With control over the city budget, what can our next mayor do about the worsening economy?

From the collapse of Bear Stearns nationally, to news that home values locally are now dipping, it’s no secret that the economy’s in bad shape. What would—or could—you do as mayor to protect homeowners from foreclosures, keep citizens employed, and generally strengthen Portland’s economy, both in the short and long term?

Blaming it first on illegal immigrants, first up is Chris Rich. After the cut, read more about Bob Leonard Forthan’s plan to build more bars—and fallout shelters! Plus, :

Christopher Rich
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/chrisrich4mayor
Financial status: $0 in contributions, $0 currently in the bank

The most important thing a commissioner can do to protect our Citizens ability to work and maintain a home is to stop giving our jobs away to an illegal work force. This will strengthen our economy and allow folks to keep their homes in the short and long term.The second most important thing a commissioner can do is to stop wasting money on “pet projects” and spend more money on higher education and vocational training. Our Citizens have been left under-educated and without a trade to support themselves. Those are the things that I will focus on in regards to this issue.

Jim Lee
Position sought: Mayor
Website: blogmayor.com
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

The housing/mortgage/homeless crunch is but a symptom of social and financial attitudes in this country. They have been festering for many decades; there is no easy policy fix, certainly none that local government could implement in a few years.

Americans long have used home ownership as their main source of wealth, so it is understandable that almost all are anxious to join the game. But is is a biased game, because the mortgage interest deduction on federal income taxes is dissuasive of other
forms of building familial wealth. Also, the mortgage interest rate deduction encourages those who are well qualified to acquire larger homes than they need, and to continue to purchase even larger dwellings as they move up the income ladder.

Ultimately that deduction acts as a subsidy to home-builders, encourages the “Street of Dreams” phenomenon, and feeds our national obsession with housing.

Then there is the “Assortative Mating” phenomenon: lawyers marry lawyers; Fred Meyer clerks marry Fred Meyer clerks; homeless people marry homeless people. This, compounded by our abandoning the principle of progressive income tax, is the reason for the ever increasing maldistribution of American income and wealth. The present Administration’s blatant promotion of the wealthy and suppression of the poor is but a portent of the post-industrial feudalism that is nearly upon us. At least the Bushites are open about it--that much can be said for them.

Our Federal Government is almost totally dysfunctional. But my Social Security payment does arrive on time every month, and I do have Medicare. You should have it too!

I never have owned a home, so personally am uninvolved with this fiasco. However I do sympathize with those about to be pitched out onto the street. Having lost their McMansions, some may be able to live in their “Her” and “His” SUVs. Payments on those are lower, but interest is not deductible.

My professor of civil engineering once remarked that depressions are the best times to build major infrastructure. It looks as if we are headed into a severe one, so I’d encourage local, state, and federal governments to build useful and economical bridges,
streetcars, high speed intercity rail, and all the other great stuff we could not afford when we were rich!

David Ackerman
Position sought: Mayor
Website: none
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

We need to be ready for the worst,unfortunately, studying the history of a depression we will look back at the innovations made by F.D.R. which had similiar issues nationwide. Hopefully a more progressive administration will be most helpful in our endeavour...

Bob Leonard Forthan
Position sought: Mayor
Website: rfortha.wordpress.com
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

As, a city commisoner, you can't protect homeowners from foreclosure, bacause banks are privatly owned interprize.

To keep citizens employed, I would open more bars, thoughtout the city, and make them family ran, with the city invested in each new bar, five percent city, ninty-five percent company. Each new company will recieve twenty-four hour monitoring of their bussiness, and the city would used their five percent bussiness profits to keep the monitoring program aflot. Note: in the depression time bars and solons were the best bussiness to get in.

I also want to build fallout shelters thought Portland using city employees and city property which would keep alot of employees busy for one hundred years.

Sam Adams
Position sought: Mayor
Website: samforpdx.com
Financial status: $167,544.77 in contributions, $71,551.79 currently in the bank

Actually, this issue is so critical, it cannot wait until January of next year. We started this work over the last several months and just published a report. Please visit my blog for more information. The full report is linked at the bottom of the post.

Craig Gier
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/craiggierformayor
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Well I am running for mayor but, the way I would help things would be to make sure that the commissioners stick to their budgets and that they don't engage in special projects. If the city's funds are managed well then the city and all its people will be in good shape. This would help in both the long run and short run.

Kyle Burris
Position sought: Mayor
Website: site not up yet
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Did not respond by deadline.

Jeff Taylor
Position sought: Mayor
Website: portland123.com
Financial status: -$31,420.95 currently in the bank, the balance of a loan to himself

Did not respond by deadline.

Sho Dozono
Position sought: Mayor
Website: shoformayor.com
Financial status: $99,295.65 in contributions, $78,409.04 currently in the bank

Did not respond by deadline.

Beryl McNair
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/301848721
Financial status: $220.00 in contributions, $220.00 currently in the bank

Did not respond by deadline.

Patricia Stuart
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/votepatriciastuart
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Did not respond by deadline.

Steven Entwisle
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/votepatriciastuart
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Did not respond by deadline.