We properly called B.S. on that ad.

Then Kahl responded with his own negative ad, one that is as misleading as any in the nasty U.S. Senate race. That commercial? A warning that Nelsen is open to…wait for it…a sales tax. What the ad doesn’t say is that Nelsen would exercise that option only if the state got rid of personal income taxes, which isn’t going to happen anytime soon. Talk about a ridiculous bogeyman.

Politics in East County have been kind of a contact sport for the past few years; but Nick Kahl appears to have hit a new low with deceitful commercials. Clearly, Nick is a puppet for his political consultant, but has no real ideas of his own.

In contrast, candidate John Nelsen is everything we could want in a representative. He understands East County because he is one of us. He has the determination, resolve, and a fresh perspective to represent our interests in Salem.

John’s relationships in our community are diverse, but they are all linked to his deep support of education. I believe this positions John well to reach across the aisle to get things done for us and for the State.

Join me and support John Nelsen for State Representative in District 49!

Both grew up in the Rockwood neighborhood and graduated from David Douglas High School. They play music on stringed instruments. Each one is outgoing, gregarious and not the least bit afraid to engage anyone within earshot in discussions of local and national affairs.

In other words, Democrat Nick Kahl and Republican John Nelsen are natural-born politicians.

The question before voters this fall is which of them: Nelsen, the established educator and community activist — or Kahl, the hungry, idealistic law-student upstart — will most effectively represent District 49 in the Oregon House of Representatives.

Recent campaign ads aside, Nelsen, 47, is probably better known to the average East County resident in his role as chairman of the Reynolds School Board.

His name has been out there even more in the wake of the Reynolds district’s well-publicized financial problems. A significant budget deficit led to controversial former superintendent Terry Kneisler’s resignation and the board appointing Robert J. Fisher as his interim replacement. The action placed a microscope on the Reynolds district’s budgeting and spending practices.

Nelsen says he led the process started last year in examining the Reynolds budget, and admits he didn’t like what he saw.

“We got an interim report from the CPA,” he says. “I was shocked to find out we’d been given inaccurate, misleading information. It took awhile to accept” that trust had been misplaced.

Kahl, 31, questioned Nelsen directly about who was responsible for the financial discrepancies.

“The school board is, ultimately,” Nelsen quickly replied. “That’s why we made the changes we did.”

Kahl says he sees a direct correlation between overcrowded, under-funded classrooms in his native Rockwood neighborhood and students’ inability to pursue higher education.

“No wonder you see the crime and the social fabric being torn apart,” he says, adding he would “fight” to make college more affordable for students from lower- and middle-income households.

Kahl, who is a bachelor, said he’d like to see the state invest more in vocational training in construction, electrician and plumbing trades. He also would support more classroom spending through administrative cuts and better budgeting from Salem.

Nelsen, a father of three, on the other hand, says increased governmental funding is not the be-all, end-all recipe for quality learning. He points out that two Reynolds charter schools have classrooms set up in trailers, and “those kids are outperforming kids in traditional programs.”

“In Salem for years they managed to sell taxpayers the idea of a mythical machine where you pour money in and get more education out,” Nelsen says. “I’ve never seen that that relationship works … It’s not a matter of money. It’s a matter of leadership.”

One of the more publicized differences between these candidates is their stance on taxation. In a TV campaign ad, Kahl smashes a piggybank with a hammer to demonstrate how, in his view, Nelsen’s tax proposals would “break the bank” of East County’s businesses owners and wage earners.

“I do think it’s an issue,” Kahl says. “For all of Oregon’s budget problems, we do have a progressive tax system” where working families pay less. “John said a fair system is a sales tax … That scares me.”

Nelsen denies he’s spoken in favor of a sales tax, reiterating comments from an April 9 forum that “he didn’t think people of Oregon were interested” and that the Legislature lacks “the will” to take such a step regardless. He says the corporate minimum tax “needs to be re-examined as part of a comprehensive solution that will improve our tax system.”

