FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brad Martin / press [at] dpo [dot] org / (503) 239-8634
Today, the Democratic Party of Oregon released the following statement on perennial Republican candidate Allen Alley announcing his candidacy for governor in 2016:
"We welcome Allen Alley to his 3rd campaign for statewide office in Oregon,” said Democratic Party of Oregon Chair Frank Dixon. “Allen Alley has a long record of denying climate change, embracing the Tea Party, and shipping Oregon jobs to China. We look forward to Mr. Alley explaining this record on the campaign trail.”
BACKGROUND:
Pixelworks, Founded and Led by Allen Alley, Moved Most of its Jobs from Oregon to California and China. According to the Oregonian, “Pixelworks, which makes chips used in high-end televisions, is trying to revive its business after being left out of most TV designs over the past few years. Though formally based in Tualatin, Pixelworks has been shifting operations to offices in California and China as it consolidates locations and cuts costs. Fewer than 50 of its 440 employees now work in Oregon, and spokesman Chris Bright said the core of the company's executive team now works in San Jose. Pixelworks plans to keep its official headquarters in Tualatin, Bright said, and Chief Executive Officer Hans Olsen still lives in Oregon. But Bright said the CEO job is a ‘floating’ position that travels to all company offices. Olsen replaced Pixelworks' founder and longtime CEO Allen Alley in December.” [Oregonian, 2/27/07]
- In 2007 The Oregonian Reported “It Appears Pixelworks is Now, For the Most Part, an Oregon Company In Name Only.” According to the Oregonian, “The chief financial officer of Pixelworks Inc. quit Monday rather than move to an office in San Jose, Calif. It appears Pixelworks is now, for the most part, an Oregon company in name only. Mike Yonker, formerly CFO at InFocus Corp. in Wilsonville and Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, became Pixelworks' CFO just under a year ago. Pixelworks said it would look for his replacement both inside and outside the struggling company, while Yonker looks for a job in Oregon.” [Oregonian, 2/27/07]
- In 2006 and 2007 Under Alley, Pixelworks Moved Most of its Operations From Tualatin to California and China; Company Headquarters Moved to California in 2010. According to the Oregonian, “The video chip company, an Oregon company since its founding in 1997, announced that its headquarters is now in San Jose, Calif. The shift is no surprise. In 2006 and 2007, Pixelworks moved most of its operations from Tualatin to offices in California and China. It had continued to call itself an Oregon company, though it had only a dozen employees remaining in the Tualatin office.” [Oregonian, 10/22/10]
In 2010, Alley Said He Didn’t Believe Humans Cause Climate Change. According to the Oregonian, “Alley's campaign is as distinctive as he is. Most politicians wouldn't bother talking to both environmentalists and skeptics of global warming. But Alley has cheerfully told everyone from the Sierra Club to Glenn Beck-inspired 9/12 groups that he doesn't believe humans cause climate change, but that he wants to stop burning fossil fuels so the United States doesn't have to send money to Mideast oil dictators.” [Oregonian, 5/2/10]
The Head of FreedomWorks in Oregon Said Alley was a Regular at Tea Party Events. According to the Oregonian, “Russ Walker, who heads FreedomWorks in Oregon, holds a weekly conference call with 20 to 30 leaders of tea party groups in Oregon, and Alley is their overwhelming favorite. ‘Allen especially has made a real big effort to reach out to this community,’ said Walker, noting that Alley has been a regular at tea party events.” [Oregonian, 5/16/10]
As CEO, Alley Cited for Receiving Large Salary for “Dubious Performance.” In 2006, The Seattle Times reported that Alley was among the CEOs to receive “lofty” pay the previous year despite their companies’ large losses. Under the heading, “Pay for dubious performance,” the newspaper noted that Alley received $1,129,896 in direct compensation in 2005 even though Pixelworks lost over $42.6 million. [Seattle Times, 7/9/06]
- In 2010 Alley Refused to Say in an Interview Exactly How Many Cars He Owns. According to the Oregonian, “Since then, his fleet has only grown along with his net worth to include cars for every mood, from a tiny Smart car to a hulking SUV. But he is sufficiently chagrined about how it affects his regular-guy image that he refused to say in an interview exactly how many cars he owns.” [Oregonian, 5/2/10]
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