Oregon ag has winners and losers in primary | capitalpress.com

http://www.capitalpress.com/content/ml-elections-051612

By MITCH LIES

Capital Press

May 16, 2012

SALEM — Oregon agriculture lost some long-standing supporters in the May 15 primary elections, but may have gained some new ones.

Among the victims was five-term incumbent Rep. Mike Schaufler, D-Happy Valley, who fell to challenger Jeff Reardon by 32 percentage points.

“(Schaufler) was a passionate supporter of farmers and foresters,” said Katie Fast, director of government affairs for the Oregon Farm Bureau.

“I was very disappointed in losing Mike Schaufler,” said Paulette Pyle, grass roots coordinator for Oregonians for Food and Shelter. “He was a good urban vote for natural resources.”

One-term incumbent Sen. Chris Telfer, R-Bend, also lost big to former state Rep. Tim Knopp by 36 percentage points in the Senate District 27 Republican primary.

“We endorsed Telfer,” Fast said, “but when Tim Knopp was in the House, he was a good advocate on natural resource issues.”

And Oregon Farm Bureau first vice president and State Board of Agriculture member Tracey Liskey has lost a close race against Gail Whitsett in the House District 56 Republican primary. Whitsett, wife of Sen. Doug Whitsett, R-Klamath Falls, was just over 500 votes ahead of Liskey as of 9 a.m. May 16, 4,962 to 4,455.

The two were running to replace Rep. Bill Garrard, R-Klamath Falls, in the heavily Republican district.

“Obviously we are disappointed,” Fast said of the outcome. “The Farm Bureau was excited to see Tracey Liskey in the Legislature. On the other hand, I have known Gail for a number of years. She will be a good representative for Oregon agriculture.”

“I think Gail will be a star,” Pyle said.

Pyle also spoke highly of Bill Hansell, a farmer and Umatilla County commissioner, who won the Republican primary in Senate District 29 by 22 percentage points.

“That strengthened the understanding of natural resources in the Republican caucus,” Pyle said.

Hansell will run unopposed in the November general election to replace four-term incumbent Sen. Dave Nelson, R-Pendleton, who is not seeking re-election.

And Pyle was excited to see Brooks Tree Farm owner Kathy LeCompte win the House District 22 Republican primary.

“We very supportive of (LeCompte),” Pyle said. “She’s a personal friend and a good friend of the industry.”

LeCompte lost to incumbent Rep. Betty Komp, D-Woodburn, in the general election two years ago.

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This information and much more that you need to know about the ESA,
the Klamath River Basin, and private property rights can be found at The
Klamath Bucket Brigade’s web site – http://klamathbucketbrigade.org/index.html –
please visit today.

5/16/12, 12:14 a.m. 100% of the votes are in.

- Oregon Election Night Results,

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN against the KBRA and dam removal!

Congratulations!

Opponents of the KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (which includes Klamath dam removal) won the votes of the people, in spite of the smear ads and big bucks paid to destroy them.

State Senate District 28:
Incumbent Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett 6412 votes,

with 72% of the votes. Opposes KBRA
Karl Scronce 2479 votes, 27.8% of votes. Pro KBRA

State Representative District 56
Gail Whitsett4350 votes, 53% of the votes. Opposes KBRA
Tracey Liskey 3859, 47% of the votes. Pro KBRA

Klamath County Commissioner Position 1
Tom Mallams, 3931 votes, 43% of the votes. Opposes KBRA
Incumbent All Switzer 2544 votes, 28% of the vote. Pro KBRA

Klamath County Commissioner Position 3
James Bellet, 3856 votes, 42.7% of vote Opposes KBRA
Dennis Jefcoat 1445 votes, 16% of votes Opposes KBRA
Incumbent Cheryl HuKill 1595 votes, 18% of vote Pro KBRA

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

From:

American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400 ­ Battle Ground, WA 98604
Phone: 360-687-3087 ­ Fax: 360-687-2973
E-mail: alra@pacifier.com
Web Address: http://www.landrights.org
Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE ­ Washington, DC 20003

Urgent You Call, Fax and E-mail Regarding LWCF Conference.

LWCF Conference Committee Started May 6, Call, Fax & E-mail Now.

—–Urgent Action by You Is Necessary

You are on the verge of winning. We cannot stress how critical it is
for you to contact the Members of the House-Senate Conference
Committee on the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

If the Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and
BLM get the extra $1.4 Billion Dollars the greens are going for, no
community will be safe. Land acquisition will go crazy.

Please forward this message to at least 10 other people. Your whole
list if possible.

Please act quickly. There is no time to waste.

—–This message includes BOTH the House and Senate LWCF Highway
Bill Conferees including their e-mails and fax numbers updated.

—–Congress is considering spending 1.4 billion dollars EXTRA for
land acquisition through the LWCF (Land and Water Conservation Fund).
The Greens want to use this as a precedent for spending every year.

When does Congress start considering the debt and deficit?

These funds are taken right from the taxpayer. Some have the
impression that the funds come from the Gulf Oil Spill penalty money.
Not so. The 1.4 billion dollars comes right out of your pocket.

Willing Seller, A Myth, Stop The LWCF Land Acquisition Fund

—–Willing Seller? “Although the LWCF provision in the Highway
bill supposedly protects unwilling sellers from the new LWCF money,
Cushman said, “Everyone knows that when Federal agencies get a big
block of money there is no such thing as an unwilling seller.”

“That’s because the government nearly always can find away to
pressure and force the landowner to sell, Cushman said. And even
though Condemnation and Eminent Domain cannot be used with the new
LWCF money, the Park Service and other agencies can use old LWCF
money to threaten and carry out eminent domain (condemnation).

“The Park Service considers any landowner who agrees to a
settlement in court before the judge rules as a ‘Willing Seller.’
The bottom line is that Condemnation or Eminent Domain is threatened
by the Park Service and other land agencies in every conversation
with a landowner. The key to stopping these abuses is to cut off the
money, Cushman said.”

—–The “willing buyer, willing seller procedure of acquiring land
touted by park officials is ‘meaningless’ and a more proactive method
is generally used,” said William Kriz, chief of Land Acquisition in an
article in the Concord Journal (Massachusetts) in 1988.
http://www.moosecove.com/propertyrights/index.shtml#willingsellermyth