Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Oops! NENA President Skips Debate Sponsored by NENA

My opponent has criticized me on his blog for missing the Collister neighborhood forum, which he attended on September 25 and which I was never invited to. Perhaps he retracted his criticism on his blog when he learned that the person responsible for notifying Democratic candidates only contacted District 16 candidates. This is because almost all of the Collister neighborhood is in D16, not D19 where I'm running. D19 candidates have not been invited nor have they appeared at this forum in recent years.

I have, in turn, criticized my opponent on this blog for not attending a forum sponsored by a number of organizations that have a good deal of influence and respect in District 19.

Our ongoing tit-for-tat took an interesting turn this past week, however. Kevin attacked me on his blog last Friday for not confirming my attendance at a forum hosted by the BSU Political Science Dept. Here's what he said: "Despite multiple attempts by the organizer to contact my opponent, he has not responded. If there is a miscommunication, that is fine, he needs to get in touch and confirm his attendance. For those of you that know him, I would encourage you to ask my opponent to come to the debate as a healthy discussion of the issues is a good thing for people."

Well, I certainly don’t want to deny people "a good thing.”

It is true that I did not confirm my attendance. I also did not decline. Given the rather late invitation I received for this as compared to other forums, and given the hectic nature of the last week of the campaign, I was reluctant to make a commitment, particularly given that there was no guarantee that there would be a single District 19 voter in attendance. Besides, we were already scheduled to appear together just three days before the BSU forum at another previously scheduled debate (discussed below). And so I acknowledge that I was leaving my options open.

Fast forward to this past Monday. The event was the North End Neighborhood Association meeting and candidate debates. During their business meeting, NENA was scheduled to elect new board members. Following the election, debates were scheduled for legislative and county commission races. I was invited to this debate back on September 3 and have had it on my calendar ever since. In many ways, the North End is the heart of District 19—a large and vibrant neighborhood that typifies the politics and diversity of the district. Because I knew the debate would attract dozens of D19 voters, and because the North End neighborhood is critical to any candidate running in the district, I wouldn’t have considered missing this event.

My opponent has trumpeted his title as President of the North End Neighborhood Association as his most relevant credential, after having taken on the role just a few weeks before declaring his candidacy for the Legislature. And so it’s strange, if not completely mystifying, that the NENA President wouldn’t show up to his own association meeting, nor would he show up to the debate the association was sponsoring. But that’s exactly what happened.

He has been given opportunities by his fellow board members and the Boise Weekly to explain his absence but to date has not produced any substantive reasons for failing to show: "I had a print job that didn't go very well, and I had some problems with my financial reports." When the Boise Weekly asked me what I thought, I told them, in all honesty, that I was very surprised that he skipped out on this debate. His absence most certainly sent a message to his fellow board members and all the neighborhood residents in attendance, but it’s not a message that generally wins votes. And, it certainly makes his criticism of me just days before ring awfully hollow.

State of Change: A New Documentary about the 2008 Ada County Democratic Caucus

If you're looking for something to keep hope alive during the waning days of this protracted campaign, watch this film.

This documentary captures the flavor, excitement, and optimism of what I consider to be the most memorable political occasion of my life. Local filmmaker Seth Randall has done a wonderful job of documenting the extraordinary and historic caucus (one of the largest, if not THE largest in the country), which came just days after an unprecedented rally at Taco Bell Arena featuring Sen. Barack Obama. Idaho, as the film points out, delivered Obama his largest primary/caucus margin of victory in the country. And yes, I have a speaking role.

NOTE: It appears it doesn't display very well on my blog page, so you might want to view or download it at caucusfilm.blogspot.com.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

I heart Boise





















Today was a beautiful day in the City of Trees. In the still crisp air of morning, my daughters played their last soccer game of the season. Later, I took them to the school playground across the street from our home and then to a party at one of Boise's wonderful, verdant municipal parks. I got to soak up the fall weather by going out doorknocking for a few hours this afternoon, which I've done almost every weekend since April. As always, I met some terrific and fascinating folks who made this uninvited guest to their homes feel welcome.

