There were a number of statements by Rep. Richardson which I thought (from hearing the OPB broadcast) were not only offensive but anywhere from spin to not factual. Too bad there isn't a transcript of the speech and the Q & A afterwards which was also quite revealing.

I liked the father of a 10 year old <?> who said he hadn't realized until he heard the speech that he lived with a special interest person since he and his child had gone to the capitol rally. Whoever that was did a great job of stating his point strongly while remaining civil.

There were many things that Richardson said that were offensive. Comparing Stand for Children with a violent communist regime was just the start. He also told a lesbian women that it was her choice to not enter a "normal" marriage. The list goes on and on.

Overall, though Jonah Edelman seems to be one of the most self-promoting activists in Oregon politics, I would like to commend him for calling out Minnis and Richardson and encourage people to follow his lead and do this more often. They get away with saying and doing so much because they think nobody is paying attention.

Next question for Minnis: why did you schedule City Club on the day the budget forecast was set to be releeased and then use that as your reason for cancelling? Because of a last minute leadership meeting called by the Governor (as was told to those present at the lunch)? Then why was the following reported in Saturday's Oregonian:

Gov. Ted Kulongoski said he was trying to arrange a meeting with legislative leaders for early next week to find some answers.

[Editor's note: This comment was originally posted with a . for a name. The IP address was 159.121.166.99, which is assigned to the State Capitol.]

Before this goes any further, for the record, it was Kulongoski who asked for the meeting with the Senate and House leadership. The Senate bagged off but the Speaker did meet with the Gov on Friday. Want confirmation? Call the Gov's people. Just don't trade in conjecture. It isn't becoming.

And I imagine it isn't the easiest thing in the world to schedule city club. Sometimes, scheduling people just screw up. And yeah, Edleman's got a fatter head than Jefferson Smith. Just check the web what he claims as his own work. Pat, pat, pat, back, back, back. Stand for Children sure takes a lot of credit for other people's work.

or is it begged off??? To tell the truth, I'm not sure.

Dear "Posted by" (how did that get posted without a name?). Yes, the version you cite is what Gary Wilhelms of the Speaker's office said. He also said she didn't think she could do the City Club and get back for a 3pm meeting. If someone left downtown Portland by 1:30 (just guessing about departure time) they couldn't get back by 3? Sorry, but that sounds like one of those word of mouth without confirming documentation stories which may never be solved.

Until I see evidence to the contrary, I will continue to believe that Mme. Speaker doesn't want to answer informed citizen questions in an open public meeting she can't control.

Anyone is free to believe whatever they want about the events Friday.

I have pondered whether to apply for a grant to help focus on the interests specific to tier-three teachers. What do you think my chances would be?

Pity those fine teachers who will not work because of the more urgent need to cover for the private investment loss of a closed class of private citizens.

Pity the children too, I suppose, as they are the ultimate pawn in the adult war.

hv,

Would you care to note the financial backers of SFC and detail their direct and indirect relationship with the Oregon Investment Council and their agents for making investment decisions?

I acknowledge that SFC is a first rate PR firm. I just think they should be held to no more and no less scrutiny and disclosure than any initiative sponsor.

The website of Stand for Children includes this: Stand for Children is a nonprofit membership organization that helps people who care about children come together to advocate for concrete, lasting changes that improve the lives of children. Anyone who would care to do the research could find the Oregonian article from awhile back(perhaps it was a Monday Profile)of Jonah Edelman.

Just as Richardson's facts should be challenged and any other elected official's statements are subject to proof, so are those who post comments here.

If someone has evidence that there are ties to the Oregon Investment Council should post that information. It was my understanding that the backing for SFC came from parents and church groups.

But maybe someone who thinks we should all understand what is meant by "tier 3 teachers" (in all of Oregon or only in Portland?) has an axe to grind?

L.T. wrote: Too bad there isn't a transcript of the speech and the Q & A afterwards which was also quite revealing.

The City Club does have audio and video of the speech available for a reasonable cost ($10 and $25, I think). Any speech given at a Friday Forum is recorded and available for purchase. Information for purchasing them is here.

