Let’s see what the folks who want to be mayor would do for Portland’s younger set:

Beyond improving education, what can Portland do to be a better city for youth, specifically teenagers and young adults?

First up is Patricia Stuart, someone we haven’t seen above the cut yet. Also, I ran into the Sho Dozono campaign’s manager this weekend, and got to the bottom of their lack of responses the past few weeks—too busy, she said, apologetically.

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

Our community centers need to be open til 9 pm . Youth need a safe place to meet and have positive interactions with their peers . Forums where they can talk , laugh and learn together. The city needs to sponsor dances , swim parties and other social events . Staffed by community volunteers. The city could also hire and train evening staff to work more productivily with our youth.

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

Irwin Mandel is a brilliant fellow. At Roy Jay’s candidates’ forum he asked a convoluted question, the gist of which was, “How would you solve a problem you never have encountered?” I surmised that the twists and turns had been figured to ascertain if a candidate could follow a complicated train of thought. Thus his query did double-duty.

My answer was briefer than Irwin’s question: “I try to solve any problem in the most basic and fundamental terms possible.” Triple-duty answer. He smiled and nodded; evidently I had got it right.

There are are two consequences of such solutions, neither of which I mentioned:

1) The result is not likely to be the one expected.

2) The result certainly will meet with disapprobation.

It is impossible to give accurate answers to questions like the present one, because the causes of the problems addressed are deeply embedded in our society’s culture, values, and practices.

Nothing the Mayor of Portland can do will have the slightest effect on basic and fundamental causes of difficulties affecting youth and young adults. Our country has manufactured these problems for itself; our country will have to find ways to solve
them. Sorry, folks, but Daddy can’t help you.

And I did tell Mandel that I, if elected, would not throw him out of City Hall.

By the way, I am totally opposed to education, but strongly in favor of fine teachers in good schools.

Sam Adams
Position sought: Mayor
Website: samforpdx.com
Financial status: $186,880.77 in contributions, $87,115.53 currently in the bank

Beyond improving our education system, the City can focus our efforts in two areas: Transportation options First thing’s first. If you can’t get around you have a problem. If you’re under 16 – which would make you 25% of our population – you can’t get around by car unless someone else, maybe someone as lame as your mom, drives you. (Fact: moms are great, it just doesn’t seem like it when you’re 15). Youth need safe and efficient options to travel to school, work and play. As mayor, I will pursue increased investments in our bike network, including creating 110 miles of bike boulevards with updated crossing signals as well as funding Safe Routes to Schools for every Portland schools. Creating more civic and social access It seems silly to me that more music and performance venues aren’t accessible to people under 21. I supported the recent (unsuccessful) effort to revise OLCC conditions. I’ll support it again. I’ve no doubt there are safe and effective ways to keep alcohol from minors while allowing them to enjoy the performance, just like the Crystal Ballroom does regularly. We need to rethink what community centers do—whether they are schools, organizations or even neighborhood coffee shops—to engage our community. The innovative partnership between Rosa Parks Elementary School & the Boys & Girls Club is a great start. We can and should take this idea further. From design to programming, we should determine how we measure a successful community center and seek to replicate that success throughout Portland while being mindful of the diverse communities in which we situate them. We need to continue to invest in proven after-school and mentorship programs, whether culturally or geographically specific, that give youth the space to grow and explore. Partnerships like Schools Uniting Neighborhoods continue to serve a much-needed populace. Informal opportunities that resonate with youth are arguably even more important. I supplied key support to the development of two public skateparks, in Pier Park in North Portland and Glenhaven Park in NE Portland. Hundreds of kids (of all ages) are there on any given day. These are the most visited parks facilities per square foot in the entire park system. When we stay true to the kids and provide for their needs, we get it right.

-Sam

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

One thing the city can do is entice companies to come in and open things geared towards that age group. For example skate parks, arcades and so forth. One important thing to do is to get cops to stop harassing the youth of this city. We need to make things safer for everyone, thats something that no one seems to notice either. There are many things we can all do.

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

In my opinion, there is nothing more important to a young persons development than an education. For over 50 years our public school system has asked for our trust, and consistently we are forced to compromise our youth's competitive drive and creativity for complacency.

Aside from educational needs, I intend to free parents and children from the overbearing demand for genericism. I will demand that young people speak their minds and demonstrate their abilities. Most of the adults we see today that are expecting somebody to do something for them, are the same people who didn't have the courage to do what's needed for themselves when they were young. Our current form of government is more than willing to breed dependency, whereas dependence is controllable, than to promote the very thing it uses as a cover - Independence.
I will protect young people from harmful adults that are in positions of power.

-chris

Steven Entwisle
Position sought: Mayor
Website: none
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Organizing...Summer music festivals and competitions in local parks with barbecue, nutrition programs about bloodtype science and exersize, basketball tournaments... Employment... Working on improving trails in outlying areas, planting trees, taking out invasive species of plants, fishing trips to the coast...Community mentoring (Friendfinding)....Resource building (Connecting)....Winter film festivals, making movies of people making positive changes ect., Concerns...Getting them involved in city government, bringing them in on townhall meetings to voice their concerns about their schools, neighborhoods,family life, and future prospects....

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

Did not respond by deadline.

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

Did not respond by deadline.

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: $136,596.75 in contributions, $115,710.14 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.