Wednesday, May 19, 2010

VICTORY!

Victory? How is losing with only 1,113 votes victory?

Of course we went into this intending to win. To win the election, we needed a lucky break with the media toward the beginning of the campaign. Not surprisingly, the media wouldn’t step outside of their box.

But winning the election was only one way to win. We entered this looking at the larger picture. We wanted to launch a new message, a new kind of candidate, a new kind of campaign. Because old school politics and politicians have brought this country to it’s knees. We need something new, something real. Something that represents us rather than special interests and those with money.

Someone needed to step up. One of us. Not a rich businessman, or a politician, or some other elite who pretends to walk with us. ONE OF US. No one was doing it so I did. Not for me, because what I do will likely not affect me very much. But for my kids.

I understand…you might not agree with everything I say. You might think I’m a little goofy on TV compared to Chris Dudley. But as we move forward, remember this…I am one of us. I have no agenda other than your agenda. I answer to no party. I accept no money so I owe a debt to no one. I represent no one other than you. This is how every representative of the people should be, yet none of them are. We should expect more. For the sake of our country, let’s hope this catches on.

So here’s how we see victory.

Over the course of the campaign we had 2,001 unique visitors to the website. 1,363 were from Oregon. This was the only way for voters to get information on the candidacy as there was no statement in the voters pamphlet. Even the TV debate had very limited information.

We received 1,113 votes, more than 80% of the unique visitors from Oregon to the site. We were hoping for around 10%. This is a HUGE victory! It means people who went to the website liked the message enough to cast a vote for the underdog.

So we (my wonderful daughter Kasondra and myself) would like to thank each and every one of you who supported and voted for Darren Karr this primary year. We’re not done. This is just the beginning.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Arizona - Rethought, Now Opposed

I constantly have to remind myself, “Darren, you’re not always right, no matter how right you might think you are.” This is one of those situations.

I stuck my foot in my mouth last night at a friends house and didn’t even notice it until this morning when my wife told me. It took a good 30 minutes of her explaining what happened for me to finally see her point. Immediately after this conversation with my wife, I started thinking about myself and where I may have made a similar mistake recently. A couple days ago I had a very light email exchange with one of my son’s teachers regarding a discussion his class had about the Arizona law. So it got me to thinking about my stance on the law and whether or not I was missing something. I was. I think it’s important to share it, even though we’re only two days away from the election.

First of all, I still believe the Governor of Arizona did the right thing. The bill that was presented to her was constitutional and it made it’s way to her desk in an ethical way. In other words, it was legal and it was the will of the people. Remember, We The People are in charge, not the Governor.

I believe the goal of the new law is to keep illegal’s from going to Arizona, and the law will probably help in doing that. But I see some problems here. 1) As much as I don’t believe there will be a problem with profiling, and I tend to give the authorities the benefit of the doubt until something actually happens, there is a possibility of profiling happening. 2) There is real concern from a good size group of Americans. 3) It seems to be very inefficient and expensive.

Because of this, I think the people of Arizona should reconsider this law.

That being said, we still have the issue of illegal aliens. The argument I continue to hear from the opposition to the law is the employers should be held accountable rather than the illegals. And that’s exactly what should be done. Here’s what I propose for Oregon:

1) Enact a law making it illegal to employ in any way, any person who is not in this country legally. The penalty for breaking the law will be not only a fine, but also jail time. The state will set up a verification system and anyone not using it and hiring an illegal will be prosecuted and punished. Corporate CEO’s will be held accountable. There will be no leniency. If a person drives to a “temporary worker station” and hires an illegal, that person will be caught, prosecuted, and punished with a fine and jail time.

2) Every single person, no matter what color their skin or what language they speak will be required to prove they are legally in America before receiving any state service, license, identification, or permit. This also applies to all people currently receiving state services.

3) Enact a law prohibiting banks and financial institutions (including check cashing) from doing business with people who cannot prove they are not in this country legally.

What do you think? Am I missing something? This should keep illegals out of Oregon and make the opposition to the Arizona law happy. It works for everyone.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Health Care

Obamacare is unconstitutional, inadequate, way too expensive, and will not work. There’s a reason the Constitution gives this responsibility to the states.

Oregon can ensure 100% of its citizens are covered by health insurance. Here’s what we need to do:

1. Make health care as inexpensive as possible. Go through the entire health care system from bottom to top with a fine tooth comb and find inefficiencies and waste. Eliminate all federal regulations and replace them with state regulations that we Oregonians feel are needed and not just a waste of time and money.

2. Allow insurance competition across state lines.

3. Enact tort reform.

4. (Stick with me for this crazy idea) Encourage the setup of a non-profit insurance company to insure high risk Oregonians. Oregon would tie the Oregon Lottery system into this non-profit to help subsidize the program. This will keep insurance prices down for healthy Oregonians and will make health insurance possible for Oregonians who cannot currently get insurance because of pre-existing conditions or other reasons.