Although not as prominent as Nelsen, Kahl says the savvy he’s gained from working in politics, running a business in California and studying law at Lewis & Clark College give him a “unique skill set” with which to serve District 49.

“I’ve knocked on 12,000-plus doors,” he says. “I have an intimate understanding of what people are facing.”

A combined focus on better education and economic development is the key to recapturing the community promise Kahl says he felt growing up in working-class Gresham.

“I want to try to turn this ship around,” he says.

Nick Kahl

AGE: 31

CITY OF RESIDENCE: Gresham (Rockwood).

OCCUPATION: Law student at Lewis & Clark College.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Staff assistant to Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen; recording secretary for Multnomah County Democratic Party; precinct committee person for Rockwood area, serving as active volunteer on candidate and ballot measure campaigns.

FAMILY: Single.

MAJOR ENDORSEMENTS: AFSCME Council 75; American Federation of Teachers, Oregon; Carpenters Union Local 247; Oregon AFL-CIO; Oregon Nurses Association.

FOR MORE INFO: www.nickkahl.com.

John Nelsen

AGE: 47

RESIDENCE: Rockwood.

OCCUPATION: Education consultant; project director; working to get small screen-printing biz off the ground.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE: Second-term chairman, Reynolds School Board; served on board for 10 years; three years as chairman of Reynolds Education Foundation; advisory board member, Moore St. Salvation Army; co-founder of Arthur Academy.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Master Learning Institution; board member, Multisenory Learning Institution; 10 years on Reynolds school budget committee; at-risk basketball program.

FAMILY: Wife of 26 years, Victoria; four children, ages 16 to 25.

MAJOR ENDORSEMENTS: National Federation of Independent Business/Oregon State Trust PAC; Taxpayers Association of Oregon; Oregon Business Association; Oregon Restaurant Association; Troutdale Mayor Paul Thalhofer; Wood Village Mayor Dave Fuller.

FOR MORE INFO: www.johnnelsen.com.

If you thought Tuesday night’s presidential debate was a barn-burner, you’re really going to like the race that’s going on out in East County for a state representative seat.

And while it’s true that the local candidates — Republican John Nelsen and Democrat Nick Kahl — haven’t gotten around to terrorism yet, they’re doing

pretty well with the sales tax, which, out in east Multnomah County, is about the same thing.

Over the years, whether the economy was booming or on the verge of collapse, East County voters always have held one basic economic principle near and dear to their hearts.

And that, of course, is that never in a million years, shall there ever be a sales tax in the state of Oregon.

Furthermore, if any East County politician should be foolish enough to even suggest such a thing, he’s not going to be a politician much longer.

So perhaps it was unfortunate, for Nelsen, anyway, that earlier this year at the Gresham Chamber of Commerce with the cameras rolling, he gave what strikes me as a very sensible answer to a question about what is the most moral form of taxation.

“If fair and moral is the criteria we’re looking for, then the sales tax is the answer,” Nelsen said, and went on to explain why.

“Property taxes punish us for investing in our property. It’s punishment.

“Income taxes punish us for being productive people, and they cut at the heart of the prosperity of our families.

“Sales taxes reward us for saving and investing. That’s what this nation needs.

“Now whether any of that is politically viable down in Salem … you can be assured that as your representative down there, I’m going to be a voice for what’s moral and right.”

As Nelsen’s campaign points out, a couple of months later he further declared that he wouldn’t support a sales tax without “some serious backing off of property taxes and income taxes” — but the deed already was done.

• • •

You’ve probably seen Kahl’s TV ad — you know, the one where the short guy with the buzz cut whaps a piggy bank with a hammer — alleging that “Nelson’s new sales tax” will “break the bank for East County families.”

The only problem being, of course, that as far as anyone can tell, Nelsen doesn’t have a “new sales tax.”

About a week ago, Nelsen asked Comcast to pull the Kahl ad, because, he said in a news release, it “falsely claims that Nelsen supports a sales tax.”

To prove the point, the news release went on to say, all anyone had to do was review the footage of Nelsen’s remarks before the Gresham Chamber of Commerce.

