As a candidate for public office it is either an act of political cowardice or political stupidity to retreat from an interview on public housing policy because the interviewer has more experience, knowledge, credibility and commitment to public housing policy in Multnomah county than any member of Oregon's press corps. When president Harry Truman said, "if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen" this is what he was talking about.

Below are the answers to some fundamental public housing policy questions by candidate for Portland city council Sam Adams. You will not find answers by candidate Nick Fish. The ubiquitous Mr. Fish is happy to dispense platitudes to the crowd and cheerily hit the odd softball lobbed by inexperienced and ill-informed journalists. But when it comes to facing the music with someone who knows the score better than he does, Nick Fish swims away as if frightened by a predator. Unlike mayoral candidates Tom Potter and Jim Francesconi and opponent Sam Adams, candidate Nick Fish is unwilling to face Richard Ellmyer, writer and publisher of the small time, three thousand readers, HAP Watcher commentary. So what is he going to do if elected when schools of journalist sharks start to smell blood in the water and have at him? Hide under his desk, bolt the doors to his city hall office and post a sign, meanies from the press stay out.

Because Nick Fish did time in HAP he has successfully fooled many of his supporters, voters and the press into thinking he has done something to advance public housing policy, knows something about public housing policy and has plans to improve public housing policy. Nick Fish has done nothing with regard to public housing policy worthy of individual credit at the Housing Authority. In fact, just the opposite is true.

On November 3, 2003, Oregonian columnist Renee Mitchell wrote: Fish says he agrees with Ellmyer's philosophical point. He would like to see all the housing-related agencies contribute their information to a neighborhood-based map, too. "As a matter of policy," Fish says, "I think it makes perfect sense."

http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/FishFails.html
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/HAPHears.html
And yet, after this statement, while still on the HAP board he made no motion to change HAP's archaic, indefensible zip code based reporting scheme. Nor did he follow through and write to the PDC and HCDC and ask them to "contribute their information to a neighborhood-based map." Nick Fish is a clever, deceptively charming, slippery tongued lawyer that's part of the problem not part of the solution. He is not to be trusted.

Nick Fish joined other HAP commissioners in publicly denying an American citizen's guaranteed right in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America to petition the government for redress of grievances. Denying direct access to public officials won Fish and the HAP pack Willamette Week's Rogue of the Week Award and the serious attention of many in the legal community and those concerned with civil rights and good government. Since Fish's departure HAP's new leadership is once again on solid constitutional grounds.
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/WWletter.html
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/WWRogue.html
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/ChiefCensor.html
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/HAPDeniesAccess.html

Nick Fish certainly hasn't divulged any serious proposals addressing the lack of data and accountability in the spending of more than $200,000,000 a year on public housing in Multnomah county's 117 neighborhoods. On the other hand, Sam Adams had the courage to face a challenging interview. Sam Adams does know what he's talking about, he does have ideas to improve public housing policy, he deserves your attention and a seat on the Portland City Council.

Those of you who are political reporters, make editorial endorsements, hold candidates fairs and debates - especially the Portland City Club, voters and citizens throughout Multnomah county please be encouraged to ask Nick Fish [Grant Park neighborhood, 2% public housing density] these questions.

Sam Adams
What neighborhood do you live in?
Kenton [5.58% public housing density]

Do you believe or do you know anyone in the state of Oregon who believes that improving the quality of life in their neighborhood is achieved by OVERLOADING their own neighborhood with low-income housing?
No
Analysis: This is the most important threshold question on the path to development of public housing policy. Sam answered correctly. By acknowledging that most Oregonians want to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods and that objective is not achieved by an excessive number of low-income housing in their neighborhoods Sam Adams implicitly recognizes the public housing policy paradigm shift from, "MORE Wherever We Can Put Them That No One Will Notice Or Complain" to "WHERE Do We Put Them In a More Equitable Manner By NEIGHBORHOOD."


