Hi Barbara Willer:

First a correction. The Board of County Commissioners did not "appoint" anybody to represent the interests of Multnomah county on the HAP board. It has no such power. The Board of County Commissioners, under the deplorable stealth misuse of a consent calendar, recommended to the mayor of Portland that he, the mayor, nominate James Smith for a seat on the HAP board which would then be placed on the REGULAR calendar of the Portland city council for public comment, council debate and a vote on confirmation.

Consent calendars are typically used by many governments to more efficiently handle matters that are routine or UNCONTROVERSIAL. No discussion by the public and officials is allowed. One vote affirms all the items on the consent agenda at once. It is a useful tool when used properly. When it is abused, as it most certainly was in this case, it demeans our American democracy and the democratic process.

Years ago the Portland city council used to place HAP nominations on the consent calendar until the public demanded to be heard on appointments made to unelected citizens who would be empowered to make serious public housing policy decisions affecting the lives of 700,000 citizens and given the right to spend millions of dollars of public funds with virtually no accountability.

It is disturbing to observe that the lessons of open government and citizen participation learned by the Portland city council and much heralded values in our community were obviously lost on the Multnomah county commissioners serving in June 2008.

There is much to be said and written about how Multnomah county chair Ted Wheeler and his coconspirator colleagues (remember, any commissioner can force an item off the consent and onto the regular calendar), manipulated a public process to literally sneak through a HAP recommendation in order to avoid a public discussion on what are the public housing policy interests of Multnomah county. Shameful doesn't begin to approach a description of this behavior. Political cowardice is more apt.

There are six people we need to hear from immediately on this matter. Commissioner Jeff Cogen, commissioner-elect Deborah Kafoury, candidates Mike Delman, Diane McKeel, Carla Piluso and Judy Shiprack. Jeff Cogen has a lot of explaining to do and action to take. Lots of credibly on the line here for Jeff. The rest need to tell us if they believe that due process was achieved and that they would agree to a consent calendar solution as the proper public process if and when elected. Every citizen in Cogen's district, the voters in contested county races in November and all of my readers would certainly like to know what these folks have to say on the matter.

Finally to answer Barbara Willer's inquiry, YES, I have plenty of further questions but let's start with just these: Who is James Smith and how do we contact him? What political experience does he have? What evidence of past involvement or interest in public housing policy does he have? What are his public housing policy positions that are in sync with and representative of the public housing policy interests of Multnomah county? There will be many more but let's begin here. And please make sure to include Cogen, Kafoury, Delman, McKeel, Piluso and Shiprack in your response. I'm sure they'll all want to hear from you.


On Jun 27, 2008, at 3:31 PM, WILLER Barbara wrote:

Mr. Ellmyer

Chair Wheeler has asked me to let you know that the Board of County Commissioners appointed James Smith yesterday to represent Multnomah Countyon the HAP Board.  Mr. Smith comes highly qualified to meet the demands of representing Multnomah County on the HAP Board.    

Let me know if you have any further questions.  

Thank you.

Barbara Willer

Chief of Staff

Chair Ted Wheeler

Multnomah County

501 SE Hawthorne, 6th floor

Portland, OR 97214

503-988-5002

barbara.willer@co.multnomah.or.us


Richard Ellmyer