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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your name: Bradd Swank
Age: 64
(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): Ward
2, Salem City Council
Number of years living in the area you seek to represent: 41 years in area, 33 years in same
home in Ward 2 of Salem.
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): Wife - Claudia Howells, one 22 year old son in college
Your education (high school, trade, college, post-baccalaureate; indicate degrees earned):
Willamette University, School of Law, Juris Doctorate
Indiana University, Bachelor of Arts.
If employed, current occupation, employer and job duties: Retired
Previous employers and when:
July 1, 2005 Present. Retired. Community involvement. Limited consulting on
political/government policy matters.
Dec. 1986 - June 30, 2005 - Oregon State Court Administrator's Office
Supreme Court Building, Salem, Oregon 97310
Title: Special Counsel Government Relations
Dec. 1984 - Dec. 1986 - Joint Judiciary Committee, Oregon Legislative Assembly
State Capitol, Salem, Oregon 97310
Title: Administrator/Senior Counsel
Aug. 1976 - Dec. 1984 Legislative Counsel's Office
101 State Capitol, Salem, Oregon 97310
Title: Deputy Legislative Counsel
Law Clerk at: Aug. 1975 - June 1976. Rhoten, Rhoten & Speerstra, 300 Pioneer Trust Building,
Salem, Oregon 97301
June 1975 - Aug. 1975 Kafoury & Hagen, Oregon Pioneer Building,
S.W. Stark Street, Portland, Oregon
Pre-law:
- Head Resident, Lausanne Hall- Willamette University, Salem, Oregon, Aug. 1974 -Aug. 1976
- Program Assistant- Fort Wayne State Hospital and Training Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805
July 1968 - Sept. 1971
CURRENT MEMBERSHIPS
Military service and when: None
Volunteer/civic/religious service and when:
Oregon State Bar (Admitted Oregon Bar/Sept. 1976)
Salem City Club. 1989 2009. Program Chair 2007-2008. President for 2008-2009.
Saxon Foundation (raises money for classrooms at South High). 2006-2009, On board.
President 2007-2009.
Helped successfully lobby, 2011 HB 2750, the bill to allow Oregon school boards to let
culinary classes and competition teams use alcohol in competitions (as other states do and where
there are big scholarships at stake).
Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when: None
Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when: None
Other prior political and government experience: Only as it related to my professional
career. Liaison to Judicial Conduct Committee of the Oregon Judicial Conference; Liaison to
Municipal and Justice Courts Association; Recorder, Uniform Trial Court Rules Committee;
Representative to Oregon Law Improvement Commission . . .as examples.
How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information may be made
public):
Mail address: For Correspondence: 1045 Cross Street SE, Salem, Oregon 97302
For Donations: Friends of Bradd Swank, PO Box 42307, Portland, OR 97242
E-mail address: braddswank@outlook.com
Face book page: facebook.com/BraddSwankforCityCouncil?notif_t=page_new_likes
Web site URL: http://www.friendsofbraddswank.com/
Phone: 503-363-6587
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 2 of Salem is a fan shaped
district just south and east of downtown of Salem from roughly commercial street fanning to
the east with one corner next to Lancaster Mall and along the west side of I-5 south until the end
of industrial South of Salem then tapering back into Liberty Street just north of Fred Meyers
South. It contains older mostly well kept neighborhoods and is populated by many retirees,
public and private employees, artists, and others who prefer to live in established, walk able
neighborhoods close to the city center. It also has a diverse mix of commercial and industrial
businesses. It includes many of Salem's most important historic resources, many parks and
several schools. It is primarily middle and working class with generally Democratic leaning
voters.
2. When did you decide to run for this office, and why? I decided to run in the summer of
2013 after following city council for months and not only being discouraged by the lack of
openness and apparent real respect for voters, but troubled by financial decisions they make
apparently with limited public involvement. Others shared similar views with me and
encouraged me to run. I let a number of friends know in July and August 2013 that I was
seriously considering running and got only positive feed back.
