Tom Hughes' Opt In recruitment tour continues on Friday in Tigard, this time with a focus on the business community.
Hughes, the Metro Council President, and Oregon Republican Party Chairman Allen Alley will be featured speakers at a forum hosted by the Westside Economic Alliance. The forum is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Dec. 9 at the Embassy Suites hotel, 9000 SW Washington Square Road.
The forum's title is "Does your business have a voice in regional economic decisions?" It's part of a push from Opt In's organizers at Metro to increase awareness of Opt In among conservatives, who have been slow to sign up for the program.
About 10 percent of participants say they identify as Republicans, compared to 26 percent of the region's residents. Sixty-two percent of Opt In participants say they are Democrats, about 20 percent higher than Democratic voter registration in the Portland region..
Last month, Hughes visited the conservative Executive Club as part of the effort, and took digs from the right about freeway construction and government growth.
Opt In, launched in January, has nearly 8,000 participants, short of the program's initial goal of 10,000 registrations by autumn. It's surveyed its users six times, on topics including the Oregon Zoo, the urban growth boundary and transportation.
According to Opt In organizers, response rates have ranged from 40 to 70 percent, far greater than response rates for more expensive telephone surveys.
For more information about the luncheon, contact the Westside Economic Alliance at 503-968-3100 or visit its website at westside-alliance.org.