A Love Letter From Greg Walden ... ugh

"You deserve a fact-based conversation on the budget"
That is the opening line so one could almost have hopes ... er maybe not considering the source of the use of this franking privilege.
"Every year proponents of borrow - and - spend policies in Washington use gimmicks and" ... blah, blah ... "borrowing 40 cents on every dollar"...
This is the guy who stood shoulder to shoulder with BushCo as they ... well economic debacle and all. But -
"On April 15th, House Republicans passed a budget that takes the first steps on a path to prosperity"...
"Prosperity" for somebody un-named.
"Before going farther, I want to make one point very clear: If you are in or approaching retirement, you have earned" ... blah, blah
(format bold underlined):
Our budget does not propose any changes to the Medicare or Social Security programs for those 55 or older.
(end format)
(Lots of snip of lots of boiler plate demonstrably false crappolla...)
"I understand fairness. That is why our budget does not propose any changes ... for those 55 and older."

Now I'm just damned ecstatic that Greg understands "fairness" at least in regard to throwing those 54 1/2 years old on to the tender mercies of the for profit insurance companies because they haven't paid SS/FICA until 55 or some such thing which means their benefits are ... I don't know - disposable(?). This "fairness" wouldn't have anything to do with the voting percentages of those 55 and over would it? It wouldn't be a case of kicking the can of consequences far enough down the road to be meaningless to someone like Greg Walden's electoral chances?

This "moderate" Republican always keeps his head down unless it is a matter of screwing up the RNC's campaign finances by exercising no oversight or standing on a dam to provoke the US' worst fish kill. He gets re-elected in this OR2 CD because he doesn't stick his head up while he consistently votes against the District's inhabitants economic interests. Even with this abjectly stupid political move of sending out this letter he'll get re-elected if he wants to be. Why that is ... well it's because he's not one of them (you know - Democrats).

A monkey at a typewriter ought to be able to come up with policy prescriptions that would beat ole Greg but ... nooooope. If you wonder why I sometimes despair of the electorate ...
oh hell

Letter to Baker City Herald - Oct 25, 2006

Baker City Herald (news@bakercityherald.com)Subject: Letter to Editor

Mr Editor,
While I was not surprised by the Herald’s endorsement of Greg Walden, I was disappointed. The issue was made that Walden has broken with the President on a couple issues, no Democrat would have voted with the President on those issues. Then there’s the Salvage Bill, which inflames the debate rather than addressing it. The problem with Walden is the votes the President likes. The Vote Security Bill which directly threatens Oregon’s vote by mail in search of a problem that doesn’t exist (despite R Saxton). The Patriot Act, Terrorism Act, and Detainees Act all combine to create a situation in which the President can declare a US citizen an Enemy Combatant, deny them a court appearance, subject them to extraordinary interrogation (torture), and hold them for an indeterminate time. Add into the mix that your conversations are no longer secure, that the FBI can burgle your house; both with no warrants. This makes the “gun-banners” look scary? Walden voted for this mess. Carol Voisin is not a gun-banner, by the way, nor would she have voted to abridge the Constitution.

Walden voted to tie a minimum wage increase to more tax breaks exclusively for the rich. Walden voted to spend our children’s future without cost to our generation. Walden has repeatedly voted to “stay the course” in Iraq. Walden voted to make Medicare a drug company benefit. Legislation important to farmers and ranchers does not leave his committee. I ‘m seriously confused as to what it is that makes Greg Walden a superior candidate in the United States of America or the Oregon Second Congressional District. As far as I can tell, he’s an incumbent, he hasn’t stolen any money, and he doesn’t chase boys are his qualifications.

Obviously Carol Voisin and I have differences, we were opponents in the Primary; but her worst politics are a vast improvement over Greg Walden’s. I do have some basis to know this. Get to know her. Vote; it always makes a difference.

C Butcher
Baker City
Construction Contractor

Why a Blog for a Campaign Site ?

