Blue Oregon

Once the candidates for mayor had given their speeches on Tuesday night, most folks stopped paying attention to the vote count. But if that includes you, you've missed out on one of the big stories in the mayor's race.

Check it out. Here's a chart that shows how the vote count shifted from the initial 8:01 p.m. count on Tuesday night to the eighth count late last night.

That's right. The initial count was Hales 38.5, Smith 28.8, Brady 24.1 The eighth (and very nearly final) count has it Hales 37.3, Smith 32.8, Brady 21.8. As the count progressed, Charlie Hales's margin over Jefferson Smith collapsed from nearly ten points to less than five points.

Everyone went to bed on Tuesday night thinking that Charlie Hales had sole ownership of frontrunner status - with Jefferson closer to Eileen than to Charlie. It's clear now that this is going to be a lot closer of a race heading into the fall campaign.

Clearly, two things happened: 1) Late-deciding voters broke hard for Jefferson Smith (and against Eileen Brady.) 2) The Smith campaign did a great job turning out their vote.

In the fall, the electorate in Portland will trend younger, more diverse, and even more progressive.

Anyone who thinks this is a slam dunk for Charlie Hales need to think again.

A year ago, Eileen Brady officially announced she was running for mayor. She got into the race against Charlie Hales – an experienced campaigner who had won three city-wide races – and presumably Mayor Sam Adams.

It was a bold move, a risky move, a move that showed guts and conviction. Eileen believed she could bring something different to City Hall, something to help this city we call home thrive.

And for the next year, Eileen chased that dream. She threw her heart into the race, and worked countless hours to meet Portlanders and listen to them. She managed to bring in more money than anyone ever had for a Portland mayoral race. She raised the issues she was most passionate about – jobs, most notably, but also education and equal rights. She wanted to break through the false environment-versus-economy dichotomy some believe in.

Of course, running for office – especially one of the most high-profile, important offices in the state – is a hugely difficult task. I have no end of praise for anyone willing to do it.

The mayoral candidates have been under a constant spotlight, had to come up to speed on a diversity of issues, filled out dozens of questionnaires, and attended what most believe to be a record number of joint appearances. They’ve been on television, on the radio, in newspaper endorsement interviews, and on the street. They’ve had long profiles of them published, digging into long-past details including their parking tickets. They’ve been asked to perform talents at Candidates Gone Wild. And meanwhile, they’ve had to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and talk to tens of thousands of voters.

While I’ve had significant differences about policy with Brady, and have been critical at times, I’ve never doubted her passion for helping the city thrive or her desire to engage with people. Eileen spent significant time with the Bike Walk Vote team, talking with us and listening to our concerns (as well as biking to work with us). She took the time for a one-on-one meeting to give me feedback on my pieces and listen to my opinions. She was friendly and civil even after I was publicly backing another candidate.

Nor do I doubt that she’s done some fabulous work over the past two decades, including years of work for impressive non-profits and businesses, fighting for voter owned elections, and helping expand health care coverage to more Oregonians.

And her family’s passion has been clear. As someone whose father is a City Councilor, I’m somewhat familiar with the challenges campaigning brings to a family. Yet her husband and kids were out there on the campaign trail, listening to voters at events, giving their own money, honk-and-waving at drivers who sped by, and knocking on doors. Hours and hours and hours of effort. My hat is off to the whole family.

Brady had a gracious concession message, including this:

Over the past 12 month, I have learned again what I already knew - this is a town full of people working hard to make their home a better place.

Whoever our next mayor is, I urge everyone to come together as Portlanders to help him and the city we all love so much.

My campaign for mayor is over. But my love and commitment to Portland will continue always.

As C.E.S. Wood said, “Good citizens are the riches of a city.” We’re lucky to have Eileen Brady as one of ours. Thank you, Eileen.

The Hill reports that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), who lost a primary race to Rep. Marcy Kaptur after redistricting combined their previously separate districts, has decided against running for a seat in Washington state (or anywhere else). This was a matter of discussion on BlueOregon last year, when the speculation briefly involved Oregon's first district too, after David Wu resigned.

H/t to Steve Weiss.

By Adam Smith of Portland, Oregon. Adam's writing on drug policy has appeared in dozens of publications. He is currently one of the directors of Citizens for Sensible Law Enforcement.

Dwight Holton’s campaign for Oregon Attorney General featured a powerful political team, outstanding family and national connections, and the support of the bulk of Oregon’s progressive political machine.   But a late poll that showed undecided Democrats breaking against him en masse shocked everybody.  They should have seen it coming.

Over the past month, Oregon’s progressive establishment watched, first bemused and then bewildered, as activists, led by Citizens for Sensible Law Enforcement, turned the AG’s race into a referendum on marijuana policy.  When the push began, Holton dismissed it.  But ultimately even Holton’s campaign had to admit that it had become the campaign’s defining issue.

Last year, Holton joined a number of US Attorneys around the country who used their discretion, and our tax dollars, to go after people operating under state medical marijuana laws.  Limited resources dictate that any case pursued by a US Attorney is inevitably a decision NOT to pursue some other violation of federal law.  As the first of those US Attorneys to run for elective office, Holton discovered just how little Democratic voters thought of that decision.

