WANTED: IDENTIFICATION OF LNG ROGUE GALLERY
“This is a Private Meeting.”
I’m driving to the restaurant about 9 Wednesday morning when I spot a dozen anti-LNG protesters waving their signs around the Tourist Info/SCDC office in downtown Coos Bay. Now it comes back to me: I had received a notification of some kind of LNG-promotional event today, so I stop and roll my window down. Jody McCaffree and her comrades-in-arms walk up to ask if I’m attending the meeting.
“I think I will. I believe I got an invitation. But I’ll go get my camera.”
And so I do. Walking into our $1.5 million mausoleum to tourism that faces the wrong way, I ask where the meeting is. “Back through that door,” says the senior citizen volunteer. At least he’s friendly. Not long ago a couple of customers told me that one of the elderly female volunteers had told them the Blue Heron was a terrible place to eat, and the owner a genuine ogre. “Don’t go there,” was the message of the Tourist Information Center. But when I confronted Timm Slater, the Chamber manager, he was utterly unable to help. Nobody had done it.
So I walk into the meeting room, which holds about twenty people. I don’t recognize most of them, but Timm Slater is there, and to my left the woman who stars in the leggy music video for Coos Bay progress that I watched the other day. Except for the legs and something about coal export and LNG, I couldn’t make out much of it. She stares at me as if she’s feeling molested. I start taking notes. The speaker at the head of the table, who looks about 30, asks me who I am.
“I’m Wim de Vriend, from the Blue Heron restaurant just down the street. And you are?”
“Welcome,” he says, I’m Ray Bucheger,” and hands me his card. He is from an entity called BoostSouthwestOregon.org, whose motto is: “Self-Reliance through Clean Energy Exports.” And then he continues his presentation. The company is serious about the LNG facility, since it has already spent over $130 million on the project. I don’t doubt it; they’ve been at it since 2005, but you gotta spend money to make money. He explains that the LNG plan consists of three projects: the export facility itself, the power plant, and the 234-mile pipeline, built by eminent domain. But the pipeline will also bring natural gas to people in Jackson and Josephine counties. I thought they already had it and besides, the $51 million 1-foot pipeline that already runs to Coos Bay has not even made natural gas available to ten percent of those who voted for it. Then a fellow on my right speaks up:
“What are you doing here?”
“I got an invitation for this meeting.”
“You didn’t get an invitation.”
“Really? I seem to remember getting one, from the Chamber of Commerce. I’m a Chamber member. Besides, you’re meeting in a public building.”
“You must have got one for the noon meeting,” another fellow helpfully interjects.
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, this is a private meeting, and you will have to leave,” the first one decides.
“OK, what happens if I go home, check my email and find out I did get an invitation?”
“Then you can come back.”
“That’s not very helpful. What are you guys afraid of? You’re too easily intimidated.”
“We’re not intimidated, but you will have to leave.”
“OK.” I grab my notes and my camera, quickly shoot a couple of pictures of the assembly and walk out. Outside, Jody’s group has dwindled to a half dozen. I can see how secret meetings are not good catalysts for public protests. Their invisible nature makes it hard for the public to put it all together.
“I got kicked out,” I tell them. “They’ve got stuff to hide. Just like FONSI and SCDC and the Port with their confidential agreements.”
Jonathan asks how I like his sign. It’s a police tape: CRIME SCENE. DO NOT ENTER. Haha, that’s a good one.
“You know,” I observe, “in all this protesting, has anybody ever talked to the fishermen in Charleston? Whenever an LNG ship is moving through the bay, the Coast Guard will prohibit all other vessel traffic. It’s called a safety zone.”
“Yes, and they won’t give any notice,” someone adds.
“Right, so tourists coming to Coos Bay for a day’s fishing will be told to forget it, with no notice. And what about the commercial fisherman who wants to head out for a 3-day salmon season or a 1-day halibut season? The Port is already complaining that moorage revenues in Charleston are down. Do they think this will improve that?”
