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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2012)
4 • The Southwest Portland Post Candidates Fair (Continued from Page 1) High capacity transit along Barbur Boulevard? Mary Nolan said, “High capacity transit only works if the whole system works,” including access to transit, and that she would use “use my influ- ence with Metro and TriMet to get our share.” Amanda Fritz said it would first be necessary to do planning for that highway. Steve Novick was skeptical of high capacity transit, saying we have been doing such projects with the aid of federal grants, matching it with “money we didn’t have” that has hindered road maintenance. Jeri Williams said there should be a road tax as there is in England, that bicyclists should pay their fair share, that TriMet’s cutting bus routes is “a mistake,” and that light rail is “not for everybody.” What about storm water management in Southwest? Mary Nolan: We should “be a little more creative in managing storm wa- ter” in the southwest. Amanda Fritz: Southwest should get a higher level of service for the fees people pay. Steve Novick: The higher cost of southwest storm water management should be spread throughout the city. Jeri Williams: “Every decision should be made with input by people most directly affected.” NEWS What should the city do to help schools in Southwest? Amanda Fritz: Asked about schools, Fritz said she has supported the “amount of funding we’re allowed to give under Measure 5,” and that she helped fund athletic facilities at Park- rose and Roosevelt high schools, but the “legislature must fix the inequities” of current funding. Mary Nolan, a southwest resident, repeatedly referred to her record, saying she had been “a vocal supporter of ev- ery school measure in the last 30 years.” Nolan said she is an advocate for schools through support of all school districts directly, the Safe Routes to School and SUN School programs, and recreational activities through the Bureau of Parks and Recreation. Steve Novick would support schools through Safe Routes to School and con- struction of sidewalks where needed, and finance this through higher park- ing fees. Jeri Williams said she supported SUN Schools and suggested mentoring through faith-based organizations to “keep kids engaged in school.” Street maintenance, paving and repaving? Amanda Fritz: The City would have to use funds “strategically” with “best bang for the buck,” and help areas that haven’t received basic services. Mary Nolan: Money for road mainte- nance has increased, “but it hasn’t kept pace with the cost of materials,” Nolan said, and the City hasn’t maintained the schedule for repaving it had when she was in City government. Steve Novick: Higher parking fees and street maintenance fees, could also pay for paving, for which current fund- ing is inadequate. Jeri Williams: We need more money for street repaving, she said, but we need to focus on streets never paved and address this “historic inequity.” How would you help Southwest deal with land use issues? Mark White is an East Portland neigh- borhood activist and Charter Review Committee member. Asked about constructing sidewalks he paid tribute to southwest’s “wonder- ful” trail network and said, “We need to create a (sidewalk) network that really works.” According to White, “All areas have challenges unique to them,” including establishing 20 minute neighborhoods “in areas that have topographical and other challenges.” Solutions should be created by “folks who live and have businesses here.” Regarding a recent decision to forgo street repaving White said, “I would agree it’s unacceptable, but it’s typi- cal of government. It’s easiest to take federal grants for special projects. We need to stop doing what’s easiest and do what needs to be done.” How would you support small businesses? Scott McAlpine’s background in- cludes real estate, insurance sales, and a Jazzercise franchise. “There’s a tax called the Business License Fee. There’s May 2012 also a Multnomah County tax; together they total four percent (of profits.) No other city has this kind of fee.” This is why businesses are leaving Portland, he said. Brian Parrott, a sports and events promoter, said “I couldn’t agree more. Portland lost 26,000 jobs for Washington County. We need to change so we can attract people to Multnomah County.” James Rowell said he lives on a fixed income and is running on the Common Sense Party. “Fees keep going up. We need to lower fees. We should encour- age people to come here. We’re all in this together.” Bruce Altizer, a former military offi- cer, grew up in Lebanon, earned a mas- ters degree in finance from Willamette University, and lives in Gateway. “The best we can do is encourage people to come here. I don’t mind paying these fees personally, but times are tough.” David Gwyther is a consultant and lobbyist who was a newspaper dis- tributor in Eugene before moving to Portland. Gwyther suggested raising the limit, from the current $50,000 in gross re- ceipts, for the business tax license fee exemption. “We should find out what businesses want, and what it would take to get them to add employees,” Gwyther said. “We should change the mentality in Licensing from Business Licensing to Business Support.” Don’t forget to vote on May 15 for more info visit: http://web.multco.us/elections
