[Vision2020] Local Debates

[Bruce and Jean Livingston]

Janesta,

I appreciate your request, but the MCA must decline to reschedule its
debates for three reasons.

First, practically, there is no time to reschedule at this point.

Second, I worked together with Tom Saylor, President of the Troy Lions Club,
on coordinating the Troy and Moscow debates/forums so that candidates could
easily attend both, to the extent the candidates needed to be in two places.
(The State Representative candidates do not need to be in Moscow on Monday;
their MCA debate is on Wednesday).

Third, I believe that the MCA scheduled our Monday October 25 debates first.
I talked personally to every single candidate in the opposed races.  Most
checked their calendars while on the phone with me.  The only conflict date
that was raised by ANYONE in the initial conversations, at which EVERY
candidate committed to the MCA debates, was for the TUESDAY date we
initially selected for the State Representative debates.  Rep. Trail
informed me that he had a conflict with the Tuesday date, so I asked him if
he was free on Wednesday Oct. 27, instead.  He was; I booked that date for
the State Rep race debates.

Only some days LATER, after having already committed to the MCA debate, did
Jeff Harkins raise the issue of a conflict with the Monday October 25 date.
Mr. Harkins had checked his calendar when I called the first time and he
agreed to participate.  Mr. Harkins subsequently stated that he had erred
when he previously said he was free, because he had assumed that our MCA
debate was at 7 a.m., rather than 7 p.m.  Mr. Harkins explained that he was
already booked with the Troy Lions Club for that Monday evening.

Now, I take Mr. Harkins at his word on this.  Even though no other candidate
in the county commissioner or sheriff races had a conflict with an evening
date on Monday October 25, perhaps Mr. Harkins did.  After all, Mr. Harkins
is a MOSCOW Lions Club member, he coordinated the Moscow Lions Club
political candidate forum, and perhaps he knew that the TROY Lions Club
folks were planning to have a forum on that Monday October 25, even though
they hadn't gotten around to contacting any other candidates.  I also take
Mr. Harkins at his word that he thought the MCA would host a three hour
debate at 7 a.m. on October 25.

But in no way, did any candidates know or express anything about a conflict
with the Troy Lions Club forum when they scheduled their appearance at the
MCA debate on Monday October 25.  They had no conflicts.

After the Troy Lions Club discovered the MCA conflict with the date Troy had
chosen, the MCA graciously accommodated the Troy Lions Club in scheduling
the debates so that candidates that were invited to two debates could attend
both.  After all, the MCA is interested in educating the electorate through
open discussion of issues of substance.  Why not let the good people of Troy
and further outlying communities attend a debate in Troy if one could be
scheduled?  We were happy to do that.

But the MCA will not cancel our debate to accommodate a conflict appearing
after all candidates committed to our debate.

Bruce Livingston
Moscow Civic Association
Committee on Elections and Debates


----- Original Message -----
From: "JSullivan" <jsullivan at moscow.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>; "Tom" <thansen at moscow.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 7:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Local Debates


| I am trying to see the vision in my mind of the candidates rushing from
one
| debate to the other.I can't see it. It doesn't make sense, not for the
| voters who will attend, nor the candidates.
|
| It would show a lot of class on the part of MCA to reschedule their event.
|
| Janesta Carcich
| ----- Original Message -----
| From: "Tom" <thansen at moscow.com>
| To: <jsullivan at moscow.com>; <vision2020 at moscow.com>
| Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 11:10 AM
| Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Local Debates
|
|
| > It is my opinion that the time and place for the MCA debate may have
been
| > coordinated prior to the Troy Lions' debate because:
| >
| > Had the Troy debate been coordinated prior to the MCA debate, the
logical
| > response by the Republicans would have been, "Sorry, but we have a prior
| > commitment," instead of a basic refusal to participate.
| >
| > I also feel that this can be rectified by allowing Troy to have their
| debate as
| > scheduled and further scheduling the MCA debate for a day or two later.
| >
| > Thoughts?
| >
| > Tom "who will be voting for 2 of the 5 local Rebublicans" Hansen
| > Just another radically moderate left wing conservative loose in the
| Palouse
| >
| >
| >
| > > I am sure I am not the only one with the $64,000.00 question.
| > >
| > > How are the candidates going to be both in Troy,  as well as Moscow,
on
| the
| > evening of
| > > the 25th? AND 15 minutes apart?????
| > >
| > > Janesta Carcich
| > > Private
| > > Citizen
| > >
| > > ---------------------------------------------
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| > >
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| >
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|
|
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|  List services made available by First Step Internet,
|  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
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