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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 2016)
2 0 1 6 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RACE Page 8 Z Yes or No: Would you support establishing a safe injection site? MARISHA CHILDS Yes. A safe injection site is more hygienic, and using at a safe injection site/supervised injection reduces the likelihood for sharing needles. Further, in the event of some sort of medical emergency, personnel is there to respond accordingly. SHARON MEIERAN: Yes. MEL RADER: Yes. Mel Rader’s 5-year-old daughter drew her pin k pet unicorn, who she said was recently bom in Portland. “My favorite thing about M ultnomah County is raising a child here to develop innovative thinking, progressive values and an appreciation o f the natural environment,” Rader said. QUIZ, from page 7 advocate for more investment in this area. We should also look at additional strategies to promote rent equality including: (a) inclusionary zoning to ensure big developers are doing their part to promote affordable options, (b) greater fairness in property taxes, including shifting more of the burden onto commercial property away from residential, and (c) fixing the problem with the ADU tax issue at th e county. ERIC ZIMMERMAN This year, for the first time, the county has invested in developing affordable units. I want to invest funds in this m anner to continue to build the inventory of the most-affordable units. This is part of the county’s responsibility in A Home For Everyone to address homelessness and help get people into transitional and affordable housing. But we also need to be doing more to address workforce housing issues so that struggling families do not end up oh the street because of evictions, rising rents or a personal financial setback. ERIC ZIMMERMAN: No A Beyond Portland, Multnomah County encompasses smaller municipalities all dealing with housing and homeless issues, with the county often picking up the slack. How will you get other municipalities to better address these issues? (150 words or less) MARISHA CHILDS I I I | I I BRIAN WILSON The county made its first direct investment in affordable housing this past budget cycle and is expected to do so again in the current cycle. I plan to continue and expand direct investment, partnering more closely with Portland Housing Bureau (still the primary agency in Portland responsible for development of housing) and the cities in E ast County to get more units into the pipeline. Further, I want to work hard on finding a new, sustainable and direct source of local funding for additional affordable units, especially units that m eet the needs of families. W hether through a fund created as a byproduct of some new inclusionary zoning ordinance or a transfer tax on real estate sales, new sources will need to be identified if we want to make an effort to m eet existing needs and the needs of the future. BRIAN WILSON: Yes. It’s important that all regions/ municipalities recognize this problem. The issue needs to be humanized with some of these other smaller municipalities, so that folks suffering with housing security and homelessness issues are treated as individual people, and not just a “problem.” Multnomah County, as the leader in the area, needs to work with the smaller municipalities to figure out why it’s an “us versus them ” scenario. I think if representatives of these smaller municipalities saw the individual faces and heard the individual stories of homelessness, we might make more progress. homelessness problem, and it saves money overall. We can also promote more housing near transit lines to increase housing options that are better connected to jobs and services, including mixed commercial and residential neighborhoods. Finally, we need more cross-agency collaboration. The causes of homelessness are varied and dynamic, and the Health Department must collaborate with housing authorities so that people facing a web of barriers can be supported with a web of services. BRIAN WILSON SHARON MEIERAN Working together and looking at the I answers regionally is the only way we can | address this complex issue. As our housing I . crisis grows, more homeless people are | moving out of the urban center, and this I - creates m ote challenges when people | become even further removed and | disconnected from services. We need to find j regional solutions that give people access to i housing and services they need to be safe, I healthy and live with dignity. Just like Chair | Kafoury and Commissioner Saltzman are I working on a city and county joint office of | homeless services, we need to engage the I mayors of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview (■ other municipalities in a comprehensive s approach that makes better use of | resources. | MEL RADER i I | J Implement a housing-first policy that provides very basic bousing options for everyone. It costs far more to provide services for the homeless than it does to provide a home for them to live in. I I j I I 1 Using bonding authority, the county should provide all homeless people with a basic home, then connect them with medical resources to stabilize health conditions and economic services to promote job opportunities. This approach provides a compassionate approach to solving our I believe the answer is in leveraging the Home for Everyone coordinating committee. Gresham already participates, but the other, smaller municipalities only tangentially. As the Sheriff’s Office expands its patrol responsibilities in these communities, so too should county Human Services, thereby more directly working with these communities. This is a regional issue; doesn’t stop at any border. We have to treat it as such. ERIC ZIMMERMAN I think it is critical that we find the resources at the city, county and state levels to support investment in affordable housing creation including creative approaches