Renew Oregon compares Big Oil to Big Tobacco

Kari Chisholm

In the wake of the fight over the Clean Fuel Standard in the closing weeks of the legislative session, the gloves are off at Renew Oregon.

In a new ad, to debut this weekend during the Oregon Ducks football game, Renew Oregon compares Big Oil to Big Tobacco. It's a powerful ad. Personally, I love it. The comparison of cigarettes to smokestacks is a powerful image -- and it's makes exactly the right point: We're all addicted to oil, and as hard as it's going to be, we have to wean ourselves off.

Of course, the strength of this message -- turning Big Oil into villains like Big Tobacco -- could also be a weakness. It wasn't that long ago that a tobacco tax measure failed at the ballot, with a surprising number of low-income urban voters voting against a tobacco tax (confounding typical left/right notions of urban/rural voters.) The oil industry is already painting renewable energy programs like the clean fuels standards as a "tax" that will hit low-income folks hardest.

Or maybe that's overthinking it.

What do you think? Discuss.

By Kari Chisholm Sept. 11, 2015 Posted in Video.

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Wheeler: Let's have real progress

T.A. Barnhart

Ted Wheeler, candidate for Portland mayor

On October 19, 2011, my father died. I received one phone call that day, from Ted Wheeler. Just a few months earlier, Ted’s father had died, and he understood what the loss meant to me. He got my number from a friend, and he called me to share my hurt.

This sealed my admiration, and yes, love, for Ted. He moved beyond politician to friend. But even as politician, he’d already won my admiration and support. A few years earlier, when Basic Rights Oregon was working on reversing Measure 36, I attended one of the first house parties that were part of BRO’s education program. And in the living room of that house, Ted spoke against M36 and for the rights of all Oregonians with passion and authenticity.

And without notes. Ted Wheeler does not need notes to speak with intelligence and feeling. But he’s pretty good at speechifying, as he showed once again this morning when he announced, as he noted, the worst-kept political secret in Oregon – Ted Wheeler is running for Portland Mayor.

I’ve posted the entire speech online and will be sharing clips over the coming days. But here are my major takeaways from his speech:

• As Mayor, he’ll put transparency and accountability together at the forefront of any proposed actions. No more secret meetings with lobbyists. No more kicking the can down the road. The work needs to get done, and he’ll get it done, in part, by restoring the public’s trust in, and support of, city government.
• Charlie Hales is a nice guy, but damn. A lot of campaign promises from 2012 have gone unfulfilled.
• Progressive is, as I like to say, a verb. A progressive Portland will take care of those in most need. Several of those who spoke before Wheeler told of his commitment, in private life and public, to making life better for those who were experience homelessness, dealing with mental health problems and addiction, who need a decent job.
• “No one person can do this job.” Ding ding. Are you paying attention, Portland? A Wheeler administration not only will be open about how its doing business and with whom, it wants all citizens to be part of that business. Electing a new mayor and then sitting back to wait for the magic is not democracy. It’s a children’s tv show (my analogy, not his).

For BlueOregon readers, Ted Wheeler probably needs little introduction. For Portland voters, a different story. His great work at Multnomah County and Treasury are unknown to most voters, so he’ll be spending the next six-to-nine months introducing himself and presenting his case to be our next mayor. I’m looking forward to the various forums and debates that will be held; Wheeler will press the incumbent on why he’s failed to deliver on his campaign promises and ask the question all Portland voters should ask, as he stated it this morning:

Do we want to hear another politician say “Please give me more time” or do we want to make real progress now?

By T.A. Barnhart Sept. 09, 2015

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BREAKING: Ted Wheeler runs for Mayor

Kari Chisholm

It's official. State Treasurer Ted Wheeler is running for Mayor of Portland. Why run for Mayor instead of Governor?

We have a governor in Kate Brown who’s making progress,” he tells WW, “and a mayor in Charlie Hales who isn’t.”

"My fight isn't with Charlie Hales," Wheeler told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Tuesday. "My fight is with the problems he has failed to address as mayor."

