The Liftoff: Kotek's fundraising surge and Kristof's new job
PLUS: Oregon's meth problem gets worse; lottery revenues under the microscope; education advocates sound the alarm on funding; environmental news from across Oregon; and more!
Welcome back to The Liftoff!
As we enter another blazing-hot week across the state, we hope you’re staying cool and healthy.
Thank you for reading and supporting this newsletter. If you’d like to take your support to the next level, become a paying subscriber today.
1. Kotek surges in fundraising; gov. candidates weigh in on confederate flags
Willamette Week has an update on the latest fundraising in the race for Governor—and it was a big week for Tina Kotek, who reported over $1,000,000 in new contributions (including $800k from the Democratic Governors Association). Kotek is now about even with Christine Drazan in cash-on-hand; Betsy Johnson has nearly three times more.
Kotek also announced the endorsement of former Gov. Barbara Roberts, the first woman to serve in the office. Roberts endorsed State Treasurer Tobias Read in the primary.
How would the three candidates respond to the display of confederate flags? They answered The O’s question.
Here’s the lede of a story from The O: “For more than eight and a half years, Oregon unaffiliated gubernatorial candidate and former longtime lawmaker Betsy Johnson employed a woman as a legislative staffer who repeatedly voiced hateful views online toward Black, Muslim and LGBTQ people.”
Many voters consider Oregon’s affordable housing crisis to be the most important issue facing the state. Find out how the three candidates for governor compare on the issue, from OPB.
2. New (and old) jobs for prominent Oregonians
Nick Kristof will be returning to his post at the New York Times in the fall—but he will continue to be based in Oregon. He is finishing up a “journalistic memoir” over the summer. NYT Opinion Editor Kathleen Kingsbury wrote: “We are delighted to have him back. Not only is Nick an excellent journalist who has redefined what a modern columnist could be, he is a terrific colleague.” WW outlines some of the other job offers Kristof declined in favor of a return to journalism.
Meanwhile, Kristof emptied the remaining funds from his gubernatorial PAC into a new, non-candidate PAC called “Oregon Strong.” His wife and co-author, Sheryl WuDunn, is a director of the PAC.
Dave Jacobsen is the new president of IBEW Local 48, taking over for Wayne Chow, who did not run for a third term.
From OPB: “Eastern Oregon University President Tom Insko will soon become president and chief executive officer of Collins, a wood products company based in Wilsonville.”
3. Three big issues to watch
Who does the lottery hurt?: The Oregon lottery just brought in its biggest profits ever (by far)—a (significant) source of state revenue. Here’s the (significant) downside, from WW: “A study from the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism this month found that the Oregon Lottery and its peers target communities of color and people with low education and income.”
Oregon (still) has a huge meth problem: Check out this superb reporting from The Lund Report and OPB: “At the state’s largest psychiatric facility, the Oregon State Hospital, the overcrowding that has dominated headlines for years is, employees say, driven by a flood of patients whose mental illness is intertwined with meth. This, in turn, is closing out other acutely ill patients who instead are warehoused at other Oregon hospitals, increasing costs and taxing staff. But despite widespread awareness among insiders, there’s been little public recognition of the outsized role meth is playing in problems plaguing Oregon’s mental health system. There’s also no coordinated approach to address it.”
Education advocates sound the alarm on funding, from the Oregon School Boards Association: “Oregon spends far too little to achieve the education system that students deserve, the Quality Education Commission reported again last week. . . The 2022 Quality Education Model estimates that Oregon needs a 2023-25 State School Fund of $11.9 billion — $2.6 billion more than the last biennium.”
4. The Oregon Bridge is on vacation; check out our greatest hits
The Oregon Bridge podcast is on vacation this week, so check out some of our most popular episodes (there are over 60 on our YouTube channel and wherever you get your podcasts):
Journalist Les Zaitz (above)
CD4: Dem. Nominee Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle and GOP Nominee Alek Skarlatos
CD5: Dem. Jamie McLeod Skinner and GOP Nominee Lori Chavez DeRemer
CD6: Dem. Nominee in Rep. Andrea Salinas
5. Alvord Desert, Willamette Cove, and extreme drought: environmental news from across Oregon
Two wins for conservationists in the Alvord Desert: there will be no livestock grazing and no lithium mining in the Harney County desert (at least for now).
