City Councilor Belinda Ray
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True Confessions: I used to think smaller shelters were the answer, too

10/24/2021

 
I get it. Intuitively, smaller shelters sound better. Fewer people, less crowding, more opportunity for individualized attention. That’s what I thought six years ago when I was first running for office.
 
At that time, as part of the 2015 Task Force to Study the Feasibility of Consolidating Shelter Services, Preble Street and the City of Portland were talking about establishing a 300-bed shelter for men on a small, city-owned parcel in Bayside. That didn’t sound like a good idea to me.
 
My gut reaction was that there was no way a single facility could humanely serve 300 people experiencing homelessness and that thise individuals would be much better served in a different setting.
 
On the campaign trail, I advocated for the city to instead build five smaller shelters, scattered throughout the city, and I was pretty passionate about it. In fact, I may very well have been the person who locally popularized the phrase, “We can’t warehouse people.” I said it at nearly every forum I attended.
 
But that was then. And I can tell you now: I didn’t know what I was talking about. 

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How I'm Voting: November 2021

10/22/2021

 
City Council, District One: Sarah Michniewicz
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I am 100% behind Sarah Michniewicz in this race. She is smart, principled, rational, and hard working. She has been organizing in this community for decades now, on the ground level, and has a firm grasp not only of the issues that Portland faces, but of how city government works so that she can start working on day one. The learning curve can be steep when a new Councilor comes on board, but Sarah is ready to go and will hit the ground running.
Sarah has an independent mind and she will consider every issue that comes before her carefully and rationally. If I could hand pick someone for this seat, it would be Sarah. She is a really excellent candidate.

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Quick Q&A: "Smaller Shelters" Website

10/22/2021

 
I recently received the email below from a constituent who, based on the information they had found at the Smaller Shelters website, was planning to vote for Option A on Question 1 on Portland's November 2021 ballot. At left below is the original constituent email; at right is my response; and below it all is the constituent's reply back. 

​I hope this exchange will encourage others considering Option A to reconsider their votes. It may also be helpful to take a look at the side by side comparison of Option A, Option B, and Option C.

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The New 200-Bed Homeless Services Center is the Right Move for Portland

10/21/2021

 
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Exterior view of the new HSC as proposed by Developers Collaborative, the group selected to partner with the City on the design and construction of the new facility.
For several years now, we've been working to replace the Oxford Street Shelter, and we are finally on the cusp of building a new Homeless Services Center at 638-654 Riverside Street that will do just that. The new, state-of-the art, 208-bed facility will be open 24/7 and it will finally provide those in our community experiencing homelessness the services they need in a spacious, welcoming, comfortable, secure, and dignified setting. This is a desperately needed facility with great community support.
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Concept image of the central gathering space at the new Homeless Services Center from the Developers Collaborative design.
​We've been steadily working toward this for over a decade. It is a crucial step in the well thought out, deliberate plan to prevent and end homelessness in Portland. This work that has involved community members, elected officials, city staff, service providers, and advocates, including people with lived experienced of being unhoused. 
National experts have been consulted and a great deal of community input has been received and incorporated. Read on to learn about our journey to this point, and why this service model is the right move for Portland. ​

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Vote for Option B on Portland's Question 1: Keep Shelters Safe and Accessible

10/17/2021

 
Question 1 on Portland’s November 2021 ballot asks:​
​Do you favor one of the two city ordinances summarized below, or should both be rejected?
The ballot contains summaries and the full language of each proposal, so you'll be able to read them before you vote.

​Ultimately, you have three options: choose A, choose B, or reject them both (C). Among the three options, there is one clear choice: Option B.  Here’s why.
​

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Smaller Shelters Initiative is not what it Seems

10/16/2021

 
The text below was published as a Maine Voices column in the Portland Press Herald online on October 15, 2021 and in the e-edition of the Press Herald on October 18, 2021.

Over the next month you’re going to see a lot of “smaller shelters” signs urging you to Vote A on Portland’s Question 1, but you should be wary. While the idea of “smaller shelters” may sound good in theory, Option A will actively harm people experiencing homelessness. That’s why groups like Preble Street’s Homeless Voices for Justice and advocates from organizations that work to prevent and end homelessness have spoken out against it.

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Why I Don't Support the Proposed City of Portland Mask Mandate

10/3/2021

 
​First, I want to say that I agree wholeheartedly with the joint statement that was issued by Northern Light Health and MaineHealth, the parent organizations for Mercy and Maine Med, respectively. As they said on September 17, 2021, people must do everything they can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Everyone who is able should:
​
  • get vaccinated;
  • wear a mask in public indoor settings;
  • practice social distancing;
  • wash their hands well and regularly; and
  • think twice about attending large indoor gatherings – especially if they know others in attendance will be unmasked or unvaccinated.
    ​
That said, I am opposed to enacting a mask mandate in the City of Portland for numerous reasons, which I have outlined below.

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Food Trucks & Trash

7/8/2021

 
Lately I've been getting a lot of emails about the volume of trash on the Eastern Prom, its potential causes, and what we should do about it. Read on to see one of the most recent emails on this topic (edited for anonymity) and my response. 

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Update on Minimum Wage Referendum/Hazard Pay

11/10/2020

 
.The Council just held an Executive Session and brief workshop to discuss the passage of Question A and how the City will be implementing it. 

When the Council returned to open session, the Mayor announced that the Council, after consulting with Corporation Counsel, is choosing to interpret the ordinance associated with Question A according to its plain language.

What this means is that we are interpreting this ordinance based on exactly what it says, and what it says quite plainly is that there will be no change to the minimum wage until January 1, 2022.

That means that hazard pay does not go into effect at this time and that the minimum wage remains at $12 until January 1, 2022 when it will go to $13 and the hazard pay will go into effect if there is a state of emergency that geographically applies to a Portland workplace. 


Also, as the Mayor said, there will be clarifying language posted to the City's website this evening, so please check there for more information.

UPDATE: Below, please see the Council guidance regarding the interpretation of Question A (minimum wage) and the impact of Question F (marijuana licensing) on first round applicants. 

Vote NO on A-E: These Initiatives Won't Do What They Claim

10/17/2020

 
​I’ve voted in favor of citizen initiatives in the past: ranked choice voting, marijuana legalization, and protections for Portland’s parks. But this year, I am voting NO on Questions A-E. Here’s why.

​Though well intentioned, these referendums will not accomplish what they claim. They will, in fact, do the opposite: make it more difficult to develop affordable housing; lead to job losses and local business shutdowns; and make it harder for the City to enact its plans to combat climate change. Let’s take them one by one.

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