By Archie L. Thomas, Corvallis
The campaign flyer says Pat Connnell is a liberal politician. When I recovered from my laughing fit, I realized this b.s. is home grown and has to be challenged as not normal. Connell has spent his life working in the timber industry. The last rumored liberal logger got backed over by his crew boss’s skidder in the 70’s.
And “enough is enough” the flyer continues because Connell voted for an increase to the gas tax. This tax helps maintain state roads and had remained unchanged since 1994. The conservative Republicans voted against the tax increase yet take credit for increasing infrastructure spending funded by the gas tax they voted against. But wait, this all makes perfect sense. Our state government must be run like a business. What kind of monkey business (state or otherwise) can keep its doors open providing the same services without increasing its retail prices (taxes) since 1994?
“Here’s a bright idea: Elect someone who will actually listen to and represent you.” and “Jason Ellsworth will stand up to special interest groups.” In addition, these printed mailers show Ellsworth standing with Senator Daines in the only captured shot of the senator in Hamilton; while the senator avoided contact with the general public trying to speak with him. He appears to be standing with – rather than up to – the special interest group which was in on the secret meeting time used to shut out the general public.
Whose bright idea was this flyer to shed light on how to avoid public input and pander to special interests? Is this meeting style representative of how he would limit to whom and when he listens?
These flyers are not normal or unique and nothing but political chaff adopted from the national scene, bringing no light to real issues in this local race. If there is such a thing as a liberal logger, I’d vote for the logger over a me too national want-to-be, over funded conservative attorney any day.