Those who have attended Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association’s (BWNA) general meetings know that the allotted 90 minutes is barely enough time to do justice to the agenda. And that’s precisely why BWNA (along with many other neighborhood associations) has adopted a policy of not extending speaking invitations to candidates running or office and advocates campaigning on ballot measures. Simply put, if a neighborhood association extends a speaking invitation to one, it must also out of fairness extend an invitation to the competition, which can easily dominate an entire meeting. But that’s exactly what Beaumont-Wilshire’s Central Northeast Coalition neighbor Rose City Park does each campaign season. It devotes an entire evening meeting to a public forum of candidates and ballot measure advocates.
Thus when campaigns come knocking, BWNA dutifully refers them to RCPNA.
On Tuesday evening March 18th at the German-American Society building (5626 NE Alameda Street), beginning at 7:00pm, the Rose City Park Neighborhood Association invites the public to meet local candidates and become familiar with the pros and cons of an upcoming ballot measure. Light refreshments will be provided. The forum allots 10 minutes for each candidate and ballot measure advocate to introduce himself/herself, express positions, and field questions from the audience. Among the invited candidates is longtime Beaumont-Wilshire resident and BWNA contributor Tom Sincic, who is running against appointed incumbent Barbara Smith Warner for State District #45 Representative. Other candidates include Michael Durrow, Incumbent Nick Fish, and Sharon Maxwell for City Council #2, Jim Francisconi, Deborah Kafoury, Aquiles Montas, and Steven Reynolds for Multnomah County Chair, Incumbent Loretta Smith and Teressa Raiford Mazique for Multnomah County Commissioner District #2, as well as advocates for and against City Initiative Petition #4 (establishment of the Portland Public Water District). For additional information about the Forum, contact RCPNA Board member Bob Dueltgen (dueltgen@mindspring.com).