Oregon's Culture of Corruption

"A former Oregon prison food administrator and his wife have been indicted on bribery and money laundering charges accusing them of taking more than $1 million in illegal payments and kickbacks from at least two national wholesalers of discounted foods." (Yahoo, October 19th.)

"Michael Francke was the head of the Oregon Corrections Department when he was stabbed to death outside his Salem office on Jan. 17, 1989. A small-time criminal named Frank Gable eventually was arrested and convicted of the killing.

"But Kevin Francke said that the week before he died, his brother personally warned the family of a likely threat on his life. According to Kevin Francke, Michael called his sister-in-law, Katie, and said he had discovered a network of corrupt officials within his department." (Portland Tribune, November 16, 2004.)

"State officials long have dismissed such allegations. They say there was no corruption in the Corrections Department at the time of Francke’s death, so there was no conspiracy to kill him." (ibid.)

"Former Oregon Gov. Neil Goldschmidt’s legal counsel Cory Streisinger made that point in a confidential Aug. 22, 1989, memo to Goldschmidt.

“'Nothing in Mike Francke’s files or anywhere else indicate that he was working on anything other than his pressing budget problems, and Mike’s family made no mention of the much-reported phone call about ‘organized criminal activity’ when they had their initial interviews with police,' Streisinger wrote.

"Glover’s notes prove otherwise."(ibid.)

Teachers, Unions and Their Hatred of Capital

Don't be surprised when another industry collapses in Oregon. Hopefully, Oregonians will take a look at the dipstick in charge of the Oregon Department of Education and ask for an adult to run during the next election.

It's an issue coming to a head in Oregon. The beauty of capitalism is its ability to provide for changing demands in the market place. When you hear the words "market forces" it isn't some undefined force a la "The Force". No jedi warriors. Just supply and demand. The willingness of entrepreneurs to invest in and produce wanted goods and services. The willingness of consumers to pony up the dough to buy those goods and services. Those are the scary market forces that threaten teachers, unions and have sparked their hatred of the capitalist system.



Because, as shown in Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations", markets work outside of government control. Markets are at ease with certain rules that don't squeeze common sense from the market. But when teachers, unions and their hatred of capital step into play, squeezing common sense from the market place reveals itself. And when they're assisted by hacks in state government. But how does a hack--the above mentioned "dipstick"--like Susan Castillo gain ascension in Oregon? I suppose the fact that she was a talking head on KVAL-TV helped. But that degree in Communications from Oregon State (Go Beavs!) probably helps not so much. That she looked good on TV and could read shouldn't be the sole qualifiers for public office. Alas.



But hacks like Susan Castillo aren't concerned about the comfort of kids. Nor are they concerned about the safety of kids.



"On October 9th, The Oregon Department of Education, given a legal opinion by the Oregon Department of Justice, notified all Oregon schools and school districts that motor coach buses (Greyhound type) did not meet safety standards set for Oregon school activity buses, and school districts that chose to use motor coaches to transport students would be out of compliance with state statute and administrative rules." (News Release, ODE, October 18.)



So, on October 9th, a bus loaded with kids heading to a soccer game was pulled over on Interstate 84.



"There's no legal authority to use those buses," said Deborah Lincoln, the director of pupil transportation for the Department of Education. (OregonLive, October 11.)



Me? I grinds their guts that non-Union drivers are transporting our precious cargo. It grinds their guts that the Union bosses from the Oregon Department of Education down to the Union bosses at the school district level don't have control over those drivers and those busses.



What the Media doesn't point out is that this was an obvious hack job. Surprising, from a professional hack, media specialist and current Superintendent of Public Instruction, Susan Castillo. The "ruling" took place on October 9th. By that afternoon, a Rat at Pendleton called the State to inform on the kids.



Teachers, unions and Democrats hate Capital. Private businesses that they can't control. Some eager beaver lefty union hack called this on the kids at Pendleton. This Rat, or Rattess, is known within the cadre of Lefties at Pendleton High School. Brie and microbrew has been consumed in celebration. They are one step closer to killing an industry in Oregon, and that's something to crow about.



Okay, you've gotten this far. Am I ranting irrationally? Take a look at what happened to Virginia Overland Transportation. A privately-held company that was put out of business by a cabal of unionists, the transportation union and the teachers union. 200 employees who voted to remain non-union.



Teachers and unions want to control markets. They are the smart ones. They have the votes. They have the useful idiots, in the Governor's office, the State Treasurer's office, and in the offices of the Secretary of State and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.



Is it good for Oregon? It is if the Teachers and the Unions say so.

MEASURE 49 WILL SHUT DOWN OUR WASHINGTON COUNTY U-PICK FRUIT FARM

Jossy Farms is a family run u-pick apple, peach and pear farm in Washington County. Every year we open our farm to thousands of customers who seek quality local produce.