A long-form story from OPB says that the Bonneville Power Administration (a federal agency) is blocking efforts to reintroduce salmon to the upper Columbia River.
From the Capitol Chronicle: “State forester rescinds wildfire risk map in response to public, political outcry”
Good news/bad news via Pamplin:
Good news: “After three years of a statewide drought in Oregon, many Northern parts of the state are experiencing recovery and a drought-free summer”.
Bad news: “32% of the state is still in extreme or exceptional drought”.
The Metro Council voted unanimously to move forward with a full cleanup of Willamette Cove (rather than installing a cap), which was polluted by shipyards years ago. It will cost around $17.5 million.
State Rep. Dacia Grayber and her husband had to evacuate from a camping trip after a wildfire spread quickly. Here’s a quote from Rep. Grayber in The O: “It’s really ironic that we went to a place where we were like ‘Oh it’s going to be unburned and we’re going to find a few days to find our zen’ and then we ended up in the middle of historical fire behavior.”
From OPB: “Thornburgh Resort developer pulls plans to buy 400 acres of state land”
Oregon is on track to meet its’ greenhouse gas reduction goals by 2035, according to reporting from the Capital Chronicle.
6. Council candidate’s office vandalized (and other Portland area news)
The campaign headquarters of Rene Gonzalez, candidate for Portland City Council, was vandalized.
Commissioner Dan Ryan donated $250 to two rivals: Rene Gonzalez and incumbent Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. He is not endorsing either candidate.
Mayor Ted Wheeler took part in a sit-down interview with KATU where he highlighted issues facing the city, including gun violence.
Multnomah County voters will determine whether to allow noncitizens to vote in county elections with a November ballot initiative.
From Willamette Week: “A Polling Result Never Seen by the City’s Charter Commission Shows Portlanders Overwhelmingly Favored Placing Three Reforms on the Ballot Separately”
7. Popular (and unpopular) strategies for wildfire reduction
Thank you to our friends at the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center for this data on Oregonians’ support for various wildfire reduction strategies.
8. News Roundup: Clackamas County Clerk back in the news, high school sports, and striking workers
From The O: “Records confirm Oregon Legislature’s conduct watchdog was dysfunctional in 2021”
From Pamplin: “Clackamas County clerk's office embroiled in another election inconsistency”
Some OPB workers went on strike last week due to ongoing talks between labor and management.
Oregon is spending more on its college students but still lagging behind national averages, according to Sami Edge at The O.
OSAA, the organization governing high school athletics, will require all coaches, officials, and athletics directors to participate in an anti-discrimination training.
The proposed gun safety ballot measure may have a significant price tag for local governments, who are charged with administering the firearm permit portion of the proposal.
Thank you for reading.
Tips? Feedback? Ideas? Corrections? We want to hear from you! Email benjaminwbowman@gmail.com.
If you value this newsletter, please become a paying subscriber today. Your support will help us grow and offer more opportunities to this community. It’s just $10 a month!
Interested in advertising with us? Get in touch!
About the Authors
Ben Bowman is the chair of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board and a Democratic candidate for Oregon House District 25 (Tigard and Beaverton). In his day job, he works for the Oregon Department of Education. Previously, he worked as a legislative aide for former Reps. Margaret Doherty and Val Hoyle. He also co-hosts The Oregon Bridge podcast. In the newsletter and podcast, he speaks only for himself.
Alex Titus is a small business owner and consultant to businesses, nonprofits, and associations. Previously, he served as an Advisor in the Trump Administration and as a Policy Advisor to President Trump’s Super PAC. His writing has appeared in National Review, Fox News, The Hill, RealClearPolitics, and other publications. He also co-hosts The Oregon Bridge podcast.