Marnie Glickman thinks she has the recipe for progressive political success in Portland. Glickman is a leading candidate for City Council District 2 (North/Northeast) and I met up with her Tuesday for a bike ride and an interview.
Glickman has lived in Portland off-and-on since 1992 when she paid $175 a month for rent on SE 28th and Steele and biked all over. Now 53, and after three decades working in politics and organizing, Glickman is ready to commit to her favorite city. After meeting at her home in the Sabin neighborhood, Glickman wanted to show me a community garden she sits on the board of, and then we rolled over to Irving Park where we sat on two large logs and talked under towering trees while rain fell overhead.
Listen to the episode above or wherever you get your podcasts. I’ve also pasted a few excerpts below…
You might be surprised at Glickman’s high showing in small donor contributions thus far because she doesn’t have a major public profile here in Portland. But when you look into her background, it’s clear why she’s bubbled up to the top: Glickman has been in politics and organizing around public interest issues for three decades. She’s worked for several members of Congress and other high-profile elected officials, she co-authored the 2010 Green New Deal, is a former co-chair of the national Green Party and was finance director for Ralph Nader’s 2000 presidential campaign, and served a four-year term as a school board trustee while living in California.
That last job gave Glickman was she described in our interview as the most important thing she’s done in her career so far — leading a campaign to drop the name “Dixie” from a local school district. That fight put her in headlines and helped gird her for Portland politics.
We talked about that and much more in our interview, which you can listen to in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.
Below is an edited version of some of our exchanges:
You’ve spent decades behind the scenes, why run now?
I decided to run for Portland City Council in district two because we need experienced progressive leadership and City Hall leadership that’s rooted in community, grounded and good government and powered by real progressive values. I know what it’s like to manage a multimillion dollar, complicated public budget. I know what it’s like to be a progressive elected official, and needing to work with others to get stuff done. I also bring some governing skills from having been a graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School. So I know how to make laws and read laws. I think that’s pretty important right now.
Why did you take on the fight to change the name of a school district when the issue had simmered for decades without any progress?
The district was named after the Confederacy during the Civil War. And I decided it was time for us to pick a name that reflected the community’s values. Every time I drove by the “Dixie” sign, I thought about Auschwitz. I’m driving home and there’s a sign that says “Welcome to Dixie.” And that’s a place where people were murdere during slavery. And I knew living there, people were really afraid to admit it to themselves. When Michael Brown was murdered in Ferguson, I was managing a political performance art choir, and working on the Monsanto issues [Glickman organized a successful effort to ban the use of Roundup weed killer in New York State in 2021]. And we went to Ferguson, and sang at the side of Michael Brown’s murder. And so when I flew back and drove by that Dixie sign again, after being in Ferguson, I thought, you know, there is no time for me to make excuses anymore for not doing my part.
How do you respond to people who might look at you, as a progressive candidate and say, ‘We need to get more to the center here, because we got these problems, and progressives haven’t fixed them yet.’?
That’s really important question. Portlanders deserve elected officials who are accountable, transparent, and responsive. Leaders can do that on the left and the right and the center. I’m running in part because we haven’t had that for a while from many or most of our elected officials.
You say you want to “achieve practical results, while never compromising deeply held progressive values.” What was your take on the 2022 lawsuit filed against the City of Portland by Portlanders who said people camping on the sidewalks was a violation of their ADA rights?
As a person with a disability, when I read about that lawsuit, I thought it was disappointing that we couldn’t solve the problems before getting to litigation. Litigation is expensive and should be the last ditch effort to solve real problems. I thought it was a sign of dysfunction in the government that we got to that point.
Do you think it’s possible for Portland to reach 25% bicycle mode share by 2030?
It depends on how the election turns out. I think optimistically we can have a majority of people, seven people elected maybe more who want to make that happen. I would be one of those seven.
Any ideas on how we can do it?
I’ve met a District 2 resident who shared a policy idea that I think is important, which is, figuring out ways to discourage people from driving and using their cars because it’s something we haven’t tried very much of. And I think it would help us by providing more free transit options for kids.
I’m not prepared right now to give you one specific project. I am the kind of person where I need to bring people together to figure this out. I’m not going into this race with a set of the 10 policies I want to make happen. Because what we need first is good government. We need teamwork. We need to figure out how the new government is going to work.
