It's extremists vs. moderates in school board races

Today the Statesman Journal has an illuminating story by Natalie Pate about the Salem-Keizer school board races that will be decided on next Tuesday's election day, May 18. 

There's two slates competing for votes on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

These are the moderate candidates that I urge you to cast your ballot for if you haven't voted already. (Take your ballot to a drop box, since it is too late to put it in the mail.)

The Statesman Journal story says about them:

Osvaldo Avila (Zone 1), Ashley Carson Cottingham (Zone 3), Karina Gúzman Ortiz (Zone 5) and María Hinojos Pressy (Zone 7) have been endorsed by more politically liberal groups, unions and PACs, such as Community for Salem-Keizer Schools, PCUN and Progressive Salem.

These candidates have focused on issues such as returning to schools safely and raising the district's graduation rates.

Yes, the story correctly notes that Avila, Cottingham, Ortiz, and Pressey have endorsements from more politically liberal groups.

But compared to the very conservative slate of candidates, these four are decidedly moderate.

Kari Zohner (Zone 1), Linda Farrington (Zone 3), Mike Slagle (Zone 5) and Liam Collins (Zone 7) have been endorsed by more politically conservative groups and political action committees, such as Protect Kids, Oregon Right to Life and Marion+Polk First.

These candidates have focused their priorities on immediately reopening schools full-time and bringing back school resource officers.

Oregon Right to Life and the closely associated Protect Kids and Marion+Polk First have pumped a lot of money into trying to make the Salem-Keizer School Board a platform to promote extreme right-wing policies. 

Even though school board members have little-to-no say on reproductive health education in local schools, the Oregon Right to Life's PAC has invested heavily into Salem-Keizer school board elections for the past several races. This year is no different.

Oregon Right to Life and other PACs are helping some of the conservative-slate candidates pay off debts and have paid off tens of thousands of dollars to Intisar Strategies, owned by David Kilada, the former political director of Oregon Right to Life. 

Intisar Strategies, which is running the four candidates' campaigns, is described as a political consulting and marketing firm dedicated to advancing center-right candidates, issues and causes in Oregon.

The Protect Kids PAC, supporting the same slate of candidates, released mailers saying to "vote for our conservative values."

You know, I'm old fashioned. I don't believe students should be held hostage to conservative values.

Growing up in the long ago times (1950s and 60s), back then school boards were focused on, no big surprise, students.  

But now right-wingers have set a goal to bring their Trumpist ideology to local races like school board elections.

It's super important to not let the Oregon Right to Life slate of candidates succeed in making the Salem-Keizer school board a branch of the extreme conservatism that is trying to subvert democracy in states across the nation.

Vote wisely. Again, I recommend Osvaldo Avila (Zone 1), Ashley Carson Cottingham (Zone 3), Karina Gúzman Ortiz (Zone 5) and María Hinojos Pressey (Zone 7).

Comments

[Jim Scheppke]

Thanks Brian. What the Statesman Journal article does not get quite right is that Oregon Right to Life, Marion+Polk First and Protect Kids PAC, are all the same thing -- Oregon Right to Life. ORTL knows their brand is toxic to the the majority of Salem area voters, so they set up fake front groups that they can give money to and hide behind to support their candidates. Another one they have used is the Women's Leadership Coalition which also sent a mailer in this election. Nobody should be fooled if they get mail from any of these front groups. It's all Oregon Right to Life.

[Les Margosian]

There are those who argue that Salem is, in balance, a progressive city. While I hope that they're right, I often see evidence to the contrary. The May 18 24J school board election will provide us pretty persuasive evidence of where we are, collectively, on the political spectrum. If nothing else the election will bring to an end the Republican's sneering, cynical protestations that the other side is politicizing the educational environment. With the possible exception of the last 24J election, I've never seen them so politicized! One glance at their campaign material, where they talk about putting an end to "radical" and "socialistic" curriculum plans, confirms their political and ideological intentions.

[Les Margosian]

While the extremists rant on and on about how political the moderates are we should note that all their campaign are being run by Marion+Polk First whose Board consists of, among others, Reagon Knopp who is political director ofOregon Right To Life and a Ms Nearman, wife of far right wing wacko Oregon State Rep Michael Nearman. The very air they breath is pure unadulteerated Trumpism.