My Heroine Today
Jesse Cornett
I think we should all applaud Karol Collymore for her effort to be a State Senator.
Knowing she'd be the underdog, Karol chose to dive in to the race head-first.
If you were listening to the hearing like I was, you were probably on the edge of your seat when she got the first two votes. Even some us supporting Chip Shields were happy about the nature of the debate and Karol's dark horse candidacy.
I'm sure she had a line of people telling her she couldn't win, she didn't have a chance, and shouldn't even try it.
But she did. Thanks Karol!
When you wake up tomorrow and the newspaper reports on the House vacancy that today's appointment created, I hope you'll again choose to throw your hat in the ring.
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9:09 p.m.
Sep 24, '09
Karol is awesomely brave..and truly exceptional. I too hope she runs for the Oregon House. She'd be splendid.
10:50 p.m.
Sep 24, '09
What Carla said. Karol is an amazing woman and would be an incredible Representative.
11:02 p.m.
Sep 24, '09
The only thing that I can think of that would Karol even cooler than she has already proved herself to be is changing that blasted K to a C!!
Sep 25, '09
There are few women that will handle things like what did Karol did. She deserves the goal she pursues and achieves right now.
Sep 25, '09
good luck Karol
7:08 a.m.
Sep 25, '09
i echo what everyone else is saying about Karol, and i'd be thrilled to see her run for the House seat if it weren't for one little detail: i think Lew Frederick is the right choice for this position (notice i did not say "better"). people are excited about what Karol has done, and rightfully so, but since the SD22 process began, my excitement was about the possibility of Lew becoming a member of the House. a lot of people are going to be pushing Karol forward, but, for me, Lew is the right choice.
Sep 25, '09
Karol - the fact that you present as a sexual, saucy woman not afraid to ask particular questions with a good mind is good. You have not ever seemed to be positioning in the typical way. I like it. Tom Civiletti used to act the same way. He was not afraid to cut thru the mush and chatter, and his special brand of "I'm not thinking about advance positioning" was to attack with perfect aim, and not ever really get personally involved when it came back at him. You also exhibit your own kind of aplomb when they start lobbing or when it comes back at you.
Good to see a unique style with its own personality out there going for it. Just based on the fact that you do not present a Politico style on this blog, I'd definitely consider you. Because you ring authentically me.
I hope you go for the House.
Sep 25, '09
AND Carol, you could ask Chris to pitch in as your main Guido of research and policy. :)
8:40 a.m.
Sep 25, '09
I'm embarrassed, blushing, and completely humbled; thank you, Jesse.
I want to give a little shout to Joanne Bowman. She doled out hugs, support, positive words and kept the spirit of positive competition. As a first-timer, I appreciated and needed that. It makes the prospect of trying again much easier.
10:52 a.m.
Sep 25, '09
In terms of our talent, the Democratic Party suffers an embarrassment of riches. And I think the Oregonian had it exactly right. Collymore for State Rep!
Well, they almost had it right. I didn't like the focus that editorial had on race.
Instead of focusing on racial balancing, I'd rather attack the underlying issue: poverty. The reason why we are dramatically under-represented in the legislature by the struggling middle-class (which includes nearly all people of color) is because the salaries for legislative positions are so low, you have to be independently wealthy or take an effective vow of poverty to occupy one. Prestige of holding such a position is a powerful motivator, but you can't groceries with it.
The result is that the people who represent us, on average, do not have the direct knowledge of what it feels like to be stepped on. (That is the common experience of the poor and struggling middle-class no matter what their skin color.) And the salary issue also leads to cases of petty corruption on the part of Republicans, as Kari has documented with the bogus-poll story, and unseemly-looking appointments on the part of Democrats.
This issue really needs to be addressed. We can't keep people of such a caliber like Chris and Karol forever, if we don't pay them what they're worth.
Sep 25, '09
Steve: please be specific. How impoverished are our legislators? $20K per annum? $30K per annum (most of us live on that, without percs); $35K per annum (lots of people held absolutely responsible for what they do must "make do" on this much); $40K per annum (really? poverty?)
I want to know specifically what the poverty level is that we are asking here. I think my frame of reference is skewed. I think doing work with meaning and purpose is part of your reward. You COULD be making that same money and less doing something that feeds no part of your soul easily.
Can anyone put a number on this before we ascribe "poverty" to the dearth of legislators of hetergeneity?
1:55 p.m.
Sep 25, '09
rw: Steve: please be specific. How impoverished are our legislators?
Good question. My answer: counting effective mandatory unpaid overtime (meeting constituents, for example), legislators earn less than the legal minimum wage in Oregon.
I think a job in the legislature should be paid more than legal minimum wage - for starters. Heck, maybe we could pay them in equivalent dollars per hour, what we pay them what a McDonalds store manager makes, as opposed to the teenage employees.
2:14 p.m.
Sep 25, '09
Steven and RW, I won't lie, the pay is something I really have to think long and hard about. I may have to move to something cheaper - and I already am living pretty cheaply - perhaps get a car - I'm carfree now - and get another part time job. Being single doesn't really help either because I don't have a back up person to help make the rent.
Considering these 90 people work to protect the people of Oregon, I'm surprised they aren't paid more.
Sep 25, '09
OK - makes sense. And having spent my time dragged into lobbying on behalf of Viagra Cowboys coast to coast but not being able to insist upon boundaries on my time..... my kid suffered horribly from that telecommute and we lived not so well in the end despite a reasonable-looking salary. But you did dodge the actual question: I asked what they are paid, you told me an equivalence.
I am certain there is an actual sum quoted and it is NOT an hourly wage.
So: what is the per annum? Is it an hourly wage or a salary? Is it such an unreasonable salary we should call it a stipend? Thanks for giving an actual number to the discussion.
3:31 p.m.
Sep 25, '09
$1801/mo.
http://www.leg.state.or.us/faq/
Sep 25, '09
$1,801.00? That is impossible.
Sep 25, '09
So the next quantitative question is this: how many hours a week/month is the "position"?
Do not include the nebulous "countless required meetings", just call out the actual core accountabilities that are quantified somewhere.
Craziness.
Sep 25, '09
This Twitter feed is crap. Most of it appears to be "professional" tweets. Worthless, meaningless noise! Appears that the vaunted newest vox pop is already coopted.
12:16 a.m.
Sep 26, '09
The amount of pay is set by statute. Currently both the Senators and Representatives are paid $1,801.00 per month. The Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate are paid twice that amount.
That, according to the FAQ's page of the state website:
www.leg.state.or.us/faq/faqinfo.htm
I don't know if legislation introduced this last session to reduce it to $1621 passed or not. I don't think so.
Sep 26, '09