Brendan Finn’s officially out, Nick Fish and Tamara DeRidder join us, and we’ve got a new question:

Multnomah County is facing an $18 million budget shortfall, which will make it exceedingly difficult to provide adequate mental health, drug treatment and addiction services. Though social services aren’t under the city’s jurisdiction, the issue impacts our city. How would you, as a city commissioner, find creative ways to fill the gap?

(Got an idea for a future question? Email me.)

Ed Garren starts things off…

Ed Garren
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: edforportland.com
Public financing status: Participating, 21 contributions as of 1/23

We’re going to continue to see budget shortfalls as property values decline, and money gets even more tight in our economy.

The real culprit here has been the vanishing federal share of revenues, we’ve been “belt tightening” for over two decades, and there is just no more belt to tighten. A governmental structure based on fear is doomed to fail, and that’s what we’ve had.

We are currently engaged in a “war” whose sole reason has been to rob the treasury and line the pockets of this administration and it’s “friends.” Until things change on the federal level, we will continue to scrape by on a local level.

Thanks to 7 years of the Bush dynasty:

Our economy teeters on the edge of recession while property taxes spike and homeowners are losing their homes at record levels;

Our educational system is broken and our teachers are abandoned;

Our roads and bridges languish in disrepair, while our borders and ports remain under-inspected and insecure.

We have the highest federal debt in the history of any country on earth.

In the face of tighter dollars due to our insane federal debt, we will also be faced with challenges relating to peak oil, converting a carbon based infrastructure into a sustainable one, and maintaining a healthy local economy.

Although it is not a city, county or state issue, the BEST thing that can happen to the country is for the federal government to provide health and mental health care. In doing so, enormous burden would be taken off of the state and county, as well as employers (health insurance and worker’s compensation premiums). Doing this is a tangible example of how redistributing our revenues to help all of the people, not just the military armaments and petroleum industry, would take burden off of property and business tax payers.

The rest of Garren’s response—plus Jim Middaugh, Nick Fish, and Harold Williams Two—are after the cut.

Garren continues:

Part of what creates this sort of situation is when any governmental entity gets a large percentage of it's revenue from a few sources. If that source goes down, so do revenues.

The city gets most of it's resources from the business taxes, and specific taxes on business activity. The county gets most of its taxes from property assessments.

As controversial as it has been, I applaud Sam Adams for taking the lead in creating dialogue, discussing the city's problems, and trying to find a solution to fix our streets.

No one likes to pay taxes, and no one, including an elected official, likes to raise taxes.

Our current tax structures, which may no longer be appropriate for todays' issues, could be revised so that tax burden is more evenly distributed in our state, county and city.

Portland does an amazing job of providing city services at very low costs. With just a little more revenue, the city could do much more.

The same goes for the county. And as the economy continues to decline, the county will most likely need to find different ways to gain it's revenue.

But if the only other choice is broken up streets, increasing numbers of mentally ill persons walking our streets, homelessness, deteriorating schools, and so forth, then tough choices will need to be made.

In the face of all of this, the best any elected official can do is provide as transparent and open of a process as possible. The other thing that can be done is to distribute the burden as evenly as possible, so that everyone pays their fair share and certain groups are not exempt unless they are contributing in other ways that are clear and visible.

Lastly, city government must make sure that tax dollars are spent as efficiently as possible. Transparency, openness, honesty are all essential to maintaining public trust in the process.

Thank You, Ed Garren, www.edforportland.com

Jim Middaugh
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: middaughforportland.com
Public financing status: Filed request for certification on Monday

First, I believe there is little reason that the city has lots of money and the county is broke. I support, within reason, looking at services without an eye towards which jurisdiction pays and finding ways to fund those things that are most important. It's difficult however, for the city to provide more support to the county when the County Commission itself has no confidence in one of the county's primary functions -- running the jails.

That said, I believe it is right for the city to find ways to help the county provide services to those most in need. But the city can't and shouldn't provide charity to the county. The City Council should establish policies that provide a sharp focus on prevention -- i.e. drug and alcohol treatment rather than incarceration -- and only fund those things that are consistent with those policies.

The county also should consider helping itself by including addiction and mental health funds in its upcoming public safety levy. It is indisputable that there is an overrepresentation of people with addictions and mental health issues in jail. Helping those people get better will do more for public safety than throwing them in jail.

Regardless of the city’s desire to help, the county is responsible for the mental health and drug treatment needs of the community. The city should not take on that responsibility. However, where city and county policies coincide, it makes sense to invest in them regardless of jurisdiction. For example, the city is committed to ending chronic homelessness through its 10 Year Plan.

Achieving the city’s ambitious goal will require that all levels of government help people who suffer from mental illness, addiction and disability. We know from experience that when it comes to helping the most vulnerable, public investments are most cost effective when they include housing connected with services.

People are in a much better position to take advantage of services if they have a roof over their heads. The city's Bureau of Housing and Community Development, along with the Portland Development Commission, need leadership at the Council level to help link the city’s substantial investments in housing with services provided by the county. I will provide that leadership.

There is great work underway already. Commissioner Randy Leonard's work to increase funds for treatment beds is a great example. The effort to bring all the organizations and agencies that fund services and housing together in a "funders" group is another example.

Because of my focus on ending homelessness and providing affordable housing, improving the City of Portland's partnership with Multnomah County will be among my top priorities. I currently am working hard with Commissioners Sten and Saltzman to ensure that Portland's decisions about urban renewal consider potential impacts on Multnomah County's budget.

