Oregon loses Wayne Brady, cherished citizen leader

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon

Oregon has lost a true superman and volunteer for the cause of freedom as Wayne Brady died of cancer this week. He was longtime volunteer, lobbyist and writer for the Taxpayer Association. Because he was so giving with his time and talent he was also a leader for Freedomworks, Marion County Republicans ,various Tea Party and other political groups (the amount of titles he had grew beyond remembering). Wayne would travel an hour just to help stuff envelopes for the cause. He was good for all of us because he was a role model and a gentle soul for whom I never heard any criticism of him by anybody during the history we knew him.

When he testified before the Legislature he did so speaking plain truths with sincerity and intelligence.

Wayne kept giving of himself to the very end. Last Christmas his cancer was getting severe and he called to tell me that he had to spend less time in politics in order to rest — and even apologized for it. I told him sternly that he shouldn’t apologize and that even though I shouldn’t have to say this, I told him that I and everyone else give him permission to take a rest from politics. He needed to hear that. Later a roomful of free-market activists signed a thank you Christmas card for his service. Political people saying thanks can be rare, but they meant it. Wayne called the day the card arrived to say the effort touched him deeply. It was a moment when his giving came back to him in the form of thanks.

Wayne you will be missed.

With love,
Jason Williams