Affordable Housing and Homelessness

by | Sep 18, 2021 | Our Community

Affordable Housing:

1. Building of larger complexes with a centralized bathroom and kitchen. Micro-units. Like dorms. This will allow for more units per building at a more affordable cost.

2. Find old unused office buildings and convert them into affordable housing units.

3. More quickly approve development that meets zoning laws for more low-cost apartments. This is often a slow and costly process.

4. Build more affordable housing units near transit. Build more affordable housing near state/city-maintained fruit trees and vegetable gardens for low-income earners to enjoy free healthy freshly-picked meals.

5. Support Community Land Trusts. Land is bought by non-profit organizations and which then sells homes to criteria-meeting folks, splitting the value of the land value with the house value so occupants pay less for home ownership.

6. Inventory and allocate public land for affordable housing. Local governments develop a complete list of all vacant land and underutilized real estate. Once surplus land is identified, cities can sell or lease it at a reduced cost—or donate it—to offset the high cost of land and build more affordable housing. 

7. The mass creation of tiny homes. Affordable and quick to build. Expanding growth and access to permanent RV parks.

8. Ensure low-income earners can pay their utility bills.

9. I support a limited mortgage interest deduction for first-time home buyers.  This deduction provides an opportunity for working people to build wealth through home ownership

Homelessness:

1. Rapid re-housing. When you’re housed quickly, studies show it’s easier to find a job and get settled at school. Well-built comfortable shelters can be made affordably and in large numbers.

2. Enact a coordinated systems approach. To address homelessness, communities should take a coordinated approach, moving away from a collection of individual programs to a community-wide response that is strategic and data driven. Everyone is working together.

3. Poverty, unemployment, drug addictions and a shortage of affordable housing are often causes of homelessness. Administrative programs and social groups should be expanded to help remedy these situations.

4. Preventative awareness. Expanding mental and behavioral health services. Especially in schools. Expanding drug rehabilitation services. 

4. Programs designed to assist low-income people increase their income are critical to supporting housing stability. Programs such as the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program can be used more effectively to combat family homelessness. 

5. The availability of Work Supports for low-income households, such as child care and transportation assistance, can also have a big impact on whether or not a household can sustain employment.

6. Build more homeless shelters near state/city maintained fruit tree and vegetable gardens for everyone to enjoy free healthy freshly-picked meals.

7. We need more employees in the homeless service industry. 

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Lieutenant Youth Governor

Lieutenant Youth Governor

by | Nov 26, 2020 | Youth Empowerment

As governor I will introduce the first ever Lieutenant Youth Governor of Oregon.

To all adult Oregonians, let’s try to be better listeners. It is important that we hear the concerns of Oregon’s youth. How can we know what is happening in their lives if we don’t ask? What is important to them? What issues and concerns do they have?

Outreach to all High Schools 

My administration will connect with all 471 Oregon high schools, giving them a detailed blueprint so that every student who is interested in participating at the chance to be Oregon’s first lieutenant youth governor can easily do so.

Each interested student will explain their top 3 concerns and issues affecting them and their peers as well as how they would want to go about addressing them. We will be looking for realistic and creative solutions and good critical thinking.

There will be 36 finalists (one in each county). And eventually, one lieutenant youth governor of Oregon.

Liutenant Youth Governor of Oregon

Though this will not be an official position, the Lieutenant Youth Governor will play an integral part of taking their concerns and addressing into fruition…with the help of our administration, of course.

We want our youth engaged now to help them build a better tomorrow.

YMCA Youth and Government 

I applaud the YMCA for creating a nationwide youth and government Program. This nationwide leadership program is so great at bringing young adults into our political system. But we need to take it to another level, a more direct and interactive way to hear the voices of our young adults and the current issues they face from every county in Oregon.

Celebration Party

All remaining 35 finalists and their families will be invited to the Governor’s Mansion to be recognized and to celebrate each and every beautiful mind and brilliant idea.

But most importantly, elected representatives from each and every one of the 35 finalists’ counties will be required to be made aware of those issues and concerns from those young adults they are representing. Action and accountability needs to happen. There’s work to be done.

To the Youth of Oregon

Your voices will be heard and your concerns will be addressed. 

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Power To The People

Power To The People

by | Nov 23, 2020 | Anti-Corruption

It’s time for Oregonians to have more say on what is goes on within their communities.

Give Power BACK to the People

Amendments are a great way to tackle issues at the state level. But they are sometime difficult to get on the ballot, and elections are too infrequent to keep up with the needs of our diverse communities. That’s why I’m looking for a quicker and more direct way for Oregonians to get things done…

Power To The People

As your governor I will introduce a ground-breaking Power To The People program.
This will allow Oregon residents to suggest new ideas and major concerns about their home counties for quicker redress. This will be a direct administrative portal that will acknowledge and represent all 36 counties respectively since concerns and topics will vary greatly between places like Multnomah County and Malheur County. 

Real-Time Input

Submitted entries into Power to the People will be publicly available so county residents can see what is going on in their home regions and what issues need to be addressed.
Our elected representatives will be required to stay updated in this administrative site respective to their counties to be fully aware and more importantly…accountable to the issues of their constituents. After all, they should be working for you. 

How Will it Work?

Every registered Oregon resident with a legal address will be able have direct access to Power To The People and, if they choose, make recommendations on what issues or concerns should be addressed within their county. Every citizen within their respective county can review all of the ideas and choose those ideas that resonate with them. We will see in real-time which topics are gaining the most traction. The top concerns should be the focus for that county. 

From there, we will generate a cost analysis for each of the top 10 ideas. That will help put local issues into better perspective. Haven’t you always wondered about the costs for local improvements and wanted to hear ideas on how to pay for them? The goal is to put power back in your hands!
Then it will be up to your elected officials to make the change that you want to see happen… as fast as possible. Democracy in its most transparent form.

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The Lying Politician

The Lying Politician

by | Nov 22, 2020 | Anti-Corruption

Those who blatantly lie on the campaign trail, in political advertisements or while in office needs to be held accountable. We have been witnessing unbelievable amounts of lying from those elected to government. They recognize that there will be no consequences to their actions and so nothing is stopping them from not telling the truth.

Truth in Politics

Did you know that it is illegal to lie on a resume for a government position? Truth in Lending laws are applied and that is a good thing. Truth in Advertising laws are also nationally implemented. So, don’t you think “Truth in Politics” should also be in effect?

Held Accountable

If a politician has been informed by an independent non-partisan fact-checking panel that they are telling a clear, verifiable and undeniable lie and they refuse to immediately and publicly acknowledge and correct the record, then they need to be held accountable.

Truth matters

Brazen, lying politicians are directly affecting our livelihoods. Our economy. Our health. Our careers. Their words have a profound impact on our communities. Truth matters!
To be very clear, I am not calling out any politicians here in Oregon. I am setting a foundation for protecting the future of Oregon’s democracy.

How can we protect our freedom of speech and the 1st Amendment while still holding political  liars accountable? What does “accountable” mean? That is not for me to decide alone. Let the people speak and let their voices be heard.

Truth In Politics Act

As your governor I will request the formation of the Truth In Politics Act to hold those accountable for the damage of what their words can cause.

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