Comments on: Election postmortem

By: Steve Rawley

Steve Rawley — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:22:09 +0000

With the worst turnout in a Multnomah County May election for at least 14 years, I don’t buy that the money spent in the zone 5 race increased turnout. You could just as easily argue that it suppressed turnout. There’s really no evidence either way.

In May 2007, the turnout was 25%.
2005: 16.91%
2003: 56.02%
2001: 23%
1999: 31.6%
1997: 36.6%
1995: 41.5%

By: bjc

bjc — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:28:33 +0000

Two thoughts:

- The money spent on Zone 5 probably increased overall voter participation, without that spending participation would have been even less.

- I’m not surprised a similar number voted in Zone 4, I can’t see lots of people bothering to vote on one race and not the other. That probably worked to the benefit of Gonzalez, assuming voters brought in by the Zone 5 campaign tended to follow endorsements.

By: Steve Rawley

Steve Rawley — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:28:05 +0000

To wit: “Four years later, Buel’s bomb-throwing has zero appeal to anyone but the Bill Ayerses of the world.”

So I guess there are close to 10,000 Bill Ayerses voting in special elections in Portland.

By: Steve Buel

Steve Buel — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:21:30 +0000

Heck, if all the people supporting you are terrorists (see WW endorsements) you don’t have to do much to motivate them.

By: Steve Rawley

Steve Rawley — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:45:15 +0000

Funny, I covered the high end (Bailey spending $2.35 per vote); Beth Slovic at Willamette Week covers the other end: Steve Buel spent 2 cents per vote.

By: Lakeitha

Lakeitha — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:59:27 +0000

I’m on it for 2011. If I haven’t completely given up hope that PPS can meet the challenge of educating all children in an equitable way.

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:46:36 +0000

Here’s my postmortem:

Democracy in local elections is non-existent. How can we say that the decision of 15% of REGISTERED voters is a fair reflection of the concerns of the larger community?

What a joke!

Secondly, we’re in for at least two more years of business as usual on the board. Maybe longer if no one steps up to challenge the four incumbents in 2011.

Some on this site have spoken of taking “direct action” to alert the board and the community to the “crisis” –in equity, in funding, in governance– facing Portland Public Schools.

I say it’s time to get it on.