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Weidner calls Legislative committee ouster politically motivated

Politics | Mon, 09/28/2009 - 3:48 am | Read 2682 | Commented 9 | Emailed 2
Tags: Salem

Republican Rep. Jim Weidner of Yamhill wasn't pleased when he read comments about him made by Democratic House Speaker Dave Hunt in Wednesday's News-Register. But he said he wasn't surprised, either.

"The comments further demonstrate why people are fed up with Salem politicians," the District 24 representative said in a written statement. "It's unfortunate that Speaker Dave Hunt would put partisan politics ahead of Oregonians."

Hunt said he removed Weidner from the House Transportation Committee because the freshman legislator wasn't committed to improving transportation in Oregon. One indicator of that, he said, was Weidner's vote against a $1 billion highway funding bill featuring Yamhill County's Newberg-Dundee Bypass as its $192 million centerpiece.

Weidner, who couldn't be reached for the original story, said he does support improving transportation. He voted no, he said, because the bill increased taxes without giving voters a say and state agencies aren't using the money they already have efficiently enough.

"While Hunt thinks he can question my commitment to transportation, he can't question my commitment to the taxpayers of House District 24," Weidner said in his statement.

He posted the statement in full as a comment appended to the original story on the News-Register website, found at www.newsregister.com.

Weidner failed to return calls and e-mails from the News-Register on Friday, Monday and Tuesday, as the story was being prepared. By the time he responded Wednesday, the article had already gone to press.

He said he had been in Eastern Oregon on a business trip.

Weidner issued his statement Friday. While the speaker plays partisan politics, he said, "I am once again willing to put partisan differences aside to put Oregon back on the right track."

He reiterated that belief in a phone call, saying that he will gladly work with Democrats as well as Republicans in "passing legislation that helps Oregon and turns out economy around."

Before the highway funding bill went to a vote, Weidner said he tried to add an amendment referring its tax and fee elements to voters.

"I would have been happy and honored to support the bill if this provision had been included," he said. Since it was not, he said, he felt he had no choice but to vote no.

"When they strip you of assignments because you don't vote the way they want..." he said, letting the sentence trail off.

He was removed not only from the House Transportation Committee, but also from the House Consumer Protection Committee, where he started the session as vice-chair.

Hunt said he made the latter change because he needed to find a spot for four-term Republican Rep. Gene Whisnant of Sunriver. However, Whisnant did not seek out that assignment on his own, according to Weidner and Nick Smith, communications director for House Minority Leader Bruce Hanna.

Smith termed Weidner's removal from Consumer Protection a "politically motivated attack on a legislator who didn't support the speaker's gas tax increase."

The actions leave Weidner with just one committee assignment, the House minimum. He remains on Veterans and Emergency Services.

Weidner said he is working there to expand a program offering veterans free use of state parks. He would like to see them given free access to tent sites, yurts and horse campgrounds all three, he said.

"Our veterans, who need some much-needed R & R, should be provided enough space as to be in solitude," he said. "Post-traumatic Syndrome Disorder can be triggered for some by large crowds, so expanding additional campgrounds that offer solitude should be a logical progression."

Veterans and Emergency Services is scheduled to meet next week, as are the rest of the Legislature's interim committees.

In addition to serving on the committee, during the interim, Weidner has been spending time with his family. He said he also has been working on an expansion of his private business.

He also is looking forward to a special session in February, where he expects the Legislature to revisit its budget in light of an economic status report due out in January. He said he wants to "bring further solutions to the table to get our state economy competitive once again."

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Comments (9)

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Thu, 10/08/2009 - 8:53pm - Posted by: AlbertTaylor

Smith is on the Transportation committee, Whisnat is on the Consumer protection committee. Regardless, both of these legislators are good republicans, voted down other tax raising bills, and supported and sponsored bills that encourage strong family values. Not only that they know how to get things done even when their party is in the minority. That takes real statesmanship.

To get nothing done, and to stand in the way of progress is an easy thing to do when you are in the minority. To get something done while in the minority is a skill. I agree with what Hunt said about filling these committees with people who are effective. To criticize the Democratic leadership for not ending Government waste, and then criticizing them for appointing effective legislators to committees is both void of logic and full of hypocrisy.

Tue, 10/06/2009 - 8:08pm - Posted by: amysright

Al, come now, let's not pretend you run in Conservative circles. I have no idea who are and I do know the Republicans in office including Whisnat. You claims are a lie on their face. If anyone wishes to further as any questions here is Gene Whisnat number please call and ask him if what Albert claims is true. (541)598-7560 or E-mail me at rep.genewhisnant@state.or.us. Thanks so much.

