial difficulty."

He is right and how much of what appears is reality does not really matter at the moment. Because in politics so much of perception is reality. And it is in this current reality that the Oregon GOP has been trying to recruit and run good candidates. That is a difficult task.

The Tiernan Plan
It is in this atmosphere that Bob Tiernan wants to step in, provide some new leadership, and implement a plan.

Is plan begins with three things: "1) good people 2) A good plan 3) Money to fund the plan."

Bob believes that there are "good people" in the Oregon Republican party and that he can raise the money to fund the plan.

I happen to think he is right. In fact many of those good people are working in the party right now and IMHO just need something fresh and a plan to apply themselves to.

I also believe that Bob can raise the money and that is probably as difficult, if not more so, than pulling the people together. Without being able to raise the money to be effective then the party is limited to nothing more than being a press release machine and talking amongst themselves.

Tiernan mentioned his 8 goals and objectives he hopes to accomplish with his plan. Those goals and objectives are (although I'll not go into the sub-bullet points that he also shared with me).

1. Maintain headquarters OPEN to Republicans and the Public
2. Running and Winning Local Elections (Mayors, County, City)
3. Support Local County Republican Organizations to recruit and elect Republicans
4. Express Republican Opinions and Positions on Key Issues
5. Coordinate CORE Republican policy, positions, & agendas with House and Senate Republicans
6. Register Republicans to Vote
7. Get the VOTE out Programs (Campaign season)
8. Raise Money to pay for (above) ORP Support activities

I say good for Bob for seeing many of the hurdles that need to be cleared, articulating them and being willing to address them.

Action
Now having a plan is great. Many folks can have a plan and you can even buy business plans online. However implementing a plan, or providing "action" is another thing entirely.

And that, for my money, is what really makes a Tiernan as party chair so exciting. For Bob Tiernan has been a man of action both in politics and in non-political business life.

First he has run winning campaigns before. He knows what it takes with regard to the hard work and the mundane tasks that need to be undertaken as well. Because running winning campaigns is a lot more than simply saying and believing the right things. In short, as far as politics goes, he has demonstrated that he knows how to win.

Secondly he is an attorney and turn-around business consultant and is experienced in drafting and implementing action plans for troubled businesses.

For the last four years Tiernan has been the Chief Operating Officer of a $650 million dollar a year retail company. I asked him about that and he said that his company has seen 14 straight quarters of positive sales. In that time he has overseen the construction of 24 new stores and 20 of them have met or exceeded financial projections.

He also has been on the board of directors of the NEW Payless Drug Stores for the last 8 years.

Ad his political abilities to his business experiences and contacts and I think Oregonian Republicans have an opportunity not seen in a decade or more.

As I said in my earlier post, Tiernan also has great street cred with the movement conservatives and the base and also cred with many in the political class. He understands the relationship between the two and understands that in order for the party to be a successful organization you need to actually have something more than just a name, but you also need a real product.

He understands that the party needs to get more involved in recruiting and campaigning for candidates and not just simply leave all of that up to the two caucus groups. That should be a welcome invitation to everyone.

I know Bob personally so I admit I am biased. However I believe that Bob Tiernan is the best choice at this point in time for taking the Republican party forward in the new age of Democrat party majorities.

The Republican Party is going to launch a come back in 2009, and Bob Tiernan will lead the charge. A dynamic seasoned leader, successful businessman, a skilled attorney, an accomplished former two term State legislator, and a Commander in the US Navy (and still Serving) ....Bob has all the key ingredients to reinvigorate, recharge and lead the Oregon Republican Party to success.

yip yip

More on anti-democratic Democrats

This may be one of the scariest political videos you may ever see. It may not seem like much at first but watch it carefully. The video makes the point that this attack on the secret ballot is NOT about workers rights but about POLITICAL power.



The unions are going to be out in force in Oregon. Help the Conservative Majority Project mount an offense and deliver the unions a major surprise come November.

Labor Pains: Excerpt from my Lars Larson show

I was filling in for Lars Larson last week, and got a call about the "Card-Check" issue. It's one of the most egregious positions of the so-called Democrat Party.

Imagine! A party that likes to use the adjectival form of their name, "Democratic" Party, supports a system in which union elections are held without a secret ballot! Pretty democratic, isn't it?

