Politics Oct 18, 2012 at 4:00 am

The 2012 Election: Unpopular Ideas and Candidates Hungry for Your Love

Illustrations by BT Livermore

Comments

1
Hales is a joke. He's a former republican who quit city hall to go make profit in the private sector, and who has taken in over ten thousand dollars in dirty coal money, while also being a solid supporter of the CRC nightmare freeway project.
2
Fritz’s biggest selling point (which she brings up every chance she gets) that her years as a psychiatric nurse makes her the de facto champion of the mentally ill is malarkey. Mental healthcare is the little cousin of the prison/industrial complex in this country. Keep Portland weird- unless its disturbing costumers, then you might be placed in four-point restraints and forcibly injected with soul-killing Big Pharma drugs. This is where Fritz’s “experience” in this field lies. She’s the last person to be chiming in on the DOJ report.

If you don’t get crushed or shot to death by a cop, then they’ll send you up to Fritz’s old employer where the forced drugs take 25 years off your life and make you very, very compliant- this should be the dynamic of focus for the Mercury.

I oppose fluoride in our water because it is also forced medication of people. I’m particularly irked by Fritz waiting to the last min to “hear all sides”; thinking maybe there was one on the council who’d see the issue this way. Her entire career has trainer her well: when they tell you to inject the meds, you do as you are told. Thorazine or fluoride, it doesn’t matter.
3
a third option for mayor is to write in Eileen Brady. there are a lot of people who voted for her in May, and many who didn't, who will be doing that. will we win? nope. that's not the point. voting for the best, most qualified (non-embarrassing) candidate is the point.

write in Eileen Brady. with pride.
4
Alright! Mercury loves the CRC!! Build now doubters and F*!K social justice! Hales to the Cheif Baby...
5
Kudos to The Mercury for making a clear case for the Library District: "This permanent tax district will replace the always-fluctuating levies with a stable funding source, so the library can restore cuts to staff and hours made earlier this year and ensure we'll be able to check out books for years to come." I couldn't have said it better. Please vote YES on MEASURE 26-143.
6
Eileen Brady the same bitch that thinks she's above the law just because she knows some council members? Fuck that bitch!

And fuck all these so called bullshit candidates; they all fucking suck extreme asshole!
7
Yeah, i don't like Charlie Hales myself. Not only is he a tax cheat, but he couldn't even be bothered to remember Keaton Otis's name when he referred to Otis as a "gang member" after he had his little ride-along with cops to bare witness to "how tough their job is". And after kissing the PPG's ass, look at how they treated him - HA!

Jeff Smith is looking good to me now. I've always leaned towards him, but held back on him when the PPG [initially] gave its official endorsement to him. But since these miserable pigs have now withdrawn their endorsement (for mysterious reasons they're too goddamned sorry to even go into - typical), it looks like i may be once again voting for Smith.

And thanks to the Merc. for their own choices on the ballot measures coming up, i'll be paying close attention to them as well.
8
At least you're supporting Kate Brown, unlike the Withering Willy.
9
Look, you guys don't have to like Hales or vote for him. He ain't that great. But if you vote for Jefferson Smith, you're probably the biggest, head-in-the-sand idiot ever. Stop being in denial about the guy's shifty character.

His past history is beyond alarming. He's even lied more than Charlie (which is tough to do), he did so even a few weeks ago.
10
Ok, clearly we have a Hales plant commenting here. Nice try buddy.
11
"We were already troubled by Smith's penchant for haughtiness and surliness, and we've not seen much that's made us feel better.

A steady drip of news about Smith's past—and especially Smith's messy handling of all the surfacing muck—highlight his arrogance and seeming inability to spill all the straight facts about touchy personal issues (his assault case, his driving record) until it's too late. Smith's handling of the dirt—which, he's right, is unbecoming of a Portland campaign—matters way more than its substance."