That, of course, would be his second appearance before the chamber, when he said there’d have to be a cut in property and income taxes before he’d consider a sales tax.

Understandably, I suppose, Nelsen’s campaign didn’t bother to mention the previous appearance when he said a sales tax was the moral choice, and that if the voters sent him to Salem, he’d speak up for what was moral and right.

As we head down to the wire on this election, the last thing anyone should expect to hear, at least in East County, is any more straight talk like that.

Last Multnomah County must increase the clout it wields in the Oregon Legislature, and the best way for voters to achieve that goal is to re-elect Laurie Monnes Anderson to the state Senate and to elect newcomers Greg Matthews and John Nelsen to the House of Representatives.

We believe this combination of two moderate Democrats and one moderate Republican can fairly represent the entire East County electorate and also allow for a gradual accumulation of influence that was lost when former House Speaker Karen Minnis of Wood Village was dethroned following the 2006 election.

We do not arrive at our recommendations easily. All six of the candidates in these races are high-quality individuals. But when voters consider which candidates have both the prerequisite experience and the potential for ongoing and productive service in the Legislature, we believe they should land on Monnes Anderson, Matthews and Nelsen.

House District 49 – John Nelsen:

A newcomer will represent this district no matter what, because incumbent Karen Minnis – a Republican – is retiring. While we like both candidates in the race, only one – 47-year-old Reynolds School Board member John Nelsen, also a Republican – has the necessary community and volunteer experience to qualify him to represent the district in the Legislature.

Nelsen’s opponent, Democrat Nick Kahl, 31, is smart and well-versed on the issues. But unlike Nelsen, he has never served East County in a substantial, broad-based capacity.

Nelsen, a Rockwood resident, has demonstrated his community commitment through eight years of service on the School Board and previous involvement with the Reynolds School District Foundation. He has raised a family in East County and has a natural understanding of the people within his district.

Nelsen also reflects the moderation of District 49, which has more registered Democrats than Republicans, as well a large number of non-affiliated voters. Voters should embrace Nelsen’s bipartisan sensibilities along with his experience by sending him to Salem.

by The Editorial Board
Saturday October 04, 2008, 3:26 PM

In House District 50, which spans a swath of east Portland and western Gresham, Republican incumbent Rep. John Lim, 72, says he wants to serve one final term before stepping down. Greg Matthews, a centrist Democrat with a lengthy record of public service and public safety experience, would like to deny him that chance. It’s a close call, but voters should return Lim to Salem for a final term.

Matthews, 44, a Gresham firefighter and former police officer, is an impressive newcomer to politics whose energy, street smarts and deep roots in the community would be a welcome addition to the Legislature.

Lim has been a refreshingly independent voice who votes his conscience, even when that puts him out of step with party leadership. He’s not always a predictable vote, but he is an honorable man who has given District 50 voters no reason to eject him.

Farther east in District 52, which takes in Sandy and Hood River, voters face a stark choice between a soft-spoken grandmother and a young mixed martial arts fighter. If statehouse politics were hand-to-hand combat, we’d support Republican Matt Lindland, but until that day, we urge voters to send Democrat Suzanne VanOrman to Salem to fill the seat being vacated by Patti Smith, a Republican who is retiring from the House.

VanOrman ran the Mid-Columbia Children’s Council as executive director for 22 years, expanding Head Start services throughout the council’s territory. That’s experience that will serve her well in Salem.

Voters in District 49, which stretches from east Portland along the Columbia River to Troutdale, won’t have a Minnis on the ballot, as former Republican House Speaker Karen Minnis has retired. Instead, voters will choose between two political newcomers, Democrat Nick Kahl, a law student, and Republican John Nelsen, best known as chairman of the troubled Reynolds School District board. There are things to like about both candidates, but voters will be best served by sending Nelsen, the longtime district resident, father and educational activist to Salem.

Nelsen’s deep roots in the district, his call for reasonable bipartisanship, and even his willingness to use what he calls the s-word when talking about revenue reform make him a far different type of Republican than Minnis was. Nelsen himself says Republicans can no longer operate the way the caucus used to, and he says he resented the sliming of Democratic challenger Rob Brading in the 2006 cycle.

