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News - 2008

2008 General Election Endorsements are in!

artPAC is pleased to announce its endorsements in the 2008 general election. With so many dedicated and qualified candidates, our decision process was difficult. We ultimately selected those candidates who we felt best reflected the highest level of commitment to arts and culture funding and the ability to follow through if elected.

City of Portland Commissioner #1 -- Amanda Fritz

Multnomah County Commissioner #3 -- Mike Delman

We understand that these are challenging times, but we cannot allow our political leaders to use that as an excuse to put arts and culture funding on the back burner. We view arts and culture as a vital component of the infrastructure which is vital to our children’s growth, to our economy and to the overall vitality of our region. Our creative capacity cannot be compromised. artPAC will continue to work towards educating our leaders about arts and culture issues and supporting those candidates who best understand and commit to its future well being.

The ten candidates in the five contests were asked to answer four questions via a written questionnaire. Nine of the ten candidates responded and also participated in face to face follow up interviews held at the Pulliiam Deffenbaugh Gallery. We wish to thank all the participating candidates and our team of evaluators and supporters from Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah Counties.

We appreciate your support of arts and culture and would be honored to have you join us in this important effort, and to assist us by making a donation through our website or via mail.

Oregon Arts and Culture Political Action Committee 2236 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97214

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have at oregonartpac@yahoo.com.

Past News

2008 Primary Endorsements are in!

Our Evaluation Committees have reviewed the responses and rated each one based on four criteria to arrive at a percentage ranking. Oregon artPAC is pleased to endorse the following candidates with the highest rankings in the 2008 primary election:

  • Nick Fish (90.18%) - Portland City Commissioner #2
  • Dennis Doyle (88.39%) - Beaverton Mayor
  • Jim Middaugh (82.14%) - Portland City Commissioner #2
  • Jim Bernard (75.83%) - Clackamas County Commissioner #5
  • Rob Milesnick (74.69%) - Multnomah County Commissioner #3

Many thanks to all the candidates who responded and to our evaluators from Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties.

artPAC will expand its evaluation and endorsement process in the General Election this fall. Candidates not receiving our endorsement will have another opportunity should they make it to a runoff. While we are not making any campaign contributions at this time, it will be a consideration in the general election.

It is a difficult budgetary time for most governmental entities, which makes it even more imperative that we remind those seeking office that they cannot neglect the importance of arts and culture in our community.

Your support of artPAC is vital to our mission to promote funding for the arts. Please help us send our leaders and future leaders that important message!

- CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE -

2008 Primary Candidates

In 2008, we are focusing on the following contests:

  • Portland City Commissioners
  • Beaverton Mayor
  • Clackamas County Commissioners
  • Multnomah County Commissioners
  • Washington County Commissioners
  • Metro Councilors

Below is a list of the candidates who were sent our 2008 questionaire.

21 out of 54 candidates responded! We invite you to view their responses. Our evaluation committees will soon review and rate the candidates for endorsement consideration in the upcoming primary election. Our endorsements will be posted within the next few weeks. You can also view our 2006 candiates

Portland City Commissioner #1

Portland City Commissioner #2

Portland City Commissioner #4

Beaverton Mayor

Clackamas County Commissioner #1

Clackamas County Commissioner # 3

  • Ray Nelson
  • Martha Schrader
  • Patrick Reed

Clackamas County Commissioner #4

Clackamas County Commissioner #5

Multnomah County Commissioner District 1

Multnomah County Commissioner District 3

Multnomah County Commissioner District 4

Washington County Commission District 1

  • Dick Schouten

Washington County Commission District 3

Metro Councilor District 2

  • Carlotta Collette

Metro Councilor District 5

  • Rex Burkholder

Metro Councilor District 6

2008 General Election Endorsements are in!

artPAC is pleased to announce its endorsements in the 2008 general election. With so many dedicated and qualified candidates, our decision process was difficult. We ultimately selected those candidates who we felt best reflected the highest level of commitment to arts and culture funding and the ability to follow through if elected.

