There is a drug crisis unfolding on our streets, and we need to take immediate action.

This means getting people off the streets and into treatment, transitional housing, and other critical services. I will work with other local and regional partners to move the ball forward compassionately and humanely, so that we can stay on the road to recovery as a city.

We must also work to restore the commons. Public spaces belong to everybody, including our children, seniors, and working families, but it doesn’t feel that way for everybody right now. I am running to ensure our parks, sidewalks, and other public places are free of needles, weapons, and other hazardous materials so that they can be kept clean, safe and beautiful. Our public places should be a place where parents can let their kids play, or where seniors can take walks again without fear for their safety.

Finally, we need to reestablish our public spaces as centers of community engagement and connection. A vibrant public space requires not just community participation, but also investment. For too long, residents of East Portland have been subject to a lack of investment relative to downtown. It is time to invest in projects that not only revitalize public spaces, but also our infrastructure, to create a dynamic and beautiful environment people want to live and do business in.

The impact of violent crime can be felt all over our city. For too long, Portland has led the nation in increased rates of gun violence and homicide. This year we are starting to see progress. I am running to ensure that progress accelerates for the East side and continues city wide. Portland must be one of the safest cities in America for all who live and work here, but especially for our children and seniors. People need to feel safe in order to call a place their home. That can’t happen until we take a stand on public safety that demands both accountability AND effectiveness.

We also need to urgently address property crime and vandalism. From small business owners to contractors and other entrepreneurs, the livelihoods of many are literally on the line. From contractors who regularly have their job sites vandalized and their tools and vehicles stolen, to small businesses facing closure due to broken windows, public drug use, and rampant theft, every time is an existential crisis, not just a minor inconvenience. I am running to stand up for these voices and others at City Hall every day.

Affordability isn’t just about housing, it’s also about economic empowerment. Our city should help small businesses and encourage entrepreneurship, not discourage them. This is especially true in our most marginalized communities. Shared economic prosperity at the local level also has a downstream effect on public safety and community health by creating opportunities and providing other healthy outlets for our youth, making this a key priority.

One of the most important aspects of economic recovery and revitalization is workforce development. Trades provide family wage jobs for thousands of Portlanders and we need to do more to partner with them on this important issue. Trade unions offer apprenticeship programs, work to recruit locally, and have an excellent track record on workforce equity. We need to lean in on our strengths, and on the East side especially that means supporting the trades and other forms of workforce development in our communities.

Many of our small businesses and minority contractors have been successful, and will be a big part of building our future as a city, but they currently face a ceiling. Larger contracts for growing enterprises become difficult to compete for due to bonding capacity requirements. I will immediately work with others to build consensus and bring policy that works to help minority-owned small businesses and contractors break through this ceiling by subsidizing their bonding capacity.