First and foremost I have a Blog for a campaign site because I like the interactive format. No, I don't edit "comments" or delete them. Well, a few have gone with candidate photos that needed to go, nobody seemed to miss the pictures or the comments about them. Yes, it's my site so I get the big page, but you get to tell me about it and I like that. I'll run my campaign that way and if you all have me hold an office, I'll run it that way, also. I don't like formality, it often acts as cover for things that should be out in the open, you tell me and also anybody else that reads this thing, then we all get to know. I may comment back or I may just let it go, but rest assured I read them and think about it. Mostly you've been nice to me (ok the pictures left a lot to be desired), but I do want to know what's on your mind. Comment away.

Another thing going on with the Blog is that it's free. Free is a good thing for the poverty stricken. I'd rather spend your money getting out and talking to you than impressing you with pretty graphics and nice layouts. I've learned not to waste on construction sites, use things as much and as well as possible and get good outcomes. I'll try real hard to spend your money well.

I've read articles about media management, there are some pretty slick ideas there. Mostly I don't like them. I like the idea of returning calls and being available, I also like being straight with people and I can apologize when I'm wrong, immediately... Any time you do something in public there's an opportunity for things to go wrong, if you already know that, then it's no big thing to correct it or apologize. This idea of waiting it out, spinning it, or just ignoring it is ludicrous, nobody's fooled and you just look like a corrupt arrogant ass. (anybody come to mind?)

Waldenbush said (Oregonian 2/24/06) he's running "because I like bringing people together and solving problems." Looking at a campaign chest of over $800,000 pre-Primary, I'd guess he's been bringing a lot of folks together, folks with a lot of money. I just can't see that the problems he's been solving involve the 2nd CD, it seems he solves problems for people with lots of money and they don't seem to be here. You'd think he's had some real competition out here, you know close races like: 65%-35%, 75%-25%. Maybe it's because I'm just a nail-banger from NE OR, but I don't think I could figure out how to spend all that loot to get to be a Congressman.

Now, really. Isn't there something wrong with this picture? I don't mean the part about giving money, I mean the amounts and where it comes from. I don't suggest legislating against it, I suggest making it a waste of their money. Seriously, just tell the waldenbushes, "No!"

Oh ooops

You'd have to know how I approach public speaking to understand how this came about...
I don't have a speech, I don't want one getting between me and the audience. I get up, and if I can, I walk about right up by the folks, and talk to them entirely ad lib, free style, or off-the-cuff. I do this to guarantee genuineness, it's what I've got. Oh sure I've got policies, but so do we all, and they're pretty similar, so I just give them...me.

I was rolling along nicely in my 8 minute introduction and evidently, since I'm quoted in the Bulletin as doing it, I called waldenbush "a pinhead." Now I can call him waldenbush, his voting record earned that, or maybe more accurately "waldenlay" since he voted even more regularly with Tom, but really, pinhead is over the top, so I'm sorry Greg. I was tired, I had a toothache, and I was pretty disgusted with that voting record and just got a little too worked up. I'm sure there were more polite descriptions of a guy who'd vote against the interests of the majority of his district just to please his little party machine and the wealthy and powerful. I know there are and I have a pretty good command of the English language, pinhead just popped out. So I appologize to you for calling you a pinhead. I also appologize to all pinheads.

Immigration and 19th Century Robber-barons

I posted this 2 weeks ago, before the firestorm erupted and before some particularly silly things were written on progressive sites. I'll do a little updating and addressing of nonsense.

Like most of us, I'm a child of immigrants, a long while ago, pre-Revolution and pre-Civil War for the most part, but immigrants none the less. This country probably could not have survived without the inflow of immigrants through out the 19th and 20th centuries. There is, however, a difference between immigration and uncontrolled illegal entry.

There is the matter of just how dangerous some of the illegals are, whether simple criminality or terrorism makes little difference. Frankly, terrorists will figure out how to penetrate controlled borders. I am not making a case that all illegal entrents are dangerous, simply that an unacceptable portion are and we have enough of the home-grown variety. There certainly are unfortunate social program costs involved, a small slice of the pie becomes even smaller and student funding takes a hit.

