Scott Bruun: Why Oregon Needs Allen Alley in the Governor’s Office

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Scott Bruun, GoLocalPDX MINDSETTER™

The 2015 legislative session, combined with the scandal surrounding former-governor John Kitzhaber, has made one thing abundantly clear: Oregon desperately needs a grown-up in charge.

More to the point, Oregon needs a grown-up in the governor’s office. Someone who can end Salem’s ‘look-the-other-way’ complicity toward corruption. Someone who can stop the fast-moving volume of ridiculously-partisan legislation. And someone who has the energy, experience and intelligence to help Oregon reach its potential for excellence.

That ‘someone’ may very well be Allen Alley.

Alley is one of those increasingly-rare individuals. He is someone who has both an insatiable entrepreneurial drive and top-shelf executive leadership skills, combined with a heart bent toward public service. Our state and our nation would be well-served if more like him were serving in elected office.

Alley made himself in the private sector, though he is no stranger to the political world. As a Republican, he once served as a top economic advisor to a Democrat governor. Later, he was a candidate for state treasurer, losing in a tough but highly-regarded campaign to Ben Westlund.

In 2010, Allen Alley ran to be the Republican nominee for Oregon governor. Or truth be told, he ‘walked’ to be the nominee. Literally.

In one of those ideas that must have seemed better in theory than actual practice, Alley walked across the state with his son AJ. They started on the Idaho border, and over a period of many weeks made their way west toward home in Lake Oswego. Mile-after-mile, step-after-step, they met thousands of Oregonians, heard hundreds of Oregon stories, and gained a perspective on Oregon’s unique character that’s so often overlooked in Portland and Salem.

Seeing in him the sort of determination and clarity of purpose needed to walk across the state is no surprise to anyone who knows Alley.

Alley has spent a career building and creating. A mechanical engineer by trade, Alley spent time at Ford, Boeing and Oregon’s InFocus before founding and serving as both CEO and chairman of Pixelworks. Alley is also a noted philanthropist and sought-after auctioneer for school and charitable events.

Alley is talented, well-respected and well-known. Yet one of his greatest strengths is that he’s not a political insider. Point of fact, Oregon now, perhaps more than ever, needs a break from political insiders.

Oregon’s lack of political diversity is a major handicap to our prosperity. The decades-long control of the state’s highest political offices by a single political party, combined with the polite penchant for “Oregon Nice,” means few in government are asking the hard questions.

We saw this to a lesser degree with David Wu, and to a much greater degree with John Kitzhaber. Democrat leaders in Oregon, because they are all friends, all run in the same circles, all attend the same parties and philanthropic events, are often afraid to push back or ask tough questions. They don’t want to appear rude, of course. And they certainly don’t want to do anything that would endanger their own political aspirations.

So mum’s the word.

Yet how much better would Oregon be if some of Kitzhaber’s ‘friends’ had simply asked him early on, “what in the hell are you thinking?” How much better would Oregon be if someone, early enough, had asked the same of David Wu?

Or Neil Goldschmidt?

By being so polite, by our lack of political diversity, Oregon now has a political environment where wrong behavior, if not illegal behavior, can flourish. Oregon’s reigning political insiders are programmed for polite deference rather than tough love. This has led to Oregon’s current culture of complicity.

The good news is that elections can change this. Elections matter. And a Governor Alley could be a first, all-important step toward a much-needed shakeup.

There are several others who could also provide balance and accountability. State reps Andy Olson and Sherrie Springer, former co-speaker Bruce Hanna, and former state senator Jason Atkinson would all be formidable gubernatorial candidates. They all would be strong governors. Yet Allen Alley may have that exact blend of intellect, executive leadership chops and maturity that is most needed now.

In 2016, we will be talking about the need for an accomplished outsider. Someone who can end Oregon’s culture of insider complicity. In 2016 we will be talking about the need for a grown-up in Salem. Someone who will say ‘no’ to the sorts of hyper-partisan, politics-over-policy legislation that has come to define the 2015 legislative session.

Finally, in 2016, we will be talking about the need for someone who will say ‘yes’ to Oregonians. Someone who understands that career opportunities, the cost of housing, an easier commute, and the cost and quality of education are much more important to Oregonians than, say, a low carbon fuel standard or motor-voter law.

In 2016, those Oregonians should give someone named Allen Alley a solid look.

Scott Bruun is a fifth-generation Oregonian and recovering politician. He lives with his family in the 'burbs', yet dutifully commutes to Portland every day where he earns his living in public affairs with Hubbell Communications.