Back home I check my email. I did get an invitation, but it’s for a presentation by the same guy at a noon meeting of the Chamber. Then I check the pictures. The ones at the meeting are not too sharp, but sharp enough to show one of the assembled progress boosters giving me the finger.
Open invitation to all readers: Help identify the rogues.
[click on images to enlarge]
Early in the design faze of the project Defazio commented that he was not against the jordan cove project, just the route that the pipeline was following would need some adjusting. I have always suspected that he was talking about crossing the Messerle property. Right after he stated that, Fred Messerle was out lobbying for the route to be changed. He was the only one who was able to get the pipe moved in his favor. Did Defazio exert pressure to have the route changed on behalf of the Messerle’s interest?
This group of democrats are now helping to steal land away from tax paying Americans using eminent domain so that a foreign corporation can make profit. They are changing land owner rights forever with this abuse of the law.
I think it is outrageous that local citizens – let alone local small business owners – would be excluded from a meeting in a public building, pertaining to something that has the potential of impacting everyone who lives here; and not in a positive way.
Coos County has been in a financial pickle for years. One need only catch a glimpse at the empty storefront buildings scattered throughout our community to be reminded that Coos County has seen better days. However this does not constitute an invitation to the fossil fuel industry – or ANY international corporate conglomerate – to come waltzing in here and hog our waterways, impose eminent domain on us and/or our neighbors, defile the landscape and treat us as “collateral”.
If this is Bill Billichek’s idea of the kind of “economic development” this area needs, he ought to pull his head out of his posterior. I’d bet $$ that if HIS property was located in the pathway of that proposed pipeline, he’d be whistling a different tune.
Doro, I might be mistaken but I remember reading that the Messerlies hired teams of lawyers to get the route re-routed away from their property as soon as they saw the plans. I believe they succeeded.
Good piece.
You stayed in a Holiday Inn Express? Hmmm go out for a little bromance with your biker buddies & now you brought home the bed bugs.
Wim this story is classic. I bet the look on their faces was similar to the look they get when they shit the bed!
Tell me, if someone was to bring in a severed bird to the Blue Heron how would you recommend having it prepared?
Awww relax, Jaye – I’m just kidding about the studying. But do I get points for staying at a Holiday Inn Express last night?
No, you’re just a sad little guy al.
At least I studied.
waa waa waa
And Mary, it’s probably time to get over the Structure and Governance reports. They were completed in 2011 and – outside of a handful of people – no one cares anymore.
Trade imbalance has nothing to do with job creation? Tony, if we’re importing everything we use – fuel, clothing, toothpaste, dogfood, TVs, cars, etc…, that means the U.S. isn’t making those items – someone else is. If we’re exporting more than we’re importing, that means we’re making the products we’re consuming (i.e. jobs) AND exporting those products to others (positive cash flow).
And THAT, my friend, is your economics lesson for today.
Al must have studied at the Rube Goldberg school of economics
Seems to me trade imbalance can be related to job creation if products presently bought from abroad are going to be produced domestically instead. That would reduce imports while boosting domestic production and employment. Fertilizer and chemical production, for instance, have been coming back to this country because of the low domestic gas prices which have a tremendous effect on those industries’ production costs.
But of course we’re talking about the country as a whole; it’s doubtful any of those jobs will be repatriated to Coos Bay. And the relevance of this issue was also national, i.e. the wisdom of exporting gas if doing so would increase domestic gas prices and hence work against repatriating those production jobs.
Trade imbalance has nothing to do with job creation.
Al, not long ago when comments were solicited by the Department of Energy on the issue of gas exports, several major, very important American industry groups declared themselves opposed. They included fertilizers, the chemical industry (including Dow Chemical, a biggie) and steel with such players as Nucor. All of these use lots of natural gas in their production processes, and chemical industry as well as fertilizer industry jobs have been returning to the U.S. on account of current low gas prices. You say these are temporary. Neither one of us knows how temporary, but I’m willing to admit they are temporary, for the simple reason that everything in the economy is always temporary, not temporarily temporary.