Unfortunately, Nelsen has adopted a repellent campaign tactic of his own, approving a wildly incoherent and unfair attack ad against Kahl. Nevertheless, Nelsen is not a scorched-earther. He has had to wrestle with numerous problems in the school district, including leading the effort to oust former Superintendent Terry Kneisler following a performance evaluation this summer. Nelsen’s experience and temperament would be welcome in Salem.

September 26, 2008              

Contact: Rebecca Tweed, (503) 860-6033

Nick Kahl Continues to Lie About John Nelsen in Advertisement

Nelsen makes second demand to Nick Kahl, House Democrats to retract false statements.

East Multnomah County – John Nelsen, candidate for State Representative in District 49, today made a legal request that Comcast stop airing an ad purchased by the Committee to Elect Nick Kahl because it contains lies about Nelsen’s position on a sales tax. 

Kahl’s TV ad falsely claims that Nelsen supports a sales tax.  In the ad and three other mailings sent by the House Democrat’s political action committee, Kahl sites a statement made by Nelsen at a Gresham Chamber of Commerce forum as proof of Nelsen’s support of a sales tax.  Footage of the forum shows that this is patently untrue. 

Video footage, aired on Metro East TV, shows Nelsen’s true position on sales tax:

“The reality is that the people of Oregon have pretty much boo-hoo’ed sales taxes since I was a kid. I’d have to see some serious backing off of property taxes and income taxes before I would feel good at all about asking my neighbors just to throw more gold in the coffer.  Part of that because of a philosophical thing but part of that is that, my experience has been that Salem hasn’t been very efficient or economical with the dollars they do have.”

Nelsen is a long time resident of East County and is currently the Chairman of the Reynolds School Board.  He’s worked, raised a family and served his community in East County.  Nelsen says he knows that a sales tax is not the way to solve any budget problems and the only way to fix the problem is to boost revenue through job creation and economic growth. 

“I called on the House Democrats last week to retract the mailers they sent and issue a correction to East County voters.  Not only have they not corrected themselves, Mr. Kahl continues to lie to us,” says Nelsen. “I’m renewing my call to the House Democrats and Mr. Kahl to retract the mailers and TV ad and have made a public legal request for Comcast to stop airing the ad.”

Under federal law, Comcast is not allowed to remove advertisements placed by candidates, but Nelsen says he was aware of the laws before making the official request and did so to make a point. “My goal is not to have the ad forced off the air by a third party—it’s for my opponent to do what’s right. The person who should be responsible for removing a dishonest ad is the person who put it up in the first place. Kahl and his supporters should be willing to step up to the plate, admit their ad is misleading and tell East County the truth—the voters deserve better.”

###

September 19, 2008                                                                                 
Contact Rebecca Tweed, (503) 860-6033

House Democrats Spread Lies about John Nelsen on Campaign Mail Sent on Behalf of Nick Kahl

John Nelsen calls on House Democrats, Kahl to retract false statement and issue correction to voters

(East Multnomah County) — House Democrats have crossed the line in their attempt to defeat John Nelsen by sending mail into the district that lies about Nelsen’s position on a sales tax.  Nelsen, the Republican candidate for House District 49, is calling on House Democrats and Nick Kahl – their candidate against John Nelsen – to retract the false statements and issue a correction to voters in the East County communities that comprise the legislative district.

In mailings that arrived to voters on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, FuturePac—the political action committee for the House Democrats—accused John Nelsen of supporting a Sales Tax, a statement that is fundamentally not true. 

“I know that Oregonians don’t support a Sales Tax and I don’t intend to vote for one.” said Nelsen, “I strongly believe that the only way to solve the budget problems we continually see out of Salem is to boost revenue through job creation and economic growth while enacting strict accountability and auditing practices over the spending.  There are ways to fix our economic problems that we haven’t fully investigated yet, but I can tell you that it’s not through higher taxes.”

