I’m getting tired of reading stories like this: “Most House E-Board picks are from GOP: The ratio is 7 to 2; in Senate, Democrats get 5 of 8 members.” Good lord.
Karen Minnis is speaker of the House, where her Republicans comprise 55% of the House members (33/60). Her blatantly lopsided appointments to the Emergency Board, which is a mini-legislature in between Oregon’s biennial sessions, were 78% Republican (7/9).
Peter Courtney is president of the Senate, where his Democrats comprise 60% of the Senate members (18/30). His eminently fair appointments to the Emergency Board were 63% Democrat (5/8).
So once again the Democrats play nice while the Republicans play dirty. Of the 17 E-Board members, 10 will be Republican—59%. Yet the 90-member Oregon legislature is split exactly 50-50. But not the Emergency Board, which will be excessively dominated by Republicans.
When will the Dems learn that when you have the power to do good, you need to use it? Courtney should have told Minnis, “If you’re going to stack the House E-Board deck with Republicans, I’m going to do the same with Democrats on the Senate side.”
As this article in today’s Oregonian says, “Even with less power, conservatives find way to steer bus.” That’s because the Democrats stay in the middle of the road, while the Republicans keep way to the right. Compromise then means following a course midway in the right lane, not the center.
Somehow Oregon Democrats managed to look powerless this legislative session even though they controlled two out of three centers of power: the Senate and Governorship. That’s shameful. It’s one thing to lose political power; it’s another thing to give it away.
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