On what moral, ethical or equitable grounds do elected or appointed officials stand when they vote to spend public funds to place public housing clients in just a few selected neighborhoods?
Weak
Analysis: Although Sam's answer is correct and it may seem obvious it is important nonetheless to articulate an understanding of this principle. All neighborhoods are created equal. They are endowed with neither more nor less inalienable rights to contain public housing.


What is your view of public housing policy today in Multnomah county and where and how would you guide it if elected to the city council?
My single mother and I needed and got public housing when I was young. Public housing allowed my family the opportunity to move up the economic ladder and to achieve economic security. Public housing can be very important to the disabeled. Our city needs a strategy for all levels of housing which must then be monitored. Keeping families with kids in the city is very important. I support the current city policy of distribution not concentration of public housing clients into a few select neighborhoods. The city must monitor this policy.
Analysis: Sam's answer shows his close identification with and commitment to public housing.


What is the aggregate amount of public funds budgeted for public housing by BHCD, PDC and HAP this fiscal year?
$265,000,000
Analysis: The answer is $217,500,000. But that was a very good guess. It demonstartes that Sam knows this is a big budget issue.


Do you agree or disagree with this statement: It is extraordinarily difficult to make good public policy without good public data. How does your answer relate to the current quality of public housing data available to support and justify public housing policy decisions being made today?
Strongly agree.
Piecemeal and incomplete.
Analysis: Sam clearly understands that the current public housing data available to public housing policy decision makers is woefully inadequate. Public housing statistics must be converted into neighborhood based tables and neighborhood defined maps available to public officials and citizens alike.


City Auditor Gary Blackmer's most important recommendation in his ground breaking report, A Review of the Efforts and Accomplishments of City Housing Programs: 1996–2000, published in June 2002, was to assign an organization to coordinate and collect housing data from the many disparate spending centers and then regularly report on its findings. Can you tell me the current status of his primary recommendation as of September, 2004?
Not implimented. The consequences of not having annual consolidated reports can bring a high risk of wasting tax dollars and not serving those in need because we do not have the housing data required by this report.
Analysis: Sam is correct. More than two years after the release of this report it's primary recommendation goes unfullfilled. Sam supports public housing data collection identified by neighborhood as essential to creating meaningful reports which can then be used for making informed public housing policy decisions.


Formal charges have been filed with the current mayor to remove several HAP commissioners under ORS 456.110. If you were on the city council today or if you are elected to the city council in the near future how would you respond on these charges?
It is hard to hold these appointees responsible because they were given no training, guidance or definitions of success by the mayor that nominated them or the city council that approved them. This process needs to be changed.
Analysis: Many people have complained to me that none of the twenty-eight officials that have control and authority over public housing policy and operations that spend more than $200,000,000 annually are accountable to anyone. That's not true. They are directly accountable to the mayor who can remove them at any time for virtually any reason. This is a fundamental and essential fact of the mayor's political power. Whatever these twenty-eight public housing commissioners do they do it with the blessing of the mayor. Sam understands this.


How many of these people can you identify on this list of names** along with their relationship to city government? Why is it important that you know who ALL of these people are and what role they play in government?
I know many but not all of the names on this list. It is important to know who these people are because they are all directly involved in executing public housing policy. It would be in the best interest of our community if all appointees were required to disclose any potential economic interest or conflict that might arise during their tenure before confirmation by the city council. Multnomah county and the city of Gresham should have direct responsibility and control over the appointments they now only recommend.
Analysis: The list contained the names of the appointed commissioners at HAP, PDC and HCDC, see below**. Test yourself. How many can you identify? Are any of these folks your relatives, friends, neighbors? If so why not ask them what they think about the 3-6-9 Resolution and public housing policy in general. If they tell you let me know what they had to say. This is a very shy group.


Discuss you views on the 3-6-9 Resolution*
I support the basic concepts contained within the 3-6-9 Resolution, namely the necessity to collect and publish all public housing data by neighborhood and redefine the currently amorphous distribution policy with numeric, quantifiable goals and train housing commissioner appointees regarding their responsibilites. The 3-6-9 Resolution as a good starting point not a finished product.