Given what’s happening in Gaza, do you think it is time the City of Portland — or even you, as a person running for council — be stronger in condemning it and calling it genocide?
Well, I’m not going to tell people what words to use. I can tell you what words I use. It is wrong to kill children and civilians en masse with taxpayer-funded weapons from the US and Israeli weapons. It is wrong, it is a global crisis. And so personally, I am having more desire to talk about it. And yeah, it’s really sad. It’s really sad. I would also say we need people in office who are willing to share their personal values and bring people along. And I think most Portlanders believe in peace and most Portlanders don’t think children should be murdered.
I hear what you said about not wanting to tell people the word they should use to describe it. But by not [calling it a genocide], as a person who’s a leader, are you worried that some people may not understand the severity of what’s happening? This is a genocide. And it needs to be named as such. And if we don’t call it that, are we doing enough to stop it?
I’m a lawyer. And so when I think of a legal term, like genocide, I think, ‘Oh do I remember the actual legal definition of genocide?’ So I’m just telling you where I’m coming from. Do I believe in the International Criminal Court? Yes. Do I think countries should arrest [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu? Yes.
I was raised Jewish, so I feel a responsibility as a Jewish voter for peace to talk about it. And I’m willing to lose votes for it. That’s what happened in Dixie. We elect leaders to make hard decisions, even if they only help a minority of the people. And so that applies to many issues facing the city. And my [political] independence is relevant because, as we know, money still drives politics here in Portland. And we need people to stand up — in spite of money, in spite of fear — and focus on what’s really important to me, that’s what being a leader is. So I decided to run because I know how hard it is to make big things happen to make real change. And I love Portland so much that I’m ready to do it again.
There are a lot of candidates in this race, why should someone choose you?
I have real progressive governing experience and governing skills. I am a grassroots, people-powered candidate and a grassroots people-powered leader. And as the campaign goes on, I will be knocking on doors with everyone and persuading people with my positions on issues — and not just my cool trike.
Listen to the full episode in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thanks for this. I read the above, and now plan to listen to the whole thing.
I’m glad to see she’s running in my district, because that’s probably my favorite candidate I’ve heard from so far. She makes great points, about it being important to address things some might scoff at (e.g. changing a name of a school or talking about national issues from a city council). These things matter to the people they affect, even if that’s a minority.
Hi John. Thanks for the kind words. I’m happy to talk with you more. You can email me, if you’d like, at mg@marnieglickman.org. – Marnie
The fact that city council candidate Glickman took this as a reasonable question is a reason to not vote for her.
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2030 is 5.5 years from now and Portland’s cycling mode share has plummeted from a high of 7.2% to a miniscule ~3-4%. The idea that Portland’s cycling mode share could increase almost 10-fold in just a few years is an example of how utterly disconnected BikePortland and BikeLoudPDX are from the reality of transportation cycling in Portland.
Gee thanks for the nice comment!
Yeah why would we shoot for the stars! Better to just mire in doubt and depression about how shitty everything is and hope it stays that way forever.
Can I buy you a beer, Jonathan?
Hey Jonathan, do you know how many Portlanders have access to bikes?
The usual rule of thumb in most US cities is around 28% of residents have one or more bikes sitting around, usually a Magna or Next bought from Walmart or Target, with tires that are inflated once or twice per year, to be ridden at 7 mph in a nearby park. Portland probably has a slightly higher rate of bike ownership and likely better quality bikes overall, but not as much as you might think; 0.30 x 650,000 = 195,000 bikes, including 12″ Barbie kids bikes.
There’s a huge pool of unridden bikes in Portland. Think of the number of people you saw on Portland greenways in 2020, and compare it to what you see today. I think about the number of bikes I have, and how often number three and number four get out. I’ve had two conversations in the last month with friends who have rideable bikes they haven’t been able to sell. Some basements or garages are quite literally full of bikes. Dedicated bike sheds are not unheard of.
Clearly my circle of acquaintance is not average, but Portland is not an average town when it comes to bikes. And, almost every ebike you see has a little friend at home.
This projection is absurd. I’m not depressed about how shitty Portland and the USA are, I’m absolutely furious. Perhaps if more people met the failures of Portland and the USA to address inequality, environmental polycrises, and genocidal militarism with less “just think/say happy things” denial we would see the kind of revolt needed to bring about transformative de-shittification.
