Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Nathan Howard, Brad Avakian, and Columbus Day
Friday, October 09, 2015
Brad Avakian
Hot
Nathan Howard. Team Wheeler just added one more to the family. Former Chief of Staff to Senator Mark Hass Nathan Howard just signed on to be the Deputy Campaign Manager. The winner between the two mayoral candidates will be the one who is able to establish his own identity and Wheeler is clearly making himself out to be the progressive choice. As the current Chair of the Board of Directors and former interim Executive Director of the Bus Project, Howard brings the youth and the progressive street cred that Wheeler is looking for to the campaign. With the surge in registration among the 20 somethings, due in no small part to the influx new residents to the city and the recently enacted Motor Voter Bill, this might not be a bad strategy. However, if Wheeler begins to describe his campaign as “on point”, he will find himself in the Not Column.
Speaking of jobs in the political world...
Running for Public Office. You know how you sit on your couch watching Scandal and you think to yourself, “How can I get in on this exciting world of politics?” Now is your chance. Next Tuesday, October 13 from 5:30pm-7:30pm at Basecamp Brewing (930 SE Oak Street) The City Club of Portland is hosting a get-together so you can mingle with the movers and shakers of the political world and learn about the local leadership training programs that are offered throughout the state. If you can’t make it next week, you might want to check out New Leadership Oregon, Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) or the Oregon Student Association (OSA). Spoiler Alert: Oregon politics is nothing like Scandal. The hours are longer and the pay isn’t as good.
Brad Avakian. Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian ended months of speculation this week when he announced he will run for Secretary of State. He joins Senator Richard Devlin as the only two candidates who have formally announced their intentions on the Democratic Side. Just announcing that you are running for an office doesn’t necessarily get you in the Hot Column. What gets the Labor Commissioner here is his fundraising. That man has been busy. Since the beginning of September, he has raked in 60k (yes, 60 large in one month). That brings his total campaign fund to 176k and some change. While that may seem like a lot, he still has a ways to go to catch up to Senator Devlin who is sitting on about 300k right now. Still, that is damn impressive and that coupled with his name recognition in the Portland area may make him the early favorite in this race. Although he had name recognition and money in his race against Representative Suzanne Bonamici and we all know that turned out. Maybe this time things will be different.
The real question here is ‘Where is Representative Val Hoyle?’ She was vocal about wanting the Secretary of State appointment during the last legislative session. That appointment went to Jeanne Atkins. She then announced she was giving up her House seat to run for the office. Since then, nothing. No announcements, no press releases. She hasn’t even raised any money in the last month. It makes you wonder if she is rethinking this whole thing.
Not
Roseburg Residents Protesting President Obama. Last Thursday, a gunman opened fire at Umpqua Community College located in Roseburg, Oregon killing nine students and injuring nine others. This is the biggest tragedy the town had ever experienced and the residents of the town (and the state) are still in shock. Last Friday, President Obama said he would be traveling to Roseburg today and meeting with the families of the victims. A nice gesture, right? Not everybody thinks so.
Take for example publisher of the local conservative fish-wrap, The Roseburg Beacon, David Jacques, who went on national TV to say President Obama is not welcome in the community. Seriously? Who does that? That takes balls.
Or the over 7k that have RSVP’d to the protest scheduled today at 11am on the Defend Roseburg Facebook page. Hey let’s all get angry and rant. That seems productive.
The sitting President of the United States is coming to your town. He is not there to take your guns. He is not there to spread his socialist/Muslim agenda. And he is not there to start a bonfire in the town square with copies of the Constitution. He is there to pay his respects to the families that lost loved ones. If you don’t like it, fine. He is not there to see you. Stay home. I guess the “Respect The Office” mantra was no longer good once your guy returned to his Crawford, TX ranch.
Columbus Day. Are you getting excited for Portland’s big Columbus Day celebration? Got your outfit all picked out. Looking forward to all of the events the city has planned? Well, you better prepare yourself for a major disappointment because Portland is having none of it. On Wednesday, the Portland City Council unanimously approved a resolution making the second Monday in October "Indigenous Peoples' Day”. Suck it, Columbus!
Portland is not the first city to do this, Minneapolis and Seattle did the same thing last year. The resolution is meant to honor the contributions of Native Americans in the area rather than honor the guy who got to North America, but thought he was in India. (Honest mistake. I thought I was in Salem once, but I was actually in Keizer. Could happen to anyone.)
Portland Public Schools. For as long as I can remember, school choirs from across the city have been performing at the Festival of Lights holiday concert series held at the Grotto in NE Portland. This is a Portland tradition. Well not any longer. This week PPS announced that schools in the district were no longer allowed to perform at the event. Why? Because The Grotto is affiliated with the Catholic Church and the parking fees charges go to the church to support their mission. The school district came to this decision after an atheist group complained about the event last year. Thanks, Atheists, for ruining all the fun. And thank you to PPS for kowtowing to a letter sent from Wisconsin. Listening to people from the Midwest with too much time on their hands gets you in the Not Column. Incidentally, the state championship for choir is going to be held at the private, Christian George Fox University. Let’s see how the district deals with this.
Related Slideshow: SLIDESHOW: Ted Wheeler Announces Portland Mayoral Candidacy on Rooftop of Revolution Hall
Oregon Treasurer Ted Wheeler was joined by the press and many close friends, family members, and supporters on the rooftop of Revolution Hall off of SE Stark so that he could officially make his candidacy announcement for Portland mayor in the 2016 mayoral race.
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