Then, when Rosenblum called marijuana enforcement “a low priority” Holton doubled down on prohibition.

Dwight Holton lost in a landslide because when the question was put to Democrats, they simply could not identify with someone who still believes that marijuana prohibition is a smart priority for law enforcement.  In fact, nearly 70 percent of Oregon Dems believe marijuana should be legal, as do the large majority of Democrats nationally, and, according to Gallup, a majority of Americans overall.

Like alcohol prohibition before it, marijuana prohibition has been an exorbitantly expensive, racist, counterproductive public policy. The results of the Oregon AG race may have taken some by surprise, but the scope and intensity of Democratic opposition to prohibition, and support for broader criminal justice reform is growing fast.  Marijuana policy, which ensnares so many vulnerable people in a broken system, is its leading edge. 

We arrest more than 800,000 people every year in the US for low-level marijuana possession.  Those targeted for enforcement are mostly young and poor, and disproportionately people of color.  Under prohibition, the US incarcerates more of its citizens than any nation on earth, has shredded the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable search and seizure, and instituted sentencing schemes that are the very definition of cruel and unusual.

These are not Democratic values.

Prohibition has turned international drug cartels into armies capable of disrupting nations, and aligned them with street gangs in American cities.  It has forged huge swaths of global corruption through both the private and public sectors, and wreaked havoc on the rule of law and public health. 

And those are just the highlights.  The situation in Latin America has deteriorated so precipitously that a growing list of current and former Latin American Presidents have begun calling on the US to end prohibition, starting with marijuana, before it destroys democracy in the hemisphere. 

It is no longer acceptable for our leaders to remain complicit in this disaster.

The Millennial Generation, those progressive supporters of choice, gay marriage, universal health care, and a positive role for government in the economy, are a significant component of the Democratic Party’s plan for long-term electoral success.  They are also overwhelmingly opposed to prohibition.  And with a tectonic shift on the issue underway in Latin America, we can expect Latino voters, that other great demographic hope of the party, to continue to ramp up demands for real reform.

Initiatives to end marijuana prohibition have already qualified for the 2012 ballot in Washington and Colorado.  In both states, the Democratic Party has done the right and smart thing by endorsing legalization.

Oregon voters are likely to decide at least one legalization initiative in November as well.  Citizens for Sensible Law Enforcement’s measure will eliminate penalties for adults who grow or possess marijuana for personal use, as long they’re not harming or endangering others.  Simple.  One hopes that the state’s progressive and Democratic leadership will take this issue as seriously as their constituents.

Ellen Rosenblum’s landslide victory over an opponent who hitched his wagon to prohibition is a turning point for Oregon, and is already reverberating nationally.  It puts Democratic candidates and their fellow travelers in the progressive political world on notice.  Voters want to know where you stand on marijuana prohibition.  The status quo has become untenable. 

As of today, we begin demanding leaders who understand that.

Beth Heckert is the county's first female district attorney. She defeated Rob Patridge, a three term state representative who served as majority whip for the GOP in the Legislature and served on the Medford City Council. Patridge, currently serving as district director for U.S Rep Greg Walden came in far behind Heckert who had a commanding lead in the race with 55% at 10:15 pm last night.

Patridge was endorsed by Walden, numerous current legislators, Medford City Council members, Jackson County commissioners and Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters and the Medford Mail Tribune editorial staff.

In this election, a career politician with little prosecutorial experience was soundly defeated. Beth Heckert's extensive trial court and administrative experience as Chief Deputy District Attorney won the day. In a column a few months back I wrote that Patridge was an opportunistic candidate seeking another "job hop" to return to Salem. For now, it seems Patridge will continue to serve as Walden's distict director.

Kudos to the Heckert campaign team for running a great campaign!

There will be plenty of time for analysis and recriminations, both deserved and undeserved. For now, some of my initial reactions:

• The election result that will likely have the biggest impact long-term is Jeff Reardon crushing Rep. Mike Schaufler. Notice is served: Democrats who actively work to undermine the will of Democratic voters won't survive when credible challengers are offered in a primary. It helped that Schaufler has personal challenges - misuse of campaign funds, allegations of sexual assault - but the campaign against him was largely about policy.
  

• Well, it's Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith in the runoff for Portland Mayor. I was, as you know, supporting Eileen Brady. Her campaign was an effective one, but the onslaught from the media was unrelenting. Personally, my biggest disappointment was the non-coverage of Randy Leonard's statement that Charlie Hales was a "showboater" who claimed credit for work that Randy did. In any other town, in any other race, a sitting city commissioner blasting a candidate for mayor in that way would have actually been news - probably front page. At the Oregonian? Nothing. (And let's not even talk about the minimalist coverage given to Hales busted lying in a TV ad.) If you're supporting Jefferson Smith, get ready. The media will be turning its not-exactly-unbiased attention to him next.