Our 67 acre farm is zoned AF-5. This zoning allows for 5-acre parcels, with homesites on each parcel. Under current zoning, we can create 13 home sites, but we’d have to eliminate our u-pick farm.



When voters passed Measure 37, we were thrilled. Measure 37 allowed us to create smaller rural parcels that we could cluster together. By clustering our parcels, we could use a smaller portion of our property and leave the orchards in place for the next generation of Jossy’s to offer fruit to the public.



But if Measure 49 passes, our claim will be wiped out, and our orchard will shut down.
Measure 49 is just the latest in a series of blunt instruments that show what is wrong with Oregon’s land use planning laws. The current planning laws force us to tear out our orchards in order to divide our property. If we had more control over our property, like Measure 37 provided for us, we could create the lots for our family and keep the orchards intact as well.



It’s a win-win for everyone, except for Measure 49 supporters. Small farmers like us, and every other farm family who want some control over their farm operations, are called “greedy developers” and “speculators” by the Measure 49 supporters who don’t have the first clue about our business. It is totally unfair, and makes us mad.



We’ve been here for generations. We want to be here for generations to come. But Measure 49 and ill-conceived land use laws force us out of business. What a shame.



Please vote NO on 49.



(This information furnished by Robert Jossy and April Jossy, Jossy Farms.)

Meh

Who cares about a DJ? I mean, come on, Rush Limbaugh does a show. People ask me if I'm a Rush Limbaugh fan. Why? He pretty much shows up on time and has been instrumental in killing the AM side of the dial. Why would I be his fan?

Perhaps best left to another post the killing of the Amplitude band on your radio set. When Rush first starting getting attention nationally back in the '90's my PD came into my office to let me know we needed to "get Rush". I pulled out the latest "book" and showed him our numbers. Rush was pulling around 5's then...and he's pulling 5's now. "Why would I want to take this stations 28.3 and give it to a guy that pulls 5's?"

Radio as a media is a powerful tool in the right hands. When a friend of mine back in the '80's was running the number one station in Portland, he and I spent a day golfing and cocktailing. Our goal was to break the year. Then to come in under 90. I don't believe either of us came in under an hundred.

But one thought from that conversation remains with me to this day. Here's a guy who is selling spots for $300 per, and I'm selling spots at $3.50. We were talking about telco intrusion into media, computers, cd players...where radio is going. And he said, "As long as we realize radio is local, we'll be okay."

The internet? I rarely venture beyond the local. What's happening in this state, to me, my family and my friends is enough for me.

So why Rush, and why now.

Because sometimes what happens to a national figure is the canary in the mine. What happened to Rush nationally could happen to me locally. And, besides, what Rush has done to hit back is classic Lao Tzu.

It's not for me to provide a redux. You're here. You've a computer. Check it out. But here are two links that I will give you. The first is an interview of Rush responding to the Lefties who tried to intimidate him and his employer. From experience, when you take on a controversial subject involving powerful men it's good to have an employer who believes that one of the first rules and roles of radio is to serve the community interest. And that means you are forced to tell the truth, and news means news. Information about your community and the people in that community who seek to have power over you and your life.

The second link is to show you what happens when a man matures. Compare this man, who is willing to match whatever price his Harry Reid letter gets on Ebay with his own, personal funds, with a poseur like Spicolli. Some mature. Others not so much.

I'm not a fan of Rush. But I applaud what he is doing. If you did it, I'd applaud you as well. If you're a signor of the Reid letter, as are Oregon's Senator Ron Wyden and Washington's Senator Patty Murray, I wish you'd grow up. When the Republicans went after the Smothers Brothers, using the fairness doctrine, I was appalled. Ron is old enough to remember this. Patty is as bright as a doorknob. I don't expect her to think, let alone remember.

The whole list of signers follows. If your senator is there, remind them of their reaction when the Smothers Brothers got cancelled. Is that their view for tomorrow?

Harry Reid Hillary Rodham Clinton Blanche Lincoln Richard Durbin Kent Conrad Bob Menendez Charles Schumer Christopher Dodd Barbara Mikulski Patty Murray Byron Dorgan Bill Nelson Daniel Akaka Dianne Feinstein Barack Obama Max Baucus Tom Harkin Jack Reed Joseph Biden Daniel Inouye Jay Rockefeller Barbara Boxer Edward M. Kennedy Ken Salazar Sherrod Brown John Kerry Bernie Sanders Robert Byrd Amy Klobuchar Debbie Stabenow Benjamin Cardin Mary Landrieu Jon Tester Tom Carper Frank Lautenberg Jim Webb Bob Casey Patrick Leahy Sheldon Whitehouse Carl Levin Ron Wyden

Chickens Coming Home to Roost

On October 4th, Republicans in the Oregon House came out strongly opposed to Governor Kulongoski's plan to give illegal aliens legal identification.