3. How much will your primary campaign cost (please be specific)? We hope to hold the
campaign to under $ 4000. But, are willing to raise and spend more if necessary.
4. Who are your key endorsements from within the Mid-Valley? I am endorsed by the
Oregon League of Conservation Voters.
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
bankruptcy or delinquency on taxes or accounts. I've been served among a number of
government officials in various suits against the state, court system, or legislature, usually along
with the Governor, Chief Justice, Attorney General, or similar officials. I was subpoenaed twice
since retiring on cases relating to 1985 Oregon Vehicle Code revision. All litigation involving
me was resolved by Oregon Attorney General's office.
7. Why should people vote for you? What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be
specific. I am the only person running for city council who opposes the long discussed proposal
to shift costs for services formerly paid by general taxes to specific "fee/taxes" attached to utility
bills. I believe it is an unfair tax shift and that voters will be offended. Also, I appear to be the
only candidate in Ward 2 uninterested in advancing a political career for myself.
8. Describe your philosophy of governance: Government should be open, easy to follow, fair,
and easy to deal with. Government should give priority to services for taxpayers over
speculative "economic development" or over political advancement of elected officials. It should
support the middle class and work to advance as many people in that class as possible. Elected
officials have an obligation to make responsible financial decisions realizing that neither the
most expensive nor the cheapest option is always the best.
9. Give an example of a political mistake you made and what you learned from it: In 1977,
I volunteered to draft a revision of the Oregon Motor Vehicle Code. It took 5 years working
with various groups and long hours. It was the second largest bill introduced into Oregon
Legislature and was jokingly referred to as "the whale". I learned to be careful of the things for
which I volunteer.
10. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more open and
transparent? I would insist on council agendas with better and more complete information and
on discussion and clarification of agenda items. I think "consent calendars" where items are
not explained to the watching public are a disservice to the voters and should be changed so
people know what is being approved. .. especially when money is involved. I have concern
about whether the "Sunday telephone calls" comply with open meetings law. Councilors not
only need to regularly attend neighborhood association meetings, but should have one day a
month where they are willing meet constituents. There should be a greatly expanded use of
social media and city business e-mails and many simple public records should be easily available
to the public.
11. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more fiscally effective?
City needs to do things to encourage people to live within the city. Creating jobs alone does not
help the city unless people actually live here, pay taxes here and buy things locally. Tax
abatements without cost benefit analysis do not inform government appropriately. Over reliance
on urban renewal areas deprives local residents of other needed services. Focus on major
construction projects rather than services to residents is misdirected.
12. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected, and how? (75
words for each issue)
A. Focus on services to taxpayers and maintaining existing public assets.
B. City communicating with and respecting voters.
C. Responsible financial decisions.
13. What do you see as other important issues?
All urban renewal proposals, economic development/improvement proposals, and similar
projects should undergo a cost benefit analysis to establish concrete benefits to the taxpayers at
least equal to the benefits to any person receiving public moneys under the proposal. Economic
development should provide direct benefit to workers and city residents as well as to developers.
Investing in existing neighborhoods contributes more to tax base and livability than continued
urban sprawl.
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?
Salem Weekly Newspaper
Statesman Journal
KATU, Channel 2, News
National Public Radio
Huffington Post
Various local blogs.
Actually talking to friends involved with different issues.
15. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you
want to disclose before it comes up in the campaign? None to my knowledge.
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 started following Salem City Council in early March of 2013 when I heard a
rumor that the city was thinking of a tax shift from general taxes to utility bills to finance certain
services. After watching a couple of television meetings that were impossible to follow, I
started personally attending council meetings in April 2013, and found them still hard to follow.
Since April 2013, I have personally attended EVERY council meeting. .. and a number of work
sessions and information sessions. I spend between two and fiver hours on the Sunday before
each meeting reviewing the council materials and talking to people (sometimes the talking waits
until Monday).
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.