DECRIMINALIZE HOUSELESSNESS
Voting: No
Reason: Last year 80 people died living on the Portland streets, mostly due to addiction, homicide, exposure and illnesses, often untreated because of unsafe and unhygienic conditions until they become a crisis. Allowing people to camp on our streets is misguided compassion. Allowing people to die on our streets is not compassionate at all. Compassion is not allowing people to suffer from lethal substance abuse on our sidewalks, drifting towards death as we walk by. Compassion is not allowing a mentally ill person to suffer a severe psychotic break due to lack of treatment and lack of sleep because of fear at night. We must provide a safe shelter for all that does not include the dangers of camping.
FOR A FAIR POLICE CONTRACT THAT SERVES THE PUBLIC
Voting: Yes
Reason: 1) No, I do not agree on explicit independent civilian agency review. It must include members of the Police bureau or experts that have experience in the subject matter. Experience is so valuable to rely on in these traumatic situations. Understanding policy and its application and process are important to return a just review. All parties must work together for a fair outcome.
2) Yes. So long as they are fair. The bureau’s policy must be followed and applied to all.
3) Yes. So long as a full impartial investigation can be completed. I work for a transportation company and after each accident, testing is required. It is important to remove to have access to all information in these tragic circumstances.
4) Yes. Police officers act in a safety capacity. This would be similar to OSHA and the ability to file a safety complaint without the offending company knowing who filed. Like OSHA, there must be a fair and complete investigation.
OREGON DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR THE PEOPLE
Voting: Yes
Reason: 1) Agree wholeheartedly
2) Agree. I am against guns in schools. Our children should not live in a world where guns are normalized.
3) To far reaching. Every situation needs to be fully reviewed to ensure fairness for all persons involved.
4) Agree. Even with our recent criminal justice reforms, we still have further to go.
5) Agree. No one is above the law. Every situation needs to be fully reviewed to ensure fairness for all persons involved.
6) I do not agree with decriminalizing sex work or drug use.
Regarding Decriminalizing Houselessness, I have a platform (www.keithforportland.com) item specific to how to accomplish:
Decriminalize Homelessness - Homeless Court Program
52% of all arrests in Portland are of homeless people, the vast majority of those from an outstanding warrant for low-level and non-violent offenses. After spending two weeks with San Diego’s public defenders and mayor’s office observing their Homeless Court Program (HCP) – a partnership between District Attorney, City Attorney, Superior Court, Public Defender and Homeless-Service Agency’s – I am confident this program will reduce arrests significantly and counteract the effect of criminal cases pushing homeless defendants further outside society. This is how it works:
When HCP participants voluntarily address their underlying root cause of homelessness in partnership with an approved homeless-service agency, they are in a stronger position to comply with court orders. So long as the homeless client is successfully going through the homeless service agency program:
• The agency completes a Multnomah County records search for their client
• Writes an advocacy letter to the HCP outlining the progress their client is making and
• Lists all outstanding warrants or cases with fines/fees that are acting as a barrier for the client getting out of the homeless cycle
• The client and their advocate receive a counseling date with the public defender
• The public defender dockets all outstanding warrants/cases for a court date one week later where the public defender, district attorney and judge travel to the homeless-service agency for an official hearing and cases are dismissed based on “credit for time served”
The participants are well deserving as they have spent an average of 291 days in their homeless-service program.
TENANT PROTECTION ORDINANCE
Voting: Yes
Reason: Yes. But not funded by landlords. By doing so, we continue to layer on more costs and rents go higher. Counter intuitive. Funding should be shouldered by our general fund. We have a housing crisis and each layer of costs we apply to our housing disproportionately hurts lower income residents.
UP NOW! UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL IN MULTNOMAH COUNTY
Voting: Yes
Reason: The current status quo that low-income students consistently fall behind is not acceptable. I am a fierce proponent of the upcoming Multnomah County ballot measure to fund Pre-K. We are missing out on providing ALL our kids with high quality early education. Every child should have the same starting point and attending preschool creates so many future benefits. The inequalities are inherent and this is an issue that must be addressed.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
Voting: Yes
Reason: Let’s take the money out of politics. While I am not using Open and Accountable Elections to help finance my campaign, it would have been easier if there was not a cutoff. My campaign launched on 1/11 and cutoff was 1/28. Not enough time to meet restrictions. Remove all restrictions and level the playing field for all.
MUNICIPAL BANK
Voting: No
Reason: Small business is the economic engine of our city. Access to capital is one of the most difficult resources to gain. For entrepreneurs, needed capital and funds are nearly impossible to find. A municipal bank will help grow businesses, create jobs and create wealth in our community and families.
MUNICIPAL BROADBAND
Voting: No
Reason: Municipal broadband would require a significant amount of capital to fully build. Our current homeless emergency requires our full attention. Technology and changes doubles about every two years (Moore’s Law). We have so many large municipal concerns that I do not feel it should be shouldered at this time.
COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT (CBA) FOR THE SUPERFUND CLEAN-UP OF THE WILLAMETTE RIVER
Voting: Yes
Reason: Communities that have been affected should be made whole.