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Hello Friends,
This week I would like to discuss
a bill that I introduced to address the litany of public works snafus over the
past couple of decades that have damaged the public’s faith in state
government, cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and have been a
source of embarrassment. HB 2528 establishes a Task Force on Citizen Review of State
Public Works Projects. The bill
would require the task force to study the need for and the feasibility of establishing
a review board composed of residents of this state to provide oversight and guidance to state public works project.
Here are just a few examples of
the more notorious failures to have plagued our state in the most recent past:
·
The $56
million DMV computer upgrade of
the 1990s that was scrapped in l996.
·
The
Eddyville Bypass of the past decade, intended to straighten a 5.5 mile
section of Hwy 20 between Corvallis and Newport, the project was initially
estimated to cost $205 million…it is now at 175% of that
·
The State
Data Center, known as “CNIC,” which stands for the Computing and Network
Infrastructure Consolidation. This
project of a decade ago was intended to house the data centers from 12 state
agencies at $63.6 million. It was a data
security nightmare according to a Secretary of State’s audit and a data
consolidation fiasco par excellence according to all the whistle blower phone calls
I received as a 1st term legislator.
·
Cover
Oregon. The state exchange cost our
taxpayers $248 million. I will not
recount the failures here in detail. We
have acted this session through SB1 to abolish the Oregon Health Insurance
Exchange Corporation. We are all painfully
aware of the management shortcomings involving multiple state agencies involved
with no single point of control. The
result was an inability to make timely decisions. We now know that the project’s contracts
lacked strong accountability mechanisms and could not ensure delivery of a
working product. The result of Cover
Oregon was a state healthcare exchange website that never enrolled a single
person, millions wasted and another blow to trust in state government to
execute projects of any scale.
·
Oregon
Wireless Information System (OWIN). Originally projected to create a $600
million emergency-radio network with 300 new towers, the project was revised to
about 30 towers, with a taxpayer loss of about $5 million.
Citizen Review Boards will be
comprised of experts, hear from those affected by projects, gather relevant
data and report to the Legislature. We
understand that no state government has a track record of flawless investments
in public works projects, but here in Oregon we have plenty of room for
improvement. This task force is one way
to include more voices and ensure more oversight of large public works
projects. We need to improve our chances
to get projects right the first time and deliver results for those we serve.
We've had a few interesting bills
in my Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee this week. Here is just a sampling of what we have been
hearing:
· HB 2808/2997/2998 This is a package of bills that deals with the harvesting of Western Juniper. These bills would provide economic development assistance for manufacturing products from western juniper, provide technical assistance and workforce training, identify marketable stands for juniper and manage wildlife interests.
·
HB 3012 This bill establishes the Oregon Hatchery Research Center Fund to be used for research
projects, and establishes a hatchery construction fund. The goal of the Center is to answer scientific questions related to fish recovery and hatchery programs, including the differences that may exist between wild and hatchery fish and how to manage those differences.
·
HB 3013 This innovative legislation would allow the establishment of wildlife food plots on small tract forestland. This program was once known as the Oregon green Forage Program, and it provides for the reservation of small areas within a small woodland tract expressly created to preserve and enhance wildlife habitat and to protect newly planted conifers.
Yours truly,
Representative Brad Witt
House District 31
 I had a wonderful visit and learned a lot from Emily Braman of Family and Community Together (FACT). FACT is a family leadership organization based in Oregon for individuals and their families experiencing disability, working collaboratively to facilitate positive change in policies, systems, and attitudes, through family support, advocacy, and partnerships. Emily is the project coordinator for Columbia County and the North Coast. She runs the Family Network Programs to connect and support families with children who are affected by intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. To get involved with FACT and connect to resources and supports check their webpage: FACTOregon or contact my office.
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Around our district: the Oregon Hunters Association had a sold-out banquet on Feb. 28 |
Around our district: The Coastal Conservation Association's fundraiser helps support fish and anglers through year-round programs. |
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 Chat with YOUR Representative
Friday March 20, 2015 5:30-6:30pm
El Tapatio
117 West A Street
Rainier, OR 97048
Come connect with Brad next Friday afternoon in Rainier. Share your concerns, ideas and maybe a margarita with your State Rep!
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email: Rep.BradWitt@state.or.us I phone: 503-986-1431
address: 900 Court St NE, H-374, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/witt
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