From: Richard W. Ellmyer <ellmyer@macsolve.com>
Date: February 11, 2010 3:07:19 PM PST
To: Nick Fish <Nick@ci.portland.or.us>, Amanda Fritz <amanda@ci.portland.or.us>, Randy Leonard <rleonard@ci.portland.or.us>, Dan Saltzman <dsaltzman@ci.portland.or.us>, Ted Wheeler <ted.wheeler@co.multnomah.or.us>, Jeff Cogen <jeff.cogen@co.multnomah.or.us>, Deborah Kafoury <district1@co.multnomah.or.us>, Judy Shiprack <district3@co.multnomah.or.us>, Diane McKeel <district4@co.multnomah.or.us>, Shane Bemis <Shane.Bemis@ci.gresham.or.us>, Shirley Craddick <Shirley.Craddick@ci.gresham.or.us>, Carol Nielson-Hood <carol.nielsen-hood@ci.gresham.or.us>, Dick Strathern <dick.strathern@ci.gresham.or.us>, David Widmark <David.Widmark@ci.gresham.or.us>, Paul Warr-King <Paul.Warr-King@ci.gresham.or.us>
Cc: HAP Board <board@hapdx.org>, Shelley Marchesi <shelleyM@hapdx.org>, Sam Adams <samadams@ci.portland.or.us>, pdxplan@ci.portland.or.us, Steve Rudman <stever@hapdx.org>, John Kitzhaber for Governor Derek <campaign@johnkitzhaber.com>, info@bradbury2010.com, Barry Manning <bmanning@ci.portland.or.us>, bob@bobstacey.com, sara@rex4metro.com, rex@rex4metro.com, Interested Parties <interested@macsolve.com>, Ruth Adkins <radkins@pps.k12.or.us>, Martin Gonzalez <mgonzalez@pps.k12.or.us>, Pam Knowles <pknowles@pps.k12.or.us>, Bobbie Regan <bobbie.regan@pps.k12.or.us>, Trudy Sargent <tsargent@pps.k12.or.us>, Dilafruz Williams <dilafruz.williams@pps.k12.or.us>, David Wynde <david.wynde@pps.k12.or.us>, Carole Smith <superintendent@pps.k12.or.us>
Subject: If YOU Don't Hold HAP Accountable Then Who Will?
Hi Portland and Gresham City Councils And Multnomah County Commission:
HAP's director, Steve Rudman, and HAP's board and the mayor of Portland, Sam Adams, have refused to instruct HAP's IT department to:
1. Add a "neighborhood" field to the database that contains client records for the HAP Public Housing Program.
2. Add a "neighborhood" field to the database that contains client records for the HAP Section 8 Housing Voucher Program.
3. Add a "neighborhood" field to the database that contains client records for the HAP New Columbia in North Portland's Portsmouth Neighborhood Program.
4. Gather client data from those administering HAP's 32 properties in Multnomah county under the HAP Affordable Housing Program and import the data into a database that contains a "neighborhood" field.
5. Export the "address" fields from each of the four separate databases mentioned above and send them to Metro for conversion into "neighborhood" fields.
6. Import Metro's conversions into each of the four separate databases mentioned above.
I request that you exercise your authority and responsibility to direct the HAP board members that are supposed to serve the interests of ALL the citizens of your jurisdiction NOT just those that are HAP clients, HAP Staff and HAP benefactors to complete the above request by February 15th.
I also request that you exercise your authority and responsibility to direct the HAP board members that are supposed to serve the interests of ALL the citizens of your jurisdiction NOT just those that are HAP clients, HAP Staff and HAP benefactors to confirm that all HAP's client databases have a "last date modified" field for every record.
These requests are for technical administrative decisions. The cost is virtually nil.
The Housing Authority of Portland is OUT OF CONTROL. It is NOT ACCOUNTABLE to Anyone.