What bothered me about Dennis Richardson’s speech was how good it was. I disagree with the man on almost every issue and yet I found myself wanting him to keep talking. There was only one point where I thought he went too far and showed his contempt for his audience. Otherwise, he was a very effective speaker. We need people like that on our side.

And that Bert is why I would not be suprised if Richardson popped up as a darkhose gubernatorial candidate for '08 or '12. He's very very conservative but he's a better speaker than Mannix and he does seem able to connect with people, at least until they release how far from the middle he is on a particular issue. He would be a formidable opponent.

"Ashamed". "Disgusting".

Funny, that's what my 125 schoolkids say about Oregon lawmakers and all the greedy adults in their lives. Oh, the payback the elders will see!!!! Biblical and beyond, according to the kids.

i, too, was at the city club luncheon. and i agree he was a good speaker. he pretty much confessed his apathy and disgust with any group not adhering to his world view. but at least he did it with a smile on his face. it is called 'tact' when somebody tells you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip. well, richardson is full of it (tact, i mean).

he compared SFC to N. Korea because he claims SFC brainwashes children to advocate for their cause. he didn't let us know if he holds those who bring their children to anti-abortion rallies with the same contempt.

what was more amazing was his rationalization regarding tax dollars for schools. it was brought to his attention that for every $1 his county pays in taxes, it gets $1.34 back. he was asked if this was fair. for a man who despises a welfare state, he spoke convincingly about how we are one state and the counties need to look out for each other. and then he suggested that his county was entitled to extra tax dollars and the counties 'along the I-5 corridor' should help support his county because their votes somehow caused the industry decline, thus the lack of revenue in his county.

truly an amazing speech.

That has to be the signature of the Neo-cons. The ability to make "disgusting" remarks with no "shame" whatsoever. We do not need people like him.

The reference to people being ashamed for involving their children in a process that directly affects them is a lot like Bush not wanting anyone to see the flag draped caskets of our soldiers. If we don't see these things, we are less likely to be irritated by them. We can ignore the price we are paying for their decisions to ignore the needs of our schools or go to war. Let's not consider the human factor, ignorant children and lives lost in a war that has enabled the recruitment of terrorists in a place that never had any.

Doug--

Just in case Rep. Richardson forgot, Jackson Co. is a I-5 county...Central Point, Richardson's hometown, is located on I-5. But, I guess that's beside the point...

Oooh. Big brother, I mean Kari is watching. Creepy. He must stalk people he doesn't agree with.

And yeah, everybody who posts on BO uses their "real" name too. Whatever.

And LT (if that's your real name), such cynicism. Has it ever occured to you that maybe people might just be telling the truth? God forbid.

If you care so much, why not go ask the Gov? But what does it matter. It's printed here so it must be true.

"Challenge to skeptical GOPpers: find a similar case in which a Dem compared any opponent with a brutal dictator."

Not a GOPer. Dunno what qualifies as "similar case." But the comparison of the Bush Administration & neoconservatives, et al, to Hitler & the Reich, et al, have been legion in the last, what say, four years? I'm rather sure I've read more than one such around here in the last week.

Jeff-

I can't believe you asked that question.

How about the New Republic and Vanity Fair comparing Bush and his administration to Hitler and the Nazis?

Where's your indignation?

Wow. I'm absolutely flabbergasted at this one:

Challenge to skeptical GOPpers: find a similar case in which a Dem compared any opponent with a brutal dictator.

As Dispossessed pointed out, surely you must have heard the countless references or comparisons of Bush/Republicans and their tactics with the Nazis, right? That's about as equivalent a situation as you'll find.

If not, I have three prominent examples for your consideration. And you don't even need to go to right-wing whacko web sites to find them. All of these are roughly equivalent (passing references) to what Richardson said.

A New York federal judge, Guido Calabresi, compared Bush's rise to power with those of Hitler and Mussolini.

Al Gore complained about digital "Brownshirts" (Nazi thugs) from the Republican camp on the Internet.