Illegal hiring is another piece of the problem. We're not talking about grass cutting and stoop labor, but a whole range of blue collar jobs. Here's a concrete example from my own industry:
labor costs don't stop with wages, FICA takes 15.4% (half from employee-half from employer), Unemployment takes around 2-3%, Workman's Comp takes 22-30%, all totalling between 39-46% of wage. This means that a legal employee costs $1.39 to $1.49 per dollar of wage so a $10.00 per hour employee actually costs $14-15.00 per hour. An employer making an illegal hire has a $4-5.00 per hour per employee labor cost advantage. Try to make that work. If materials costs and time per job are equal where is the give? The employee's wage is where the hit occurs, cheats and thieves are cutting blue collar throats. It is not hard for the employer to verify for legal hiring. So maybe these cheats need to be penalized enough to make the practice very unattractive, like 1yr Prevailing Wage per incident as a fine. Or maybe some jail time to go along with it. The Federal govt virtually winks at this problem, there's some big money in illegal hiring...

If you're starting to think "code for racism" you can back that train up, one of three of my crew is Mexican-American, and I'd hire a green Martian who worked hard and did a good job and had legal paperwork. It's only a part of the reason blue collar wages are so seriously depressed, but it is significant and curable. Take a look at who's tolerating this and then take a look at money. Do I get angry about this? You bet, I work side by side with my guys and they do everything right, work hard and do a good job in all kinds of weather and it's a job that is statistically more dangerous than being a cop. The arguement that Americans won't take that kind of work falls apart in the face of my crew all being Americans.

Not one of my crew nor myself bear any responsibilty for the condition of any foreign country. Not one iota. But they will be made to bear the cost. Now if the stance of "bye-bye" seems hard hearted, maybe you need to consider how little we can afford sympathy until our plight is addressed. We are being "in-sourced" right out of work or wages. If I raise my per foot bid just enough to cover the cost of a motel room with 5 illegals in it, I'm done for. That would involve $1.50/hour raise for my crew. You can find a crew of 15 illegals on a job and call INS and their response is, " Ummmm, oh well..." Once they're past the entry point, nobody gives a rat's patoot.

Maybe you're a little conflicted on the illegality of the issue, so I'll make this point, if I take a little walk and come home, life is good, but if my little walk takes me into Mary Doe's house, uninvited, I'm going to face some rather ugly legal consequences. These folks have taken a little walk right into my house and are taking things, I don't like it. I don't have to like it and won't like it just to satisfy the "race" card. I don't care what language they say "hello" in or what color face is saying it, do it legally or get out. Americans go to jail for less serious offenses than invading a country and stealing services, how the heck is that condonable?

GWB and waldenbush are working real hard to take this country back to 19th Century robber barons conditions and the touchy-feely left is aiding and abetting the process on this issue. If you want to see how this crap works, take a real good look at Chicago at the turn of the Century, and look at a real history text. Well, I told you I wasn't politics as usual or just any Democrat, so if you feel mislead, not my fault.

Waldenbush VS ....

I've been quiet for awhile, four 10 hour days to get 40/week in crappy weather and many miles of driving have taken a toll on this blog. 1000 miles weekend of 3/18 and close to 600 mi weekend of 3/25.

I've been running some numbers through my head, the 75/25 and 70/30 losses to waldenbush in the last 2 elections. These results happened to 2 men I admire and respect who had good ideas. Along with those numbers are how things have to play for waldenbush to go home. A Democrat has to take all the Democratic vote, they can't "stay home" or have been insulted into voting against. In an ordinary election the Independents pretty much split, that's good enough for a serious thrashing, a Democrat has to get most of them. That still won't quite do it, some Republicans have to be split off from the herd. That's a tall order. The last 2 elections ought to make it pretty clear that being a nice person with good ideas won't do it. It must take more, GWB just wasn't THAT popular, his elections were near 50/50 splits, not 75/25.

Politics as usual is good enough to get a butt kicking, if that's the case then change the rules and the game changes. For waldenbush imcumbency, Party, and empty symbolic gestures have been enough to do the trick. If he runs on his voting record he has to count on party and gestures, if some of his Party favors are removed (2nd Ammendment for one) it counts for less. If his Party is shown to be a tool of plutocrats and multi-national corporations it looks less admirable. Is that enough? Probably not quite, but what might tip the balance is a candidate that comes from a direction waldenbush can't deal with. He can't pretend to be a member of the "ordinary" 2nd CD voters, he can't pretend to understand or even comprehend actual labor and he's shown no particular ability to speak plainly and straightforwardly. That might have a lot to do with why I'm running and why I say I can beat him, even with all his money.