It was a day to be grateful for this incomparable place we call home. And I was reminded of an ode to Boise penned by one of our extraordinary local talents--Idaho's writer-in-residence Anthony Doerr. Anthony has won three O. Henry Prizes, a New York Times Notable Book mention, ALA Book of the Year, among other accolades. He's a brilliant writer. And I'm proud to say that this fellow father of twins is supporting my campaign.

I first saw this "love song to Boise" hanging in the window of the Egyptian Theater. It's from a reading that Anthony did here in town a few years ago. The image comes out a bit small but I believe if you click directly on it, you'll get a slightly enlarged image that's easier to read.

One other note: Anthony's entry in State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, according to a recent NY Times Sunday Book Review, is "a gorgeously written ode to Idaho [that] deserves special mention." I'm hoping to get my hands on that soon.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Food, schools, and our children's health

The other night I attended a showing of "Two Angry Moms" at Timberline High, followed by a presentation of panelists, including the nutritionist from the Boise School District. The film is powerful and I recommend it to anyone who's concerned about the food we make available to children in the schools. As the title suggests, it's enough to make you angry.

I first came across the intersection of food and politics while working as a writer/editor at a major educational publishing house many years ago. I was working on a nutrition curriculum, to be distributed to schools throughout the country, that was underwritten by the USDA. I learned quickly that we couldn't write anything that might offend sugar farmers or cattlemen--in other words, it was verboten to discuss limiting the consumption of sugar or beef.

Retiring Rep. Margaret Henbest (D-Boise) has done some terrific work in the Legislature with respect to trying to improve the nutritional choices we offer our children in schools (see here and here and here). I hope to continue where she left off. This issue of food speaks to some of the biggest "macro-issues" of our time: national security, public health, and local, sustainable economies. And our schools have an obligation to provide our children sound nutrional choices. If this somehow creates funding shortfalls because Pepsi Co. and others won't put as much money back into schools, then we as a state are obliged to be creative about other sources of revenue.

To get involved with this growing movement here in Boise, contact local "angry Moms" Raine Saunders (869.8860) or Tracy Pingel (286.6122) for more information.

Making the global local


Last night I emceed the Freedom Dinner for the International Rescue Committee. For 75 years, the IRC has saved lives by reaching out to some of the most vulnerable people in the world--people who have been uprooted or displaced by war, violence, persecution, and natural disasters. The IRC rushes to the aid of these refugees, speaks for them when they cannot speak for themselves, works to restore their freedom and sense of hope, enables them to rebuild their lives and lead productive, self-sufficient lives. And within the context of these challenges, they are also fighting to promote human rights around the globe.

At my table were two Iraqi refugees, Seifeldin Al Alousi and Adil Mohammed, who spoke to the 200+ in attendance, sharing their heart-rending stories. During dinner, Seifeldin explained to me that prior to coming to the U.S., he had been teaching at an Iraqi institution of higher education in Beirut. I asked him why Iraqis would travel to Beirut to take classes and he explained the Baghdad University is a shell of what is used to be. Most academics have fled the country and there's no one left behind to teach.

When the CEO of the International Rescue Committee, George Rupp, came to town a few days ago, he explained at at reception that the Iraq War has created a massive refugee problem, displacing roughly 4 million Iraqis. At the same time, for the first three years of the US occupation, we refused to accept and resettle any Iraqi refugees. After shirking it's responsibilities for so long, the US will likely settle 12,000 this year. Sweden, on the other hand, a country of 9.2 million people (compared to more than 300 million in the US), has already taken in more than 40,000 refugees.

As one of the top resettlement destinations in the country, Boise has a grave responsibility in helping the uprooted and displaced to rebuild their lives in a new home. It stands to reason that this wonderful community we live in be that new home for hundreds of refugees that arrive here each year. And we are all enriched by having them here.