Potter/Folsom - Public Housing Policy 101 - Exam #1 2/21/05

From: ellmyer@macsolve.com
Subject: Potter/Folsom - Public Housing Policy 101 - Exam#1
Date: February 21, 2005 4:43:03 PM PST
To: jfolsom@ci.portland.or.us
Cc: erik@ci.portland.or.us, mazziottid@pdc.us, bferran@windermere.com, sugerbs@teleport.com, sgiard@equitygroup.com, mhennessee@quiktrak.com, lkaeser@easystreet.com, samadamspdx@comcast.net, board@hapdx.org, jimpatmc@msn.com, nancyh@ci.portland.or.us, joewykowski@cs.com, dblomgre@prestongates.com, roserriar@portlandhousingcenter.org, sstoltenberg@portlandimpact.org, chrislassen@verizon.net, rleonard@ci.portland.or.us, terri_silvis@hotmail.com, tony@hdc1.org, john@hostdevelopment.com, catherine.such@pnc.com, tpotter@ci.portland.or.us, mazziottid@pdc.us, billv@noah-housing.org, kmontgomerysmith@portlandalliance.com, rogernmeyer@earthlink.net, dsaltzman@ci.portland.or.us, ollouis@msn.com

Hi Jamall:
In January I sent you an email listing a number of questions regarding Mayor Potter's handling of public housing policy that needed to be answered next May. Since then many people have asked me, "How's Potter doing?" In response to these numerous legitimate inquiries I have rephrased my concerns into a test format that should make it easier for everyone to evaluate the mayor's performance with regard to public housing policy. I want Tom Potter to succeed as our new mayor so I'm not only going to give you a take home exam with four months to complete but I'm also going to lead you to the correct answers. The project will be due May 1, 2005. A HAP Watchers report card will be issued shortly thereafter. You and Tom will be judged jointly. You for the number of correct answers and Tom for making sure you successfully completed your assignments.

Here are the criteria upon which you will be graded:
1. Has the mayor met with or officially announced a meeting to be held with all twenty-nine housing commissioners from HAP, HCDC and PDC to give them guidance in their joint annual spending of $200,000,000 of taxpayers money on public housing in Multnomah county. [Yes is the correct answer. Failure to accomplish this is an automatic F.]

2. Have you asked for and received public housing data by neighborhood from HAP, HDCD and PDC. [Yes is the correct answer. Failure to receive a substantial amount of information from all three public housing institutions which jointly spend $200,000,000 per year on public housing in Multnomah county is an automatic F.]

3. Have you directed HAP, HCDC and PDC to use the neighborhood public housing data they provided to the mayor's office as the basis to publish maps and tables, modeled on those found here - http://www.goodgrowthnw.org , on their respective websites? [Yes is the correct answer.]

4. Has the consolidated neighborhood public housing data provided to the mayor's office by HAP, HCDC and PDC been converted into maps and tables modeled on those found here - http://www.goodgrowthnw.org and then published on the mayor's website? [Yes is the correct answer.]

5. Has preparation begun for a series of town hall meetings, city council work sessions, HAP/PDC/HCDC public testimony and work sessions, etc. to discuss the meaning of the neighborhood public housing data and its impact on the 3-6-9 resolution? [Yes is the correct answer.]

6. Has the mayor publicly announced that the Bureau of Housing and Community Development, BHCD, will remain permanently in the mayor's portfolio? [Yes is the correct answer. As the only elected official with the statutory authority to nominate and dismiss all twenty-nine public housing commissioners, the mayor of Portland is effectively the Public Housing Czar of Multnomah county. It would make no sense to assign this bureau to another commissioner while the mayor maintains statutory control and responsibility.]

7. As the person in the mayor's office responsible for monitoring the activities of public housing commissioners have you collected evidence that demonstrates that Shar Giard, Catherine Such and all other nominees to HAP, PDC and HCDC made by mayor Potter have supported and advanced the mayor's public housing policy agenda? [Yes is the correct answer.]

8. How many official meetings have been held among mayor Potter and or his staff with any Metro councilors to discuss regionalizing public housing policy and operations? [At least one is the correct answer.]

This email has been sent to the Multnomah county press so they can also grade you on this exercise or prompt them to give you their own take home exam. Surely, even the Oregonian - a newspaper that in the last eighteen years apparently did not have an editorial writer, nor a columnist, nor a political reporter with sufficient interest or ability to write a local story that included the phrase, "public housing policy" - will now take an interest.

To provide Tom Potter with the maximum potential for success I also offer the mayor the opportunity to hire me as tutor, advisor or any other role he may choose to make sure that he not only passes but receives an exemplary grade. Best of luck.


Richard Ellmyer
Portsmouth - the 18% solution neighborhood, North Portland
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org

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