Mary Volm says the Lloyd District Community Association has reneged on a pledge to invite her to a campaign forum today, at the Red Lion Hotel in the Lloyd District. Instead, they invited City Commissioner Dan Saltzman to speak to them on an exclusive basis, leaving Volm outside...in the parking lot...

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Volm spoke to the association in March, and says she was invited, three times, by then vice-chairperson Lisa Faust from Pacific Continental Bank, to come and speak at a "candidate's forum" today. She even went so far as to program it into her calendar at the meeting, she says, because the invite was repeated so often. But things have changed. And now, this is happening:

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Faust (left) came out of the Red Lion along with former chair, Justin Zeulner, director of property management for the Rose Quarter (right, next to Volm), to sort out the confusion.
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"There is no candidate's forum," said Faust. "We're in discussion about a candidate's forum in October."

"There's been a mis-communication," said Zeulner."This is not a candidate's forum. Commissioner Saltzman's office have been contacting us to just talk about the state of affairs."

"I hear what you're saying," said Volm. "I don't agree with it, since you told me three times at the meeting in March that you were going to have a candidate's forum today. To invite Mr.Saltzman here two weeks before the election is not appropriate, it's not good for democracy or fair to any of the other candidates in the race."

They said she was welcome to come in and listen.

"I've heard his campaign speech plenty of times," said Volm. "This is absolutely irresponsible, and I wish you good luck."

And she walked away to get in her car and leave.

Sure enough, the event is on Commissioner Saltzman's calendar as a community association meeting, and not a campaign event.

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