• Wow. Those SurveyUSA poll numbers in the Attorney General race were spot on. Congrats to Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon's next Attorney General - and our first woman in the job! Her win is a marked shift from 2008, when the politically-connected but totally-unknown prosecutor defeated the candidate with political experience and Oregon roots. There were race-specific factors, but it seems to me that Oregon Democrats may be less interested in a prosecutor-type for the top post at the Department of Justice.

• There's a shocker in Clackamas County. A full three-quarters of political insiders thought Dave Hunt would make the runoff for the Chair race, and 11% thought he'd win it outright. Instead, he placed fourth - though admittedly in the closest four-way race I've ever seen: Ludlow 28%, Lehan 27%, Savas 24%, Hunt 20%.

• Amanda Fritz vs. Mary Nolan was too-close-to-call heading into election day, and it's going to stay that way. Just a couple hundred votes separate them heading into the general election. This has to be bad news for Amanda Fritz, unless she's able to keep pumping personal cash into the race.

That's just a few highlights. What did you see, hear, or experience on election night? What surprised you?

Election results are here.

At 8 p.m., the polls will close. Use this space to discuss the election results.

To keep things up to date, here's a few live Twitter feeds. Up top, the BlueOregon "election night" feed of media sources. Then, all posts from folks talking election results with the #ORelection and #ORpol hashtags. And finally, your BlueOregon contributors on Twitter.

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Use this space to discuss anything related to today's election.

At long last, it is finally Election Day. And, as promised, here's the conventional wisdom from 189 folks who participated in the 2012 Oregon Primary Punditology Challenge. Our participants include journalists, lobbyists, campaign hacks, political consultants, elected officials, and a whole lot of political junkies and activists.

An important caveat: In years past, we've learned that the Punditology conventional wisdom is usually right -- but when we're wrong, we are spectacularly wrong. It is certainly possible for everyone to be surprised. (And if your favored candidate is on the wrong side of the C.W., get to work, and prove us all wrong!)

Also, note that these percentages say nothing about the expected vote totals. If 100% of us think that a candidate is going to win 51% to 49%, the number you'll see here will be 100%.

To the predictions!

First, there's no surprise in the Presidential. 98% think Mitt Romney wins it, and 90% of us think he'll get over 50% of the vote. 74% think Ron Paul places second. And 53% think Rick Santorum comes in third behind Romney and Paul. (And speaking of federal races, 80% think Fred Thompson will beat Karen Bowerman for the right to challenge Congressman Kurt Schrader.)

Second, the Attorney General race. 56% of you think that Ellen Rosenblum will defeat Dwight Holton. In Punditology terms, that's pretty much a toss-up. (Keep in mind that in 2010, 97% of us thought John Kitzhaber would win - and that outcome required 48 hours of vote-counting to settle.)

Third, the Mayor's race:

• The most common single outcome choice was Hales #1, Smith #2 with 35% predicting that outcome. 17% flipped those two around, for a total of 52% calling it a Hales/Smith runoff.

• A total of 28% call it a Brady/Smith runoff, with 17% saying Brady will lead and 11% saying Smith will lead.

• A total of 19% think it will be a Hales/Brady runoff, evenly split on the order of finish.

• Slicing it another way, 79% think Jefferson Smith will be in the top two, 71% think Charlie Hales will be in the top two, and 48% think Eileen Brady will be in the top two.

• As for fourth place, 26% each call it for Cameron Whitten and Tre Arrow, while 13% call it for Scott Fernandez.

Fourth, the Portland City Council races:

• 99% think Steve Novick is going to win outright (despite a recent poll showing him at 49% of the vote.) On the tiebreaker, the number of votes ranged from 10,011 to 450,000 -- with a median selection of 66,541 votes.

• 16% of us think that Mary Nolan is going to win outright, while 15% think Amanda Fritz will. 68% think it'll be a runoff, with 39% of those thinking Fritz takes the pole position.

More on the jump, including the barnburner primary challenges between Mike Schaufler and Jeff Reardon, and Tim Knopp and Chris Telfer...

Oregon Supreme Court: This is a total mystery heading into election night. 46% think Tim Sercombe makes the runoff (and another 17% think he wins outright). 47% think Dick Baldwin makes the runoff (and another 9% think he wins outright.) And 43% think Nena Cook makes the runoff (and another 7% think she wins outright.)

Clackamas County Commission:

• A Dave Hunt/John Ludlow runoff is the single most common option in the Chair race, with 36% making that call.
  

• 75% of us think Dave Hunt makes a runoff - and another 11% think he wins outright. 43% think Ludlow's in a runoff, with 1% calling him the winner now. 32% put Charlotte Lehan in a runoff. And 22% have Paul Savas in the runoff, with 2% calling him the winner now.

• 51% of us think Martha Schrader wins her seat (#3) outright, with another 44% placing her in a runoff (32% Jim Knapp, 13% Jeff Caton.)

• 56% of us say Jamie Damon makes a runoff for position #4, while 7% say she wins it now. 52% say Tootie Smith is in a runoff, with 8% calling it for her now. 30% say John Swanson makes it into a runoff. And 25% say Dan Holladay is in a runoff, with 4% calling it now.
  

