OCPA Executive Directors Corner

Meredith L. Smith is a retired police officer who served 27 years with a major metro police service. He has been the Executive Director of the OCPA since 2001 & served as a volunteer i/c membership maintenance prior to that. Since 2001, the OCPA has grown from 2600 members in 26 groups, to a current membership of 5,000 plus - in forty-eight member groups!

The Executive Director is available for recruiting presentations to any public safety bargaining unit in Oregon at any time. Power Point presentations & handouts for all members will quickly bring your group up to speed on public safety labor legislation & associated topics. He will also speak to the extreme advantages of your group's membership in the Legal Defense Fund, which is available as an option, via OCPA Membership!

Executive Directors Messages:

July 2008 Letter

OCPA Endorsements:

As Promised, here is a more complete list of candidates who have received an endorsement from the OCPA. Please consider supporting these folks, some of whom have supported the legislation that protects your rights - to bargain & function effectively - as public safety labor groups. The List includes both incumbent legislators with 100% voting records - plus the non-incumbent newcomers, who took the time to answer the OCPA 2008 Candidates Questionnaire & pledge their support for public safety legislation.

NOTE: A number of candidates did not bother to respond to our Questionnaire or advised that they didn't "do" questionnaires! Some incumbent legislator/candidates had abysmal, non-supportive voting records, so their "no shows" are not surprising. Other candidates told us that they did not support public safety labor (You) actually having any rights - AT ALL! .....Nice to be appreciated!

Ergo, in a number of races where neither candidate was acceptable, the OCPA Executive Board & Delegates at the Bend Meeting - voted to give those races a PASS & not endorse either candidate!

Many, many Americans have made great sacrifices to protect your long-held freedoms - of speech, to organize & as well as your right to free, democratic elections!

Failing to VOTE in each & every Election, makes a mockery of those sacrifices!

Here is the ...2008 OCPA Candidates Endorsement List:

HOUSE DISTRICTS:

HD 2, Myrtle Creek, S. Douglas Co. - Tim Freeman (R)

HD 5, Ashland - Rep. Peter Buckley (D)

HD 8, Eugene - Rep. Paul Holvey (D)

HD 9, South Coast - Rep. Arnie Roblan (D)

HD 11, Eugene - Rep. Phil Barnhart (D)

HD 12, Springfield - Rep. Elizabeth Beyer (D)

HD 13, Eugene - Rep. Nancy Nathanson (D)

HD 14, E. Eugene, Junction City - Rep. Chris Edwards (D)

HD 16, Corvallis - Rep. Sarah Gelser (D)

HD 17, Sublimity,Lebanon,Sweet Home - Rep. Sherrie Sprenger (R)

HD 20, Salem - Richard Riggs (D)

HD 21, Salem - Rep. Brian Clem (D)

HD 22, Woodburn - Rep. Betty Komp (D)

HD 26, Wilsonville - Jessica Adamson (D)

HD 27, S.W. Portland - Rep. Tobias Read (D)

HD 28, Aloha - Rep. Jeff Barker - Rep. Jeff Barker (D)* former PPA Pres. & PPB Lt.!

HD 29, Hillsboro, Cornelius - Rep. Chuck Riley (D)

HD 30, Hillsboro - Rep. Dave Edwards (D)

HD 31, St. Helens, Scappoose - Rep. Bradley Witt (D)

HD 33, NW Portland - Rep. Mitch Greenlick (D)

HD 34, Beaverton - Chris Harker (D)

HD 35, Beaverton, Tigard - Rep. Larry Galizio (D)

HD 36, SW Portland - Rep. Mary Nolan (D)

HD 37, West Linn - Rep. Scott Brunn (R) *Lone R to support Your Safety - SB400

HD 38, TBA

HD 40, Milwaukie, Oak Grove - Rep. Dave Hunt (D)

HD 41, Milwaukie - Rep. Carolyn Tomei (D)

HD 43, NE Portland - Rep. Chip Shields (D)

HD 44, N. Portland - Rep. Tina Kotek (D)

HD 46, NE Portland - Rep. Ben Cannon (D)

HD 48, Portland, Happy Valley - Rep. Michael Schaufler (D)

HD 49, Fairview - Nick Kahl (D)

HD 50, Gresham - Greg Matthews (D), Pres. Gresham Firefighters, ex-Gresham POA

HD 51, Clackamas - Brent Barton (D)

HD 52, Corbett, Sandy - Suzanne VanOrman (D)

HD 54, Bend - Judy Stiegler (D)

HD 56, Klamath Falls - Rep. Bill Garrard (R)

HD 57, La Grande - Rep. Greg Smith, (R)

SENATE DISTRICTS:

SD 9, Sweet Home Mollala - Bob McDonald (D)

SD 12, Dallas, McMinnville - Kevin Nortness (D)

SD 17, NW Portland - Sen. Suzanne Bonamici (D) 100% in House

SD 18, Tigard / NW Portland - Sen. Ginny Burdick (D)

SD 21, East, SE Portland - Rep. Diane Rosenbaum (D) *100% in House

SD 22, North Portland - Sen. Margaret Carter (D)

SD 23, Portland - Rep. Jackie Dingfelder (D) *100% in House

SD 24, East Portland - Sen. Laurie Monnes-Anderson (D)

SD 27, Bend, Sisters - Christine Telfer

Attorney General (state wide) - John R. Kroger

Sec. of State - TBA

Treasurer - TBA

E.D. NOTES:

*Traditionally, the D's are very supportive of your bargaining rights/labor laws, but softer on the law & order / operational type of legislation.

*Traditionally, the R's are always gung ho & supportive on law enforcement / operational issues but as a rule... very, very unsupportive of your rights as public safety labor groups (ie SB 400 Safety Bill). At times, they will pass excellent law & order legislation & then refuse to vote for funding - for those (ALL of YOU) who must carry out those feel good ideas!

As always, the OCPA is non-partisan.

WE support those politicians & legislators who support the legislation that helps public safety labor ( to wit YOU), regardless of their party!

Remember too, that not one thin dime of regular OCPA dues goes to support any candidate, EVER!

In the End, Each of You will have to Decide for Yourself, but Please Vote!

Stay SAFE:...................................Meredith Smith, OCPA-hq

Past Letters/Archive: