Politics & Government
PDX Council Candidates. Prepared Or NOT Prepared For The New Job?
Available evidence suggests that NONE of the current applicants for Matching Funds for Portland City Council are prepared for the new job.
Regardless of where you live in Oregon the seismic changes coming to Portland’s government structure and personnel will have an effect on governments, politics and policies throughout our Oregon. These influences may be tsunami like or perhaps just a drizzle.
Prepared or NOT Prepared? That is the question. Available evidence suggests that none of the current applicants, see below, for Matching Funds for Portland City Council are prepared for the new job they are seeking.
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This is the first of several Portland city councilor prospective candidate reviews planned over the next months until the election of Portland city councilors on November 5, 2024. The focal point for these critiques is, Is the prospective candidate prepared for the JOB?
Find out what's happening in Portlandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
REVIEW PROCESS
My assessments of which candidates are currently most prepared for the job is based on their web sites, a candidate questionnaire and other available public statements by prospective candidates. A similar process of analysis could be useful for evaluating candidates in every public jurisdiction in Oregon where housing is at or near the top of citizen and government concerns.
SUMMARY
Definitions:
Public Housing = Means Test (<=80% MFI) + Government Subsidy (any kind, government, amount) + Rental Agreement.
Affordable Housing = A mathematical calculation, i.e. Mortgage/Rent + Taxes + Insurance + Utilities <= 30% of household income.
Notes:
The term Affordable Housing is meaningless and deceptive unless it is accompanied by for whom. For example, this for sale or rent dwelling meets the definition of affordable housing for those households with an MFI >= 60%. ALL Affordable Housing properties must always be described as equal to or greater than any given MFI, never less than.
The terms Public Housing and Affordable Housing are NOT the same and are NOT interchangeable.
Most Public Housing is not affordable housing.
Housing Categories:
1. 0-80% MFI - Public Housing that may or may not be Affordable Housing. Government Financial Support REQUIRED. Rental only.
2. 81-110% MFI - Affordable Housing that is Market Rate Housing. Government Support USEFUL. For Sale and Rental.
3. >=111% MFI - Market Rate Housing. Government Support UNNECESSARY. For Sale and Rental.
None of the applicants for Portland Matching Funds have demonstrated, so far, that they understand the basic components, i.e. policy statements and proposed legislative action, of the job they seek nor how they understand the most important and complex issue on every government’s agenda, namely, the need for housing at from 0 to 110% MFI.* They are also either confused or ignorant regarding Public Housing intergovernmental relations and agreements with Multnomah county and Metro. (See questions below for clarity.) This is particularly true with “who is or should be in charge and accountable here” issues.
Although they are not officially candidates some of the applicants for Portland Matching Funds can now receive matching public dollars to your contributions (within limits). On November 5, 2024 Portland voters will be hiring twelve Portland City Councilors at an annual salary of $133,000 plus benefits. They will want to make sure that their choices are qualified before they give them their money and mark candidates names on their ballots.
Next review will be on or about May 1, 2024.
Richard Ellmyer
Portland Voter and Citizen Activist since 1975
Campaign manager and legislative assistant to state senator Bill McCoy 1980-1981.
Campaign manager and senior staff to Multnomah county commissioner Gladys McCoy 1981-1984.
Celebrate North Portland award 2016 for Volunteer Work and Service with Political and Social Issues Impacting North Portland.
Certified Oregon Change Agent by Governor John Kitzhaber 2011.
Author of more stories on the politics, players and policies of Public Housing in Oregon over the last twenty-two years than all other journalists and elected officials combined.
Project Champion and Data Wrangler - Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps https://www.goodgrowthnw.org/m...
GIS for Activism conference, May 23, 2022, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
RichardEllmyer - How I, A Citizen Activist, Used GIS To Effectively Tell A Necessary Yet Unavailable Truth About Public Housing
30 minute Video https://media.pdx.edu/media/t/...
LET KNOWLEDGE SERVE THE CITY
Author of The Ellmyer Report, a newsletter that informs, educates and influences on public policy. Occasionally distributed to more than a quarter of million readers in Oregon and beyond. Facebook, Portland Politics Plus . Contributor: Patch news
ADDENDUMS
What Answers Would You Expect From These (see below) Or Other Prospective Candidates Or Elected Officials? Accept or Reject?
Public Housing is not only at or near the top agenda item for all governments within Oregon it is also the most intractable. How candidates respond to the questions below will be a very good indicator of their knowledge and judgement on this unavoidable issue and how they might perform solving other difficult and complex problems facing Portland and other cities and counties.