At least, by recognizing the ever-changing nature of the economy, you show that you understand a little more than the Port of Coos Bay ever did. Almost all of their big plans assumed that the economy was static, not dynamic, so they could rely on market prices and circumstances as they were, without worrying about the future. And that’s how we got fish plants and a dock for a fish processing complex made irrelevant by the concurrent collapse of the seafood market, oil equipment production facilities made irrelevant by a collapse of oil prices, a pulp mill plan made irrelevant by the collapse of the pulp market, and so on. This is really very basic economics, nothing complicated.
You also say that you are “unaware of a single region with which we have a positive trade balance.” I haven’t checked the factual basis for that lately, but it may well be true. Economists will tell you, however, that international transactions must balance one way or another. If country A has a trade deficit with country B, then country B will either: (1) spend its extra dollars received from country A on products from countries C or D, or: (2) buy assets of private company stock or government obligations from country A, as the Chinese have been doing; or (3) country B will allow its own currency to appreciate against that of country A, which will mean it will take fewer units of country B’s currency to buy products from country A than before. And that will help exporting industries in country A such as – say – fertilizer, steel or chemicals, who can now export more to country B because, as far as buyers in country B are concerned, everything from country A is cheaper. So at some point in the future those imbalances will work themselves out.
In a micro perspective that is true. A year old article noted that Saudi Aribia unemployment rate in 2012 was 10.5 percent and labor participation rate only at 36 percent. Yet they have a whopping trade surplus in relation to their population size.
I have no idea how al equates trade balance and jobs. Just sounds good I guess, same m.o. the “development agencies” use. Wim, you have already pointed out all the good and valid reasons that the types of projects those development agencies go after are, pardon the pun, pipe dreams. They can’t even properly explain (or accept?) exactly what we had in this area or the reason for the economic decline.
al, it’s all about feedback control, and you ain’t seen nothing yet. “And THAT, my friend, is your economics lesson for today.”
Learned scientific opinions are typically based upon facts and unlike some opinions, such as the unsupported sales pitches offered up in the structure and government advisory committee reports, the facts and methodology are clearly presented for the reader.
Having said all that, Jody, in my opinion, Al is not in the least bit interested in your fact derived views.
I appreciate all the opinion pieces, but I’m more interested in your personal view of our trade deficit and the impact that gas exports would have on our economy – not to mention global carbon emissions – as I am unaware of a single region with which we have a positive trade balance. I must say, however, that I am very skeptical of the claim that manufacturing jobs are returning to the U.S. because of our currently depressed natural gas prices which, at best, are temporary due to low demand rather than “orchestration”. And bear in mind that at the current pace it won’t be until 2020 that we replace the manufacturing jobs lost since 2007. The 490,000 jobs (to be accurate) is good news, but represents a fraction of those lost since 2001.
In case you are really interested Al, here is some information that may prove helpful:
The manufacturing industry is currently in the process of moving the manufacture of many of their products back to the U.S. This is due in part to our lower natural gas energy costs. Thousands of jobs are being created. Bloomberg’s Businessweek reported in August that the U.S. manufacturing sector had added 500,000 jobs since February 2010
You can either export manufactured products or our natural gas resource to other countries where they will make products and then ship them back to us.
Peter Huntsman, President and CEO of Huntsman, stated in a January 23rd article in the LNG World News the following:
“We think it very short-sighted and bad public policy to allow our nation’s natural gas advantage to be stripped and sent overseas to build a new manufacturing base that would otherwise be built here in the U.S.”
He continued, “Completely unfettered U.S. exports may enrich a few LNG exporters in the short term, but real, sustained and broad-based growth in the U.S. economy will come from a balanced approach that considers the needs of American manufacturers and consumers, and ensures that natural gas can be exported without undermining this emerging sunrise for American manufacturing and all the supporting industries and services. Our nation must not squander this opportunity.”