And Senator Robert Byrd drew comparisons between the Bush administration's drive to war in Iraq, and noted Nazi Hermann Goering.

Frankly, I don't much have a problem with any of the above remarks. And I don't much have a problem with Richardson's remarks either, having listened to the entire 70 minute recording of the event. My primary concern is whether the story he told was accurate, which has been questioned. That would be something to apologize for. But if in fact the story he told was true, the comparisons he made with communist brainwashing techniques -- while overblown rhetoric, like the examples above -- would not be so far "beyond the pale" as to justify this kind of uproar.

Ah well. It's finally time for me to just pack up and forget about this site. I'm sorry but there's just no real value left here at all, alas, when critical thought (we would never do that) has been abandoned so readily... welcome to the ranks of the Freepers and Democratic Underground. Yuck.

Being a student of history and watching people being tossed out of "Town Meetings" because of a bumper sticker, if you're not seeing comparisons to Brownshirts, you're willfully blind. The Nationalism that is pervasive in the Republican Party is not just proud to be an American, but glad to smack down anyone who disagrees. That's Fascism. That's crowd rule. That's NOT democracy. How is it that Young Republicans post red stars on the doors of the homes of professors without there being a huge uproar from everyone. That's atrocious behavior. That's a very clear and precise replica of the Holocaust. Now the question is not, who were Nazis, but who are these people now.

Richardson is extremely arrogant to take the podium and trash the efforts of people who wish to further their childrens education and label their efforts as shameful and disgusting. Someone wants him to be governor? Someone wants this behavior extolled? I'm disgusted. It's shameful. It shows a complete lack of class or character. But the mob loves to watch the bullies, don't they. It's like verbal professional wrestling. It's entertainment, but yes, people get hurt and it's totally unproductive.

I was in the capitol today and ran into some very nice people from PTA.

I am not sure they would agree with this Richardson statement the vast majority of Oregonians think that they’re already paying enough.

Exactly how did Richardson determine what this "vast majority" thinks? By asking them? Or by saying that because something like 35% of the voters in NOV. 2004 voted on the prevailing side of Measure 30, those voters are supposed to tell the rest of us what we think?

It will be interesting to see if Richardson puts the transcript on his site or only the audiofile. For all his talk about rural areas, what about people who might have slow dialup connections who would prefer to print his speech to read it rather than listening online?

One last word {well, I won't promise that} Does anyone recall whether the citizens of North Korea were demanding additional school funding from the dictator there? And {see here's more} does this now make the Stand for Children a part of the Axis of Evil?

House Democratic Leader Jeff Merkley was just speaking out about this on the floor of the House -- while Rep. Richardson was filling in (again) for the Speaker. Hoorah Leader Merkley!

I listened to the MP3 recording of the speech (twice), including the entire Q&A session. The North Korea reference sounded like the use of simple hyperbole, in response to a hostile question. I assume that most City Club members recognize the citizens of North Korea have no opportunity to lobby The Great One, nor do they have a parliamentary building to which they can take their children.

Rep. Richardson is guilty of sarcasm (at worst), which pales in comparison to Gregor's repeated references to the "Reich" instead of the Right. You can listen to Air America for 10 minutes and hear much worse sarcasm, hyperbole, and blind adherence to rhetoric than Rep. Richardson exhibited.

Rep. Richardson was confident, polite, and seemed perplexed by the epidemic naivete in the crowd (which repeated the "more money for schools" mantra over and over again) despite his explanation there is simply no more money available for schools without cutting other essential services to the elderly and infirm.

I have an 8 month old that will need good public schools in about 4 years, but I don't want them quit funding public safety, infrastructure, or the most desperately needed health and welfare programs just to max out the teachers retirement and health insurance accounts.

despite his explanation there is simply no more money available for schools without cutting other essential services to the elderly and infirm. is only true if you accept the premise that the Oregon House has the right to pass as many tax breaks as they wish (reconnect to all the tax breaks in the federal tax code, HB 2322, the capital gains tax cut which doesn't pay for itself but by golly it has the names Wayne Scott and Oregon Restaurant Assoc. in the masthead, etc.)but no one has the right to question the need for all current tax breaks.

