2007

ICURAAC Sets 15% Cap On Neighborhood Public Housing - Asks PDC To Stop Overloading Portsmouth 11/7/07

In a recent email vote a majority of the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area Advisory Committee recently endorsed the following letter:

Dear Portland Development Commission:
We, the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area Advisory Committee, support a public housing location policy of equitable distribution of public housing (defined as requiring three components: means test + government subsidy + rental agreement). This is consistent with the public housing location policy of the Portland Bureau of Housing and Community Development's published public housing location policy which is:
1. Maximize housing choice, especially for low-income people who have traditionally been limited in the location of housing that they could afford; 
2. Discourage the concentration of low- or no- income households in any one area of the city; 
3. Encourage the creation of additional housing resources for low-income households integrated throughout the community.

Adams, Leonard, Branam Support The Sharff BRAC Oregon National Guard Option 11/6/07

Portland city commissioners Sam Adams and Randy Leonard as well as John Branam, a candidate for Portland city commissioner, have demonstrated leadership abilities that we citizens crave, but rarely find, in our elected officials or candidates for public office. When they show it they need to be recognized and applauded. Thank you and Bravo!

US Senate Candidate Frohnmayer Supports The Oregon National Guard 10/15/07

John Fronhmayer, candidate for US Senate, has lead the way by being the first candidate for public office or holder of a public office in Oregon to publicly support the Oregon National Guard's need to own and occupy the decommissioned Sharff Army Reserve Center. Here is Frohnmayer's letter to our governor:

DA Schrunk Buries Equitable Distribution Public Housing Policy With A Word - "Disagree" 9/25/07

The practice of democracy requires that citizens have access to public records in order to hold those who wield power in government accountable. The Oregon Public Records law was created by our legislature to assure Oregonians their right to oversee the government employees that execute our laws and spend our money. Mike Schrunk's decision to protect the Housing Authority of Portland from divulging public data is not in keeping with the spirit or the letter of the Oregon Public Records law.

Erik Sten Can Live Where He Wants - Not Like "His" Public Housing Clients 9/17/07

Portland city commissioner Erik Sten had every right in March 2007 to buy a house wherever he can afford. If that's a $1,285,000 5,000 square foot home and swimming pool in South West Portland with no public housing clients within view that's his choice.

Governor's Military Advisor Speaks - Congressional Delegation Still Silent 9/12/07

"I will be recommending to the governor that the Sharff Army Reserve Center continue as a military facility."

Paul Evans, military policy advisor to governor Ted Kulongoski

HAP Chair, Jeff Bachrach, Spurns Oregon Public Records Law 9/3/07

HAP staff showed significant signs of cooperation in providing the requested public records until the HAP board chair, Jeff Bachrach, ordered the staff to withhold delivery of any and all of the requested public records. Jeff Bachrach's directive to HAP staff is tantamount to a letter of denial made directly to the citizen, Richard Ellmyer, who requested the public data. Therefore, I request that the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office immediately either compel or negotiate with the custodian of this public data, Jeff Bachrach, to produce the public records over which he has authority.

PDC's Imminent New Role Demands More Qualified Leadership 6/4/07

The Portland Development Commission is poised to overtake the Housing Authority of Portland as Oregon's largest administrator of public housing. HAP currently serves approximately 33,000 public housing clients on a budget of $80,000,000. The recently approved $111,000,000 in TIF funding for public housing could add 45,000 [based on HAP's average $2424/client.] to the more than 6,300 public housing clients already under PDC administration for a total of potentially more than 51,000. At that point PDC would more rightly be called THE Housing Authority of Portland.

Why Is PDC Housing Director Andy Wilch Still On The Public Payroll? 5/21/07

On February 28, 2007 PDC commissioner Sal Kadri publicly tasked PDC Housing Director Andy Wilch to gather information by neighborhood on the location of all public housing clients that are subsidized and administered by any government agency within PDC's area of influence.

Week 11 - PDC Still Stonewalling Data Delivery 5/16/07

When PDC commissioner Sal Kadri was motivated by reason and common sense on February 28, 2007 to publicly task PDC Housing Director Andy Wilch to gather information by neighborhood on the location of all public housing clients that are subsidized and administered by any government agency within PDC's area of influence he had no idea that he was opening Pandora's Public Housing Policy Box. Despite an Oregon Public Records Law demand, to date, neither Kadri nor any citizen of Multnomah county has seen so much as a single record presumably collected over the last 11 weeks.

Mr. Mayor, Can You Count To 4? If Not, Then Let's Move On 5/7/07

On October 25, 2006 only three votes were cast to dispose of 1.4 million dollars worth of surplus real property, formerly the John Ball School site, by Tom Potter, Dan Saltzman and Erik Sten. Commissioners Sam Adams and Randy Leonard voted against the give away of surplus city property citing a demonstrable lack of due process.