That is why I always refer to them as the "Democrat" Party. First, it is grammatically correct. Second, it drives Democrats crazy. Third, they are anything but democratic, as their position on Card-Check makes clear.

A local organization heard the call, and wrote it up on their web site.

Oregon has lost 6,700 jobs in the last 3 months

University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators Shows Fewer Jobs for Oregonians

“Oregon's economy shed jobs for the third consecutive month in May as nonfarm payrolls fell by 3,700, pulling job growth down to just 0.3 percent compared to May 2007. The three-month job loss total now stands at 6,700; consistent with incoming housing data, construction is the hardest hit sector, suffering from a decline of 9,400 jobs since last July. Initial unemployment claims continue to hover around a weekly average of 8,000, indicating continuing weakness in labor markets, while Oregon help-wanted advertising continues to decline.”
(University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators, May 2008 Analysis, Oregon Economic Forum)

Yet just last month Democrat Majority leader Dave Hunt said:
“We have been fiscally smart… and conservative. We’ve made the right investments and our economy is holding steady.”
(House Majority Leader Dave Hunt, Statement: Hunt Responds to Republicans: The Sky is Not Falling, 6/27/2008)

By the Numbers: Democrats’ Fiscal ‘Conservatism’ in 2007

• 20 Percent - Increase in state government spending
• $620 Million - New taxes and fees (despite record state revenue)
• $923 Million - New state debt (again, despite record state revenue
• 1,178 - New state employees added to state payroll
• $12 Million - Pay raises to Gov. Kulongoski’s political appointees
• $20 Million - Pay raises to appease the unions—who were upset about the political appointees’ pay raises

And don't forget that Dave Hunt thinks he is going to get a 3 fifths majority in the House.

Now is the time to help the Conservative Majority Project with our targeted help for some solid conservatives.

Help us raise $200,000 from the grassroots and we will take back the Oregon House of Representatives.

We have made it very simple to donate online and to refer a friend to our efforts.

Democrats' plan driving up the costs for schools

A new mandatory statewide health insurance pool for school employees was championed as a way to save money, but some school districts expect it will actually cost them more next year.

In the last session there was a rather innocuous (SB 426) bill that moved through the legislature, pushed hard by the Democrats.

The Democrats were touting it as a way to save money on health benefits for school districts.

In essence what it did was mandate that the majority of school districts opt out of their current health benefit plans and force them to join some new consortium, or "pool."

However, as with most economic decisions, the Democrats got it totally backwards. You do not reduce costs by eliminating competition and forcing everyone into one mandated plan. Of course that should be obvious to most folks and was certainly obvious to the Republican in the legislature.

We all know what happens when you force people to do something like that. What happens is the new insurer or service provider gets rich. They can reduce the services they offer and they can increase costs without fear of someone else coming in to take the business away from them.

And what happens to the consumer? In this case the school districts? Well they end up paying more for less.

But some districts -- such as Lake Oswego and Parkrose -- are finding that being forced into the new pool is more expensive beyond the annual rate increases they were already expecting.

The shift could cost Lake Oswego schools about $140,000 more next year, said Stuart Ketzler, the district's finance director. In the Parkrose district, the increase could amount to $100,000 to $135,000 more, said Berry, the schools consultant.

"Is OEBB a good thing for Parkrose? Our answer is no," said Mary
Larson, the district's director of budget services and operations. "Are we
disappointed with the rates? Yes. Are there some positives to OEBB? I guess
we'll see in the future."

Republicans call it the law of unintended consequences. Usually that law is harder to spot coming down the pike. However this time it was really very easy to see. In fact the debate was covered in a Statesman Journal article from Feb 2, 2007 that said this:

“In a party-line vote, the Senate Education Committee agreed Thursday to lump school employees into a single pool for health benefits, similar to what's done for state workers.

“Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Democrats and educator unions say the measure will save tens of millions of dollars per year.

“Republicans and school district officials say it will do the opposite.

“Thursday's debate, featuring dueling studies, mirrored arguments made in 2005, when the proposal passed the Senate but died in the House. This time, with Democrats in control of both chambers, the bill has brighter prospects.

As you can see the Democrats were wrong and in this instance the Republicans in the legislature did the right thing in trying to stop this legislation. However one of the key lines in that article is that the Democrats controlled both chambers.

