[Vision2020] Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debate
Art Deco aka W. Fox
deco at moscow.com
Thu Oct 7 11:55:04 PDT 2004
Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debateMs. Chaney writes:
I can appreciate that candidates' forums and debates can be time-consuming and
nerve-wracking, particularly when the sponsoring body is unfamiliar to
panelists. It is my strong hope that those candidates who are considering
boycotting MCA's debates recognize that attendees are also their constituents,
that tough questions are and should be part of the territory, that they may
certainly decline to respond to questions that seem inappropriate, and finally,
that membership in MCA is open to them too!
This can be said in another, though not as polite way:
When a person is a public official (elected or otherwise) or serves on a board
which spends public funds, that person can and should expect all sorts of
questions and input, some quite hostile. Input, animosity, misunderstanding,
hostility, etc. are part [perhaps unfortunately] of public service.
Having been a public servant in a very controversial subject area, I know that
the experience can sometimes be very frustrating and maddening. However, those
who believe in freedom of expression and also believe that (as Ms. Chaney also
points out) one can learn something from even the most seeming outrageous input,
also believe that the ability to listen to and to respond to alternate points of
view is a most essential part of being a public servant.
Those, such as the Latah County GOP candidates, who refuse to address the
concerns of those different factions that may or may not vote for them are
showing disrespect not only for those they refuse to address but for the
fundamental cornerstone of an open, democratic society: freedom of expression.
But Barrett Schroeder said the Republican candidates plan to attend more than a
dozen other debates and forums. They're just not going to give the civic
association and "Mark Solomon's friends and family" a shot at them so close to
Election Day.
The last thing we need in public servants are persons who are afraid to express
and to defend their ideas and qualifications. As expressed earlier, such
refusal by candidates to enter public debate with people of differing views are
truly cowards and not worthy of our consideration at the polls.
Wayne
Art Deco (Wayne Fox)
deco at moscow.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Nancy Chaney
To: 'Mark Solomon' ; vision2020 at moscow.com
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 10:38 AM
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debate
Oct. 7, 2004
Open letter to Candidates:
This morning on Vision 2020, I read Dean Ferguson's article from the Lewiston
Tribune indicating that, "Latah County Republicans are shunning the Moscow Civic
Association debates scheduled for later this month."
As a local elected official, member of MCA, and resident of Moscow, I urge
them to reconsider. MCA exists in large part to "broaden public discourse" and
to organize and inspire "civic participation." We have relatively few
opportunities to engage in open dialogue about such things, not because of legal
constraints, but because people often seek out and interact with others of like
minds and because so many of us lead such busy lives. How often do we hear about
citizens who aren't even interested in voting, who are disengaged because they
are turned off by rhetoric, imbued with a sense of political impotence, or
inadequately informed about issues that will directly affect their lives?
I can appreciate that candidates' forums and debates can be time-consuming and
nerve-wracking, particularly when the sponsoring body is unfamiliar to
panelists. It is my strong hope that those candidates who are considering
boycotting MCA's debates recognize that attendees are also their constituents,
that tough questions are and should be part of the territory, that they may
certainly decline to respond to questions that seem inappropriate, and finally,
that membership in MCA is open to them too!
The GOP candidates who are suspicious, fearful, or resentful of MCA members
might be surprised to find a number of their Republican constituents among them.
I hope that they will reconsider participating in as many of the upcoming
debates and forums as they can, to reach as many of our citizens as possible. We
all don't have to agree, but it doesn't make sense to pretend that conflicting
viewpoints-perhaps insightful ones--don't exist. Who knows? Maybe we'll all
learn something.
Sincerely,
Nancy Chaney
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On
Behalf Of Mark Solomon
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 9:12 AM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debate
Lewiston Morning Tribune, 10/7/04
Latah County GOP to sit out local debates
Dean A. Ferguson
Latah County Republicans are shunning the Moscow Civic Association debates
scheduled for later this month.
"They are a group that has a political mission," said Barrett Schroeder,
chairman of the Latah County Republicans.
The county's Republican candidates have all agreed not to go to the debates,
said Schroeder, who has been chairman for four years and is the son of state
Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow.
Barrett Schroeder charged the civic association with being dishonest about
the format of the debate. He also said he feared an ambush because the civic
association has strong ties to Mark Solomon, the Democratic candidate running
against incumbent state Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow.
The series of one-hour debates scheduled Oct. 25 and 27 were supposed to
feature questions from citizens, Barrett Schroeder explained. However,
candidates were told to write questions and have someone in the crowd ask them.
Barrett Schroeder called the message "deceptive" because it hadn't been
publicized.
In a mass e-mail to Republican, independent and Democratic candidates, debate
organizer Bruce Livingston said candidates could introduce questions through the
audience.
"I see nothing wrong in a candidate having someone submit a question because
the candidate thinks it is an important issue that needs to be addressed," wrote
Livingston.
Livingston said the suggestion was solely to get as many important ideas into
the debates as possible.
In a letter to Lois Blackburn, president of the civic association, Barrett
Schroeder accused the civic association of being a political action committee
that endorses and supports candidates.
"I've never heard of a PAC organizing a debate," wrote Schroeder.
Livingston called the comment "completely wrong."
"The Moscow Civic Association is not a political action committee," he said.
"It's a 501c4 organization, and we haven't endorsed and don't intend to endorse
any candidates that are involved in any of these debates."
But Barrett Schroeder said the Republican candidates plan to attend more than
a dozen other debates and forums. They're just not going to give the civic
association and "Mark Solomon's friends and family" a shot at them so close to
Election Day.
------
Ferguson may be contacted at dferguson at lmtribune.com
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