Allen Alley to seek Oregon Republican Party Chairmanship

OREGON REPUBLICAN PARTY, 1/3/2011 - Tigard, Ore. – Allen Alley, founder of Pixelworks and former Republican candidate for Governor, announced today that he will run for the position of Oregon Republican Party Chair. The election will be held at the Biennial Organizational Meeting on January 22nd. Read more at ORP... Read More......

Candidate Delia Lopez: Common sense on the environment

DELIA LOPEZ, 2010 Republican Candidate for Oregon's Third Congressional District, POSITIONS/ENVIRONMENT - "Look into the spotted owl and many other of the birds that have been listed on the threatened or endangered species list. Years ago I cut out and copied newspaper articles for then president Clinton and 2 other of the top EPA and Forest Service heads. They were finding spotted owls emaciated in surprising numbers! There were at least 5 articles where they were found dead and autopsy showed they starved. There were articles stating they found spotted owls nesting in 30 year old trees, they found a nest in a Roseburg K-Mart sign! I had them nesting in my back yard (they have a distinctive whoo) Also an article on the effective rodenticide the federal forest department had been using for 26 years!! It stopped rodents from killing the small newly planted trees, and how effective it was at killing the rodents. I made 3 copies of each and sent them off with a letter. I got a BS thank you letter back from Clinton. They are still using the rodenticide! The spotted owls numbers are still declining. You will not survive without food, spotted owls eat rodents, rodenticides kill rodents. Birds that have no food, do not reproduce, they die. Shutting down the forests to logging has not helped the Spotted Owls nor improved the heath of our forests." Read more on the environment, forest health, jobs, carbon sequestering and more.

Best wishes to Delia Lopez in her campaign to replace Earl Blumenauer. --bc 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......

GOP candidate Alley touts business background in race for governor

CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, 4/27/2010 by Matt Neznanski - Allen Alley’s message that he would, if elected, run the governor’s office like that of the chief executive of “the largest corporation in Oregon” was well-received by about 40 Benton County Republicans on Monday. Read more at the GT...
Read More......

Jim Huffman to announce campaign for US Senate

THE OREGON POLITICO, 2/25/2010 by Sarah Ross - PORTLAND- Lewis and Clark Law Professor, Jim Huffman, has scheduled his announcement to run for Ron Wyden’s US Senate seat for Thursday, March 4th. ∴ Huffman has been rumored for weeks to be the GOP’s choice candidate to run against Wyden in this coming November’s senatorial election. A facebook event created by the Huffman for US Senate campaign confirms that the professor will be challenging Oregon’s Senior Senator. Read more at The Oregon Politico 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......

Black Republicans Say 2010 Will Be Their Year

PATRIOT UPDATE.COM (via FOX Reader), 10/12/2009 - Allen West, a retired Army colonel who is running for the second time against Democratic Rep. Ron Klein in Florida's 22nd congressional district, West, is one of a small but determined group of black Republicans running for seats in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives in 2010. Read more on FOX (Reader)... Read More......

Sources Say GOP has a real candidate now

THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE,10/8/2009 - "U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, a Democrat [5th District], probably won’t have another general election cakewalk next year. Get the scoop on our Campaign Page! Read More......

GT Removes Comment

Re: Jerry J. Jackson, Sr. 7/6/2009 - Below you will find a comment I wrote regarding the story in the GT about the Fender Blue Butterfly. This story ran front page on 7/5/09 with zero comments from the public, until I decided to place a comment. The comment below was in place until sometime this morning. They took it out and put video only to prevent comments. We need to let the GT know they cannot sensor what we write and expect us to remain quiet. The GT continues to traditionally allow comments from readers that do not rock the boat away from their obvious agenda.

paternalistic July 5, 2009 8:12PM PST
I was amazed to see a story on the Fender Blue Butterfly this morning in the GT as they keep telling me they do not have the resources to run a story on the possibility of Benton County moving to HP. We must realize the county should not be a regulatory means for Endangered Species Act. The current draft habitat conservation plan should become non-regulatory and have no authority to add to any additional species, restrictions and or to purchase private property to create 50 to 60 acres of conservation easements in the so-called “blue zones”. Budget shortfalls were discussed during the budget process as the board realized that the county does not have enough money to operate in the future without spending down their reserves. You don't have to go any further then Starker Forest to see we have great stewards of the forest in place without wasting more then $800,000 on a study to regulate your lands. The reason this researcher was able to study these butterflies goes to point, we do not need additional restrictions. Turn this very expensive study into a resource document for landowners to use when applying for a permit to develop THEIR LAND . The county must insure you do not damage the lands where there are endangered species and providing this information to the land owners for free is a good way to insure this happens. STOP THE PLAN NOW AND QUIT SPENDING MONEY. Read More......

Benton County: Jackson presents positive budget changes at hearing

Jerry J. Jackson, Sr., (Republican) is currently a member of the Philomath City Council and has announced his candidacy for the 2010 race for Benton County Commissioner, position 1 [corrected: formerly shown as position 3].

BUDGET REVIEW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jerry J. Jackson, Sr.
May 20, 2009

The linked information (pdf) was presented by me during the public comment time at the Benton County Budget Hearing on May 18, 2009. It is my hope the Commissioners will follow up on my presentation, as it reflects positive changes they need to make in order to prevent future financial problems.

I find it interesting that the county is relying on renewing levies to operate the county in the future. It is time to become lean and move to a basic budget now. The commissioners are trying to make Benton County responsible for everything from Linn County Health Clinics to the Federal Wildlife's regulatory position on endangered species. When you have to borrow money to operate, you must look at what you are doing wrong. Consolidating and cutting unnecessary positions are the first steps in creating a balanced budget.

Hewlett Packard is offering to lease the county office space on their campus. The lease will include janitorial service, building maintenance, furniture, ample parking, and bus service from Albany and Corvallis, and more. With a full service lease, it will be easy for commissioners to account to the tax payers how their funds are being spent.

The plan to build downtown is not fiscally responsible and needs to be cut out of the commissioners' plans. Moving to the H-P campus is the right move at this time. The county is presently leasing considerable office space, and their leases expire in 2010. Please encourage Benton County Commissioners to begin immediately to negotiate a new lease that brings Benton County offices all under one roof.

UPDATE
Write To: bocinfo@co.benton.or.us. Tell them that you support the recommendation presented by Jerry J. Jackson, Sr. at the Benton County Budget hearing on May 18, 2009. As Bob [Kish] said, this proposal is filled with common sense plans to reduce costs and continue growth into the next decade. So please read Jackson’s proposal again and write our Commissioners today. Thank you! Read More......