Jackson County: 72% of us think Rob Patridge either wins or leads the race for DA.

Lane County: 77% of us think Pete Sorenson wins re-election over Andy Stahl, while 59% of us think Pat Farr (a former Republican legislator) will defeat Rob Handy.

Multnomah County: 91% of us think the library levy will pass.

Washington County: 91% of us are calling it for Dick Schouten over his challenger, Betty Bode.

Metro Council: 48% think Sam Chase wins outright, while 42% think he'll place first and wind up in a runoff. 5% think Helen Ying will win outright, while 4% say she'll lead heading into the runoff.

And finally, the legislative primary races:

• I'll start by apologizing for just plain forgetting to include Ben Unger and Katie Riley in HD-29. That'll have to be an election night mystery!

• 68% are calling it for Jennifer Williamson over Sharon Meieran in the HD-36 race.

• 75% say Jessica Vega Pederson will defeat Thuy Tran in HD-47.

• 80% think Gail Whitsett will win the Republican primary in HD-56 over Tracey Liskey.

• 59% are calling it for Tim Knopp in his primary challenge to Senator Chris Telfer in SD-27. Wow.

• And... drum roll please... 61% are calling it for Jeff Reardon over Rep. Mike Schaufler in HD-48. If true, kaboom.

To see the full results, go here. And now, we wait. And work.

Good luck, everyone!

Ah, election night. A chance to celebrate with the winners, and commiserate with the losers. Here's where it's all going down. This isn't a comprehensive list, so feel free to add more parties in the comments. The more the merrier!

• Eileen Brady, Portland Spirit, docked all night at SW Salmon & Naito Parkway
• Charlie Hales, Campaign HQ, 1220 SE Grand Ave
• Jefferson Smith, Bossanova, 722 E. Burnside
• Amanda Fritz, Ecotrust, 721 NW 9th
• Mary Nolan, NorthStar Ballroom, 635 N. Killingsworth Court
• Bob Stacey & Steve Novick, Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison
• Dwight Holton, Spirit of 77, 500 NE MLK Blvd
• Ellen Rosenblum, The Cleaners, Ace Hotel, 1022 SW Stark St
• Jennifer Williamson, Cha Taqueria & Bar, 305 NW 21st
• Sharon Meieran, Casa Colima, 6319 SW Capitol Hwy
• Martha Schrader, Oregon City Golf Club, 20124 South Beavercreek Road, Oregon City

(FYI, I've left off a handful of parties that are being held at candidates' homes, or for whom RSVP is required. Presumably they are directly inviting the folks they want to invite.)

Meanwhile, if you still need to drop off your ballot, check out the handy, easy-to-use, zoomable, searchable ballot dropbox map at BallotDrop.org provided by the Bus Project.

It's a story that's taken me a while to wrap my brain around. After all, I don't often pay close attention to the whirlings of Wall Street. The talking heads talk about who's up and who's down on the Street, and I quickly change the channel to the latest transactions in the world of sports.

But over the weekend, one of those Wall Street stories pierced even my deliberate shield of ignorace. It seems that JP Morgan Chase - the bank that survived the 2008 meltdown - managed to lose some $2 billion on a bad bet. Actually, it was a hedge, one of those transactions designed to reduce risk and yet seemingly keep exploding all over the big bankers. Paul Krugman explains:

What did JPMorgan actually do? As far as we can tell, it used the market for derivatives — complex financial instruments — to make a huge bet on the safety of corporate debt, something like the bets that insurer AIG made on housing debt a few years ago. The key point is not that the bet went bad; it is that institutions playing a key role in the financial system have no business making such bets, least of all when those institutions are backed by taxpayer guarantees.

As Krugman noted, bankers making bad bets aren't the problem. The problem arises when those same bankers rely on all of us to shore them up when things go sideways.

And that's the point that Senator Jeff Merkley stressed in the aftermath. From The Hill:

"What yesterday’s announcement makes abundantly clear is that even JP Morgan, supposedly the best risk manager on Wall Street, can make bets that go spectacularly wrong. This is exactly why the banks that our businesses and families depend [on] for loans should not be in the hedge fund business," Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said in a statement on Friday. "Moreover, it is essential that bank regulators issue rules that do not permit hedge fund investments by Wall Street banks to be disguised as ‘market making’ or ‘risk mitigation,’ as this case so dramatically demonstrates." ...

"I ask, once again, that regulators implement without delay a Volcker Rule as intended by Congress, with a clear, effective firewall between hedge fund-like trading and traditional banking."

Which is why Washington Post reporter Brad Plumer tweeted last week:

Between filibuster reform and the Volcker rule this is basically "Jeff Merkley was right about everything" day: wapo.st/K7TOyt

— brad plumer (@bradplumer) May 11, 2012

Yup, sounds about right to me.

This is big news for politicos that regularly make the trip from Portland to Washington, DC. Two months ago, Alaska Airlines kicked off a campaign to win federal approval for a daily nonstop flight from PDX to Washington National Airport. And now, they've got it.