All public housing is not the same. Some neighborhoods might choose to have more than the 6% goal if the additional units were public houisng exclusively for seniors. The public housing data must go beyond just numbers and percentages in every neighborhood but must include the kinds of housing and clients that are served.

More detailed intormation would yield a more nuanced and valuable resolution. We must have more data before we can advance this resolution to the city council.
Analysis: Sam understands that quantifying an amorphous policy of public housing distribution and gathering public housing data by neighborhood is necessary for intelligent, reasoned and justifiable public housing policy decision making. The training and guidance of appointees prior to confirmation found similar support. The 3-6-9 Resolution as a good starting point not a document ready for prime time. If elected Sam would be involved in the construction of some revised form of the 3-6-9 Resolution which seems likely to be submitted to the city council if either Tom Potter or Jim Francesconi become mayor.


Should public housing responsibility be shifted to Metro in the next five years?
Metro should take a greater role in moving toward a regional approach to public housing. It need not take over all the functions but it should certainly take a leadership role. Regardless of who guides or controls public housing policy, benchmarks must be established to determine what is a healthy neighborhood. This would include a public housing component.
Analysis: Sam's answer is not only progressive but acknowledges the inevitable direction of future public housing policy issues. His suggestion to develop a quantifiable benchmark for healthy neighborhoods is in concert with his support for a quantifiable public housing policy.


Summary Analysis:
Sam and I both spent time advising publicly elected officials. One absorbs a great deal about the business of politics from that perspective. Sam has obviously learned a considerable amount and thought about how to use that exposure to make our city a better place to live in the future. It is extremely hard to emerge from the shadow of your former boss to become your own light. I believe Sam has made that transition into his own political person. We should allow him to put that experience to work for us on Portland's city council.


Richard Ellmyer
Writer and Publisher - HAP Watcher commentary
Portsmouth - the 18% solution neighborhood, North Portland
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org


* DRAFT
Declare 3-6-9 Neighborhood Percentages As Transparent, Understandable and Accountable Distributive Public Housing Policy Goals

WHEREAS the city of Portland has an established policy that public housing clients should not be concentrated into a few select neighborhoods but rather distributed throughout Portland’s neighborhoods,

WHEREAS it has become necessary to quantify the policy of distribution of public housing clients in order to assure that public expenditures are being spent in furtherance of these objectives,

WHEREAS it is necessary to adopt neighborhood map based accounting as a reporting and decision making tool regarding public housing policy and expenditures.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the city of Portland shall establish as its primary public housing client goal in each Portland neighborhood a target of six (6) percent of that neighborhood’s population. Goals for minimum and maximum shall be established so that no neighborhood shall have fewer than three (3) percent and no neighborhood shall have more than nine (9) percent of its population as public housing clients.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the office of the Portland City Auditor shall coordinate the collection of data and report annually on the status of accomplishment toward the 3-6-9 goal.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the city council shall fund the City Auditor’s 3-6-9 related activities by whatever combination of funding sources from HAP, PDC, BHCD or other revenue sources it may choose.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, all appointments for PDC, HAP and HCDC commissioner shall be made during the regular city council calendar.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the mayor shall determine that all nominees to become HAP, PDC and HCDC commissioners agree to support the 3-6-9 policy goal before being formally nominated for council approval.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, during the confirmation proceedings the mayor shall publicly instruct the appointee of his or her obligation to use the office to which they are appointed to further the 3-6-9 policy goal.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this resolution is binding city policy.

**Jeff Bachrach
Doug Blomgren
Janet Byrd
Harriet Cormack
Richard Fernandez
Shar Giard
Matt Hennessee
Tony Jones
Linda Kaeser
Chris Lassen
Jim McConnell
Roger N Meyer
John Miller
Kevin Montgomery-Smith
Lee Moore
Kandis Nunn
Louis Ornelas
Eric Parsons
Roserria Robertson
Howard Shapiro
Terri Silvis
Susan Stoltenberg
Katie Such
Antoinette Teixeira
Bill Van Vliet
Janice Wilson
Joel Wykowski