Oh good golly, isn't that just ripe coming from the likes of The Merc... wow, as if you fucks maintain any credibility following the last election cycle. Vote Jeff.
12
Here is the Voters' Pamphlet statement of the Oregon Progressive Party candidate, Robert Wolfe:

ROBERT WOLFE

Occupation: Selling Oregon wines worldwide (25 years)
Occupational Background: Journalist, with investigative reporting awards
Educational Background: College
Prior Governmental Experience: None (enough)

RECLAIM THE INITIATIVE PROCESS

Kate Brown's policies stop normal citizens from using Oregon's initiative process. Her arbitrary and hyper-technical requirements discard over 40% of all voter signatures, so only big corporations and unions can afford to use the system.

2000-02 saw 13 progressive measures on the Oregon ballot, including guaranteed school funding, single-payer health care, and the nation's highest minimum wage.

2008-10, with Kate Brown’s bad rules, saw only ONE progressive measure on the Oregon ballot (medical marijuana dispensaries).

GET BIG MONEY OUT OF OREGON POLITICS

In 2006, Oregon voters enacted in Measure 47 the nation's strictest limits on campaign contributions, while requiring political ads to disclose their funding sources and amounts.

Kate Brown refuses to enforce Measure 47, so campaign spending on Oregon races has continued to skyrocket from $4 million in 1996 to $57 million in 2010 (not including Congress). Individual Legislative candidates spend up to $1 million and more. Oregon politicians spend more on legislative races, per capita, than in any state except New Jersey. (Oregonian (4/6/2010))

Kate Brown "has been silent on campaign finance reform and otherwise largely invisible," says Willamette Week (5/25/2012). In 2008 she smashed the record for Secretary of State campaign spending ($1.2 million), taking contributions as high as $135,000 from a single union and over $116,000 from lawyers and lobbyists.

STOP GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENCE

As "Auditor in Chief," Kate Brown's accountants "audited" the Oregon Department of Revenue 3 times in the past 2 years but failed to detect huge fraudulent tax refunds, including a $2.1 million refund in 2012 to a woman who had never reported significant income. TurboTax discovered this fraud that Kate Brown missed. What else is out there?

SAVE THE STATE FORESTS FROM CLEAR-CUTTING

Kate Brown approved a 65% increase in clear-cutting in Oregon's largest state forest (Elliott).
14
Writing in Bud Clark.
15
@ta your candidate was a joke then and she's a joke now
16
Lovely set of endorsements. Much better than I could have done. Agree with all of them. Not that it matters.
17
The Mercury's endorsement of Brown shows it isn't paying attention to the race. Not going to talk about any of the issues in the race? There are plenty. See http://seth4sos.org/

Does it want campaign finance reform or any other meaningful reform in the office? Does it actually think Knute's going to dismantle vote by mail? Really?

Could have at least called me. I was probably on my bike touring the state meeting with another editorial board during your editorial board interviews?

Seth Woolley, Pacific Green for Secretary of State.
18
On Hales: "He also came damned close to breaking tax and/or election law (pick one!) when he moved to Washington but kept voting in Oregon."

How do you make it that there's wiggle room here?

He _actually_ filed documents that _actually_ swore conflicting domiciles. These documents are _actually_ public. If it's not about facts, then are you confused about what _actually_ the law says or what's _actually_ case law, then? My blog's latest version of the complaint (labeled sept 27) has the nitty gritty:

http://swoolley.org/files/hales_complaint_…

Consult your own lawyers if you'd like. I did.
19
Dear Portland Mercury (and readers),

Please make a donation! :) We could use it! www.vote80.org or www.oregonlawreform.com

Either way, it will go to good use helping raise awareness about Measure 80.

