On the Issues: NEW SOLUTIONS

A Course Correction Starts with Sensible Spending…

My number one priority is focusing spending on critical concerns that matter to Portland residents.

Why number one? Unless Portland City Council members are responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensure that city funds are allocated efficiently and effectively, we will not make progress on critical areas like public safety, homelessness and housing affordability, transportation, neighborhood livability, and climate action.

Portland’s combined state and local income tax rate of 14.7% for high earners is second only to New York City. In Portland, an individual hits that high earner mark at $125,000, while in New York a taxpayer would have to make $25 million. We don’t need new taxes. We need to make sure every tax dollar we spend will help improve the lives of Portland families.
The city's pattern of wasteful spending must end. Voters approved a new charter, not a blank check to expand city hall bureaucracy. At a time when many Portland residents are struggling economically, it is unacceptable for the city to be so careless with taxpayer money.
The recently revealed $8 million and growing annual operating cost overrun to operate City Hall greatly exceeds the original estimates presented to the public by the Charter Commission, and underscores persistent problems with the city's financial management. This substantial budget discrepancy emphasizes the imperative for enhanced fiscal accountability and transparency from city leadership.
The city transition team has recommended adding a host of new bureaucrats in City Hall, with exorbitant salaries. The millions proposed to be spent on these new positions will either lead to further cuts in services or higher taxes.

Improve Public Safety

Public safety is a top priority for Portlanders. We must ensure our police and fire departments have the resources and support to keep our communities safe. Adequate public safety resources allow our first responders to respond quickly to emergencies, conduct thorough investigations, and take dangerous criminals off our streets. Public safety promotes economic prosperity, enhances quality of life, and helps make Portland a place where families and businesses can thrive.

Portland faces levels of crime and gun violence that leave many residents feeling unsafe. We had record homicides in 2021 and 2022. While murders trended down slightly in 2023, we still have a long way to go.
Meanwhile, the number of police in Portland remains well below that in cities of comparable size. We must do better. We need to expand the number of police officers while also investing in more training, accountability, and community trust-building.
We are responsible for providing Portland Fire and Rescue with the resources they need to protect lives and property when emergencies strike. A recent study showed Portland needs 6 additional fire stations to meet the citywide goal of 4-minute response times. Minutes matter when lives are on the line, so investing in our emergency services is an investment in the health and safety of all Portlanders.
Portland Street Response is a new program that is proving to be effective. We need to build upon the success of this civilian-led program for responding to crises, especially those involving homeless persons struggling with mental health and behavioral issues.
Expanding the availability of this alternative first-responder program by having trained crisis counselors and social workers handle these situations rather than police officers will provide the homeless community with the help they need while allowing police to focus their efforts elsewhere.
Too many Portlanders have lost their lives in preventable traffic crashes. Traffic-related deaths in Portland remained close to a 30-year record, as the Portland Bureau of Transportation recorded 68 traffic deaths in 2023.
We need to take bold action to eliminate traffic deaths and make our streets safe for everyone. We must redesign dangerous intersections, improve crosswalk visibility, reduce speed limits, provide safer bike lanes, and enhance enforcement against reckless driving. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers deserve to feel secure traveling our streets.

Accelerate Proven Homelessness Solutions

We are facing a crisis of homelessness in our city. On any night, thousands of people are sleeping on our streets and in makeshift camps. Many are struggling with mental health issues, substance abuse disorders, and economic hardship. This is simply unacceptable in a caring, compassionate city like ours.

It’s time to admit that the status quo is not working. According to the City of Portland, from 2015 to 2023 overall homelessness increased from 1,887 to 6,297 individuals, despite the City alone spending $1.7 billion on affordable housing and other services.
We need to look at best practices that are working elsewhere:
1. A coordinated access system like Houston's streamlines the process for accessing housing and support services. Research has shown that coordinated access systems help communities make it easier for people experiencing homelessness to get help.
2. Implementation of a Built for Zero approach, where the goal is to drive the number of people experiencing long-term, chronic homelessness down to functional zero. This uses quality, real-time data to identify and house those with the greatest needs.
3. More focus on prevention. It is less expensive to keep people housed than to get people rehoused.

Treatment,Treatment,Treatment

Measure 110, which decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs in Oregon, was a mistake. While the measure aimed to reduce incarceration and fund drug treatment programs, it instead enabled open drug use and dealing on our streets without providing meaningful help for addicts. Where are the treatment centers, 24-hour phone lines and diversion programs voters were promised?

Will HB 4002, the replacement plan for Measure110, make a difference? We have to make sure it does by measuring results – lowering overdose deaths for instance – and demanding the promised treatment services. Oregon's addiction treatment infrastructure has been deficient for years. The resources now exist to fix it.

