Benton GOP Newsletter: Sine Die on Monday!

March 3, 2012
"The only thing you get from straddling a fence is a sore back side."    -Festus Haggen, Gunsmoke

IN THIS ISSUE:

• What's happening in the 2012 Oregon Legislature? By Rep. Andy Olson, Oregon House District 15
• What others see plainly, we often just ignore (Castro/Cuba) - Shared by Patricia Anderson
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Vice-President Richard Nixon, 1957 - By Grand Old Partisan

What’s happening in the 2012 Oregon Legislature? By Rep. Andy Olson, Oregon House district 15

Jobs Jobs Jobs...

The House Republicans presented several bills that would bring Oregonians back to work, including HB 4098, which I sponsored, in order to increase timber harvest in state forests. Unfortunately, HB 4098 died in the Ways and Means Committee.

The legislature has yet to pass many of the job bills that were on the House Republican's agenda, but we remain hopeful. For more information regarding the House Republican Job Agenda, the Oregonian provided a great story.  For the full story, read "Oregon's Real Jobs Get Thrown Under Bus.”

Some success:  HB 4093 sponsored by Co-Speaker Bruce Hanna(R), expands enterprise zone opportunities throughout Oregon. These zones have already proven to be successful, and this bill allows the program to grow. Before passage of this bill, Oregon's enterprise zone program was statutorily maxed-out. HB 4093 adds the possibility of eight new zones and allows for current, successful enterprise zones to be extended by local government from a 12-15 mile area. The Oregon Economic Development Association, League of Oregon cities, and Association of Oregon Counties all testified in support of the bill before the House Revenue Committee earlier this month. The bill passed both Houses, but Corvallis was intentionally excluded by the Senate.

Gun Bills...
There were several gun bills presented in the legislature during this short session, but only two bills have seen legislative action: HB 4045 and SB 1594.

HB 4045 prohibits public bodies from disclosing the names or other private information of concealed handgun license (CHL) holders except under strict circumstances. This new legislation would allow CHL holders to have more protection from the public obtaining their information, while still ensuring the safety of the public because the Sheriff's Office would have access to all records.

SB 1594, sponsored by Senate President Peter Courtney, would have allowed school districts, community colleges and the Oregon University System to adopt rules prohibiting concealed weapons on school grounds. The bill cleared the Senate Rules Committee but failed to pass on the Senate floor with a 15-14 vote.
The Oregon Legislature will adjourn on Monday, March 5.

Thank you to those who have taken the time to share your thoughts with my office, as all input is valuable.
Rep. Andy Olson

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Think about this. Then get involved to STOP the takeover!
Shared by Patti Anderson.
What others see plainly, we often just ignore.

When I was about 9 years old I remember asking my dad about Castro. I asked, "Is Castro a good guy or bad?"
Dad said...he couldn't tell!! This was about 1955. We were living in Louisiana at the time. Dad was in the Army and stationed there. Cuba was fairly close and in the news a lot. The Cubans were asking the same question! Ike was president.

This past July 4th, we had the pleasure of sharing a summer barbecue with a refugee from Cuba. This refugee came to the United States as a young boy in the early 1960's. His family was more fortunate than most, as they were able to bring a suitcase and $100 when they fled Castro's newly formed ‘revolutionary paradise. Our dinner conversation began with a simple discussion about our country and the direction it has taken since Barack Obama came to power. We shared the usual complaints about the sour economy and liberal social engineering emanating from the rulers in Washington.

But then he said it. The sentence flowed naturally from our refugee guest. I assume it was unplanned. But it carried the weight of a freight train. "You know, when Castro took power none of us knew he was a Communist.” We sat stunned. He continued, "Yes, we all thought he was a patriot, a nationalist. Before the revolution he didn't sound like a radical." The comparison at this point was easy, and I interjected, "You mean just like Barack Obama?" He responded; "Yes, just like Barack Obama."

He continued, "We were all shocked as the government just continued to grab more power. First they said the revolution is over, so please turn in your guns. We all complied. I also remember my uncle saying: ‘Castro will only nationalize some of the big industries. He will never come and take our family hardware store!!’ But that is exactly what happened. Castro started with the sugar mills and the large industries, but they eventually came and knocked on the door of our family hardware store. My family had run this store for generations.  They said we now own the hardware store, you work for us. And that four-bedroom home you own...it is now our property too. You have to move yourself and the five children into those two rooms of the house, because others are moving in here with you."

The lesson learned from this discussion is a lesson most Americans refuse to hear. Political leaders can lie about their agenda and once in office, they can take totally unexpected turns. If you had asked us three years ago if we thought General Motors or Chrysler would be nationalized, we would have never believed it. We could never contemplate a country where the rule of law, the most fundamental building block of a justice society...would be evaporating, just like it did in Castro's Cuba in the early 1960's.

But the news of injustice keeps increasing; Black Panthers are not charged with wrong doing by the U.S.  Department of Justice... because their crimes are against whites. The bond holders of GM are stripped of their assets...without being given due process by the government; Car Dealerships are closed without due process (example:  Randy Jones Chevrolet in Corvallis); Governmental leaders are bribed in full daylight...only to have all investigation of the crimes stifled...by the Attorney General. The U.S. borders are overrun with crime and illegal activity, and the leaders in D.C. act as if it is important to protect the lawbreakers...while the innocent are killed and overrun; When local communities attempt to enforce the law, they are ridiculed...and threatened as racists and bigots. They are sued by the very administration entrusted with enforcing the law. Without the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution is a sham!! Without the rule of law, our beloved America is swiftly becoming a country where only the well-connected and politically powerful will be safe.

As an author recently and so eloquently explained in her most recent book..."a culture of corruption has replaced honest government" (Michelle Malkin). The only way this problem will be fixed, is by massive citizen action. All honest citizens who want to be treated equally must come together...and demand that the favoritism, the bribes, the uneven enforcement of law...end now!! And yes, it can happen if we all pull together. 

Martin Luther King with Richard Nixon  

Grand Old Partisan salutes Martin Luther King, born January 15, 1929.

Below, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is shown with Vice President Richard Nixon in 1957. They met on Capitol Hill to discuss ways to overcome Democrat opposition to the Republican civil rights agenda.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., second from left, shakes hands with Vice President Richard Nixon as they meet to discuss race issues in the South, June 13, 1957. Senator Irving M. Ives (R-NY) and Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell, far left and far right, look on. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin) Photo: HENRY GRIFFIN, STF / Beaumont

Read article at Grand Old Partisan! OH RATS! LINK NOT WORKING

See Dr. King's life in pictures at Beaumont Enterprises.

 

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