Gov. Kulongoski and Mike Caudle in Oregon City: Will You Be There?

Show your support for Governor Ted Kulongoski, Mike Caudle and other Clackamas County Democrats TOMORROW

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 30 at 12:30 PM, you are invited to a Democratic rally at the Black Point Inn at 7th and Washington in Oregon City. Speakers to include Governor Ted Kulongoski; State Senator Kurt Schrader (Canby); State Representatives Dave Hunt (Gladstone) and Greg MacPherson (Lake Oswego); State Representative candidate Mike Caudle (Oregon City); Clackamas County Commission candidate Lynn Peterson; and many more.

Admission is free and open to the public. So come one, come all -- and bring your friends, too! This is going to be a fun event and a great opportunity to meet some outstanding candidates.

Click here for directions if you are unfamiliar with the area.

For more information, visit MikeCaudle.com or call Jonathan at 503-557-1616. This event is sponsored by the Committee to Elect Mike Caudle.

Mike Caudle Hits the Radio Airwaves

Over the last two days, Mike Caudle has laid out his ethics and lobbying reform legislation that could really help clean up Salem. A number of top news radio stations have picked up the story and run with it.

OPB, Portland's NPR station, ran the following story during its news updates last night during rush hour. I heard it around 6:00 PM, but it likely played a number of times.

Dems Use Junket Case To Push For Ethics Reform

By Kristian Foden-Vencil
PORTLAND, OR 2006-09-28 While three Republican legislators struggle with questions about not reporting a lobbying trip to Hawaii, Democrats are using the issue to push new ethics legislation.

Mike Caudle, who's running against House Majority Leader Wayne Scott, says he'll be outside a fundraising dinner for Scott and other House Republicans in Portland tonight, to launch his new legislation.

Mike Caudle: "Lobbyists are powerful in Salem. They're there everyday and they have the time, effort, energy and money to be influencing decisions. And I think anything they do above and beyond just sharing their message has an influence on somebody."

Caudle wants to ban legislators from going on any trips paid for by lobbyists; to cap the value of lobbyist gifts at $300 total a biennium; and restrict retired legislators from lobbying their colleagues within two years of leaving office.

Representative Scott did not respond to OPB's requests for an interview.

Mike was also on the Thom Hartmann show on KPOJ, Portland's progressive talk station, this morning at 7:50, right during the heat of drive time. He also laid out his ethics plan there, as well as plugging our rally with the Governor tomorrow afternoon.

Radio wasn't the only medium that covered Mike's reform proposal. The blogs ate the story up, with Blue Oregon and Loaded Orygun at the lead.

Wayne Scott's Ethics Deception

The Oregonian front page, above the fold:

Beer and wine distributors paid for three Oregon legislators to attend their conference at a Hawaiian luxury resort in 2004, but none of the lawmakers reported the trip as required by state law.

Members of the Oregon Beer and Wine Distributors Association paid for three legislators -- House Majority Leader Wayne Scott of Canby, Rep. Derrick Kitts of Hillsboro and Sen. David Nelson of Pendleton -- to join the group at its meeting at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui.

Blue Oregon and Loaded Orygun have more on the story. And in case you were wondering what the Grand Wailea Resort looks like...

Join Mike Caudle and Ted Kulongoski

Response to Wayne Scott's Support for Unneeded OSP Study

In response to Rep. Scott's continued support for a study examining the feasibility of farming the resources of state troopers to local sheriff departments, Mike Caudle released the following statement on Thursday:

"There are already 364 fewer Oregon State Police officer positions than there were when Majority Leader Scott took office in 2003. Last year, a committee Rep. Scott chairs passed legislation eliminating 20 state trooper positions. Now Rep. Scott is fighting for a study examining how to cut more funding for the OSP. Does Wayne Scott plan on continuing this effort until the state police is abolished?"

Caudle-Scott Race Ranked Among Oregon's Top-10 This Year

Esteemed Northwest political journalist Randy Stapilus of the Ridenbaugh Press takes a look at the 75 contests that will decide the fate of the 2007 Oregon Legislature (15 in the Senate, 60 in the House) and picks out the 10 "top legislative races in the state, weighing closeness, intensity and significance." Among them is Mike Caudle's campaign against House Majority Leader Wayne Scott in House District 39, which encompasses Oregon City, Canby and surrounding Clackamas County.

