Saturday: A beer for Portland's future
Kari Chisholm
Here in Portland, we often do things a little different than the rest of the country -- whether it's wacky stuff like the Urban Iditarod (featuring shopping cart sleds and barking humans) or important stuff like the Portland Streetcar (the first modern streetcar since WWII.)
When it comes to politics, we've got an innovative campaign finance system that reduces the influence of big money - and makes sure that our elected officials and candidates spend their time talking to regular voters, instead of influential elites.
How it works: if you collect one thousand $5 checks from Portland voters and voluntarily give up your right to fund your campaign with big-money donations, you get $150,000 to run your campaign. It's not much - not enough to overdose on TV ads - but enough to spread the word by knocking on doors.
This Saturday, I am inviting you to meet one of those candidates. Jesse Cornett is a good friend, and exactly the kind of guy who belongs in public life. He's smart, he's hard-working, and he's got the right values.
From 6 to 9 p.m., we're getting together at the Lucky Lab Pub at Southeast 9th and Hawthorne. We'll have some great Portland beer, talk Portland politics, and I'm going to personally ask you to donate $5 to Jesse's campaign. Once Jesse qualifies (and this event will make the difference), you won't hear another donation pitch again from his campaign.
From helping kick-start the Bus Project, co-founding BlueOregon, and serving as the vice-chair of the Democratic Party, Jesse's worked hard to create grassroots energy to change our community. As a top aide to the Secretary of State and an advocate for Portland State University, he's demonstrated an ability to bring people together around good ideas and actually get things done.
Jesse's got the optimism, energy, passion, and commitment to make a great member of the City Council. I hope you'll join me on Saturday night.
And bring a $5 bill - or a personal check - because even if you're not yet sure who you'll vote for in May, we should have an active and meaningful conversation this spring about the future of our great city.
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5:22 p.m.
Jan 22, '10
[Full disclosure: My firm built Jesse Cornett's campaign website, but I speak only for myself.]
Jan 22, '10
Hear, hear! You can rsvp on FB , too.
8:42 p.m.
Jan 22, '10
i already gave Jesse his $5, and i have collected some, too. but if Kari Chisholm has time to drink a beer Saturday evening, he also has time for this
Jan 22, '10
I have been looking forward to this event. Ive talked to a lot of people planning to go. Thanks for the reminder Kari!
Jan 23, '10
Kari - even for you this is kinda smarmy. If you had any interest at all in being fair and balanced, you could have asked all PDX City Council Candidates for their info and posted them together for a side by side peek instead of a possible grapefruits to kumquats "Y'all can submit something later and I might use it" post down the road. Maybe.
Full disclosure: Mary Volm is a friend and I don't vote in PDX. Oh - and I speak only for myself. Don't most of us?
Jan 23, '10
Anon, aka "Sue", how 'bout shut the f*ck up? You got an answer, is this your next go? Another verbally challenged biter.
Planning to attend? Please, please, do, or can't you stand a public forum? It'll be dark; you don't have to worry about coming out in the light of day.
Jan 23, '10
Z - I actually DO have a name and it's not "anon" (simply ask Mr. Chisholm. We've know each other for over a decade) but I see I've struck a nerve, Z. It's amazing how anyone who disagrees with the devoted here is immediately subjected to ad hominem attacks (look it up) and obscenity laced vitriol from pen named loyalists. Wouldn't a substantive discussion be a better option?
And been in plenty of public forums (avec name tag) unlike you, Z. Think I'll skip this one. Thanks for asking, though.
Jan 23, '10
Ahhhh, the internet is a wonderful place!
Jan 23, '10
He knows who I am too. But just what does that have to do with picking a real person, using their name to say something you know they disagree with, and then being righteous? Yeah, that does strike a nerve.
So, next time you talk to Kari, ask him. Who has been the #1 gadfly about objectivity on BO? Who has been the #1 apologist for the necessary use of aliases.
What does any of that have to do with identity theft? And what kind of passive aggressive BS is "I'll skip this", after you have your say?
Like I said before...
11:56 a.m.
Jan 23, '10
Uh, folks? How about we discuss the topics at hand - rather than arguing about online identities?
FWIW, I do know Sue Castner and we're friends. I'm finding no evidence that she's posted as "Anon" or any other sort of anonymous coward. I trust that if Sue has concerns or questions, she knows how to reach me and ask. We've had our disagreements in the past, but we're still friends.
Oh, and Sue, to answer your question: The candidates in this race ARE welcome to send us a "Why I'm Running" post. We'll post 'em all. (We won't commit to running a post from every candidate in every race - that would make for a very boring blog - but this race is interesting, important, and dynamic.)
In addition to the "Why I'm Running" post, we always accept guest columns from anyone - and will review them the way we always do. (Well-written? Interesting? About Oregon? Progressive? Political?) But that's a separate question than the "Why I'm Running" post.
You should note that Jason Renaud has already had two guest columns posted here and here.
And finally, our regular contributors - including me - are always welcome to write whatever they want. BlueOregon doesn't endorse candidates, but we expect our contributors to do so, and tell us why. I'm supporting Jesse Cornett.
9:24 p.m.
Jan 23, '10