Just because you think the answer is “no” doesn’t make it an unreasonable question. I’d still vote for someone who responded with “no, but here’s what I think we can achieve, and here’s how I want to do it.”
The 25% number is from PBOT’s official 2030 plan. Probably still a good starting place for a discussion with a council candidate.
I would heartily support this kind of sewer socialism over Portland’s long history of progressive cosplay,
A 20 year plan that was put together 15 years ago.
I know as a voter in my small NE Portland district where there are many issues, the top issue on my mind is what the person thinks about the war in Gaza…..
wow. Tough crowd today.
BB, I am a voter in this district and that issue is actually on the top of my mind. A country we are allies with and support economically is bombing women and children on our dime and committing genocide in the eyes of many international observers. So yeah, it’s something I think about a lot.
Also, keep in mind that I often ask questions not for the question’s sake, but to give you a sense of how the person answers a question. In this case, it’s a very sensitive issue so in addition to the substance of the response, we can learn if she willing/able to say something about it and if so, what exactly that is.
Why didn’t you ask about the genocide occurring right now in Sudan caused by American weapons? Does no one care about this situation?
It’s an open secret: the UAE is fuelling Sudan’s war https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/24/uae-sudan-war-peace-emirates-uk-us-officials
U.S. approves massive arms sale to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates to counter Iranhttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/u-s-approves-massive-arms-sale-to-saudi-arabia-united-arab-emirates-to-counter-iran
I’m honestly surprised you brought the subject of genocide up. The posters on your site have done an incredible job (with a little moderator help) avoiding such a divisive subject that doesn’t really encompass bicycling or Portland.
I only post the above articles to point out that Gaza is not the only place burning or where children are horribly dying from our weapons and yet Gaza consumes so much of the media to the point where a local politician doesn’t blink about being asked about it by a bicycling site (amazing as BP is).
I have my own opinion on whether Gaza is experiencing genocide and I don’t plan on discussing it here.
That’s a terrible situation. I just didn’t ask about it. Probably several reasons. I tend to ask things that aren’t directly related to cycling after they’ve reached a certain cultural critical mass. Palestine has. Sudan hasn’t. We have a protest at our local college, we’ve had protests. There’s a huge one today at 5pm on the Burnside bridge. I’m trying to reflect in my work the emotions and things people are going through — whether they are about cycling or not. I am very selective when and how I do this and in my opinion, the situation in Palestine warranted the question.
I understand people come here for bike and transportation stuff, but I think most folks are like me in that there brain fibers are interconnected so it’s often hard to create a wall between things when one of them is creating so much pressure.
I also tend to make decisions based on how I feel, thinking that my gut is a good measure of what others are feeling. And I’ve been thinking about Gaza a lot and so I figured this was an opportunity to express some of the importance of that in a way that was relevant to our decision of electing a city council person.
I understand you’re thinking about it a lot and my point is about asking about why there is a non stop media blitz about Gaza that’s causing everyone (including me) to think about it. Why isn’t the media even paying attention to the other hot spots around the world? The other hot spots are worse with more children dying, facing famine and being displaced, and yet we as a nation remain uninformed. Why is that? Is it a malicious conspiracy, is Gaza easier (safer) to report on, is there an agenda being driven, a narrative crafted, the propaganda simply better, is it anti-semitic?
Why has Gaza and not anywhere else reached a cultural critical mass? I don’t know, but I doubt its by accident.
Probably largely because of the overreaction it causes when anyone criticizes Israel for this genocide and suggests we should stop funding it. People are saying things about what’s going on in Sudan. I’m certainly aware, I’ve heard about it. But when someone calls for us to stop funding that, the response is crickets. When someone suggests the same for Gaza, you get people trying to dox you and kick you out of school and make you unemployable. And hyper focus by the media, which is almost universally unsympathetic to the peace cause. It creates a feedback loop. Sort of a Streisand effect in a way.
But I know one thing for sure, I’d much rather there be people talking about stopping one egregious genocide we’re funding than none of them. So I don’t understand the point of tone policing people for talking about this one.
Because it’s completely unrelated. Just like if you told me you’re vegan or trans without being prompted – I just don’t care.