Make Every Neighborhood Livable

Portland is made up of unique and vibrant neighborhoods that contribute to the character and livability of our city. But I know many have been struggling with problems that are not being addressed. As your city councilor, I will work to enhance livability, by strengthening and reviving Neighborhood Associations and District Coalitions, protecting existing housing stock while adding new housing in neighborhood centers, promoting arts and culture, strengthening climate resilience, and investing in the parks, public spaces, and community resources that make our neighborhoods even better places to live, work, and play.

Our Neighborhood Associations have provided a critical basis for community building, and social infrastructure, advocacy and engagement with local government and within each neighborhood for 50 years. Despite their role in building Portland’s reputation as a great place to live and raise a family, there is no question that these associations have been neglected, unfunded, and even suppressed in recent years. That must change.
I will seek to strengthen these and other affinity groups that contribute to livability and improve communication between the city and neighborhoods. Our Neighborhood Associations and District Coalitions are critical in fostering community and civic life, educating and amplifying civic engagement for all residents- owners and renters, in solving problems and shaping the future of our neighborhoods while remaining great places to raise families.
We must assure that during and after the transition to a new form of government no neighborhood needs are left behind.
Portland has a thriving arts and culture scene that is integral to the city's identity and quality of life. From its many museums, galleries, and performance venues, to its vibrant music, theater, and culinary offerings, Portland supports and celebrates artistic expression in all its many forms. Events like the Portland Art Walk and festivals that are celebrated in Tom McCall Waterfront Park showcase local and international artists while fostering a spirit of community. Our nonprofit arts organizations educate youth, engage diverse audiences, and preserve important cultural traditions. Strong arts and crafts contribute immeasurably to the livability and reputation of a city, drive tourism and are an important economic engine for Portland.
I support robust public funding for our arts organizations, as well as policies that support venues for many forms of art in accessible public spaces and places, and affordable housing and workspace for artists, musicians and creative professionals, so as to sustain arts and culture and ensure Portland remains a hub of creativity and inspiration for generations to come.
Our nationally recognized parks system has made and must continue to make a huge contribution to livability in Portland, from our neighborhood greenspaces to flagship parks like Forest Park and Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Parks help to define neighborhoods, providing opportunities for community gathering and recreation that are essential to physical and mental health. They also protect important natural areas and wildlife habitats within the city. Portland's parks make our neighborhoods more inviting, walkable places to live, work and play.
We must look forward and invest in these community assets that provide light, air, recreation, and connection with nature in the heart of our city and in every neighborhood, including areas that have been historically underserved. I support efforts to address the significant parks maintenance backlog.
We must address climate resilience to protect our economic future. Portland is already experiencing the impacts of climate change through increased flooding, wildfires, and heat waves. These threaten our infrastructure, businesses, and workforce.
A climate-resilient Portland will attract talent, spur innovation, and position our city as a leader. We can create good local jobs while safeguarding Portland against climate disruptions with thoughtful planning and preparation. Our future and economic competitiveness depend on it.

Build a Thriving Economy for Everyone

A thriving local economy where all can prosper is vital for Portland's future. With strategic policies that support businesses of all sizes and a reinvigorated central city, including the downtown core, the Pearl, and Old Town, we can foster an economy where all Portlanders have the opportunity to thrive.

I support policies that help small and downtown businesses grow and create good jobs. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs and character for our neighborhoods.
I support restoring the downtown and other parts of the central city as the regional center for commerce and employment, education and recreation, culture and tourism, and as a cluster of vibrant residential neighborhoods for all ages. I support public-private partnerships to activate vacant commercial spaces and policies that enhance public safety, keep streets and parks clean, and invest in amenities that support foot traffic and transit.
The lack of affordable housing in Portland threatens the economic diversity that makes our city strong. Hard-working families are being pushed out of their neighborhoods because of rising costs. We need to build more affordable housing units and streamline the approval process.

Advocate for Seniors

I will make sure that the needs of seniors are heard and addressed. With rising property taxes and increasing costs of housing, food, utilities, and medicine affecting the budgets of many seniors on fixed incomes from Social Security or retirement savings, city policies must help seniors stay in their homes so that they can age with dignity and financial security.

Strengthen Medicare

I strongly support federally-run Medicare. It is well-managed well, with low administrative costs. I therefore oppose the current consideration by the State of Oregon to take over Medicare, add another layer of bureaucracy that triples the administrative costs, and be responsible for senior healthcare as suggested by the Joint Task Force on Universal Health Care.

Strengthen Public School Funding

All students in Portland should have an opportunity to have the meaningful education they deserve. An educated workforce is also critical to Portland’s economic well-being.

Being a teacher is an increasingly demanding job. Teachers and other staff deserve to be fairly compensated. The strike in late 2023 brought attention to the great frustration over this issue.

The State has a Constitutional responsibility to provide adequate funding for public education. I support the City of Portland working with Portland Public Schools and its stakeholders, including the board, administration, teachers and other staff, and parents, in a coordinated effort to push the Governor and legislators to do their job and adequately fund our K-12 schools.