The O's Charlie Pope has the story and the reaction:

“Greater access means greater economic opportunity for the region," Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement.

"Right now, the demand for flights from Oregon to Washington, D.C. far exceeds the current capacity and with these increased flights between the two destinations will come greater economic growth for Oregon and the Pacific Northwest," he said.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., was equally pleased.

“Getting additional airline slots in the FAA reauthorization bill in February was a huge victory and today all that hard work by the Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines has paid off," he said in a statement. "In today’s global economy, getting quickly across the country is an important tool for any business wanting to locate or expand in Oregon."

"It’s great news for Oregonians and businesses to finally have a convenient nonstop flight to the nation's capital," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., who like other lawmakers from the Northwest has been urging the federal government for years to expand service to Portland.

"As the Pacific Northwest’s home airline and with their strong Portland hub, Alaska Airlines is perfectly suited to serve this route and I applaud DOT for recognizing that fact," he said.

Flights are required under the law to start September 8, but expected to be much sooner.

By Rep. Paul Holvey of Eugene, Oregon. Rep. Holvey is one of twelve Democratic legislators to endorse Jeff Reardon in his primary challenge to Rep. Mike Schaufler.

Rep. Mike Schaufler’s performance in the Oregon Legislature is an embarrassment.

Schaufler consistently votes with Republicans for tax breaks to big business, instead of filling budget holes for our schools and seniors. Then he blames school board members, including his opponent, Jeff Reardon for making cuts to balance their inadequate budgets.

Schaufler constantly votes against consumer protections for Oregon families. He holds good bills hostage to please his lobbyist buddies. In exchange, these lobbyists pay for his travels, food, gas, and bar tabs through his campaign account. They are throwing thousands of dollars into his race to keep him in office to deliver their agenda.

Democrats in District 48 should reclaim their voice in the legislature and vote for Jeff Reardon, the real Democrat who will represent their interests. Reardon supports Democratic values and Oregon families. It’s time for a change in District 48, move Oregon forward, vote Reardon.

By Laura Terrill Patten of Portland, Oregon. Laura is the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon.

There are a growing number of Republicans who are taking a "see no evil, hear no evil" approach to the 2012 election. They're denying the existence of the "war on women," claiming it's a myth imagined by the left to score political points.

The attacks on choice are very real.

• Just look at our neighbors in Idaho, who tried to force doctors to perform invasive, medically unnecessary ultrasounds.

• Just look at Tennessee, where a bill was introduced that would publicize intimate details about every abortion patient including how many times she has been pregnant and even the name of her doctor.

• Just look at Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona, who falsely claims that women choose abortion based on race and gender -- and then has the nerve to name his regressive legislation after Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

Instead of focusing on fixing the economy, these politicians have decided instead to play doctor. They claim that we don't need health care reform, except apparently when it comes to women's health. They claim they want smaller government, yet they have no problem telling women how to live their lives. Enough is enough.

That's why it's more important than ever to elect candidates who believe in a woman's right to choose and who support access to affordable preventative health care. Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon is proud to promote three extraordinary candidates in their primary election campaigns:

• Mary Nolan for Portland City Commissioner: Mary Nolan, has an illustrious record in advancing reproductive rights. Among her many accomplishments in the state legislature, Nolan helped extend access to health care to more than 100,000 Oregonians while greatly increasing funding for women's health care and family planning.

• Jennifer Williamson for Oregon House District 36: Voters are fortunate to have a strong advocate to carry on Representative Nolan's legacy in the Legislature: Jennifer Williamson, a Portland attorney who has served as board chair for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon since 2009. When the Susan G. Komen Foundation cut off funding for Planned Parenthood, Williamson cut her ties with Komen: She resigned from the local Komen board and stood with Planned Parenthood until the national Komen group abandoned its attempts to stop funding critical women's health services.

• Kitty Piercy for Eugene Mayor: A longtime advocate for reproductive rights, Kitty Piercy served as Public Affairs Director for Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, has a solid voting record in her years as a State Representative in the Oregon Legislature and continues her dedication to reproductive rights as mayor of Eugene. We know that to keep Oregon a pro-choice state, our work begins with electing local allies into office.

All of these candidates earned a 100% score on our PAC questionnaire, and we are proud to stand by them. Please remember to submit your ballots by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

On this beautiful Oregon Mother's Day, there is a great way to celebrate your amazing Mom and to draw attention to the need for public policies that support all Mama's. Start by sending your Mother another card (because we know you've already sent her one already...right?!), a beautiful free e-card designed a local artist with links to ways to take action for the 4 out of 5 families that don't fit the outdated stereotype of a Mom at home and a Dad at work.

Organized by a multiracial national collaboration to change the way people think, feel and act in support of America's families, the Strong Families Initiative helps unite and organize a new progressive agenda.

Mother's Day was originally founded as an antiwar rallying cry. A day to celebrate mothers is much more than a day for flowers and pancakes. It's a time to focus together on what we want and need so all families can thrive.