POLICY STATEMENTS
1. I support providing Public Housing as a top priority in the allocation of Portland’s financial, personnel and other applicable resources.
2. I support the widest variety of soft walled to hard walled options to bring homeless persons off living on public property and on to residence under the safety and services of the Public Housing* umbrella.
3. I support Equitable Distribution of Public Housing* throughout all of Portland’s neighborhoods.
4. I support Equitable Distribution of Public Housing* throughout all of Multnomah county’s neighborhoods.
5. I support Equitable Distribution of Public Housing* throughout all of the neighborhoods within Metro’s boundaries.
6. I support establishing minimum and maximum goals for the percentage of Public Housing* allowed in all Portland neighborhoods.
7. I support political and legal acceptance of Metro’s Officially Voted On And Passed REGIONAL Public Housing Policy as the overarching and controlling Public Housing Policy within all Metro’s catchment area public jurisdictions.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
1. RESOLVED: All official public utterances and writings by employees of the city of Portland, including elected officials, involving the terms “Public Housing” or “Affordable Housing” are defined as follows:
Public Housing = Means Test (<=80% MFI) + Government Subsidy (any kind, government, amount) + Rental Agreement.
Affordable Housing = A mathematical calculation, i.e. Mortgage/Rent + Taxes + Insurance + Utilities <= 30% of household income.
Notes:
The term Affordable Housing is meaningless and deceptive unless it is accompanied by for whom. For example, this for sale or rent dwelling meets the definition of affordable housing for those households with an MFI >= 60%. ALL Affordable Housing properties must always be described as equal to or greater than any given MFI, never less than.
The terms Public Housing and Affordable Housing are NOT the same and are NOT interchangeable.
Most Public Housing is not affordable housing.
2. RESOLVED: All listings/notices/advertisements/reports for Public Housing* units in Portland shall:
A) Be identified as Public Housing units.
B) Include the qualifying MFI range, e.g. 40-80%, to rent.
C) State the Affordable Housing MFI range, e.g. >=60%.
3. RESOLVED: That the Portland city council shall vote on all Joint Office of Homeless Services proposed program expenditures that exceed $500,000. In the event that the Multnomah county commission does not also approve of the expense within 30 days the expenditure shall be disallowed.
4. RESOLVED: That the Portland city council establishes goals of 5% minimum and 15% maximum Public Housing Units in all Portland neighborhoods. The Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps, created by a team of faculty and students at Portland State University, shall be the touchstone for determining these percentages. Before being approved, ALL Public Housing projects must first have a public hearing that MIN/MAX goals have been considered using the Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps as the common bases for discussion and debate.
5. RESOLVED: Before execution, the Portland city council shall direct all proposed Public Housing* expenditures to the Metro Regional Government for review that they comply with Metro’s Officially Voted On And Passed REGIONAL Public Housing Policy of Equitable Distribution of Public Housing. No Public Housing expenditures are permitted unless and until a Metro review has been returned marked acceptable. In the event that Metro does not have an Officially Voted On And Passed REGIONAL Public Housing Policy of Equitable Distribution of Public Housing, all housing funds received from Metro will be forwarded to the Clackamas county commission for spending only on Public Housing within Clackamas county. This procedure shall be in effect until Clackamas county’s percentage of Public Housing has increased from 3.5% to match Multnomah county’s 11.4%.
NATIONAL POLITICAL PERCEPTIONS
1. Donald Trump is a clear and present danger and an existential threat to American democracy including Portland.
2. The blatantly unethical behavior of some judges on the Supreme Court and bad partisan decisions has meaningfully devalued:
a) the credibility of the Court,
b) the very concepts of law and justice we hold dear,
c) and endangered the lives and prosperity of Americans and Portlanders, especially women.
*
See definitions above.
Applicants for Matching Funds for Portland City Council In Order of Filing Date
https://www.portland.gov/small...
District 1
Steph Routh, steph.routh@gmail.com, https://www.steph4eastportland.com
Timur Ender, enderineastportland@gmail.com, https://www.ender4eastportland.com
David Linn, dlinnpdx@gmail.com, https://linnforportland.com
Jamie Dunphy, jamiedunphy@gmail.com, https://www.jamiedunphy.com
Deian Salazar, deian4people@gmail.com, https://www.salazarforthepeopl...