In addition, lots of great testimony and data on this was submitted to the U.S. DOE recently in both basic and reply comments. You can link to and read some of the basic comments here:
http://citizensagainstlng.com/wp/2013/02/02/thousands-file-comments-opposing-doe-2012-lng-export-study-and-other-lng-news/
I also suggest reading the following reports in order to get a better understanding of the overall picture:
“Shale and Wall Street – Was the Decline in Natural Gas Prices Orchestrated?” By Deborah Rogers, February 2013, Energy Policy Forum:
“Drill Baby Drill – Can Unconventional Fuels Usher in a New ERA of Energy Abundance” By J. David Hughes, February 2013, Post Carbon Institute
“Higher American energy costs will cost us American jobs…”
Jody – I am very interested in better understanding how an improved trade balance will cost American jobs. How many jobs, specifically, will be lost due to natural gas exports vs. those gained? I’ve never seen any numbers – only conjecture. I am also interested in knowing how much natural gas prices will increase relative to pretroleum based products. Are you assuming that only natural gas prices will increase over the next twenty years? Because it seems that dwindling oil supplies will result in higher prices as well. And if natural gas exports are so bad for an economy, then why is the world’s strongest economy currently building six of the world’s top ten energy projects – all natural gas based? We should also note here that America doesn’t have a single energy project on that top ten list which can only mean one thing for American consumers: very high energy prices down the road. High energy costs will sap America’s ability to pay its bills and to create jobs, so I’m confused as to how a positive trade balance could possibly be a bad thing.
I agree completely with: “…our $1.5 million mausoleum to tourism that faces the wrong way”
Al, I was an invited attendee at the meeting, and I was embarrassed for Wim and for the people of the county. Many of the people posting here are not from the big city like you. But that does not make our neighbors posting here stupid. To say that because your nom de guerre Billichek wrote something makes it fact, is silly at best.
Come on Robert Westerman, you’re such a big bad-ass when surrounded by others, why don’t you pull ’em up and answer the questions posted here? Are you a card carrying Chamber Member? What right did you have to sit there like a petulant child and “flip off” a real Chamber member being thrown out of their Secret Meeting, in OUR building? Tough guy my old arse.
Since several people have written me about this I thought I should clear the air.
The rumor about me and the Sierra club came from Ron Opitz and his gang long ago in an attempt to slander me personally since they couldn’t argue with the facts I was presenting.
You are free to check with the Sierra club on this but I have never been a Sierra Club member or been paid anything by them.
Perhaps they should be paying me but as everyone who lives in the Coos Bay area knows, I volunteer my time for the group, Citizens Against LNG (www.citizensagainstlng.com). I am also a member of the business community.
I find it rather astounding that some members of our community are willing to destroy so much of Southern Oregon and take people’s land away for a couple dozen jobs, while thousands of new long-term permanent jobs in the manufacturing sector go elsewhere.
I stand with Industries and Associations such as Alcoa, American Forest & Paper Association, American Iron and Steel Institute, American Public Gas Association, CarbonX Energy Corporation Inc, DOW Chemical Company, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, Nucor Corp, Rentech Inc, The Aluminum Association, The Fertilizer Institute, and many others who have grave concerns with the U.S. allowing unlimited LNG Exports.
Higher American energy costs will cost us American jobs, and people in Coos Bay are willing to do this and take people’s property away for foreign profits..?
Why the bird Westerman? Who or what were you trying to flip off and why? What do you have to be pissed about? And why were you invited to the Secret Public Meeting?
While I have been silent for some time, it doesn’t’ mean I don’t pay attention to what’s going in our county. Bill Billichek, Don’t know you, but Wim is right on line. I just watched the video and have to agree, it was something of amazement. Instead of the song they used, they should have used the ZZ Top song “She’s Got Legs” What a joke.
Bill Billichek? Really? That is some funny shit. Only someone as obtuse as Al would come up with a lame moniker like that, must be a Tom Brady fan who has fantasies about Tom’s wife.
