Portland observer., October 03, 2012, Page 11, Image 11

October 3,2012_____________________________
'jjJortlanò (©bseruer_________ ________________ Page 11
Smith Tries to Shift Tone
c o n t i n u e d f r o m front
T hough Sm ith said his position issues are
not in full alignm ent w ith the c ity ’s financial
pow er structure, they better reflect the values
o f o u r city. Further, he said his positions on
issues have not w avered under political p res­
sures or interest groups.
“ I ’ve been consistent since the beginning
o f the race,” said Sm ith. H e added that his
view s are consistently liberal, unlike his ru n ­
ning m ate H ales.
Sm ith nam es a few distinguishing causes
h e ’s supported from the get go - the Portland
O ffice o f Equity, his opposition to the $4
billion C olum bia R iver C rossing, and his o p ­
position to M ayor A d am s’ call to rem ove
O ccupy P ortland protesters from city parks
during the first few w eeks o f last y e a r’s e n ­
cam pm ents.
As a Portlander w ho lives east o f 82nd
A venue, Sm ith said he is proud o f his leg is­
lative actions pertinent to the a re a ’s d isad ­
vantaged com m unities and those o f color.
In 2008, he w as elected to the O regon
H ouse w here he w orked to pass bills to help
curb hum an trafficking, to repair dilapidated
schools in the P arkrose district, to protect the
unem ployed, and to prom ote cleaner, safer
M ax rides in east Portland. H e is also against
the transportation o f coal through P ortland
and protecting the health and sustainability
in o u r city.
M aking a case for m ayoral leadership, the
G rant H igh School and H arvard L aw School
Rep. Jefferson Smith (third from right) joins supporters of his campaign for mayor of Portland at an event Sunday in the
Overlook Neighborhood of north Portland.
graduate referred to his past experience in
building his grass roots cam paign, the B us
Project, a youth political recruiting m achine
now nationally recognized organization and
h eadquartered in four states.
“I w ill en g en d er respect from a hard-to-
m atch w ork ethic and a deep com m itm en t to
public service,” said Sm ith, w hich he has
d em o n strated by “being here, staying here,
paying taxes here and serving in the L eg isla­
ture h ere.”
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Sm ith said he w as the b etter candidate for
bridging divisions betw een the P ortland Po­
lice B ureau and local residents.
H e said he w ould support M ayor A d a m s’
appeal o f the R on F rashour arbitration case,
w here a police o fficer w as fired, but then
ordered rein stated in the shooting death o f
unarm ed A frican-A m erican A aron C am pbell,
‘“ provided w e have turned every stone and
have a legal leg to stand o n .”
“I f w e d o n ’t, then I think we should put o ur
reso u rces into ad d ressin g the underlying
issue,” he said.
Sm ith said he is co m m itted to “the facts
and fact-based leadership” and being flexible
in his view s, but not changing them because
it is politically con v en ien t, but because the
facts change.
For m any in the A frican-A m erican com m u­
nity, the co n cern is that fo r every tim e an
continued
on page 23
SINCE THE CITYWIDE ROLLOUT OF
THE NEW CURBSIDE COLLECTION SERVICE.
GARBAGE IS DOWN 4 0 %
Portlanders are throwing
away 40 percent less
garbage (by weight).
100%
= 100 trucks
80%
THE AMOUNT OF YARD DEBRIS AND FOOD SCRAPS
COLLECTED HAS INCREASED 3X
Three times more compost for fertilizing yards and gardens.
OVER 2 ,5 0 0 TRUCKLOADS
OF GARBAGE HAVE
BEEN ELIMINATED
If those trucks were lined up
end-to-end, they would
stretch for over 12 miles.
i; *
A
59 ,0 0 0 TONS OF YARD DEBRIS
1 ,lk S AND FOOD SCRAPS WERE COMPOSTED
' TONS '
T J
70K 1 I
That's enough to fill over 50 Olympic-size
swimming pools.
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NEED TIPS? WE'RE HERE TO HELP:
Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
wastainfoQportlandoraqon.qov • 503-823-7202
www.portlandcomposts.com
Curbside collection service date Is from November 1,2011 to June 30,2012. Comperison date Is from the previous year, November 1,2010 to June 30,2011.
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