THANK YOU, PETER DEFAZIO

Oregon Chapter, GTRT ^ | Mon, 21 Oct 2002 | Helen Franklin

[EBUCK]

*** From GTRT Oregon ***

This is an op-ed piece which hopefully will be printed in many newspapers around the state. I read this on my radio show this morning. Helen Franklin is a hard working person who has a great love for freedom. Thanks Helen for all you do. Please forward this e-mail far and wide.

Mikel @ GTRT

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THANK YOU, PETER DEFAZIO
by Helen Franklin

A special thanks to Peter DeFazio for his 16-year contribution to Oregon's rural economy:

Thank you, Peter, for your assistance in closing the doors on a $30 billion timber industry. All those left standing in unemployment lines appreciated the extended 26 weeks of unemployment insurance. And when that ran out, they really appreciated the Emergency Food Assistance Program you set up to help feed their families. Thank you for your assistance in helping to bring those barely-over minimum wage service jobs to replace a few of the former $17+ per hour family wage jobs you took from us.

Thank you, Peter, for your help in securing federal assistance to counties in the wake of their loss of timber tax revenue. This federal welfare program falls considerably short of the timber taxes formerly used to fund schools in our communities. The parents of rural elementary school children want to thank you for those two-hour bus rides their children have to suffer each day getting to and from the consolidated schools.

Thank you, Peter, for supporting animal rights activists. Your efforts to reduce the funding to USDA Wildlife Services were a brave attempt to destroy the agriculture industry that provides food and fiber for the needs of this country.

Thank you, Peter, for the generous funding of $4.3 million to put observers on fishing boats and the other measures you have taken to destroy the fishing industry. The fishing industry extends their thanks for the federal welfare assistance programs you are creating to help them make ends meet. Perhaps you will succeed in destroying another entire industry like you did with timber.

Thank you, Peter, for the millions of dollars you have been able to send to Oregon to create wetlands where productive farmlands once thrived. We hope you will be able to send an equal contribution to our communities when the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus hatches from those wetlands and becomes an equally thriving assault to our communities.

Thank you, Peter, for your support of and close association with Defenders of Wildlife. The introduction of wolves to Oregon will give campers and hikers a new recreational experience in learning to defend themselves with shouts and big sticks. Producers in agriculture will thank you for the millions of dollars lost due to wolves' sport killing of livestock; and people who enjoy abundant game and wildlife will thank you for the significant reduction we will see in our herds of elk and deer.

Thank you, Peter, for supporting legislation these past years to reduce forest access and forest health. Your efforts to allow trees to stand until they rot aided in the destruction of our forests to wildfire this year; and thanks to you, we managed to exceed the devastation of all fires of previous years. Congratulations.

Thank you, Peter. You have spent 16 years in Congress "helping" those who reside in your district. We are out of jobs, we are out of money and we are out of gratitude.

Helen Franklin
Advocate for agriculture, small business and rural Oregon

[Clinging Bitterly]

> I have sat next to him in tourist on the plane when I was a serviceman.

Had to have been back in the '70s when he was on Weaver's staff. I've always been curious, what makes a guy from CT want to come to the west coast and make a career out of pretending to speak for Oregonians? Is he afraid he'd be unelectable back home?

[Clinging Bitterly]

Hmm, my mistake I guess. I don't recall hearing about that encounter, but that is probably the event by which I associate you two. Like I said, a long time ago - that was probably before Lenny's.

So lemme guess. In the early post Vietnam era, and enrolled at or recently out of U of O, he probably demonstrated some ill regard for military types?

Might be interesting to see if there's a police or FBI record on him from those times.

[Clinging Bitterly]

> Lucky for him his constituants are tree huggers or brainwashed college students

Careful there. I make my living selling iron to people who build things and chop down trees, and I can assure you I have never hugged one. Since I live in the fourth district, I am by defenition a constiuent of Defazio (you don't have to vote for the guy, you get to be one by living where the official election returns say most people did).
Perhaps you meant to use the term "supporter"?

[Nam Vet]

You sound like my kinda guy. Your word was better than mine. Constituants. I in no way meant you. I just meant the majority, all of who are obviously braindead. Take care.

Nam Vet

[garden variety]

Yup, he sure has gotten a lot of mileage out of that pay raise gimmick. I have watched him become more self-serving and liberal every year. He has been very bad for Oregon. I would love to kick him out, but I am sorry to say I have to agree with you. There is not much of a chance (almost zero). But we should never stop trying.

