Choice Morsels
Paulie Brading
Small Bite #1 - A Kitzhaber canvasser rang our door bell in Medford this afternoon. Wish you could have seen her face change when I told her there were three votes for Kitz in our house. I watched her walk down the driveway doing a happy dance along with a loud "Yes!". What makes this event more interesting is we live in a very hilly section of Medford. Our precinct is dreaded turf. Candidates and canvassers know our precinct is not for the faint of heart. The Kitz campaign owns the ground game in Medford. Dudley is showing up in his shiny bus to campaign while neighborhood after neighborhood is being canvassed by Jackson County Democrats. Kitzhaber's organizer, Jeffery is just fantastic to work with.
Small Bite #2 - D-Senator Alan Bates and D- Rep. Peter Buckley were endorsed by the Medford Mail Tribune today. Bates is in a tough race against a candidate who is receiving support from the Taxpayer Association of Oregon PAC (www.oregonwatchdog.com). Today's mailer, one of several over the last few weeks beating up on Doc Bates claims that "Alan Bates raised your taxes by $1 Billion in a single day" and it goes downhill from there.
Small Bite #3 - The race for State Representative HD 6 between challenger Lynn Howe and incumbent R-Sal Esquivel is a close one. Esquivel has never faced a serious candidate before. Howe came close in her first run against him. Esquivel seems to be in serious shock after finally figuring out Howe has been knocking on doors for the past six months. She just might beat Brent Barton's canvassing record. Now Esquivel is refusing to shake Lynn's hand at forums and refuses to even make eye contact with her. His latest toxic performance was at the League of Woman Voter's forum yesterday. In short order he blamed the state of Oregon for government interference. He stated that rural Oregon does not need the ONC funds. He wants the feds to give all of the federal timber land back and start logging. He wondered aloud why anyone would read the wishy-washy Medford Mail Tribune newspaper. Then he launched into a rant about the land use laws because all those men and women in Salem are "just making up rules." He ended the forum by explaining the banking industry has nothing to do with the country's economic melt down. "I'm a realtor. Shame on you if you didn't read the loan agreement." He moved on to the banking industry with strong words for Chris Dodd and Barney Frank. Howe, for her part kept the issues local, sharply focused, and remained very much on message in her statements. The next forum is sponsored by Stand for Children on Monday. I can't wait to hear their questions and Esquivel's answers.
Small Bite #4 - There is a hot city council race in Ashland. Supporters of Mike Morris packed a charming home and opened up their checkbooks hoping to unseat incumbent Eric Nivekas. The city is buzzing with Morris parties. As an aside, house parties in Ashland are swanky affairs. Eric is well known for supporting public nuidity even around elementary schools and is equally well known for obstuctionist behavoir during council meetings. It was fascinating to hear my tolerant friends throwing up their hands, completely fed up with what they describe as a "too exteme" liberal. In Ashland of all places...just sayin'.
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10:11 p.m.
Oct 16, '10
Can you give any sort of assessments of Medford Mail Tribune's endorsement history? I was shocked (in a good way) that the Republican leaning Oregonian endorsed Kitzhaber, particularly given they usually endorse GOP candidates (Saxton int eh last cycle for example).
Thanks for the post. I like how you have sort of a southern sort of "spanning the state" post. Helps fill in the blanks some more.
7:23 a.m.
Oct 17, '10
The Medford Mail Tribune endorsed Kitzhaber for governor in this Sunday's paper.
12:28 p.m.
Oct 17, '10
The Mail tribune is now owned by:
Dow Jones Local Media Group which is owned by Dow Jones & Company, Inc which is owned by News Corporation which is a Rupert Murdoch company. Rupert Murdoch is not actually a conservative as people have claimed he is. He is a member of the labor party in Australia with his own agenda. That last but might explain what appears to be a Paradox. This is for informational purposes only. Check it out when you have time.
10:49 a.m.
Oct 18, '10
I hate it when my taxes go up by a billion dollars in just a day. That's even more money than I earn!
7:20 p.m.
Oct 18, '10
Paulie, Glad you are enjoying all the "swanky" Morris parties in Ashland's charming homes. Opening checkbooks is Mike Morris' speciality. Last time around in 2004 he tried to unseat Ashland's hardest-working councillor and spent 4x his promised limit. Now in 2010 he has the LAV-PAC spending thousands for him instead. Follow the money (from developers, car-dealers and other fellow Chamber of Commerce proxies etc.) and you follow Morris.
Does Ashland really need even more of such good ol' boy politics?
7:14 a.m.
Oct 19, '10
Its the business economy that makes Ashland stable, funds the schools, library and so on. Another candidate is married to the Ex. Director of the Chamber.
6:09 p.m.
Oct 19, '10
Paulie, That sounds like e Republican speaking. I always thought that schools and the City (including its local library levy) were funded through the taxes of ALL who own property. That includes ordinary citizens that merely live and maybe work here. (as well as business property owners)
11:11 p.m.
Oct 19, '10
You are so off the mark. I am the former Chair of the Jackson County Dems who worked along side of progressives who helped elect Obama in Jackson County by 47 votes.
Apparently Eric and others who support him are unaware of how far off he is in understanding economic development in Ashland.
7:22 a.m.
Oct 20, '10
The "League of Ashland Voters" (LAV) PAC's massive smear campaign against Councilor Navickas is obviously having the desired effect - even with some so-called "progressives".
You say ".. Eric is well known for supporting public nuidity [sic] even around elementary schools.."...".
The Record proves totally the reverse.
From the Council minutes: Councilor Navickas/Voisin m/s to postpone second reading indefinitely and request that staff come back with language that is specific to 200-feet around schools. DISCUSSION: Councilor Navickas explained creating harm in the ordinance extended jurisdiction to include private property. Establishing a 200-foot ban around schools would be clear, concise, balance freedom of expression and make it easier for the police to enforce...Councilor Jackson did not support the motion.
http://www.ashland.or.us/Agendas.asp?AMID=3995
Don't let the Republicans get away with such lies about Eric.
And beware of the smiling wolf in sheep's clothing...
Colin
2:33 p.m.
Oct 21, '10
Sal Esquivel's "latest toxic performance?" How about Lynn Howe's toxic (politifact.com) "pants on fire" mailer? I'm a native Oregonian and I have never seen such a vicious filthy campaign as Lynn Howe's. You don't cite one thing she said in her supposedly "focused, on message" statements. I don't know one thing she does stand for. Every one of her mailers says little other than attacking Sal Esquivel.
She's been in Oregon only four years. She looks like a puppet who was put up to run by the House Builders PAC. Neither she nor you tells us anything about what she supposedly stands for. I can only deduce that she stands to be a rubber-stamp Democrat.
Early in the season I had predicted she would win, but now I earnestly hope that that both Lynn Howe and, more importantly, such a filthy campaign that defiles and debases Oregon politics succeed.