There's been so much said over the course of this year's primary that it can be tough to keep everything straight. We've laid out reasons for our picks in local races at length (and you should read them right now).
But maybe you're a more a-la-cart-style voter, or a one-issue type? For you, we're putting together a series of posts where you can track where candidates stand on various pressing matters. Today:
Homeless Camping
In endorsement interviews with candidates for Portland mayor and two contested city council seats, we wanted to know whether a newly permissive policy introduced by Mayor Charlie Hales in February is rational, and whether it's helping. (We also asked candidates specifically NOT to use the phrase "not a long-term solution," since: we get it.) Here's the gist of what the candidates told us:
MAYOR
JULES BAILEY: Yes, it's rational. It also comes from a place of compassion. But rather than spending the money and time we're spending on permitted tent camping.. [we should be] spending some of that time and energy on permitting church basements and nonprofits. To bring emergency shelter online is really important.
SEAN DAVIS: No one wants to live in a tent. Tent cities aren’t the answer, but allowing the houseless to create their own community as a way to get back on their feet is... We need to organize and offer resources in order to create opportunity and purpose for the houseless.
BIM DITSON:Yeah, I support it. It's working for its purpose. It's horrible that we're in this situation.
DEBORAH HARRIS— We need to put some thought into what we're doing. Let somebody else do it if you're going to just throw it together. It shows no concern. I consider it an irrational decision.
SARAH IANNARONE: We're conflating a couple things. Tent camping... that's one thing. Then there are intentional communities. People are trying to intentionally uplift themselves... To lump them all under tent camping does them a disservice, actually.... Let's actually give them land and capital and let people uplift themselves.
DAVID SCHOR: I don't think we have another option right now that's constitutional. I don't think we can sweep people without violating their constitutional rights.
JESSIE SPONBERG — Nobody wants your stinking shelters. Do you know what it's like in those shelters? It's filthy, it's dangerous, it's full of diseases. Living in a tent...is preferable nine times out of 10 to living in these shelters. One, stop criminalizing it. Two, we need chunks of land where people can just safely go.
TED WHEELER: It is a rational decision... I just don't think the tent camps are humane. Yes, in the short term. But the city also needs to step up: Can we get them some water? Can we get them some facilities? Can we make sure it's as humane as possible right now? But can we also commit to a clear strategy, and communicate it with the public?
CITY COMMISSIONER, POSITION 1
LANITA DUKE: I disagree with Mayor Hales. I think you should open Wapato [a reference to the unused county jail some people say can house the homeless]. You're only talking about 2,000 people. It's not rocket science. If those tents were in West Portland and Ladd's Addition, it would be a totally different response.
AMANDA FRITZ: It's not working yet. It certainly is an acknowledgment that more people are there. In the meantime we need to provide porta-potties and garbage cans and to stop sweeping people when we have nowhere else for them to go.
SARA LONG: On paper what he's done looks maybe okay. In reality what's happening is they say, "You can camp until 7 am and then you have to pick up your belongings. In the meantime we’re gong to use this as an excuse to harass you."
ANN SANDERSON: I don't think it’s working. It is bad for our souls...Are we saying that’s the new status quo? We could get everyone off the street if we wanted to get everyone off the street.
CITY COMMISSIONER, POSITION 4
STUART EMMONS: This issue has been there for years. This council has been out of touch and absolutely asleep. I'm outraged the council didn't do something beforehand. People should be in safe warm and dry spaces.
CHLOE EUDALY: I think it’s a rational move. It’s a deplorable situation. I hope that by seeing all these people camping on the street it compels our entire community to come together around solutions. Sweeps are incredibly damaging to homeless individuals.
STEVE NOVICK: Not only is it rational, this was a rational and brave thing for the mayor to do. We had a situation where officially camping was illegal anywhere. We were enforcing the policy sort of haphazardly. For the mayor to say, "We acknowledge people are going to be in the parks and on the sidewalks, but we want you to follow certain rules" is reasonable.
FRED STEWART: I think it was a cowardice thing. One of the most offensive things I've ever seen happen to people in the city of Portand. We need to quickly develop places for them to go.
