Priorities

The policy priorities below reflect what I have heard from Portlanders throughout my life, from conversations growing up to the community engagement processes I have led and engaged with in the last few years professionally.

Fundamentally, they reflect my belief that the city government should:

• Listen to, be shaped by, and be responsive to, the goals and needs of Portlanders

• Measurably improve the conditions of Portlanders’ day-to-day lives

• Respect and honor the rights of all Portlanders.

  • Portlanders want a three-dimensional approach to public safety, that is preventative as well as reactive. We need more harm reduction and prevention programs up front, faster responses in emergencies, and effective investigations after a crime has been committed. Working at the Community Safety Division since its inception, safety for all is my highest priority.

    • Safe Routes to school, including paving every City-owned road and building sidewalks, painting crosswalks and more so every child can get to school safely.

    • Fully funding Portland Street Response, and expanding it to 24/7 Citywide service

    • Supporting Portland Street Response’s transition into the new Public Safety Service Area and eventually its own bureau, and increasing the calls PSR can respond to

    • Faster 911 response times and quicker arrival times for ambulances

    • Active spaces are safe spaces: Ensuring community and economic activity inhabit our spaces will ensure there aren’t vacuums for crime to fill.

      Read More

  • Infrastructure spending saves money in the long run, because it invests in our community and it’s cheaper to maintain something now compared to replacing it later. It also saves Portlanders money directly, through reduced maintenance on our bikes and cars and increased safety for everyone. I am a sworn enemy of potholes.

    • Reduce the $4 billion deferred maintenance backlog at PBOT through a shift away from gas tax-based revenue sources to those based on road use

    • Decrease new maintenance needs by designating more of our streets as car-free.

    • Replace the Interstate Bridge with a safe, modern, sustainable bridge that incorporates light rail connectivity.

    • Support Albina Vision Trust’s work in building a lid across I-5 that reconnects Historic Albina, employs hundreds of workers, and creates new business and housing opportunities in the district.

    • Oppose ODOT’s proposed doubling of the width of I-5 in the Rose Quarter.

    • Work with Trimet to expand light rail service to North and Northeast Portland.

      Read More

  • I believe that housing is a human right. I also believe that everyone who works in this city should be able to afford the rent. I oppose the criminalization of poverty.

    • Enact the Renters Bill of Rights proposal under development by East County Rising, DSA, and supported by tenants across Portland.

    • Leverage City spending on the Joint Office of Homeless Services to hold the County accountable to their responsibilities at preventing homelessness.

    • Scale up Shelter Services, which on a shoestring budget has tripled the rate of houseless individuals accessing shelters, so that they can continue to do better work.

    • Provide a new stream of City rent assistance through a long-term vacant rental property tax, keeping more Portlanders in their homes.

    • Support state efforts to index minimum wage to housing inflation.

      Read More Coming Soon