A poll conducted in May (by whom? we don't know) had the race at Hales 31, Wheeler 28 with undecided at 41 -- with a 5% margin-of-error. That's what we call a dead heat.

What do you think? What are you hoping to see between now and the primary election in May?

By Kari Chisholm Sept. 09, 2015

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Is Vance Day clowning the media? (Updated: YES.)

Kari Chisholm

Vance Day

In the wake of the controversy over Kentucky's Kim Davis, the county clerk that refused to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples, we've got our own version right here in Oregon.

Marion County Judge Vance Day (a former state GOP chairman) says he quit performing marriages last spring to avoid performing same-sex marriages.

But lots of judges don't perform marriages. So, why is he under investigation by the state Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability? They won't say; investigations are sealed until there's a public hearing. (Update below.)

But Day's spokesman admits there are multiple allegations against the judge. He calls the marriage complaint the "weightiest" allegation -- but here's what you need to know: None of this came to light until last week, when Day got permission to launch a legal defense fund.

It sure does seem fortuitous timing that Day created his legal defense fund right when the Kim Davis controversy was exploding.

I've got dollars-to-donuts here that the allegations against Day are much more pedestrian and his own spokesman is pointing the finger at the marriage controversy to gin up fundraising.

Update: And now we know. In addition to the marriage stuff...

According to the commission the allegations include:

-- Falsely telling the commission, related to an investigation of complaints about him, that he was grabbed by the shoulders from behind without warning while attending his son's soccer game.

-- Falsely claiming he didn't know that a veteran in Veteran's Court, over which he presided, had a felony conviction.

-- Allowing that veteran to handle guns even though the judge had no authority to waive the state's prohibition against felons owning or using firearms.

-- Hanging up a picture of Hitler in the courthouse.

-- Taking money from lawyers, some who appeared before him in court, to sponsor veteran-related wall hangings in the courthouse hallways.

Read the entire complaint, and Judge Day's response here.

By Kari Chisholm Sept. 08, 2015

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Governor 2016: Wehby out. Buehler out. Richardson out. Will the GOP be stuck with Bud Pierce?

Kari Chisholm

If you've been spending the last, lazy days of summer ignoring local politics, you might have missed the rather bizarre "She's in! She's out!" adventure from Monica Wehby.

On August 28, Wehby's spokesman told the media that "Dr. Monica Wehby is being courted by both Republican and Democrat leaders at the state and national levels about the possibility of her serving as Oregon’s next governor."

Which leaders? Particularly, which Democrats? He wouldn't say.

After all, her 2014 race against Jeff Merkley was a disaster. And it was just in May when she said she wasn't running for office, even as she created an eponymous state PAC.

But, despite Democrats gleeing rubbing their hands at the prospect, Wehby for Governor 2016 was not to be. Just five days later, she ran over to the ring and picked her hat back up.

It looks like those Republican leaders that were supposedly courting her, well, they weren't interested. Bill Currier, state GOP chairman:

"I don't ever say to a candidate we don't want you running," he said. "But if someone is not ready, meaning the resources aren't lining up or its not their time in terms of their background, we'll have an honest conversation."

Asked if he ever had that kind of conversation with Wehby, he said only, "I concur with her that this is not the correct time."

Currier also acknowledged that though Wehby had told him she had been approached by supporters asking her to run for governor, "I'm not familiar with anybody approaching her."

Meanwhile, one more thing for your vacation catch-up: Rep. Knute Buehler (R-Bend) also announced that he isn't going to run for Governor in 2016. And Dennis Richardson, the 2014 nominee, also said he won't run.

That leaves just Bud Pierce, a Salem oncologist and former head of the Oregon Medical Association, in the race. Of course, Pierce has had trouble articulating a message. Even now, his "new vision" consists of bland pablum (except a strident position against minimum wage and paid sick leave.)

So, the question is: Are there are any serious Republicans interested in running for Governor?

By Kari Chisholm Sept. 08, 2015

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