Category: Elections/Campaign Finance

How I'm Voting: November 2021

10/22/2021

City Council, District One: Sarah Michniewicz

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.

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.

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.

Do we need a Charter Commission?

7/7/2020

If you're looking at your absentee ballot—or taking a sneak peek of what awaits you at your polling place on July 14th—you'll notice Question A, asking if you want a Charter Commission to be established to revise the City's Charter. So...what's this question about, and why is it on the ballot? Good questions.

Cave Falsa Nomina

2/15/2019

Translation: Beware false labels

Let's Start with the Good

A local politico who I have great respect for (Joey Brunelle) has been publishing blog posts titled "Who Funded Your Candidate?" which I think are a fantastic idea.

I agree that it's important for people to know who's funding local campaigns. That's why in 2018 I introduced a charter amendment to add an additional campaign finance reporting period for municipal candidates in Portland.

But back to those "Who Funded Your Candidate?" posts. Like I said, I think they're a great idea, and for the most part, they're very well done. But I do have a small problem with them...which is actually kind of a big problem.

More Transparent Campaign Financing

2/14/2019

In August of 2018 I introduced a charter amendment to add an additional campaign finance reporting requirement for municipal candidates in Portland. Here's why I did it and what it does.