[Salvation]

Thanks for the ping!

I agree. The more conservative people we can elect in Oregon the better. Look at Mannix.................started out as President of a Catholic School Board, and now he is running for governor.

[EBUCK]

John Lindsey wasn't even on my ballot (finished last night and dropped off at the box this morning..BTW) ???

Anyone know what happend? I've been so wrapped up in the BillBoard thing and work to keep tabs on the election situation.

EBUCK

[garden variety]

I don't know what happened to John Lindsey. He is not on my ballot either. Too bad. He sounds like someone I could support. Maybe he is doing a write-in campaign. Probably so, if he has campaign signs up in your area.

[EBUCK]

Well, I looked around this morning and didn't see a one (yard sign that is). Last one "I know" I saw was in my regular barber shop window. And that was on Saturday. Perhaps he dropped out???

EBUCK

[AuntB]

Great article and it works for many more than just DeFazio.

[Clinging Bitterly]

The Lindsey story is probably old news. I think he ran for the seat in 2000 (and possibly 1998), but Liz from Halsey is the GOP nominee this year. I'll be voting for her but I just don't see a win in the cards here.

[Clinging Bitterly]

>> Perhaps he dropped out???

A possibility. I can't remember who was in the primary, but Liz could be a party replacement. And yes, it's probably a shameful thing to not recall who I voted for on this seat in the primary, but being a resident of upper Berkely, the reality of the situation is ever present, and I don't get all het up about who's running against Defazio because I know whoever it is will lose. There will be a time (soon, I hope) to get busy on taking back this seat, but it isn't now.

I just got my ballot today. I learn that after redistricting I am now in the 7th state senate district and am currently represented by that clueless woman Vicki Walker (understudy to Cynthia Wooten, for those who recall that dreadful era). I am glad to finally have the opportunity to vote for her opponent (in the past, I have done so vicariously while helping my mom fill out her ballot - on her instruction, of course, though we never disagree - that was pleasureable, but doing it for real on my very own ballot will be sweet).

Dave in Eugene

<<** Cynthia Wooten Lipstick Lesbian *PING* for Glutton (I knows ya just gotta have a story about her) **>>

[garden variety]

> I can't remember who was in the primary, but Liz could be a party replacement. And yes, it's probably a shameful thing to not recall who I voted for on this seat in the primary

Ya know, now that you mention it, I can't recall who I voted for in the primary, either. There are two possibilities here:

1) We are both getting old and our memories aren't what they used to be.

2) The Republican leadership in Oregon sucks.

[EBUCK]

I'll take option #2 Chuck!!

Seriosly though. That article I posted (by the coos co. Sherrif) was dated 3-22-2002. Think Liz beat him out in the primary? And yes, it'll be quite a while before Sneaky Pete gets the boot.

EBUCK

[Clinging Bitterly]

> 1) We are both getting old and our memories aren't what they used to be.

I dunno. I suppose we're pretty close to the same age, and I've found that there just isn't enough room up there to keep everything - the old attic seriously needs dusting out. Suppose a good drinking binge would fix that?

> 2) The Republican leadership in Oregon sucks.

And nice people swallow.

But seriously, it does. Part of the reason I dropped out of my official party activities - seems to be mostly BS lately, long tiresome meetings that accomplish nothing - just like the party's legislative majority.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Definitely 2, definitely.

I believe you're right about the primary.
The GOP wouldn't field a replacement because their guy was down in the polls. That'd be devious.

[GOPJ]

bump

[GOPJ]

bump

[MHGinTN]

When LBJ signed a particular piece of legislation that set up a federal dole that would make black people beholding to the despotic democrat party, LBJ predicted the blacks (he used the 'n' word, not blacks) would vote for dems for the next fifty years. Sadly, he was correct, and that's a racist thing that black people do not seem able to understand.

It appears that philosophy has taken over democrat thinking, now translated into democrats making every sector of the populace dependant upon democrat government controlled 'entitlements' of one type or another. The one that gets me is the ability of democrats to get women to believe abortion on demand is a good right, as in 'a woman's right to choose a serial killer to off the unborn'. How did the despots infuse the thought that murder of the most innocent is a good thing that women should be thankful to democrats for?

[garden variety]

>I dunno. I suppose we're pretty close to the same age

Do ya think???