Tue, 10/06/2009 - 8:08pm - Posted by: amysright

Tue, 09/29/2009 - 8:51pm - Posted by: ktho

To give credit where credit is due, Rep Weidner is working on free access to the state parks for veterans so they can get out in Nature and decompress, and I think he's right to do so. It's a good idea and I support him on that.

It will make it easier on the vets who become homeless (as too many do) to already have a place to live, but getting them health care and disability payments will still be an unfunded mandate.

(See also my essay on veterans at my Facebook page here :

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&suggest&note_id=46830279924 )

I'm also really curious to know what kinds of benefits, including health insurance and disability insurance, all of the armed private contractors in Iraq & Afghanistan are getting, and what DOD fund(s) those monies are coming out of.

Mon, 09/28/2009 - 1:17pm - Posted by: AlbertTaylor

by the way PI Rep.
Smith is a Republican, and he has not been convicted of anything. He was upfront about everything and from what I have read at the state web site www.leg.state.or.us/ Rep. Greg Smith stated his conflict every time. From what I can see Rep. Smith is a good guy who is willing to work in a non-partisan manner and deserves that seat. I really think that if you were to call Rep. Hanna's office they would agree that they would rather have Rep. Smith on that Committee than Weidner.

Mon, 09/28/2009 - 1:12pm - Posted by: AlbertTaylor

Hey Repduck, an up-turned broom with a bucket for a head would be a better Representative than Weidner, that said, it is hard to out spend a guy who gets thousands of dollars of campaign funds from OUT OF STATE corporations like NRA, Philip Morris and the like. Ask Ed Glad and Mr. Bunn. Both guys would have represented the county with distinction and yet would not get the money because they were the ones who really had ethics.

Weidner is slave to special interests. That’s how he gets his money, that’s how he was able to influence voters with DIRTY MAILERS and paid SCARE TACTICS phone calls. He ran an expensive, dirty primary and general, paid for by special interest that knew they had a puppet in their hands. Weidner's votes and comments in committee speak for themselves. Go to the www.leg.state.or.us/ and check it out for your self.

I don't care, Republican or Democrat or independent, someone please step up and run against this clown. To simply give him a free pass back into Salem would be such a disgrace!

Mon, 09/28/2009 - 12:50pm - Posted by: republicanduck

Hey Albert,
Did Joe write that for you? This must be the usual union talking point that is given to all union workers. Run for office if you can do a better job! Put your Ideas to the voters and see if they like them. Apparently the voters didn't like Mr Hanson's Ideas(who is a nice guy btw) Better yet; find a better candidate to run against weidner, you know like yourself.

Mon, 09/28/2009 - 11:09am - Posted by: Non-partisan P.I.

Albert you assessment is INCORRECT!

Dave Hunt chose Rep. Smith NOT Rep. Whisnant to sit on the Transportation Committee.
Thinking it wasn’t politically motivated is FALSE! It was politics as usual-quid pro quo!

Rep. Greg Smith is facing ETHICS VIOLATIONS and this quote appeared in The Oregonian June 11, 2009:

“In the letter, House Speaker Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone, and House budget Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, agree that MILLIONS of dollars would go to projects at Eastern Oregon University, the Port of Morrow, and Blue Mountain Community College. The lawmakers also guaranteed that a bill extending a logging tax break would pass the House. Smith said he requested the letter from Democrats as a CONDITION of his YES VOTE on a Personal Income Tax bill earlier this week.”

Rep. Smith would financially BENEFIT from the MILLIONS going to the University and Community College. He and his family work in conjunction with these schools and will get rewarded for his VOTE TRADING at OUR TAXPAYER EXPENSE!

Is this the type of “back door” HORSE TRADING we WANT in Salem? I’m fed up with the corruption in politics! Salem is becoming like CHICAGO!

Agree with Rep. Weidner’s position or not, but the FACT is HIS vote couldn’t be BOUGHT!

See for yourself @ http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/06/taxes_oregon_gop_fi...

Mon, 09/28/2009 - 10:06am - Posted by: AlbertTaylor

The notion that this was a political move is really misleading, Rep. Whisnat, who replaced Weidner on the Transportation committee also voted no on HB 2001, a vote that Weidner claims has caused him to be removed. I would agree that it was partisan if each of his committee seats were in turn filled by a Democrat, but they weren't.

The fact of the matter is that Jim Weidner was not effective, helpful, or useful to any of the committees he was on or the county he was asked to serve. The only person he looks out for is himself and big business. Take a look at where his money comes from and you will understand.

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