Amy’s at the dentist this morning, but I thought I’d post this in her absence, because it’s homelessness morning at city hall, after all. City council candidate Jeff Bissonnette, who’s running against Amanda Fritz, Charles Lewis, and John Branam for Sam Adams’ vacant seat, has posted a rumination on the homeless protest outside city hall on his website, hitting back at the Oregonian editorial board’s request, made on Tuesday, for mayor Potter to “end the slumber party” outside city hall:

The main editorial in Tuesday, May 6th’s Oregonian calls for an end to the “slumber party” in front of City Hall. The editors contend it’s time to say “party’s over” to the protesters. They pad their position by saying this message should be accompanied by “ample notice and social services offered to those who need and will accept them.” Trouble is, they offer no long-term solutions to the protesters who, far from having a “slumber party,” are simply organizing themselves to get help from city officials. The Oregonian’s editors are the only ones who think there’s a party going on in front of City Hall. In fact, City Hall is currently the scene of a high-stakes policy debate with homeless people as active participants. As they should be. I’m running for the Portland City Council to be involved in just these kinds of debates and to develop solutions to the many challenges facing the city.

Then he lists seven (count ‘em, SEVEN) ways he’d have the discussion differently. And closes with this:

The City Hall protesters are raising precisely the issues that need to be addressed. It’s unfortunate if City leaders are uncomfortable being put on the spot with difficult questions and are unwilling to consider a new course of discussion. But making the protesters go away doesn’t make the questions and issues go away. As a community, we must respect the protest for what it is: a demand for action. Let’s not turn away from an opportunity to have the City of Portland join the protesters in demonstrating increased leadership to deal effectively with homelessness in both the short term as well as the long term.

That’s why we endorsed him and that’s why, in my personal opinion, you’d be bonkers to vote for anyone else. Still, this is a “democracy.” So I guess you’ll have to make up your own mind. (Hint: You should independently come to the conclusion I’m right about who to vote for in this race. Of your own free will.)

BISSONNETTE: Ready for tough conversations…