Rob Taylor
Warning, the Oregon legislature is in the 35-day short session, and even though the procedure limits legislators to introduce two bills each your money and freedom is still in serious risk from the overreach of overbearing politicians.
How do you stop the onslaught of these tyrannical hacks without having to occupy a desolate national refuge only to face certain death in a shootout with law enforcement?
One way to defend yourself is to go on the offensive by becoming a government watchdog and using the existing system to defeat, or at least stifle your opponent’s agenda.
The Oregon Citizens Lobby [1] is a nonprofit organization, which uses to their advantage the information provided on the Oregon Legislative Information System, located on the net at www.olis.leg.state.or.us [2]. The group monitors and even analyzes the bills introduced by State Senators and State Representatives. Legislation on topics such as, the right to bear arms, economic devolvement and land use laws, plus many other issues that should be of concern for any citizen worried about the growth of Big Government.
Want to learn more about how you can keep OR Legislators accountable, visit the interactive website at www.OregonCitizenLobby.org [3] and complete a Volunteer Form [4], or update your records at oregoncitizenslobby.org/volunteer [4].
The best thing about being a virtual activist is that you do not have to drive to Salem to participate in any long drawn out meetings talking with self-absorbed political blowhards. You can work from home, taking as much time as you can offer. If you are not comfortable as an analyst then select the Volunteer Activity best suited to your skillset and time available. You may select the areas that you are interested and please share in the space provided any special abilities or expertise, and the organizers at OCL [3] will match you with the appropriate area.
The Mission of the Oregon Citizens Lobby:
Our mission is to help empower Oregonians by monitoring the legislative process in this state. We analyze bills and track them throughout their life cycle. We also track the actions of state representatives and senators as they work through and vote on these bills. The bills and legislators receive a grade based upon the five core principles of the OCL [3]. We leave the politics to the politicians. We post the results of our work at www.tracktheirvote.org [5] for the public to review.
The Oregon Citizens Lobby [6]interactive website provides information on how you can get involved and posts Alert bills for review and feedback.
The Five Core Principles
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Government should have a limited budget that reflects the vitality of the state’s economy.
LOCAL CONTROL
Governmental power and functions should be as close to the citizens as possible for maximum oversight, control, and responsiveness.
FREE MARKETS
Production and prices should be dictated by the laws of supply and demand without the interference of government in the way of subsidies, price controls, or over-burdensome regulation.
LIMITED GOVERNMENT
Our government should be charged with administering only those functions essential to society and that cannot be performed by private entities.
PERSONAL CHOICE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Citizens must be free to pursue life, liberty, and property without undue government interference and to reap the rewards or bear the consequences of their decisions.
Their hope is that this information will help citizens better understand proposed legislation, which will in turn allow them to give relevant testimony on bills, lobby their legislators, and hold these politicians accountable for their actions.
Contact the Oregon Citizens lobby at [email protected] [7]
Rob Taylor is the founder of a virtual network of local activist at CoosCountyWatchdog.com [8].