The pieces falsely claim that Nelsen said he would support a sales tax while at a Gresham Chamber of Commerce forum.  Video footage of that event proves that Nelsen said no such thing and in fact acknowledged that voters do not want a sales tax. 

“Lies like this are exactly the reason voters get discouraged with politics.  House Democrats and Mr. Kahl are desperate to find a way to cover up the fact that they’ve already come out in support of a host of new taxes, including things like taxes on home sales and healthcare – ludicrous ideas given the housing and healthcare crises we continue to face,” said House Minority Leader Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg).  “These lies are made even worse by the fact that the people sending the mail are the very same people who are working to get a supermajority in the Oregon House for one reason and one reason only: to raise taxes without a vote of the people.”

Nelsen is a long time resident of East County and is currently the Chairman of the Reynolds School Board. He’s worked, raised a family and served his community in East County and knows times are tough and taxing everyday necessities is not the answer.

“It’s just so disappointing to think that Mr. Kahl and his supporters are not just willing to lie to voters, but they’re willing to completely disrespect the Gresham Chamber of Commerce.  The Chamber puts on these public forums for the benefit of the community, and then my opponent goes and misconstrues and misrepresents their questions in a dishonest manner. It’s flat out disrespectful,” added Nelsen.

“The only thing that will make this right to the public and the Gresham Chamber of Commerce is for Nick Kahl and FuturePac to retract their lies and apologize to voters. It’s the least they can do,” said Nelsen.

###

Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike share a common desire to see Oregon prosper.   Most Oregonians, regardless of partisan, religious or cultural differences, would agree that prosperity has certain common elements:  effective schools, safe communities, a strong economy, a clean environment, and the adequate availability of family-wage/benefit jobs. Most Oregonians would further agree that we have a long way to go before reaching such prosperity.  To this extent we all share a common hopeful vision for the future of our state.  

As I write on this July afternoon I am reminded that in two and a quarter centuries “We the People” have made great strides towards ALL of our common goals.  Warts and all, Oregon (and America) is a great place to live!   

In my last editorial “Stand Up and Be Counted” (June 2008), I wrote about the responsibility we all have as citizens to bring our personal values, beliefs, and concerns (whatever they may be) to the public forum in order to keep our democracy fresh, vibrant and relevant.  This month I am following up on that theme by calling on voters and elected leaders to put aside partisan rancor that has crippled Oregon politics (and impeded prosperity) for most of my adult life.     

There is an old African saying “when two elephants fight the ground always loses.”  Clearly, in the current battle between Republicans and Democrats the ground (i.e. the prosperity of our families) is losing.

Let me be clear: it is perfectly legitimate for parties to band together around issues and ideas.  In fact, it would be hard to accomplish anything without such consensus and coalition groups.  But when issues and ideas take a back seat to personal attacks and the craven thirst for political power the legitimacy of parties is minimized and the very core of our democratic process is threatened.

What is at stake?  Bridges and roads are in dangerous disrepair.  We have not made significant investments in our transportation (new roads) or energy infrastructures in generations.  Not nearly enough of our youth are graduating from high school with the skills or knowledge needed to succeed in work or college.  Confidence and participation in government is miserably low as fewer people feel that politicians represent anything other than special interests.   The “ground is losing!”

As Northwest Connection readers know, I am currently running to be elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. Unlike my opponent, I know what it’s like to struggle to make the next mortgage payment, pay property taxes, get my kids through public schooling and raise a family. As a two-term chairman of the Reynolds School District Board of Education, I have experience serving my community in elected office. I am prepared to represent East County in Salem.

In this time of economic uncertainty and loss of faith in our national leadership, we share a common challenge: to elect local leadership with vision, experience, qualifications and character. In facing this challenge we must remain engaged and informed. We must ensure that the thoughtful East County spirit dictates the outcome of this race rather than blind partisanship. Maybe then we can give the “ground” a fighting chance.

It is with this hope that I ask Northwest Connection readers to consider voting for me, John Nelsen, as your state representative in House District 49 this November.