March 21, 2005

Comments (10)

1. lisa on 22 Mar 2005

   I wonder if you must be a City Club member to participate, which...you know, great people over there, fine work on their studies and all, fabulous food at the Friday luncheons -- but last I checked it cost a couple hundred dollars a year to join their party. Can't afford it. Which is why, maybe, some of their efforts end up seeming...ivory-towerish. Worthy, but sometimes a little out of touch. L

2. Tim Krause on 22 Mar 2005

   City Club's Citizens Blog welcomes comments from both members and the general public. You do not need to be a current member to participate in the discussion. Simply click on the "comments" link at the end of a post to respond with your thoughts on a particular topic.

   Although we envision the panel of 20 contributors to be a volunteer activity for current members, City Club's Citizens Blog may also entertain occasional guest posts from the general public. If you would like to offer a new discussion topic, please e-mail me.

   Finally, as mentioned on the Communique in the past, City Club also offers a number of membership options, including a monthly payment plan that breaks the annual membership dues into as little as $6.88 per month. For details, visit http://www.pdxcityclub.org or call us at 503-228-7231 ext. 102 or 103.

3. The One True b!X on 22 Mar 2005

   Now this is just dopey. Are you saying that a Club can't have features and functions that have better access for members than for non-members?

   Do people who feel that way abut City Club also feel that if, say, PGE started a blog, they should be able to post items there, too?

   I mean, we're talking about blogs. It takes all of a few minutes and no money to start one, depending on what you use for it. So it's not like people are being shut out of the local blogosphere if they can't post directly to Citizens Blog.

4. Doug on 22 Mar 2005

   As a proud member of the City Club, I must respond to the claim that we seem 'ivory-towerish'. As an apartment-dwelling, public school graduate, I do not think I fit the ivory-tower mold and I think I represent the majority of City Club members. We are all concerned about our city and want to stay informed. I pay $168 dollars a year to belong to this organization. That's $14 a month. I pay more a month for my Netflix and 24 Fitness membership. For the benefit I get out of City Club, I'd be willing to pay more (just emphasizing my point, please, Wendy, I'm good at $14/month).

   In short, check us out before you label us.

5. lisa on 23 Mar 2005

   
   Hey, Mr. Dopey, is it okay to ask whether someone needs to have paid $168 per annum to participate in the freekin City Club par-tay? It's not that a club shouldn't do as it pleases-- that this club is offering a free, non-member participation conduit is HISTORY MAKING. Of course the club should charge everybody for everything -- it's their right-- but the fact is that free, direct citizen participation here is REVOLUTIONARY and WELCOME. CAPICHE?

   Doug, honey, I HAVE checked out the City Club, I HONOR the City Club, you guys have a long and illustrious history of speaking truth to power in this town even though the City Club is PART OF THE POWER STRUCTURE HERE. Yes, that's right. With Goldschmidts, Francesconis and Kafourys all freely intermingling, Portland is what it is, I'd say, in part BECAUSE of the City Club.

   Pay attention: I'm saying sometimes the City Club, historically an institution of the most affluent class of liberals and power brokers in Portland, which holds its weekly luncheon in the posh-posh MAC Club .... follow me now... COMES OFF as A BIT IVORY TOWERISH. Wow. So harshly insulting on my part.

   AND ANOTHER THING. I'm also saying that TIM KRAUSE probably came up with the blog idea, because he's a GREAT GUY and wants to see the club grow and attract a new generation of members --- instead of watching it wither away with the dwindling numbers of liberal society matrons holding their pinkies out in little white gloves and chatting up city government office holders, which is what was happening a few years ago. No offense. TIM DESERVES MORE CREDIT HERE THAN YOU GUYS REALIZE.

   Plus, maybe YOU should find out more about the history of the City Club before trumpeting it as a grassroots success story. Walk down Northeast Killingsworth Street right now and ask everyone you meet if they've read the City Club's strikingly perceptive and progressive reports on public education and police accountability, which have EVERYTHING TO DO with the folks who live on Northeast Killingsworth Street....what will they say? Have they ever even heard of the City Club? I won't call out the answer... you just get back to me on that.

   A citizen blog could genuinely open up this organization. So when Joe Sixpack tucks into his coq au vin next to you at the Friday Luncheon table, you let me know. I'll take one weeks' grocery money -- no, TWO WEEKS' WORTH minus our beer, burger and video allowance -- for my family and spend it instead on a City Club membership. I'll be waiting for your report on that.
   L

6. Tim Krause on 23 Mar 2005

   Thanks for the kind comments, Lisa, and the constructive feedback.