Yeah because eating a more climate-friendly diet or the civil rights of trans and queer people are “completely unrelated” to a Portland local election.
It’s almost as if the claims of “moderates” that woke progressives want to censor political discussion are psychological projection.
It’s probably not “completely unrelated”, but if one were to create a list of things a city councilor in Portland, OR can actually improve, the climate via their diet and trans/queer civil rights shouldn’t be in the top 25. Maybe they come on the list at some point, but there are certainly many more pressing issues.
Your gut is not a good measure. You’ve been called out enough times to hopefully know this.
I disagree. As a human being with biases that are informed by many perspectives and someone who spends a lot of time in community listening to others (including you!), my gut will continue to be the most important influence on my decisions. Doing anything else would make me an empty suit robot and I’m not interested in being 100% objective.
But Palestinians ride bikes and therefore these issues are related!
Yep, tough crowd.
I hope she gets a chance to show us how she would work on these things.
I think the mode share question is a good one, the myriad facets of it encompass so many things not going the right direction in transit, commuting, cycling, infrastructure and so much more despite “progress” of some of the things that are getting done, many of which are huge sprawling projects that have cycling in the spin but truly provide minimal benefit to it.
Never mind the specific projects that get shouted or watered down to diminished effect for being “entitled” cyclist ones that were not more than a blip to begin with but add up to a systematic quashing of a bigger goal.
It matters to me, and she’s running in my district. If it matters what individuals think (and I think it does), it definitely matters what all the elected people above them think. If there is any plausible credibility to liberal democracy, this is one of the few routes it could possibly have to affect foreign policy. And if we don’t have democratic control over foreign policy, we don’t live in a democracy.
You bring up an excellent point in that how do we as the electorate make sure our voice is heard in affecting a modicum of control over foreign policy which ends up affecting us all. I do not know and any theory I have is tempered by the fact that every war/conflict we have been in, bled in and murdered in has been started by our “democratically” (quotes as a binary choice is frequently not a choice) elected civilian leadership. Should we have less civilian control over the military outside the united states? Since soldiers and not politicians do the majority of the dying the military is usually not that eager to go to war. Cause more decisions to come up for votes? “Should we build a floating pier at Gaza? Vote by tomorrow.” I don’t know, anyone have any ideas?
The pier is one of the sickest of jokes imaginable. We’re giving Israel the bombs that cause the need for the pier in the first place! But here, here is a bandaid that never even gets used before it falls apart, all the while continuing the destruction and murder.
Anyhow, like with many things, it probably shouldn’t be up to an uninformed, flat, up or down vote on every issue. As you point out, the binary choice itself is already too late to be truly democratic (what things we get to vote on matter). It’d be like those PBOT surveys that go out asking if you’d like to use the new Rose City Golf Course trails for walking or bird watching.
For starters, congress should be doing its job and it isn’t. Our president (any, not just this one) is too close to a military dictator when it comes to foreign policy. And how do we change that? Who knows! Seems like we can’t! This kind of gets into deep questions about our particular democracy and if it is really legitimate, and I’m not really prepared to open up that debate here and now. I’d just leave it at this: It’s good that there is any anti-war activity happening at all, and I don’t care what war it’s about.
Marnie is an interesting candidate, and I wouldn’t want her comment thread to be flooded by a Gaza debate. Everybody has said their piece, let other folks have their say about the candidate.
There are quite a few reasons you should care but here’s just 1. Your tax dollars (easily half) go towards the US military and defense budget. That budget is basically a black box, it is not audited, there is no transparency, and every year you pay more into that box. You are directly paying for weapons to be sent across the world (including, but not limited to, Israel) to kill civilians in terrorizing and horrific ways. Our foreign policy costs us a lot of money. Every time you ask for better safer roads (for your bike!), better schools, better healthcare, a better wage, safer products made of parts that won’t poison you, you will not get it because we have more weapons to make and we have more piers to build that will collapse and a fighter jet that will blow up upon flight.
When you petition your government for these things that will make your life and your community’s life better, you will be met by police that were trained by the same people using those weapons we sent over to kill civilians and they will train police to kill you too. Or maybe just maim you, or break a shoulder, or give you a TBI, or just arrest you cause they can. The local police will also have a lot of those same weapons and vehicles themselves to use against you and your community if you ask to loudly. So yes, I do want to know what the people in charge of budgets that include the local police think about Gaza and genocide.
