- via Twitter
- Eric Fruits
An Oregonian story this morning on the beleaguered state Republican Party’s leadership and fundraising struggles included a familiar name—alongside an unfamiliar title—for anyone following the months-long story over Commissioner Steve Novick and Mayor Charlie Hales’ struggles to raise new transportation revenue.
It identified economist and professor Eric Fruits, one of the street fee’s most prominent foils/critics, as the current chairman of Multnomah County’s Republican Party.
“I think most people would agree the Art Robinson term has been pretty disastrous,” said Eric Fruits, chairman of the Multnomah County Republican Party.
“He came in with the promise that he had some donors who were going to get the party up and running,” Fruits added, “and that hasn’t happened.”
That was news to a few people at city hall and elsewhere, who noted that Fruits’ partisan affiliation has never come up in any of Fruits’ visits to city hall or appearances in the media. It’s also not been mentioned on the anti-street-fee blog that Fruits curates.
Not that having ties to the GOP would be wildly out of character for Fruits, given his antipathy not only for the way the street fee’s been put forward but also for the city’s arts tax and other issues. But it’s meant that someone with prominence in the Republican Party—especially so, given the county’s size and wealth—has spent weeks if not months publicly taking aim at one of Oregon’s most progressive politicians, Novick, without anyone quite realizing the juicier dynamics in play.
So what gives?
“It’s a fairly new event. I was elected in mid-November,” says Fruits, adding that he ran unopposed for a two-year term and was first approached by party officials to take a leadership post in October. “And I’ve just been so busy with street fee stuff that I really haven’t done much with the party yet.”
Fruits also reminded the Mercury about the timing of his election (last fall) vs. the beginning of the street fee conversation (last spring). But when asked about quotes and radio appearances that came after he’d been slated as the new GOP chair—including this week—he said he didn’t think it was right to identify himself, in the same way he doesn’t mention his membership as a Laurelhurst Neighborhood Association board member, to avoid being seen as speaking for the party and not just himself.
“That’s one reason why I stayed quiet about it. I know a lot of Republicans are anti-street fee, but I was involved well before I was elected chair,” he says. “I didn’t think it was proper to put myself out as chair of the Republican Party when I was talking about the street fee because we hadn’t taken a position on the street fee.”
Update 3:50 PM: Novick, returning a message seeking comment, says he doesn’t think Fruits “was under any obligation to disclose his party affiliation in the context of these discussions.”
However, he says: “It does reflect a point people should keep in mind. The loudest voices in a public conversation on any issue are not necessary representative voices. The fact that you see the same angry citizens quoted over and over again on every issue does not mean all citizens are angry about that issue. Eric probably does reflect the views of most Republicans on most issues. That does not mean he represents the views of most Portlanders—who are not Republicans.///end update
It’s worth noting the casual reveal of his new role, which Fruits says wasn’t kept secret but also wasn’t much hyped, comes the day after the street fee went into what Fruits’ blog described as “hibernation.” Hales and Novick said they’re pausing while Salem works out some transportation-related lawmaking that might lead to a higher statewide gas tax or new powers for cities like Portland looking to raise money on their own.
Fruits says his own street fee efforts also will head into hibernation—which is good, he says, because he’s got his work cut out for him as a Republican leader in a county where Democrats are more likely to be challenged from the left than the right.
He’s touting a “big tent” model of his party in which anyone who identifies as a Republican and wants to help get Republicans elected is welcome to join up—meaning he won’t be focusing so much on social issues like marriage equality and sexual politics. The party is in “rebuilding” mode, but if it assembles a broader base of donors and attracts more precinct workers, Fruits says, then it might be helped back to being more competitive.
“It may be hard for us to compete in Multnomah County for legislative seats,” he says. “But look at Chris Dudley. If a few more people in Portland had voted for him, he’d be governor. We can help swing some of those statewide elections if we boost Republican turnout.”
People who are active sometimes become accidental activists, and many of us wear many different hats. I have been very vocal in the street fee fight but did not publicize the two boards I sit on for the same reason Eric Fruits did not announce his new chair position — our views on the Street Fee fight were entirely our own. I’m also a registered Democrat, but in this issue party affiliation did not matter.
Ann Sanderson
Stop Portland Street Fee, and some other things.
Yeah, it’s called a conflict of interest. Doesn’t really matter if you have an ulterior motive or not.
“Multnomah County Republican Party” = “Sahara Desert Scuba Diving Club”
*Eric Fruits is also the founder of the Portland Nipster Party.
Hey, I’m a liberal and I don’t like the street fee either.
On another note, I just don’t get Republicans, why would anyone want to be one?
Pretty sure Republicans are allowed to have opinions and participate in public discourse.
There’s no conflict of interest there at all.
On the other hand, Art Robinson promised that he had some donors who were going to get things going, did he? I love the thought of what that fucking whackamadoodle might view as an important donor.
“This man wrote the important free pamphlets you see in the vestibule of libraries everywhere about how the miracle aminophyllin thigh cream can also be used to combat male impotence in men! He has promised to donate his honoraria from his many speaking engagements to us!”
It it just me or is it odd that the party chair for the Multnomah County Republican Party works at the largest pubic university in Oregon? Isn’t that a bit, I don’t know, socialism-y?
Also, I have a hard time taking people with a Ph.D in Economics seriously if they ask to be addressed as “Doctor” as “Dr. Fruits” apparently does. http://web.pdx.edu/~fruits/
As a registered Democrat, who has actively worked on both Clintons and Kerrys’ campaigns, as well as fought vigorously against Measure 92 back when, I have no problem with this guy being Republican.
I think even the way you put it the headline, accusatory, is just wrong.
I’m not sure that I agree with his position, yet, but the way you framed this discussion – Denis – is beneath you.
So? The title is the biggest logical fallacy out there. It doesn’t matter what he is, or even his intentions. What matters is his argument.
I’m an unaffiliated voter and this street fee was the biggest crock of shit there was. No taxing people who live outside the city who use our streets? A tax system that didn’t give credit to bikers and GHG-free forms of transportation users? Did Hales/Novick morons come together to form the most insanely inefficient, narrow and unfair tax they could possibly conceive?
It’s one thing to be “progressive” and support a higher, progressive tax on wealthier people for education (as generally your wealth is determined by your educational achievement), it’s entirely different to do the same with transportation, which is a different beast entirely that has serious degradation issues of service if not all people are paying into the pie at appropriate levels corollary to use.
The title reads like it’s some sort of infiltration conspiracy by the GOP. I’ll crack the code for you, Dennis. Most economists support user-fees over income taxes as a rule, but not exclusively. Not all economists are conservative, but many are.
It’s possible, by extension of his economics background and knowledge, he affiliates with the Republican party in Oregon because of that. If you know anything about Oregon’s tax system, it’s far from an economists’ desired plan as it’s reliant on income taxes and disincentives to investment of capital. Potentially being in the Republican party is his only shot at changing some of that.
Oh yeah and the Arts Tax sucks you know what too. I think PPS should start graduating some students above what the state of Mississippi does before they ask for money for art.
Looks like I have more in common with Eric Fruits than I thought, despite him being a Republican.
This would be the same Eric Fruits who, as chair of the Laurelhurst Neighborhood Association, asked the City to extend the removal of a lane of traffic from Burnside into the neighborhood. He did this without consulting the neighbors who would be affected by the change or even understanding what the change would be, it just sounded like a neat-o idea and he wanted in on the PBOT street party.
So, whatever opinion that he holds on transportation related issues can be summed up in a brief statement: “Go Fuck Yourself.”