You could also host a town hall, there are many of us (myself included) who would be happy to speak on the PRO Measure 80 side, and answers questions of interested citizens! You can reach me by email at mook2357@gmail.com and if you want others, I can also help connect you. :)

On another note, isn't it NICE to actually see a grassroots effort for once? Can't Oregon be PROUD of that? :)

Donations from all who support this effort are appreciated - as we are up against federal grant dollars being used for lobbying in our state, such as the Marijuana Summit that took place in Madras Oregon just yesterday (pretending to be educational, but was completely about urging a "no" vote on measure 80 and did not include a single person representing a pro-position on the Measure) put on by Best Treatment Services with federal grant money intended to reduce substance abuse NOT political lobbying! Or how about the "meth-girl" billboards, put up by Shirley Morgan, who is now claiming (falsely) that the model depicted in the meth awareness stock photos is ACTUALLY a 12 year old girl from California who started off with marijuana? www.protectoursociety.org! This, even after Vancouver police, who used the full picture on their meth awareness page on their website, already confirmed that this is a model that is mocked up to appear to be a meth addict and not a real meth user.

Yeah - we could use a little help here - make a donation!
20
This is a mess, the Mercury, who is now implicated in two media cover-ups in the mayoral races, had a big hand in. What's the point of having a primary if the things like Jefferson's driving record don't come to light then. Why wasn't Scott Fernandez vetted as a serious candidate when he'd had an elected office before?
21
Thanks for endorsing Amanda Fritz. She is the closest thing to a real grassroots city commissioner and cares passionately about husbanding tax dollars and city resources. And I don't trust Mary Nolan, either. Nolan is only running for City Council because it pays better than the legislature and she's tired of driving to Salem. I also don't approve of her choosing to run against the only woman on City Council instead of taking a shot at the open seat. OH, I SEE: the open seat is the seat Steve Novick ran for, and she was afraid to run against him, so she decided to run against Amanda instead.

As for Mayor, well, predictably, you got that one wrong. I can't trust Charlie Hales. He just unilaterally decided to break his own campaign finance rules because they were inconvenient. He quit his term on the City Council halfway through because he got bored and wanted to make more money, and he's in bed with the PBA and the real estate developers.

I'm voting for Smith.
22
OUT OF COMPLIANCE
M8O would put Oregon out of compliance with the federal Drug Free Workplace Act, according to research done by the California Chambers of Commerce. Oregon could lose millions annually in federal aid and grants affecting schools, businesses and government contracts.

TOTAL CONTROL
M8O would permit the forming of a new 7 member State Agency designed to cultivate and sell marijuana in government operated stores throughout Oregon, with 5 of those seven members being elected solely by marijuana growers and processors

DRUGGED DRIVING
Under M8O, Oregonians will see more Driving under the Influence of marijuana accidents, as where alcohol has an impairment BAC level, there is no defined THC impairment level in Measure 80. Measure 80 also allows businesses who bar minors entrance to sell marijuana, meaning clubs, bars, and other bar minor facilities.

INCREASED ADDICTION
Studies have shown that expanded availability and perceived social acceptance will increase marijuana use among youth. Oregon currently has the nation’s third highest rate of marijuana use among youth, ages 12 – 17.5

MEXICAN CARTELS
Mexican cartels are not in Oregon because their customer base is in Oregon they are in Oregon for the growing season. The cartels don’t work in a vacuum or on a market price theory. They go where they can grow it and distribute nation-wide where they can sell it.

UNREGULATED OVER 21 YEARS OLD
M8O would allow anyone 21 to grow marijuana anywhere – in a vacant lot near a school yard or in a house next door to you. A user could grow football fields of marijuana without any restrictions for personal use. With Measure 80 kids will be able to get it free from the new black market that will be created by all those 21 years and over, who will be allowed to grow unlimited amounts of marijuana. You call this regulation, this is a new unregulated black market that will grow, sell, and undercut the government pot store prices, as well as sell to other states illegally.

How else do you think kids get booze and cigarettes that are underage?