like land trusts, public bonding or partnerships with private funds like union pension funds. We also need to look at the alignment of services across jurisdictions to help stretch dollars further and ensure services are effectively delivered. Last, we need to better understand how policies in individual jurisdictions are affecting housing and homelessness in the region as a whole. If some localities are conducting camp sweeps, those homeless individuals can be displaced to another community. Similarly, failing to develop affordable housing near employment opportunities will have an impact on struggling families - driving up transportation costs and hurting quality of life. Street Roots • April 22-28, 2016 Street Roots • April 22-28, 2016 A FEW OF THEIR FAVORITE THIN® O Each candidate was asked to select a ocal artist - professional or amateur - to draw his or her favorite thing about Multnomah County. Their submil sionsareon Pages 8-10. C Story question: If Multnomah Cowiiy’s budget projections showed a severe deficit by 2017, what would be your approach now to prevent or mitigate that situation? (150 words or less) MARISHA CHILDS It would really depend on where the deficit was coming from. What agencies or departments have the largest budgets, and how are they spending those portions of the county’s budget? I would work closely with the auditor’s office to see where changes and reductions could be made. I would be transparent about that projection, and work with partners to chip away at that projected deficit. SHARON MEIERAN We must be prepared for an eventual downturn in the economy. No m atter the timing, we must invest our resources wisely, truly understand where our money is going and focus on our core mission. I will work to avoid duplication of services and ensure that our limited dollars are being used to help the most people. I will also ensure that we leverage our information technology to create efficiencies without making our systems more complex than they need to be. Finally, we must invest in housing at the front end, because the return on this investment in the long term will enable people to live and function even in difficult times. If we are able to address these fundamental issues now, when we have the resources, we will be very well-placed to weather the storm when the inevitable downturn occurs. MEL RADER I would seek to find funding to support critical programs. Opportunities for funding include: (a) Refer a proposal for general obligation bonds to pay for low-income housing, (b) advocate at the state level for a reform of the property tax system, including increased taxes on commercial properties, (c) use of targeted excise taxes such as a tax on e-cigarettes at the same level as regular cigarettes to pay for addictions treatment programs, and (d) implementation of a construction tax as now allowed within the inclusionary zoning legislation. I would also seek to find savings in current programs with the highest opportunity being to (a) reduce enforcement of nonviolent crimes to save money in the corrections systems and (b) negotiate with health systems to take on some of the health services currently paid for through general fund dollars. BRIAN WILSON A range of things. I’d look for non- essential program s to temporarily suspend, and divert any savings to mission-critical programs, especially front line health and human services and law enforcement. I’d work with county employee unions to try and temporarily cap labor costs, just as we did in 2006. We’ll have to dip into the savings account, too, and probably try to raise cash through sale of non-essential county assets. . ERIC ZIMMERMAN I will fight to maintain current service .levels by ensuring we are not expanding programs today that have to be cut tomorrow. We need to focus on essential services, paying attention to those most in need. A bad budget is usually accompanied by a bad economy, translating in more need for county programs. We will need to work with county employees to minimize the impacts of cuts and prioritize programs. We will also need to look for ways to save money through innovative approaches and better use of data to understand what is working and what is n o t C Complete this sentence with a. For medicinal purposes only. b. To decompress after a stressful day. c. Recreationally. Hey, it’s legal. d. Rarely. e. Never. MARISHA CHILDS: e. Never. BRIAN WILSON e. Never. SHARON MEIERAN e. Never. ERIC ZIMMERMAN e. Never. MEL RADER d. Rarely. 7 Make one promise to the 1 city’s people of color that you will deliver on as commissioner. Street Roots wi check on its status every year. MARISHA CHILDS I will work to ensure actions are taken now, that data supports, what many in communities of color know: generally speaking, people of color in Multnomah County have a lower quality of life. I want to see an Office of Civil Rights created in Multnomah County. I want better training at the Sheriff’s Office and in jails for cultural competency and trauma-informed care. I also want to see this training in the District Attorney’s Office. This kind of ■ training needs to be monitored regularly, to see that changes are truly happening, and not just relying on the word of the department heads. For example, in jails, the inmates (not just staff) need to be heard from, to hear about their experiences in jail. The social services agencies also need to treat the county’s people of color with respect and understanding. SHARON MEIERAN First, we need to openly and directly acknowledge the serious racial inequities that exist in our county. On a broad level, and m ost importantly, I promise to engage and listen and be an ally in working to actdress these inequities. On a more specific level, I will ensure that my own staff reflect the diversity that is our county. I will also ensure the voices of people of color are an integral part of all policy discussions and implementation. MEL