Holding Oregon’s Government Accountable
Oregon Freedom Coalition is guided by six beacons of sound policy. The beacons seek to ensure the policy positions taken by Oregon Freedom Coalition lead to a better Oregon for all Oregonians. The six policy beacons should not be thought of as distinctly separate or leading to different visions of Oregon’s future. Instead, the policy beacons frequently compliment and accentuate each other with several having many shared policy solutions guiding one vision for Oregon. Oregon Freedom Coalition envisions a better Oregon created from policy solutions that promote accountability, affordability, better education, business-friendliness, healthiness, and safety.
This week, we will be covering accountability. Accountability ensures that elected officials and public servants are held to the standard of working for the people of Oregon. Too often, Oregon’s elected officials and public servants have become beholden to interests that are not aligned with the common Oregonian. Part of the problem of four decades of progressive governance is that policy decisions have largely focused on pleasing special interest or radical fringe groups. These groups make a profit from the abuse of the Oregon taxpayer brought on by these terrible policy choices.
Real accountability puts Oregonians first. It means that Oregon taxpayer dollars are being spent effectively, efficiently, and responsibly, preventing waste, fraud, and abuse in the process. Policies guided by the accountability beacon should:
Create greater transparency and accuracy in government accounting;
Reduce wasteful spending;
Foster meritocracy in hiring and promoting civil servants;
Eliminate corruption;
Stymie government overreach; and
Promote equality under the law in government programs and proceedings.
Visit OregonFreedom.com to learn more about what we are doing to reclaim Oregon and how you can join us.
This Week in Oregon
The Fagan Farce
Speaking of accountability – or possible lack thereof – former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan has seemingly escaped any meaningful accountability for alleged state ethics violations that led her to resign in 2023. Jeff Eager from Oregon Roundup dissected the Fagan farce in his latest piece on Substack.
Bourbongate Bungled
In a similar story, The Oregonian reports that the former executive director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) was handed a civil penalty of $500 this week by the Oregon’s ethics commission for using his access to privileged information to purchase a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. The executive director was just one of six high-ranking OLCC officials who came under investigation in early 2023 for “Bourbongate.” The Oregon Department of Justice declined to charge anyone citing challenges in the investigation. What goes unmentioned in The Oregonian’s reporting is the fact that one of the high-ranking officials admitted to procuring liquor for unnamed legislators.
Sinaloa in Salem
Another story this week showed why Oregon can use policy guided by our safety beacon. On May 6, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced one of the largest fentanyl seizures in U.S. history, which include the arrest of a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel, Alberto Salazar Amay, in Salem. In the U.S. illegally after previously having been deported, he deliberately hid in Salem due to Oregon’s sanctuary state status.