5. Shore up the Oregon Health Plan. We need to remove the waste in the OHP. We also need to go through the list of recipients and make sure every single person is a legal United States citizen and a legal citizen of Oregon. Right now we have a waiting list of Oregonians who need medical care. This shouldn’t be the case. Under my leadership, the OHP will cover every single Oregonian who cannot afford health insurance in Oregon after steps 1-4 are enacted.

Don’t let Obamacare fool you. We Oregonians deserve much more. As Governor, I’ll keep Oregon OUT of the Obamacare mess, I’ll keep your hard earned money OUT of the federal health care pit and keep it in Oregon where it belongs. Remember, when you send $1.00 of the money you earn to the federal government in the form of taxes, Oregon sees only a fraction of that money back in federal services. Oregon can provide those same services to you at a fraction of the cost, and the services would be of much better quality.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Abortion

Not pro-choice or pro-life. The question is “what is your take on abortion”. I’m personally against it. I wouldn’t want my wife or daughter to do it. Of course, this isn’t an absolute as I can’t even imagine every single possible circumstance that could occur.

I’m also very strongly against people trying to push their personal, moral, and religious beliefs on me. Consequently, I don’t want to push my personal, moral, and religious beliefs on others. So am I “pro-choice” or “pro-life”? Well, I’m pro-stay-the-hell-out-of-my-business-and-I’ll-stay-out-of-yours.

Abortion really is a personal matter. The decision is based on a number of different things and I think the state should not be a factor. I realize religion is very important to a lot of people and believe me, I respect that. But religious people have to respect the beliefs of those who don’t hold the same religious beliefs. It’s never right to force religious beliefs on another person. Do we want a Muslim to force their beliefs on Christians?

So I think the matter becomes, “when does abortion become murder?”. Because I would hope we can all agree that murder is wrong and against the law. My belief is that life occurs when a baby can survive outside of the mother with medical assistance. As far as I know, that’s third term.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Unions

Unions have no place in government. Unions were originally designed to protect employees from the big, bad employer, which they did a great job at. Now they’re designed to control the government. That’s the people’s job. The government doesn’t screw it’s employees so there’s no need for unions in government. If I’m chosen by the people to represent them, unions in government are gone. The government will once again be represented and controlled by the people. And to you union workers, if you’re a good employee, which I assume most of you are, you’ll be happy. No more union dues, no more strikes, no more being used as pawns. Your fellow Oregonians will make sure you’re treated fairly and compensated justly.

Now don’t get me wrong here, If employees of a private company want to be in a union, they have every right to be. But the state is going to watch that union like a hawk and make sure that the rights of every single Oregonian in that union are in tact. I will encourage Oregonians to become a “Right to Work” State.

Every worker in Oregon deserves to be treated fairly and with respect, not just union workers. Oregon’s laws, and more important, our enforcement of the laws should reflect that. I’ve been in situations with my employer where they broke the law and screwed me. They knew what they were doing, they knew that chances were they could get away with it because I wouldn’t get a lawyer and pursue it. I bet lots of Oregonians have experienced something similar. Has Chris Dudley? Allen Alley? Doubtful. In my case, it would have been GREAT to have a union on my side. Or maybe a state that actually did it’s job!!

As Governor, I’ll make sure the state does it’s job for you. You won’t need to pay a union. You won’t need to pay a lawyer and muddle through the legal system. I’ve experienced these kinds of things first hand and know what needs to be done to help you. I’m going to restructure BOLI into an agency that is there for you, the employee. If you think your employer is breaking the law, you call BOLI and they will go to bat for you 100%.

You see, I know this may seem strange to some (the elite), but Oregon should really be watching out for Oregonians, meaning the people in Oregon, meaning it’s citizens. Not unions, or corporations, or politicians, or political parties, or politicians friends, or fringe groups, or special interest groups. So let’s take it back and turn Oregon into what we want it to be…because WE CAN DO WHAT EVER WE WANT TO DO BECAUSE WE ARE IN CHARGE!!

The Second Amendment

Let me make this very clear. I believe in the Constitution. All of it. If we follow the Constitution, our country will work it’s way out of this mess.

The federal government has very few things it’s charged with. One is to protect the rights that are enumerated within the Constitution. One of which is the right to bear arms. It’s pretty clear to me that this applies to the ENTIRE COUNTRY. Why each state has its own gun laws and the federal government doesn’t step in to do its constitutional job, I can only guess. But it doesn’t. Oh the fed will come tell us that we can’t buy health insurance across state lines or stick it’s nose in any number of things it has no business in, but when it comes to a right it’s actually legally suppose to protect, the federal government is no where to be seen.

I believe a concealed carry permit (or whatever its called in different states) is no different than a driver license or marriage license and is constitutionally recognized in every state, and Washington DC by the “Full Faith and Credit” Clause. Not to mention the Second Amendment.

People who have concealed carry permits are proven to be some of the most responsible members of our society. We need more of them around us, not less.