   Two points of clarification: the original idea that City Club implement a blog should really be credited to Wendy Radmacher-Willis, our (relatively) new executive director who has led the organization through a real renaissance over the past year or so. Together, our staff and members are working hard to open up the organization and address the issues you described. Creating Citizens Blog as an open, public forum on a variety of issues is one example of that. I think we've made a good start, but watch for even bigger and better things once our panel of regular contributors gets up and running in the next month or so.

   Secondly, City Club no longer meets at the MAC. For almost a year now, we have been holding our regular Friday Forums at the downtown Governor Hotel. And you don't even have to buy the lunch, either; as a nonmember, you have an option to do general seating for only five bucks (or, as a member, you can attend for free, which means, if you attend regularly, it ends up being cheaper to join).

   We've also started holding our smaller gatherings at City Club Commons, our new office and meeting space at the corner of SW 9th and Washington. In fact, this Friday, March 25, we are holding one of our regular monthly open houses from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., and we invite everyone to stop by to check out our new digs and see just how different City Club is today. For details, visit http://www.pdxcityclub.org/forums-events/index.php#finalfridays

7. Chris Smith on 23 Mar 2005

   As a member of City Club's board of governors, let me say that we very much appreciate Tim, Wendy and the rest of our staff, they are a key to making the Club what it is.

   And yes, we understand the ivory-tower impression, and are working hard to change it. I would mention one of our initiatives, which is to make City Club Commons a space for CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. One way we're trying to do this is provide free WiFi to the commons (and to neighboring O'Bryant Square) [although our router is down at the moment].

   So please keep up the suggestions on how we can be less ivory-towerish. We're listening.

8. Doug on 23 Mar 2005

   Dearest Lisa-

   Like the taste of Grade A foie gras upon my tongue, my post seems to have elicited from you a visceral reaction mandating a response. Your use of capital letters conveys your passion and allows the reader to know which points/labels to emphasize. Never in my wildest dreams did I think a seemingly innocuous retort would warrant a 6 paragraph reply. Lucky me. If my fingers grow weary, I will have my trusted man-servant finish my response.

   First off:

   Point of clarification: The Friday Forums are held at the Governor Hotel not the MAC Club. Although I'm sure the Guv'nor has just as many back rooms in which deals can be made.

   Point of Clarification II: or "'Goldschmidts, Francesconis and Kafourys' oh my!"
   I have indeed rubbed elbows at various City Club events, however not with any of the people you have mentioned. I have met several of the aforementioned public figures, but not at City Club functions.

   Second:

   To base your assertion that the City Club is an exclusive group whose main goal is to perpetuate the current paradigm of the few holding and keeping the power from the many on the fact that people living on Killingsworth are unaware of what the City Club is and it's mission is specious and misleading. I guarantee there are those in the more affluent areas of town who are unaware as well.

   And to state that public education and police accountability has EVERYTHING TO DO (please note the use of capital letters. One Part homage, One part poking fun at) with those living in NE PDX and failing to mention how it also has EVERYTHING TO DO with every other citizen in this city is ostensibly using those residing on Killingsworth to promote this 'ivory tower' myth you are attempting to perpetuate.

   Your 'think of the lower-incomed, uninformed people' argument (which is what, I believe, you were implying by using NE Killingsworth, which is again misleading as that part of town encompasses all income and civic involvement levels) is akin to those whose last gasp argument is 'But think of the children, what about the children?' This tactic is trite and fails to resonate.

   Further, I never suggested the City Club was a 'grassroots organization'. I volunteer for one of those too. I can now tell the difference.

   So Lisa, I have to go. I have a squash game, spa treatment and a lunch to do.

   Sincerely,

   Doug

   p.s. I agree that Tim doesn't get the credit he deserves. Neither does Wade, Cullen nor Wendy. I give a shout out from the tallest tower (ivory or otherwise) in P-town to them as a group and individually.

9. allehseya on 23 Mar 2005

   heh.

   That's it. I'm joining.

10. lisa on 23 Mar 2005

    That's it. Me too. I'm convinced. Give me a few weeks to convince my financial partner...and TIM STILL ROCKS ABOVE ALL.