Black-market cigarettes costing NY $20M a month
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/burned_by_bootleg_smokes_IqtVTHYSTsWW6KcabOliRO

PROHIBITS ANY REGULATIONS OR FEES OF GROWING HEMP
M8O prohibits any regulations and fees to grow Hemp with undefined THC levels, which is the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, posing the possibility that thousands of acres of rural farmland across Oregon could be bought up for the sole purpose of growing marijuana and hemp. Federal law currently prohibits the growth of hemp. Because the Hemp seeds would not be regulated seeds and starter plants could virtually be available at your local garden and plant nurseries, therefore leaving the door open for anyone to purchase including youth.

TAXES
The claim that millions will be gained from taxes is fantasy. It's called "weed" for a reason: It is very easy to grow - in basements, homes, forests, and often with very little gardening. Since federal law trumps state law, it defies logic to think that someone would expose themselves to federal prosecution in order to be taxed for committing a federal crime.

Marijuana still remains illegal under federal law. Thus, any locally imposed taxes are legally uncollectible because, according to case law, no one can be compelled to pay a tax that might subject them to prosecution by the federal government.

IT IS NOT POT USERS WHO ARE IN PRISON
With the support of Oregon’s District Attorneys, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, a personal use quantity, has not been a crime under Oregon law for nearly 40 years. No jail, no criminal record, and only the possibility of a fine. Even people convicted of possessing much larger amounts of marijuana get probation. No one is in an Oregon prison for simple possession of marijuana.

It is a NO for Measure 80.
23
Sorry to see the Mercury staff drank the PPS kool-aid. How else could they figure this bond is a "pared down" version of the last one - $548M v. $483M - both about $.5B. Both bonds focus on rebuilding schools that are woefully under-enrolled, this year it is Roosevelt and Faubion, Franklin is just under-enrolled. If PPS will give me a capital bond focused on access, safety, technology and neglected routine maintenance, I will vote for it. A bond that focuses on rebuilding schools they can't demonstrate are needed in the long run is a big fat NO vote from me.
24
I can't force myself to write down Smith or Hales, so I'm writing in Kyle Maclachlan.
25
I am forced to believe dear mercury, that you have definately NOT done your homework, especially when it comes to measure 81, concerning gillnetting in our rivers. 'The real issue here is fancy sport fishermen who want a bigger catch"?! Are you fucking kidding me?! There are no fish left in the rivers for sport fishermen to catch even if they wanted to!
When I first met my boyfriend, three years ago, he took me to Big Creek, a well loved creek with a healthy salmon run on highway 30 between here and Astoria, when the coho were coming in full strength, this very time of year. I had never seen such a wonder, there were SO MANY fish in the creek, there was not but two inches between them, writhing around creating stream of liquid silver.
When was the last time YOU dear mercury, got out of your office, off of your ass, off of your stupid hipster bike, and got OUT OF THE CITY to actually see and touch and feel and smell these things you put on to care about so damn much about-what do you actually KNOW even second hand about it? Do you really just watch the propaganda commercials and take them all at their word? After this article, I think you must!
The next year we went to Big Creek again at the beggenning of October to catch a fish-it was a tradition. We got up before dawn and spent an hour hiking through hip high mud to get to the best hole on the creek. The sun came up and we were ready;only there were no fish in the creek. Not a single ripple in the water. For hours we stood and waited-nothing. And the same the next day. In fact we went back and checked the creek every week all month and the next too, to make sure that the fish weren't late or something like that. They just never made it up the creek.
And we know why to. We went to the mouth of the creek where it runs into the Columbia and found a fishing vessel of the gillnetting persuasion. My boyfriend talked to the man and found that he was gillnetting from one bank of the creek to the other-illegal, and doing it at night-illegal. This gillnetter, the commercial fisherman you care so much about mercury, is responsible for elminating a WHOLE salmon run. We called the OSP about the man who willingly told us he was harvesting illegally, and no doubt above his quota as well, and they have not done damn thing about him.
We went back to the creek this year and got exactly what we expected. No fish in the creek, and the same gillnetting boat at the mouth. It is an outrage that a creek that has been a healthy fishing spot for decades, let alone centuries, has been single handedly uprooted, and nobody will do a damn thing about it. Do the fine citizens of this city even KNOW things like this are happening 40 miles away from where they live and play? Obviously you do not mercury, otherwise you would not have told thousands of airhealads who can't think for themselves via your article to vote for something, that is ALREADY AND OBVIOUSLY destroying Oregon's precious salmon.
Next time do your fucking research. You know the influence you have on peoples information intake and overall decisions, and you have decidedly misinformed the masses, on the something that is so fragile, and beautiful, and makes Oregon what it is.
I am so disgusted I want to cover your building in diarreah and put heaters all around it so it will be like when you fart in the shower and the smell in magnified, only so bad your staff will not be able to think straight. Perhaps that will force them to get to really know what is going on in the world around them besides the new coffee shop around the corner, you fucking stupid hipsters.
You must have been paid off BY the commercial fisheries to put that in your paper. I can think of no other explanation than pure stupidity.
You Infuriate Me. I hope you are looking forward to years of empty creeks, and a major salmon population problem. Assholes.
And by the way, In ONE NIGHT a single commerical fishing vessel catches more salmon than any one sport fisherman could catch in their ENTIRE LIFETIME.
If I wasn't so fucking mad I'd send my pitbull to bite off your balls-too bad, he wouldn't be able to fucking find any.

