KLAMATH COUNTY REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE

PO BOX 1645, KLAMATH FALLS, OR 97601

Congressman Tom McClintock                                              March 13, 2010

Tulelake Town Hall Meeting

Tulelake, California

Thank you, Congressman McClintock, for holding this town hall meeting so we citizens may discuss the proposed Klamath dams removals and the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement with you.  My name is Frank Goodson.  I live in Fort Klamath.  I am Vice Chairman, and past Chairman, of the Klamath County Republican Central Committee, also a Past President of Tulelake Rotary Club and co-owner of a 900-acre Siskiyou County property receiving “C” water from the Klamath Project.  Today I speak for the Klamath Co. Republican Central Committee and for myself.

Since there are so many speakers today let me cut to the chase.  The Klamath County Republican Central Committee strongly opposes the proposed removal of dams on the Klamath River and other provisions of the KBRA such as giving the Klamath Tribes 92,000 acres of land at taxpayer’s expense.  We respectfully request that you take a similar “opposition” position, as the proponents of the KBRA try to grab taxpayer’s money from Congress.

Others, today, will describe why the KBRA won’t work for your constituents.  They will cover those points well so let me tell of additional things…. what the KBRA plan is doing to our local people and our local politics.  In short, the dam removal proposals and the KBRA are splitting us apart.

It should be noted that the first Oregon wide elected officials to support the dam removal and the KBRA were Democrat Governor Kulongoski and Democrat US Senator Merkley.  This is not surprising, the proposal, in reality, is a liberal idea supported by environmentalists, Democrats some tribes and a few, otherwise, good farmers who seem to have lost their ----s.  Here is what is happening as a result.

As you know, this is an election year.  In times past Oregon Representative, Republican Bill Garrard, would run unopposed in the primary but since he opposes the dams removal he now has an opponent, supported by what is referred to locally as the “Kandra Coalition”.  It is significant that this past week, when Governor Kulongoski was in town, the Governor refused to let Representative Garrard speak at a the hearing on water issues, in his own town and district.   Bill will win the election, however, because a mathematically accurate poll conducted by Senator Doug Whitsett and Representative Garrard shows that more than 70% of registered voters in Klamath County, including in the Merrill, Malin area, are opposed to the dams removal and to the tribes getting 92,000 acres of land at taxpayer’s expense..

On the other side, I’m embarrassed to acknowledge that Republican Commissioner John Elliott has been a supporter, and even a principal negotiator of the KBRA.  In prior years he would run un-opposed but in this primary he will lose, I believe, to Republican Dennis Linthicum, of Beatty, who opposes the dam removal and is an excellent conservative commissioner candidate in all respects.  I also believe that two years from now, or possibly sooner, the other two Klamath County Commissioners, Republicans Al Switzer and Cheryl Hukill, will also be replaced by other Republicans because Switzer and Hukill have now voted to support the liberal dams removal and KBRA.

Meanwhile, I was advised only 2 days ago that Steve Kandra, the founding father of the KBRA, has filed to run as a Klamath County Republican Central Committee Person.  I’m not sure what he can accomplish there, however, because the Central Committee, by law, represents all precincts of the County, the overwhelming majority of which oppose dam removal and the KBRA.   Also Mr. Kandra could easily lose in the Precinct 15 election to one of his competitors, David Victorine.

So, in short, Congressman McClintock, there is a strong, strong majority of Klamath County Republicans who are holding true to traditional conservative values and as result we believe that the proposed dams removal and the KBRA agreement are absolutely insane.  We will continue to oppose the removal of dams and the KBRA agreement and we will continue to hold our elected officials accountable. 

We respectfully request that you, too, oppose efforts to fund these ultra liberal KBRA provisions in Congress.

                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                Original signed by

                                                                                                Frank Goodson, Vice Chairman

                                                                                               Phone 541 891-9232

                                                                                                frankgoodson @ earthlink.net

Cc:       Congressman Greg Walden

            Klamath County Commissioners