ORP Feb. 4 Update: News & Committee Selections

#1 – Chairman Tiernan on KOIN (Channel 6) TONIGHT responding to the stimulus package proposed by the Democrats in Salem. Do we need to put $175 million on the taxpayer’s charge card to paint walls, seal cracks and remove shrubs? Tune in and find out! The story with Chairman Tiernan will run tonight sometime after 5pm. You can also log onto www.koin.com to see the story after it has run.

#2, #3, #4...

#2 – Last Friday, the ORP filed a complaint against Senate President Peter Courtney for failing to declare a conflict of interest when he voted on the Democratic stimulus package. Courtney is an Administrator at Western Oregon University and more than $31 million of the total $175 million in package went to Western Oregon University! On Monday, Courtney was allowed by his colleagues to file a belated notice of potential conflict, however, the matter will be investigated by Senate Special Committee on Conduct. Stay tuned! To read more on the matter, click here for the Oregonian story or here for the story in the Willamette Week (yes, the WW!).

#3 – After a successful trip to Washington, DC for the RNC Winter Meeting where Michael Steele was elected Chair of the Republican National Committee, Chairman Tiernan has been asked to serve on Chairman Steele’s transition team. This is a great development for Oregon and RNC will be lucky to have an Oregon and west coast perspective as it lays out its priorities. Attached is a copy of the press release announcing Chairman Tiernan’s appointment.

#4 – Chairman Tiernan has selected the individuals to Chair the 2009-2010 ORP Committees. Full committee memberships will be decided shortly, but the Chairs are listed here:

Voter Registration
Doug Badger, Chairman. Doug, from Portland, is president of Western Strategies and was Executive Director for the Bush/Cheney 2004 Campaign in Oregon.

Get Out the Vote (GOTV)
Rick Thomas, Chairman. Rick, from Oregon City, is president of Thomas Public Affairs and is former Chief of Staff to the Senate Republican Caucus.
Bob Avery, Vice Chairman. Bob, from Junction City, is owner of Avery Consulting and is a former Chairman of the Lane County Republican Party.

Candidate Recruitment
Tom Cox, Chairman. Tom, from Hillsboro, is a consultant with Cox Business Consulting.
John Lim, Vice Chairman. John, from Gresham, is chairman of American Royal Jelly Company and is a former Oregon State Senator and State Representative.

Candidate Support
Linda Neace, Chairman. Linda, from West Linn, is owner of Bullseye Coffee Company and is President of the East Clackamas Republican Women.

Speakers, Outreach and Issues
Andrew Ferguson, Co-Chairman. Andrew, from Lake Oswego, is a successful small business owner and community leader.
Glenn Pelikan, Co-Chairman. Glenn, from Portland, is a retired businessman from Textronix and is active in the Multnomah County Republican Party.
Tim Smith, Co-Chairman. Tim, from Hines, is consulting geologist with TKS Consulting and is the Chair of the Harney County Republican Party.

Communication, Technology and Customer Service
Greg Leo, Chairman. Greg, from Aurora, is owner of The Leo Company and was the volunteer chair for the McCain/Palin 2008 campaign in Oregon.
Tom Harrison, Vice Chairman. Tom, from Oregon City, is a small business owner and is active with the Clackamas County Republican Party.

Rules/Bylaws
Fred Dayton, Chairman. Fred, from Roseburg, is a small business owner and is a longtime member of the Oregon Republican Party Executive Committee.

Budget
Dennis Morgan, Chairman. Dennis, from Springfield, is a manager with Forest Products Research Laboratory and is the Treasurer of the Oregon Republican Party.

Resolutions
Jeff Grossman, Chairman. Jeff, from Beaverton, is a software engineer and a dedicated member of the Oregon Republican Party.