Reinvigorating the political muscles

“I really believe democracy is like a muscle. If you do not use it, it will atrophy.” said MHCC’s general obligation bond PR specialist, Paige Richardson.

The sentiment is as important now as it’s ever been – especially to young voters, who make up the largest share of students at MHCC. The second largest group here is students over age 40.

With Mt. Hood going for a $125 million bond measure on the May 17 primary election ballot, student involvement could be critical.

“In primary elections, the most reliable group of people, to vote are oooollldd, I mean, over 50. The least reliable are the young voters. in presidential (election) years they come out more.” Richardson elaborated.

As of right now, early community polling shows about 46 percent of MHCC district voters who would vote no, and 14-16% of voters still undecided with remaining members voting for the bond. Only a simple majority is needed for the bond to pass, which leaves about 6% of voters Mt. Hood would need to sway for the bond to pass.

The adage “get out the vote” might seem like stating the obvious, but there’s a reason it’s repeated. It’s one of the few finite factors in politics: Either people have voted, or they didn’t – and if they didn’t, then they don’t get a say in what happens.

This becomes a simpler process if you address the undecided voters, who, given our experience talking to students about the bond, will lean towards voting for the measure once they find out what it is and does (see our video for full coverage), and what Mt. Hood’s situation is right now.

As for the latter, it’s not fantastic. The college has been sliding deeper into debt the past four years. It owed about $29.4 million dollars in debt service at the beginning of the 2015 fall term. The last six bond attempts by MHCC, which were punctuated by a long gap in even seeking a new bond, failed for various reasons. The last time a bond was attempted was  9 years ago. If the May bond measure fails, MHCC is looking at a debt service of $41 million over the next 20 years.

These conditions make the MHCC campus a very important melting pot for the upcoming campaign. It has the most, and least consistent, groups of voters in close proximity to each other, perhaps having conversations with one another more frequently as we approach the May election.

These conversations the most important turning points for undecided voters, according to Richardson, who said the bond campaign seeks to have “10,000 conversations” with voters before elections.

The Advocate staff supports this bond, especially since it’s been such a long time coming. “The college has done a really good job of making two nickels go a long way, but it’s time to make an investment so that the good work can continue,” said Richardson, summing up Mt. Hood’s sales pitch.

MHCC President Debbie Derr had a similar remark when asked about the bond effort by the Advocate earlier this school year. “We have been incredibly good stewards of the taxpayer dollar,” she said.

Filling out an election ballot is a relatively quick process. A bond win on May 17 would allow the college to renovate the Maywood campus, match an 8 million grant from the state, and help improve the school’s wi-fi, which the student body has expressed discontent with time and time again.

Whether you vote Yes or No, by picking up this paper you’ve demonstrated you are at least vaguely concerned with the school.

That 6 percent “swing vote” is not a large margin. If students want or don’t want this bond to happen, their voice directly and heavily will influence the fate of this bond.