Waldenbush and PACs

I find it informative that our Rep has raised $360,000 from PACs, I find it especially informative when the amount is broken down into contributors. www.opensecrets.org has the breakdown of individual $280,000 and the PACs and they can be broken down into individual donors. Individual donors run about 75% in state vs 25% out of state ($70,000) but a quick read of the individuals starts to show a real large percentage that's out of district. Evidently these folks like his voting record a lot and would like him to stay in DC voting the ways they like. (a lot) What's that come out to per voter?

There was an amendment, 364 to HR 3010 that would put $7 billion into college student's loans by closing a loop hole that was putting billions into the hands of a few lenders, waldenbush voted against. It passed with 40 R's joining the D's, but I guess 2nd CD students have plenty of money available for college and some banks just aren't doing well enough for waldenbush. He didn't get ignored by banks in contributions... Somehow I had gotten the idea that higher education was important, I guess that sort of depends...

GWB Coat-tails

Riding the coat-tails of a fellow politician can work wonders for a campaign, sometimes. Then you could have coat-tails like President Bush's to ride. I'd pass. Unfortunately for him, waldenbush can't. Sure, he has a record to run on, or run away from if the President's record looks rather "icky", the problem is, he's earned my little monicker. He hasn't seen a Bushism that he doesn't like, no matter if it drives a dagger into the heart of rural America, no matter if the beneficiaries live somewhere completely different. If you vote with somebody who keeps failing the way the President has, sooner or later folks will see that you're a failure.

Boy, that $800,000 campaign chest of his is going to have it's work cut out for it, it'll take a few dollars to get people to forget. Anybody real curious how the 2nd Congressional District could finance an $800,000 campaign chest, this early? I live out here in Republican country, I don't see it. You don't suppose all those votes of his were worth something to somebody from somewhere else? No, surely not, waldenbush wouldn't represent other interests, would he?

Wouldn't he just.

American Grown

So you think American Beef comes from America? Well guess again. If it's born here, raised in Canada, and shipped back, it's called American. What??? you say. Well sure it is, if you happen to be 3 packing companies that control 80% of the market. You think that might not be real good for your rancher neighbor? The waldenbushes don't care, there's big money talking about what's American. Maybe you're thinking Americans are a little more careful about raising their beef, seems they are by the evidence. It also seemed to make a difference between profit and hand to mouth when the Canadian border was closed to beef, and that barely caused an uptick in grocery stores.

Waldenbush Rural Votes, Thanks Greg

If you give the wealthy big tax breaks and run a war and have some little things like hurricanes happen you get a deficit, a really big deficit. The RNC and waldenbush ran on "values" with the idea that it would play well in Rural America. Judging from the vote breakdown it did, so here's what their "values" amount to.

The waldnenbush votes:

Education, Health Care, Heating Assistance, Rural Firefighters, Food Stamps & Other Resources Needed Here

Voted to cut food stamps, health care, college student loans, Medicaid, child support enforcement, foster care, Social Security Insurance for the disabled and many rural programs. The H.R. 4241 bill summary said this bill: "terminates funding for… valued-added agricultural product market development grants, rural business investment programs, rural business strategic investment grants, rural firefighters and emergency personnel grants, and for initiative for future food and agriculture systems." If Walden had voted no, it would have been a tie [the same as not passing]. Instead -- WALDEN CAST A DECIDING VOTE TO CUT RURAL PROGRAMS, HEALTH CARE, FOOD STAMPS, FOSTER CARE AND OTHER FUNDS FOR POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE.
[H.R. 4241 (Passed 217 to 215) – Roll Call Vote #601 (11/18/05)]

Voted to cut funds for rural health care, community college grants, heating assistance for low-income families and education (the first cut in education in a decade). Although Walden and Tom Delay voted for this, 22 Republicans voted no. This failed despite Walden's vote. WALDEN VOTED TO CUT EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, HEATING ASSISTANCE AND OTHER FUNDS FOR POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE.
[H.R. 3010 (Failed 224-209) – Roll Call Vote #598 (11/17/05)]

