From: ellmyer@macsolve.com
Subject: The Rules of the Game
Date: January 11, 2004 2:04:16 PM PST
To: jfrancesconi@ci.portland.or.us, nf@meyerwyse.com, max@tomformayor.org, samadamspdx@comcast.net
Cc: rleonard@ci.portland.or.us, mayorkatz@ci.portland.or.us, dsaltzman@ci.portland.or.us, erik@ci.portland.or.us, hapzonewatchers@macsolve.com, lynne@imaginarypress.com, wendy@pdxcityclub.org, lwvpdx@aracnet.com

Hi Sam Adams, Nick Fish, Tom Potter, Jim Francesconi:
On Wednesday January 7th I asked all of you, candidates for public office, for "your reactions to the recent stealth nominating PROCESS (NOT the appointee) of Harriet Cormack to the HAP board." (See Below). The deadline for responding is 2:30 PM Tuesday January 13th.

The very nature of this issue has dictated how we will proceed with this and other HAP related inquiries to be made during the campaign season. You will all remember that although both were asked neither the mayor's office nor city commissioner and candidate for mayor, Jim Francesconi, notified me about my expressed written interest to testify on the HAP board nomination. The mayor, with city commissioner and candidate for mayor, Jim Francesconi's approval put the HAP appointment on the no-public-comment Consent Agenda without giving ample notice to me or the public. Both the mayor and city commissioner and candidate for mayor, Jim Francesconi, refused my verbal and written requests to postpone the vote on the nomination pending meaningful public notice. So I am going to adopt this procedure in dealing with you. Seems fair don't you think?

I will be preparing for publication what I believe would be your official responses to HAP related public policy issues as Consent Agenda items. If you do not personally reject these positions then I will proceed with the assurance that you agree to and accept what I have written as uncontroversial, uncontested and a true reflection of your opinions on HAP related public policy issues. Seems fair don't you think?

I am going to give most of you a better break than the current Portland City Council gave me by sending you what I plan to publish forty-eight hours or more before the date of distribution. There is one exception, Jim Francesconi. Jim gets the same treatment he saw fit to give me and the public. No notice. No reasonable opportunity to comment. Seems fair don't you think?

During the last three years that I have been deeply and seriously involved with public policy issues relating to the Housing Authority of Portland, I have discovered an extreme reluctance on the part of the entire Portland City Council and all of HAP's appointed board members to publicly discuss these matters. This group includes Jim Francesconi and Nick Fish. It is my intention to use the democratic process, to the fullest extent possible, to make public inquires to candidates about public policy issues to which they may have some future authority and responsibility.

You may regard activist citizens and the press as inconvenient and bothersome annoyances blocking your path to a full time job with high status, good pay and health care benefits (something 42 million Americans don't enjoy). But the democratic process requires that we ask you and you tell us what you think concerning public policy matters about which you will have statutory authority BEFORE we vote for you. So, please, think of answering my questions as an opportunity to share your views on major public policy issues which affect every citizen in Multnomah County with a significantly sized sincerely interested audience of voters and the press.

I look forward to hearing from all of you. Thank you.

Richard Ellmyer
Portsmouth neighborhood, North Portland
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org








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From: ellmyer@macsolve.com
Subject: Your Views on HAP
Date: January 7, 2004 2:31:33 PM PST
To: webmaster@jimfrancesconiformayor.com, Nick@gofish2004.com, max@tomformayor.org
Cc: lynne@imaginarypress.com, erik@ci.portland.or.us, jeffb@rccb.com, lwvpdx@aracnet.com, rleonard@ci.portland.or.us, wendy@pdxcityclub.org, mayorkatz@ci.portland.or.us, samadamspdx@comcast.net, dsaltzman@ci.portland.or.us, kandis.n@attbi.com

Hi Jim, Tom and Nick:
By now you are well aware that the Housing Authority of Portland and everything that surrounds it is on the public table and will be an issue during the mayor's race. This is especially true because of Nick Fish's candidacy. In the not too distant future I will be asking more specific questions of all of you as well as other declared candidates. For now I'd just like to hear from Tom and Nick about your reactions to the recent stealth nominating PROCESS (NOT the appointee) of Harriet Cormack to the HAP board. Jim's position is already on the public record. It's time for Tom Potter and Nick Fish to go on the record and get in the game. [If and when Sam officially throws his hat in the ring he'll be asked to join in. Should he volunteer an opinion today so much the better.]

As you all know, for the past two years I have regularly written about HAP to a growing audience of Oregonians interested in this subject which is now at about two thousand. It is not a huge constituency but it is an educated, politically astute, voting and activist community as well as the press. You should regard anything you write or don't write to me about HAP as potential material for my HAP Watchers commentaries and web site. I have written more than fifty observation pieces which are available here: http://www.goodgrowthnw.org . If you haven't already you should take a moment and personally check it out. It will probably prove useful to you.

I look forward to a continuing public dialog during the campaign season regarding the Housing Authority of Portland and all the public policies which are attendant to it.

Richard Ellmyer
Portsmouth neighborhood, North Portland
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org