Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer and North Precinct Commander Donna Henderson have offered no challenge to the assertions made in an analysis by Patricia Kane, Portsmouth homeowner and Portstmouth Residents Action Committee member, of public safety concerns related to the Portland Hope Meadows corporation's proposed experiment in social engineering in the Portsmouth neighborhood. This surplus Portland Public School land was sold by the PPS board for continued PULBIC USE to the Portland city council which blithely disregarded the elected PPS board's legal mandate and proceeded without Due Process and approval of the PPS board to lease the site to a private corporation for a non-public use that could result in an annual loss of approximately $250,000 in property taxes for Portland, PPS and other jurisdictions.

The John Ball School site is a very short walk from New Columbia, Oregon's largest public housing compound. When Columbia Villa was being remodeled and renamed the powers that be at the time, mayor Vera Katz, HAP chair Howard Shapiro, HAP board member Nick Fish et. al. predicted that Oregon's New and Improved Public Housing Compound would not require any consultations during the design process with the experienced Portland police that had been assigned to keep order at Columbia Villa. Katz, Shapiro, Fish and the other HAP commissioners were so sure that their experiment in social engineering would be free of criminal activity they elimiated the two dedicated, full time, uniformed, armed Portland police officers that had successfully kept the lid on trouble for many years at the site of Oregon's first drive by shooting murder.

As many of us who actually live in the neighborhood predicted, in very short order after New Columbia opened not only were the previous two dedicated, full time, uniformed, armed Portland police officers returned to New Columbia but it soon became necessary for a third officer to be added to this public safety team. The analysis below should be read in this context. 

An Analysis Of The Portland Hope Meadows Corporation's Proposed Experiment In Social Engineering In The Portsmouth Neighborhood -  By Patricia Kane

My sister is in her 27th year working as a foster parent for “court services kids” (teenage boys and girls, all on probation all due for jail and possible prison at age 18 if not successfully rehabilitated.  The program, for which she works has an 85% success ratio which is the highest of any such in the U.S. today.  She has fostered over 400 disadvantaged boys, less than 5% of whom failed to complete the program and were immediately incarcerated. Her backslide/failure rate for those who did complete the program is zero!  (That’s approximately 380 no-longer-delinquent foster kids.) She works for Washington County, St. Paul, Minnesota.

The program with which my sister works includes each child’s probation officer, a medical doctor, registered nurse, social workers, therapists and psychologists.  Foster parents have rigorous continuing education and involvement with these professionals.  They have extensive successful foster parenting experience. Hundreds of well-meaning people who believe that foster children “just need a little love and a roof over their heads” have failed to pass the requirements, testing and licensing to become part of this program.  Requirements are strict and exacting.  The program has been an immense success.

My reason for this introduction is that I read Hope Meadows’ website regarding their first and only program which they plan to duplicate at the proposed facility in our neighborhood and realized that things don’t add up to benefits for either the unfortunate children or the unfortunate would-be foster parents. I didn’t see any preliminary education involved or sufficient professional staff backup for the foster parents.  These people will be sadly deceived who naively believe that their new 3 bedroom subsidized housing is certainly worth interacting with some kid who just needs a little love and a roof over his/her head.

Most of the boys who’ve come to my sister’s home have been living in social services foster homes like Hope Meadows.  They have been on illegal and legal drugs, some have fetal alcohol syndrome, most have lived on the streets, are runaways or have been abandoned or kicked out; some are sex offenders either by inclination or forced by their prior care givers; many have stolen cars and valuables from parents and foster parents;  have been beaten, starved and psychologically abused.  Many have been assaulted and in turn have assaulted and/or tried to kill one or both of their parents or care givers.  These children have learning disabilities; some are autistic, have ADHD and ADD, exhibit oppositional defiance, and 80% can’t read!  

