Paße 8
JIartlau b (ßhseruer
March 31, 2010
Candidates Count on Experience
Rubio
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 2
com plaining that they couldn't see change,
but change takes tim e, especially w ith a
bureaucracy like that.
h i recen t years, a lot o f poverty' has m o ved
to m id cou n ty a n d east county. W hat sh o u ld
the cou n ty g o vern m en t do to h an dle this
issu e?
W ell I think the county's role is to provide
services w here the needs are. I think the
m igration to east county has had a huge
im pact of the people there. People becom e
fearful of what they're unfam iliar with. 1 think
the county needs to take a m ore active role
in getting com m unities to accept change. 1
don't know w hat form that would take, but we
need to address that. New services will be
required. W e're in the m iddle o f m ajor change
and I think the county needs to be preparing
for that right now. W e absolutely need to
take a bigger role and not just let the fear
create anger, prejudice, perceived racism ,
and violence at the end o f the day.
D o y o u think the county can do anything
to m itigate the displacem en t o f p e o p le fr o m
g e n trific a tio n ?
I think the county can take a bigger role in
education and facilitating the process. I don't
think w e can stop w hat's started, but m aybe
m ake it m ore equitable and easier for people
to com e back to the com m unity by providing
the resources to purchase hom es. It's ridicu­
lously im possible to purchase a hom e in this
area. Let's see if w e can provide som e sort o f
support to help them m ove back. 1 don't think
you can stop progress because in a w ay it is
progress. It m ay have negative im pacts on
specific com m unities, but let's do som ething
about m itigating that im pact by allow ing
people the resources and the w herew ithal.
You sa id th at eq u ity is on e o f y o u r goals,
hut it's h a rd to reach p e o p le w ho are p o o r
o r m arginalized. W hat are so m e strategies
f o r doin g that?
W ell, I think that the county can do m ore
in term s o f funding com m unity o rg an iza­
tions that can reach certain people. 1 don't
think it's enough to set up a clinic in an area
w here there is a high concentration o f people
living in poverty. I think outreach needs to be
done. Y ou can't ju st give a person a slip o f
paper that says to go to an office. They're not
going to go. 1 think that it needs to be done
by people w ho have the trust o f the co m m u ­
nity, especially new im m igrants.
H ow are y o u doing on en dorsem en ts?
I have the endorsem ent o f tw o ex- county
com m issioners, M aria Rojo and Serena Cruz.
I also have school board m em ber M artin
G onzalez and o f course M ayor Tom Potter.
But I also have com m unity endorsem ents
from all sectors o f the com m unity.
/.v there an ything th a t C ounty C hair Ted
W h eeler o r C ou n ty C o m m issio n er J e f f
C ogen did p a rticu la rly well?
I think I ed Wheeler did a good jo b o f making
people feel like things were in control. I lecam e in
with fresh eyes, fresh ideas, and got the county
through this major budget crisis, at least part
ways. I think he conveyed security and confi­
dence. But I don't think that the community really
feels a connection to the county right now. 1
would like the community to really identify and
know w hat the county services are and know they
are accessible to them.
A re there any co m m u n ity o r p o litic a l
fig u re s y o u really adm ire?
I really adm ire A vel G ordly's leadership
style. She's consistent. She's steady. She
gets things done. She's a gentle person. O f
course I adm ire m y old boss. H e's a very
genuine, ethical leader.
Hansen
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 2
1 d o n ’t think it’s going to be huge and the
reason is the labor unions d o n ’t typically
play a big role in county elections.
D o y o u th in k th e r e 's a n y th in g th e
c o u n ty ca n d o to m itig a te g e n tr ific a tio n
in n o rth a n d n o r th e a s t P o rtla n d ?
W ell, p ro b a b ly n o t, to be real frank. I
k n o w i t ’s a ho t b u tto n . T h e re ’s so m e flip
sid es too. I ’ve liv ed in th is d is tric t fo r o v e r
40 y e ars. T h e re w as a tim e w e h ad 40
p e rc e n t d e c re a se in o u r h o m e v a lu e in a
tw o y e a r p e rio d o f tim e. T h e re w as a p o in t
w h e re no o n e b o th e re d to fix a n y th in g up
b e c a u se y o u c o u ld n ’t ju s tify th e v a lu e o f
the p lace. A t a c e rta in p o in t th e re w as no
w ay to g et th e m o n e y b ack so it w as a
re c ip e fo r slu m s. I th in k i t ’s the c ity p ro b ­
lem . T he c o u n ty ’s is how to find a h o m e for
so m e o n e in th e first p lace.