House District 39, incumbent Wayne Scott, R-Canby; Mike Caudle, D-Oregon City. This is the most debatable of the 10, possibly a reach … and yet there’s something in some of the poll numbers and other analysis that suggests the possibility of an upset. Scott, the House majority leader, has not had problems holding this seat until now, and he may well romp to another win in November. But there’s something about the sheer intensity of the Caudle campaign that gives us pause.

If you are interested in helping us keep up the "sheer intensity" Stapilus talks about, please make a contribution, sign up to volunteer, or plan an event today. As you can see, we are continuing to build momentum in this race.

Mike Caudle, the Democratic challenger to House Majority Leader Wayne Scott (R-Canby), raised more than $20,000 – including more than $10,000 in cash contributions – during the campaign finance filing period ending on September 1 according to records filed today with the Secretary of State’s elections division.

Caudle, an educator at Clackamas Community College, received contributions from more than 100 supporters over the three-month fundraising window. The median donation during this period was $25 and nearly a third of his cash contributions were made online.

“I have been amazed by the grassroots support I have seen in the last few months,” commented Caudle. “Every time someone gives $5, $10 or $50 to my campaign I want to redouble my efforts to bring change to Oregon this year.”

Polling released by the Caudle campaign last month showed him in a statistical dead-heat with Rep. Scott after positive and negative statements were read about both candidates.

So please help us capitalize on this great opportunity to knock off Salem's chief obstructionist, Rep. Scott, and show your support today by making a contribution, signing up to volunteer, or planing an event.

Mike Caudle Joins Governor in Call to Keep, Not Cut State Troopers

Today Mike Caudle applauded the decision by Governor Ted Kulongoski to nix an expensive study examining the feasibility of cutting more state troopers.

“We need to get serious about combating meth and identity theft crimes by providing sufficient funds for the Oregon State Police – not by looking for ways to cut corners,” said Caudle, who is running in House District 39, which encompasses Oregon City, Canby and surrounding areas of Clackamas County.

The Ways and Means Committee, which is co-chaired by Caudle’s opponent Wayne Scott, mandated the government investigate farming out the responsibilities of the state troopers to county sheriffs.

In a statement announcing the termination of that study on the grounds that it was an unnecessary expense, the Governor said: “Spending tax dollars on a study to reduce the presence of state troopers on our highways is not a rational priority. This study makes no sense.”

This was the only move Rep. Scott took during the 2005 legislative session to weaken the state police. The House budget committee, which he also chairs, eliminated 20 sworn trooper positions by failing to provide funds to replace retiring officers. What’s more, the legislature funded 38 fewer positions in the state police 2005-2007 than there were in the 2003-2005 budget – and 364 fewer than in the previous biennium.

“I believe we must not only restore the positions eliminated under Rep. Scott’s watch but also hire more troopers and detectives to keep our highways safe and our communities free of meth and meth-related crimes,” explained Caudle.

Majority Leader Wayne Scott Skirts Truth in Candidate Forum

Rep. Scott’s claims about Oregon State Police funding misleading, inaccurate

In a candidate forum sponsored by the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, House Majority Leader Wayne Scott offered a number of inaccurate and misleading statements about staffing cuts to the Oregon State Police (OSP).

In the joint appearance with his Democratic rival Mike Caudle of Oregon City, Rep. Scott asserted that the OSP “didn’t have any layoffs, contrary to what the paper says. They didn’t have one layoff.”

While technically true, Scott’s claim overlooks the fact that the budget approved by the House Special Committee on Budget, which he chairs, eliminated 20 sworn trooper positions by failing to provide funds to replace retiring officers. (Source: Budget Report and Measure Summary – 73rd Legislative Assembly, page 9.)

Rep. Scott also stated that the legislature “actually increased State Police total involvement, I think, by 21 people.” The annual report published by the Legislative Fiscal Office, however, indicates that there were 38 fewer positions in the OSP budget for 2005-2007 than there were in the 2003-2005 budget – and 364 fewer than in the previous biennium. (Source: 2005-07 LAB – Public Safety, page 170.)

“While Representative Scott wants to cover up his record of cuts to the Oregon State Police, I believe we must not only restore the positions eliminated by his committee but also hire more troopers and detectives to keep our highways safe and our communities free of methamphetamines,” explained Caudle in a subsequently released statement.

For those interested, the audio file of Scott's remarks are available in .mp3 form here with the first comment beginning near the 2:12 mark and the second coming near the 3:34 mark.