Are the Jordan Cove supporters a group of late-life GED students? “Bill’s” post is so typical and stinks of the same rotten group who perpetually get caught with their hand in the cookie jar and then cry foul when called on it. Whining that their juvenile foray into indy film is being mocked for the insipid tripe that it is (the A/V club at the high school could do better) and deflecting all legitimate questions that arise every time they meet secretly to steal our money. The response from “Bill” just shows how paranoid and desperate they are by ranting to “the 15-20 readers of this blog”…if this blog is so insignificant, why waste your time worrying about what is going on here?
Rusted train tracks, graffiti and broken concrete, empty port, population loss – heckuva job Coos County business developers!
Sorry to disappoint you “Mr. Billichek”, but my “environmental bias” is not a “Late life” occurence. There is an award hanging on my wall which was granted to me by the Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society and it reads: “In recognition of your efforts in conservation of wildlife habitat, particularly old growth forests”. It is dated March 24, 1982.
So, as you can see, my “environmental bias” has been functional for quite some time.
Apologies – the post was for Susan’s benefit.
Mary – it appears that you have slipped the rails a bit with your insinuation that I am the “Bill” ghost writer, so let me help you with this one: “Bill” stated that he asked Wimm to leave the meeting, so Wimm can probably provide confirmation of identity. Since I was NOT at this meeting – ‘though invited – I am nothing more than a bemused observer.
I’ll try to type slooower, next time, Mary.
Bill Billichek, who is this guy? Is he the little-minded little guy with the little stubby flipping fingers?
Who is he? Really?
And after we find out who he is, WHY is he there in the first place?
Sure sounds paranoid to me? I’m certainly NOT misogynistic in any way, and would/did have used the same language as Wim. It’s embarrassing to me as a woman that Blondie would sexify a business commercial as was done. Makes local business heads look like dick heads actually.
“We have nothing to hide”–as in “who ya gonna believe, me or your lying eyes”? That one was left with Playboy Bill, decades ago. We ain’t buying yo8ur protestations, and you know Bill? I always do my letter writing BEFORE cocktail time, you might be advised to do the same. Wow, what a representative, of what I haven’t figured out yet.
It ain’t Wim Skippy, it’s that you got caught with your fingers in the cookie jar, oops, sorry Bill, fingers too short?
People writing in haste while emotional and at length while attempting to masquerade as another use the same words, same phrases, same grammar. Find some earlier lengthy Petit posts and compare. Bill Billichek is not a Coos County registered voter, he is not a county property owner, he does not appear on social media; and, other sites not available to the average citizen say Bill does not exist. Hopefully he is the coach of the Patriots who has visited our community for the meeting.
Mmm – “leggy” is sexist? In that case, you guys better withdraw that music video that focuses so obsessively on her calves and ankles. If it would help persuade you, I could add up all the seconds it devotes to those leggy displays, except that the rest of it is too interminable, stupid, juvenile and incomprehensible to watch. And at the meeting she did look at me in a very disconcerted way; I confess I don’t know why. Probably because of all the mean things you guys say about me.
“We have nothing to hide.” So why were you so desperate to get rid me?
Sorry, Eric Farm did demand that I leave. But I grant that someone else may have too.
While ignoring Buddy the Bird-flipper, you sure waste a lot of words on name-calling and threats: inappropriate behavior — shallow minded, petty antics — cheap shot at a port commissioner — Your minions might lap up your dribble as gospel — You might inform him that we are wise to his antics and allegiances and will make plans accordingly going forward. . . . It sure is reassuring when the opposition gets this desperate.
Perhaps all these manufacturing companies that are currently looking at possibly locating in Oregon should be informed about this, particularly since they are opposed to the higher energy costs unlimited LNG Exports will cause.
When the rest of the business community in Oregon finds out that our own Governor risk thousands of permanent jobs for Oregon for a few dozen permanent(?) jobs in the Port of Coos Bay, I don’t think opponents will have to worry.