Voted against reducing proposed tax breaks to the wealthy. Rep. Obey said, with this amendment, people making more than $1 million would average $27,000 more in tax cuts instead of $140,000, saving $10 billion for deficit reduction and $16 billion for education, health, science, veterans, homeland security, environment, law enforcement and community development. WALDEN VOTED FOR LARGER TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH.
[H.Amdt. 66 (Failed 180 to 242 – A no vote kept tax cuts at a higher level than proposed in this amendment.) - Roll Call Vote #82 (3/17/05)]

Voted to give wealthy Americans an additional $106 billion in tax cuts. Rep. Slaughter said this budget cuts more than $20 billion from Medicaid, $21 billion from student loans, Pell grants and other educational spending, and more than $5 billion from farm nutrition programs, slashing the food stamp program. WALDEN VOTED TO CUT MEDICAID, STUDENT LOANS, FOOD STAMPS & TO INCREASE TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH.
[H.Res. 154 (Passed 228 to 196) - Roll Call Vote #79 (3/16/05)]

Voted against raising payments to rural hospitals to bring their funding up to the same level as urban hospitals. WALDEN VOTED NO TO MORE MONEY FOR RURAL HOSPITALS.
[H.J.Res. 18 (Failed 195 to 215) - Roll Call Vote #18 (2/5/03)]

I know where I live and who lives here, I guess waldenbush has forgotten or maybe you never were important to him. This is my home and it's important to me and the nation. We take care of the vast majority of American land and people here are different than their urban compatriots, this counts for a lot. Certainly, the votes aren't here in the House and the sham dress-up these people play at for votes doesn't mean they have a clue. It's up to the rural representative to carry the message of the importance and difficulty of being rural. And then vote like it's understood.

Are You Nuts?

That's a fair question. Incumbents win 92%, the R machine is fat and nasty, and the political gurus do not say Oregon is "in play." In the real world of Democratic politics in Oregon's 2nd CD there's not much to be done about the money gap, oh I'll beg repeatedly and it'll dribble in and I'll beg some more. "In play" means the folks who really know say there's good odds with all considerations of a district that it could go either way, they say all seats in Oregon are safe. Then there's incumbency, that's supposed to be a real advantage, I only see one disadvantage, there's a record to be run on. I say Greg Walden's record is assailable and I intend to take a sledgehammer to it. I know, that doesn't sound subtle or polite, well, I figure Greg Walden and Bush and Co (hereafter known as waldenbush) have earned themselves a bare knuckle street brawl. They've worked real hard to get where they are, so they should be obliged.

Now, there are two things going on with my campaign:

One, when the Primary is over the only candidate that should be bleeding is waldenbush.

Two, anybody that shows me a better machine and that they're willing to go after waldenbush as hard as I am, can have my withdrawal and my campaign assets. This isn't about my ego, this is about trying to get some social and economic justice and protection of our Civil Liberties, here in the 2nd CD and nationally. Democratic resources are scarce and I'll be darned if I'll suck them up to stroke my ego.

Does that sound like I don't want to be a Congressman? I want to beat waldenbush and then go be a good Congressman for my district and my nation. I also like being a construction contractor, I don't feel a burning desire for a career change, and I like living in Baker City, Oregon. If I didn't love it out here, I wouldn't be here, and I certainly wouldn't make my life difficult by running against waldenbush. But this is my home and somebody is messing it up and messing with my neighbors and I don't like that one little bit. No, not my home and not my neighbors. You don't get to do that for free.

Now I'm going to beg, I need money, I need people. I can't buy my way into the fight and I can't buy my way through it, this will work if it's important, if it's important enough for you to cough up money and time. If it's not that important things will go on as they have been. But by gosh, don't come to me and complain that the rich are getting richer, the poor, poorer; that your Civil Liberties are vanishing; that Government is for sale; that the Iraq policy is a disaster, that Oregon law is subject to some fringe element's whim... There's no "and" in that sentence because there's no ending implied, waldenbush isn't just silliness, what Bush & Co want, Walden supplies.

Did I mention I need money and people?

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Campaign to Elect Chuck
1318 4th St
Baker City, OR 97814

"If the voter can't think of me as Chuck, I've no business representing him.