Last Saturday, we had the opportunity to bring two mayoral candidates together to focus on familiy. Based on feedback here and from many conversations with many families, we focused on just a few issues that were underscored, time and time again.
- 1. How would you as Mayor address displacement of Portland families that has occurred due to increases in housing prices? Specifically, how would you increase the quality and quantity of affordable family housing stock that is convenient to employment and family infrastructure?
- Portland is a leader in environmentalism. How will you capitalize on existing city programs to specifically address environmental health of children? What new innovations or tools of city government will you use as mayor to reduce emissions?
- The economic health of the Portland economy is critical to families and working parents. How will you as mayor increase the number of family wage jobs in Portland, and the number of workers who are qualified to fill them?
Thank you so much for all of you who attended and participated. We even have a stack of questions from the audience, which we are currently compiling to see if we can send to candidates for their thoughts. It was great to see a substantial group of invested parents, who were interested in learning more and asking their burning questions. We may even be able to get film footage from the forum; stay tuned.
Were you at the session last Saturday? What were your impressions of the candidates responses? Did it solidify your inclination to vote for one of the mayoral candidates? Interested in asking follow up questions of the candidates? You never know, we just may have the opportunity!
I was there. Excellent consciousness raising, even if a lot of the questins weren't directly answered (not surprising in candidate forums, I gather). My two (OK, five) personal cents:
1. We are a moderately family-friendly city already, but we need to go further. Sho would rely on the fact that it's already relatively good here. He's not gonna take a lead on this, put us out front where we want to be. We want to see businesses do more to support working families, I don't think he's the one to do this (given his professional background).
2. I don't think Sam is perfect but I think he is a policy wonk who is committed to doing stuff, making a name for himself. He's willing to use the city as a bullypulpet (his word) on the issues the city doesn't control, which I like. Sam can be strong willed and some of this stuff will take that. It's not my fave approach but it might just be what's needed.
3. The env health question is big for me. We need to hear more about preventing children's exposure to toxic chemicals, etc.. from the city, not just OEC.
4. Child care & flex-work. Sho is not going to force businesses or the city to do more here. Sam is far more likely to. When Sho answered my questin about what he did as a business owner to support working famileis, he said he provided transit passes (thumbs up) and followed the laws (also thumbs up) - but no more. He did not describe any efforts to take it beyond the law, like many businesses do with, say, paid leave. I was disappointed that he had not been innovative in this area with 250-ish employees.
5. Sho is an essential services government guy, IMHO, and we've identified some areas where the amrket is failing and we need gov't to step in; which means doing more than filling potholes and (trying) to keep our water supply clean.
Posted by: LTF | April 22, 2008 at 09:02 AM