I didn’t think the Port could do any worse than the cooked up land deal they tried to do with Weyerhaeuser but here we are again and involving the same agencies no less. Amazing, simply amazing!
To the 15-20 readers of this blog:
Wim: Your sexist and chauvinistic comments (leggy, molested) comments about a well respected (Mary’s readers notwithstanding) member of our business community is unappreciated and is indicative of your inability to articulate fact and reason giving you no other outlet than to denigrate and belittle your detractors.
Wim: We have nothing to hide. This was a private meeting, by invitation only, of business reps and other supporters of Jordan Cove. You took it upon yourself to enter our meeting uninvited. You confirmed this yourself when you left and read your email from the chamber. Interestingly enough, you chose to not attend the very meeting you were invited to wherein, along with 90 other people, you would have heard exactly what we discussed in the morning session. I would hardly call that hiding what we had to say??
Wim: Your inappropriate behavior at our meeting and subsequent blog posting are indicative of the shallow minded, petty antics you and your like minded friends will resort to advance your negative stance on economic development of this area. Keep it up and you will continue to marginalize your cause in the eyes of the educated public.
Mary: For the record, the port was not involved in the organization or cost of this meeting. Your comments about “a hired consultant paid with public money has a meeting in a public place” has no basis in fact. You know that and as an organizer of this meeting I certainly know that.
Mary: For the record, Eric did not demand that Wim leave the meeting, I did! I see this as nothing more than a cheap shot at a port commissioner again with no basis in fact. Your minions might lap up your dribble as gospel but those of us in the know won’t hesitate to call your BS for what it is.
Mary: We have a pretty good idea who tipped off Jodie and her crew about our meeting today. You might inform him that we are wise to his antics and allegiances and will make plans accordingly going forward.
Mary: Since you are all knowing, what do you know about the rumor going around that Jodie McCaffree is on the Sierra Club payroll to the tune of $2500/mth. Not throwing rumor out there as fact like you would, just an honest question in need of an answer:)
Ron: Always fun to read your thoughts. I have to ask though, is your late life environmental bias a result of guilt over all those years you worked for the BLM as their Chief Forester in the glory days of the 60’s thru the 80’s when “getting out the cut” ruled? How much old growth was clearcut and spotted owls killed under your direction and oversight? Your environmental stance on anything proposed for Coos Bay comes across as a little hypocritical given your past career.
Bill Billichek (Coos County Resident)
Welcome to minion world. We prefer substance rather than the usual al non sequitur bollocks though.
I had the same thought, TonyCapo, when reading the disjointed logic in Bill’s reply, if Al Pettit hadn’t had a hand in crafting the comment.
It was confirmed to me today that the lobbying firm FBB Federal Relations/Ray Bucheger is currently under contract with the State of Oregon’s Infrastructure Finance Authority to represent Oregon’s interests back in Wash. DC in matters relating to obtaining federal funding for maintenance dredging in Oregon ports.
He has apparently taken on additional duties with the BS group. So we have a consultant being paid by the State of Oregon simultaneously doubling down and working for a non-governmental organization whose major purpose is to circumvent the NEPA process thus depriving Oregon citizens of the information and analyses to which they are entitled under existing Federal law and regulations.
Logic, logic, wherefore art thou, logic?
Well, for a group that claims to want to rally support and win hearts and minds and “kick-start the economy” it is off to really rocky start. Plus, the phrase “kick-start” is such a worn out cliche
That photo of Bob Westerman speaks volumes of his character. He represents the Unions of this County? He should be ashamed of himself. He is an embarrassment to this County!
And the young suits arrived to the meeting in a very spiffy BMW sedan…..
Just so we all understand, the Port/Chamber of Commerce has retained a real doozy. He’s an Insider Lobbyist from DC. He’s bigtime folks, and our tax dollars and donations are paying his wages?????
Don’t the people of this county resent like hell “outsiders” coming in here telling us what to do?
