Here, first I’ll quote The One True b!x’s introduction and statement of purpose:
It’s not completely unwarranted to view the potential revision of the City Charter to replace its current commission government with a strong mayor form as a kind of re-founding of the City of Portland. That makes Charter review one of the single most important decisions the City’s residents can face. With the work of the Charter Review Commission complete, this is the real deal. Whatever your views, the time to speak up is now.
…from the new group site, Portland’s Future Charter.
…and to note that I will be a contributor to the site, along with the b!x; Amanda Fritz, registered nurse and former City Council candidate; Mark Oliver, an Indonesian and Javanese-language translator; and Chris Smith, a citizen member of Metro and publisher of Portland Transport.
I agree with b!x – this seems important, at least on a local scale. Going into it, I don’t have any pre-formed notions about what Portland’s charter should or should not be. Although if I’m being honest, I do mislike and generally mistrust authority unless they demonstrate themselves to be trustworthy and honest.