Request To Postpone Vote On Public Housing Funding - Agenda Item#387 4/12/07

Regardless of whether you get the public housing statistical data from PDC in the next few hours or the next few days, that crucial decision making data is on its way. The Portland city council must table the $162,000,000 Public Housing Funding Resolution - Agenda Item#387

PDC Hides Housing Data From Public Before City Council Vote 4/9/07

On February 28, 2007 PDC commissioner Sal Kadri tasked PDC staff to gather information by neighborhood on the location of all public housing clients that are subsidized and administered by any government agency within PDC's area of influence. This assignment should involve about half a dozen phone calls on PDC’s part and a matter of minutes to export the data from computer files by the agencies involved. The collection of this public data should take a few hours, perhaps a few days at most. 

Is Rhonda Meadows Smarter Than A Seventh Grader? 3/19/07

Unless the president of the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation, Rhonda Meadows, is a complete ignoramus (noun - an ignorant or stupid person.), she knows the difference between literal and figurative speech especially as written and distributed to 13,000 readers and published on the Internet as political commentary. Her recent complaint to the Portland police can only be seriously interpreted as a pathetically naive call for protection, not from physical harm but from the pain of public ridicule, shame and embarrassment which is the result of public exposure to the facts, truth and evidence of her own self-inflicted actions of ill repute: 

PDC's Kadri Joins Adams, Cogen and Wheeler In Search Of Public Housing Statistics 3/1/07

PDC Commissioner Sal Kadri stands out as deserving attention and commendation for two enlightened acts of political courage.

Rhonda Meadows Dispatches Husband To Public Meeting With Personal Agenda 2/26/07

Confronting UNLIMITED neighborhood concentration of public housing was the subject of a three hour public meeting February 21 attended by more than thirty Multnomah county voters genuinely and seriously interested in public housing policy. However, there was one person in attendance who came with a less than authentic civic minded concern about public housing policy. That person was, Erik Blythe, husband of the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation chair, Rhonda Meadows.

Governor Kulongoski Equivocal On Support For Oregon National Guard? 2/13/07

One the one hand, Kulongoski subordinate Adjutant General Raymond Rees has a myriad of convincing, unassailable political, military and economic arguments as well as strong local citizen support (see excellent letter below signature from the North Portland Business Association) for the Oregon National Guard's interest in owning and occupying the recently decommissioned Shraff Army Reserve Center.

On the other hand, Kulongoski subordinate Oregon Department of Human Services Director Bruce Goldberg, who has demonstrably supported the discredited and abhorrent public housing policy of unlimited neighborhood concentration of public housing, would welcome an opportunity to endorse the five acres of the Shraff Army Reserve Center as more public housing in a neighborhood with the highest total number and the second highest percentage of public housing clients in the state of Oregon.

Morrison Center - Support For Portland Hope Meadows Corporation Will Jeopardize Your Reputation 1/29/07

The reputation of the Morrison Center for doing good works will be publicly challenged and repudiated if it does not immediately withdraw its support for the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation's plan to build public housing in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland.

Carlton Hart - Support For Portland Hope Meadows Corporation Will Jeopardize Your Reputation 1/29/07

The reputation of Carlton Hart Architects for doing good works will be publicly challenged and repudiated if it does not immediately withdraw its support for the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation's plan to build public housing in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland.

Hope Meadows - Support For Portland Hope Meadows Corporation Will Jeopardize Your Reputation 1/29/07

The reputation of the University of Illinois and Hope Meadows for doing good works will be publicly challenged and repudiated if it does not immediately withdraw its support for the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation's plan to build public housing in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland.

Oregon DHS - Support For Portland Hope Meadows Corporation Will Jeopardize Your Reputation 1/29/07

The reputation of the Oregon Department of Human Services for doing good works will be publicly challenged and repudiated if it does not immediately withdraw its support for the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation's plan to build public housing in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland.

Kellogg Foundation - Support For Portland Hope Meadows Corporation Will Jeopardize Your Reputation 1/29/07

The reputation of the Kellogg foundation for doing good works will be publicly challenged and repudiated if it does not immediately withdraw its support for the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation's plan to build public housing in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland.

Feb. 21st 6 PM - Confronting UNLIMITED Neighborhood Concentration Of Public Housing 1/25/07

The Portsmouth Neighborhood Association has arranged for one of its members, Richard Ellmyer, to coordinate and moderate a public meeting on Wednesday February 21 from 6-9 PM at the Historic Kenton Firehouse in North Portland, 2209 N. Schofield, to discuss public housing policy in Multnomah county and specifically the following agenda items: