By Jodie DeJonge • Managing Editor • 

McMinnville City Council: Menke meets opposition in fifth run

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Comments

Hibb

Granted that Kellie Menke is a bit of an institution in Mac political circles and will have plenty in the readership of the NR that will laud her many achievements and even her vision for tomorrow, but the question that needs to be asked is whether or not the Mac City Council is still a good fit for Menke or would we all be better served if she were to not be running again and instead took on an advisory roll that would seek to mentor a new generation of leaders that will actually be alive in the not-too-distant future?! This is a very good way for Menke to continue to invest in Mac politics without cluttering up the process.

We live in a nation where we elect individuals to represent us and our interest at every level of government, but the question we must ask now is whether or not in moving forward if we would be better served with new blood on fresh legs, with fresh ideas and innovations or shall we just continue on with the status quo that is Kellie Menke? And let's face it... Menke became an "institution" in Mac not because of her "fresh and innovative ideas", but because she has continued to trod along the status quo trail year in, year out...

Lastly, and this may seem harsh... but I think Kellie Menke has had enough time to implement her ideas for what Mac will look like in years to come. She has already exceeded whatever is the normal tenure of a City Council member. Isn't it time that we give an honest evaluation of Kellie Menke and of that of her opposition and vote accordingly, instead of just automatically marking an X next to the Menke name on the mail-in ballot? According to the current wave of conventional wisdom, Ms. Menke is possibly a part of the problem that we are now facing, as she too is a member of the dreaded "white privilege"! Do we really want to go forward with that kind of baggage? Can we as a progressive society afford to. You decide and please be sure to vote.
Editor's Note: See comment below.

Oregonian

I can't believe Hibb's comment is still present. It is obviously a violation of the NR comment section policy.

blueskyacu

I look forward to voting for Kellie Menke again! She has been working hard for our city without pay for many years. It is difficult to balance all the needs of a city and she continues to listen and address any and all concerns and help guide the council to continue its effort to address many of the issues towns like McMinnville are facing. Menke knows the city council can't fix all the issues, but on the issues that the council can affect, she has been working tirelessly on our behalf to find the balance of our concerns. I'm thankful to have such a dedicated civil servant representing Ward 2!

Jeb Bladine

Oregonian,

Interesting comment, prompting us to add "hate speech" to the list of reasons we might remove comments and/or limit rights of commentary in this forum.

It's unclear what Hibb means by being "a member of the dreaded 'white privilege.'" The phrase is meant to describe a cultural phenomenon, not some kind of nefarious club. His comment seems to encourage people to vote against Kellie Menke because she is white, which might be considered by some to be a form of hate speech.

If Hibb, instead, have argued that the membership of McMinnville City Council should have more racial diversity, that would be different. If Menke's opponent were a person of color, it even could be fair comment to support that person for purposes of bringing diversity to the council. Since both candidates are white, it's difficult to understand the nature of Hibb's comment.

We'll give him the benefit of the doubt for possible misstatement, and leave the comment in place with this response. Thanks for bringing up the situation and leading us to make that addition to the Forum policy statement.

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