political action committee Archives

Hope responds to PAC endorsements

Posted at 9:44 am October 24, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Chuck Hope

Oak Ridge City Council member Chuck Hope, the one incumbent running for re-election in the November 8 election, has responded to the endorsements by the Progress PAC political action committee.

The Progress PAC endorsed Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, and Hans Vogel, who are all making their first runs for seats on the seven-member City Council. The endorsements were announced last week.

Hope was not endorsed. You canÂ see his responseÂ here.

The PAC was established two years ago by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerceâ€™s Board of Directors, and it operates autonomously from the Chamberâ€™s Board.

All six of the candidates endorsed by the Progress PAC two years ago were elected, although one candidate who wasn’t endorsed, Rick Chinn, was also elected. [Read more…]

Progress PAC endorses Dodson, Lee, Vogel for City Council

Posted at 10:53 am October 19, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 16 Comments

Pictured above from left to right are Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, and Hans Vogel.

The Progress PAC political action committee has endorsed Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, and Hans Vogel for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.

The endorsements were announced Wednesday.

“From a crowded field of seven outstanding city council candidates, these three most clearly met the committeeâ€™s criteria, which includes support of the mission, vision, and legislative priorities of the Oak Ridge Chamber and a willingness to work closely with the Oak Ridge Board of Education,â€ Progress PAC Chairman Stephen Whitson said in a press release. [Read more…]

Guest column: Smith responds to Progress PAC endorsement

Posted at 5:07 am October 22, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Guest Columns 9 Comments

Ellen Smith

By Ellen Smith

I was surprised and gratified by the recent news that the Progress PAC (the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce political action committee) endorsed my candidacy for City Council. To my dismay, several citizens have told me that this endorsement indicates that I have somehow â€œsold outâ€ to the Chamber of Commerce. I am writing to respond to their allegations.

The Progress PAC endorsement was a surprise to me because I have never been aligned with the Chamber, I have strongly opposed some Chamber initiatives in the past, and I am not shy about my support for principles like conservation of publicly owned open space and putting the interests of existing residents and owners ahead of the interests of new business development.

However, I respect the Chamber as the main representative of and advocate for a very important element of our communityâ€”and a group whose members and volunteers who are passionate about the future of Oak Ridge. We share many common goals and interests for this community, and if we are going to make progress as a community, itâ€™s necessary for government, the business community, our nonprofit sector, and (ideally) all citizens to try to understand each otherâ€™s interests and needs and work together for the benefit of all. [Read more…]

Guest column: Surprised by debate, Chamber explains Progress PAC

Posted at 2:09 pm October 7, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Guest Columns Leave a Comment

Parker Hardy

By Parker Hardy and Chris Johnson

At the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, we have been surprised by the debate that has surfaced after we established Progress PAC last month.

Why? Because political activity by this Chamber and others is nothing new. And political action committees, or PACs, are quite common tools for chambers and for other organizations that wish to exercise their rights to participate in the political process. Progress PAC was established to build transparency for the Chamber’s political engagement. It is not funded by Chamber membership investments or dues. Furthermore, city economic development marketing funds, which cannot be used for Chamber operations, certainly cannot and will not be applied to Progress PAC. Reporting requirements for all PACs will demonstrate that financial transparency.

Good chambers have been politically engaged for decades. And our chamber has been engaged in pro-business political activity since our founding in 1949â€”even before the City of Oak Ridge was incorporated. [Read more…]

Chamber forms Progress PAC, two Council members seek legal action

Posted at 12:55 am September 23, 2014
By John Huotari 11 Comments

Trina Baughn

Note: This story was updated at 10:30 a.m.

Two Oak Ridge City Council members have requested a special meeting this week to consider litigation against the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, seeking to prevent the business organization from conducting political activities on public property, including through a new political action committee.

The special meeting, which would be open to the public, has been requested by Oak Ridge City Council members Trina Baughn and Anne Garcia Garland. Baughn said she requested the meeting to â€œvote upon initiating litigation against the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce so that the city may seek either injunctive relief and/or a temporary restraining order with regards to their conducting political activities on public property.â€

Stephen Whitson

On Friday, the Chamber announced it had formed a political action committee named the Progress PAC. The multi-candidate PAC will support candidates in the November elections for Oak Ridge Board of Education and City Council, a press release said.

Stephen Whitson of Oak Ridge has been elected Progress PAC chair, and David Bradshaw, also of Oak Ridge, has been named treasurer. Both are past chairs of the Chamberâ€™s Board of Directors.

In the press release, Whitson said the Progress PAC will only consider supporting candidates who respond to an issue-based written questionnaire and participate in an interview with Progress PAC members. [Read more…]