RADER Find significant funding to implement Multnomah County’s new Community Health Improvement Plan that will be finished in September 2016. BRIAN WILSON Bird dog the implementation of recommendations that come out of the MacArthur Foundation findings, whether the county advances to the next round of study or not. ■ the following options: I smoke marijuana •Sharon Meieran submitted this artwork from her favorite artist - her daughter Ella. Page 9 2 0 1 6 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RACE ERIC ZIMMERMAN We need to create more pathways for children of color to gain skills and leadership opportunities that they can use to succeed in life. The Summer Youth Connect program is a critical resource to offer such skills to youth in the community. It has only survived thanks to the dedication of Loretta Smith to protect i t I commend Commissioner Smith for that work, and I’m proud to have her endorsem ent in this race. I know that Commissioner Smith will be forced to leave her seat in 2018 due to term limits, and it is my promise to pick up the mantle from h er and protect this critical program. How will you ensure young people of color will succeed in " Multnomah County? (150 words or less) MARISHA CHILDS The county needs to provide opportunities for young people of color, including after-school activities and vocational training. This would also include opportunities for young people of color leaving jail, to make sure that they have opportunities and do not just end up back in the criminal justice system. This would require a re-allocation of funding, away from punishment for committing crimes, to preventing crimes in the first place. Young people of color also need to see positive examples of leaders of color. I hope through myself, other people of color with interest in county and city leadership, and other leaders of color in the community, that young people will benefit from such examples. SHARON MEIERAN We need to engage youth and their families early on. We definitely need to promote school-based programs that provide mentorship, education, parenting support, leadership training. But we actually need to start even earlier than school to meet people where they’re at, and provide effective programs that directly respond to the needs of traditionally underserved families and communities. I will work with community leaders and young people of color to understand the challenges they face and implement programs that will have the m ost impact. Ultimately, 1 believe we ensure the success of our youth when we can assure the financial security and economic viability for communities of color and offer meaningful pathways to higher education, training, apprenticeships and mentoring, jobs and housing/ homeownership. We must find ways to ensure our county values, models and invests in these opportunities. MEL RADER The wage gap between whites and people of color is greater than it’s been in many years with African Americans earning 76 percent and Hispanics earning 74 percent as much as whites. The exact causes of these disparities are complex, but it’s critical that we address the solutions we can at the county by: • Continuing to increase the minimum wage by looking into repealing Oregon’s law that prohibits us from determining what our livable wage should be • Advocating for labor unions’ priorities including expanding hours for existing part- time employees rather than hiring more part-time staff to avoid paying benefits • Serving undocumented residents with dignity and care Another way to increase economic opportunity is to expand affordable childcare. This would allow all working parents to better provide for their families and reach their professional goals, and it would also reduce the likelihood of children’s future interactions with public safety and corrections departments. BRIAN WILSON Using our amazing library system to help catch all kids with early reading programs to ensure they have the best chance for success staying in school and graduating. ERIC ZIMMERMAN I strongly support creating more opportunity for the youth of color, such as the Summer Youth Connect Program referenced above. We also m ust expand internships and other entry opportunities for youth of color to join the county workforce. T here is also a critical conversation about children of color in our community and closing the achievement gap so that young people of color graduate from high school ready to succeed. That includes better parental support and early childhood education in a culturally conscious way. It also includes poverty reduction and helping working families avoid displacement, which can harm a child’s education and uproot them from support in the community. And finally, we must work with law enforcement to provide better community policing that helps kids avoid criminal behavior and that reduces the number of our youth that enter into the juvenile justice system. Q Pair the issu,e with the sentiment. Use each sentiment only once: a. Great idea b . Good idea c. Needs work d. Nope 1. Sell Wapato Jail Appointed (not elected) sheriff 3 . Rent control 4 . Regional Air Quality Bureau 2. MARISHA CHILDS 1. Sell Wapato Jail - d. Nope 2. Appointed sheriff - c. Needs work 3. Rent control - b. Good idea 4. Air quality bureau - a. Great idea SHARON MEIERAN 1. Sell Wapato Jail - a. Great idea 2. Appointed sheriff - b. Good idea 3. Rent control - c. Needs work 4. Air quality bureau - d. Nope MEL RADER 1. Sell Wapato Jail - c. Great idea 2. Appointed sheriff - b. Good idea 3. Rent control - c. Needs work 4. Air quality bureau - a. Nope BRIAN WILSON 1. 2. 3. 4. * Sell Wapato Jail - a. Great idea Appointed sheriff - b. Good idea Rent control - c. Needs work Air quality bureau - d. Nope ERIC ZIMMERMAN 1. Sell Wapato Jail - a. Great idea 2. Appointed sheriff - b. Good idea 3. Rent control - c. Needs work 4. Air quality bureau - d. Nope Continued on Page 10