City of Portland Commissioner #1 -- Amanda Fritz

Multnomah County Commissioner #3 -- Mike Delman

We understand that these are challenging times, but we cannot allow our political leaders to use that as an excuse to put arts and culture funding on the back burner. We view arts and culture as a vital component of the infrastructure which is vital to our children’s growth, to our economy and to the overall vitality of our region. Our creative capacity cannot be compromised. artPAC will continue to work towards educating our leaders about arts and culture issues and supporting those candidates who best understand and commit to its future well being.

The ten candidates in the five contests were asked to answer four questions via a written questionnaire. Nine of the ten candidates responded and also participated in face to face follow up interviews held at the Pulliiam Deffenbaugh Gallery. We wish to thank all the participating candidates and our team of evaluators and supporters from Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah Counties.

We appreciate your support of arts and culture and would be honored to have you join us in this important effort, and to assist us by making a donation through our website or via mail.

Oregon Arts and Culture Political Action Committee 2236 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97214

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have at oregonartpac@yahoo.com.

Past News

Primary Endorsements are in!

Our Evaluation Committees have reviewed the responses and rated each one based on four criteria to arrive at a percentage ranking. Oregon artPAC is pleased to endorse the following candidates with the highest rankings in the 2008 primary election:

Many thanks to all the candidates who responded and to our evaluators from Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties.

artPAC will expand its evaluation and endorsement process in the General Election this fall. Candidates not receiving our endorsement will have another opportunity should they make it to a runoff. While we are not making any campaign contributions at this time, it will be a consideration in the general election.

It is a difficult budgetary time for most governmental entities, which makes it even more imperative that we remind those seeking office that they cannot neglect the importance of arts and culture in our community.

Your support of artPAC is vital to our mission to promote funding for the arts. Please help us send our leaders and future leaders that important message!

- CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE -

Candidate Responses are in!

Of the 54 candidates invited to participate in this year’s arts and arts funding related questionnaire, 21 have responded to our questionnaire. We invite you to view the questions and the responses. Our evaluation committees will soon review and rate the candidates for endorsement consideration in the upcoming primary election. Our endorsements will be posted within the next few weeks.

 

2006 News

Oregon artPAC Endorsed Candidates Win Election

Jeff Cogen and Lynn Petersen were both successful in their bids to win election in their respective races for the County Commissioner positions in Multnomah and Clackamas Counties. As the candidates endorsed by the Oregon Arts and Culture Political Action Committee (artPAC), both candidates ran energetic campaigns and impressively defeated their opponents, Lew Frederick in Multnomah and incumbent Larry Sowa in Clackamas.

After a rigorous and detailed interview process of all four candidates last summer, artPAC chose to endorse the successful candidates based on their commitments to increase public funding for arts and culture. Why is their election so important? Public funding at the county level has traditionally been a very low priority. The need for elected officials committed to the arts is clear and compelling. Here are a few startling facts:

artPAC is committed to changing those statistics. With the right people in office and dedicated supporters throughout the entire region, Portland will achieve a higher level that brings with it all the economic and social benefits of a vibrant and vital arts community.

artPAC thanks all of its generous supporters and looks forward to future endeavors and successes. This has been a good start, but there is much more to be done.

Oregon artPAC Holds First Event

Invited!

More than sixty people attended artPAC’s first event on October 17th. The event drew enthusiastic arts and culture patrons and devotees from throughout the Portland area. With food from Blue Hour, wine from DePonte Cellars and innovative music by electric cellist Gideon Freudman, attendees had the opportunity to meet artPAC’s co-founders and co-chairs and learn more about the organization’s mission of supporting and promoting public funding for the arts.

Having endorsed County Commissioner candidates, Jeff Cogen in Multnomah and Lynn Petersen in Clackamas, the occasion raised $2000 for each of the candidate’s campaigns. Following a detailed interview process last summer for all the commissioner candidates in those counties, artPAC selected Cogen and Petersen based on each of their commitments to help fund the arts at the county level.

Speaking at the event, Oregon City Mayor Alice Norris stressed the importance of the arts as an engine for the entire region. She encouraged those in attendance to support the visions for the future shared by artPAC and the candidates. Mr. Cogen and Ms. Petersen shared their thoughts on how they would work to increase public funding if elected to office. City Commissioner Sam Adams concluded the reception with a discussion of Portland’s and Oregon’s poor overall national ranking in public funding for the arts and the need to improve that. This evening was a good beginning in that direction!

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