Portland school bond: Hard-earned lessons in Portland's bond nail-biter

Susan Nielsen:

Portland isn't the kind of city to have nail-biting elections over school taxes. Levies "coast to victory" in the news headlines here. A special income tax will "pass easily by wide margins," even during an economic downturn.

Bonds pass, too -- until this week, when Portland voters narrowly rejected a $548 million capital bond and upended conventional wisdom about their loyalties and limits. This man-bites-dog result provides some invaluable lessons for the district and its campaign team as they regroup for the next bond effort.

Starting with this lesson: Never take voters for granted. Listen to what they're saying now -- not what they've said in the past.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 20, 2011 3:25 AM
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