Candace Avalos, candaceforportland@gmail.com, https://candaceforportland.com
Thomas Shervey, thomasshervey@gmail.com, https://www.cesystems.tech/campaign/thomassherveyforeastof82nd
Terrence Hayes, teamhayes24@gmail.com, ?
Cayle Tern, cayleforpdx@gmail.com, https://www.cayleforpdx.com
Joe Furi, campaign@joefuriforportland.com, https://www.cayleforpdx.com
Noah Ernst, info@noahernst4portland.com, https://www.noahernst4portland...
District 2
Debbie Kitchin, dkitchin@interworksllc.com, https://electdebbiekitchin.com
David Burnell, davidforportland@gmail.com, https://www.davidforportland.com
Brooklyn Sherman, brooklyn.shermanforportand@gmail.com, https://www.shermanforportland.com
Christopher Olson, chris@olsonforpdx.com, https://www.olsonforpdx.com
Marc Koller, marc@marckoller4portland.com, https://www.marckoller4portland.com
John Middleton, johnm4district2@gmail.com, ?
Mariah Hudson, mariahforpdx@gmail.com, https://www.mariahforportland.com
James Armstrong, james@armstrongforpdx.com, https://www.armstrongforpdx.com
Jonathan Tasini, theteam@jonathantasini.com, https://www.jonathantasini.com
Laura Streib, laura4pdx@gmail.com, https://www.laura4pdx.com
Reuben Berlin, reuben4portland@gmail.com, https://www.reubenberlin.com
Alan Blake, alanblake50@gmail.com, https://alanblake4councilman.com
Tiffani Penson, tiffani.penson@gmail.com, ?
Dan Ryan, dryanpdx@gmail.com, ?
Jennifer Park, jenniferfordistrict2@gmail.com, https://www.jenniferparkfordistrict2.com
Elana Pirtle-Guiney, contact@elanaforportland.com, https://www.elanaforportland.com
Marnie Glickman, mg@marenieglickman.org, https://www.marnieglickman.org
Nat West, nat@revnatforportland.com, https://www.revnatforportland....
District 3
Chris Flanary, chrisflanarypdx@gmail.com, https://www.chrisforportland.com
Sandeep Bali, sandeep@betterwithbali.com, https://www.betterwithbali.com
Jesse Cornett, pat@cornettforportland.com, https://www.cornettforportland.com
Angelita Morillo, info@angelitaforportland.com, https://www.angelitaforportland.com
Robin Ye, teamrobinforportland@gmail.com, https://www.robinyeforportland.com
Daniel DeMelo, daniel_vogel@me.com, https://demelo4portland.com
Matthew Anderson, mtanderson02@hotmail.com, ?
Tiffany Koyama Lane, tiffany@teachertiffanyforthepeople.com, https://teachertiffanyforthepeople.com
Rex Burkholder, rexburkholder@gmail.com, https://www.rexforpdx.com
Steve Novick, stevenovick96@gmail.com, https://www.novickforportland.com
Dan Gilk, djgilk@gmail.com, https://www.danforportland.com
Philippe Knab, philippe@philippeforportland.com, https://www.philippeforportland.com
District 4
Tony Morse, awmorse3@gmail.com, https://tonyforpdx.com
Chad Lykins, chad@rosecitychess.com, https://www.lykinsforportland.com
Olivia Clark, onclark@gmail.com, https://www.oliviaforportland.com
Sarah Silkie, contact@sarahsilkie.com, https://sarahsilkie.com
Michael DiNapoli, md@peoplesav.com. https://mikedinapoli.org/contact-us
Moses Ross, mosesjulianross@gmail.com, https://www.moses4pdx.com
Eli Arnold, eliarnold3@gmail.com, https://www.eliforportland.com
Bob Weinstein, info@bobforportland.com, https://www.bobforportland.com
Eric Zimmerman, ez4pdx@gmail.com, ?
Ben Hufford, hello@ben4portland.com, https://www.ben4portland.com
Mitchell Green, mitch@mitch4portland.com, https://mitch4portland.com
Michael Trimble, michael@iamwithmichael.com, https://iamwithmichael.com
Stan Penkin, stan@penkinforportland.com, https://www.penkinforportland.com
Soren Underdahl, sorenforportland@gmail.com, https://www.sorenforportland.com
Jeremy Beausoleil Smith, Jeremy4PDX@gmail.com, ?
Chomba Kaluba, ckalu2@gmail.com, ?
Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps https://www.goodgrowthnw.org/m...
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