Lawsuit filed against former Sen. Carter on state job deal
Common Sense For Oregon Sues State To Protect Taxpayers From Self-dealingBy Common Sense of Oregon
Salem, Ore—Common Sense For Oregon filed a lawsuit in Marion County Circuit Court in Salem today. The suit is being filed against the State of Oregon, the Department of Human Services, Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services Dr. Bruce Goldberg, and Deputy Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services Margaret Carter for violating the Oregon Constitution’s ban on legislative self-dealing.
Article IV, Section 30 of the Oregon Constitution prohibits legislators from taking a "civil office of profit" created by the legislature during their term of office. This section was identified to protect Oregon citizens from a scenario where a state legislator creates a lucrative position which they then fill themselves in a self-dealing conflict of interest. Common Sense For Oregon says that is exactly what happened with House Bill 2009 and Margaret Carter.
As a member of the 2009 Legislative Assembly then State Senator Margaret Carter played an intricate role as co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means Committee which helped pass House Bill 2009, creating the new position that Margaret Carter then reportedly lobbied to acquire.
“We cannot have state legislators creating lucrative jobs with large pay increases for themselves, it violates the public's trust and the Oregon Constitution," said Ross Day, Executive Director of Common Sense For Oregon and the attorney handling this case. "This case is about protecting the integrity of Oregon's government and the Oregon Constitution."
Common Sense For Oregon is an Oregon non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting common sense solutions to the issues important to Oregonians, and protecting Oregon’s cherished initiative and referendum system.
“We cannot have state legislators creating lucrative jobs with large pay increases for themselves, it violates the public's trust and the Oregon Constitution," said Ross Day, Executive Director of Common Sense For Oregon and the attorney handling this case. "This case is about protecting the integrity of Oregon's government and the Oregon Constitution."
Common Sense For Oregon is an Oregon non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting common sense solutions to the issues important to Oregonians, and protecting Oregon’s cherished initiative and referendum system.
Ross Day should have stated;" This is a case of FOLLOWING ETHICAL POLICY.....rather than protecting the integrity..... What integrity? That was lost years ago! This is but one more blatant example, now we will wait and see if we still have ANY judicial integrity.
I decided to check out Blue Oregon a little to see is this little Charleston of Carters caused them any angst.
Nope. It sure didn't.
Now I don't expect either Democrats or Republicans to pounce all over one of their own every time they make a slip up but this is a little ridiculous. This is corruption pure and simple, it is not a close call. Now one has a perfect record in calling their own to account. However the tolerance for Sen. Carters antics on a state basis, or Rep Rangels nationally should de a call to step up and get rid of this kind of thing. At best all we will hear is stammering excuses with with the Bush administration drift net heaved over the side to troll for comparisons.
A "non-partisan organization" whose executive director also just happens to be an attorney frequently associated with the Oregon Republican Party. Another director is Kevin Mannix, former state Republican Party chairman. Mr. Mannix is the same person who most recently proposed vastly increased incarceration for property offenders without proposing any way to pay for their incarceration or reduce recidivism. Sounds like a lot of "common sense" to me.
Common Sense For Oregon appears to be a Republican front organization, used as cover so Republicans can take cheap shots at state officials without doing it under the Republican banner. It is false-front organizations like these that have our politics, as well as our campaign finance system in Oregon in such a mess.
I wish these gentlemen the worst of luck with their political endeavors.
how about assessing what common sense for oregon is working on rather than just saying repblican ten million times?
Common sense is standing up and protecting the oregon constitution and all you can think about is some connection with the republican party.
get a life
I don't see how they're "protecting the Oregon constitution." HB 2009 appears to have created the Oregon Health Authority. Sen. Carter appears to have been appointed to a position that is rather specifically NOT part of that entity. I should try to find out what they're "working on" you say? So far it seems to be this, and one other frivolous lawsuit against the City of Newberg. I thought conservatives were against frivolous lawsuits. Or is that only when big multi-billion dollar companies are the ones being sued?
Regarding my prolific (5) use of the word "Republican": This group appears to be made up almost entirely of not just regular folks who happen to be Republicans, but by current and former prominent and influential members of the state party. Something about if it quacks like a duck...?
Regarding your suggestion that I "get a life": I urge you to refute any of my facts. Maybe not having a life inspires me to actually seek out...facts.
Thanks.