[Vision2020] MCA and Politics

[Phil Nisbet]

A nice person pointed out to me that this particular posting of mine seemed 
to be not just a condemnation of the process of the MCA, but possibly of the 
candidates that MCA endorsed for office.

I would like to appologize to Bob Stout and Nancy Chaney if that seemed to 
be the case, since it was not my intention.  An organization and its faulty 
processes may indeed not reflect the ideas or the desires of a candidate for 
office.  Simply because the Moscow Civic Association is in violation of its 
501 c 4 status and in breach of its bylaws, should not reflect discredit on 
either Stout or Chaney.

People should look not at the guilt or credit by association that the 
endorsements of some organizations are setting store by at the minute and 
instead look at how closely each candidate reflects their ideas on the 
actual issues that face Moscow.  And may the best andidate win.

Phil Nisbet


>From: "Phil Nisbet" <pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com>
>To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: [Vision2020] MCA and Politics
>Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 04:51:18 -0700
>
>MCA political actions
>
>The reality sits that the Moscow Civic Association is not what its charter 
>sets it up to be.  The charter of that organization is to act in a manner 
>similar to that of the League of Women Voters and to foster debate within 
>the community on subjects related to the future of the community as a 
>whole.  From its actions over the last year or better, it is fairly obvious 
>that the organization does anything but stick to this role.
>
>In essence, MCA seems to put small internal committees together who then 
>decide what the ‘opinion’ of Moscow is.  They are fairly open to the fact 
>that this is driven by politics, since we now see that they say that they 
>are Progressive, suggesting that the MCA only represents the opinions of 
>the far left of the political spectrum.  There is no debate fostered by 
>pre-selecting outcomes and them hosting meetings to push those objectives.
>
>That is why it was not amazing to see MCA select who would be their 
>candidates in the coming election, weeks prior to the closing of filing for 
>Moscow City Offices and to see that their endorsements were for candidates 
>who are members of MCA alone.  MCA is simply a political party for the 
>Progressive wing of the Moscow Democrats, dressed up to look like something 
>else.
>
>The MCA did not invite non-members to submit to any sort of endorsement 
>process, they simply picked their guys to endorse in advance of the closing 
>of filing.  Those are the actions of Political Parties, no different than 
>those followed by the GOP or the Democratic Party.  But by claiming not to 
>be a political organization, MCA is avoiding the rules governing political 
>activities.  They are cheating and breaking the law, posing as a 
>non-partisan group to avoid the required scrutiny we place on political 
>parties.
>
>Perhaps some of those who have called for uniformity of law should assist 
>in calling for an investigation of the MCA and its political actions.
>
>Phil Nisbet
>
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