Should or shouldn't I attend Dorchester?

I’ve been trying to decide whether I would attend the Republican 2015 Dorchester Conference this year. I got an email inviting me, with the following information below.

“Come to Dorchester to learn more from the project researchers, share your opinion, or ask a question about their key findings.

Education Comes First (especially K-12)

Wellness & Personal Responsibility Are Primary Healthcare Values

Environmental Quality and Protection are Important

Public Transportation Instead of New Roads

Natural Resource Protections for Future Generations

Incarceration Policies Questioned

Taxes Viewed As Necessary but Details Are Contested

Climate Concern Comes of Age

Oregonians Care about Our Children

The Optimist and the Pessimist Are Within Us

In The Workplace, Money Isn't Everything

Little Enthusiasm for Government Action to Improve Economy

The Urban/Rural Divide: No and Yes

Consumer Driven Economy: Rethinking Progress?

Oregon is Not a Religious State? Maybe, If You Ignore Half of Us”

Half of the items listed here are ones that Democrats might be in favor of advancing but not me.

As I did last year, I question the value of this conference if its primary goal is to conduct research only to pander to the Democrats, Independents and left leaning Republicans (RINOS) in Oregon. We’re Republicans and as such we should be united on a common agenda, not copy parts of it from the Democrats. Yes we want every person possible to join our party and vote. And yes, they have a right to express their views but we must have solid benchmarks and they aren’t clearly defined here.

Climate Change fear mongering, hindering an already overregulated logging and fishing industry, not maintaining or building better roads in favor of taxpayer subsidized public transportation and releasing criminals that belong in jails as a cost cutting measure isn’t the kind of issues I’d choose to research let only support. In The Workplace, Money Isn't Everything? Really, this was a research project?

It’s no wonder the Republican Party can’t get any traction or overcome the Democrat majorities in Oregon when they focus on these types of issues. They mention taxes, but not reducing spending or the incredible amount of money that public employee union’s benefits are costing taxpayers. What about totally eliminating Cover Oregon? It’s been an epic failure that is costing taxpayers millions and not delivering the care. Drastically downsizing the state’s massive budget should be at the top of the list not more wasteful spending on projects like public transportation.

If going to the conference means maintaining and supporting the status quo and not turning the ship to fiscal conservatism first Oregon will remain a solid blue state for the foreseeable future. If I knew that was the single biggest issue being addressed the decision to attend would be much easier, otherwise it’s an exercise in futility. 

If one of the Dorchester organizers reads this and wants to convince me that the conference isn't going to be nothing but a big social gathering for moderate Portland, Salem and Eugene Republicans to do more of the same please feel to reply.