4th Congressional Planning Meeting Scheduled
for April 21 in Cottage Grove

From Shirley Cairns, Chair
4th Congressional District

Hello! I’m Shirley Cairns, the new Chair of the 4th C.D. Let’s talk politics for a minute, OK? Oregon is once more a blue state, and the national Senate and House have finally changed color as well. Great news, yes, but make no mistake, Oregon will be targeted with lots of dollars and outside help.  I don’t need to tell you how critical this 2008 election is. We need to help elect a Democratic President, re-elect Congressman DeFazio and Senator Wyden (and defeat Senator Smith!). We’ll also work to elect Democrats to offices of Secretary of State, Treasurer and Attorney General, since the terms of Bradbury, Myers and Edwards will all be expiring in ’08. We’ll also work on state legislative races and have an influence in our County Commissioner races as well.

So, where does the Congressional District fit into this and what does it do? The 4th C.D. comprises the counties of Linn, Lane, Douglas, Coos and Curry, also portions of Benton and Josephine counties. Peter DeFazio has been our U.S. Congressman since 1986, and we couldn’t ask for a more responsive and dedicated representative. Each county elects delegates and alternates at its biannual organizational meeting. Our delegates are myself, Larry Hall and Charles Lee; alternates are Lee Sloan, Sara Byers and Bill Adams.

The Congressional District organizes in a way similar to a county.  Instead of PCP voting, the delegates are selected by the individual counties. The C.D. adopts ByLaws and elects officers, delegates and alternates to the DPO Standing Committees at the biannual organizational meeting.  The C.D. meets at least three times annually to conduct business and adopt resolutions on issues of commonality within the district, elects delegates to the national presidential convention (every four years), and provides leadership trainings, the first one of which on Saturday, April 21 is described below:

"BUILDING OUR BASE AND OTHER GRASSROOTS STRAGEGIES" is an interactive workshop for anyone concerned about the future of our country and who wants to help elect Democratic candidates. This is an excellent opportunity to broaden your knowledge base and hone your skills. The fee is only $15, including all you can eat. The timing of the training couldn’t be better. Remember, we’re already in the first stages of the next election cycle, so the time to get started is NOW! See you on April 21 in Cottage Grove