I don’t disagree with much you wrote, however this is not a congressional position. I want my representative to be concerned about issues they can effect.
I bet Marnie would prefer to run on those.
Who sets a city police department’s budget? Who determines a city’s budget overall? Priorities in spending, which are a direct reflection of the values of that governing body, are set at the local elected official level and is exactly why voting in local elections matter as much (some would argue more) than in national politics.
Truly this article could not have come at a better time to illustrate my point:
https://www.portlandmercury.com/news/2024/05/30/47229604/city-will-spend-an-estimated-11-million-on-munitions-shields-and-training-for-police
“…the city of Portland will spend an estimated $1.1 million on shields, munitions, and training for police.
In what was termed as an “emergency vote” on Wednesday, Portland City Council unanimously approved allocating additional funds to the Portland Police Bureau to buy shields for officers, and replace soon-to-expire less lethal weapons used during crowd control events.”
PPB cites “recent world events” and “the upcoming election cycle” as primary catalysts for the weapons re-stock, noting increased demand for less lethal weapons across the country could threaten the overall supply.”
(bold emphasis is mine). I don’t know how to make the connection more clear. Either local politics matter or they don’t. Local politics, national politics, and US foreign policy are not 3 distinct silos that never touch or impact you or each other. They are all connected. Why would I vote for someone (anyone, not this candidate in particular) that doesn’t have a clear position on something as straightforward as genocide? If that person is fine with US dollars supporting mass murder of civilians by armed forces abroad, why would I assume that person would object to murder of civilians by armed forces here? armed forces that were likely trained in the same tactics?
I agree she should have a position on the funding for the local police force.
She was not asked that question and her position on that is important.
I am not a litmus test voter, whatever her position on a very complicated issue that she has absolutely zero influence on is not important to me.
FFS, Portland has enough complicated issues to solve, there are a lot good candidates in district 2, I want them to discuss what their ideas are to make this city a better place to live.
Isn’t that Enough?
Then ask the question “what’s your view on the local police force and it’s militarization?” That’s pertinent to the position they are running for. What’s happening in Asia, the Middle East, or Europe, or any number of international issues are completely immaterial for the position they are running for.
No wonder we can’t elect good people if all we care about are things that their job has absolutely nothing to do with.
I’d like to know her opinion on destructive Leftist protests.
“destructive” of a dumb fence or an “elk” statue versus the repeated physical violence and homicide of right wing gangs.
I like how you’ve added the “Any ideas on how we can do it?” question as a follow up to the mode share question. Though I’m a little dissatisfied with the answer here, I think it is important to know what kinds of projects a candidate supports, and how skilled they are to do the hard work to see them through. Ultimately, I want to elect people to get the job done, and for many of the bike projects on the table, that’s going to take a lot of hard political work. It kind of sucks that many bike-related projects become so political, and want to know that the people I’m voting for have both the political skill and determination to make these projects happen.
Thanks for the interesting article. Seems like a nice candidate to me!
I’m a little biased because I’ve known Marnie for over 20 years – but I think she is incredibly smart, experienced, passionate and compassionate. She would be a great Councilor for District 2.
I do appreciate her not jumping on the a-historical redefinition of genocide, unlike Mr. Maus.
She is also correct that city government has been unresponsive in too many ways that have irritated people all over the political spectrum here. Theoretically any ideology can provide responsive, transparent and effective government. However, our new system is still going to pretend like the city council is a non-partisan endeavor, which it will not really be. We need to let candidates run with their parties so voters will know which party to hold responsible when things go sideways. In this new multi-member district system, more than two local parties could form and allow for some interesting policy competition.
Having said that, a solid case can be made that Nader’s 2000 campaign helped W win that election, so I’m gonna pay his campaign finance director back by not voting for her.
A solidly bad case, perhaps. One that certainly impugns our democracy.
Article II of the UN Genocide Convention (1948):
Genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in
whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
.
(a)Killing members of the group;
(b)Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c)Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated
to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d)Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e)Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide-convention.shtml
Johnathan, thank you for the great interview.
One thing I haven’t seen candidates for city council talk about or mention is who else in their district they would like to see elected. With the new voting system, multiple candidates from the same district will be elected. I think it would be interesting to give candidates a chance to talk about the other people running and see if they have anyone that they are excited about.