What did some of the Democrats have to say about the bill at the time? Democrat Arnie Roblan said in the Register-Guard on March 14, 2007:

“Rep. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, the bill's chief carrier during the floor debate, said it took simple common sense to understand how the plan would save taxpayer dollars.”

“Everyone knows that when you buy in bulk, you save money," he said. "And when you pool your money together to make a purchase, you get more bang for your buck. That's the principle behind this bill.”

Good job Rep. Roblan. We wonder now with gas prices the way they are if the Democrats, who currently control both chambers, will begin to mandate that all Oregonians purchase their gasoline from one fuel provider?

Of course not, or at least we hope not.

However one way to make sure that that does not happen is to take back the Oregon House of Representatives. It is a task that is within reach and we hope you help us get there.

CMP

Liberal Democrats just don't get it

Again over at the leftists blog "BlueOregon" Kari Chisholm continues to parrot the liberal Democrat line that fault behind Jeff Duyck's "mis-filing" for house district 29 is Jeff Duyck himself.

Completely absolving the Democrat Secretary of State of any mishandling of the entire sordid affair.

Apparently, according to Chisholm, Jeff Duyck should not have relied upon the word and effort of the Democrat Secretary of State and the Washington County elections officials and should have gone through some complicated "Census Bureau" check. A check that would have given him his location very plainly.

State: Oregon... County: Washington County... ... County Subdivision: Forest Grove-Cornelius CCD... ... Census Tract: Census Tract 333... ... ... Block Group: Block Group 1 ... ... ... ... Block: Block 1097... Congressional District - 106th: Congressional District 1 (106th Congress)... Congressional District - 110th: Congressional District 1 (110th Congress)... State Legislative District, Upper Chamber - Pre-2010: State Senate District 13... State Legislative District, Lower Chamber - Pre-2010: State House District 26... School District, Unified: FOREST GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT 015... Super Public Use Microdata Area: 41503... Public Use Microdata Area: 01311Metropolitan Statistical Area/Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area: Portland--Salem, OR--WA CMSA... Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area: Portland--Vancouver, OR--WA PMSA3-Digit ZIP Code Tabulation Area: 971 3-Digit ZCTA... 5-Digit ZIP Code Tabulation Area: 97116 5-Digit ZCTA

Now aint that as plain as mud? Surely YOU have done that to make sure that the Secretary of State and your local county elections division has been sending you the correct ballot for the last seven years. Surely.

Of course that is left wing hysterics. Hysterics that is needed to cloud the fact that the Oregon Secretary of State, a Democrat, has been screwing up for the last seven years. Of course it is the job of the lefty blogs to try to cloud the matter and spin it so that it is the fault of a Republican even when Democrats are the folks making the mistakes.

Yet even The Oregonian newspaper has found fault with the establishment and admit that it would be travesty if Jeff Duyck were forced to withdraw from the race. Because after all he did everything RIGHT. And no one is going to accuse The Oregonian of being a mouthpiece for the Republican party.

What is relevant, though, is that none of this was Duyck's doing.

As a result of the error, Duyck has stopped campaigning at least temporarily. Whether the secretary of state's office has the leeway to make an exception for Duyck is not yet clear. But we hope the secretary of state can find a way to give Duyck the go-ahead.

Under the circumstances, it would be unfair both to him and to the voters who support him to bag it.

Meanwhile back at the lefty blog the cat-calls are coming out saying "rule of law! rule of law!" as if Republicans should just sit down and shut up and abide by the rules because, according the them, it was a Republican who made a mistake.

While at the same time the liberal Democrat cheerleaders do not want to apply those same hard and fast rules, even in a moral sense, to the Democrat elections establishment.

Are Chisholm and the other Democrat apologists speaking out of both sides of their mouths? Is it one massive attempt at spin control in an attempt to draw fire away from the state-wide office holder Bill Bradbury?

What is the remedy for Jeff Duyck at this point? We don't know. However what we do know is that if the Oregon House is to be continually controlled by the Democrats we will get more of the same.

That is that any mistake, anywhere, any time, by a Republican will be the fault of a Republican. Any mistake, anywhere, any time, by a Democrat will somehow also be the fault of a Republican.

Taking back the Oregon House of Representatives is now more important than every. They have shown themselves to be hyper-partisan to the enth degree.