Packwood On Partisanship with Bob Packwood

At their best, partisanship and the two-party system allow people with competing goals to work more easily together: when sufficiently constrained, conflict between political parties can be informative and productive. Excessive partisanship, however, can undermine effective lawmak¬ing and interfere with the Legislature's ability to func¬tion. In today's political climate, excessive partisanship too often seems the rule rather than the exception - but this was not always the case.

During his political career, Bob Packwood successfully and repeatedly built bipartisan consensus around controversial issues. From a bill prohibiting dam building on Eastern Oregon's Snake River, to deregulation of the trucking industry, to the 1986 Tax Reform Act, Senator Packwood helped forge consensus on issues that ultimately benefited many Oregonians. At the September 10 Friday Forum, participants will learn how Packwood achieved consensus across the aisle, and how politicians might do so again today.

Bob Packwood graduated from Willamette University, and received his law degree from New York University. He served in the state legislature between 1963 and 1969, and then in the U.S. senate from 1969 to 1995.

Purchase tickets at www.pdxcityclub.org or call 503-228-7231 x110.

Where: The Governor Hotel, 614 SW 11th Ave., Portland OR 97205

When: Doors open at 11:30 AM, Program begins at 12:15 PM and concludes at 1:15 PM

Transportation and parking: The Governor Hotel is accessible by bus, Portland Streetcar and MAX light rail. A SmartPark garage is located one block away from the Governor Hotel at 730 S.W. 10th Ave.

Cost: Luncheon tickets are $16 for City Club members and up to two guests, $20 for nonmembers. Limited coffee/tea table tickets are $5 and are available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. General seating is free for members and $5 for nonmembers. A limited number of $5 coffee/tea tickets are available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Reservations: Reservations required for lunches only; reservations close at 2 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the event. Reservations for lunch are strongly encouraged. To reserve a lunch via telephone, individuals (members and non-members) should call our voice mail reservation line, 503-228-7231, ext. 110. A limited number of lunch tickets are generally available at the door. Luncheon tickets reserved after the 2:00 PM Wednesday deadline or purchased at the door will be subject to an additional $4 charge. General seating and coffee/tea tickets will be available at the door.

The generous financial support from corporate sponsors help make City Club’s time-honored luncheons possible. City Club thanks its current sponsors AARP Oregon, Barran Liebman, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and PGE.