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I am very conservation oriented and usually support spending public money on habitat restoration and conservation. However, as a very involved citizen, the financial corruption, mismanagement, and abusive practices toward citizens that I've personally seen at OWEB and inside watershed councils is forcing me to vote "no" on Measure 76 (with a very heavy heart) - NOT because I don't agree with the stated goals but because I believe the system needs to be completely overhauled. As it is currently organized, it is WAY too easy for corruption to occur....for citizen abuse to occur.

Before I finalize my ballot today and vote for Governor, I would like to know what Governor Kitzhaber plans to do about this extensive problem.

Cindy Ashy

posted 1 year, 6 months ago
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Normally, I strongly support public funding for parks and wildlife. However, in this specific case, I do NOT support it.

The public money derived from lottery funds that goes into OWEB (Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board) and then to watershed councils is COMPLETELY MISMANAGED WITH NO MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT.

It was a great idea in theory back in the 1990's but very quickly deteriorated into an extremely corrupt system.

Public money being taken out of the public sector and shunted into supposed non-profits with no meaningful oversight. There is NO OPEN BIDDING and NO ACCOUNTABILITY and what's worse we have extremely dishonest people involved. They close the meetings to the public and refuse to hand over documents to the public that would show exactly what is happening. They chase away people who would dare to expose what is actually happening.

Certain contractors write their own grant, get them rubberstamped by the watershed councils, and then get handed millions of dollars of public money with no oversight and no open bidding/competition.

We need to bulldoze the current system, do away with OWEB, bring on completely new people, and start over.

posted 1 year, 7 months ago
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Sarah and others,

I attend quite a few public meetings and have watched this process unfold from the beginning. I've also researched this topic quite extensively but have much more to learn.

I've observed that people, including myself, who express concerns about the potential impact of wave energy farms off the Oregon Coast often get stifled in various ways. There is definitely a concerted effort to control information and spin/hype it no matter the potential impact. We desperately need a forum that is completely unincumbered by the wave energy industry. However, I believe it would be quite a challenge to do so. I have personally communicated with several knowledgeable people who are scared to freely express themselves on this issue because of the money and political power behind it no matter the forum.

Cindy Ashy

tunicate89 AT yahoo.com

posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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Quoted word for word directly from the OWET website (with emphasis added by me):

"Four key strategies guide OWET’s work:

	Stakeholder Education and Community Engagement – building positive community support for the wave energy industry
	Market Development – creating an efficient marketplace for the wave energy industry
	Policy and Regulatory Planning – developing a policy and regulatory framework to advance the wave energy industry
	Research – implementing environmental and applied research projects to answer key questions leading to a reduction in barriers to wave energy development" So, I would conclude anything funded by OWET serves the wave energy industry. Further, I do not believe anyone or any organization should accept funding from OWET unless their mission is to serve the wave energy industry. Cindy Ashy tunicate89 AT yahoo.com

posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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During your Think Out Loud program, I think you should ask the following:

Why was the Oregon Wave Energy Trust (OWET) set up as a supposed "non-profit" instead of a public entity subject to public meeting law, public records law, public contracting law, etc...???

Why was OWET set up as a 501 c6 instead of a 501 c3?

How much public money has already been poured into OWET, a "non-profit?"

How much public money will be poured into OWET in the future?

Who were the principle people behind the formation of OWET? What is their real agenda?

What is the connection between OWET and Oregon InC?

How is public money transferred from the State of Oregon to Oregon InC to OWET?

I think the answers to these questions would be quite enlightning -- both the answers people choose to give and the real answers if you dig a little deeper.

We are dealing with an industry with mega-bucks behind it and engaged in expensive high powered PR campaigns. Policy makers, including those with the best of intentions, could be swayed into making decisions they wouldn't otherwise make. Even OSU stands to gain significantly -- financially and otherwise -- from wave energy....i.e. academic objectivity may be compromised.

The public should be wary.

We need a stronger and more meaningful voice in this process and we're not going to achieve this through OWET. More later.

Cindy Ashy

tunicate89 AT yahoo.com

posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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