Russell Report  Jon Russell … Finishing the Business of the CongressmanWASHOUGAL- On the heels of three successful town hall meetings in Clark, Lewis and Thurston Counties, Jon Russell, Candidate for U.S. Congress will be hosting two more town hall meetings in Pacific & Wahkiakum Counties. This is a continuation of a series of seven town halls that Candidate Russell has been holding throughout Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. In late August, current Member of Congress, Brian Baird, reluctantly held 5 very contentious town hall meetings during a visit to the district before flying back home to Washington D.C. “Congressman Baird did not hold town hall meetings in every county in the district. I plan to listen to every constituent, whether they live in a large or small county. Every county is important and deserves to have a voice on issues facing our nation”, said Jon Russell The schedule for the upcoming Town Hall Events is: Wahkiakum County Town Hall Meeting Date: Wednesday, September 30th Location: Commissioners Room @ the Wahkiakum County Courthouse Time: 7pm Town Hall meetings in Skamania & Cowlitz Counties are being scheduled for mid October. The public is invited to attend … Candidate Russell wants you to have the opportunity to be heard and he is eager to hear what you have to say! Jon Russell is a City Councilman and owner of Columbia Gorge Medical Center in Washougal, WA. www.jonrussell.us _______________________________________________________________________________ As you can clearly see, our country is traveling down a rough road and having to make difficult turns along the way. In Southwest Washington, we are seeing upwards of 15% unemployment. Businesses are downsizing, laying off hard working employees and trying to prepare for a future where government dishes out tax increases and the cost of health care continues to climb. Families across Southwest Washington and across the nation are making hard decisions for their families. Will I have a job tomorrow? How will I make the house payment? How will I afford a doctor if I get sick? These are not easy questions in today's economy. Now, is the time to remove career politicians in Congress who have made unwise decisions to hand us a debt of $11 trillion, raise taxes on employers and employees, and government bailouts for irresponsible corporations. If you believe in a balanced budget, alternative and independent energy, affordable health care and a strong defense at home and abroad, I ask for your vote and support. Please consider making a contribution or volunteering for our cause. I want you to be with us. Sincerely, Jon Russell GOP Congressional Candidate
10/30/09 Dear Russell for Congress Supporters, As I am sure many of you have read in the papers, the City of Washougal is undergoing a special investigation by the State Auditor to track down over hundred thousand taxpayer dollars and other mismanagement issues by the current Mayor. I take no delight in leading our council in an inquiry of our current Mayor’s troubles. Mayor Sellers appointed me to the Washougal Parks Board and eventually was the tie breaking vote to have me appointed to a seat on the City Council in 2006. However, after I won election in 2007, I began to see some things that raised big red flags. Here are some examples: 1.) While having a city finance committee, in title only, they did not meet to discuss expenditures in a coordinated fashion. Usually, whatever councilmember was available to quickly review the expenditures would sign off on the accounts payable. Even those not assigned to the committee signed off on accounts payable. In 2009, I asked to be appointed to the finance committee in hopes of moving the committee into a functioning body that would meet routinely to scrutinize every expenditure. I brought forward the idea on several occasions, but there was no desire on behalf of others to make such a commitment. 2.) Our Mayor created an internal rule that Council members could not ask anything of department heads. All correspondence had to go through the Mayor. Department heads were instructed to not to speak with Council members. This made the Council’s job very difficult when seeking to provide substantial oversight of the administration. Again, I was the only one to question this internal rule. 3.) For two years I have been asking for a profit-loss statement for the different city events that the administration had sponsored. Those profit-loss statements never came. 4.) Over the last year we have lost two substantial members of our city staff, our city administrator and finance director. These two individuals left abruptly to take jobs elsewhere. It is my opinion that these two departures some how factor into the bigger mystery that now confronts us. Rightfully so, this is a very difficult time for our city as we endure public ridicule and scrutiny. I would appreciate your prayers as we work through the administration’s chaos and try to bring a clearer picture to the citizens of Washougal. I am convinced that with a newly elected, conservative Council, coming in January, we will provide a way out of the disaster created by this progressive administration. For years I was unable to rally any alarm because of the extreme loyalty of the progressive majority on the Council, which followed the Mayor in lockstep. At that point I started to piece together a plan to bring about a conservative majority on the Council. In 2008 I was joined by one other conservative and by the summer of 2009 we gained another. On the eve of the 2009 election, we stand to take a conservative majority on the Council. In the meantime, we in the minority have had to endure policies and procedures that have made us very uncomfortable. This experience has given me a deeper appreciation for what I am trying to do on a national level. We need sweeping government reform, which brings more accountability to government and places more scrutiny on government than on individuals. Too much control in the hands of the few will always result in disaster and corruption. As your next Congressman, I will fight for open and transparent government. The people deserve to know the truth. Sincerely, Jon D. Russell Republican for U.S. Congress (WA-3)
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