The program my sister works for has rules.  The rules are predicated on isolating the kids from harm and protecting foster parents from danger.  These children have lost their natural families. The strongest urge they have is to replace their family units.  Because of the harm done them by adults they don’t trust adults and peer pressure becomes their dominating force. Because they have been abused they know how to abuse.  Because they have had to fend for themselves they’ve learned to steal, they have no respect for and will trash their surroundings, they’re physically dangerous to themselves, other kids and their caregivers, and if they’ve used drugs they will be in search of them.  Foster parenting is not for the weak, the elderly or the infirm.

Some basic program RULES for successful rehabilitation of mistreated kids are:  Foster homes must be separated from each other.  They can’t have easy access to transportation.  The homes should have at least 6 acres of unpopulated surroundings. No more than 6 children of the same sex are allowed per home.  Children are chaperoned at all times by the foster parent or a member of the staff of professionals if away from the home.  They are not allowed private transportation of any sort. They must not be within walking distance of known drug dealers, gang activities or possible transportation.

Please COMPARE these basics with the facts about the N. Willis site for Hope Meadows 40 unit complex.

1 - The elderly, especially not those so disadvantaged as to need subsidized housing,  are the worst and most dangerous choice for caregivers.  They will be at risk!  These kids are not all “poor little angels”.  Hope Meadows information clearly states that the foster kids chosen will be from the “hardest to place” category.

2 - This high-density housing complex forces unfortunate kids of both sexes and varying ages into close proximity.  Some of these kids have been abused physically and sexually and will abuse physically and sexually.

3 – Portland Hope Meadows property is two blocks from prominent drug/gang signage advertising availability of illegal drugs in the neighborhood.   These  kids might not be able to read, but they can certainly understand tennis shoes thrown over power lines!

4 - The property is within walking distance of our troubled New Columbia experiment.  It’s only with great effort that diligent volunteers and three full-time police officers are holding down gang activity at New Columbia now.  Gang leaders prey upon mistreated children, knowing that their “gang family” peer group is exactly what these kids are looking for.  The prospect of recruiting 40 new family members in the same area is absolutely guaranteed to entice more gang activity.

5 – Portland  Hope Meadows is on a major bus line which connects to mass transit throughout the entire Portland metropolitan area and is fifteen minutes across the bridge into Vancouver.

The Portland Hope Meadows project needs to be rethought. Low-income foster parenting in a drug-market area with infiltrating gangs is a setup for failure!  

On Tuesday December 2, 2008 the Portland police raided a Meth lab only five blocks from the John Ball School site on N. Juneau St. finding about 200 pounds of illicit drugs.

The public safety consequences of the Portland Hope Meadows corporation's experiment in social engineering on the surrounding neighborhood and its potential impact on the already overcrowded and social service stressed local school population MUST be taken into account by those currently on the PPS board and candidates for board seats. The issue of public asset stewardship as well as due diligence and due process in the disposition of surplus PPS public property will be a major voter focus during the upcoming campaigns for PPS board next May.

It is unacceptable if not illegal for the PPS board to sell or give its surplus public property to another government in order for that government to sell, give or lease said surplus public property to a private entity for a non-public use.

If a majority of the PPS board cannot defend and justify the sale or gift of PPS surplus property to a local government for an acceptable continued PUBLIC USE then the PPS board must, after taking all steps for Due Process in determining that the land in question is in fact surplus, place the surplus public property in the private real estate market and seek the highest price at or above its real market value.

The Portsmouth Residents Action Committee and the North Portland Business Association are on the record opposing the private use of the public John Ball School property and in support of Due Process is the disposition of this public property. On behalf of PRAC and the NPBA as well as every PPS district property tax payer and voter we request that the Portland Public Schools Board immediately notify the Portland city council that it has violated the trust and understanding of sale of the John Ball School property and MUST:

A. Immediately withdraw and nullify any and all contracts and commitments to any and all parties involving the current and future use of the surplus public John Ball School property.

B. or C.

B. Through Due Process determine a PUBLIC USE for the John Ball School site which is acceptable to the PPS board.

C. Return the John Ball School property for a full $800,000 refund.

In addition, the PPS board MUST convince district taxpayers and voters that the PPS board will take legal action if the Portland city council does not comply with the above.


Richard Ellmyer