T h e re ’s b een a q u e stio n th at w as a sk e d
by the L eag u e o f W o m en V o te rs an d i t ’s
sta rte d p o p p in g up in th e in te rv ie w s, as
p o v e rty has m o v ed in to m id -c o u n ty o f
how do w e g e o g ra p h ic a lly a d ju st o u r s e r­
v ic e s? I t’s a g o o d p o in t, an d n ow o u r
se rv ic e s n eed to fo llo w the p e o p le.
B h a t are so m e th in gs th a t J e f f C ogen as
p a s t county' co m m issio n er co u ld h ave don e
better, a n d has h e d o n e a g o o d jo b on?
Well, I endorsed Jeff for re-election in district
two before the musical chairs thing. I think he did
a good job, especially the way he worked on
brining the board together. It was a very func­
tional county commission. I don’t want to hone
in on Jeff, but there w asn’t enough oversight
given to Cascadia’s mental health services that
nearly collapsed from mismanagement and that’s
a long-term problem for M ultnomah County. The
county also doesn’t do a good job o f monitoring
the non-profits that provide a lot o f social ser­
vices. W hen you assign so much o f the county’s
p o lic e is th e y ’re p o lice. Y ou k n o w , th ey
really c a n ’t do a w h o le lot u n til a c rim e
has been c o m m itte d . So it’s a lm o st like
so m e d iffe re n t form o f c o m m u n ity re ­
sp o n d e rs, o th e r th an p o lic e , m ig h t m ake
a lot o f sen se w ith th in g s lik e d o m e stic
v io le n c e and m en tal h e alth in c id e n ce s.
W g o tC H IE R S a n d H o o p er [D eto x C e n ­
ter], and th at sy stem w o rk s b e tte r than
w hen th e p o lic e ju s t d ra g th em into ja il.
T he o th e r big issu e fa c in g th e co u n ty
for a long tim e is the e m p ty W ap ato ja il.
I ’m p ro p o sin g th at it be c o n v e rte d to a
d ru g tre a tm e n t fa c ility c re a tin g a p ro ­
gram w ith in the sta te ju s tic e sy stem that
w o u ld be like a su p e r d ru g c o u rt, w h ere
p e o p le faced w ith tw o y e ars in c a rc e ra ­
tion for p ro p e rty c rim e s, w h o are also
d e alin g w ith d ru g an d alco h o l issu es —
w h ich the v ast m a jo rity o f p e o p le in ­
v o lv ed w ith p ro p e rty c rim e s are — w ould
be held in a d v an c e if th ey c o u ld c o m ­
p lete a 6 m o n th c lo se c u sto d y , in te n siv e
a lco h o l and d ru g p ro g ram at W ap ato . If
you look at th e c o st o f tw o y e ars in c a r­
c e ra tio n th a t the sta te w o u ld be a v o id ­
ing, you c o u ld e a sily p ay fo r a six m o n th
alco h o l an d d ru g p ro g ram .
H ow a re y o u d o in g on en d o rse m e n ts?
Fonner Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner,
City Commissioner Randy Leonard, andawhole
bunch o f neighbors and folks in north Portland.
The unions, the organizations and other groups
haven’t real ly got going yet. This tiling came up
so quick that most o f them were done with their
endorsement process.
H o w b ig o f d e a l d o y o u th in k la b o r
resources and programs to non-profits you need
w ill b e in th is e le c tio n ?
to watch them 1 ike they were a county department.
Chiropractic Auto Injury Clinic, PC
Zchon R. Jones, DC
333 NE Russell St., #200, Portland, OR. 97212
(503) 284-7838
Truly making a difference in the lives of
Auto Accident victims and Injured Workers for 16 years.
If you or someone you know has been in an accident,
call us so we can help you with your needs. (503) 284-7838
A.Sister o f Sisters CS.Q.S.)
A frican A m erican Breast C an cer Survivor S upport C ro u p
We are located on the
corner o f MLK and Russell
Street, on the second floor
above the coffee shop.
Transition to Wellness ~ Mind & Body
Sponsored by, Portland Alumnae Chapter o f Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Inc.
I he Portland Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta is organizing a breast cancer survivor
support group lor African American Women. We would like to invite all African American
Breast Cancer Survivors to join " A Sister of Sisters" (S.O.SJ - a breast cancer support group
focusing on issues relating to African American women surviving breast cancer.
If you re an African American Breast Cancer Survivor - please join us:
¡3
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Parking Area
Time. April a«#11*, 6:40PM 830PM
Place: Providence Irvington Village (community room)
Address; 420 Mi Mason S t., Portland. OR.
- Light refreshments will be served
P o w e re d b y
. A <3 r a n t f r o m •
Russell St.
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Kom en
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