Statement
The United States of America was founded on principles. There is the principle of No Taxation without Representation, the principle of Freedom of Religion, the principle of Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of the Press, the right to Habeas Corpus and the right to a trial by jury of your peers where everyone who is accused of committing a crime has the right to face their accusers.
Another fundamental principle upon which our country was founded is the principle of Separation of Powers... There are three different branches of government: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial. They are supposed to be separate and coequal, and there are strong checks and balances supposedly in place in order to ensure that they remain so.
My opponent, Mr. Floyd Prozanski has ignored the principle of Separation of Powers for as long as he has been a member of the Oregon Legislature, first as a State Representative, and since 2004 as a State Senator.
As the influential Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Floyd Prozanski makes the laws. When the Legislature is not in session Senator Prozanski works as a municipal prosecutor enforcing the laws. If Mr. Prozanski worked for the Oregon Department of Justice his conflict of interest would be even more incriminating, but since most Oregon cities receive State funding and at least some of their municipal codes and ordinances are based on State laws, Senator Prozanski's role as a municipal prosecutor still comes into conflict with his role as a State lawmaker. He has managed to get away with this for over two decades.
Has Senator Prozanski ever prosecuted anybody under a law which he either wrote or voted on as a member of the Oregon Legislature or will he be required to do so in the future? Has he ever prosecutor cases for a city that received State money? His conflicting roles as a State lawmaker and a municipal prosecutor establishes a dangerous precedent that must not be allowed to continue. Floyd Prozanski is just one step away from being judge, jury, and executioner all wrapped up into one highly unacceptable package.
Since it has been proven time and time again that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely Senator Prozanski's position in the State Legislature combined with his role as a municipal prosecutor should have raised some eyebrows a long time ago, but somehow he has managed to get away with this for twenty three years. I call on Senator Prozanski to either give up his job as a municipal prosecutor or resign as a State Senator and withdraw from this race.
In addition my opponent regularly raises hundreds of thousands of dollars every time he runs for office. Much of this is special interest money which he uses to maintain his influence in Salem or funnels to other candidates and causes he believes in. Since I believe with good reason that money is the root cause of what is wrong with our entire political system I will not be raising any money in my campaign. Instead I will focus all of my efforts on raising public awareness of important issues in this race and offering better solutions.
