Here’s an email I sent to both Nigel Jacquiss of Willamette Week and Jack Bogdanski, a local blogger, about Mayoral candidate Jefferson Smith’s Bus Project. 

Both are attempting to look into the money troubled candidate (here) and the inner workings of the organization which is a 501c3 charity, 501c4 and PAC (here and here). 

   “Since there now seems to be a deeper interest in the inner workings of the Bus Project you might want to check this out…

    In the 2010 election J Smith and the Bus Project rode to the rescue of several house members and candidates (see links below).

    The Bus Project’s 501c3 status gave it a ‘charitable’ veneer so that high school kids (N. Clackamas School District) could “volunteer” for the Bus Project and be given required “community service” credit. And do you know what they did as

their “service?” They were given a pep talk, speeches by BRAD AVAKIAN, and campaign literature to pass out door-to-door for Cheryl Myers (surprise, surprise! the N Clack Superintendent), the hand chosen (Democrat) candidate who ran against Pat Sheehan.

    In short:

• Bus Project purports to be a community service organization through its 501c3.
• Bus Project only helps Democrat candidates.
• Bus Project acts as rapid response force and personnel agency for Democrats under its 501c4.
• Bus Project acts as promoter of liberal issues through its PAC.
• Bus Project gave out community service credit to students REQUIRED to have it to graduate in No Clackamas School District.
• Liberal teacher in said district recommended students use Bus Project. 
• Students met at Grant HS where they were given a partisan pep talk (in one case Earl Blumenauer).
• Students were then taken back to No Clackamas where they were greeted by BOLI Commissioner Brad Avakian (No minimum wage for these free campaign workers for his buddies!) and the object of their community service: Cheryl Myers.
• Students from No Clackamas were briefed on Cheryl Myers’ beliefs etc and given pamphlets about the House District 51 candidate.
• Students were sent out to go door to door to talk up voters and hand out pamphlets.
• Cheryl Myers is/was the No Clackamas School Superintendent
• Bus Project NOT an approved organization under No Clack Co Schools rules of community service.

My (and other) posts about this and related topics:

http://victoriataftkpam.blogspot.com/2010/06/oregon-way-kids-stump-for-candidate-in.html

http://victoriataftkpam.blogspot.com/2010/06/seen-at-north-clackamas-school-district.html

http://www.clackamasgop.org/node/133

http://victoriataftkpam.blogspot.com/2011/02/for-children-laurelhurst-uses-school.html

http://victoriataftkpam.blogspot.com/2011/09/was-he-driving-his-bus-when-jefferson.html

http://victoriataftkpam.blogspot.com/2011/02/portland-students-paid-community.html

http://victoriataftkpam.blogspot.com/2010/09/oregon-irony-democrats-admit-raising.html
https://twitter.com/#!/VictoriaTaft/status/27307767282
http://nwrepublican.blogspot.com/2010/05/hypocrite-bob-jenson-to-bring-in.html