I'm also proud of my work on Portland's Schools, Families, Housing Initiative. Through the initiative I helped direct nearly $1,000,000 in rent assistance to families with school-age children. More importantly, instead of establishing a separate city-based program, we provided the funds to the county's Touchstone Program, thereby providing much needed resources to those in need without additional overhead costs.

The City Council also should insist that potentially overlapping functions be carefully scrutinized. For example I question the need to have river patrols provided by both the sheriff’s office and Portland Fire and Rescue. The Council also needs to look at animal control, planning, permits, emergency communications and other shared responsibilities to ensure taxpayers are getting the most from their investments and that the provision of services always is more important than the turf of the government agencies providing those services.

I have first hand experience bringing local, state and federal agencies together to tackle tough problems and integrate services. I'll bring that experience to the Council in ways that will help ensure that services are delivered to those who need them most.

Nick Fish
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: stay tuned
Public financing status: Not participating in program

During my service as a Commissioner of the Housing Authority of Portland, we partnered with nonprofits to create supportive housing for people with disabilities county-wide. Portland and Multnomah County must continue to find ways to work together to provide essential mental health, substance abuse treatment, and senior services to our citizens.

For example, the City and County have a common interest in the areas of public safety, of which mental health and addiction services are a necessary component. I support the recommendation of the Mayor’s Mental Health/Public Safety initiative to establish and fund a mental health sub-acute center. The center will assist police by providing a safe place to bring people with mental illness, thereby helping to avoid tragedies such as the death of James Chasse.

I also support the following:

• The 10-year plan to end homelessness. The plan recognizes that poverty knows no zip code, and that the City and County must work together to end homelessness.

• Commissioner Randy Leonard’s “Project 57" proposal which pays Multnomah County for 57 jail beds at the Justice Center and for drug and alcohol treatment for those offenders.

• The renewal of the Children’s Investment Fund, which will be on the
May ballot. This initiative recognizes that the City and County have shared responsibility for promoting the well-being of children.

As Portland City Commissioner, I will work with the County to address the needs of our most vulnerable residents. I am honored that Senator Avel Gordly, a pioneer in reforming our mental health system, Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler, and City Commissioner Randy Leonard are supporting my campaign.

Harold C. Williams Two
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: none
Public financing status: Not participating in program

I believe these services are very important and we need to adapt the budgets to address these very important human needs. Then we must find out where the states stand on these issues, and if we can lobby the state for more dollars. We must explore what private and government grants are available, and when we have taken these steps then place it in the hands of the Government leader to work it out.

We must prioritize, and see what is most important to the citizens of Portland as it relates to services. Being creative is easy, figuring out what we want and what we need can be very hard.

-Harold C. Williams Two

Tamara DeRidder
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: home.earthlink.net/~tdr4pdx
Public financing status: Participating, no contributions reported yet

The City of Portland, our county and our country is facing a serious shortfall in available federal dollars, especially starting in 2011, due to our US funded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. My friend Rex Burkholder shared at a East Metro Economic Alliance gathering back in 2005 that Federal transportation funds are expected to dry up by that date due to our current administration's spending practices. The result of the lack of these federal dollars is scheduled to hit us where our community needs support most: Mental Health, Public housing, Transportation, and, possibly, in farm/food subsidies.

We, the community of the NW, need to reframe the issues of need and supply/provider. We need to review recent studies and progressive actions that have taken place in our community and take note of of the collaboration taking place even now. For instance look at what Erik Sten has been able to do with "Operation HOME" and the recent resolution by the Council, lead by the Mayor, to address discrimination. These coalitions help frame a foundation on which work needs to continue.

In the large picture, I recommend to conduct a series town hall meetings after meeting with community leaders and experts in the critical areas that will be affected by the lack of Federal dollars. We need to work together - across religious and cultural differences, across jurisdictional separations, and look at the broader context of these issues and possible resources to find options for solutions.

For the mental health services issue specifically? We can cry over spilled milk - in that I think it was horribly short sighted to close down all the mental health hospitals and support stations that were so effective during the '70s and early '80s. Now we as taxpayers pay premium dollar to house many of the mentally ill in our jails - adding to the overcrowding crisis there & the chronic problem of petty thieves checking through the Justice system's revolving door(much to the frustration of the beat cops). OK - let's start at the top:
1. Consider City/County consolidation. I have recommended to my friend Diane McKeel, who is running for Lonnie Robert's seat for Mult. Commission, that the 4-cities in East County should strongly consider a regional form of government and consolidate with Mult. County for areas east of Portland's City Limits. The same consolidation plan should be considered for the Portland area from the eastern boundary westward. I am originally from Knoxville, TN, where they implemented such a consolidation for City/County services on many levels, including schools, in the 1970s. Although there has been efficiencies made to clarify roles between City and County agencies - there would be vast cost savings in consolidating these services. Those savings could then be focused on major concerns to meet the needs of the public. Top on my list is Homelessness and Mental Health support.
2. Identify all the agencies, the community leaders, and resources that currently provide all types of support to the Mental Health population. There will be overlap with other populations, such as homeless, but that is fine. This is our asset base. Work with these contacts and those generated through Erik's work on Homelessness to develop a list of strengths and weaknesses to supply critical resources to meet the needs of this community. Where we find weaknesses and gaps in these resources will become targets for improvement and initiate the formulation of an Action Plan.

Please visit my website for my Call to Action:http://home.earthlink.net/~tdr4pdx/

Thank you for your consideration and attention to this serious matter for our community.

My best,

Tamara
tdr4pdx@earthlink.net

Nick Popenuk
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: popenukisportland.com
Public financing status: Participating, 15 contributions as of 1/22

Did not respond by deadline