Illinois Valley News

To help defend the Constitution, Illinois Valley resident and scientist Arthur Robinson has filed to run for U.S. Congress.

Robinson traveled to Salem and submitted his paperwork to the Secretary of State“s office on Tuesday, March 9. He is seeking the Republican nomination for Oregon“s 4th Congressional District seat, which has been held by U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Springfield) since 1987.

DeFazio has filed for another term. He had been mentioned for months as a possible candidate for governor, but opted to stay out of the Democratic primary contest between former governor John Kitzhaber and former secretary of state Bill Bradbury.

However, Robinson is not alone in seeking the Republican nomination. Dillard resident Jaynee Germond also is running. In 2008, Germond ran against DeFazio as the Constitution Party candidate. The Republican Party was unable to field a candidate for that seat that year.

Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken initially was seeking the Republican nomination in the May 18 primary election, but dropped out to run for Lane County commissioner.

Robinson, who co-founded the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, has never run for any elected office. He said that recent events have inspired him to do so.

“It“s a very bad situation in this country,“ Robinson said. “I felt I should take a shot at this guy, because he“s part of the problem.“

Germond has been actively campaigning for months, and supporters have placed signs in locations all throughout Illinois Valley. As such, Robinson acknowledges that he has his work cut out for him.

“I have to run hard to catch up with her,“ Robinson said. “I will do my best for the next two months until the primary, and I will campaign extremely vigorously against DeFazio if I get the chance.“

Among other accomplishments, Robinson started the Petition Project, in which more than 32,000 American scientists expressed their doubts about the validity of man-made global warming.

“I“m not running on the Petition Project, but I“ve spent 15 years studying energy policy,“ Robinson said. “Solar panels are not going to save this country.“

The United States now imports around 30 percent of its energy, Robinson said. But attempts to shut down the nation“s hydrocarbon industry will not help the situation, he added.

“They“re trying to cut down the good energy systems that we have and spend money on things that don“t work,“ Robinson said. “We“ll be in a situation where we“ll have a huge increase in energy costs and energy rationing pretty soon because of these people.“

Robinson said his position is not to advocate for nuclear energy, but rather to “get out of the way of American industry, which will provide for us, through free enterprise, the energy we need.“

The U.S. Constitution is being ignored by politicians in Washington, D.C., Robinson said. He added that they are “spending this country into the ground by trying to socialize health care and trying to ruin our energy system.

“If they“re allowed to continue what they“re doing, the U.S. will be bankrupt. Many of our most important institutions will be ruined,“ Robinson said. “We can“t continue to exist with taxation, regulation and litigation that is so severe that Americans can“t compete with workers elsewhere in the world. The American people can“t afford to buy the things they need to continue our prosperity.“

Robinson said that the decision to run is entirely his own, and that he was not recruited to oppose either Germond or DeFazio.

“Washington is a disaster, and I think all across the country, anyone who“s willing to fix it should run for office,“ he said. “I think I have the support of many people. If people conclude that I have a chance of beating DeFazio, they will support us substantially.“

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