Okay, as a taxpayer who’s money funds the Port,I want to know how much WE are paying for this Ray Bucheger, who is NOT Sunshiny Southern Oregon or whatever BS name they’ve pinned on this latest incarnation. THIS is who this lobbyist works for. The Port has gone to DC and bought another lobbyist, sitting next to Ken Messerlie no doubt.
Links to who we’re now doing business with. What an insult, this Bucheger associates himself with “Sunny Southern Oregon”. Here’s who he is:
Ray Bucheger
FBB Federal Relations
Washington, District Of Columbia (Washington D.C. Metro Area)
Government Relations
Join LinkedIn and access Ray Bucheger’s full profile.
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Ray Bucheger’s Overview
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Partner at FBB Federal Relations
Past
Assistant Director, Washington DC Office at Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
Legislative Correspondent at United States Senate
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Marquette University
Marquette University
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287 connections
Ray Bucheger’s Experience
Partner
FBB Federal Relations
Government Relations industry
January 2005 – Present (8 years 4 months)
FBB Federal Relations is the lobbying arm of Lindsay Hart Neil + Weigler LLP – we provide cost-effective, client-responsive and efficient government relations services. An effective Federal relations strategy depends upon the capabilities of individuals and accountability to the client – our clients know exactly who is doing work and that they can reach us when they need us. Because of our structure, FBB Federal Relations is able to focus exclusively on delivering the highest quality services to our clients. The model works – many clients have stayed with us, either on a contract basis or just a handshake, for over 20 years. These clients include sophisticated consumers of Federal relations services, ranging from state and local governments to Fortune 500 multinational corporations with the resources to hire whomever they wish, and who have in some cases, moved their government relations work from big firms to ours because they get significantly better service and results. We are responsive at all times, we are accessible, and we continuously deliver unsurpassed legislative and regulatory results, year after year.
Assistant Director, Washington DC Office
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
January 2003 – December 2004 (2 years)
Legislative Correspondent
United States Senate
Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Legislative Office industry
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http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ray-bucheger/5/a26/84
SO THE LOCAL C OF COMMERCE TAKES A LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS’S DUES, BUT WON’T ALLOW HIM TO ATTEND A SECRET MEETING HELD IN OUR PUBLIC OFFICES, TO PROTECT WHOM??? FROM WHOM??? Threw him out on his ear, and allowed Ken Messerlie to sit there and allowed the “new” commissioner to throw a local out. Not going to set well with locals, because guess what? We have an outlet to give us all the truthiness we can handle.
themguys is correct. A hired consultant paid with public money has a meeting in a public building about matters that effect everyone but someone, Eric Farm maybe, decided that only certain people were welcome. Who decided how that money was spent and who could participate?
We can identify Eric Farm, Bob Westerman, Marvin Caldera and Frank Williams as well as Ken Messerle
I would suggest you post the picture on http://www.facebook/theworldnewspaper and ask there if anyone knows him. But I’m bad.
Someone else is badder, I just saw it on the World Facebook page.
Someone has to know that little guy with the short FAT fingers — we all know what THAT means, don’t we?
And YOU are a member of Chamber of Consorts?
Seems the leggy blonde only has interest in Consorting with out of town thugs?
Guy at the table is that old dude that makes the propaganda films for the Port, am I right about that one?
Ask Blondie next time you pay your C of C dues, perhaps? Representing local business my sorry old arse. Pimping the “big guys” it seems to me, and you, my fellow Chamber member can go to hell and my smarmy new friends will flip you off and wave goodby, smiling all the while.
THIS IS THE FACE OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
To hell with all these little crumbs who come in and go out like migrating butterflies, small business? Go To Hell. Sayeth the Chamber of Commerce. Look at the vacant windows across the steet then tell those small businesses you work for them.
My opinion only .
After hearing Clark’s lyrics about “working together” and “everything will be alright” now we have appointed port commissioner, Eric Farm, demanding a business owner and chamber member leave the meeting, as if siting an LNG terminal isn’t everyone’s business