I’ve seen Oregon’s politicians and bureaucrats in the recent past bypass Oregon law and our constitutionally protected rights. These people have taken an oath to protect and defend our laws. As Governor I will remove them from office. “Well you can’t remove an elected politician from office!!” Doh!! Ya got me!! You’re soooo good! I’ll remove the bureaucrats and everyone I can from office. Those elected who break their oath I will use the Bully Pulpit to expose and YOU can remove them. Because WE ARE IN CHARGE AND WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE WANT!!

Oregon's Schools

Do we even need to look at the statistics to know that Oregon’s schools stink? My son attends West Linn High, supposedly one of the best schools in the state and it STINKS! Yeah, it’s pretty. They have a lot of really nice stuff. The teachers play ping-pong. It’s a really expensive, very cool school. But the education is AWFUL and it’s beyond me why we put up with it. Not only that but we continue to hand them more money every time they ask.

So if one of the best schools in the state is this bad, I wonder what the rest of the schools in the state are like? Geez, it’s hard to even imagine.

I sat next to Bill Bradbury at a forum a couple days ago. The audience asked the panel what we would do about schools. I gave my answer. Crickets. Bill gave his answer. He said the schools are underfunded and we needed to give them more money. The audience erupted with applause. Wow. What’s wrong with people? We’ve been giving, and giving, and giving money to the schools for how many years now? At least 20 years that I can personally remember. And have schools gotten better or worse? WORSE!!! So Bill…you super duper smart guy…WHY THE HELL DO WE WANT TO KEEP GIVING THE SCHOOLS MORE MONEY??!!! And…why is everyone applauding him??!! Just because he’s Bill Bradbury and you recognize his name and he’s some kind of rock star?

Ok…Here’s a question for you. If the price was the same, say…$100 per year and you HAD to pay it or you and your entire family would go to jail in China, would you send your child to a public school, or a private school? I’m pretty sure everyone is saying “Private school”. Why? They’re better in every way. There are reasons for this.

I want to make every single K-12 school in Oregon better than a private school and I can do it. “How?” you might ask? Because of rule #1. Oregonians are in charge and we can do anything we want.

We’re going to find the best private and charter schools in the country, we’re going to find out what makes them the best and we’re going to improve on that. Then we’re going to build Oregon’s schools system based on that. We’re going to kick the union’s butts out of the process and bring the teachers in directly to give them direct input on how we’ll rebuild our schools. Oregon teachers will be the best compensated, best treated in the country. Their jobs will be 100% better than what they have now because everyone’s focus will be on the kids and the kids alone. Parents are going to be directly involved in building this system at the local level so not every school will necessarily be the same, they will reflect the needs of the community.

The purpose of Oregon schools will be to: ensure our children enter adulthood with a world class education; to give them the skills necessary to succeed at life; prepare them for their secondary education. We want a 100% graduation rate. HEY! Stop saying it can’t be done!!! Go vote for Dudley if you want to have that kind of attitude! (He has the most money)

Oregon’s secondary education will be no different. We need to take a close look at it and see what we can do to make it better and more accessible.

EVERY SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE WILL BE GUARANTEED A COLLEGE EDUCATION if I am elected Governor.

But it’s not going to be “free” (a liberal term. I prefer “paid for by the tax payer, or the college graduate when they get a job”). I’m paying for half of my daughters college education. Their mother is paying the other half. My kids will pay back my half to me and my wife. I teach them that when something is “free”, it has less value to them, and they don’t work as hard for it. They also know that if their grades fall below a certain threshold, the funding stops. I want to do the same thing for every high school graduate in Oregon. Only not with my own money. I don’t have enough.

So…I’m sure I’m going to get people yelling at me “education should be free!!”. Well, nothing is “free”. The government doesn’t just print money even though some Presidents would like you to believe that. The money actually comes from your parents, or your neighbors, or that guy who dresses up, gets into his car, takes off, is mysteriously gone for the same amount of time every day, and comes back looking really tired, then does it again and again and again. Yeah, the people who work make things “free”. Like the “free” public schools our kids go to. They’re not really “free”. So let’s stop using that ridiculous word.

Look at it like this. If we have 100% tax paid for college for everyone, we pay for college our entire lives, whether we go to college or not. We end up paying for students to go to college to learn things like fiber arts, and all kinds of silly things that won’t help them contribute back to society or better themselves, it will only help them get credits to graduate and get that piece of paper. And once again, the education seems “free” to the student so it’s value is much less. We are hurting our students and our society with this method. I know this because my daughter’s going through it right now.

If we give each student a no or low interest loan that they MUST pay back, their education will be worth MUCH more to them. They will take classes that will help them get a better job rather than just get a piece of paper and they learn to be self reliant rather than to rely on someone or the state to take care of them.

I want the best for all Oregonians. We need the best schools in the world. Both primary and secondary. We can do it because WE ARE IN CHARGE AND WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE WANT. No one can tell us no. Lets stop throwing money down a pit and create a great school system in Oregon. And lets do it NOW rather than wait around. It’s going to happen someday. Why wait? Seriously. Why? I’ll get on the job right away. You can have the best school system in just a couple years if you elect me Governor. I’m not going to screw around. I have no one to represent but YOU.