Cornilles, Bonamici will compete in primary -- for Independent Party nomination

In addition, Peralta said the candidates have agreed to participate in a Nov. 27 debate. Details of that event are still pending.

Rob Cornilles and Suzanne Bonamici have responded to our questionnaire for the 2011 Special Primary Election.

• Bonamici Responses
• Cornilles Responses

Here are the candidates' contribution reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) so far for the Special Election for Oregon's 1st Congressional District:

• Suzanne Bomamici
• Rob Cornilles

For Bonamici, you need to click on the link to "Itemized Individual Contributions" to get the list of contributors.

Unfortunately, the FEC data for Cornilles also includes all contributions and expenditures on his race for the same seat in 2010, while the data for Bonamici is only for the Special Election. Nevertheless, the data provide a good indication of where each candidate's funding is originating.

NOV 9, 2011 – HILLSBORO –The 5-member nominating caucus of the Independent Party of Oregon (IPO) has unanimously qualified State Senator Suzanne Bonamici and Tualatin businessman Rob Cornilles to compete for the Party's nomination for the office of United States Representative for the First Congressional District of Oregon.

The IPO will hold a special primary election from 5pm, November 14th through 5pm on November 29. Under Oregon's fusion voting law, the winner of this election will be allowed to print the name "Independent Party" next to his or her name on the ballot for the January 31, 2012, Special Election to fill the remainder of the term of David Wu, who resigned from Congress in August.

Bonamici and Cornilles have both agreed to participate in a debate as a part of this process. The Party is also planning election kick-off events in in McMinnville and Hillsboro.

The candidates have completed an extensive questionnaire. The IPO will publish their answers on its website, indparty.com.    Read more ...

We have extended the date for ending the election to November 29th to ensure greater participation by our members.

The Independent Party has released its Nomination Process for the 2011 1st Congressional District Special Election.

A law enacted by the Oregon Legislature in 2009 allows any candidate who is nominated by more than one official political party to list up to 3 such party nominations next to her or his name on the general election ballot. So the candidates nominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party may also try to obtain the nominations of Oregon's minor parties, which include the IPO.

The IPO will not release the name of anyone seeking the IPO nomination who is also running in one of the major party (Democratic or Republican) primary elections until after the date of that election (November 8, 2011). A candidate who runs in but does not win a major party primary cannot, by law, be considered for nomination by the Independent Party.

Voting in the Independent Party of Oregon Special Primary Election will begin on November 14 and end on November 29, 2011. Oregon residents of the 1st Congressional District who were registered as IPO members as of October 1, 2011, will be eligible to vote. Each such member may login and obtain an official ballot at the IPO website (indparty.com), print and complete the ballot, sign it, and return it to the IPO (with a copy of a qualifying identity-validating document) by mail, fax, email, or personal delivery. Only ballots received before 5 p.m. on November 29, 2011, will be counted. The IPO will tabulate the results by November 29. The candidate who receives the most votes will be the nominee. The IPO will issue its Certificate of Minor Party Nomination by November 30, 2011. If the winning candidate does not file the Certificate of Nomination with the Secretary of State by noon on November 30, 2011, the nomination will be declared vacant, and nominee will be chosen by special emergency procedures.

LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

The Independent Party will be holding a public meeting on Sunday, Oct 16th at 4:15 PM at the main branch of the Hillsboro Public Library, 2850 NE Brockwood Pkwy.

Party Secretary, Sal Peralta, will lead a discussion on the Independent Party’s mission, the Party’s participation in the Special Election for Congressional District 1, and volunteer opportunities in Washington County and the Portland Metro area.

This is the party’s first public organizational meeting in Washington County.

Independent Party challenge: Can we make this special election truly special?

The Oregonian
September 04, 2011
By Linda K. Williams and Dan Meek

It's also expected to be very expensive. According to OpenSecrets.org, in 2010, David Wu's campaign spent more than $1.83 million, while his Republican opponent, Rob Cornilles, spent more than $1 million. As the focus of national attention, the candidates will probably attract even more big money this time.    Read more ...

Oregon Senate Bill 408: The rise and fall of rational law

Steve Duin, The Oregonian
June 26, 2011

Once upon a time, a group of thoughtful and motivated people gathered in the state capitol and conspired to do something good.

They were met with understandable skepticism. Their plan did not cater Oregon's utilities. It did not reward the biggest campaign contributors. It was not carefully scripted by the usual lobbyists.

The lone beneficiaries of this work group? Utility ratepayers.

Between 1998 and 2005, Portland General Electric customers were charged $750 million in state and federal taxes that were never paid to the taxing authorities.

Those millions ended up, instead, in the pocket of Enron, which owned PGE. The scam was incredibly lucrative, and one of the main reasons Texas Pacific employed Neil Goldschmidt and Tom Walsh in its failed attempt to buy the utility.

In 2005, the tax dodge was ended by a group that included Dan Meek, Ann Fisher, Bob Jenks, Melinda Davison and two Democratic state senators, Rick Metsger and Vicki Walker.

They were determined, indignant, inventive. Their solution -- Senate Bill 408 -- ordered utilities to turn over the amount billed as taxes to the government or return that money to the ratepayers.

The fix was so obvious it passed the Legislature on an 84-6 vote. It yielded immediate results.

PGE ratepayers received a $40 million refund. Northwest Natural customers paid $12 million more in taxes because the friendly neighborhood utility earned more than its authorized rate of return. PGE actually began paying state income taxes.

Then your 2011 Legislature came along and blew the plan to hell.   
Read More at The Oregonian