My guess is that it is the work of political stratigist, Elaine Franklin or one of the groups supporting these three candidates. You may recall that Ms. Franklin was one of the two hired guns that assisted developer Patrick Kessi in his effort to gain approval for the Wizer Block development. It is known that she helped some local politicians with their campaigns pro bono, but is any help really free when what you have to sell is access to influence and power? What is happening in Lake Oswego?
Since political groups work in the background and don't like people to see the strings that are being pulled and who is pulling them, it is sometimes difficult to figure out who all is behind the curtain. And then there is the issue of who might be able to afford to pay someone like Ms. Franklin or pay for printing flyers or advertising supporting this slate. Whether Franklin is involved or not, who might want to promote this slate of candidates and what do they think these candidates will do to benefit them?
Anyone who follows politics or local issues in Lake Oswego knows that this town has been split into two factions for quite some time - the pro-growth and the low-growth. In 2012 the make-up of the council changed the power structure that had control of the city for years, and now it's payback time. It doesn't take much imagination to figure out who might be directing the show and why, and this doesn't feel like an attempt at "Uniting Lake Oswego."
The message here isn't about some dumb flyers. It's about outside political operatives and inside cronies and their money trying to control our city. It's about manipulating the message and buying your vote. It's about losing our city. Don't all head for the exits at once - we don't want anyone to get hurt.
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