Op Ed:
Cult-Shaped Elephant
Distorting Issues
For Oregon’s Debates

Wracked Remnants of GOP Blocking Real Oregon Changes.

America is a land based in positive advancement, do we have what it takes to use the system in a better way? Image courtesy: PC Advisor

(SALEM) - The first-debate for real Oregon issues faces a desperate space-problem in our PBS studio: Seems a cult-shaped carcass of an old-reliable elephant-friend is crowding the current-issues --and the debaters, too.

It’s NOT the same elephant you knew in childhood: The changes are radical, raffish and remarkably unsettling, with demonstration of design and deep targets desperately obvious at every level from local through State to the White House itself.

(Debate: Thurs. 9/28 OPB-Radio 1:00-2:00 PM Live; OPB-TV 9:00-10:00 PM.) (See list of URLs at end-below.)

In Oregon, for more than twenty years, Legislators have allowed themselves, sometimes on both sides of the aisle, to descend steadily from solid, sensible --sometimes even rational-- decision on public issues for the commonweal to determined head-on confrontations, then open-combat via warlike modes and methods.

That’s the pattern imposed by party-design and potent plan and action via a now-well-known specially-funded cabal; intent on draining away public-expenditure “blood” to weaken the main element of democracy --State-level governance-- thus preparing for easy “strangling in the bathtub” when so weakened.

Now confrontation must end and cooperation begin-again, for the overall good of all involved. Ben Franklin discovered electricity, Thomas Jefferson shined light on the world; this is a nation of innovative people who have the capacity to make decisions that are beneficial to all.

The long-established, potent-attack cabal has collapsed. One major member is already behind bars, others are under federal investigation, and the Party cult-remnant is rapidly being reduced and replaced.

A major problem is already surfacing as more voters, once enamored of their mythic, cannily-stated propaganda, are rapidly “splitting away in surprising numbers”. (Documentation available.)

Combative “attack-ad” candidacy --now badly outmoded and non-effective-- is giving way to cogent summaries of stands-on-issues --with easy-access information and authoritative documentation-- publicly stated-and-repeated, in the many new more- effective channels for public communication.

“Muscle-mouthed non-statements” devoid of details, and always depressingly distorted for political footballing, is no longer “the mode” in Oregon; now it draws open laughter from many cogitating citizens as they continue to suffer reality-consequences from continuing prevarications, in both pocketbook and personal conscience.

Political-cult “win at any cost” via propagandized promises and poured-on campaign expenditures; from those malignly and monstrously influential “corporate campaign contributions”; must be modified and put under control, right along with corporate tax-burden reform with rational regulation.

That very concept of “political speech” for corporations --as if they were truly “persons”-- expressed via cash-payment to key Legislators placed strategically by manipulated process of “choice-of-representation”, is itself under complete restudy by federal court order. (The Supremes erred for decades, you will recall, on the continuance of slavery -- “public opinion” set that right, too.)

More reasonable “new faces” are emerging, sometimes even cooperative by nature, in nearly every State; from other democratic supply than the purposely-shadowed insider-circles; and there is even a whiff or two of community-interest detected among the combatants, right here in Oregon.

SO, for this opening debate between two well-advantaged professionals seeking top-post in our problems-wracked State, we need to understand these issues very well, best accomplished via “see with own eyes” involvement.

Then we are fully able to apply the ongoing pressures built into our democracy --purposely and primarily, by the Founders-- to demand of elected representatives what we decide via “the will of the people” -- well-recognized as “public opinion’.

That fierce force can be encompassing and highly-motivating for politicians; even shaping their behavior at times; when it is marshaled, summarized, solidly reported and placed “on the public record” with impact and precision -- in both timing and strong statement.

For decades that has been a major responsibility of our once-”free”/press, now in transition to function via a growing variety of channels, modes, types, kinds, formats, and varieties of a growing communications industry literally reaching not only every home, but also these days nearly every pocket and carry-bag, too, over the entire 24-hours we all still live, every day.

Thus those who make that public opinion what it is --by what YOU DO and what YOU SHARE and REPORT to YOUR representatives-- must DO YOUR PART well.

THEN communicate your factual “opinion” comprehensively and commandingly to those who bear your faith-and-confidence with them into the Legislative chambers.

To help you with that responsible task not only for this first debate, but for continuing “Public Opinion”-formation, just below we are listing the working-link URLs for key authoritative --and bipartisan !-- sources for that fact-based information.

We hope you will USE THESE widely, wisely and well --and then REPORT to your REPRESENTATIVES what you learn from them AND from this first-and-other debates.

YOU are “public opinion” -- but it does NOT really get to be “public” unless YOU MAKE IT SO; by sharing and communication with your key persons you hold responsible for commonweal action --as YOU direct that it be DONE.

SO, go “see with your own eyes”, do your own thinking on what constitutes responsible action-now, listen to the debates, starting with this first one -- and REPORT TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES !!

Ben Franklin will be proud of what you do.

Here they are: If they fail when clicked-below, simply copy into your browser.

Chalkboard Project:
www.chalkboardproject.org/press_release.php
Stand For Children:
www.stand.org/ OpenBooksProject: www.openbooksproject.org/
Oregon School Boards Association: www.osba.org/ Oregon Business Council:
http://www.oregonedroundtable.org/studies&reports_whitepapers.html