Reportedly there is a capital gains tax cut in the Rules Committee --why is 2322 worthy of floor debate but not that one?-- not to mention other ideas for more revenue (tax amnesty, for instance).

10 years ago a wiser legislature than this one, in the Budget Accountability Act of 1995, required the printing of the Tax Expenditure Report every time a Governor's Budget is printed. The thing is almost an inch thick. Is there really the need for every tax break in there?

But you'd never have guessed anything in the above paragraph from listening to Richardson.

Richarson's fantasy world. I'm that father of the 10 yr old who pointed out that the "scare tactics" Richardson spoke of were a fantasy. I don't have to scare my son and the other 1000 or so kids who are having their schools closed out from under them. They're already scared, and disheartened and angry-much like their parents. When legislators are in such denial regarding the effects of their votes, it may be time for them to move to that other depressing building in Salem. His other comment: "and then he suggested that his county was entitled to extra tax dollars and the counties 'along the I-5 corridor' should help support his county because their votes somehow caused the industry decline, thus the lack of revenue in his county"- further illustrated his unfamiliarity with the real world. His actual quote was something along the lines of the people who live North of Salem voting to shut down the natural resource industries of rural Oregon. Now I've lived here for most of the last 34 years, and I cannot for the life of me remember any such vote. In fact, almost every ballot measure to ban clearcutting, or cows from already polluted rivers and streams, or to set aside 50% of the Tillamook State Forest for fish and wildlife, has been defeated rather handily by industry funded political campaigns. The only successful ballot measure that could nominally be construed as anti-rural, was the successful campaign to ban the baiting of bears and the hunting of cougars with packs of dogs. I'm not sure what the economic contribution of those two activities were, but I doubt it contributed to too many closed classrooms. The reductions in logging he alludes to were the natural consequence of 50 years of old-growth forest mining. Using up a thousand years of accumulated biota in 50 years is going to have some repercussions. Those came in the form of federal judges (finally) enforcing longstanding environmental laws, not people in Portland voting to shut down the logging. The laws they enforced were signed by Richard Nixon, not Lyndon Johnson. And Oregon's senators at the time were both Republican, as was the President, George Herbert Walker Bush. So while Representative Richardson certainly has a right to an opinion, and obviously a constituency willing to ignore little things like facts, that doesn't mean he gets to come into town, manically spout out blatant falsehoods and leave a champion. He's verbally adroit, nothing else. It's not that hard when you own the mike.

Dear JDub, You'll be interested in my encounter with Richardson today, and all BlueOregonians should be interested in the part of the story about this thread.

I was walking up a stairway in the capitol and I recognized Richardson and someone else walking down. On the landing I said "Rep. Richardson!" and he was very gracious, introduced himself, asked my name. Too bad such impressive demeanor belongs to someone who can be (as an old college friend used to say) such a terrible sarcat.

I said "Sorry, but I don't believe bringing kids here to the capitol is indoctrinating them into being special interest lobbyists". He said "No, unless you tell 7 year olds to repeat something that isn't true". I said "But I read a letter from someone who was there which gave a totally different picture. The letter was from someone I know, and I choose to believe the version of the person I know".

Not the answer he was looking for and he walked down the stairs mumbling "difference of opinion".

Gosh, he didn't sound like he was voicing opinion at the City Club, but fact, sarcastically presented.

I went into where the state rep. offices were and saw someone I knew working in the office of a Democrat. I said "I just had an exchange with Richardson" and proceeded to tell the story. Then I asked if he'd seen the letter on Blue Oregon. He didn't know about it so he found Blue Oregon online, and I showed him how to click on POSTS and then find this topic. I showed him the words in blue letters "wrote to Minnis and Richardson" and told him to click on that.

"GEE, this is a great letter!" he said. His friend walked in and he said "You have got to read this great letter!".