A strong democracy is one that reflects the needs of the people, where everyone has the opportunity to prosper and be well. For too often, women, particularly women of color and immigrant women, have been excluded from the process. We're all better off when we're all engaged. As a man, a father, a partner, a son, it is important for me to reflect on my privileges and act to support the the people who will be impacted in the decisions that affect them.

Check out local organizer Aimee Santos-Lyons (full disclosure - yes she is my partner and an amazing Mama!) with the Western States Center who shares her story Motherhood: An Exercise in Fear Management and other amazing Mothers on their blog.

My mom died on July 4, six years ago. We were not close; nothing bad, no row or anger . We just were not close. Nonetheless, she was my mom and her death is a void in my life that will never be filled. Regret is the most painful part of this loss: that I know better now and it's too late.

My mom was a natural-born feminist. By that I mean she didn't require a man to complete or define her; she didn't need the rules or strictures of society to tell her who she was. Part of that was her personality, which, truth be told, was somewhat selfish. But even more, I think (or perhaps I'm being generous, and I might as well be), she was certain of herself in a way that let her set her own course and stick to it. Happily.

There was nothing grand about her path. She was a substitute teacher when I was little, spending most of her time as a typical 60s mom. But then, in the early 70s, she got her Masters degree and, divorcing my dad soon thereafter, took a job as a secretary at a medical clinic. When she and Bob, her second husband, moved to Florida (she was sick of northern winters), she found a similar position that she held until right before she died. She loved the responsibility and the ability to play a positive role in people's lives. She was, to be blunt, a big fish in the small pond of her life, but she cared about the others in her pond. She was invaluable.

She volunteered in the community theatre in Winter Haven just as she had in Billings, and she had a knack for acquiring props dirt cheap. The people at the theatre marveled at this, but I was not surprised. My mom had always been cheap — or thrifty, the child of parents who no doubt struggled through the Depression. (This brings stories from my childhood to mind, which I will leave be for now.)

My mom was a Democrat. In 1972, she took me to the airport where we waited inside the terminal for two, long, hot hours to greet George McGovern. She might have been a volunteer at times; I have no recollection of that. I have no recollection of her giving me any instruction in politics of any kind. Here is what she did teach me:

• to change my brother's diaper
• to clean my room
• to wash my own laundry, including my sheets the last time I wet my bed
• to cook
• to do the dishes

No feminist or other political lessons in there. Yet somehow, I grew up with a respect for women that runs deep through me. I am more comfortable working with women - working for women - than men. (Don't ask me why, but I especially enjoy working for women who cuss.) I hear wisdom from women where I hear bluster from men.

And since I became politically active, I find myself drawn to supporting women. It's not just an equity issue; it just seens right. We have plenty of white men in office, and I'll support the right white man as easily as I would a woman or person of color. But in Oregon, there are so many women of quality to support, and I'm going to support them. It began with Sara Gelser and continues to this day with Eileen Brady.

I cannot point to a specific as to why this is so, but I think it's a response to the feminist lessons I learned from my mother. They were indirect, but I know I am a different kind of man because of my mother. And I continue to thank her for that, even though it's too late to take her out to brunch.

This is a pretty stunning admission by Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the majority leader and most powerful member of the Senate:

If there were ever a time when Tom Udall and Jeff Merkley were prophetic, it’s tonight. These two young, fine senators said it was time to change the rules of the Senate, and we didn’t. And they were right. The rest of us were wrong -- or most of us, anyway. What a shame...

Mr. President, I am finished here, but I just want to say again, for those that are listening here or watching, Senator Udall and Senator Merkley want to do something to change the rules regarding filibuster. If there were anything that ever needed changing in this body, it’s the filibuster rule, because it’s been abused, abused, and abused.

This happened late last week, on a relatively minor bill - one reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank. But that just goes to show how ridiculous the filibuster has become. It used to be used for matters of great national import and controversy, a rare tool used when all other parliamentary options were exhausted.

Now? It's just a routine way of doing business. In fact, this was the 84th time in this Congress that cloture has been filed in an attempt to end a filibuster.

The story goes that George Washington told Thomas Jefferson that the Senate is the saucer where the hot tea of the House goes to cool. It's more like a freezer now, where the flow of democracy hardens and turns solid and immobile.

The Washington Post's Ezra Klein says that we're now "only one Senate crisis away from one party or the other actually following through on [filibuster reform]."

If only Democrats had done it back when Jeff Merkley proposed it in January 2011. That said, even if the Republicans take control of the Senate, I hope that Senator Reid continues to support filibuster reform. Elections have to matter for democracy to work.

There's more from Politico, CBS News, New York magazine, Care2, Salon, and Think Progress.

While Portland’s leading mayoral candidates have several similarities on policy, they also have some significant differences. In the final television debate and in his radio ads, Jefferson Smith raises a difference on system development charges (SDCs) – an issue near and dear to my heart.