We have a situation where a public employee, Steve Rudman, paid by taxpayers somewhere in the neighborhood of $190,000 per year in salary and benefits, who singularly controls the spending of about $80,000,000 in public funds and directs public policies that affect about 33,000 HAP clients and 700,000 citizens of Multnomah county.
Rudman presumably reports to the appointed HAP board, none of whom have ever been vetted before their appointments nor since to determine their views on the most basic of policies, namely:
A - Do you support Equitable Distribution of Public Housing? OR
B - Do you support UNLIMITED neighborhood concentration of Public Housing?
Not a single member of the HAP board has ever shown any inclination to challenge Rudman's insistence that HAP Public Housing Statistical Data NEVER be released to taxpayers, voters, the press, elected officials and those running for public office.
Not a single member of the HAP board has ever shown any inclination to challenge Rudman's inability to produce more than 19,000 of 33,000 HAP client records which were inaccurate, incomplete and untimely.
Not a single member of the HAP board has ever shown any inclination to challenge Rudman's inability to produce 33,000 HAP client records which include a "last date modified" field which could potentially prove Rudman's failure to keep accurate records.
Rudman's $190,000 a year job is a very strong motivator to keep anyone and everyone away from seeing any Public Housing Statistical Data that might incriminate him as incompetent or worse.
The mayor of Portland has the singular statutory authority to nominate and dismiss HAP's board which means the HAP board serves at the pleasure of the mayor of Portland.
The mayor of Portland is the ONLY elected official that can hold HAP's appointed board ACCOUNTABLE for its public policies and its annual spending of about 80 million dollars of public funds by threat of dismissal.
The mayor of Portland, Sam Adams, has refused to acknowledge much less carry out his responsibility under ORS 456.110 and has abandoned any oversight of HAP's board and its staff leaving HAP's director, Steve Rudman, in complete, unsupervised control.
Neither bureaucrats nor appointed officials should be allowed to spend $80,000,000 of the people's money without oversight by elected public officials, THAT WOULD BE YOU.
If each of you do not come forward and start taking responsibility now then HAP's policies and spending priorities become your policies and spending priorities.
If each of you do not come forward and start taking responsibility now then HAP's failures to provide transparency and accountability become your failures.
The mayor of Portland's demonstrated failure to produce authentic, accurate, complete and timely Public Housing Statistical Data from HAP's client records for the taxpayers, voters, candidates for and members of the Oregon legislature makes a prima facia case for legislative transfer of control of the Housing Authority of Portland to another elected public body such as Multnomah county or the Metro regional government.
Whether HAP may or may not be complying with HUD or other government reporting requirements is irrelevant to the matter at hand. As a candidate for the North Portland House seat in the May 18, 2010 Democratic primary it is very important that I and the voters of North Portland have access to authentic, accurate, complete and timely public housing statistical data. For at least the last nine years HAP has refused to provide this information to taxpayers, voters, elected officials, candidates for public office and the press. The Multnomah county District Attorney cannot compel HAP to provide public information that it does not have under the Oregon Public Records law. The addition of a "neighborhood" field would allow the Multnomah county DA to demand the publication of the statistical data portions of these records. The "last date modified" would provide some evidence of HAP's competence in monitoring its clients' income worthiness to enter and remain receiving the benefits of taxpayer subsidized housing.
The current policy supported by HAP, the cities of Portland and Gresham, Multnomah county and the state of Oregon of UNLIMITED neighborhood concentration of public housing is disproportionately and negatively affecting the public safety, school populations, property values and business climate in North Portland. Without authentic, accurate, complete and timely public housing statistical data the OVERLOADING of North Portland with PUBLIC HOUSING will continue UNABATED.
By February 15, 2010 every taxpayer and voter in North Portland and Multnomah county will know where everybody with the power to make a difference in this matter of government transparency and accountability stands.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. THE CAMPAIGN SEASON IS FINITE.
Thank you.
Richard Ellmyer
Taxpayer
Voter
Homeowner
Business Owner
Candidate for the North Portland House seat in the May 18, 2010 Democratic primary