Hi John D,
I’ve been keeping an eye on the races, and there is an arc to the strategy in this game of winning. Right now, the focus is on getting those small $20 donations that are matched 9-1 by the city, for a total of $200 going to the candidate.
Those donations are important for a few reasons: 1) Hey, it’s money, 2) Being able to attract a lot of small donors shows that the candidate is a competent, experienced organizer, and that they have been able to drum up support. It separates the men from the boys, it’s their first test. Right now the top fundraisers are Steph Routh in District 1 and Olivia Clark in District 4. 3) Also, going after all those small donors gets the candidate name recognition — better than walking a precinct!
Once those top candidates have distinguished themselves, separated themselves from the pack, we will probably see more strategic coalition building. For example, (and this is just me speculating on my lonesome, analyzing the rules of the game) it occurred to me that if a candidate has pulled far ahead of competitors in a given district, any favor they show toward a less-competitive candidate in their district has the possibility of giving that trailing candidate a big boost in second choice votes. So I think you will see gentle coalition building within districts come September/October as candidates vie for and anoint second and third rankings.
I don’t see that a front-runner has much to gain from a cross-district coalition, although that’s probably going on a bit in private. But associating oneself with a popular candidate from within or across districts could be a hail Mary pass for a candidate who is trailing.
There is quite a bit of maneuvering going on right now, but most civilians are still basking in the glow of having gotten their ballot in last week. Politicos are paddling furiously under the surface of the water.
Attend a candidate house party, or organize one yourself. Shoot someone a twenty.
For some reason I find Glickman’s photo op with a bike more credible than some of the other bike hugging we’ve seen, so points for that. Having scanned the plethora of other District 2 candidates she’s a strong contender. If only more elected officials were willing to put their career on the line for principle. There may be more important issues but I do need to hear about transportation from anybody I vote for.
A person can say the right thing without using a particular word. The US “defense” budget is in competition with local needs. When my tax money, and yours, is used to export bombs, mines, etc. to unaccountable governments that’s not off topic.
Any list I make of shameful US interventions is bound to be incomplete but now Gaza is on it. When national government will not act effectively and in a timely way the correction has to come from local government, every precinct committee, and yes the street.
The way I see it far left progressives like Marnie are what got us to the current mess we have; crushing homelessness, unswept bike lanes and a neighborhood where my teenage daughter can’t safely walk home from her after school job. I read her campaign website and while there are nice talking points about safety and community I didn’t see any actionable items except more of the same status quo. I’m a no.
Progressivism is a road paved with good intentions.
Middle o the Road Guy, Portland may have been progressive in the past. I feel like we have had very few *actually* progressive leaders who have been allowed to get anything done in the last ten or fifteen years, thanks to the PBA & other whiny babies. If our leaders were truly Progressive, Portland would have progressed.
“very few *actually* progressive leaders who have been allowed to get anything done”
A leader is supposed to get things done, not complain about “not being allowed”.
If our leaders were truly effective, Portland would have progressed.
That’s unfortunate. I’m sorry you feel that way.
I’m intrigued by the whole realigning thing, districting and creating jurisdictions where people feel represented.
Perhaps District 2 and 3 could become “New Portland.” Then you guys could have city council talk about Gaza. You could have Mike Schmidt as your DA (since thats who you voted for) and whomever else you choose to lead the city and whatever the people want to hear about Justice and if people acted like they were living in Amsterdam.
And West and East County can work on cleaning up the bike paths, making sure protesters commuting from “New Portland” don’t break too many windows, putting sidewalks in, trying to keep businesses from leaving and getting all the stabbings and mayhem from drug addicts to acceptable levels.
Everyone wins!
It’s interesting, isn’t it Donel? Voters might want to keep in mind that whoever they send to council to represent them will be competing for relevance, influence and voice with nine representatives from other districts. I want my representatives from District Four to know something about infrastructure, and how to get money from the state and feds to pay for it. I also want those reps to be competent and experienced with affordable housing.
Agreed. Portland has done good housing and infrastructure in the past and can do it again. Putting some thought into this and how people will work together on some issues and separately on others would help everyone in every district.
Gaza will have no influence upon who I vote for locally.