From the debate:

"But one difference is that I don’t agree with Mr. Hales that we should give a sweeping break to the developers to allow them to build that infill housing without paying for those very basics. So before we talk about spending new money, or even spending old money, let’s make sure we don’t give away the money we already have.”

Politifact reviewed the claim and found it Mostly True. An excerpt:

Does Hales want to give “a sweeping break” to housing developers as Smith claims?

Apparently Hales does, but it’s not limited to housing developers. He’s called for a two-year moratorium on systems development charges, saying that they squash business, including the food cart operator looking for a solid building or the retailer who wants to move into bigger space. And yes, we need cheaper, more affordable homes in the city, his campaign says.

I worked on this issue for years while at 1000 Friends of Oregon, as developers continued to lobby legislators to impose additional limits on SDCs and 1000 Friends worked to make sure new development paid its way (residential development clearly doesn’t, as numerous academic studies show). My work included co-writing a primer that covers the basics for legislators as well as issues like tax incidence.

What’s this all about? Per the primer: “System development charges are levied on new development to recover all or part of the cost of building certain infrastructure needed to serve that development. Oregon law allows SDCs only for water, sewer, stormwater, transportation, and parks and recreation.” In some states laws perhaps more helpfully call SDCs "development impact fees."

Local governments cannot directly recoup the costs of all the infrastructure needed to serve new development — such as police and fire stations, libraries, and schools — nor, as Hales correctly points out, can they charge SDCs for maintenance.

But as Jefferson explained during the TV debate, not bringing in money from SDCs means a drop in overall revenue, leading existing ratepayers to subsidize new development. Those payments from existing development – from property taxes, sewer bills, and so on – can generally be used for maintenance, and would be used to fund new infrastructure instead.

The City of Portland collected over $14.5 million last year in SDCs, which would be lost if Council adopted the proposed moratorium. Over $3.1 million of that was for transportation -- much more than what The Oregonian recently complained about the City spending on safe transportation choices (like the $0.9 million for 13.5 miles of new bike routes). The Water Bureau collected over $1.3 million, Bureau of Environmental Services over $5.6 million, and Parks over $4.3 million.

Hales promotes a moratorium by saying it will be good for business and housing costs. These are common arguments, and perhaps some find them compelling. I would argue what would really happen is a shifting of cost burden from new development to existing homes and businesses (or to maintenance backlogs), not an overall decrease in costs. Hence, the moratorium isn't a proposal I would likely support.

Readers: what do you think?

Disclaimer: I co-chair Bike Walk Vote, which has endorsed Jefferson Smith for Mayor. I speak only for myself.

By Nick Kahl of Portland, Oregon. Nick is a former member of the Oregon House of Representatives. He is currently in private practice representing injured people and consumers.

I just watched one of the despicable and misleading TV ads that the Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance is running against Dave Hunt. It's typical Kevin Mannix fear-mongering -- I don't expect any better from him. I do however expect better from the progressive community. And Dave needs your support.

Dave is getting slandered by Rob Kremer, Kevin Mannix, Loren Parks and the Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance. They have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to defeat Dave because of his willingness to stand up for our progressive values.

Check it out:

These despicable men remember that under Dave's leadership the legislature passed landmark legislation expanding the rights of committed gay couples, preserving and protecting Oregon's storied statewide land use policy, reforming the double majority, guaranteeing contraceptive parity, and raising the $10 corporate minimum tax. Yet, it feels like the progressive community doesn't remember. Well, we need to remember. And we need to support Dave in these final days of the election. Because if we don't the consequences will be dire.

If Dave loses, the Tea Party will control Clackamas County. I want you to think about what that means for folks struggling to make ends meet and who are reliant upon the social safety net that the Tea Party wants to destroy. Think about what it means to try to have a fair election with Sherry Hall at the helm and not one person on the county commission willing to stand up to her. Think about the next statewide race where Clackamas County is again the battleground county and we've allowed the Tea Party to shift the center to the far right. Think about the new so-called centrism that will dominate the debate if Tea Party rhetoric is allowed to shape our discourse -- OUR discourse!

If Dave loses, the next person will remember this fight and won't be as courageous. When future candidates think about sentencing reform, they will remember this ad and think better of moving reform forward. They will do the same on tough tax issues. They will do the same on marriage equality and reproductive rights. They will hew to the middle, not because they lack courage, but because they know that people who should know better will not be there for them when it matters.

When Dave was Speaker of the House he stood by me. He stood by us. And he stood up for our progressive agenda. Now we need to stand up for Dave.

Take a moment. Call some friends you know in Clackamas and educate them on the real Dave -- the Dave that stood up for us. Take a moment and make a donation here. Take a moment and call on Kevin, Rob and Loren to stop their baseless attacks on Dave.

By Beth Cohen of Portland, Oregon. Beth says of herself : "I am a Portlander who loves to learn about and discuss local politics. I also love elections, there will be a huge election party at my house come November."

I have listened to friends who are still up in the air about the City Commissioner race here in Portland -- the one between Amanda Fritz and Mary Nolan. Some of them suggest that because Fritz is a woman or because she's willing to vote against proposals she thinks are unwise, or because she's willing to spend $140,000 of her own money to win, that's enough to warrant a second term. For some of my friends, they're a bit uncomfortable that Nolan has challenged her.