Jocelyn Kazebier
26
@ ImpactsofMarijuana on 10/19/2012 at 3:20 PM

Since you cited a Chamber Of Commerce report I am definitely voting for 80 now.

The Chambers of Commerce have always been at the forefront of trying to destroy anything that is progressive in the US. I will never forgive them for the years long attacks on labor and American workers.

The chamber of commerce can eat a heaping steamy pile of shit for all I'm concerned, since they want American workers to eat shit.
27
You don't ever get it.

No one can afford to pay any more taxes to fund PERS (the "schools arts and library" ruse)

When taxpayers can't pay - they leave and the system collapses.

Math
28
Nevada has some of the lowest taxes in the country.. and what a great system they have!
29
James Buchal not only attended Harvard but while he earned his Bachelors degree in physics he was on the Harvard debate team then he earned both his Law and MBA from Yale simultaneously. I cannot think of a more brilliantly gifted candidate to run for office in past 100 years. Geniuses generally do not find a calling for political office. I am proud to be responsible for persuading James Buchal to run for Attorney General of Oregon. We would all be lucky to have such a great man serving as our Attorney General.
The idea that a lame ex-Appeals Court Judge would be endorsed over a Harvard and Yale trained attorney like the brilliant Mr. Buchal just shows just how beholden the reporters in this state are to Ellen's husband, the owner of WW.
Funny we did not see Ellen Rosenblum speaking at the Hempstock like Libertarian minded James Buchal who believes the Government should not be allowed to tell us what we can and cannot grow in our own backyard.
Watch these short videos and Judge for yourself whether you think Ellen Rosenblum is the obvious choice for any office:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS7kA4H2D0…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkIXIGWEB1…
Lisa Michaels

www.Buchal4AG.com
30
So why is the Mercury supporting Rosenblum....? Besides the fact that she is the democratic candidate....
31
Amanda Fritz who voted against the Timbers stadium funding plan. Who then campaigned outside of JELD-WEN Field. Who then proclaimed that she was RCTID.

She'll say anything to get a vote. Don't give it to her.
32
Didn't Ellen Rosenblum acquit a serial pervert after he admitted to raping lots of old women in a nursing home? How does she have the nerve to say she's for public safety? That's the problem with our current one party state. Democrats have a massive political machine at their disposal no matter what their past. At least Buchal can recognize a criminal and respects the laws put in place for dealing with them.

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