Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2014 Primary Election

Thank you for responding to this questionnaire.

Why this matters: The Statesman Journal Editorial Board will use this questionnaire in deciding
which candidates to endorse at the May 20 Primary Election. The board is doing fewer in-person
interviews this spring. Your answers also will be shared with reporters and may be published in
the newspaper and/or on our website, StatesmanJournal.com, so the public will see what you
submit.
We also ask that you respond to every question, instead of simply attaching campaign materials,
resumes, etc.
Please return the completed questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an email or an attached Word
document to Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com. (Handwritten or fax responses dont work.)
Deadline for submitting your questionnaire: 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 16.
Questions? Contact Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes, 503-399-6727, dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com, or
Editorial Assistant Nancy Harrington, 503-589-6944, nharring@StatesmanJournal.com.
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Your name: Christopher Proudfoot
Age: 31
(If your age will change before the May 20 primary, please indicate your birthday. We want to
make sure we use accurate ages in editorials and news coverage.)
Political party (if this is a partisan office):
Non partisan office
Position you are seeking (name of position, district number, political party if applicable):
Salem City Council, Ward 8
Number of years living in the area you seek to represent:
18 years
Are you a full-time resident of that area?
Yes
City/town of residence:
Salem, Oregon
Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home, number of grown
children):
None
Your education (high school, trade, college, post-baccalaureate; indicate degrees earned):
South Salem High School, Chemeketta Community College, Portland State University
If employed, current occupation, employer and job duties:
Self-Employed Consultant, Non Profit management
Previous employers and when:
Nena Cook for Oregon Supreme Court, Campaign Manager
Ellen Rosenblum for AG, Project Director
Organizing for America - Oregon, State Field Director
Democratic Party of Oregon, Canvass Director
Military service and when:
None
Volunteer/civic/religious service and when:
Pride NW, Volunteer Coordinator
Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when:
Precinct Committee Person, Polk 146
Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when:
none
Other prior political and government experience:
Treasurer of the LGBT Caucus of the DPO
Vice Chair 5
th
Congressional District DPO
Former Chair of the Polk County Democrats
How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information may be made public):
Mail address: 900 Kingwood Dr NW Salem, Oregon 97304
E-mail address: Cproudfoot01@gmail.com
Web site URL: ChrisforSalem.com
Phone: 503-559-3245
Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words.
1. To an outsider, how would you describe the region you wish to represent? What is it like
geographically, economically, politically and socially? Ward 8 is a large part of West Salem. It
includes most of the residential area. The is populated by working class families with a mix of
newer established homes and older more established neighborhoods.
2. When did you decide to run for this office, and why?
Ward 8 has been represented by the current councilor for many years. I decided to run after I
learned that Dan was no longer running along with a large portion of the current council. Salem
has come a long way in the years I have lived here and I want to make sure some of the great
work is continued. I have had the privilege to work with and become friends with some fantastic
leaders in Oregon and I hope to be able to follow their example.
3. How much will your primary campaign cost (please be specific)?
$5,000 to $10,000 depending on price of certain items.
4. Who are your key endorsements from within the Mid-Valley?
Congressman Kurt Schrader, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Labor Commissioner Brad
Avakian, City Councilor Diana Dickey, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, UFCW-555,
IBEW-280, SEIU-503, Teamsters Joint Council 37, Marion Polk Yamhill Labor Council,
National Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
5. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing
board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details.
No
6. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or
been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details.
No
7. Why should people vote for you? What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be specific.
I grew up in Salem, I when to school here, got my first job here and have a great appreciation for
the city, both its history and its future. I have a strong working relationship with local and
statewide leaders and will work hard to address concerns of my district and the city. I will bring
a fresh and unique perspective to the council and understand the challenges of often-
underrepresented residents. I will work hard to reach out to people in the district and address
issues with collaboration cooperation through out the community.
8. Describe your philosophy of governance:
I believe in involvement and collaboration with communities of interest to address issues facing
government locally.
9. Give an example of a political mistake you made and what you learned from it:
None
10. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more open and transparent?
Transparency should be more the posting agendas and decisions on a website and expecting the
public to come to us. I believe that in order to be truly transparent and involve our community
we need to be actively seeking public involvement, both with traditional means as well as
alternative available methods using modern, widely available technology.
11. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more fiscally effective?
Work with communities of interest and people directly involved to find alternatives and value-
focused solutions.
12. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected, and how? (75 words
for each issue)
A. We need to be promoting and developing a strong work force in Salem, not just with more
jobs, but quality living wage jobs to support our families and strengthen our communities.
B. Transparency in government needs to be more then posting agendas and decisions on a web
site and waiting for residents of Salem to notice. We need to be seeking public involvement.
C. Environmental sustainability in Salem is important to our future, both to protect our ecology
and to grow. We need to be seeking creative and innovative solutions that meet our future needs
and protect our future generations.
13. What do you see as other important issues?
14. What magazines, newspapers and Web publications do you regularly read to keep up on the
news, especially on issues related to the office you are seeking?
I read a variety of online national sourced digital media as well as local news outlets like the
Oregonian and Statesman Journal.
15. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you want to
disclose before it comes up in the campaign?
None
16. If you are running for a governing board in Oregon (such as city council, county board of
commissioners or the Legislature), how many meetings of that board have you attended in
person during 2013 and 2014? How many have you watched online or on TV, if applicable?
I have attended 3 Council meetings and 4 Council work sessions.
Thank you. Please return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an attached Word document to
Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com by 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 16.