This hesitancy or even queasiness was captured in the profile and later the endorsement by Willamette Week, who dubbed Nolan 'the Anti-Fritz'. While the phrase highlights significant differences between the candidates and the real choice we have this May, I think it says as much about the mindset of voters as it does about either Fritz or Nolan. Too often, we talk big about progressive values but shrink from the reality that it takes hard work and a certain amount of toughness to translate them into action.

I see it differently. I think we Portland progressives should first insist that candidates hold strongly progressive values. But that's not enough. If we really want to make a difference, we should also support and elect candidates who demonstrate the chops to deliver important results. And to get right to the point, can we start to admire a woman like Nolan who is bold, skilled and effective playing hardball on our behalf against the big boys?

The video of the Willamette Week editorial board interview reveals substantive disagreements between Fritz and Nolan about policy and vision for Portland, as well as contrasting presentation styles. Nolan consistently answers questions with strategic depth. She has the acumen to know how to invest in our city, provide services, and build the coalitions needed to make our city flourish again -- for everyone.

Rep. Nolan has served six terms in the Oregon Legislature, including as Democratic Majority Leader and co-chair of the powerful Joint Ways and Means Committee, which writes the state budget. She stared down lobbyists and colleagues who wanted to weaken progressive programs. She stood up for the things we want -- and she delivered remarkable results. It really isn't hyperbole to say Nolan showed the guts and smarts to create or save programs that have improved in some way the life of virtually every Oregonian. That budget experience will be incredibly helpful in City Hall. In their endorsement of her, The Portland Tribune said, 'We believe [Nolan] is among the most qualified candidates to run for city commissioner in recent years.'

She also has a sharp mind for policy. Nolan recently helped pass Oregon's Healthy Kids Program, bringing health insurance to 80,000 previously uninsured children. After big tobacco killed the first version of this program, Nolan pulled together hospitals, insurance companies, children's advocates and enough legislative votes to pass a version that stuck. While many contributed to its success, Nolan's skilled coalition building helped give the Healthy Kids Program the traction it needed. She isn't done there; she's eager to help bring health care to uninsured adults in Portland.

Nolan is the candidate who can help Portland live up to the motto: A City that Works. In a recent Think Out Loud program, Nolan reported she's heard time and again that Portland's permitting process is painfully slow, sometimes project-killing. I believe her; my friends who do construction and home renovation tell me the exact same thing. In order for locally-owned progressive businesses to prosper, the City needs to keep pace so companies can move forward.

Nolan sees Portland waking up from the recession and wants to help us get back on the path to prosperity and environmental leadership. She wants Portland to lead the state in economic growth, progressive ideas, environmental innovation, and educational accomplishment. She won't be steamrolled. We can count on her to make good things happen.

Her years of providing results has meant a long and diverse list of endorsements, including support from Democratic Governor Barbara Roberts and Republican Gov. Vic Atiyeh, Mayor Vera Katz, leaders in the Native American community, the Asian American Community, the Black community and the Latino Community, the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood PAC, Oregon Council for Retired Citizens, Bike! Walk! Vote!, AFSCME, and literally hundreds more.

We aren't electing the Homecoming Queen. It's okay for us progressives to insist on both progressive values and real results. Nolan will simply be the sharper, more strategic, and more effective progressive leader for us at City Hall. Let's send her there.

"Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, raised hackles in January when it came to light he had used public-records requests to obtain residents' email addresses from state agencies and build an email list containing hundreds of thousands of names." Statesman Journal

"The representative crashed the Legislature's web server while trying to send a newsletter with four large files attached to 475,447 on his email list." Statesman Journal

In a school district next door from the district I serve, Richardson recently used his massive email list to rake the Eagle Point teachers union over the coals in his newsletter. His attack on teachers is over the top! He inserted himself into negotiations between the teachers and the school district with his wacky abuse of email addresses. Richardson stated in the Statesman Journal article, "Who will take on the teacher's unions?"

Richardson energetically ripped a page from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's playbook with his latest stunt. After reading his latest newsletter I thought about my own teachers who inspired me. I thought about teachers who generously mentor inexperienced teachers. I thought about the teachers who arrive early, stay late and cover their dining room table with papers to grade late into the night. I thought about the students who benefit from their care, compassion and instruction.

Yes, the Eagle Point teacher's union is on strike. I consider Richardson's email an attack on teachers and the middle class. The teacher's union and the district are working together to reach a fair settlement. I am confident they will.

Richardson should go visit a Freshman English class with 40 students and not enough chairs for the students to sit in. He should shadow an elementary teacher with 36 fifth graders jammed together. He should drop by in the evening at one of my district's high schools to see teachers providing free tutoring to students across the district just because they want to help all students to succeed.

Richardson bashed teachers. His abuse of email addresses, his entitlement and waste of public resources to gin up his Scott Walker version of state politics regarding public education is a disgrace.

Your take.