“It’s wrong to issue drivers licenses to illegal aliens,” said House Republican Leader Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg). “The Governor’s plan establishes a double-standard, where it’ll actually be easier to obtain a drivers license or ID if you’re here illegally. It sends the message that driving is a privilege for Oregonians, but a right for illegal aliens.”

"Oregon voters tell us they want drivers' licenses limited to people who are here legally," said Rep. Flores, the Deputy Republican Whip. Flores added, "I find it interesting that the Governor campaigned on how advanced Oregon was in securing our drivers' license system. However, this new plan will only push us farther behind other states and moves us in the wrong direction."

But Republicans are two votes short of a majority in the House, as I mentioned here.

So, what caused the major crack in the Lefty front? Today, a moderate front of Democrats, outlined above, met to urge the Governor to repudiate his Illegal Alien Identification Plan.

Who were they? Arnie Roblan, Coos Bay. Chuck Riley, Hillsboro. Betty Komp, Woodburn. E. Terry Beyer, Springfield. Dave Edwards, Hillsboro. And three others. What's telling here is that their constituents are unhappy with the Lefty agenda. And the key to any Democrat is getting re-elected.

"The Governor can take immediate steps to bring us into the ranks of states requiring legal presence by no longer accepting Matricula cards, foreign birth certificates, and expired foreign passports. The Legislature can then examine whether additional safeguards are needed. For instance, if you are legally in this country on a visa that expires in a year, your driver’s license should not be valid for eight years," said Rep. Arnie Roblan."

Nobody needs to point out that the Legislature "dealt" with this issue. But Beyer, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee has decided it's time to 'fess up:

"By adopting HB 2827 last session, we hoped that implementation of the federal Real ID requirements would improve the security of our driver licenses. However, the Legislature couldn't agree on some of the more controversial privacy provisions of Real ID, and had serious concerns about it being a huge unfunded federal mandate. Nevertheless, it is becoming clear that we can't wait until 2009, let alone February 2008, to strengthen our laws," Beyer said.

The Kulongoski led Democrats ignored efforts by Republicans to pass sensible reform. (pdf)

Now these same Democrats want to be hailed as heroes? Just take a look at what one Dem has to say now, now that the chickens are coming home to roost:

"While we don't know the full extent to which people are coming to Oregon to obtain illegal licenses, in recent weeks the Governor has hinted to legislators and others that evidence is emerging showing that fraudulent licenses are a bigger problem than law enforcement and the DMV previously thought. Governor Kulongski should act now to improve the security of Oregon's driver licenses and bring a halt to this illegal trafficking in documents," said Rep. Larry Galizio (D-Tigard). "We know we have a problem when around the country advertisements appear in Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish language newspapers offering assistance to bring people to Oregon to obtain illegal drivers licenses."

This from a guy who says his biggest accomplishment is getting "two off-leash dog parks". And take a look at what Mr. Smug has to say:

"We are a nation of laws, and it is essential that our national government enforce those laws. While illegal immigration is primarily a federal issue, it is important that Oregon isn't complicit in the trafficking of illegal driver licenses," said Rep. David Edwards.

Well, kids, welcome to the world of the Big Leagues. You guys have been pooching around for most of 2007 congratulating yourselves on how you beat up the Republicans. Well, guess what? The voter...you forgot about the voter!

Now let's figure out how we can stop light-rail, fix our highways, lower our taxes and reduce energy costs. If you need help, you might ask a Republican. The names are listed here.

Governor's Energy Plan Working Exactly As Planned!

This just in from AAA Oregon-Idaho:

Nat'l. avg. down; Oregon avg. up.

Diesel prices...especially in Oregon...on the rampage. Up 30 cents in the past month to $3.34/gal.

Cheers.

Elliott EkiAAA Oregon-IdahoPublic & Gov't. Affairs Director(503) 222-6729elliott.eki@aaaoregon.com

Attached to Elliot's e-mail were these comments:

"At $2.90, Oregon's statewide average gasoline price jumps from11th to 8th highest in the nation."

I've written about the Governor's energy policy. I've written about a state legislature that would rather tilt at ecological windmills than work to provide Oregonians with affordable energy. I've written that it seems that Governor Kulongoski would like to be remembered as just as looney as are Californians. As in gasoline " in the contiguous U.S., California is highest at $3.07, and New Jersey is lowest at $2.53."

I'm not a Lefty. But, I get to pay Lefty prices. The only real gripe I have is I have to work for the money that pays for this stuff.

How General Peter Pace Earned His Stars

Click on the picture. H/T Danegerus