Carla Axtman of the Blue Oregon blog takes a look at the lobbying going on in favor of the proposed Metolius destination resorts and raises some intriguing questions. For instance: Why is Rep. Gene Whisnant, whose southern Deschutes County district is nowhere near the Metolius, getting contributions from resort developers?</p?
Since the end of the 2007 legislative session, Axtman notes, Dutch Pacific Resources – which wants to build a 647-acre “eco-resort” within the Metolius Basin – has given about $20,000 in campaign donations to Oregon legislators and candidates and PACs, including both Democrats and Republicans.
Also, she continues, William Colson of Ponderosa Land & Cattle Co. “heaped a generous $15k to the campaign of State Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) in 2006. Ferrioli wasn’t up for reelection until 2008, where he essentially ran unopposed. Color me cynical, but I’m going to guess that Ferrioli redistributed generous portions of that contribution among his GOP member candidates. There’s no way to definitively track that money trail, but that’s my educated guess.”
Since the end of the 2007 session, Axtman reports, Ponderosa has given more than $32,000 to legislative candidates and PACs, most of it to Republicans. “Two of the benefactors, Ferrioli and Representative Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver), have gone out of their way to shill for the development. There is some possible justification for Ferrioli’s work on this, as the proposals are within his district. But Whisnant? This is outside his constituency. So the only explanation for his involvement are the cash contributions to his campaign.”
Of course that explanation isn’t the only possible one; Whisnant could be supporting the destination resort because he just likes destination resorts, or because he’s a strong property-rights guy, or both.
Axtman also takes a swing at Bend’s Only Daily Newspaper, which she says “has consistently shilled for the developers and supporters of the resorts as well, virtually ignoring the uptick in support by locals for banning resorts at the Metolius. With the exception of a Nick Budnick piece this week on the Oregon Water Resources Department’s second thoughts on giving water rights to the Ponderosa developers, The Bulletin appears to be the lapdog for those who flog these resorts. And from what I’ve seen, the PR departments of these interests have taken full advantage.”
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2009.
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Maybe Whisnant would just like to see some jobs come to Central Oregon.
Certain groups of people in this state, starting with the present governor, do everything they can to stop economic growth and then cry and whine about no jobs!!!
Has anyone asked Sen. Chris Telfer what she thinks of the Metolius bill? Bizarrely, she seems AWOL even though it’s in her district.
Maybe I was sleeping the day she weighed in.
“Maybe Whisnant would just like to see some jobs come to Central Oregon.”
I’ve made the point before but it’s worth making again: If destination resorts are such a great engine of job creation, why does Central Oregon — which has more of them by far than any other area of the state — consistently have higher unemployment and lower wages than the state average?
As job generators, DRs are a bust. Especially the kind they build nowadays (Thornburgh, Brasada, Tetherow) which are really nothing but expensive gated golf course housing developments with hardly any tourist accommodations. How many jobs and what kind of jobs are created by such developments once the construction is over? A few people to groom the golf courses and a few others to work as housekeepers for the residents — that’s it.
Jed, you haven’t paid your “newcomer” fee to live here.
Please go away.
Thomas: I have lived in Bend my whole life and, believe me, between creating and providing good jobs, paying large amounts of taxes,SDC’s and donations I have more than done my fair share. I am also happy about paying because Central Oregon was very good to me and my business.(Not real estate or construction related)
Did the Bullshiten really advocate for a Measure 37 handout on yesterday’s op-ed? “Bail-out” is how I read it.
Typical republican tantrum – if you don’t give me my way I’ll steal it from the taxpayers.
Born on the hill, was I. Fuck you, “guest”, too fucking chicken-shit to put your name on it… my grandfather owned a big chunk of Sunriver before it was Sunriver.
I’ve forgotten more about this place than you’ll ever know.
Thomas: Evidently you forgot your manners!!!