NOTE: See chart of Buffett Oregon Lineup at end of this post.
Oregonians have a great choice for Secretary of State this year. Her name is State Senator Vicki Walker and she is a proven courageous leader and advocate for both ordinary Oregonians and businesses alike. Although a Democrat, Walker is also popular with many Republicans based upon her ability to get things done for ordinary Oregonians.
One key Walker accomplishment was closing a loophole that allowed large utilities to charge ratepayers for local, state and federal taxes in their rate structures even though these taxes were never remitted to the taxing authorities. Walker’s opponent Kate Brown sided with Warren Buffett, one of only a few who did, and tried to defeat the measure. Buffett is now using all his political team here in Oregon to support Brown in a desperate attempt to prevent Walker from becoming Secretary of State.
Like many states, Oregon now suffers from out of state predators like Warren Buffett who whimsically purchase their legislative agenda, much to the detriment of both competing firms and local citizens, and control key media outlets via their wide array of firms owned. In Buffett’s case this ranges from owning key medical malpractice insurance businesses to Sees candies. (Search Buffett for related blog posts). What Oregon needs now are more strong publically traded corporations based in Oregon to reenergize the state. This will begin when the key statewide offices are led by courageous principled competent people like Vicki Walker rather than those that pander to the likes of Warren Buffett.
