What's Going On In Clackamas & Lake Oswego - The Blue Perspective.

To All COLA LO Members,

This week Blue Oregon published some insight into how the clackastani revolt is being perceived in terms of partisan politics.  

The article provides some insight from a partisan perspective:   Drinking Tea in Clackamas?.  

The perspective posted on Blue Oregon refers to a recent article in the Portland Mercury Checkpoint Clackamas which defines Lake Oswego and the county as ground zero in the revolt.  

Both articles provide an interesting perspective from a purely partisan point of view. 

What they ignore is the overwhelming number of democrats and independents that are a core part of the clackastani revolt.  Denial is a powerful motivator and it appears the article try to paint a partisan stripe to a truly grass roots movement.    Still both articles provide a unique perspective and insight.

The Portland Mercury article quotes LO City Councilor Mary Olson:

At first, Lake Oswego City Councilor Mary Olson was circumspect about Portland's role in the Clackamas unrest—but then jumped at the chance to slay what she thought was a common misconception."It's not that the old hicks out in Clackamas County are afraid of change. Which is how [critics] portray it," she says. "It's more that citizens are feeling like they don't have a voice."They want to be able to weigh in on some of these decisions like light rail or more density or zoning, or whatever. I'm a good example of that."

Olson, who helped scuttle a streetcar extension to Lake Oswego, is on the front of the next big fight. She's listed as the director of a PAC called Clackamas Rail Vote. The group is raising cash for a September referendum that asks whether voters would like a say on funding for the Milwaukie light-rail line. If voters say yes, a second vote would be held, this time on whether to actually cancel the county's contribution.Like other measures, it's been getting vocal support from the local Tea Party chapter and big checks from establishment right-wing funders like the Oregon Transformation Project PAC and Loren Parks.

But Olson rejected the idea that her measure, or any others, need that help. She says it's about regular people from both political parties being fed up over how their tax dollars are spent."That's why these initiatives are passing by 70 percent. That's why candidates are winning," she says. "The rest of this year is going to be very telling."
Olson also says fears over Portland—and it's prizing of "frou-frou stuff" like rail and bike lanes over streets and potholes—play just a "tiny part" in what's happening. But Olson, who moved from Portland 20 years ago to give her kids better schools and bigger yards, also admits she wants to preserve Lake Oswego's "small-town character."
"We live where we live for certain reasons." But after she retires? "Maybe I'll go back to Portland."

As we proceed into the fall elections its important to look at all perspectives and identify what is best for our city.    We leave it to the reader to identify the validity of the perspectives in these sources. 

Please notify all members, contacts, and friends.