[IMC] Press Release from Cameron Whitten, PDX Mayoral Candidate

[Cameron Whitten]

For Immediate Release

April 26th, 2012

Contact: Cameron Whitten
media.cameron at gmail.com
(503)890-5716

Long Term Portland Resident and Mayoral Candidate Cameron Whitten on
Willamette Weekly Endorsement

For those who have yet to grasp the essential dialogue of the Arab Spring,
it highlighted the irony that People can be criminalized for using public
space (the homeless) and People who evade taxes for personal gain can be
elevated to heightened status (or mayor).

The Willamette Week released its endorsements yesterday. WW selected
Charlie Hales as their Game of Thrones champion, minimizing his
conservative background and potential felony charges. Seeing that
Willamette Week boasts its identity in breaking scandals and ruining
careers, this endorsement finds many readers puzzled, scratching their
heads.

We know that being an effective leader is directly connected to a standard
of ethics. Take the example of Sam Adams, whom they also endorsed in 2008.
Although what happened in the statutory relationship between Mayor Adams
and Beau Breedlove was unacceptable, what upset many Portlanders was his
denial, and the lengths he was willing to go to hide his guilt. He lost the
respect of the People, which entirely crippled his effectiveness as a
leader. There is already one major scandal that Charlie Hales denies is in
his closet. I have no conviction that Charlie Hales will enter into City
Hall with a reputation that will inspire others to follow his precedence.

Another issue with the Willamette Week’s perception of reality lies in its
one-line reference to my Mayoral candidacy. They state that they believe I
make a better activist than politician. I have performed social justice
advocacy since grade school, and have been engaged in politics since
November 2011. I would certainly describe this judgment as a premature one,
and I am sure my endorsers- the Green Party and the Progressive Party,
would agree. Second, it is a shame to hear that an ‘alternative’ newspaper
is so willing to perpetuate a status quo mindset, in affirming that the
roles of activist and politician should be or are separate.

Our society is in crisis. The fabled of Age of Philosopher Kings has become
extinct. Our political system needs to be rebooted by Visionaries who
inspire People to do something more, and apply integrity to their practices.

There’s a strong message that Charlie Hales conveys, and he conveys it
well: getting back to basics. You can see the glint in his eye when he
speaks about covering potholes and passing park bonds. But what does
Charlie Hales do about moving our City forward? Development projects do not
replace the need for empowerment in marginalized communities and restoring
societal values. When it comes to envisioning a future for the Spirit of
Portland, Charlie leaves us uninspired.

With the history of Willamette Week endorsements, their opinions prove to
be slate grey and unimaginative. Despite their attempts to make their
delivery appear outrageous and renegade, their inner-thoughts are standard
and outdated. It reminds me of a rebellious teenager who doesn’t know what
the hell they are doing, and really needs to move out of their mother’s
basement.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/imc/attachments/20120426/fdadfd2e/attachment.html>